The Great Watch Ripoff

I collect watches because I'm always late, and I need to know exactly how late I'm going to be - in order to come up with a good excuse.

Colin Hanks

I bought a diving watch a few years back from a major department store in Toronto. Recently, it needed a battery so I took it back to the store’s jewelry repair. The fellow in jewelry repair told me that to have the battery changed they'd have to send it back to the company because the watch would have to be resealed to ensure that it remained waterproof. This process would take 6 weeks and cost $35 dollars. There’s not a snowball’s chance in hell I’m ever going to pay $35 dollars for a battery and lose my watch for 6 weeks.

There’s a wonderful local jeweller that I’ve done business with before who as it happens, sells and services this brand of watch. I went to see Jose with my watch and this is how the conversation went:

Me: Jose, my watch needs a battery.

Jose: No problem.

Me: But can you reseal the watch because I’m going to the Bahamas in a few weeks and I need to make sure that the watch is waterproof.

Jose: LAUGHS OUT LOUD (as he looks at me like I’m the biggest idiot in the world). There is no such thing as resealing a watch. That’s how companies grab money. And another way they grab money is by charging you more for a battery for an expensive watch.

Jose took the back off my watch and asked me to look for a seal. Of course there wasn’t one. He changed the battery, replaced the back, tightened it and handed me back the watch. I asked what owed and Jose said $7 for the battery and $40 for resealing the watch.

Dictionaries are like watches, the worst is better than none and the best cannot be expected to go quite true.

Samuel Johnson

Make someone smile today.

Geri