Behind the scenes look at Provident Jewelry's Master Watchmaker, Chris Wiles.....

Scott Suchy. Chris Wiles grew up in North Carolina and at the age of 13 was sweeping the floor and washing the windows of a local jewelry store on Saturday’s owned by friends of his family. The owner, Jim Willenger who Chris apprenticed with and learned a great deal about jewelry. During his senior year Chris decided to  stay in the jewelry industry and took a course after graduation, which was a watch repair major with a jewelry minor curriculum. In 1976 Chris was now a licensed watchmaker and his love for watches has never wavered since that time. The apprenticeship with Jim WIllinger lasted for 5 years, which Chris learned the essentials of watch repair from a seasoned jeweler. Chris has acquired a plethora of certifications, which definitely impressed me and I am sure will impress you. They are the following;  Accuton Certification, AWI Courses, Ebel in 1992 , Cartier in 1993 & 2003,Tag Huer in 1998 and finally the CW21 (means Twenty-First Century Certified Watchmaker). So, as you can see Chris is master watchmaker with the highest credentials and thousands upon thousands of watches have crossed his bench over the last forty years. Watchmaking is an art and it takes a skilled craftsman to repair luxury watches.

I asked Chris what the general public should know about the maintenance of their watches and he thought it was important that when one purchases a luxury watch that they treat it like a luxury car, a Mercedes for example. If you purchase a Mercedes it will need regular maintenance to keep it running smoothly and give your car a long life. You would not take your car to a mechanic who is unfamiliar with Mercedes parts, performance or maintenance. You would want to take care of your car so it holds it’s value giving you a pleasurable feeling on your investment. Having a luxury watch is the same thing, regular maintenance such as following through on the warranty checkups to keep your warranty valid. During the warranty checking the movement is working properly,  any necessary cleaning that is needed, as well as gaskets being changed, protecting the watch from moisture invading the movement and or battery. Also, taking the watch to an expert that has the genuine parts is essential for the life of your watch.

Chris moved to Florida in 2000 and when they are not working, he and his wife Christine are active tennis, golfers and bicycle riders. Chris’s daughter Sarah, had a baby boy named Reid Jonah Arthur in August of this year, who was 7 pounds, which brings their family so much joy. We at the Provident family could not be any happier for them and love seeing pictures of this bundle of joy, Chris truly is a proud grandfather.

Please consider this reading when you think about your watches and keep us in mind when you need help with any of your watch  or jewelry needs. Thank you for reading and we look forward to hearing from you about what you have just read.