I am sure Ree used to be an excellent watchmaker, but those days are clearly behind him. I dropped off a vintage chronograph with Ree in about January 2025. I checked in about a month later and he said he was ordering a part. I checked in again after another month or so and he said the part was on backorder. Fast forward, 18 months went by and I never got an update. I am moving now, so I came to collect the watch. After digging through several boxes, Ree pulled out the watch, held together with scotch tape. The case had a massive gouge in the side and the movement was missing screws. I confronted him about this and he simply denied doing anything to it, despite the fact he had obviously at least opened it and taken a look at it to be able to order the part he told me he was ordering. I hate posting this because Ree is about 100 years old now. But to save people the same fate I suffered, I feel obligated to warn that Ree is no longer capable of doing this. read more

Rees Watch Repair - gouged watch - Watches Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great professionalism and clear upfront pricing. The repair was completed incredibly quickly. I brought in my boyfriend's watch to have the band links fixed, and although it seemed like a complicated repair, he handled it with no problem. Would absolutely come here again! read more

Rees Watch Repair - Repaired Watch Band - Watches Near Me - Austin, Texas

Professional, courteous, talented, timely, does business in a way to be proud of! A real gentleman.

I've taken my watch to Mr. Rees for several years, and I've always been pleased with how quickly and precisely he works. His prices are affordable, too. He cleaned my watch in 2010, an that is the only time I had to leave it with him. Otherwise he replaced the battery, shortened the metal watchband, or both, while I waited a short time. Excellent service. read more

Rees is a kind man, and excellent watch smith He's someone you would like to have lunch with. His prices are more than fair, and he's quick with the fix. He even took time to chat and tell me all About how my watch ticks. He's an only cash or check kind of guy! I'll be bringing every watch I have here, till the end of *time. (But if Rees is around, that may go on forever... bc he would fix it ) read more

Fast, affordable service! Only takes cash and checks . The business is in a personal residence, but he's super friendly and professional!

Very nice guy and knows what he's doing. Brought my watch for a simple adjustment. He runs his business out of his house but I wasn't sure so I knocked ands he said to just come in. Has his workshop right in the front door and took less than 10 minutes to do what was needed. Very fast, good work at good price. read more

Mr. Rees is a highly experienced Watchmaker. Reasonably priced Repair work. He is a Veteran. Native Texan, long time Austinite. read more

I brought him 2 watches. 1 needed a battery and 1 needed size adjustment. I paid 20 cash for both services and maybe 20 minutes of my time. I am a happy customer. Thank you Rees Watch Repair! read more

I'm so happy I found this little gem. Mr. Rees has 71yrs of experience and it makes me happy that I can see him enjoying his craft. Thank you so much for fixing my watch! read more

Rees Watch Repair - Watches Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I had a small clock that needed a new battery and was dismayed to find out that Walmart doesn't install batteries for the price of the battery itself any more and most places in Austin that do charge $35 and up. Rees Watch Repair is an award-winning family-owned business that has been around since the early 50s and is run by a 96-year-old man who has seen much history in the near century he has lived. The office is in his house, and he doesn't accept credit cards, but charged me only $12 for the battery, for putting it in, and for resetting my clock. His beautiful watch-themed painting done by his deceased brother is an extra treat. The whole experience was a step back in time when people saw their work as their calling and took pride in what they did. I hope when this battery runs out I can return to have him put a new one in for me. read more

It warms my heart when I run across an experienced craftsman that knows his business well and provides excellent customer service. Mr. Rees is one of those folks. He has been taking care of watch repair needs in the community since 1953, and was previously in a store down near the UT campus until 1990 when the building was bought out for the University Co-op. I stopped by his shop, located at his home, to get a watch band replaced. I already had one but Mr. Rees has a nice selection of bands if you need one. It took less than ten minutes from the time I got there to be walking out with my repaired watch, an old Caravelle that my folks gave me nearly fifty years ago (and it still keeps great time!) If you're looking for a professional watch repair shop, see Mr. Rees. Highly recommended. read more

Excellent work. Installed a strap on my IWC watch . Nice conversation as he does the repair

Great experience! I was perfecting a watch as a birthday gift for someone, and this place enhanced the meaningfulness of the gift by far. I love that the owner has made the front of his house a watch repair shop, so he can be steps away from home. I have family in the south who have home shops like this and it warms my heart and makes me feel closer to the business owner. He had all the supplies at hand and kept me updated on when the watch would be ready. It was very fast. The pricing was so cheap too so I would go back if I ever need anything done. The ambiance of the shop is special, so please support this business! read more

