This simply named, simply set-up shop is little more than a 'hole in the wall' down in Smithfield…read moremarket, North Belfast. In fact it's almost more of a 'walk-in cupboard in the wall' but we're not talking masses of stock, what we're dealing in is watch repairs! I went in on the off chance they could change the battery in an old watch of mine and I was in and out of there in less than 5 mins at a mere cost of £3, battery included. No idea what the standard of their watch repairs are up to or if you'd be wise entrusting an antique or more collectable watch with them but they certainly seem to know their watches. Pros: Cheap Cons: Out of the way.

Brilliant wee shop. Had a watch I bought in Turkey (FAKE). The metal clasp had broken so I just…read morestuck it in a drawer. Seen this shop bbrought the watch down & fixed for £2.

I think I was only allowed into McNeillys because I was wearing a suit and looked completely non…read morethreatening. It is not that this shop is prejudice it is just that the jewellery in McNeillys is so expensive. This is a traditional Jewellers in every sense of the word, the door has a buzzer and you can do most of your browsing from the street. I would estimate that they have sold thousands of engagement rings over the years. This is the type of shop that an old romantic would go to get his nearest an engagement ring. I am purely basing this on how traditional the shop is, as I suppose it would have a little bit more meaning than getting a ring from a high street jeweller. McNeillys is all in all an excellent jewellers with friendly staff, I would say that the deal in big mainly deal in the big one off purchases but I as yet, fingers crossed one day, have not purchased from McNeillys.

Always makes me a bit nervous when I have to be 'buzzed' into a shop though when I spotted some of…read morethe price tags in here I could see why they were so security conscious. Being in full on 'browsing' mode the very pleasant assistant left us to it and indicted she'd be on hand if we wanted to see anything up close (ie. unlock the huge display cabinets). The shop was well set up, well light and all the jewellery looked pretty impressive in here. The only downside was that some of the prices were obscured so I was never really sure if I was looking at some mere trinket or the crown jewels. I suppose that's my ignorance in the jewellery field coming into play. For anyone serious about top end jewellery I would definitely recommend this shop with its classy stock and approach. They also do valuations and repairs so do consider it especially if you have a broken heirloom languishing in a drawer. Pros: Top quality jewellery. Cons: Definitely at the pricey end of the market.

Money Generators is a shop which deals in what I can only assume is peoples misery. If you can't…read morewait the three days to have you cheque cashed or have some family jewellery that you just want to melt down and take your cash away to spend on a new TV. I'm being a little to mean on these guys. I'm sure people do need these stores from time to time but personally, I just can get away from the stigma around them. On this particular store, the inside just looks quite strange. In the corner, they appear to be selling random power tools and domestic cleaning products and there's a desk with two chairs right in the middle of the room. Sitting in that chair I'd imagine is quite similar to sitting in front of the head master in his office at school.

Coles is an odd wee shop on France street in Newtwonards Town Centre. Its is marketed as a watch…read morerepair shop but it seems to dell a real mix of things including batteries and industrial strength cleaner. Imagine you cleaned out your shed at home and you wanted to sell all your stuff, well you would probably be Cole's biggest competitor. That's how odd the stuff is. It is kind of like a Car Boot sale stall made into a shop. The funny thing about it though is that I actually quite liked it. I walked in today and had a good old nosey around and It really did feel like I was looking through someone else's stuff which I suppose I was. Everything is very cheap in Coles, think 5 AA batteries for a pound and a bag of clothes pegs for 50p. It is small inside so if there are two grannies in there with their shopping baskets you probably wont fit in. I thought it was quaint and charming and you will get good service from the chap who works there, that's for sure.

The following conversation ensued between my sister and I over lunch yesterday…read more.. Lynne: Eh, what was that watch shop called off High Street? Sister: Watchcraft you mean? Lynne: Aye, that's it [pauses] Sister: You do know why it's called that, don't you? This is the only reason I remember it. Lynne: Hmm...no? Sister: Duh Lynne, it's a play on words...like witchcraft:? Watchcraft? Lynne: Ahhh!! [looks at sister in astonishment]. Gosh, she never fails to surprise me. I had no clue as to the name of the shop, and that pun went way over my head, yet my little sister who thought Ward Park and Castle Park were the same thing (which they're not) spotted both. Wow. It was actually my sister's suggestion to go see this little watch shop, and I happily complied. She'd been in with my mum before, and informed they had a lovely collection of watches, jewellery and novelty clocks. When we popped in yesterday, there was a little old lady with her zimmer frame and another lady with her buggy, and due to the size of the shop (ie. fairly compact), there wasn't a whole lot of room left for my sister and I. However, we had just enough time to take a quick look round at the various watches (cheap), jewellery (equally as cheap, and coming in all sorts of forms - brooches, necklaces, rings), and those cute novel clocks (they're like little figurines, in the form of golf bags, pianos, boats etc). Catchy name, a lot of good stock, and a watch-fixing service...yep, it's a goodie.

Watchcraft is another of Bangor's hidden treasures. It is an old fashioned jewellers/ clock and…read morewatch repair shop situated in the town centre. If you are looking for something a little bit different I would call into witchcraft and see what they have to offer. They have a mix of unique jewellery, watches and accessories. Watchcraft managed to fix a watch of mine that another of Bangor's jewellers said was unfixable. The difference is at Watchcraft the seem to be trying to save you a few quid rather than trying to get you to purchase a brand new watch. As well as being old fashioned in what they sell they still believe in old fashioned customer service which is a breath of fresh air.