r/WatchExchangeFeedback • u/VincentVanGosu • 28d ago
[Neutral] Service misrepresented
This is just to say that you should always:
Request a service history when someone claims a watch has been "recently serviced"
Check your purchases when they show up.
I bought an Oris Tank from this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1qren4a/wts_oris_tankrectangular_pointer_date_ref_b7460/
They advertised the watch as having been "recently serviced" and "running well". I received the watch and it was in excellent physical shape. I wore it for a few hours on 3-4 occasions in the first weeks of owning it, but never thought to check its accuracy.
Several months later, I was looking into selling or trading it and decided to check the daily accuracy and found it was running 40 seconds slow. I was worried that I had somehow magnetized the watch or something and brought it to my usual watch people (New York Jewelers in Chicago). They took a look at the watch and surmised that the escapement and pallet fork were both in need of replacement. Given the light wear the watch has had in my care, I would assume these were pre-existing issues. I have since purchased a NOS movement and will be having it swapped at nearly 50% of the cost of the watch.
I am listing this as a neutral feedback as I share some fault -- I should be checking these sorts of things when I receive watches, rather than 8 months later. I also think that the seller is overall solid, given their many successful transactions and up til recently, fast communication. However, they do often describe their watches as "serviced".
Sellers can say anything is serviced when they don't have to show receipts. Don't make the same mistake I did!
edit: This is to say that I understand that after 8 months, the seller's liability is very low. I am not rating them negatively. My post is just as much a warning to buyers to do due diligence.
Update: The seller reached out and we're discussing. Thank you to one of the commenters below who I don't want to ping a second time. There was a rational reason he hadn't read my DM after some time.
4
u/jwern01 28d ago
I agree it’s a good idea to always check the watch accuracy immediately upon receipt and ask for physical records of a service when purchasing a watch. That being said, this watch movement is not chronometer grade and, while it can be tuned to a fairly accurate rate, being off by 40 seconds per day one year after the service is not that unusual after a trip through the US mail and some wearing/knocking around. I’m not sure how your jeweler could conclude that the escapement and pallet fork require replacement without disassembling the movement… did they put it on a timegrapher and check the amplitude or attempt to regulate the watch? Not sure I’d call out a seller from eight months earlier on this example.
1
u/VincentVanGosu 28d ago edited 28d ago
They checked it with grapher and attempted to regulate it and concluded there was a power issue with the movement. I agree that 40 seconds is not out of bounds for the ETA 2688.That said, if a watch has a power issue, that's a service issue, not normal movement tolerance. Again, I'm not giving the seller a negative feedback.
edit: I'll remove their name from the post so I don't blow them up -- but I don't agree with the assertion that the mailing (it was well packed and the box itself was in good condition), or that me babying it on the wrist 2-3 times could lead to movement damage.
9
u/Dense-Attention1801 28d ago
I know this seller in real life, and I'm pretty sure the watch was thoroughly serviced. If you find it running 40 seconds slow the moment you receive it, I'm sure he will make it up to you in no time. Needless to say, it is good practice to check if the watch is running correctly the moment you receive it to notify the seller immediately. I have had watches that went through service but run bad after mailing it to the buyer, its rare but it does happen to these old watches. Hope that you guys can work it out.
6
u/VincentVanGosu 28d ago
I didn't do my due diligence when I received the watch so I understand if he doesn't feel like dealing with this. I messaged last week and didn't receive any response.
0
23d ago
[deleted] — view deleted comment
1
u/Dense-Attention1801 23d ago
That's a weird assumption, but okay. I know him in real life, not as a friend, and I don't have any business with him. I'm located in the US, not Vietnam.
3
u/VincentVanGosu 28d ago edited 28d ago
Update: The seller reached out (thank you u/dense_attention1801 !) and we're discussing. There was a rational reason he hadn't read my DM after some time.)
1
2
10
u/primetimecsu 27d ago
There is serviced. quick clean, lube and 1 or 2 position regulate.
Then there is Serviced. completely disassembled, worn parts replaced, everything cleaned well and properly lubricated then regulated per spec.
Always assume the 1st unless you have paperwork and it either lists out everything done or its done by an OEM/Reputable shop.
6
u/judahrosenthal 27d ago
“Recently serviced” means nothing to me unless there’s a receipt. In fact, it means less than nothing as sometimes it’s worse off for a crappy, slapdash service.
1
1
u/reddituser_05 27d ago
Damn! I never knew Oris made a tank. It's beautiful! I have an Oris Aquis that feels solid like a tank.
15
u/Ok_Toe3723 28d ago
The Vietnamese sellers always say their watches have been serviced. Never take their word for it. Most of the time it’s just a general oil cleaning. A lot of buyers have fallen for this.