Excellent service and such a wealth of knowledge about Austin! He is a living legend. Operating out of his house, this man knows time pieces and does it for the love of the art form. He deserves your business. Respect your elders. read more

Walking into Mr. Rees's workshop is like a time warp. He's a true watchmaker. He replaced the movement on my fav childhood watch and also the crystal. After getting quoted $200 from another watch repair shop I was thrilled to only be charged $42 for the movement. Will def be referring him to others. read more

Rees Watch Repair - Minnie Mouse watch - Watches Near Me - Austin, Texas

Mr. Rees is the nicest and Awesome-est! Have taken 3 watches and prices are always great not to mention service is amazing and quick turn around. Less than 10 min usually. I hope he's in business for a long long long time. Thank you again Mr Rees. read more

Rees Watch Repair - Watches Near Me - Austin, Texas

Wonderful and straightforward service from a very skilled and kind timepiece technician. Called and received quick service at a more than fair price. Great to know of Mr. Rees, I will be back again & again! read more

Very quick service! Was immediately helped and walked away with my watch fixed in less than 10 minutes. Note it is cash or check only.

Mr Rees is a great repairman of watches and a great human being full of knowledge and wisdom. I will always come here!

More than happy I found Mr. Rees. Brought him my watch to replace the battery and he had it done quickly. Glad to support a local business here. read more

If you're looking for a trustworthy and experienced watch repair shop, just head to Rees.

I have been a few times for a battery change and a new band. He is always great to talk to and is very knowledgeable about watches. Make some time to stop by and shop local! read more

This shop is been in business longer than I have been alive and the service and prices can not be beat. The gentleman that runs the shop takes great pride in his trade and is an absolute professional. He will tell you what's wrong with the watch and an estimate on how much will it cost to fix before hand that way you can plan accordingly. I absolutely recommend this place to anyone with watch issues. The business its inside a house on a separate entrance and area so as you pulled up you'll see a house without any markings but the phone number works and he will answer the phone for any questions. Come see this shop and keep it local. read more

Excellent and fast service! I am new to town, and had been procrastinating about getting my watch battery repaired for months and finally decided to pull the trigger yesterday, and I am so glad I chose Rees Watch Repair. He was super friendly and fun to talk with while he was fixing my watch, and gave me a very fair price for the battery and installation. Thank you very much! Highly recommend read more

Over the last decade I've had occasion to need a few watch repairs & band adjustments. Mr Rees is deeply knowledgeable, professional, and friendly. My wife's Cartier watch band needed adjustment and he took care of it in a few minutes, and the price can't be beat. read more

Great job on my watch, very reasonable price and so satisfying to watch a master at his trade.

Our family has used Mr. Rees for over 20 years. He has installed batteries and given new life to our watches. Mr. Rees and his brother operated a jewelry store on Guadalupe next to the UT Co-Op for years. Then he retired and set up a small office at home in a little neighborhood near Highland Mall. Once we needed him to repair a watch before a trip but he and his wife had taken the RV out for a few days. Ah, the joys of semi-retirement and working at home. His prices are about a third of what jewelery stores charge. Typically, Mr. Rees can get most anything done in 24 hours or occasionally while you wait. read more

Rees Watch Repair - Watches Near Me - Austin, Texas

Pros: -Cheap Prices. I brought two older mechanical watches to Mr. Rees for a full service and repair of any broken parts. I had been quoted $2-300 per watch elsewhere, so the fact I got BOTH watches fixed for LESS than $200 is a big time plus in my book. -Knowledgeable and experienced. Mr. Rees has over 50 years of experience in watch and clock repair. This is especially valuable, in my opinion, since he's probably worked on and is familiar with many types of movements, including those no longer being produced. -High quality work. Both of the watches serviced came back with cases and crystals polished and running better than new. Cons: -Not a certified watchmaker. Mr. Rees is NOT a certified watchmaker according to the AWCI (American Watch and Clockmaker's Institute) nor did he ever attend a watchmaker's school. That's not to say his work is shoddy--quite the opposite I feel--but it may be something to consider if it's a $100 Ebay special needing work versus your Grandfather's $5,000 Rolex. -Slow worker. Mr. Rees seems to have a ton of watches to work on at any one time, and since he's the only one in his shop, it probably shouldn't have come as such a surprise that his two week estimate for completion of the work ended up closer to six. (Watch batteries are the only exception, as he can do the work in just a couple of minutes.) -A bit eccentric (or is it just old fashioned)? All the work is done out of the front room of Mr. Rees house. He doesn't use a computer, doesn't accept credit cards, and doesn't provide any sort of receipt for the work done. Both watches came back in a small manila envelope with a reference number, scribblings of the work done, and the movement type. That's it. So if you're OCD about keeping receipts, or just like having those beautiful Excel invoices with a breakdown of the work and price of the work performed, you won't find it here. So, yes, there are some shortcomings, but at the end of the day I was still very impressed with the work done and, when it all came down to it, the price simply could not be beat. I will certainly be back again the next time I have another watch that needs any sort of service done! read more

Rees Watch Repair - Vintage Omega Ladies watch repaired by Rees Watch Repair. - Watches Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Awesome fellow. Lived in Austin all my 62 years and being able to get service @ someone's house is like going back in time when things were neighborly and people trustworthy. Mr. Rees is the best!! read more

Mr. Rees has been in business since 1953 and was on the drag in the same building as Wallace Books until the University CO-OP bought it in 1990. I know this because he told me his history while I waited to get a battery changed (great price by the way). He noticed my hasp lock was loose and fixed that too and my stuck chronograph buttons all at no extra charge. He's got my business from now on. read more

I've taken my watches to Mr Rees for quite awhile. He's very good at what he does & really REASONABLE. He's the ONLY person I use to do my watches. I'd used Austin Watch one time after they moved to Burnet Road & their prices were way too high. It was double to triple higher than Mr Rees. Plus He's friendly & very intelligent. Terry Redd read more

This guy has had my watch for about four months and still "hasn't gotten to it"! I wanted to support a local artisan operating this cute business from his home. Big mistake! I don't know what his problem is but I have to think that I was given the utter lowest priority for my repair. Yikes! Stay away! read more

So... Mr. Reese did do a great job fixing my watch, but he was SLOW -- like insanely, bizarrely, sadistically slow. My watch had stopped, and I brought it in for repair, which I was told would take "two or three weeks." After 3 weeks, I had heard nothing so I called and was told he was running behind, and needed a week more -- fair enough. So I called a week later and was told... one more week. The week following I called, and (you guessed it) "I haven't had a chance to look at that watch yet, it's going to be about a week..." As the weeks went, with me calling weekly, by it all got more and more Monty Python. Eventually I called (week 8 I believe) and he said, "well, I can fix that watch but it's going to cost you (???!!!)" Fortunately, I had calculated payment for the repair as a potential liability and told him that I was happy to pay him for the repair... He then told me that it would take about a week. Eventually -- NINETEEN (I kid you not) NINETEEN WEEKS LATER -- I called and told him that I would be coming by to pick up the watch, repaired or not. He told me that we was working on it (at last), and that I could come pick it up... in a week. In spite of my HORROR at hearing that phrase uttered in his kindly old country doctor voice, I gave it one more shot. One week later I called and he said -- "almost done, you can pick it up tomorrow (!)" I arrived the following day and there was my long lost watch, repaired and only seventeen weeks behind. Yeah, Mr. Rees is good at repairing watches, but (ironically) really, really bad at estimating time. Two or three weeks meant 20 weeks, so presumably "I have to order a part from Switzerland, so it might be a couple of months" could really mean "Out of hewn stone, craft a time capsule for your great-great-grandson, and in it, leave my receipt, as your watch should be ready in the year 3012" In the end, my watch works, and I have an amusing anecdote, but it was a genuinely maddening experience and I will NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEEEEEVER bring another watch to Mr. Rees. For real y'all. read more

