I had a broken zipper on a backpack that was in otherwise good condition. I brought it to a few tailors who said it couldn't be fixed (they didn't have the right machine, it was too complex, etc.) One of the tailors recommended this place. The owner asked when I needed it ("tomorrow?" I asked...) No problem. He called two hours later and said I could come pick it up. Looks better than new, with a lovely YKK zipper. I asked how he did it and he said, "magic". read more

The hardware store up the street shuttered a couple years back, but in a pinch, Joseph's will cut keys for you (in addition to repairing watches, which seems like their main gig). The keys will work, and if you're lucky, the guy behind the counter might acknowledge your presence beyond grunts to acknowledge the number of keys you'd like made. Although, chances are he'll probably ignore you in favor of the phone he's on the entire time before overcharging you. It's kind of a crapshoot. read more

Joseph's - Storefront - Watches Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Absolutely positively never go here. The man who works here is extremely disrespectful, unpleasant, and unskilled. One time he scratched the back of my watch when replacing the battery, and when I pointed it out he didn't apologize or anything -- only offered that I call the owner who he said could polish it out. I called the owner many times and left many messages but never got an answer. All this headache for an extremely overpriced battery replacement. Another time the same man used a hammer without any gentleness or care to adjust a screw in an expensive watch. I also asked if I should pay before or after he does the repair and all he said was in a dismissive, sarcastic, and threatening way "I have your watch." read more

My husband dropped his Rolex off here to have a link taken out. They called him and said it was ready, and within a few days they lost it. Wouldn't trust them with anything valuable. read more

I needed a bracelet adjusted on a fancy vintage dive watch, and it took ten minutes and 8 bucks, done right and at a steal to boot. I asked if they do higher-end watch servicing and learned they'll send it out for you (I may not do that here, stick to simple things). They also have a case of cool vintagey Seiko and Casio and Citizen watches, all at good prices. read more

I had two watch batteries replaced, I believe it was $30 total for both, and told 10 minutes. It probably took 5-7 minutes. As others have noted, they service isn't particularly friendly - but I would not say rude. While that seems a little pricey, it appears to be fairly average for the service. I can't say that my time there makes me a "fan," as four starts suggests, but he did what I needed when I needed it. Therefore, four stars it is. read more

Just not sure why the one man is consistently rude perhaps it is because I am a woman. Also, why so damn expensive!? Good thing the neighborhood has other options read more

AVOID! Employee made me feel like I was inconveniencing him by coming into his store. He misidentified my watch as needing a battery even though it's automatic. Gruff, unfriendly, lacking any form of professionalism. You're better off consulting the internet over this guy. read more

DO NOT GO HERE! I never give reviews but I am so upset. I needed new belt holes for a Prada belt, but the guy didn't puncture the holes evenly. The belt now looks terrible and ruined. He said, I'm sorry. And then he proceeded to puncture it again to make it even and said, no, that would make it worse! you think i'd want larger holes?? The guy is an idiot to even attempt that. I asked, could you give me anything to make up for it? No. $100? I paid over $500. No. As soon as I reach the door to leave, someone entered, and I said, "Don't go here, he'll ruin whatever you want fixed!" read more

Spent around $200 to get 4 pairs of shoes re-soled and cleaned. The leather ones came back okay. But a huge warning: DO NOT TRUST THEM WITH SUADE! One pair of sandals came back completely discolored ("he just brushed them!") the other pair came back BALD! Take the extra trip to take your shoes to the city. This place is too expensive and does shoddy work. read more

Very unprofessional. This guy charged me top dollar for a 50cent battery you can find online. Scratched the whole face of my watch putting in battery and than told me it was there already. I tried talking to owner and he refused to take any responsibility. Go to a real jewelry repair place these guys are just trying to scam and rip you off. read more

I had been going to Joesph's for any problems with my watch for awhile. Generally clasp issues or a dead battery. They really put on a good show as if they are helping you out but it's all about making an extra dollar whenever they can. I don't care about dropping money but I can't stand people who try to take advantage and attempt to rip people off. My new battery once had some issue just after it was repaired and they charged me $5 bucks to get it going again, even though there shouldn't have been any problems. I didn't care to storm out because in the end it's five bucks. Another time however, after coming to them for my clasp again, they informed me they had to replace the entire clasp for some exorbitant amount of money. I took my watch back and got a second opinion elsewhere. Sure enough the other place only had to fix it and did it for a cheaper price than what Joesph's was offering than when they fixed it. Do not bring your business here. read more

