Grand Central Watch

The new Benrus Type 3X is here.
Huge thank you to Darius from Benrus for coming to talk about the newest release and what makes the Type 3X so special. We can’t wait to get our hands on one!
The Type 3X is available now—head over to Benrus to check it out and make it yours.

Watchmaking 101: Testing & Reassembling the Case
The movement isn’t the only part of a watch that requires precision. Before a case is fully reassembled, every component needs to be carefully inspected and checked.
The bezel and case components play an important role in protecting the movement and maintaining the watch’s water resistance, so they need to be checked before everything is put back together. Once the case is fully reassembled, the watch is pressure tested to make sure it can maintain its water resistance and that the case is properly sealed.
It may look like a simple final step, but careful case assembly and testing are essential to making sure a watch is ready to go back on the wrist.

Watchmaking 101: Setting the Hands

How do watchmakers get the hands onto a watch so precisely?
A specialized hand-setting tool is used to carefully press each hand onto its pinion. The tool has different tips designed to fit over the hand and apply pressure exactly where it’s needed, without damaging the delicate hand or the movement underneath.
It may look simple, but getting each hand perfectly seated, aligned, and spaced takes a very steady hand and a lot of precision.

Watchmaking 101: The Testing Machine
How do we know a watch is keeping time? After a service, a watch doesn’t just go straight back on your wrist. It goes on the testing machine.
The machine measures the movements accuracy, beat rate, amplitude, and beat error. This gives our watchmakers a detailed look at how the watch is performing and whether any final adjustments are needed.

Watchmaking 101: What does an ultrasonic cleaning actually look like?
During a full service, every component of a movement is completely disassembled—and before anything goes back together, each individual part gets a thorough cleaning.
The parts are separated into their own baskets and placed into an ultrasonic cleaner, where high-frequency vibrations help remove dirt, old oils, and debris from even the smallest components.
It’s one of the many behind-the-scenes steps that ensures a clean foundation before our watchmakers begin putting everything back together.

Watchmaking 101: Oiling
A watch may be made up of hundreds of tiny components, but keeping them running smoothly often comes down to something you can barely see: oil.
Proper lubrication reduces friction between moving parts, minimizes wear, and helps keep a movement running accurately and reliably. During a full service, our watchmakers carefully apply the correct amount of lubricant to specific points throughout the movement

One of the questions we hear most often is, “What exactly happens during a watch service?”
We wanted to answer that question by showing you what actually goes into it.
We’re excited to share Anatomy of a Watch, a behind-the-scenes look at a complete service on a Rolex Submariner “Hulk.” While the movement in this watch is not among the most complicated, the video gives you a sense of just how much precision, patience, skill, and time goes into properly servicing even a relatively straightforward mechanical movement.
Every component is carefully disassembled, inspected, cleaned, oiled, and reassembled. There are countless small details that may never be visible once the watch is back on your wrist, but they are what make a proper service so important. This is the work we have been doing for nearly 75 years.

While filming an episode of 'George to the Rescue', George left one of his own watches with us for restoration, and we documented the entire process. This is a rare look inside our craft and the care that goes into every restoration we perform.

We'd like to extend a heartfelt thank you to George, his team, and everyone involved with George to the Rescue. Their commitment to helping others is something we deeply respect, and they continue to set a wonderful example of how small acts of care can make a lasting impact. Check out their channel for more feel-good stories.