TeeJay

I've been wearing my X-33 most of the day, but, a while ago, I had the urge to put a Rolex I built a while back, back on a bracelet and see how I liked it... I have to admit, I'm feeling it more than I have previously... Behold, the watch formerly refered to as 'The Patient'...

Comprising:

Asian GMT Master II

Silix 'Vintage Rolex' dial (modified to fit over GMT movement)

Nothing spectacular, I know, but I just felt the urge to give it some wrist time, and introduce it to folks

I read an article in a magazine which featured James May, he also owns an IWC Portuguese, which I guess would spring no surprises. A Pumpkin PO would have been the last watch I could imagine Captain Slow buying haha

I have to admit, I was pretty surprised when I saw it myself, I was thinking " What's he doing wearing the pumpkin version on orange... ??" Maybe he's trying to 'live dangerously' I guess as long as he's happy with it, that's all that matters

Mr Statham wears yet again a PAM in Transporter 3

What model?

I forget the model number, but looking at the photo, I'd say it's the PAM chrono which uses the same case as the 127...

Also Robert Knepper wears a cool watch, can

I'm terribly sorry for bumping this ooooooooold thread, however, it's 4am and this post popped into my mind, and I own Tee-Jay a very long overdue apology... that was the noob I was before and I'm sorry for ever posting that about Andrew, it was really ignorant of me [i mean come on, if you check my first posts I didn't even know what 'AD' meant nor the difference between a UPO 'lite' and one with an ETA movement inside! ]...

So Tee-Jay sorry about that ol' bud! A long overdue apology, may this get buried in the past as one of the biggest mistakes I've posted [the positive Andrew comment, specially the part where I mention "So as soon as THAT kind of service keeps up, I'm buying from them" oh God I still can't believe I posted that... ].

Rock on my friend!

No problem, bro The truth always comes out in the end As far as I'm concerned, No harm, no foul

Wow TeeJay has Lani seen your last post yet?

Ken

I'm not sure, but Robbie let me know I was letting the 'Long Post' side down, so I felt the need to get creative

Teejay can I borrow you for my law dissertation, you break things down so well

This has turned into a bit of a witch hunt, 'get the pitch forks out on those rubbish AD employee's', I for one will not be going into retail after reading this thread

I'm sure we can come to some kind of consultancy arrangement

And indeed, retail is nasty. It pays the bills, but the sheer amount of crap that comes with it, I'd advise against it unless all else fails... Professional jobs might be stressful, or dealing with 'important' things, but I doubt many of them get close to the utter nastiness which many retail assistants have to endure when an uppity customer can't get their own way

Absolutely fantastic photos What a backyard

On some of your points, I agree, but others, I disagree with completely... Firstly, you must remember that the consumer laws of our respective countries are very different. In the UK, as mentioned above, buyers do not have the right to demand that a mis-priced item be sold at the incorrect price. However, there are laws, which say that items cannot be intentionally falsely labeled, for example, if something is marked as "Today only, manger's special price!" then it can only be sold at that price on that day. If it is re-adversized thus the following day, then that is illegal, as the initial advert clearly stated that the price was only valid on the day, so it's not as if buyers are unprotected, it's just a case of them being protected from intentional 'scamming'.

I absolutely disagree. The employees are paid to do their job, they are not volunteers, so I expect things as sensitive as pricing for expensive goods to be double checked for consistency.

I agree, they are paid to do their jobs, and yes, they are being paid to do it correctly, so I agree with you absolutely on that point. But, I would make the following exceptions... Human error can and does occur, so while it should not be 'accepted', it should certainly be 'understood' that it can happen, and allowances made... Also, the person sitting on the register, is likely not the person who actually priced the product. Also, it is well known that scummers will try swapping price tags on products in the hopes of getting things cheaper (doesn't really work now companies use barcodes ) so sometimes, someone else might unwittingly pick up something with a swapped label... Either way, the incorrect label is not the fault of the person on the register, and it is not reasonable to hold them responsible for the incorrect labelling, especially if it is not in their power to actually remedy the situation, that's what supervisors are paid for...

I am going to spend thousands of dollars on something and I deserve to be treated like royalty as a result.

I couldn't disagree with you more strongly on this issue. While I do expect a modicum of professionalism and courtesy from staff, I do not expect, or believe that I deserve, to be fawned over. Just because they are there 'to serve', that does not make them servants, and I would never treat them thus.

If they are stupid enough to mix up the price then it is my right as a Canadian citizen to purchase it for that price.

Again, if that's how consumer law in Canada works, then that's indeed your right, as mentioned though, it is not the case in the UK, so that's just a matter of perspective

[Edit to add] While it may well be a legally correct and right, morally speaking, it's a pretty shitty attitude and approach to actually insist on a vendor accepting a lower price which may well have been applied by a either a poorly trained or new member of staff, or which has obviously been applied in error, ie "If you don't let me have it at that lower price, I'll sue your ass into the middle of next week..." Legal victory, yes. Moral victory? I don't consider 'being smart enough to get one over on someone' as particularly moral... Sure, it doesn't hurt to ask if the price is correct, and if it's wrong, then indeed enquire if they will accept that price, but to actually insist on it, just because "it's the law", I don't know, it just feels wrong to me...

Sorry if I sound harsh but where I live most retail employees are apathetic a$$hats who seem to forget they are here to serve me (royalty) and if I even sense an attitude I will tell that right to their face.

Especially if they don't know something.

Now this is something which I have mixed feelings on... I have absolutely no patience for retail employees who don't know their product. Admittedly, it's their manager's fault for not ensuring they're properly trained, but equally, it is possible for them to research the industry themselves. If an employee has a negative attitude, then ultimately, they don't deserve to keep their job, and an attitude like that is something I have never tolerated in people I managed in the past.

However, to say:

who seem to forget they are here to serve me (royalty) and if I even sense an attitude I will tell that right to their face.

I would have to say again, that just because they are in that job, it does not make them indentured servants, and if someone was to ever treat a member of my staff with an attitude like that, then regardless of the amount being spent, I would (and have) tell (told) them to leave. One thing I would never have, is anyone deliberately belittling staff under me, or treating them like servants. At the end of the day, the money being spent is irrelevant, as the business could equally sell that amount of product to any other customer, so it's not as if a 'big spender' is irreplaceable. I play it fair from both sides: While I would not hesitate to 'eject' a customer who was being condescending to staff, equally, I would not hesitate to discipline a member of staff who was rude to a customer, or who continually made mistakes in their performance, which they did not resolve through additional training.

I went to a telephone store and I was asking about Blackberries. I asked the lady a question, whose shirt said "expert" no less, and she told me something blatantly different from the specifications I had read online and admitted her statement to be falsification. Obviously, instead of saying she didn't know, she lied and made something up to appease me..

Indeed, that is not an acceptable situation for a staff member to be in. But, equally:

There was nothing left to do but expose her incompetence to the rest of the patrons.

It was not you place to do that. It is for her manager to discipline her as need be. Had I been that woman's manager, you would have been told (not asked, but told) to leave the store, as I would not stand for a customer chewing out a member of my staff. However, to be fair, I would then also take her aside, and explain the importance of product knowledge, and tell her that lying to customers is unacceptable, because selling product on a false pretense is legally actionable... As I said, I play it fair on both sides...

Because people like that don't deserve to have jobs they don't even deserve to live.

That's going a bit far...

If you're incompetent enough to mix up numbers then you deserve to face the ramifications for that even if it means paying up for it with deductions from your paycheck.

I agree absolutely. In the past, if I ever made a mistake ringing through a sale, I would immediately make up the balance from my own pocket, and it's a damn good lesson in not making mistakes However, while I would not mind a manager insisting on me making up the balance (although to be honest, none ever have, I only chose to do so because of my own standards) if a customer dared to suggest that to me, even if it would cost me my job, I would tell them to go eff themselves, because at the end of they day, they are not my boss.

Yes I am ruthless but in my job, people expect perfection and I go to great lengths to provide them with that... and I'm not paid very well either but that's not the point. Being paid is enough. If somebody doesn't return the favor I get very upset and I will not hesitate to express just exactly how I feel about whoever is pissing me off right to their face.

I agree, it is frustrating when people are less diligent than others, but I always leave it to a manager to reprimand the staff, not do so myself. Believe me, I've made my fair share of complaints in the past about poor service, and I know that in one case, it actually led to someone being fired from their job, and you know what, I don't feel bad about that, because their incompetence and lack of professionalism cost me time, and thus business and money, but, I never berated them myself, simply because it was not my place to do so. I passed the comments on to their manager, (on several occasions) and let them get on with their job of 're-distributing' the member of staff (This actually involved bank personnel, rather than retail, but same principle, in that they were incompetent and unprofessional)

It goes without saying most people don't like shopping with me because "oh shopping with corgi is embarrassing oh tra la la"

I guess it depends on the circumstances. It's one thing to stand up for one's rights, when one is in the right, it's another to just be an obnoxious customer who insists on getting their own way, (when they're actually in the wrong) just because they're spending money

We ought to start offering our services as consultants acting as 'mystery shoppers' to help maximize on staff competence

Agree with 100%. Honest mistakes do happen. Do on to others .... imagine if you were trying to sell your house & you made typo on the price & the potential buyer tried to ram it down your throat! Society is way too letigious this days!

