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Thread: Fun (sort of) on vacation

  1. #1

    Fun (sort of) on vacation

    So the missus and I are on a short vacation in Florida, she is shopping, so I wander down the street and spy a jewelry store with some watches in the window. One catches my eye, something odd about it. I take a closer look, and realize it's a gold open heart Zenith chrono. Displayed upside down in the window.

    I go in and I'm looking at their other used watches (they had a pretty, older IWC pocket watch among others). The owner (I assume), an older gentleman comes over, and I told him that the Zenith was very nice, but did he know someone had put it in there upside down, I said with a laugh. He took it from the window, and said I could solve the problem by buying it. Good one, so I did laugh.

    He asked how I knew it was a Zenith, and I confessed I was a watch guy, and owned a couple of Zeniths. He then looked at what I was wearing (Snowflake). I may be imagining things, but I think he saw "Seiko", did a mental snort, and wrote me off as a poser.


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  2. #2
    Speaking as a "watch guy" I find it amazing that theres people in the watch business that actually don't know the market they are in.

    Maybe because its a hobby to us, but a business to them but I just don't understand. If I were in the watch business I'd want to know as much as possible about other brands and competitors.

    Also, it would possibly put me off doing business with them, If I knew their knowledge wasn't upto scratch.

    From your point of view (the customer) It would've made me chuckle, to walk out of there just glaring at your beautiful snowflake.....
    Last edited by Steppy; Mar 30, 2015 at 07:35 PM.

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  4. #3
    +1

  5. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Steppy View Post
    Speaking as a "watch guy" I find it amazing that theres people in the watch business that actually don't know the market they are in.

    Maybe because its a hobby to us, but a business to them but I just don't understand. If I were in the watch business I'd want to know as much as possible about other brands and competitors.

    Also, it would possibly put me off doing business with them, If I knew their knowledge wasn't upto scratch.

    From your point of view (the customer) It would've made me chuckle, to walk out of there just glaring at your beautiful snowflake.....
    Although, to be fair, it was mainly a jewelry store with one counter of (used) watches...


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  6. #5
    I'm a long way from being an expert, but after so many disappointing encounters in watch stores (including "high-end" ones), I just assume going in that I know more than the sales staff.
    I'm not usually wrong. Tragic.


    ~Sherry.
    Eterna | Tudor | Seiko | Casio | G-Shock | Orient | Swatch | Mondaine | Zodiac (pre-Fossil) | Rolex | Wenger | Pulsar Time Computer | Omega | Timex | Bucherer | Citizen | Bulova | Glycine

  7. #6
    The Dude Abides Nokie's Avatar
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    Some people never get it....
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  8. #7
    El bot. geoffbot's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by popoki nui View Post
    I'm a long way from being an expert, but after so many disappointing encounters in watch stores (including "high-end" ones), I just assume going in that I know more than the sales staff.
    I'm not usually wrong. Tragic.


    ~Sherry.
    I'm not sure tragic is fair. We are proper enthusiasts and will know more. I don't expect them to know the number of jewels, or hairspring material, but I do expect them to know the basics - case size, strap options, WR, features etc...alas all too often they don't, which is just lazy, imo.

    Occasionally there is a WIS amongst them (there's a pre owned dealer in Brighton who really knows his stuff - great to chat to) but elsewhere if you ask to try one on and they say 'which one - the green oyster one?' or something equally dumb then just don't converse - it's awkward.
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  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by geoffbot View Post
    I'm not sure tragic is fair. We are proper enthusiasts and will know more. I don't expect them to know the number of jewels, or hairspring material, but I do expect them to know the basics - case size, strap options, WR, features etc...alas all too often they don't, which is just lazy, imo.

    Occasionally there is a WIS amongst them (there's a pre owned dealer in Brighton who really knows his stuff - great to chat to) but elsewhere if you ask to try one on and they say 'which one - the green oyster one?' or something equally dumb then just don't converse - it's awkward.
    I finding the information presented to the public by a typical jewelry-and-watch store very telling: the watches sit glittering under lights with sodding huge (and seemingly random) numbers next to them and absolutely nothing else.

    When I see twenty- and thirtysomething City workers peering through the glass I'm reminded of the what I would do when I was a kid going into town each Saturday afternoon: when I passed each watch shop, I would stare at the watches in my price range, in the general style I liked, and, over the weeks and months, let some mysterious process of elimination whittle it down until I had identified The Watch I Wanted.

    (Which I wouldn't subsequently get, but that's another story)

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  11. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by geoffbot View Post
    I'm not sure tragic is fair. We are proper enthusiasts and will know more. I don't expect them to know the number of jewels, or hairspring material, but I do expect them to know the basics - case size, strap options, WR, features etc...alas all too often they don't...
    But basics, like whether the watch is on display right side up, I think should be required.



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  13. #10
    Sounds like a DB.
    But I get snorted @ & scoffed @ in a lot of High End Jewelry stores while wearing a nice timepiece.Most IMO don't know squat of what they're selling, it's just a job.
    People sleep peaceably in their beds @ night ONLY because rough men stand ready to do VIOLENCE
    on their behalf.....


    William

    Member#842

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