I've had two very positive experiences at Joseph's. First, I had a nice leather purse that was missing two rivets on one of the straps. I took it in to get those replaced and the rivets they had didn't match the color, so they went out and bought ones that matched exactly and fixed the strap. He called me back to pick it up in 2 days and it cost $8 (I was expecting a lot more). Second, I just dropped off 12 watches that needed battery replacements. He called me back 5 hours later and they were all done, set to the right time and date. They cost $10 per watch including the battery, which seems to be the standard price most places. I would go back here again as I've had great customer service. read more

This place is awful. I brought in a key to have a duplicate made and it didn't work. I brought the key back and the guy wasted my time for 20 minutes only to explain that he couldn't make this key. They refused to refund my money. awful experience read more

5 minutes to have a new watch sized. Also a quick battery change on my Michele watch which has, in the past, been a slightly difficult battery to swap out. Customer service is not their foray but they get the job done right and quickly. read more

I used to be the kind of person who felt naked without my watch on my wrist, but with the advent of cell phones, I'd followed the bandwagon and stopped wearing one. But recently, I'd been missing that easy access to the time, especially since I've been biking so much. It's just too hard to dig out my cell phone during those few seconds stopped at a light. So I scrounged around in my dresser and pulled out my beloved old watches, hoping to slap one on my wrist and go. Silly me. After years of neglect, they both needed new batteries and one needed its scratched-up face replaced. I couldn't seem to get the backs off of them to see what kinds of batteries were needed, so I did a little yelp searching and found Joseph's. Conveniently located on Smith right by the Bergen stop and good hours too. Perfect. They replaced the battery in the one watch on the spot and told me the second, which needed a new face, would be ready the next day after 5:00. Nice! I was expecting a few days' wait at least. It also turned out that both watches had weird mechanisms for opening them, as I could see by all the gadgets needed to open the one that was fixed in front of me. So no wonder I couldn't get them open on my own, and thank goodness I hadn't persisted or I would have ended up with a broken watch. Yikes. I walked out ten minutes after walking in with a good-as-new watch on my wrist and picked up the second the next day. I don't have much experience with watch repair, but the prices seemed perfectly reasonable to me and I'm generally a cheapo. And I haven't had any shoe repair done here, but a friend of mine says they do good work. I'll have to try that service on my next visit, since it'll be a while before I'm taking this watch off my wrist again. read more

You really cant go wrong with either Joseph's or his father Michael's down the street. I frequent Joseph now because I live closer. Every time I go in, he's a straight shooter and doesnt try to sell me on things I dont need, which I really appreciate. read more

This place is DOPE. Has fixed two pairs of shoes and a fairly pair of complex earrings. All affordable, on time, and long lasting job. HIGHLY recommend read more

I had a watch that LIVED here for almost a year while they 'fixed' it. that antique tudor submariner is now kaput. I decided they werent watch people (but I liked them!) and still took them a pair of hand made english brogues which are now - ruined. Fool me once, shame on you. fool me twice, shame on me. read more

Was charged $36 for two batteries (insane) and was delivered two non-functioning watches. When I pointed out that one was reassembled incorrectly (the face was upside down), rather than apologize for their error, I was asked why I broke the watch. After begrudgingly adjusting it, I got home to realize neither of the watches work. They also lost two of the four screws on the backplate of one of the watches. Take your business elsewhere. read more

THE WORST PLACE EVER!! The owner is sarcastic and rude He thinks he's doing the best job ever, and always says "You've come to the right place" ...please Overcharges for EVERYTHING!! Go to Court street, or further down Smith Just NOT here!! Its all a scam read more

This place is pretty great. I've taken everything to them, including my most beloved (and pricey!) items. They took the time to find and replace my Raymond Veil watch battery, which was no easy feat. And when my friend's guinea pig took a bite out of my favorite leather jacket, they were able to stitch it up so it's almost unnoticeable. They're also good at the usual- fixing and cleaning boots and heels and what have you. For a neighborhood place, it's what you want. And the price is right! read more

Horrible watch repair service I have a fairly expensive watch which I dropped off a month ago. When I went back they couldn't, initially, find it. They then did find it only to tell me there was a part they needed to 'look' for and told me to come back in a week. Which I did. Still no part. They told me to come back a week later. Which I did. Still no part. Finally, this last time they told me they couldn't fix it. All that, and a month later my watch is still broken and I wasted a bunch of time with these guys. Totally unprofessional. read more

great service and so fast with their service. I would ot go to a different store. So efficient and they know what they are doing. Thanks Guys. Did an amazing job on my battery change on my tag huer. read more

They did an excelent job replacing the zipper of one of my rabbit's fur boots. My favorite pair is ready for the next winter, thanks to you guys. :) read more

Took a leather handbag in to have the strap reattached. They did a pretty amateurish job of gluing it back in place, unsurprisingly it only lasted a few weeks before it came out again. Won't be going back. read more