As other posters pointed out correctly ... a price in the shopping window is an "invitation to treat" & subject to the acceptance of the seller at the cash register. I don't think this is bait & switch if they did not try to sell you something else or forced you to buy something else. That being said, I can undertsand how the OP felt bummed out!

For internet sales it would be different as in some cases the automated payment systen had already accepted/processed your payment. This happen with Dell when they mispriced some items. They honored the sale out of goodwill/PR but in reality the buyers had a binding contract.

Absolutely so, I think people are too quick to forget that human error occurs, and too quick to think that just because someone is working behind a till, that gives them the God-given right to treat them like garbage.

It's funny how it works in the UK, as people just think that the price on the price tag is the price, and simply pay at a cashier (who actually says how much it will be, or asks for the amount, rather than the customer actually offering the amount and the cashier formally accepting it) but I guess it's just the difference between the law on paper, and how it works in the real world. I think the real problem, is that people are too used to 'corporate good will', and don't seem to understand that a company policy might be one thing, but their actual consumer rights, can actually be very different, and they actually have more leeway under 'corporate good will' than they do under the law

[Edit to add]

Whoever came up with the phrase "The customer's always right!" deserves a kick in the nuts from everyone who's ever had to work behind a counter and had a customer mouth off at them despite being in the wrong...

Something slightly different for me today

I'd really been enjoying wearing my X-33, but during a 'snagging incident' one of the spring bars was damaged (the sprung notch pinged out) and I didn't have any other spring bars slim enough to go through the strap, so I dug the factory bracelet out, and installed it. Okay, the end links are hollow and held to the case by bent spring bars, and the clasp is totally wrong, but the bracelet itself is very comfortable. To answer a question RobbieG made while we were discussing the relative comforts of various bracelets, I would say that the bracelet is more comfortable than a Sub bracelet. It is the same curved links as on a Seamaster's bracelet, which means minimal contact points with the wrist, but, and this is the crucial element, with only a quartz movement, the watch head is not as heavy as an SMP or PO, so it is more comfortable, on the bracelet, than they would be, due to the reduced weight

I prefer how it looked on the Seamaster strap, but it's an acceptable temporary substitute

What did you pay for the buclke TJ was it a Tang or deployant, asking as that strap the OP shows with deployant was

Indeed, as b16a2 said, here in the UK, consumers actually have much less rights in such matters. In some shops, they will honor mis-labeled goods as a goodwill gesture, but they are not actually legally obliged to do so. This is where being a retail worker can be a real kick in the nuts, (as well as a billion other reasons ) as customers think they have all these rights, like a shop having to honor an incorrect price label, and if it isn't honored, they'll "take you to Trading Standards !!!" ( ) I guess it's not their fault, as 'customer service' and 'good will' tends to go against actual trading standards guidelines, so as customers, folks can be used to getting their own way, when legally speaking, the business did not actually have to agree to their demands, but it is damned irritating to be on the other side of the counter, knowing that legally speaking, you are in the right, and the law is on your side, but the customer thinks they're in the right, and just won't be told... Be kind to retail workers, it might not be the most challenging of jobs, but it can, in it's own way, be difficult and unpleasant in a way many professional jobs rarely, if ever, are. I once saw a McTrainee being threatened with a beating by building contractors, simply because he couldn't take their order, because it was his first day, and he hadn't been trained yet, and just happened to be standing near a till (Never saw him working there again, the poor bugger...)

How about ordering a bog-standard aftermarket strap, ordering an OEM Omega buckle, and installing it on the strap? That's what I did when I customized an Aqua Terra for my dad, and it looked the nuts

I've found that after wearing the larger watches, anything under 40mm is just too small. I'll wear an Omega Seamaster, but there's no way I'd wear a Rolex Submariner or GMT II. That said, neither would I wear a Breitling SFSO, or a Rolex Deep Sea, for the simple reason that I think the dials are too small compared to the case size. With all fairness to Panerai, they might be large watches, but the dial does fill the case, so there's no 'wasted space'... At the end of the day, it's a matter of what you're looking for in a watch, and what you're comfortable with

ok, here are some comparison pics. the dial looks brown, not black. is that the norm for the upo? if so, i am a little disappointed. i have come to the conclusion that the ar is there and is one sided. in my original post i stated that there was none. whatever the outcome, let me be be the first to say that if this is the upo ... it is far from a 1:1 rep. have a look for yourself. the following pictures were taken under the same lighting and conditions. you be the judge ...

upo owners, please let me know the actual color of your dials. thanks again.

