New Century Timepieces ~ Watch shop on Main Street

[E-orLover]

New Century Timepieces will be closing the end of July . I love going into this store, looking around at all the watches, espically the artiest ones (where they have someone sitting in the window hand drawing a watch. Those guys are so talented. I don't know why it's closing and I don't know what will go in it's place. I just thought I would share the information that I had.

 

[DangerMouse]

Where did you hear this? Can you reveal your source please?

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Interesting. I just bought a watch there in early June and they told me that if I ever need something replaced, just bring it down there to Disneyland and they'll take care of it for me. They said nothing about it closing at the end of July.

 

[E-orLover]

I was at World of Disney in DTD and inquired about a watch I saw last July. They CM brought out a book that contains pictures of the watches they carry. Sadly, the watch I was inquiring about has been retired (I knew I should have bought it). Well, the CM then started tell us that they were closing the watch shop at the end of Aug. She then called over there to see if perhaps they still had a display or one in the back (they didn’t). She then said, “I hear you guys are closing at the end of Aug.” When she got off the form she said that the actually closing date would be the end of July. So my source is from someone at WOD and from NCT. I find this sad because if I am remembering correctly, that has been a watch shop since the day Disneyland opened.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Are you sure they just weren't closing for refurb or remodel or something?

 

[E-orLover]

I asked that and the CM at WOD said no that they were closing. I would love for someone to hear different. So if there is an APer who could check on this for me (us) I would apperciate it. But the CM at WOD said "closing". I would check on it but my next trip is not until the end of Aug.

 

[samkj]

This is one of my favorite shops! I will be very, very sad to see it go. Most changes to the park I understand, but this one is just plain wrong.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

That's a real shame. I've bought a watch or two from that shop, and I love going in there.

 

[pixiewings71]

Really.... that is sad, we love to stand outside the window and watch the artist do their thing.

 

[pudinhd]

WOW!!! I will be so sad if this is true! And, my poor dad will be devastated! This is his favorite place!!!

 

[Sherry E]

It is so odd that I just happened to log on today and spot this thread (I have not been on the boards for a while). I had been thinking a lot about watches lately, especially from New Century. Something must have drawn me to this board to read the sad news. I hate hearing that it is closing. I hated that the Disney Gallery closed, too, last year, but they are supposed to re-open somewhere eventually. Back when I had more money in the early to mid '90s, I was on a watch-collecting frenzy for a few years, and I got a large portion of my collection at New Century, and all of those watches have gone extinct. I can't even find them on Disney collector sites or eBay now! It was like they never existed. I remember getting a really great Villains watch there back in maybe 1993 or so, which, sadly, I had to sell in 1997, along with some other great ones that I loved.

I stilll have some of my beloved watches from those days, and have lately been in financial trouble and considering selling some more watches, ones that are not particularly special to me now. But even though I had to stop my frantic watch collecting years a decade ago, I ALSO noticed that the whole watch craze has died down some. It used to be a BIG facet of the collectors' market, but either the Disney marketing and merchandising people finally ran out of creative ideas, or the watches just got too darn expensive for anyone to afford! It was not a cheap habit! Plus, the watches were not as clever or unusual anymore, like they used to be, the last time I checked New Century. And, frankly, cloisonne pins are cheaper and more prolific now than watches.

So, in a way, as sad as it makes me, I am sort of not surprised about New Century closing. I just don't think people can afford all of those watches now in this bad economy. I think their business slowed way down. I just hate to see it go! Maybe they will replace it with the Disney Gallery. Didn't they also get rid of the little Christmas shop that was there year-round in Fantasyland? I liked that too, and I liked that it was there!

If I recall correctly, I think I got my very first Mickey Mouse watch at the age of 6 or so at that NC store. Sad.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

The Disney Gallery is sort of open in the exit after the 50th anniversary show. They have some pieces up in there and you can also get artwork in either Disneyand on Main Street, Off the Page in DCA, or The World of Disney.

Should New Century Timepieces close, I don't know of another place where watches are sold.

 

[Sherry E]

The Disney Gallery is sort of open in the exit after the 50th anniversary show. They have some pieces up in there and you can also get artwork in either Disneyand on Main Street, Off the Page in DCA, or The World of Disney.

Should New Century Timepieces close, I don't know of another place where watches are sold.

I liked all the postcards and notecards the Gallery had. Hopefully, those can still be found in the park somewhere. I was really mad at them when they took the Christmas shop out of Fantasyland, even though I know they have a sort of Holiday shop in New Orleans Square. It belonged in Fantasyland, I think.

