Do repair shops take working vintage original parts?

Hi All -

I'm a noob (*not really, just didn't have the need to repair my watch in decades ~ ie forgot about my watch restored by oldest living master European watch repair guys in San Francisco 3 decades ago).

Yadda yadda really surprised (my opinion) how shoddy and sloppy (and aesthetically damaging) World Time in San jose was to my vintage 14K watch w custom 14K bracelet / band.

I didn't take pics beforehand and I didn't tell them the mantra to not touch the face etc etc...

My QUESTION is ~ is it a thing that repair shops take good working original vintage parts and give the unsuspecting back a Franken watch? (Meaning - do shops chop up exceptional vintage watches like a car chop shop and replace parts with inferior less quality so they can sell the original vintage ones elsewhere or keep them to rebuild other watched for $$ resale?) In other words, I feel shafted by a place that had good things said about them in the virtual world (ie internet), so much so that I now question the shop and industry. I had forgotten that shadiness can exist as it'd been such a long time since I had to seek out a repair shop. I never realized I could possibly receive back a watch in such horrendous condition. There are no more master watchmakers alive ..... (I feel)....

Is it a thing? (Do shops swipe valuable unbroken parts for newer inferior ones --- for resale or their own watch collections or watches to rebuild and sell for top dollar?) I just have this feeling of shadiness after receiving my watch and visiting shops that some people have recommended on this forum. The masters and upstanding character and honesty are gone. Old timers who knew their craft and took pride in intricate excellence, fastidiousness, and CLEAN impeccable work are long deceased.

I've done my part to give mom and pop shops business in regard to handling jewelry before. I've since learned that not everyone should handle jewelry. Jewelry is art, and past bad experiences taught me that some repair people don't make or don't know or don't care that people (some) people spend money on jewelry for the aesthetic, for the art, for the beauty....and don't want a watch back damaged, dirty, and potentially frankenized.

SF bay area really has no exceptional people anymore? Is buying a valuable high end watch a risky endeavor anymore (factory damage, new inferior parts, chop shops, frankensteining,... the
ART of repair isn't a HUGE industry for young kids...) because no one of skill or honest ilk will be able to repair it or replace it to original glory?

By the way ~ where can I go to get a vintage time Era appropriate crown? The new ones are ghastly (as supposedly the shop I went to insisted that hand and wrist stabbing crown was the right one). I need a flat rounded one. The one they gave me is long and sharp. I know I sound like I'm kvetching, but I haven't delved into the watch world in a while and man has it gone to $!@+ (*no good skillee craftsmen anymore).

I'm still so disappointed at the hack job done to a very sentimental watch. How / why do people so boldly lie about damage they do? (Anyway - my main question was if there was a market for working vintage parts so much that valuable watch repair shops can be chop shops like they do with stolen cars, stolen catalytic converters (*I'm not asking this vintage Omega watch forum whether they know about the stolen car parts industry - I'm just making a parallel, an example, a metaphor...)

That is really unfortunate. I don't own anything really expensive but I have a lot of sentimental value in all my watches. The thought of losing all of those memories just adds to my anxiety. Its bad enough if some watchmaker mistakenly disregards warranted concerns of one of his clients to maintain the originality of the watch but to earnestly do so for the sake of profit is pure evil.

Well you just can't swap parts on a movement and replace them from a different brand. The parts would need to be compatible to fit. Some companies make generic parts for some movements, but these are made to spec, so you wouldn't know the difference.

Was it a rare watch? Rare movement? What would be the point of taking parts from an average watch. Regardless of gold content.

You don't say what watch brand it is

A customer of mine did deal with an unscrupulous watchmaker. He bought parts from me which the watchmaker said were all bad. What a coincidence that the watchmaker found all the parts in his stash and were perfect. My parts to be mailed back by the watchmaker never arrived.

Told the customer that my parts are in his watch. The watchmaker used them and billed him for them. Stole from me and the customer who will not use him anymore as he can't trust him now

There are honest and dishonest people in every profession.

DON

That's a nasty accusation to make without the slightest bit of evidence. I've had several watches overhauled by World Time (Omega and Rolex) and their work has always been impeccable.

My concern is (that the factory repair (Omega) comes out with new parts that don't match original vintage at all . . . but most of all >>) that shops can potentially size up someone (((( as do some on this forum, thus the term NOOB )))) who blindly hands over their watch, that's not only fairly valuable but priceless in terms of sentimentality, and then the naively entrusted shop handles it carelessly and / or switches parts (who knows << but) .... My watch was absolutely pristine (the face especially) when I brought it in. When I received my watch back - - the face color was rubbed in spots and there was debris inside and the watch looked worn. WHAT ELSE is someone to think? My watch came back aged. All that the proprietor said was "it's old." <<< Yup. Old and treated with kid gloves.... until I brought it to your chop shop. So pissed (sad about humanity).

Evidence is in the previous thread. Looks to me as though the watch maker in question smeared glue on the dial and gave it back to the OP saying nothing.

You're also missing half the story, from the OP's previous thread. Cut her a break, she's trying her best with technology.

Keep up! 😉

I think we can agree that no watchmaker is going to steal your parts, because parts are parts. They aren't worth so much that there is any incentive to do it.

I thought you were going to send your watch to Omega in Switzerland for factory service?

I once had a watchmaker I was shooting a rifle match with say that he stopped polishing gold watches because people accused him of stealing their gold.

By the way, I've had bad experiences with some of those old guys, which is why I only go to the young guys these days.

Comment Deleted.

Saw her earlier thread.
Hope she gets what she needs.

I have no affiliation with World Time. I asked Mr. Son if he would call me when he’s servicing my watch so I can take a peek. Most would tell me to go away. Mr Son sent me a text the night before and tell me to come in, to watch the disassembly. He took the time to show me each parts of the Call11 movement and what each does. He needlessly spent 2 hours to give me a tour of my watch.