Has anyone ever managed to repair the Julia Roberts Popcorn Gold Watch?

[Sarah Pocket]

I haven't had a huge amount of wear out of my "Julia Roberts" gold popcorn bracelet watch. I have only worn it on special occasions over the past few years but did buy it approx 5 or 6 years ago I suppose. When I took it to have a new battery fitted it had a tiny piece of link missing which they said they couldn't repair, nor could they fit a safety chain to it. One of the chains has recently snapped. I doubt that I'll be the only one to have had this problem with this watch and I just wondered whether anyone had ever managed to have one repaired? It seems such a shame to scrap it for the gold.

 

[Brissles]

I do sympathise with you SP. A few years ago I bought a blue pave sapphire ring from the Viva Las Vegas range, - about 2 years later, and after only being worn a few times, one of the stones fell out. I had no luck in getting it repaired, QVC didn't want to know, so I'm stuck with a ring that looks as though a tooth is missing, and totally unwearable. Taught me a valuable lesson.

 

[LE lover]

I have the silver version of the watch and had exactly the same problem. I took it to a jeweller who sent it away to be soldered. I was told they had fixed it but it was only a matter of time. before it went again as its so. delicate. I am very careful now to try not to get it caught in anything .

I absolutely love it , it has been my best buy from q

 

[SparklyBarbs]

I haven't had a huge amount of wear out of my "Julia Roberts" gold popcorn bracelet watch. I have only worn it on special occasions over the past few years but did buy it approx 5 or 6 years ago I suppose. When I took it to have a new battery fitted it had a tiny piece of link missing which they said they couldn't repair, nor could they fit a safety chain to it. One of the chains has recently snapped. I doubt that I'll be the only one to have had this problem with this watch and I just wondered whether anyone had ever managed to have one repaired? It seems such a shame to scrap it for the gold.

Oh thats awful for you SP. Thats one of the worst things when you keep things for good. I see Julia still wears hers, but i think she has a white gold one and the one you have. Can you post it on QVC Facebook, as you might get a response from them there

 

[Tinkerbelle]

I don't have the watch but have you been to a jewellers that actually do the repairs themselves? I have a Tanzanite ring from QVC that I wanted resized and two high street jewellers told me it couldn't be done because it was semi bezel set and it would weaken the setting. I was talking to the jeweller I use now who does repairs on site and told him about the ring, only for him to say he could probably do it. I took it in and he resized it about 3 years ago and there's been no problem. He did say he may need to strengthen the setting but would only know once he'd done the work. It didn't need to be strengthened in the end.

It may be the same with your watch. There is a solution but its not standard or straightforward and only the person doing the repair would know. It would be a real shame if you couldn't wear the watch anymore.

 

[Tiddlywinks]

I agree that you should find a repairer rather than a high street jeweller to have a look at it... most of the high street outlets are just retailers now and don't really have the expertise.

 

[Sarah Pocket]

Thanks to all for your replies. I'll ask the same question on QVC Facebook to see whether anyone has managed to have it repaired. The two jewellers I have tried locally both send repairs away.

 

[SparklyBarbs]

Thanks to all for your replies. I'll ask the same question on QVC Facebook to see whether anyone has managed to have it repaired. The two jewellers I have tried locally both send repairs away.

Don't be too nice on Facebook, or they'll ignore your post. Say you've only worn it a few special times and it was so expensive , you would have thought it would have lasted longer. and see if they suggest, anything.:hi:

 

[Scouser]

I haven't had a huge amount of wear out of my "Julia Roberts" gold popcorn bracelet watch. I have only worn it on special occasions over the past few years but did buy it approx 5 or 6 years ago I suppose. When I took it to have a new battery fitted it had a tiny piece of link missing which they said they couldn't repair, nor could they fit a safety chain to it. One of the chains has recently snapped. I doubt that I'll be the only one to have had this problem with this watch and I just wondered whether anyone had ever managed to have one repaired? It seems such a shame to scrap it for the gold.

I am interested too as my yellow gold popcorn Julia R watch snapped on a link after just a few wearings.( Posted on here recently in a thread about expensive jewellery from QVC)

 

[Wrongsideof40]

It's obviously a common problem with the popcorn link. I was lucky enough to get mine replaced when it snapped. I very rarely wear mine now. I had the bracelet , that also snapped.

 

[boffy]

i agree you will have to try and find an indepedant jeweller so hard to find these days..they dont seem to sell these on qvc anymore maybe there is a problem. they should do something as its not fit for purpose under the sale of goods act most people try to get away with the fact that most items are guaranteed well after a year

 

[caretodiffer]

I wonder if you can take the snapped links, get them repaired by soldering and be exchanged with those worn at the narrower end of the hand:wonder:
There, the links will be used with a lesser tension, and be a lot safer

I have the silver version, the battery ran out after a few weeks . This thread has warned me to be careful with its links. It is a pretty watch.

