About Us

Atlam Watches is run by Bettina Skogland–Kirk

We have been market leaders in Antique and vintage Pocket watches for over 30 years and have one of the largest stocks of pocket watches in the UK.

We also specialise in TV and Film work and our watches and chains have appeared in many TV series and films including The Harry Potter: Fantastic Beasts films and Peaky Blinders.

All watches are sold with guarantees and we offer a full refund in the event of any customer being dissatisfied.

Due to COVID-19, we no longer operate full opening hours at our shop. However if you want to see a watch in person, please contact our office and we can arrange a private appointment. To avoid disappoinment, please do not go to our shop expecting to see our whole stock; please do contact us before any visit to our shop, thank you

FAQ

How can I order?

You can order any watch or item directly from our website.   Alternatively you can call us and order an item over the phone or arrange to view any watch from our shop.

We accept all credit cards, Paypal, Bank transfers and cheques.

How will my order be shipped?

Please refer to our blog for updates on shipping delays. 

If there are no delays reported on our blog you can expect the following service:
If the item is going within the UK, delivery normally takes 24-48 hours if an order is placed from Monday to Thursday.

If the item is going to Europe, delivery normally takes a week.   Items are sent with registered insured post.   High value watches are sent with Fedex express and this takes up to 48 hours

For the rest of the world, shipping normally takes between 5 to 10 days.   High value watches are sent with Fedex express and this takes 2 to 3 days depending on where we are sending the order to.

What happens if I do not like my purchase?
This is not a problem.   Please contact us within 7 days of delivery and inform us that you are returning the watch/item and when we receive it, we will then issue you a full refund.   Occasionally when a customer has asked for Fedex express shipping at an additional cost, only the price of the watch will be refunded.

Are the watches guaranteed?
Any watch you buy off Atlam is guaranteed as working and if it is not, you can return it for a full service within the first 12 months.   However working does not denote accuracy because you have to bear in mind that these are antique timepieces not all of them are still accurate.   If you want an accurate watch, please mention that when ordering or enquiring.   Atlam will then guide you to a suitable watch - see below.

Which watch should I choose?
If this is your first watch purchase and you find the choice bewildering, we are here to help you.   We will give you advice on buying a watch suitable for every day use, gifts for anniversaries, weddings and/or christenings.   Finding that special watch for a discerning collector and/or watches for an investment portfolio.   As we also have a vast stock of watches, if you do not see what you are looking for ask and we are always happy to see if we have one in stock or even locate one for you.

What happens if I break the watch?
We will give you guidelines and advice how to handle and wind your watch but if you do break it, do not despair.   Contact us and then we will inform you how to return the watch.   The watch will then be passed on to our repairer and we will give you a quote for the repair.   Generally speaking, unless the watch has been smashed to pieces, most repairs are under £50/$75.   New glasses for example are £10/$15. However please do note that it is not unusual for most large repairs to take up to six months and even more than a year.

Grading and Condition reports

When we are describing the overall condition of a particular piece we us a percentage system from 100% being perfect or unused to 1% being poor.   Generally most of our watches and items are between 100% - 90% as we only put the very best pieces we buy on our website.   We also try to be as accurate but please bear in mind this is a guide only.   Whenever possible we will describe why the watch has that particular grading i.e. 90%  dial - small hairline on the edge of the dial.   Also please bear in mind that the older a watch is, especially with pre 1800 watches, we are more lenient on the condition of the case and dial than we are in with more modern watches.   The grade "100% mint condition" when describing a case from 1770 is going to be different than when we describe a case from 1910.   But please always bear in mind that every watch sold by Atlam is priced fairly according to its condition.

Can I see more images of the watch and can I request more information?
Certainly, this is not a problem.   Please e-mail with details of the watch or item in question and we will send you more information, if the watch is still available.   However please note that customers who want details of multiple watches may have some time to wait as this does take time.

I have sent an e-mail to you with details of a watch I want to be valued. Why have I not heard from you?
There may be a couple of reasons for this.   We receive on average over 100 e-mails a day and valuations are put on one side until we have time to research the maker and details for you.   Also if you have sent us pictures in a non recognised format or if your e-mail was infected, our firewall may have stopped your e-mail from getting through.   If in doubt, please call us and we can verify that we have received your enquiry.