Q: Can I book a private workshop?

Yes. Hampden runs private First Hand watchmaking workshops for groups of six, the same size as a standard session, at our Chicago headquarters. They suit families, groups of collectors, and companies who want to spend a day of watchmaking together rather than share a bench with strangers. Booking the session privately reserves all six seats for your group. Everything else runs as it does on a public date: each guest builds and personalizes their own Swiss mechanical watch, with one instructor for every two guests and Hampden CEO Joseph Wein guiding the day. Private and corporate sessions are arranged by request and subject to availability, since they take a full day at the bench and dates fill through the year. <h2 id="howtoinquire">How to inquire</h2> Email <a href="mailto:hello@hampdenwatch.com">hello@hampdenwatch.com</a> with your preferred dates and the number of people in your group. We reply within one to two business days with the dates we can hold and what the next step looks like. For what a session covers, see <a href="https://hampden-watch.crisp.help/en/article/what-is-the-first-hand-workshop-1elcfk5/">what is the First Hand workshop</a>. For location, schedule, and travel details, see <a href="https://hampden-watch.crisp.help/en/article/how-do-i-plan-my-visit-to-the-workshop-p8rqmw/">how do I plan my visit to the workshop</a>. Deposit and rescheduling terms are the same as for a public session and are set out in [the workshop deposit and reschedule policy](https://hampden-watch.crisp.help/en/article/what-is-the-w

Question 1

How do I plan my visit to the workshop?

Accepted Answer

Location and schedule

Workshops are held at our West Loop headquarters in Chicago. Free parking is available, and the full address and entry details are sent on confirmation.

Each class starts at 9:00 AM and usually finishes around 4:00 PM, with breakfast and a chef-catered lunch included. Plan the day around a 4:00 PM finish rather than booking travel tight against it.

Where to stay

If you're traveling to Chicago for the workshop, we're glad to welcome you to our hometown. Over the years we've hosted guests from around the world, and these are the hotels we recommend to friends and family when they visit.

All of these properties are within a 10-minute ride of our workshop, most of them right in the West Loop and Fulton Market, a neighborhood with plenty of places to eat and explore.

Design-forward hotels

Soho House Chicago

A restored industrial building turned design-forward members club, with a rooftop pool, a spa, and good dining on site. A nice choice if you're making a trip of it.

Nobu Hotel Chicago

Modern Japanese design with an indoor pool, a calm atmosphere, and the Nobu restaurant on site, right in the heart of Fulton Market.

Boutique hotels

The Emily Hotel

Creative, art-driven, and quietly stylish. A local favorite with easy access to everything in the West Loop.

**[The Hoxton, Chicago](https://thehoxton.com/chica

Question 2

What does the warranty cover?

Accepted Answer

Hampden warranty coverage depends on which watch you own. There are four tiers.

Modern Hampden watches (2025 and newer)

Every modern Hampden watch includes a 5-year limited warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship under normal use, starting from the date of purchase.

Full policy: Hampden 5-year limited warranty

What's covered

Original defects in materials or workmanship.

What's not covered

Wear and tear: scratches, dents, or strap aging.
Accidental damage: mishandling, impact, or water exposure.
Water damage: if any seals (crystals, crown, stem, caseback, or gaskets) are damaged.
Quartz watches: battery replacement not covered.
Mechanical watches: routine service or cleaning not included.

How to start a claim

Every warranty claim starts the same way: email hello@hampdenwatch.com with proof of purchase, a brief description of the issue, and a photograph if the problem is something you can show. We reply within one to two business days.

Modern Hampden watches are serviced in-house at our Chicago headquarters. If the watch needs to come to us, we send a prepaid shipping label and cover shipping in both directions, so a covered repair costs you nothing to move. Registering your watch after purchase makes the first step faster, since we can look up the purchase ourselves.

