WEMPE
700 Fifth Ave.
212-397-9000; wempe.at/en
When one’s watch has taken a licking and won’t keep ticking, Wempe is the place to go. In business since 1878 (and in New York since 1980), this understated German retailer runs a crackerjack repair operation: It’s one of the few shops in the world authorized by renowned watchmaker Patek Philippe to service every one of its timepieces. Repairs take four to five weeks, including several days of monitoring and testing, to make sure everything’s in proper working order. (That may be because all the work’s guaranteed for two years.) And dropping your watch off for service won’t leave you empty-wristed—as at a Mercedes dealer, you get a loaner while one of the technicians turns back the hands of time on your Rolex.