BestOfNewYork: For quick fixes, ring re-sizing, vintage Heuer repairs, and more
Housed between tracks 38 and 39 in Grand Central Terminal, Grand Central Watch has been servicing timepieces since 1952. Ben Clymer, founder of watch-news site Hodinkee, first visited 15 years ago, when he brought in a 1950s Heuer Camaro bought at auction, even though it was in “really rough shape and hadn’t run in probably over 30 years,” says Clymer. “It’s the equivalent to servicing a 1950s automobile.
” Grand Central owner Steve Kivel, the grandson of the shop’s founder, prescribed a full overhaul — oiling and lubricating, cleaning the dial, and replacing the watch’s mainspring and strap — and had it ready in four months. Clymer, who recalls paying around $350 for the upkeep, adds, “Out of all the facilities in the country, this is the place you want to take a handed-down watch.