Worst service, brought my watch in for a battery change, they lost the screw, had to order new ones, and scratched the back of my watch. To top it off the battery lasted only a few months. Very unfriendly staff. Would not recommend it. read more

I've been to Joseph's to repair watches on 2 separate occasions and had bad experiences with both. I would highly NOT recommend it, and don't quite understand how it is so highly rated. At least with watches, I would say go elsewhere -I recommend the jeweler around the corner on Court. Much better service with watches/jewelry there. My first time at Joseph's, I dropped off a watch to have scratches removed from the face, to have it tuned up and cleaned and to fix the bent pin on the side of the watch. I was told to come back a few days later to pick it up. When that day came I called the store and was told they needed 3-5 more business days, since they needed to order a special oil to clean the watch with. 5 days later I stopped by the shop to pick up the watch, and was told the oil had not arrived and should be there tomorrow. Two days later I picked up my watch. They had fixed the scratches on the face, but the watch still appeared dirty and the pin had not been adjusted. It looked like they had not even tried to clean it, which was the whole reason they had ordered the special oil and taken an extra week the job. The second time was to remove some moisture that had built up inside the watch, presumably because they had not initially fixed the bent pin, and moisture had accumulated inside the watch. I was told the watch would be ready on Saturday, and lo and behold when I arrived on Saturday afternoon without my ticket, was told by the man behind the counter that I would need to wait for him to help the 4 customers in line behind me before he could help me, since he would have to go through the '100s of watches in the back to find mine.' Meanwhile, I had been waiting in line for 10 minutes while he shmoozed with other customers. I told him I did not have time to wait for him to help the other customers, and even though he had told me to come in on Saturday to pick it up, said 'this is really not a good time to do this.' I asked him when a good time was, and he said 'Tuesday.' When I returned to the store on Tuesday, my watch had not even been fixed yet! My issue is that they seem to have a very bad understanding of how long it will take to fix things, and drastically underestimate the time. Their customer service is pretty awful, and I will not be going back. read more

I had scuffed my cream colored lamb-skin shoes and the night before leaving town for a wedding and my boyfriend thought that rubbing alcohol was the solution to removing the scuff. Well, it wasn't and I thought they were basically ruined from the hideous blotch the alcohol created. We brought them in the following day (on the jewish new year, of all days) and he was able to fix them that day. He had to refinish the shoes through mixing colors to get the right match. You can't even tell anything happened. Super quick, professional, and skilled. We paid $34 for the refinish which I don't know whether or not is a fair price because it was an emergency. But worth it in this case. read more

They're fast and good. Be careful though, they will overcharge you if you're not careful. My reheeling was supposed to be $20 but they overcharged to $28. I was willing to let that slide, but the guy conveniently forgot to give me my $5 change. Caught myself since I was distracted and asked for it again to which response was, "Oh I thought it was the tip." Tip? Spurious at best considering they weren't fully straightforward. Honesty is the best policy in business folks. read more

I just picked up my newly repaired shoes and so now I can rave about both Joseph's shoe and watch repair services. He did a beautiful job fixing my watch too, and all for a very reasonable price. He's courteous, professional, and honest. I'm now enjoying the hunt for more of my old shoes and watches to bring to him so he can breathe new life into them. read more

I've come a few times to have my shoes polished or repaired. If you're looking for a warm smile, you won't find it here. The vibe is that of a Stalinist gulag. That said, they do a good job cleaning up shoes or making them usable. I do suggest you secure a quote before handing anything over for service, just so there won't be any misunderstanding, but you can reliably expect quality in their work. read more

have had 2 very positive experiences with shoe service at Joseph's. 4 stars because it was great. nothing extraordinary really. but the guys working there are really nice. i brought in a couple pairs of shoes to be shined, and on both occasions they turned out looking great. they were pretty beat up dress shoes (a year or so of scratches, scuffs, discoloration, creasing) that i've never had shined before, so i just dropped them off, he said it would be a couple hours and $5 a pair. Voila- 2 hours later they looked great, and i no longer stare at my shoes thinking "i wonder if a shoe shine will fix these...". It does- from Joseph's at least! read more

Excellent, professional, knowledgable shoe repair guys who know their shit. Fit me with a great insole. Thanks !

