What happens after you buy one
Every watch we sell has a five-year warranty and one free full service. After that, we keep servicing them at the same bench for as long as parts exist.
What it costs
US prices. Shipping to us is on you, and return shipping is on us.
Free
$295
$395
$120
$60
Free
Free
Free in person, $15 by mail
$65
4 to 6 weeks, longer in December
Sending a watch in
Jonah handles every service himself. Write to crew@middlewatch.co with “Service” in the subject line.
Step 1
Email Jonah
Send the serial number from the caseback and what’s wrong with it. A photo helps.
Step 2
Get a label
In the US we email a prepaid, insured UPS label. Elsewhere, we tell you how to declare it so you don’t pay import duty twice.
Step 3
Pack it
Bracelet on, crown screwed down, in a small box inside a bigger box. Please don’t use a padded envelope.
Step 4
Approve the quote
Inside the warranty there is nothing to approve. Outside it, Jonah emails a quote before he opens anything.
Warranty, shipping and returns
What the warranty covers
Five years from delivery: the movement, the case, the crown, the bracelet and the lume. It doesn’t cover a crystal cracked by a knock, a lost bracelet link, or water damage from using the chronograph pushers underwater.
Shipping
US orders go by UPS 2nd Day Air, insured, signature required, free. Canada, the UK and the EU are $45 with duties paid. For anywhere else, email Ines for a quote.
Returns
30 days from delivery, worn or not, for a full refund to the original card. Email Ines first so she can send a label. Engraved casebacks can’t be returned.
If a parcel goes missing
UPS loses about one parcel a year for us. Every one is insured for the full price, and we ship a replacement from the same batch the day the claim is filed.
Questions we get every week
Not on the list? Ines answers crew@middlewatch.co within one working day.
How long does the lume actually last?
The watch
Bright for about 20 minutes after real light, readable for 4 to 5 hours, faint after that. The 12-to-4 arc is a little dimmer than the hands because the yellow pigment takes some of the glow.
Can I swim with it?
The watch
Yes. Every Middle 39 and Dog Watch GMT is pressure-tested at 25 bar for an hour before it ships. Screw the crown down first. The First Watch Chrono is rated to 100 m. Swim with it, just don’t press the pushers underwater.
My watch runs fast. Is that normal?
The watch
We regulate to −2 to +6 seconds a day across five positions, so up to 6 seconds fast is in spec. More than 10 a day usually means it got magnetized near a laptop speaker or a bag clasp. Email us. Demagnetizing is free and takes two minutes at the bench.
Why isn’t the name on the dial?
The watch
It made the dial harder to read at night, so we moved it to the caseback. Most owners say they like being asked what it is.
What does the free first service cover?
Service
Once in the first five years: a full strip-down, clean, oil and regulation, new gaskets, a pressure test and a bracelet clean. You pay shipping to us and we pay it back.
How much is a service after that?
Service
$295 for the Middle 39 and the Dog Watch GMT, $395 for the chronograph. Turnaround is 4 to 6 weeks, longer in December.
Will the bracelet fit my wrist?
Service
It ships with enough links for wrists up to 8.25 inches. The clasp has five micro-adjust positions, 2 mm apart. Put your wrist size in the order notes and we’ll size it before it ships.
Do you ship outside the US?
Shipping
To Canada, the UK and the EU for $45, duties included, so nothing is due on delivery. For anywhere else, email Ines first and she’ll quote it.
Can I return it?
Shipping
Within 30 days, worn or not, for a full refund. Engraved casebacks are the one exception.
When does Batch 5 open?
Shipping
January 2027. It is another 300 watches: the Middle 39 in all three dials, the GMT in both, and 40 chronographs. Join the batch email and you’ll get one message when it opens.