Are all watchsmiths rude ?

[P4GTR]

Theres this small old school watchsmith shop in Tampa. You walk in and it looks, and smells like 1983. Any questions i've gone in there with, sends the older lady into the back to get the watchsmith (mom and son business?).

I go in with my SS sub, ask him to grease it and pressure test it. I don't know if its because of the request to pressure test a rolex, or the wok but he immediately tells me it will fail the test. He tells me the test may ruin the watch, no reps are waterproof, all are junk, etc. He was talking me out of taking my money! Maybe he wanted to go back to changing batterys in the back?

The watchsmith obviously has no respect for reps, yet, I look around his display cases and its filled with Ironmans and g-shocks from the 90's, etc. So here we both stand. Through no small effort of you all, Ive become a real watch snob. Any watch that beeps is sadistically hysterical to me. Im scoffing at his inventory in my head, and he's thinking I brought him a canal street POS. Anyways, I tell him not to worry about the pressure test (went elsewhere) and asked him to check the movement. I wanted to verify there was ETA in the house. He cracks it open and now here he is, interested in the watch. "this is ETA, these fakes are improving". He points out inside the caseback, it says 14k, or 10k whichever, another sign its fake, yet he is impressed that they movement looks so close, nickle ETA with the Rolex style rotor and purple gears.

Watchsmiths are definately unique people.

[Rolexman]

Watchsmiths are something like chef cooks ..... full of themselves!

BTW, great story Corgi. When reading all I could think of was 'RUN Forest RUN'

I had 3 experiences with watch smiths.

1. Local non branded jeweler brought my precious Breitling Chronomat GT to his watchmaker (whom I never saw) to reglue a hour marker which came loose. Back then I didn't know much about DIY so..... When I got it back it had a severely scratched case back and glue all over the dial and when I say all over I mean alllllll over. I had to sell it for a couple of $ because it didn't bring me joy anymore (which I now regret).

2. Later I brought my 4th gen PO (ETA) to a really good watchmaker which fixed the keyless works for me. It popped out after I had some troubles inserting the stem back in. It was a good and cheap fix and this guy was a real professional. Doctors coat and everything.

3. As I moved to another neighbourhood I couldn't use the good watchmaker from 2. So I whent looking for another watch smith in my neighbourhood. I thought I found a good one as he had all the credentials etc. Brought him my black BCE which broke during shippment. I could have send it back to Homer but I wanted to have it serviced anyway. So of it whent to the watchmaker. Got it back 'serviced' for less than $100. Cheap I know, but I could not help noticing that the rotor spinned everytime I hand wound the watch. I contacted The Zigmeister and he told me that's typpically for a movement that has had a swish & dip. So I whent back to the guy asked him why the rotor span when I hand wound the movement and he told me that it is probably because of the dryness of one of the geers (slipping wheel?) or the low weight ratio of the rotor. I asked him about the way he serviced the movement and he insisted he torn down the entire movement, No swish & dip....... I could leave it and he would apply some grease to a clicking wheel? After a week he called me and I could come pick it up. Off couse the problem wasn't solved........jeez.

Edited May 17, 2008 by Rolexman

[simonsays]

there is a local horologist about 1 mile from where i work. he is an officially certified rolex and omega workshop. i gave him a friendly call a few months back. we had a really nice chat about watches. he loves them and wakes up every day excited about his job, which hes been doing for 30 years! he could tell by chatting to me that i was also very into watches. anyhow the upshot of the conversation was that hed be happy to look at any of my reps if i needed help. so.......

ive recently aquired a high beat red letter sec@6 ss daytona. i read about the graphite lube and wanted to give it a go. phoned him up yesterday for a "chat" about it. i was TOTALLY bowled over when he invited me to his workshop next saturday morning. he said i could use his workshop to do the job and he would help /show me what to do. RESULT!!! i couldnt bloody believe it. what a star. i think i may have found my new best friend!

will let everyone know how i got on, and what i learned. to say im excited about next weekend is an understatement!

good watchmaker... oh yeah

si

[jdavis]

Simonsays, you are the luckiest of us all. It sounds as though you have found not only a great watchmaker but a really good person as well. It just goes to show that not all people in that profession are quirks. Best to you and your new friend. Keep us informed as to how it goes.

[omegaunit]

Going back about 15 years ago I was collecting pocket watches. I would buy ones that needed some TLC as they were fairly cheap.

I passed a watchmakers shop everyday on my way to work so I decided to give him a try as I needed a balance staff replaced.

My Dad came along with me and from the outside of the shop you could see the watchmaker just standing there looking through the window doing absolutly nothing. I walk in, greeted the man and asked if he could replace the balance staff. He looked at me and said NO! I guess he wanted to do the whole job.

My Dad and I walked out of there stunned.

I eventually found another watchmaker, european old school, amazingly steady hands for an old guy. Being in his shop was like travelling back to the '60s

The only problem was he would leave early when he felt like it even though the sign said open till 5:00. Nice man, he made the balance staff and installed it for $35.00! I gave him all the jobs I couldn't handle and his prices were very reasonble. I even brought him a watch I had cleaned for his opinion and he looked at it.(Told me I forgot the 2 screws that hold the cap jewel on the balance, otherwise nice job!) Regretably he retired and closed his shop.