I dropped off a wallet for repair. They said it would be ready in a few days. When I tried to pick it up they said they could not do the repair. No explanation given. read more

I brought a clock in for repair that's been in the family for a while. Just a battery-powered mechanism for a nice frame. I came in on a Saturday and was told the clock would be ready on Wednesday. I called on Wednesday and they said check back the next Monday. I called on Monday and they said they would call me. Three weeks after dropping the clock off, they called to say it was ready. I came in, and they told me it had stopped working again; they would call me. Today, a month after dropping the clock off, I went in resolving to leave with my clock, working or no. It was working; they just never bothered to call as promised. When I came home, I took a closer look at the clock - I should have done so in the store. The did not bother to fit the back panel on correctly, so the back was now scratched. They also replaced the minute hand of the clock, but it doesn't match the style of the hour and second hand, plus it's the same length as the hour hand, which makes it very difficult to tell the time! All this for $45. Take your business elsewhere. read more

Do NOT go to Joseph's if you need your leather fixed. This is the only bad review I've ever written on Yelp, and I had to share because I am so disappointed in my experience - both the quality of workmanship and the overall service. I came to the store to repair my wallet - the leather latch had detached from the main wallet. I specifically told the guy working there that I was willing to pay extra to have this wallet hand-sewn (opposed to machine sewn, which is of course much faster) as it was my mother's old wallet and quite a meaningful piece. I came back a week or two later to discover that he had used the machine and sewn over the ID slip, ruining/puncturing the fine leather, and making the wallet dysfunctional. I, of course, got frustrated and asked him to re-do it; I was still willing to pay the extra cost. Instead of taking the time to rectify the problem and hand-sew the latch back on, however, he took the easy way out and used the machine to sew a straight portion of the latch back on; he glued the rest, so that it appeared to be fully repaired. Again, I am not one to write bad reviews; I typically give people benefit of the doubt and am a friendly and understanding client. But in this situation, the lack of professionalism and client care was just too much. I had to share my experience so that others can avoid the same mistake I made. read more

BEWARE - DON'T TAKE YOUR SHOES TO HIM!!! I would give him no stars if I could. I took a pair of expensive Cynthia Vincent boots to him. The lining had torn inside one of the boots. Joseph finished the job but I wasn't able to get my foot back inside the boot. I was leaving for a 2 & 1/2 week trip the next day and left my boots with him so he could have them fixed when I returned. Upon returning, I called and spoke to Ryan who said he couldn't find my boots and that he'll call me back later that day and reassured me they were in the shop. I called back and still he wasn't able to find my boots. I went in the next day and spoke to Joseph who reassured me my boots were there and would be fixed in 3 days and specified they would be ready by 7am. I called on that day around 3pm and Ryan had no clue where my boots were. I took tone and 10 minutes later, my boots magically appeared. I was told they would be ready the next day in the afternoon. I went and not only could I not put my foot back into the boot, they stretched the wrong boot. My boots are DESTROYED! I told Joseph he would have to reimburse me for my boots but he laughed at me and denied any responsibility. He did say he would stretch the boot I couldn't fit into but by this stage, how could I trust him. While I was in the shop, I overheard another customer saying he was unhappy with the quality of Joseph's work. Also, he received a phone call and from Joseph's response I could tell the customer on the other end was not satisfied. He should be out of business. He's a total FRAUD! I have now taken my boots to The Leather Spa on W. 55th Street. I haven't picked them up yet but from the start they are very professional. I took another pair of shoes to them and they did an excellent job. Michael's shoe repair on Smith between President and Union is another option. read more

DO NOT GO HERE!!!!!!! I dropped off my favorite pair of sandals to be cleaned. There were a light pink leather. They came back a completely different color and were painted not dyed. The paint was cracking off - i scratched the sandal and it came off in a sheet exposing how drastic the color difference was - and completely ruined the leather of the shoes. I had to throw the sandals away. I specifically signed up to write reviews on yelp because I am so horrified with what they did to my shoes. read more

Beware. This guy lectured me on shoe care for 15 minutes when I brought my shoes in and when i went to pick up my shoes he had repaired all three pairs wrong. A pair that needed a new zipper - cleaned them. The boots that I could feel the nails through the bottom of the sole...still had nails poking up and the boots I had him patch looked like he filled the tear with hot glue. This is after over a week of time to repair them. I left the shoes again and had him re-repair them. Another week goes by. I come back and the boots with the nails, still had nails and the patched boot looked just as bad. I wish I were kidding. When I said I didn't want to pay the full 60 dollars for his services he said, "But I didn't even charge you for the cleaning" when I pointed out it was an unsanctioned cleaning he did by accident and I wouldn't have expected to pay for it he said "I can take 5 dollars off" I said "What does that do?" and he replied "I have very high rent. I took over this business from someone else and I didn't expect it to be so busy" Dear Joseph, not my fault. Sincerely, Everyone who has shoes. (there is a highly reviewed much loved shoe repair down the street at 319 Smith. Go there.) read more