I don't have a UPO, but the PO's I do have, none have AR coating, and the dials appear the same color as the dial on your UPO Rather than brown, I've always refered to the color as 'charcoal-grey'... The 'not quite black' color my mother always bought my school pants in because they were cheaper (by a few pence ) than actual black pants. It's a color I know well

Interesting comparison, I was thinking when I got my UPO that it was hardly 'ultimate', nice watch and all but was a bit disappointed to be honest. I think this confirms that it isn't as good as the gen, despite what is said about it.

Also, anybody else notice that the crown really needs a crownguard? I ask because mine slips down my arm sometimes and when the crown hits the back of my hand I now have a piece of skin broken where the crown keeps hitting.

That's a really interesting perspective My favorite aspect of the Planet Ocean's design, is that the crown guards are integrated into the sides of the case, and don't spoil the line of the side. I admit, I've never had a problem with mine, but, as I wear my watch on my right wrist, the crown doesn't dig into my arm, and, being at an angle, the HE valve has never been a problem on the back of my hand...

Thanks TJ.

Any time, bro

Awesome resolution Great response from Joshua

See what I mean.....pay attention noobs and others......you won't find this kind of thing in too many places much less in individuals.

Thank you for the kind words.............and the offer.......funny, I actually did my time on a main frame way back when.....IBM SYS 36, SYS 38 and eventually the future of computing.....the AS400 Mostly programmed using RPG and other basics COBALT etc....but I am a Salesman by nature and a horrible business man.....I tend to concern myself with customer satisfaction rather than company profit......not a good combo....but hey, my customers love me

I have vowed to take my hands off the wheel and enjoy the ride....after all, it is by "His" design so who am I to question why.

Kurt.

That's the best attitude to have, brother, it certainly keeps thing interesting Here's to a good 2009 to you and your family

Was it the Rolex and the Chopard?

No problem, bro, I know what you mean about not wanting to ask for help, that's why I'd suggest asking for a replacement dial. It'll save you the worry of customs and returns, and it'll be a much cheaper expense for Joshua to be putting in the mail from his perspective. Also, it wouldn't be too hard for you to then swap the dial, or get a local watchsmith to replace for you. If there's nothing else wrong with the watch, it's not worth sending it back over

[Edit for spelling]

Here're my thoughts on the scenario:

You paid Joshua for the watch before he had it shipped to you. It is not unreasonable to expect that trust to extend both ways. Given the amount of money dealers make on a watch, even if you were to keep the money and the watch (not saying you would, just saying if you were to) it's not as if it is going to bankrupt Joshua... To be honest, just because others have ripped him off in the past, there's no reason to assume that future clients will rip him off...

If the issue is simply faulty dial print, then might Joshua be able to send you a replacement dial by itself which you could then swap over... If the issue is only the dial, there'd be no need to replace the movement as well...

Best of luck with getting a happy resolution

Ok....My 6.75 Brietling for Bentley is going back to Josh for the third time in 3 months. Its had 2 failed repairs and as a result Josh has graciously offered to refund me if I send it back to him. Now forgive me but I am just not comfortable. I am paranoid at the best of times and feel this time round it would be very convenient if it got lost or stolen on the way.

Not implying Josh is dodgy, Its just that I am not the luckiest guy in the world and it would be typical if it got lost and Josh washed his hands of it. Josh has said "send it back and I will refund" but 3rd time around, am I tempting fate? Not being funny but I dont wanna deal with the whole "package not recieved you better speak to customs" scenario.

Any ideas? Dont wanna lose $380

Just thinking about it I've really answered my own question. Either way I am b*ggered. I've got a worthless watch. (Cant wear it coz of the state of it, and I respect you guys to much to try and palm it off) So I suppose I have already lost my $. How's that for positivity!!!!

Oh Well any ideas or encouragement would be appreciated.

BVC.

There're some new watchsmiths available in the UK via the forum, might it be worth having it fixed, rather than running the gauntlett with customs?

My resolutions are to lose more weight and get fitter, to buy less junk, and to be a better person.

Happy 2009, muchachos

My guess would also be the two APs

Sorry TJ I obviously don't see as many spy movies as you do

Ken

Sorry, amigo, I guess I'm just stoked by the whole idea All I was meaning, was that people would be saying "Nice ring, I'm TJ," but dropping the "I'm" to maintain the subterfuge and covertness

Ok two points

1) These rings were made by a genuine jeweler, they are not connected to the replica trade at all......so the Gorilla glue would also be gen

2) What TJ suggests above would not work as unless you recognized the wearer of the ring you would not be able to use his username.

However my original idea was that we each get our usernames engraved on the flat silver surface below the stone, I don't know if this would make the ring look to busy though...any thought's on this?

Ken

I think you've misunderstood me, Ken... I was meaning that the person would address the other member with their own username, not the other persons. For example, you would say to me "Nice ring, Ken," to which I would reply "Thanks, TJ," That way, the people would be introducing themselves in an inconspicuous way