My 38 Year old Tissot

[OysterDavid]

At the risk of sounding like a Twilight Zone episode....picture this from 38 years ago...a 16 year old travelling with his parents in Switzerland...nose pressed up against the Bucherer Rolex Window and even being allowed in the store to try on the Oyster Perpetual low end Rolex...getting his hopes up only to have the parents say the $95 US was 'too much' for a watch for a 16 year old. Bummer!

But, in the same town was a Tissot dealer, and there was the SS PR516GL model that looked kind of cool and it was only about $40US, and that met with the budget and lickety split, it was on his wrist and back in the states.

Over the course of the years, The Tissot served me well and continued to look kind of sporty...every 7 years or so it was packed off to Le Locle Switzerland to Tissot and refurbished for about $30 or so. At one point, the DAY feature was swapped from German to English and the dial replaced.

It had been about 20 years since the last service, and with my Rolex collection serving me well, it didn't really matter, but there it was, acting as if it wanted to be worn at least once every week or so. So, off it went once again to Switzerland (it's been there more than I have), and within a couple of weeks the word (and the watch) came back they would no longer be able to service a model of that age...so sorry.

So I called a local watchmaker who prides himself on working with Rolex (although he's not the go to guy for my own Rolex collection) and other swiss watches...he says no problem...he'll make it look new (or as much as possible) and it will only take about 3 weeks and $185. Not bad, think I, as I've spent $350+ for my Rolex overhauls where the watch does come back new looking. Well, 3 weeks become 6 because of a hard to find part, and then the phone call is made telling me to pick up the watch.

I was expecting to see a polished/refinished case, new crystal and a fully adjusted watch. Eeeegaddds! The watch runs fine, but I'm now part of the WIS population who has experienced a botch job on the case. On the case back is a new scratch where there wasn't one before, the crystal was returned to me with a scratch that had to be buffed out before I took it home and the case barely looks cleaned. There's that 'scum' that accumulates from the elements and the person wearing it that you clean off with detergent and ammonia and an old toothbrush, and although I can and will clean it up...it was a real disappointment, even though the watch is running both well and smooth.

I know I'll likely be counseled to take it back and make it right...but jeepers, if this guy can't even do it right the first time, do I really want him in that watch case again?

All I can say is, it's a good thing I didn't trust my Rolex's to this guy and I got what I paid for...a low price for a mediocre job. A lesson well learned.

I think sometime next year when I think of indulging myself, I'll send the watch to the guy who works my Rolex's and let him to a refinish job and adjustment if it needs it.

Just a story for those who care about such things.