patrick_y[PuristSPro Moderator]
28430
Very common, even in top tier brand boutiques...
Nov 27, 2017,12:57 PM
There's a reason why the store employees always take the watches to the back to affix a new strap. They don't want you to see them scratch the watch with the screwdriver. The ones who do it
Most salespeople at these stores are eager to get back onto the sales floor and get another potential sale. They don't take the time to be trained on how to do even minor things such as strap changes. Furthermore, even with the lack of training, damage can be avoided if one was extremely patient and careful. Well, guess again, that's not usually the case.
I want you to know, the most highly respected jewelers with 100 year histories (I'm reluctant to name them by name but I assure you, every store is like this) have numerous employees on their staff who cannot learn how to set a perpetual calendar correctly. And despite that, these dastardly employees refuse to consult the manual that comes with the watch.
I know a person who didn't want to change his own straps. He was a surgeon, with steady hands, and empowered with the metal tools that could scratch the case with one wrong move. So he entrusted the jewelry store employee to change them on his behalf. I later brought him aside and told him to avoid doing so in the future. I can only hope he heeded my warning.
Single brand boutique, multi-brand jewelry store, high end brand, low end brand, you have a very high chance of running into problems.
Buying a watch with a bracelet? 90% of the time, the employee will use the wrong width screwdriver to adjust your bracelet, look for scratches on your screws.
Your best chance is if the store has a real watchmaker on site who does the operation himself. Short of this, caveat emptor!
Passionate salespeople? Bull. Pursuit of perfection? Not something seen commonly in the retail industry. Not impossible, but a true rarity.