I bought a watch that QVC sold as "silver" but there is no stamp anywhere saying it was silver(just says it was made in China ):sad:.It is a watch with jade cameo links, it is very pretty, not one of the cheaper ones we can see sometimes on QVC . I wonder if any members of this forum's have one.
One of the cameos fell off within a year of buying, QVC did say they will refund the money as they did not have any left , but I kept it, because I had so many compliments, and I liked it a lot .
I wish I hadn't, because another one has fallen off:doh:

I would like to share a story of one of my watches and seek your advice on what to do with it

I have an expensive gold Accurist bracelet watch (not from QVC), worked beautifully until one of Samuel's managers changed its battery.
I took it to Beverbrooks to get it repaired, one of the girls tried to repair it,

Beeverbrook's manager sent it away to get it repaired.. but it stopped after a few months That watch has only given me grief, much money have been spent to get it going and it is now resting, not working again.
I should have sent it to Accurist at the start:thinking:
It was that Samuel's manager who ruined it to start with, he broke a small lever in it.He was a crafty man who refused to take the responsibility and I was on my own, younger and very, very naive.
I always get angry when I think of that man:devil:

Please don't say scrap it:sad:

I now talk myself out of buying the more expensive range or solid gold ones because when problems arrive, they becomes quite useless or when they stop working, problems arise.

I seem to be jinxed with watches:sad:

 

[Tiddlywinks]

Caretodiffer... is the Accurist watch 'special' to you? If not, could you trade it in against another watch (or ring etc) which wouldn't have the unhappy, angry memories attached? You shouldn't have to feel angry when you look at a piece of jewellery should you?

I love watches but don't ever have them fiddled with at local stores anymore... I send them away via the maker's service... Beaverbrooks are normally quite good at just acting as an agent for sending off watches for servicing or repair.... and I always have them insured for the journey.

Good luck in making your decision.

 

[donna255]

Caretolife, that is awful!!!!

I go to a small watch shop in Belfast, its called The Watch Shop. The guy is brilliant at changing batteries. Most jewellers in Belfast will not touch a watch even to change the battery if you did not buy it from them. I had a Rennie Macintosh watch, bought in a sale years ago, the shop was closing down. Always got my new batteries put in by this guy, so left it one morning and called back an hour later(he usually does it there and then but had a backlog). Arrived back to be told the battery was fine but unfortunately the watch had stopped working. He told me I need to send it back to RM for a proper repair. Trouble is the company no longer make watches as such and they could not repair it. I still have the watch in its box, yes I am sad, as it cannot be fixed.

 

[Weathergirl]

Donna I have a gold watch that was my grandmothers. It has a mechanical mechanism so I actually have to wind it! After I picked myself up off the floor when my regular jeweller told me what the equivalent would cost me today (I had assumed wind up watches were the old fashioned poor relation) he arranged for it to be sent off to be repaired and serviced. The brand no longer exists (if it does it is in a much cheaper quartz battery shadow of former self) so he used a self employed chap who is a "watchmaker" the old school variety. He is not linked to a brand and works with what he is sent, even a discontinued brand or model. It is not cheap but only needs doing every 5 years. Maybe there is someone who could fix your RM?

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Wrongsideof40]

Are any of you near a Hugh Rice jeweller? I find them excellent!

 

[Vienna]

We have a jewellers called The Jewellers Workbench and he makes a lot of his own stuff, gold and diamond rings, earrings etc. I know he does repairs because I`ve taken stuff there but I don`t know if he repairs watch straps. I should imagine repairing your popcorn strap would be little different than him repairing a bracelet though. I can ask him the next time I`m in town if you want me to. If the watch is special to you and he can repair it then I`m happy for you to post it to me to get it repaired if you cover the p and p and repair charges.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

That's like my local jeweller Vienna. They make bespoke pieces and do repairs in their own workshop on site. You can either talk to the guy who owns the shop or the guy who does the work but they're both equally knowledgable.

I do think though that a watch comes with an ongoing outlay like no other piece of jewellery. And for me personally, I would never pay a lot of money for a watch unless it was by a well known watchmaker. That's just my personal choice though not a criticism of anyone else's choices. I have a Raymond Weil watch that needed repair. The seal had perished so moisture had got into the face. It was a lot of money to repair it but it would have been an awful lot more to replace like with like. But when it went in I got a couple of extra links added because I now prefer to wear my watch loose like a bracelet. It was around 8 years old at the time but they still make the links.

 

[Silver Fox]

I have a premium brand watch ( well known film stars promote) It has been away at the manufacturer since January for a new battery & of course it needed a service! The cost of which would have taken me on holiday( & to the sun).I was told that the battery had leaked & they need to be change immediately they expire ( as if that is always possible).I like the watch very much but it is more a liability. I would just make do with bog standard!

 

[Sarah Pocket]

I've emailed Customer Services at the suggestion of people on QVC Facebook and await a response. I'll let you know what the response is!