My first job out of college was in the buying program at Neiman Marcus in Dallas. After a rotation in handbags, cosmetics, and fashion jewelry, I ended up working in the men's furnishings buying office. At that time, the department sold vintage watches, and sources many from a vintage dealer in CA.

I went to three events in the Dallas area, and to my shock, the cases were filled awful redials and frankens! I brought this to the attention of the buyer, and I was able to recall the worst pieces. I called the vendor and asked him about a 5500 Air King with a salmon chronometer dial...he said everything was kosher. I then brought up the fact that Rolex never made a 5500 with a salmon dial, and that the 5500 never had a chronometer movement. He sheepishly said send it back.

I then questioned a bulk of the pieces that he had supplied NM and that fact that he was charging retail prices at cost. Needless to say, NM returned all of the watches to the vendor, and stopped selling them until they found a more trust worthy source--it truly was a case of needless markup.

I say all of this because of friend in NYC shared with me a pic of two Omegas currently for sale at Barney's for $1k+ apiece. They are just lovely...

Sad that some of the best names in retail offer their clients such shitty vintage pieces.

 

Some buyer at Barneys knows yellow is the new black . . .

 

..nicely aged dials, showing a beautiful and well-balanced patina!

 

A dangerous combination of greed and ignorance somewhere in the buying process. Good for you for blowing the whistle for the sake of the consumer.

Yellows not my color anyway.

 

Unfortunately there are hundreds and maybe even thousands of shops and online stores that offer not 100% genuine time pieces and for HUGE amounts of money.
On one side it is the retailer that is either taking advantage of amateurs or is one himself and doesn't know what he's selling (just as OP mentioned about his case...) and on the other side it is the average customer that wants something special and thinks that the source is trustworthy. He'll notice the fancy presentation and marketing, the huge price tag and he'll think "no way in hell would these guys be allowed to sell fakes or half-genuine items", so he dives in.
Since the average customer doesn't even know what a reference is, or what redial means, it's only obvious that a non-genuine watch can be sold for 100% it's "true" value.

 

I like lemon - but only in my gin and tonic.

 

Was it this guy's store?

 

I thought this was a piss-take but turns out it's a rare 70's Seamaster with marijuana dial.

 

Clearly a reeferbished piece.

 

Hehehe....brilliant.

 

I know the place I was just making a joke (badly I guess)

 

What time is it? 4:20

 

Appreciate the story at NM, but what made you think those Omegas were shitty? The yellow?

 

Went from a Re-dial to a We-eedial

 

Clearly the the original dial has been , off its dial more than once.

 

You might want to fact-check me on this, but I think Colorado has pending legislation about making that their state watch.

 

Quack.

 

Sorry, but I think this is a very american taste related issue...

 

Please explain in greater detail, as I am curious to your line of thinking.