About
I‘m a professional in the software industry who has been fascinated in watches and clocks since I was young. Around 10 years ago, I turned that fascination into a hobby as I began teaching myself to repair clocks and watches. I jumped in like I always do with a new hobby, full speed ahead! I began getting the basic tools I needed, some parts watches to work on, then bought more tools, and more watches, and more parts. Then I began buying watchmaker estates and large lots of parts at auctions. I know that most of these parts are no longer produced, and can be very hard to find, so I continue to purchase them to this day.
Fast forward to 2020, and I still love the hobby, and have acquired so many parts, that I’ve purchased a second property to store them! I have literally half a house full of parts, dozens of cabinets, boxes, thousands and thousands of individual parts. Pretty much anything you can think of - mainsprings, staffs, springs, crystals, stems, crowns, and much, much more. Most of these are new old stock, still in packages. I quite literally now have a small parts supply house. Knowing I will never use even a fraction of these parts myself, and not wanting to hoard them away, I decided I wanted to share them with other enthusiasts, and in doing so, provide a service I hope you find useful.
That brings us to this site, buywatchparts.com, a vision I’ve had for the past several years, and one I’ve finally decided to make a reality. A modern website, fully secure, with a real inventory system and payment capabilities. And while it isn’t perfect, I’ve tried to create a site you can search just like your favorite search engine. Parts listed by type, manufacturer, original part numbers, and you’ll know how many are in stock. You can add them to your cart and checkout, just like any other modern e-commerce site. A site designed to help others interested in this profession, both hobbiests and professionals, find obsolete parts at reasonable prices.
Since much of the inventory comes from watchmaker estates, auctions, and other non-traditional sources, I spend a great deal of time examining items before listing them. If an item is marked as new or NOS, I do my best to make sure it is not compromised in any way. Corrosion, rust, or other issues will land it in the trash can, and not on this site.
I will occasionally list items which may not be in good enough condition to mark as new, but may still be usable to someone none the less. In those cases, they will be in a special section of the store, and clearly marked as used / potentially damaged. I will include hi-res photos and honest descriptions so you know what you're getting.
Because most of the inventory is obsolete items, from out of business manufacturers, we won't have everything you need, and sometimes only have a single qty of a given item in stock, but I am adding inventory almost every day, so if you don't see a needed part, check back again next time and I may have it.
Larry Hillock
Owner and Horology enthusiast