Yesterday I went to pick up my 1960 Constellation chronometer 551, which I'd left for servicing. This watchmaker has serviced a number of my watches over the last few years, and to my mind has always done good work. This time I was shocked/horrified to see that he had polished the watch as well -- an unadulterated Connie (I even have its original box) was suddenly shiny, and the crisp definition of the lugs gone, as well as the untouched (albeit with a toolmark scratch) caseback looking like the polished chrome fender of a classic car.
It's not the worst polish job I've seen (as polishing goes it's probably well done), but the fact remains that I didn't want it polished, and the watch is changed as a result. (I don't have photos, as I left the watch there to discuss it with him on Monday -- he wasn't in the shop this weekend.)
Am I over-reacting to this? What can I do? Obviously a learning experience for the future, but as far as this watch is there anything I can do, or recourse I can seek? Any thoughts welcome; otherwise I am just in mourning!

 

No. However, did you express to him you didn't want it polished?

I have that conversation the first time I do business with a watchmaker and will reiterate it often. I'll write something in a note with the watch like "Do not polish, clean ultrasonic only." A lot of watchmakers seem to think that polishing is a service.

 

Ouch! Did you specify no polish when you dropped it off? I just had a watched serviced, specified no polish, and they wrote it on the service document. If that was done, you may have recourse. If not, it was based on trust and you should explain that to the watchmaker and talk about how he could regain it and salvage the relationship.

 

The one sentence I always keep reminding my watchmaker for every watch I hand over: clean only no polish whatsoever

 

Regrettably I didn't specify this (and am still kicking myself). I had done in the past for previous watches, and the thought didn't even cross my mind when I dropped this one off a couple weeks ago. Lesson learned.

Anyone want to buy a beautifully-polished Connie? Haha. It just doesn't seem like my watch anymore...

 

Can you share pics? it may not be as bad as you think <praying>. at the very least, it may serve as an example others can learn from...

very sorry to hear about this. I had the same thing happen to a watch. very upsetting.

 

Sorry to hear about this! I know this has happened to many of us, me included. I took a 2998-3 speedy to get serviced and when I picked it up it had been polished like Rolex! I had told the watchmaker several times to not polish the watch...

 

Did they hire a new employee? Details get lost in artisan crafts when new people step in. Maybe when sending a watch in for service you give them a "key points" card. We do this in our business as we operate in a custom to customer environment. bummer

 

You are not over reacting. Many of us have had this happen, unfortunately. If you stated "no polishing" and they did it anyway, i would ask for compensation for the loss of value in the piece. If you didn't explicitly tell the watchmaker "no polish", then I suspect this will be the first and last time it ever happens to you. I learned the hard way as well.

 

That’s terrible to hear. My watchmaker remembers my preferences and he won’t take out any deep marks and we always try to totally avoid the lugs. On my 1976 Speedy it still looks it’s age, but has beautifully sharp lugs and the brushing on the sides looks factory.

If he took out all the marks the watch would be unrecognizable. When he serviced my 1962 Seamaster we avoided polishing in its entirety, but he always asks me so I don’t forget.

When I bought my 1962 gold capped DeVille on eBay the watch had been highly polished which I that case I actually wanted a shiner dress watch, and I used it to my advantage to get the price down $500. I still overpaid $200.

 

Horrible. Had the same not too long ago. With previous watches I specified no polish. This time I did not specifically mention this, and I was totally horrified to find my unmolested Eberhard polished (nice job as far as polishing goes). Still trying to grasp how I could have forgotten to mention this time, and at the same time still failing to understand why any watchmaker would polish a watch if this has not been requested, without even consulting the owner prior to doing so.

 

why I use a watch collector for a watchmaker the last jeweller did not know a watch I was looking at was fake the guys here spotted it right off

 

I have some questions. Really would like to know your thoughts.

What are the thoughts about an actual Omega service polish, where they leave the hands, dial and bezel untouched but take the case and crystal back to how it left the factory? If polishing "takes off too much metal" to do every 5-6 years, how often can it be done by Omega (or Rolex if that applies) and not destroy the watch value later on in it's life (vintage or newer model)?

I'd think Omega would not blur the lines, or soften the edges, or thin the lugs, but am I assuming too much? It's one thing for an independent watchmaker to take the polishing too far, but does Omega make that same faux pas as well when they have the watch in their own service center?

How does the original owner of a 1969 Speedmaster Pro decide in 1975 to not allow Omega to change the hands or dial or damaged bezel at the first service, or was it just not Omega's policy to swap those parts out in a service as they do now?

What about a more modern watch that isn't collectable and is getting a factory Omega service, where the watch wont be vintage for another 40 years and the owner just wants it to look and run like new for decades?

I have a 2002 Ti SMP Chronograph that looks new after a service 4 years ago - is the value already reduced because Omega brought it back to looking like NIB? I don't know anyone that would buy this watch in beat up condition - see recent post of someone who just got their Ti SMP chronograph refurbished by Omega and it looks great. I didn't see anyone post "Oh you just ruined the watch and it wont be all original in 40 years".

 

We don't say "you just ruined the watch" because we're nice bunch here. Another dimension is the volume of watches produced in recent times compared to the olden days. For a watch that's produced in the 10's of thousands, if not (many) more times, it's less of a concern if a few slip though. There are plenty of others out there that wont have been subjected to the Omega treatment.

Of course, you can't blame owners for having those things done at the time. Who knew a $200 watch would be worth many times that decades later?

Fact remains. Original, unpolished is preferred.

 

You can see if you can find a case restorer to bring back the lines and brushing to your case via a spot welding machine or something similar

 

I’m not saying anything bad about your watchmaker. All I would say is when I take my vintage watches to STS they basically insist that they won’t polish the watch without me even asking. Perhaps find a new watchmaker for you vintage collection?

 

This is terrible and I feel i must do something to help.
Send the watch to me immediately and I'll return it to you when it has regained its patina of age, perhaps thirty years at the most.
No need to thank me, I'm happy to help out a forum member in need.

 

Really sorry for you that this has happened. As a relatively new collector, I would like to thank you though, for sharing your story. Just contacted my watchmaker to verify that he will not polish my watches. His puzzled reply: ‘why would I do something that we didn’t agree on?’. Great guy .