What is the workshop deposit and reschedule policy?
You reserve a seat at First Hand: A Watchmaking Workshop by Hampden with a 25% deposit, and the balance is due 30 days before your session. Seats are non-refundable, but they are fully transferable at any time and at no charge, and if you need a different date the terms depend on how far out you are.
Deposit and balance
- 25% deposit reserves your seat when you book.
- The balance is due 30 days prior to your session date.
Each session seats six guests with one instructor for every two, so a reserved seat is a real place at a bench rather than a line on a list. That is why the terms below are what they are.
Transferring your seat
Your seat is fully transferable at any time, at no charge. If you can't make the date, you can pass the seat to someone else, whether that's a family member, a colleague, or a friend, and we'll change the name on the booking. There's no deadline on this and no fee. If a plan is falling apart, transferring is usually the simplest way out.
To transfer, email hello@hampdenwatch.com with the new guest's name and contact details. We reply within one to two business days.
Rescheduling
Fourteen or more days before your session, you can reschedule once, free of charge, to any session with an open seat.
Inside fourteen days, rescheduling is no longer available. What you've paid converts to Hampden credit at 50%, which you can put toward a future session or toward a watch.
The fourteen-day line exists because the bench, the instructor, and the parts for your build are committed by then. Once inside it, a vacated seat can't realistically be filled.
If you don't attend and don't tell us, the seat is forfeited. Genuine emergencies are handled case by case, so write to us rather than assuming nothing can be done.
Which route to use
Situation | What applies |
|---|---|
Someone else can take your place | Transfer the seat, any time, no charge |
You need a different date, 14 or more days out | One free reschedule to any open session |
You need a different date, inside 14 days | 50% of what you've paid becomes Hampden credit |
You don't attend and haven't been in touch | Seat forfeited, emergencies considered |
To start any of these, email hello@hampdenwatch.com with your booking details and we'll reply within one to two business days.
For what a session covers and what's included, see what is the First Hand workshop. For what happens between booking and the day itself, see what happens after I book a workshop. If the dates you want are full, how do I join the workshop waitlist covers the waitlist.
Updated on: 21/08/2026
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