Issue with watch repair

[jmadrid2]

I had a recent encounter with a watchmaker and wanted to get your thoughts and opinions on the situation. My brother gave me a Ladies DJ that he had purchased about 10 years ago in the Diamond District of NYC. This was the first Rolex any of us purchased and our knowledge was quite low at the time, therefore it turns out there were some issues with the watch. The watch ended up in my possession and we decided to see how much it would be to fix. We were told by one jeweler in North Carolina that it was a Franken-watch which had parts from various other watches including some non-genuine parts. Back into the drawer it went, until I decided to get it fixed for my wife as an anniversary gift. We took the watch to a local shop and got quoted $1500 for the service as well as a 4-month lead time to get it fixed. This is due to the watch being vintage (from the 60's) and them having to source parts from around the globe. Fair enough, we leave the watch and the waiting game begins.

After a long 4 months, we get the call saying the watch was ready. My wife was very excited at the prospect of finally getting her watch back in working order and being able to use it as her daily wear. We get the watch back and it looked stunning. The honeymoon lasted for about two days when we noticed that the second hand had come loose and was floating around inside the crystal. We call the watchmaker and they ask us to drop the watch off, which we did the same day, and they requested we leave the watch with them for a few days to verify things are all right.

This is where things get a bit strange. I was very upset with the fact that they had the watch for 4 months and couldn't get the repair 100% correct. That being said, I bit my tongue and said nothing and I let my wife pick up the watch to avoid being not-so-pleasant. My wife went with my father to pick up the watch and when the watchmaker came to give them the watch he was explaining how parts expand and contract and how this could happen. My father was a mechanic and a welder for 20+ years and just an all-around works-with-his-hands kind of guy. He has built and rebuilt things for the majority of his adult life. He felt that the watchmaker was BS'ing my wife and bluntly said to him "Why couldn't you fix the watch right the first time?" in a not-so-nice way. Things escalated from there and my father, being protective of my investment and not standing for BS from this watchmaker, got a bit belligerent, but not offensive or violent. My wife just tried to retrieve her watch quickly, avoid the drama and leave the store. As we were driving home, the watchmaker called us to explain once again how these things can happen and also to let us know that he had no problem with my wife or myself, but my father was no longer permitted in his shop.

My thoughts on the matter are that the watchmaker is very thin-skinned and/or cannot deal with people questioning his work. As a point of reference, my father is 66 years old, 5'9" and 160 lbs and the watchmaker is over 6' tall, weighs over 200 lbs, and is in his late 30's-early 40's, so it seems doubtful that my father physically intimidated him. Either way, the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth and I know for sure I will not send anyone to his shop. I wanted some opinions from you guys on what I could/should have done in this case. I honestly dont think there is much to do, but maybe someone can come up with something.

TL;DR Took vintage Ladies DJ to get fixed and after $1500 and 4 months of service, the second hand popped off after 2 days. Took the watch back and my father spoke angrily to the watchmaker who banned him from the shop.

[TimeToGo]

Sorry to hear about this.
You've been a member since 2011. You should have come here to ask before your actions..

[lhanddds]

If I had been the watchmaker, it would have been hard to listen to comments from someone who really had no connection to the transaction. Since you were not there, it would be hard to be objective to what really transpired, since you are listening to your wife and dad. All he can do is try to make it right and it sounds like he did. I hope you got some kind if warranty as well.

[onthedial]

@jmadrid2
You could briefly summarize your grievance/experience with this particular watchmaker and post it in the "WatchOut!!!" section. And, next time be sure to consult the forum here for independent watchmakers who can do the job to your liking...there are many to choose from.
___________
Instagram: @onthedial

[Paul]

I've had this happen twice in twenty years of playing around with vintage watches. And just last week, the topic of a loose hand on a freshly serviced watch popped up when I was talking with a local independent watchmaker.

The watchmaker had recently been asked to secure a loose minute hand on a late model Patek Philippe that had just been returned from a factory service. It happens. The client didn't want to see his watch disappear overseas for another few weeks and the independent watchmaker turned the job over competently on the same day.

Thinking back to my high school metalwork classes ... it might be called 'broaching' when tiny adjustments are made to a mounting hoop, although another term may be applied when the technician is in fact reducing (closing up) a slogged out mounting hoop.


Right or wrong, the 50 year veteran of the watchmaking craft told me that he understands that RSC's now routinely fit replacement hands whenever they service a modern Rolex. His words more or less " .... Modern watch hands are made to go on once and stay on ..... they don't make 'em like they used to "

[jmadrid2]

Yes, we have a 2-year warranty. I have been lurking here for quite awhile and I totally agree, I should have asked here first. I will take this one as a learning experience for next time. Thanks guys.

