Gillis The Jeweler

I brought my pocket watch to Don Gillis on four different occasions. Twice, it came back with new problems. His attitude is testy, if not hostile, on the phone and in person. They simply do not know how to fix ordinary antique pocket watches. I had to eat the money I paid and sent it to a much more skilled facility to repair. I then tried having an antique clock with Gillis. After four more tries, he became irate and claimed I was being impatient. It is clear that they do not know how to fix this clock and that I have wasted still more money. My association with Gillis has been stressful and unsatisfactory. I do not believe they have the expertise to fix old timepieces.

There are two sides to this long-established business, both part of the same store front. The jewelry side of things is presided over by the mother of the gentleman who repairs clocks and watches on the other side.

The jewelry, both new and some estate pieces, is attractive and appealingly displayed, in a wide range of types and styles.

The clock side of the business is more technically oriented. I have a Seth Thomas oak-cased mantle clock that I inherited from my great-grandmother. The clock had been through a fire and several years before, it had been expertly restored by a clockmaker on Capitol Hill. When I brought it in to the Gillis establishment, it just needed cleaning and adjustment. It was very clear that the owners of the shop truly appreciate and respect fine timepieces. They gave me tips on caring for and moving the clock that have been a great help to me, and they expertly reset the calendar mechanism of my clock, something many shops would refuse to touch.

It can take time and some expense to restore a fine timepiece, but I felt this place charged very much in accordance with the value given.

PROS: Nice jewelry store coupled with outstanding timepiece repair
CONS: Can be expensive, depending on what needs to be done