Community Stories

Sales reps should stick with sales!

Frunkinator
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Syed117 Syed117
I've seen so many threads like this where people talk about going to ADs and boutiques to have bracelets adjusted. More often than not, they are horror stories about scratches and destroyed screws.

It seems like insanity to me. Unless you know the person working on watches personally, you should do it yourself.

Not specifically aimed at this OP, but I really don't understand why using a screwdriver is such a difficult task for people.
Yeah, I unfortunately agree. And if I only had the correct screwdriver I would have done it myself.
Hard to believe an OB could mess this up. And it took another OB to correct...
 
abrod520
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Frunkinator Frunkinator
And if I only had the correct screwdriver I would have done it myself.

Lovely business model, using proprietary equipment for even the smallest adjustments etc to force you to come back to the Boutique more often - yet it falls apart when the Boutique has no idea themselves how to do it!
 
eyewatch
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Hello this is my first post to the forum and I have a very similar story. My nearest AD is 2 hours drive away and last year I combined the purchase of my 'retiremenet' watch (not actually retired yet but decided to get it ahead of the day so I can enjoy it now!) with a invitation to a degree ceremony in the same place. In the excitement of purchasing the one Omega I have wanted for years (yes, like many a speedmaster pro) I allowed the sales assistance to adjust the bracelet for me. Normally, I would do it myself but I left with a happy smile on my face and a watch that fitted me. When I got home I looked closer at the watch and found that he had removed the bracelet each time to remove a link leaving deep scratches in the lugs which could be seen without the included Omega loupe. These scratches were also on the lug carrying the serial number.

I immediately contacted Omega by email and a represetative phoned me and asked me to take the watch back to the AD which I did about two weeks later and to be fair, as soon as another sales assistant saw the watch she immediately went to the store manager and a brand new watch was brought out and this time adjusted without removing the bracelet and with no damage.

A happy ending with no fuss or issues with the AD but it did 'sour' my purchase somewhat for a little while. Now just happy wearing the watch on a daily basis with all my other watches lying neglected in a draw. I am happy that with time the watch will get some scratches on it - probably has done already if I were to look closely enough at it but these are the result of my life not a 'ham-fisted' sales assistance.

Hope to post more on the forum with time.
 
Archer
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abrod520 abrod520
Lovely business model, using proprietary equipment for even the smallest adjustments etc to force you to come back to the Boutique more often - yet it falls apart when the Boutique has no idea themselves how to do it!

There is no proprietary equipment in this case...it's just a screwdriver...
 
EtherMan
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Archer Archer
There is no proprietary equipment in this case...it's just a screwdriver...
Which makes it all the worse!
 
abrod520
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Archer Archer
There is no proprietary equipment in this case...it's just a screwdriver...

True, though I'd wager that the average Omega Boutique customer hasn't got a set of small screwdrivers. Yes, they're easy enough to source on eBay, though if I weren't a watch nerd I'm not sure I'd know to look there!
 
Archer
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abrod520 abrod520
True, though I'd wager that the average Omega Boutique customer hasn't got a set of small screwdrivers. Yes, they're easy enough to source on eBay, though if I weren't a watch nerd I'm not sure I'd know to look there!

I'd wager that the "average boutique customer" is not likely to do this themselves anyway. BTW those sets of "jewelers screwdrivers" are pretty common - I always remember a set kicking around the house, even when I was a kid. Mostly used for eyeglass repair, etc. so nothing proprietary or difficult to source.
 
abrod520
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Archer Archer
I'd wager that the "average boutique customer" is not likely to do this themselves anyway. BTW those sets of "jewelers screwdrivers" are pretty common - I always remember a set kicking around the house, even when I was a kid. Mostly used for eyeglass repair, etc. so nothing proprietary or difficult to source.

Yeah, I guess you're right about them not doing it themselves either way. I'm just curious about this move to more difficult procedures when the usual method worked well for decades - moving to screws in the Speedmaster bracelet; requiring a special tool to remove the bracelet from the Tudor Black Bay etc. In your opinion, what are the benefits of the screws vs pins for the Speedmaster bracelet? Harder to bend a screw?
 
Archer
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abrod520 abrod520
In your opinion, what are the benefits of the screws vs pins for the Speedmaster bracelet? Harder to bend a screw?

In my view technically there is no real advantage. The old pin and sleeve system works fine, and is easy to work with. But screws give the impression of a higher end product...it's primarily a marketing driven decision, not a technically driven decision...

Cheers, Al
 
mokofoko
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Archer Archer
There is no proprietary equipment in this case...it's just a screwdriver...
OMG and exactly where am I supposed to find a screwdriver?!?! I visited at least a dozen different gas stations, and couldn't find any!!

🤪

Archer Archer
In my view technically there is no real advantage. The old pin and sleeve system works fine, and is easy to work with. But screws give the impression of a higher end product...it's primarily a marketing driven decision, not a technically driven decision...

Cheers, Al

Someone posted in another thread that the newer screw style lacks an official half-link. I know I'm one of the few affected, so that's a bit of a bummer.
 
abrod520
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Archer Archer
In my view technically there is no real advantage. The old pin and sleeve system works fine, and is easy to work with. But screws give the impression of a higher end product...it's primarily a marketing driven decision, not a technically driven decision...

Cheers, Al

Interesting, I'm not sure I'd personally consider the screws to be higher-end but then, I'm not really much of a modern buyer. Thanks!
 
SpicyWatch
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Oh this story made me cringe. Good thing they were able to replace it on the spot. If you came back a day later the outcome would probably be a bit different.
 
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