[BristolCavendish]

If you paid for this watch service with a credit card, you could report it to the card issuer and withhold payment. Let them investigate the incident as part of their buyer protection program (if any).

Or if you paid with a check, cancel payment. If the transaction was conducted with CASH, you are probably out of luck.

[NKflyer]

Originally Posted by BristolCavendish

If you paid for this watch service with a credit card, you could report it to the card issuer and withhold payment. Let them investigate the incident as part of their buyer protection program (if any).

Or if you paid with a check, cancel payment. If the transaction was conducted with CASH, you are probably out of luck.

Please stop the insanity. I have twice needed to return watches for a warranty repair shortly after they were serviced. Once with RSC (Rolex Service Center) and once with one of the most highly regarded independent watchmakers on this forum. Unfortunately, these things can happen.

It sounds like the OP's watchmaker quickly made the situation right and that the father was unecessarily confrontational. Just my .

[Tools]

Originally Posted by NKflyer

Please stop the insanity. I have twice needed to return watches for a warranty repair shortly after they were serviced. Once with RSC (Rolex Service Center) and once with one of the most highly regarded independent watchmakers on this forum. Unfortunately, these things can happen.

It sounds like the OP's watchmaker quickly made the situation right and that the father was unecessarily confrontational. Just my .

I'll go along with that.

[Widows Son]

It never pays to be impolite. Your dad had no business getting in the middle of it. It's a beautiful watch and I'm sure your wife is happy with it after the repair. The shop owner had every right to ask your dad not to return. Best of luck with future repairs.

[freefly]

Originally Posted by jmadrid2

Yes, we have a 2-year warranty. I have been lurking here for quite awhile and I totally agree, I should have asked here first. I will take this one as a learning experience for next time. Thanks guys.

As mentioned, things happen. I am sure your Dad's heart was in the right place, but losing one's cool typically never helps the situation.
While the WM may have been trying to save face with a BS story, as long as he made/makes things right in the end, that's all that really matters IMO.

That said, I am a firm believer in getting what you pay for/agree to, and not getting gouged. So, if there were things you requested/specified and were not delivered, it would be a different story. For instance, on this particular piece it looks like the dial may be a custom/refinish job. If part of your $1500 service included a new dial, and you requested a factory original one to be sourced/installed, then you might have another issue to rectify. The pics aren't the greatest, but it also looks like the dial may not be properly centered, and there appears to be a dirt/oil smudge @ 9:30. If I were you, I'd also be curious to see an itemized invoice showing exactly what vintage parts were purchased/installed that he had to "source from around the globe" and their individual costs that totaled $1500. YMMV...

[R.W.T.]

It happens. It's a machine. He's a human being.

[RC2]

It happens. Human touch. As long as it's fixed


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Member of Nylon Nation

[motoikkyu]

I guess as a vintage guy, my threshold is a lot higher. I've had second hands pop off a day after service on two occasions. My watchmaker and I had a good laugh over it: he asked if I had been using my wrist vigorously and I asked if he was working sober. Yeah, stuff happens, but if you weld on the second hand, you can never replace it again. Would you believe that BOTH screws securing the dial on my Bell & Ross worked their way loose and were bobbing around under the crystal in under four months from the time I purchased it NEW? If one of those had scratched the dial, I would have been an angry camper.

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by Widows Son

It never pays to be impolite. Your dad had no business getting in the middle of it. It's a beautiful watch and I'm sure your wife is happy with it after the repair. The shop owner had every right to ask your dad not to return. Best of luck with future repairs.

x2

[ajg1960]

Originally Posted by BristolCavendish

If you paid for this watch service with a credit card, you could report it to the card issuer and withhold payment. Let them investigate the incident as part of their buyer protection program (if any).

Or if you paid with a check, cancel payment. If the transaction was conducted with CASH, you are probably out of luck.

Huh?? He shouldn't pay for the service because why?? This is a silly response.

[springer]

Originally Posted by nkflyer

please stop the insanity. I have twice needed to return watches for a warranty repair shortly after they were serviced. Once with rsc (rolex service center) and once with one of the most highly regarded independent watchmakers on this forum. Unfortunately, these things can happen.

It sounds like the op's watchmaker quickly made the situation right and that the father was unecessarily confrontational. Just my .

x2.

[Thuilln]

No offense, but I think it's pretty funny that to avoid confrontation, you sent your father in with her instead of going yourself, and it ended (possibly) worst.