First Hand workshop watches

Watches built at the First Hand workshop carry a

Question 3

Can I order Hampden watches for my company or group?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Hampden runs group and corporate gifting as four distinct formats, and which one fits depends on whether you want an event, a delivery, a hands-on experience, or a watch designed from scratch. Every format includes caseback engraving and dedicated design support, and every one starts with the same conversation.

The four formats

The Design Suite brings the full Hampden experience to your venue. We staff a Design Concierge station on site, your guests choose from a curated selection and design their own caseback, and the finished watches are fulfilled directly to them afterward. There's no group size limit.

The Delivered Collection does the same work remotely. Recipients get personal design consultations and engraving coordination, and their watches are delivered directly to them. This is the format for distributed teams, or for a group that will never be in one room.

First Hand: Private Workshop puts six people at a watchmaker's bench to build a Swiss mechanical movement by hand. It suits small leadership groups, and it's the same experience described in what is the First Hand workshop.

The Bespoke Watch Program designs a watch entirely your own: custom dial colors, applied indices, insignia, artwork, hand shapes, strap colors, and individual serial numbers on the caseback. This is the deepest of the four and the one that needs the most lead time.

What you c

Question 4

How does payment work, and what is the deposit?

Accepted Answer

Watches are paid for in full at checkout. Workshop seats work differently: you reserve a seat with a 25% deposit, and the balance falls due 30 days before your session.

Buying a watch

A watch is paid for in a single payment when you check out on hampdenwatch.com, and an email receipt follows once the order is confirmed. That holds whether or not the watch is being engraved, so a personalized order is paid for before any design work begins. The steps from cart to confirmation are set out in how do I place an order.

Reserving a workshop seat

A seat at a First Hand workshop is held with a 25% deposit taken when you book. The remaining balance is due 30 days before the date of your session.

Seats are non-refundable, but they're fully transferable at any time and at no charge, and if you're fourteen or more days out you get one free reschedule to any open session. What happens to your payment inside fourteen days, and how transfers are handled, is covered in what is the workshop deposit and reschedule policy.

Checking that a payment went through

Every payment generates an email receipt, so your inbox is the quickest place to look, spam folder included. If you can't find one, or you're not certain the remaining balance on a seat was taken, write to [hello@hampdenwatch.com](mailto:hel

Question 5

How do I personalize my Hampden watch?

Accepted Answer

Why the full caseback matters

At Hampden, personalization isn't an add-on, it's the point. We treat the entire caseback as a design canvas, and our engraving process captures very fine detail: intricate linework, handwriting nuances, crests, coordinates, and logos (with permission). The result goes far beyond a few typed lines. It's a keepsake in metal.

Every modern Hampden can be personalized this way, guided by our complimentary Design Concierge service.

What you can engrave

Because we engrave the full caseback, you can choose something minimalist or something highly detailed, including high-resolution artwork and deep precision engraving.

Your Design Concierge will make sure the engraving fits your chosen watch and holds crisp detail.

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Question 6

Can I book a private workshop?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Hampden runs private First Hand watchmaking workshops for groups of six, the same size as a standard session, at our Chicago headquarters. They suit families, groups of collectors, and companies who want to spend a day of watchmaking together rather than share a bench with strangers.

Booking the session privately reserves all six seats for your group. Everything else runs as it does on a public date: each guest builds and personalizes their own Swiss mechanical watch, with one instructor for every two guests and Hampden CEO Joseph Wein guiding the day.

Private and corporate sessions are arranged by request and subject to availability, since they take a full day at the bench and dates fill through the year.

How to inquire

Email hello@hampdenwatch.com with your preferred dates and the number of people in your group. We reply within one to two business days with the dates we can hold and what the next step looks like.

For what a session covers, see what is the First Hand workshop. For location, schedule, and travel details, see how do I plan my visit to the workshop. Deposit and rescheduling terms are the same as for a public session and are set out in [the workshop deposit and reschedule policy](https://hampden-watch.crisp.help/en/article/what-is-the-w

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