Prime Time Watch Repairs: Taking the time to see what makes a watch tick with Lancashire's premier watchmaker

For as long as he can remember, watches and pretty much everything about them have always been a point of real fascination for Steve Forshaw.
Steve Forshaw, owner of Prime Time Watch RepairsSteve Forshaw, owner of Prime Time Watch Repairs
Steve Forshaw, owner of Prime Time Watch Repairs

“I was always one of those kids who loved taking things apart and really seeing how they workedd,” says the owner and founder of Prime Time Watch Repairs in Mawdesley. “Watches always intrigued me and, the more I got into them, the more I became interested in their mechanical side, too.”

Luckily enough for Steve, an avenue into the decidedly more professional side of watch repairs was always open and visible: his father Mike himself worked for a watch repair company before starting his own watch repair business with branches in the Southport and Liverpool a few decades back.

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And it was in his father’s businesses that Steve first got the opportunity to really get to grips with the practicalities of the work, stripping watches down in his early 20s and learning how to carry out the technical aspects of repair work without damaging a piece.

Steve's workbenchSteve's workbench
Steve's workbench

Ever the perfectionist, he also embarked on a series of courses with the British Horological Institute so as to perfect and truly hone his skills to the highest industry standards. As the saying goes, Steve really wanted to know what made watches tick. He hasn’t looked back since.

“A lot of the job is about problem-solving: when you take a watch apart, you have to find the issue and every watch design is different,” Steve says. “You ever really have the same day twice because each watch is a new challenge so you’re constantly being tested. You really have to be patient in this line of work.

“I reckon I got my drive from my dad and I think it was always almost an eventuality that I’d end up going off and trying to set up my own business like he did,” explains Steve. “Having gained 20 years’ experience, I wanted to do my own thing.

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“I went for it and it’s been a bit of a whirlwind,” adds Steve, who opened Prime Time Watch Repairs at Cedar Farm in West Lancashire in May of this year. “When the unit became available, it just seemed perfect: the footfall’s good but it’s in the countryside and everything’s gone well so far, which has given me a real confidence boost.

A Prime Time repair in processA Prime Time repair in process
A Prime Time repair in process

“It was definitely a big risk to start the business what with Covid about, but thankfully my wife is very understanding and she knows how driven I am!”

Having built up a reputation for his sterling work over the years, Steve’s business has also been bolstered by steady work from jewellers who trust his steady hand and expertise, which he says has really helped. “Working for yourself in a quiet room means you tend to get a lot more work done, too!” he says. “It was the right time to take the leap and start my own business.

“The best bit is when you can give a watch back to a customer and their face lights up,” says Steve, 35. “The lady who owns Cedar Farm gave me her mum’s watch and said it hadn’t ticked for years. I had it restored for her for free because it had such strong sentimental value and she almost cried.

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“That’s the kind of high and satisfaction you can get through the job.

“The reaction from locals I’ve had so far has been really nice,” adds the Ormskirk-born Steve, who is himself British Horological Institute-accredited as well as recently being appointed to the BHI’s board and made a fellow. “I’ve even had people drive up from as far away as South Wales for an appointment just through word-of-mouth, which is just overwhelming.

“And seeing Cedar Farm bustling again is lovely; it’s such a nice place to work.”

When it comes to long-term targets, Steve is hoping to grow the business, get into the retail side of the industry, and to take on a few members of staff. But, for the time being, he is more than contented with how everything is ticking over at Prime Time Watch Repairs.

“I absolutely love the job,” he says. “I don’t feel like I’m working sometimes because of how much of an absolute pleasure it is.”