Watch stuck with watchmaker

JwRosenthal · Feb 4, 2022

Evitzee
I had a situation with my Atmos clock (ca 1961) that bordered on the ridiculous. In January 2002 I sent my Atmos clock to a very well respected, fully certified Atmos repairer on the West coast. The man had some health issues which can happen to anyone and it took a full 20 months to get the clock back fully overhauled and repaired. It sat on my mantle for 13 years and ran fine and then just stopped, I couldn't get it to run. I thought the bellows maybe went kaput because it was still running the original bellows from May 1961. Packed it up and sent it back to the same repairer in November 2016 and was told I was about 20th in line which didn't seem too bad, maybe a couple of months wait. But this time it just fell into a black hole and I got very little feedback as to where I sat in the queue as time wore on. Eventually he responded and said the election of Donald Trump was so traumatic that his productivity went way downhill. Seriously. He needed a good kick in the pants to get him functioning again. I finally got word from him in March 2019 that the overhaul was complete, so I sent him the $560 for the overhaul and I got the clock back after 28 1/2 months and it is running fine almost three years later. I'm hoping this repair will outlast me because I couldn't go through this ordeal again.

My step-father (82 years old) had the same reaction after the election- he sank into a deep depression and hated the world. It took him almost 3 years to stop being such a pill- then Covid hit….now back to pill.

Foo2rama · Feb 4, 2022

It’s called grand theft. You can call his local PD in regards to this and designate Blue Finz as your local agent once you get his name and phone number.

he has your property and your money for an uncompleted service and refuses to send your property back and is refusing contact.

it’s pretty cut and dry file the police report.

Tony C. · Feb 4, 2022

connieseamaster · Feb 4, 2022

JimInOz
@slique12, Hope it works out for you.

I'm not a professional watchmaker, but when I'm servicing a watch for family or friends, one of these is compiled when I get the watch and it stays with the watch until I return it and the watch to the owner.

I'm a watchmaker's kid and when the old man does (eventually, a long time from now) pass, the pieces in the shop are assumed to be customer work until proven otherwise. Thankfully, his record keeping is thorough and mostly typed.

Hopefully this gets resolved to your satisfaction.

JwRosenthal · Feb 4, 2022

connieseamaster
I'm a watchmaker's kid and when the old man does (eventually, a long time from now) pass, the pieces in the shop are assumed to be customer work until proven otherwise. Thankfully, his record keeping is thorough and mostly typed.

My watchmaker is the same way- all in brown envelopes with the customer’s info on them. His family knows what to do. He even has pieces that have been there for 20+ years that never got picked up! He said he stopped calling after a few years.

I asked if I could see some of them and he won’t let me- they still belong to the customer or family of the customer in his eyes- until he is told otherwise.

I’m still hopeful that @slique12 just got a grumpy fucker and the guy is still alive and well and would rather this go away (and just hand the watch over) than get into a legal issue.

KanakaTurks · Feb 4, 2022

Foo2rama
It’s called grand theft. You can call his local PD in regards to this and designate Blue Finz as your local agent once you get his name and phone number.

he has your property and your money for an uncompleted service and refuses to send your property back and is refusing contact.

it’s pretty cut and dry file the police report.

This is the response!…

Foo2rama · Feb 4, 2022

Foo2rama
It’s called grand theft. You can call his local PD in regards to this and designate Blue Finz as your local agent once you get his name and phone number.

he has your property and your money for an uncompleted service and refuses to send your property back and is refusing contact.

it’s pretty cut and dry file the police report.

note this will lead to recovery not jail time.

DaveK · Feb 5, 2022

I recently got my Hamilton 992b back from service after 11 months. My watchmaker has a storefront shop, and during much of covid there was a huge increase in folks bringing in their quartz watches for new batteries, as well as an increase in mechanical watches and clocks being brought in. The constant interruptions for battery changes were exhausting for him. Interruptions at work are a bigger hit to productivity than most of us know. I think pandemic stress got the best of him too, productivity-wise, as it did with me and my work for a while.

slique12 · Feb 9, 2022

Quick update: @blufinz52 was kind enough to follow up with the watchmaker but was only able to reach as far as his voicemail. I will be speaking with my local attorney here on whether we should send him a letter first or if I should contact the local PD instead. The potential risk of going down the local PD path is that I don't believe the police can make him give up the watch, and if so, might make him more entrenched to not give it up.

kkt · Feb 9, 2022

Foo2rama
It’s called grand theft. You can call his local PD in regards to this and designate Blue Finz as your local agent once you get his name and phone number.

he has your property and your money for an uncompleted service and refuses to send your property back and is refusing contact.

it’s pretty cut and dry file the police report.