In the old days of my swingin' watch-buying frenzy, I recall that they made an effort at Disney to put interesting watches all over the parks and hotels, so you wouldn't feel like you could only get them at New Century. I got a few good ones in the Gag Factory, in Tomorrowland, the Emporium and at a hotel or two. But to have most of the good ones in one place like New Century was nice, more convenient. When I was at the parks last year in September and December, I noticed that most of the emphasis used to be on pins and cheaper collectibles and the watches were just not that interesting at all (to seasoned collectors). I would imagine that there will always be a few watches on display at the Emporium and in the Gag Factory, but not many. It is not like it was. Magnets used to be a really big thing too and those are cheap, but they stopped hyping those as much. The ToonTown houses are no longer being sold. The little hinged box sculptures of attractions are gone. The die cast "Attraction Collection" figures are not nearly as prominent as they were several years ago. They are running out of clever ideas for merchandise, I think!

 

[kmaclou]

That so sad! It's one of my favorite places to shop.

 

[jocotter]

That was my favorite shop and I always got a watch in there when I needed a new one (or wanted one.) I was planning to go there in August.

When I was there in December, I saw watches being sold in those plastic cases that hang up on the wall in several shops in both parks. They were those cheaper watches that run about $30 or less. Maybe that's what most people buy now. They also had a nicer watch section in WOD, so maybe they will keep that. This sure makes me sad.

 

[isomy87]

Greetings everyone,

I came across this post and thought I'd shed some light for you. First off, I am a Disneyland Cast Member (In fact, The New Century Timepieces shop is my primary work place) and will share some news regarding timepiece's closure.

- The shop will be closing on July 27th. This is the last day of operation. July 28th, it will be officially shut down. The shop is shutting down for good. This is not a refurbishment. (So get your watches while you can!)
- During the absence, the artisan watch program and its artists will be relocated to the Disney Gallery located in Town Square at the front of Main Street.
- The shop plans to reopen sometime in early October.
- It will be a "unique items" shop selling gifts of different shapes and sizes. It will remain connected to the Emporium and New Century Jewelry and will carry some of the Emporium's items. From what I've seen, the shop will contain different themed zones (for example: black and white, fairies, men's, children's, neon, etc, etc.) And each "zone" will have a set up (similar to the style of Vault 28.) As opposed to the Emporium where you have a shelf with one display item and a number of boxes behind it, it will instead have a mock set up containing various items for sale with marked price tags.
- The shop is supposed to have a theme from an old Disney movie (which I forgot) but had a song from it titled: "Futurosity" (or something like that.)
- And you'd be happy to know that the Artisan Watch Program and its artists will be moved back to the Former-Timepieces location to join this new shop once it opens.
- Disneyland carries the following watch brands: Disney Timeworks, Skagen, Citizen, Bulova, and Wittnauer. From what I understand, Disney Timeworks watches will be joining the rest of the DT watches in the Emporium. Bulova and Wittnauer will be moved over the New Century Jewelry (permanantly? I am unsure.) and as for Citizen and Skagen, I don't know but it is likely that they will no longer be sold in Main Street. (I cannot speak for the other locations in the resort such as World of Disney.)


As for the reason of it's closure I will not go into details but I'd like to share one of Walt Disney's famous quotes: "Disneyland will never be completed as long as there is imagination left in the world." With that being said, Disneyland will continue growing and changing for the better. Just as Timepieces used to be a Pharmacy, imagination will keep taking us to newer and brighter things.

I hope this all helped answer your questions!

 

[wazowskiLOVER:)]

Greetings everyone,

I came across this post and thought I'd shed some light for you. First off, I am a Disneyland Cast Member (In fact, The New Century Timepieces shop is my primary work place) and will share some news regarding timepiece's closure.

