Where to Get a Watch Resized (Watch Adjustment, Link Removal, & More)

Watch resizing is a courtesy service many jewelers and department stores provide, including Belk, Dillard’s, Fossil, JCPenney, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Micheal Kors, Nordstrom, Sears, and Walmart. You’re also likely to find resizing services as small, local jewelers that are interested in developing a relationship with the community. Excellent customer service is often their best competition point against large chain jewelers. Watch resizing only takes a few minutes if you have the tools and the skill.

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Where to Get a Watch Fitted for Free

Here’s where to get watch links removed for free/where to get a watch fitted in general. The best place to get free services like watch band link removal, watch battery replacement, and watch cleaning is at a locally-owned jewelry store. Small stores are always concerned about competing with the big national chains. They know personal service is their best selling point, so they’ll make adjustments for free if you bought the watch from them. Some family-owned jewelers offer small services like this on any item you bring in, whether you bought it from them or not. They want to build loyalty and keep you coming back.

Luxury brands like Omega, Panerai, TAG Heuer, and Rolex are known for accommodating customers with free courtesy services in their boutiques. Many authorized dealers will also resize bands without charging for it. At those prices, the relationship value is worth more than nickel-and-diming their customers over a link here or there.

Many department stores will resize your watch if you bought it there or if it’s a brand they sell; however, the ability to do the job and the policy on free adjustments are up to the individual store. Sometimes it’s just a matter of which associate is on duty and how busy they are at the moment. Different brands of watches need different tools, so a particular shop may not be equipped to work with your brand. If you’re determined to get it done for free, you could wind up spending time and gas money to track down a helpful shop.

Most stores and brands don’t include courtesy services in their stated policies, because they are exactly that: a courtesy to their good customers. We contacted customer service representatives and did an exhaustive search of companies’ Facebook pages, customer comment forums, discussion threads for watch lovers, and crowdsourced question-and-answer sites to get as much inside information as possible on which stores offer resizing and which won’t.

These national brands have been known to resize watches for free at some locations:

Belk

Watch resizing: Stores with a fully-equipped jewelry counter normally size watches when you purchase them. They may also resize a watch you bring in later on.
Cost: Belk customer service said you should contact your local store to see if they can resize your watch and to get an estimate on how much it will cost.
Find a Belk

Dillard’s

Watch resizing: If the location has a jewelry counter with a trained associate on duty, they may resize your watch band. Some customers say they’ve had a friendly associate remove links from a watch band for free, even if they bought it elsewhere. Other customers have complained that Dillard’s wouldn’t help them at all.
Cost: Dillard’s customer service said the jewelry counter normally sizes watches for free when you purchase them. You’ll need to ask your local store if they can resize your band.
Find a Dillard’s

Fossil

Watch resizing: Fossil shops can resize their own watches.
Cost: Their online sizing policy offers three extra links for free. You can take it to your local shop to have it fitted for free.
Find a Fossil

JCPenney

Watch resizing: Stores with a jewelry department can resize watch bands. Their policies state they will repair watches you bought from them.
Cost: JCPenney offers a 2-year watch protection plan for approximately $50, covering most repairs and maintenance. Some customers report that local stores adjust the band size for free.
Find a JCPenney

Kohl’s

Watch resizing: Kohl’s jewelry counter is normally equipped to resize any brand of watch they sell.
Cost: Kohl’s customer service stated that sizing is included at the time of purchase, but you should contact your local store to see if they can help you. Many customers report that their local Kohl’s resized their watch for free even if they didn’t buy it there.
Find a Kohl’s

Macy’s

Watch resizing: Macy’s will repair or maintain any watch purchased from them. Some customers report that their local Macy’s helped resize their watch whether they bought it there or not. They also offer a repair service by mail, but they may not accept antique or estate jewelry or pieces worth over $5,000.
Cost: Macy’s offers a three-year, renewable “WORRYNOMORE” protection plan based on the cost of the item. The plan covers most types of repair and service, including a mail-in repair service option with free watch sizing. For items not covered by the protection plan, watch band sizing is $20-$25. Some customers report that their local Macy’s resized their watch band for free on the spot.
Find a Macy’s

Michael Kors

Watch resizing: Michael Kors offers repairs and service on their own watches, but there’s no specific policy on resizing. Repairs may not be available in-store at every location.
Cost: Some customers report that an associate at their local Michael Kors store happily resized their band for free.
Find a Michael Kors

Nordstrom

Watch resizing: Nordstrom will resize any watch purchased there. Because of its flexible “happy customer” return policy, some customers report that the jewelry counter doesn’t usually ask for proof of purchase for resizing.
Cost: Nordstrom customer service confirmed that they will resize your watch for free if you purchased it from Nordstrom. They did advise that you should contact your local store to make sure they can help you; if they can’t help you, they may refer you to another store nearby.
Find a Nordstrom

Sears

Watch resizing: Sears offers repairs and adjustments on most watch brands, but services may vary by location.
Cost: Whether a particular store can resize your band, and whether they’ll do it for free, varies by location. Sears offers a 2-year protection plan for about $50. Some stores will resize watches for free if they’re under the protection plan. Others will do it on the spot, no questions asked. Some locations can’t do repairs in-store at all.
Find a Sears

Walmart

Watch resizing: Store policies on watch resizing and the availability of a trained associate vary by location.
Cost: Many Walmart jewelry counters will resize bands for free on watch brands they sell. Some customers report that a Walmart associate helped adjust their watch from a different brand, no questions asked. Others report that their local Walmart doesn’t offer any repairs or resizing.
Find a Walmart

Where to Get a Watch Fitted for a Small Cost

These jewelers have locations nationwide and offer in-store repair services. Watch band adjustment is a basic service that most stores offer, but there may be exceptions if your watch is extremely expensive, extremely cheap, or doesn’t fit standard tools. Normally, a large jewelry chain will offer to send your watch out for service if they can’t help you on the spot.

These stores aren’t generally known for free resizing, but it never hurts to ask, especially if you’re buying something else in the store. Most customers say they’ve paid $5 to $15 to have a watch band resized.

Fast-Fix

This national chain operates kiosks in many malls and inside some larger stores.

Watch resizing: Services vary by location, including adding or removing links from your watch band.
Cost: Prices are set by your local store. They offer coupons on their website from time to time.
Find a Fast-Fix

Jared

Watch resizing: Jared offers repairs on most brands of jewelry and watches in-store.
Cost: Prices are set by your local store, but they sometimes post coupons on their website for discounts on repairs.
Find a Jared

Kay Jewelers

Watch resizing: Kay Jewelers will service any brand of jewelry from any store.
Cost: Prices are set locally, but they post coupons for repair service discounts from time to time. Check for a coupon.
Find a Kay Jewelers

Zales

Watch resizing: Zales offers some repair services in-store. Services vary by location.
Cost: Prices are set locally.
Find a Zales

In Summary

Now you know where to get a watch sized. Removing links from a watch band is a quick fix, but if you don’t have the right tools or skill set, it can be tricky. Most stores that sell watches can resize the bands but whether or not they’ll resize yours is a tossup. Ironically, the more you paid for your watch, the easier it is to get it resized for free. Large national jewelry chains and even department stores will usually fit your watch for free or a small fee, usually no higher than $15.

Need a new battery for your watch? See our list of places that replace watch batteries.