I hope this would actually work out. I can easily see the police telling you it's a civil matter that must be resolved by the courts.

Foo2rama · Feb 9, 2022

kkt
I hope this would actually work out. I can easily see the police telling you it's a civil matter that must be resolved by the courts.

It should, you would actually be filing a police report for theft. They would investigate esp if you had a local agent. Just be nice and polite and call the front desk and say you want to file a theft report, and then whoever they send you to, explain you are sorry you have to do this but...

Shabbaz · Feb 10, 2022

A short letter of a lawyer always helps to resolve these kind of matters quite quickly.

Foo2rama · Feb 10, 2022

Shabbaz
A short letter of a lawyer always helps to resolve these kind of matters quite quickly.

Yeah but then you have to pay a professional liar...

OK only half of that is true...

Omegafanman · Feb 10, 2022

@slique12
Sounds like a total breakdown in communication- which is dangerous as you do not know his situation (mental, physical and financial ). Until you have all the facts proceed with caution. Your core objectives should simply be to recover the watch and then maybe recover the money in that order.
I would write a succinct unemotional letter laying out the time scales and the contact points you have had with him.
I would apologise for requesting an incorrect refund amount (list both values in the letter) in error and say that it was just due to the length of time. Also advise that you are out of time and now urgently need the watch returned .Tell him a date and time that you intend to collect the watch and ask him to suggest an alternative date or method if that is unacceptable. Name a date when you need a response by (give him a week). List your email, watch serial etc in the letter in case it is read by a third party. Either arrange to collect the watch or book a registered carrier to collect it on that date.
Send the letter by recorded / signed for delivery - also email him a copy (after delivery) - keep all communication professional, succinct and polite.
If you do not get a positive response and / or he fails to give the watch up on the day then you can explore Police and legal options - use the letter, proof of delivery and copies of past emails and bank or credit card payment methods as the evidence pack.

If you do get a positive response / get the watch back - then just start the same process again but this time requesting a refund......

If you have time it is also worth finding out about the business / sole trader - anyone else involved, and other unhappy customers etc etc - get a better view of the situation - without loosing focus or being distracted from your two objectives.....

watchyouwant · Feb 10, 2022

Good advice. Alternatively you could ask 2 friends with Baseball Bats to go with you.....just kidding.... Good luck.

Omegafanman · Feb 10, 2022

Given the amount of time I worry the watch has been lost, damaged or perhaps stolen and the trader lacks some combination of funds, insurance or capacity to correct the situation. Of course it could also have been sold but I think a deliberate criminal act by the watchmaker seems the least likely. It is interesting he grabbed the refund error with both hands as an excuse to break contact. Of course there are many other emotional/ physical scenarios which could stop him working or wanting to work - but his behaviour is odd. There is no such thing as a contradiction in life.... it just means you don’t have all the facts :0)

blufinz52 · Feb 10, 2022

kkt
I hope this would actually work out. I can easily see the police telling you it's a civil matter that must be resolved by the courts.

This is definitely a civil matter and the police would only act as a mediator, if they act on it at all. The watchmaker could tell the police "The owner of the watch never paid me", or "I will send the watch back next week, I promise", or "I'm keeping the watch, tell the owner to sue me." The police cannot force the watchmaker to send the watch back or take possession of it. A letter from an attorney might help, but ultimately a small claims action may be the only resolution, which has a cost benefit situation.

Omegafanman · Feb 10, 2022

blufinz52
This is definitely a civil matter and the police would only act as a mediator, if they act on it at all. The watchmaker could tell the police "The owner of the watch never paid me", or "I will send the watch back next week, I promise", or "I'm keeping the watch, tell the owner to sue me." The police cannot force the watchmaker to send the watch back or take possession of it. A letter from an attorney might help, but ultimately a small claims action may be the only resolution, which has a cost benefit situation.

If you paid by credit card despite the time delay there is a possibility to reclaim from them if you can evidence that services have not been provided. In the UK typically I am asked to pay after the service (in effect they have the watch as collateral anyway).

Watch stuck with watchmaker

JwRosenthal

Foo2rama

Tony C.

connieseamaster

JwRosenthal

KanakaTurks

Foo2rama

DaveK

slique12

kkt

Foo2rama

Shabbaz

Foo2rama

Omegafanman

watchyouwant

Omegafanman

blufinz52

Omegafanman

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