A look at watch repair...

[automatico]

I agree with this statement:

 

"As a watchmaker on this board I can provide some insights in how we work. No watchmaker (who is in his right mind) will ever accept 100 watches for repair, service or whatever in one single time frame. On average we are talking about 20-30 watches at a time for watchmakers who do this for a living. And let me tell you that those numbers are already very difficult to handle for one man."

 

After reading about MD2020 I thought about a repair guy I knew for years. I did some case/bracelet/crystal work for him and here is basically how he did it:

 

 

Never take in more than 20 watches at a time...battery jobs being the one exception. Keep in mind that crowns, gaskets etc can be a real problem for battery changes in many brands...TAG Heuer and Breitling crowns for instance. Many times it is better to 'send them on down the street'.

 

Do not take in rusty, disassembled, or replica watches. 

 

Enter each watch in a log book with customer name, contact information, description of watch, defect if known, and take-in date/time. Make a note of obvious nicks/scratches and have the customer sign and date the ticket.

 

Tell the customer approximately when the watch will be ready and notify them if there will be a delay as soon as it is known. Write 'Will Call' on the ticket if the customer will drop by in a week or two to get the watch. Notify the customer after a reasonable time has passed and the watch has not been picked up (usually 30 days).

 

If it is a 'You Call' ticket...call them and let them know as soon as it is finished...3 times maximum if no answer or no reply to messages. Make a note in the log book when calls are made. After 120 days from the finished repair date, the watch may be sold for charges if no response from customer....it plainly stated this on the ticket that the customer signed when they left the watch.

(He kept 'orphans' for years and hardly ever sold one. I bought a watch in 2005 with a 1973 repair date on it.)

 

Keep all watches to be repaired in a locked box with customer info on each one.

Keep all finished watches in a locked box with owner's name along with date of completion and date/time of contacts.

 

Never have more than 5 watches apart waiting on parts at one time. Do nothing to the watch (cleaning etc) until all of the parts are in hand.

If you can not get the parts in a month or two, put it together and give it back to the owner at minimum or no charge. Chronographs are an exception...let the owner know up front that there will be a minimum charge for taking the mvt apart and putting it back together if no parts are available.

 

Do not get overly friendly with customers because anyone in the watch repair business can get too many 'friends' real quick.

　

 

Rule #1...Business is Business.

[Stephane]

Sounds a very normal approach to me...Good post !

[fraggle42]

Totally agree with all of that.

 

When I said "100 watches" in the other thread that figure was picked out of thin air, the repair business I worked in was upto a dozen items max with the customers always dropping the items off and picking them up (truckers and other CBers).

 

They're all so tight there was never a worry someone would not pick something back up (there was one guy who bought an expensive mike, which was tested at sale, and then bought it back a couple of weeks later after it has "just stopped working" - there was nothing inside it. How he expected to get a refund I've no idea!)

[ceocorona]

Sound advice.  A responsible and controlled business model.  

[panerai153]

Very sound business model. I'm sure it was developed sort of "trial and error" after a few problems arose. Easy to modify a business model as things evolve, but you need to have one to start with.

[B3nj4min3]

Excellent post and very good information. Thank you automatico.

[woof*]

Always enjoy your posts auto! Thanks!

[sgtguk]

Great post mate

[Yawn]

great post.