- The shop will be closing on July 27th. This is the last day of operation. July 28th, it will be officially shut down. The shop is shutting down for good. This is not a refurbishment. (So get your watches while you can!)
- During the absence, the artisan watch program and its artists will be relocated to the Disney Gallery located in Town Square at the front of Main Street.
- The shop plans to reopen sometime in early October.
- It will be a "unique items" shop selling gifts of different shapes and sizes. It will remain connected to the Emporium and New Century Jewelry and will carry some of the Emporium's items. From what I've seen, the shop will contain different themed zones (for example: black and white, fairies, men's, children's, neon, etc, etc.) And each "zone" will have a set up (similar to the style of Vault 28.) As opposed to the Emporium where you have a shelf with one display item and a number of boxes behind it, it will instead have a mock set up containing various items for sale with marked price tags.
- The shop is supposed to have a theme from an old Disney movie (which I forgot) but had a song from it titled: "Futurosity" (or something like that.)
- And you'd be happy to know that the Artisan Watch Program and its artists will be moved back to the Former-Timepieces location to join this new shop once it opens.
- Disneyland carries the following watch brands: Disney Timeworks, Skagen, Citizen, Bulova, and Wittnauer. From what I understand, Disney Timeworks watches will be joining the rest of the DT watches in the Emporium. Bulova and Wittnauer will be moved over the New Century Jewelry (permanantly? I am unsure.) and as for Citizen and Skagen, I don't know but it is likely that they will no longer be sold in Main Street. (I cannot speak for the other locations in the resort such as World of Disney.)


As for the reason of it's closure I will not go into details but I'd like to share one of Walt Disney's famous quotes: "Disneyland will never be completed as long as there is imagination left in the world." With that being said, Disneyland will continue growing and changing for the better. Just as Timepieces used to be a Pharmacy, imagination will keep taking us to newer and brighter things.

I hope this all helped answer your questions!

Thanks so much for the update isomy87 !! I'm glad to hear that you guys are not taking off Also I love that you quoted Walt because that is exactly what Disneyland is going to keep doing ! I don't think it is necessarily a bad thing either. I hope you enjoy working at the new shop once it is re-opened and hopefully it will be open by the time I come (Oct 10th) !!

 

[Sy-]

I feel sick to my stomach....

Main St. will never be the same!

 

[disneyL0VE]

Greetings everyone,

I came across this post and thought I'd shed some light for you. First off, I am a Disneyland Cast Member (In fact, The New Century Timepieces shop is my primary work place) and will share some news regarding timepiece's closure.

- The shop will be closing on July 27th. This is the last day of operation. July 28th, it will be officially shut down. The shop is shutting down for good. This is not a refurbishment. (So get your watches while you can!)
- During the absence, the artisan watch program and its artists will be relocated to the Disney Gallery located in Town Square at the front of Main Street.
- The shop plans to reopen sometime in early October.
- It will be a "unique items" shop selling gifts of different shapes and sizes. It will remain connected to the Emporium and New Century Jewelry and will carry some of the Emporium's items. From what I've seen, the shop will contain different themed zones (for example: black and white, fairies, men's, children's, neon, etc, etc.) And each "zone" will have a set up (similar to the style of Vault 28.) As opposed to the Emporium where you have a shelf with one display item and a number of boxes behind it, it will instead have a mock set up containing various items for sale with marked price tags.
- The shop is supposed to have a theme from an old Disney movie (which I forgot) but had a song from it titled: "Futurosity" (or something like that.)
- And you'd be happy to know that the Artisan Watch Program and its artists will be moved back to the Former-Timepieces location to join this new shop once it opens.
- Disneyland carries the following watch brands: Disney Timeworks, Skagen, Citizen, Bulova, and Wittnauer. From what I understand, Disney Timeworks watches will be joining the rest of the DT watches in the Emporium. Bulova and Wittnauer will be moved over the New Century Jewelry (permanantly? I am unsure.) and as for Citizen and Skagen, I don't know but it is likely that they will no longer be sold in Main Street. (I cannot speak for the other locations in the resort such as World of Disney.)


As for the reason of it's closure I will not go into details but I'd like to share one of Walt Disney's famous quotes: "Disneyland will never be completed as long as there is imagination left in the world." With that being said, Disneyland will continue growing and changing for the better. Just as Timepieces used to be a Pharmacy, imagination will keep taking us to newer and brighter things.

I hope this all helped answer your questions!

Great inside update from a CM! Thanks isomy87! That's a pity that I won't be able to see it in September, but that's okay! As long as it's coming back

 

[isomy87]

the name of the shop will be "FORTUOSITY" which is a song title from the film "The Happiest Millionaire" which came out in the 60s.

As for the person above who asked if it would be open by the time he gets to Disneyland on the 10th, it should be open within the first couple of days in October. From what I understand, the refurbishment should be complete at the end of September and the shop opening within a week after. However, it has been known in the past that things do something get delayed for opening (most recently: the Monorail Red Mark VII which delayed for over a month till it opened.)