Mr. Rees may be in the watch business, but that doesn't mean he'll respect your time. My unfortunate experience with Rees Watch Repair began on May 18 when I dropped off an 18K gold Girard Perregaux watch. I explained that the watch was an engagement present from my mother to my father, who have both passed away, and I wanted to have the watch cleaned (the watch actually works and keeps time, it was just dirty) and have a new band placed on it. Mr. Rees advised me that he would contact me within the week with an estimate. When I left, I was worried, as he did not give me a receipt or any type of proof that I had handed over this watch to him. Also adding to this anxiety was that fact they he works out of his home which was very disorganized--just piles of stuff everywhere. Weeks passed and I never heard from Mr. Rees. I called him exactly six weeks later, June 28, and asked him for the status and he told me he had not looked at it and asked me, "what did you want me to do with the watch?" I once again explained that he was going to clean the watch and replace the band, that he was going to contact me back with an estimate, but I never heard from him. He told me that he would look at the watch and contact me back within the week with an estimate. That phone call never came. Today, July 16, over two months later, I drove back to his home-based repair shop and asked for my watch back. It took him a while to search through the small manilla envelopes that litter his workshop and I worried that he had lost it. He then asked me for a third time what I wanted done to it and I said, "nothing." If I could give less than one star, I would. He wasted both my time and gas, but what was worst was the feeling of anxiety this experience produced. I think the positive reviews here are largely based on simple services like replacing a battery. If you need something more, look elsewhere. And if anyone has any recommendations where I can bring my fathers watch, please share. In short, overall rating of one star for an abysmal experience. read more

Mr Rees is an old-timer... Literally. This elderly gentleman works on watches from his home. He quickly does a crackin' good job on my vintage Seikos. Oh, and he doesn't charge much (but don't tell him I said that). If you feel out of touch, like you don't even know what time it is, you should give Mr Rees a call. He'll clean your beater for ya good and cheap. read more

No words for how awesome Rees is. I've already visited him 3 times and have another visit pending for a new battery replacement. Watch adjustments, batteries, you name it. All those other watch repair shops are for the birds. Go see Rees. He's sweet and just doing what he genuinely enjoys out of his home. Cash only. read more

CONVENIENT, SUPER CHEAP, QUICK, OVERALL BEST WAY TO GET A WATCH REPAIR!!!!! I bought a small vintage watch at a flea market in Los Angeles over the summer, and the band broke off from the watch as soon as I got to Texas. It's a pretty fragile watch since it's so old and I really really didn't want to throw it away. I don't really have the time to go to a watch shop at a mall or somewhere and wait for a while, and I'm also a broke college student and don't want to spend a ton on something so tiny. Found Rees Watch Repair by googling, read the good reviews, and gave them a call. Rees answered the phone, told me he'd have to take a look at the watch before he could tell me if he could fix it, but I can come any time between 9:30 and 5. Don't need to call ahead. I was skeptical at first because it's a homefront shop, but that's why it's so great! No overhead fees and unnecessary charges!!! He is a super sweet old man!! I went this afternoon, showed him the watch, and he attached my band back to my watch in literally LESS THAN TWO MINUTES!!!!!!!!!! I'm waiting for him to say like $15-20 or something, but he says $2!!!!!!!!!! TWO DOLLARS TO FIX MY WATCH IN TWO MINUTES!!! He also fixes batteries, bands (if you need new bands), and a lot of other things. He has years and years of experience in fixing watches of all types, he's such a sweet old man, and his service is so quick and cheap!! I highly highly recommend Rees Watch Repair for a quick, convenient, and cheap way to fix your watch! I'm definitely going to him for any other watch problems! read more

Saturday afternoon, 2 PM. I phone from my cell: Can you take a look at my wristband? Rees: Sure. Come on by, I'm open until 6. Me: Actually, I'm in front of your house. Rees: Come on in. Ten minutes and $4 later my wristband is fixed, including some issues I'd missed. Super nice guy, great job, great deal. read more

I had a watch sitting at home for awhile because the battery died. Finally decided to get it back to running again and due to Rees' positive reviews and the location, I decided on Rees'. The location is easy to find and there's is a sign on the side of his home for his business. I walked in, said hello and what I needed. He got to work right away. He tested my battery to make sure that the battery was the problem and I walked out in literally 10 minutes with a working watch, out $12.99, after tax. I have paid $7 at other locations just to have links taken out of the band. This was a great deal. I half expected to have had my watch dropped off and picked up in a few days or so but this was done painlessly and during my lunch window. Small home-shop that's been around since the 50's. Old gentleman who is experienced and knowledgeable who gets right to business. I highly recommend Rees' for battery replacement and I am sure he would be an excellent choice for other works that need to be for your watch. Watch: Tag Heuer Aquaracer Grande Date. read more