So I need exactly one more reference to complete my line up of early Miura-cased Defys ('Miura' because like that particular Lambo, it is of its time and you either love it or hate it), the charcoal dial A 3642



Up comes a perfectly decent example on Ebay, for the first time in about two and a half years, maybe longer. Still has the orange lume in the paddle of the second hand, dial in good condition, case not too beat up. No bracelet, but that's alright, it's one of the easier bracelet & enpiece combos to find. The Zenithisti, with characteristic gentlemanliness, cede right of way - after all, I'm completing a model series here folks - serious stuff!

I go Ashley and fortunately, am not called on it - the auction is won for reasonable money. Paypal payment sent, the Canadian seller packages it up briskly and sends it off. I follow the provided tracking number with great anticipation...Toronto...customs clearance...Chicago...Nashua, NH (hmmm, that's a funny way to get to NYC)...Orford, NH...Orford, NH...aaaaand "Delivered" in Orford, NH!

I sent a calm email to the seller this morning...and another this evening...so far no answer.

This is a new one on me...Stay tuned for more zany fun as the story develops.

 

Orford is no city - it is a two-cow town in rural New Hampshire (which by chance I happen to know as a result of circumstances very far beyond my control, similar to the present situation), and it isn't just the wrong city, it's the wrong state - NH & NY don't even have a common border. I can guarantee that watch is the only Zenith in town.

Shipping company is the US Postal Service - I have a feeling they took the package exactly where they were told to. I'd like to hear from the seller what he actually meant to send to Orford.

 

I had this happen to me once. My eBay purchased Omega Constellation went from Miami to Dallas Texas and a Rolex went to me. The seller managed to reroute the Rolex before it got to me and the woman in Dallas resent the Constellation to me (nice of her).
In the mean time I was sweating it out.

 

Believe me, if it had been side tracked to N.J. I would have been a lot more suspicious.

 

I've watched one FedEx driver knock and run in one motion. She was down the street so fast I could not catch her.

 

I think they all have their problems - USPS outsources a lot of delivery (outside of the last few miles) to UPS and FedEx so they could be at fault. I have had FedEx lose a watch of mine and as for UPS have a manager tell me that to let of steam, employees pick out a few boxes marked fragile and stomp on them. All anecdotal stuff I know but have heard horror stories for all of them. I will say though that I have never had the postal service lose a watch or watch part(s) and other assorted things I either sent or had sent to me whether domestic or overseas - and we are talking hundreds of packages - so for me USPS is still the service to use. I have a friend who has vintage pateks shipped routinely to him via the postal service from all parts of the world and he has never lost one (and they are all uninsured btw) and he has dozens of these watches with no complaint.

 

It's very chi-chi country, the Upper Valley.

I'd order it, but they would probably deliver it to backwoods Arkansas.

Agree. So far, the burden of proof regarding delivery address rests with the sender - he ought to have a receipt, right? I've written to him twice. The answer so far: