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Bill Green

Jewelry & Watch Expert

Bill Green is an Expert Jeweler and Appraiser, Founder & Creative Director of Jewelry & Timepiece Mechanix and founder and designer of Amaroo Handmade Opal Jewelry based in Haddonfield, New Jersey. With over 40 years of industry knowledge, he and his team are known for restoring everything from new watches to vintage jewels and being one of the few shops that still design and make jewelry and watches. Jewelry & Timepiece Mechanix is part of the American Society of Jewelers and Gemologists and Ethical Metalsmiths.

Education

  • Graduate, Gemological Institute of America
  • Graduate, Miami Jewelry Institute

Professional Achievements

  • Holder of several patents and trademarks
  • Notable clients include Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow, John Jorgenson, Martha Flynn, Cuba Gooding, Sr., Cheryl Elias, and Davey Johnstone
  • Sole restoration and repair center for Ye Olde Timekeepers, an acquisition firm specializing in exotic watches & jewels. They've been one of the largest jewelry distribution companies in the world since 1978

Certifications & Organizations

  • Member, Ethical Metalsmiths
  • Member, Jewelers of America
  • Member, American Society of Jewelers and Gemologists (ASJG)
  • Member, Gemological Institute of America (G.I.A.)
  • Member, Better Business Bureau
  • Member, Opal Association

Favorite Piece of Advice

Share your knowledge with love and reckless abandon–it comes back in many ways. There is no such thing as "useless knowledge", so I'm always happy to learn.

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Q&A Comments (16)

How can I remove scratches on my watch?
To remove scratches from a watch glass, first determine if it's made of plastic or armored acrylic. If so, gather watch polish and a soft microfiber cloth. Clean the surface with a gentle solution and apply a small amount of polish to the scratches. Buff gently using circular motions until the scratches fade. Wipe away excess polish and inspect the results. If satisfied, give it a final wipe with a dry cloth. If you're unsure of the material or dealing with other types of crystals, it's best to consult a professional at a watch shop.
How do I properly clean a watch?
To clean your watch, first, acquire a specialized watch polisher available online or at watch shops. Once obtained, apply a small amount of the polisher to the watch surface. Use gentle circular motions to buff the entire watch, focusing on areas with dirt or grime buildup. After polishing, use a clean microfiber towel to buff the watch, removing any remaining polish residue and restoring shine. However, if you're uncertain about the build quality or materials of your watch, it's advisable to seek assistance from a professional watchmaker to prevent damage.
Can I adjust a watch band without removing the links?
It would depend on what type of watch or watch bands you have. If you have an adjustable watch band, first examine the snap-down deployment buckle on your watch. Look for small holes or dots located on the side of the buckle, near its edge. These holes indicate the attachment points for the spring bar inside the buckle. To make the band smaller, depress the spring bar and slide the buckle closer to the center. By doing this, you effectively shorten the bracelet by the distance between the dots. Depending on the design of your watch, there may be some flexibility in how much you can adjust it in this manner. However, the extent of adjustability varies depending on the specific watch model.
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Co-authored Articles (31)

How to Adjust a Watch Band

Re-size your watch so that it fits comfortably and securely While you can always take your watch to a jeweler and have them resize it for you, why not save yourself some cash and do it yourself? It’s a lot easier than ...

3 Easy Ways to Open the Back of a Watch With Household Items

Fix your watch or change the battery in a flash with these tricksWhen you don't have the specialized tools to remove a watch backing, you may not know how to replace a battery or fix a broken watch. But you don't need to...

How to Set the Time and Date on a Digital Watch

Fix the time and settings on your timepiece in no time at all If you don’t have the manual for a digital watch, all of those buttons and blinking doohickeys can be a little overwhelming. Worry not—most watch manufact...

How to Size & Shorten a Metal Watch Band at Home

Learn to resize your watch band and get the perfect fitMany wristwatches come with ready adjustable wristbands that are made of leather or plastic with holes and clasps for easy adjustment of the size. However, many desi...

How to

Change a Watch Battery

'''Depending on the watch, changing the battery to get it ticking again is often a simple task that you can do at home with a few tools and the proper techniques.''' Going to a watch repair shop and having a specialist c...

How to Change 4 Different Watch Band Styles

A step-by-step guide to replacing an old watch band Learning how to change a watch band is a cost-effective way to replace a broken band or simply update the look of your watch. In many instances, watch bands can be repl...

How to

Remove a Watch Stem

Easily take apart a watch and replace a watch crown and stemWatch stems wear out over time and eventually need to be replaced. Whether you’re doing routine cleaning or getting a replacement to match a new watch crown, ...

How to Fix a Scratched Watch Face (& What Polish to Use)

Expert tips to remove scratches from your watch faceFinding a scratch on the surface of your watch face can be disappointing. Luckily, most scratches can be easily removed with polish and a microfiber cloth. Once you det...

How to

Wind an Automatic Watch

Automatic mechanical watches, or those that rely on gears and mechanics to operate, have seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years after a boom of quartz watches. Also known as self-winding or perpetual, automatic...

How to

Spot a Fake Breitling

Breitling is a luxury watch manufacturer that prides itself on its sturdy construction and elegant designs. Because of its reputation as a maker of quality timepieces, many fabrications of various Breitling models satura...

How to

Read a Clock

Reading a clock is a skill that's easy to master with a little time and effort. Analogue clocks are divided around a circle and reading the minute and hour hand individually helps you tell time. With a digital clock, you...

How to

Open a Screw Back Watch

Many popular watch models feature a “screw back” design in which the back of the casing screws into place to cover and protect the battery and other important internal components. If you need to open up a screw back ...

How to

Reset the Time and Resynchronize the Chimes on an Antique Mantel Clock

Mantel clocks were popular in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries and many people have inherited these old chimers or purchased them from antique dealers. If you are one of those people, you need to know how to set t...

How to

Change Timex Batteries

If your Timex watch has stopped working, you probably need to change the battery. While the task can seem complicated, changing a battery is a simple process. your watch has screws, you'll need a tiny screwdriver. If you...

How to

Set a Timex Ironman

The Timex Ironman is a sports watch that allows you to time and track your athletic performance. It has several features that you have to set for accuracy. Set the date and time so all the clock's readings are accurate. ...

How to

Wind a Watch

Most modern wrist watches are quartz, which run on batteries. Traditional mechanical watches, small fashion watches, or "vintage" watches are powered by a spring mechanism. The spring tightens as you wind it and drives t...

How to Set a Pocket Watch (Pendant, Lever, Key, Pin & More)

Pocket watches are wonderful heirloom items, but they don’t always come with a set of instructions. To change the time on your watch (which is known as setting the watch), you will need to first identify what type of p...

How to

Adjust a Metal Watch Band

Skip the jeweler’s and adjust your watch band yourselfIf your watch doesn’t fit you well, you don’t have to get rid of it. All bands are adjustable, and even though most of them have small pins, they aren’t diffi...

How to

Set an Analog Clock

An analog clock tells you time by moving hands to point at numbers, rather than displaying numbers. Analog clocks usually use a system of dials that you turn in order to move these hands. Sometimes these dials can be h...

How to Tighten or Loosen a Mesh Watch Band

A simple guide to a comfortably fitting mesh watch Metal mesh watch straps are a popular option for both men’s and women’s watches. Although these watches operate a little differently from traditional leather- or met...
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