Over kindness
At work, I am known as "the watch guy". If someone is looking for a quick gift, I usually can find something to sell from my collection. If someone is looking for a purchase, they would come to me for opinion. If someone needs a watch to be fixed, I'm willing to change battery or adjust bands and links. You get the idea, I don't think much of it.
We hired a new marketing personnel, and he heard about my unofficial title. Struck up a conversation with me and showed me a Skagen that didn't work. I told him to give me 24 hours so I can look into it.
He asked how much?
I said don't worry about it.
He was adamant, so I said $5.
I took the watch, all it needed was a battery change. Fixed in 10 minutes. Saw him the next day and gave him his watch back. The reaction was unexpected... His face lit up, big smile and followed by a big hug told me his appreciation and we went out separate ways. The end right? Nope, couple days later, I see a gift card to Amazon for $25 and I walked over to his cubicle.
Dude, this is too much!
He said, you have no idea how precious this is to me.
I said $5, you are too generous, please reconsider.
Nope, you can choose to activate and use or not.
So, I took the card. Looked at him puzzled and went back to work. Used the card that night for my son's diapers. Then, remembered being introduced to the gentleman's wife, so I decided to gift him something for her. Placed it on his desk the next day and went to my office. Next thing I know, he comes to my office gives me the biggest hug and lifts me off the ground infront of my colleagues.
He said, it's my wife's birthday tomorrow and this is such a beautiful and timely gift.
We have been close ever since and talk watches all the time. He is also looking to purchase a watch and we are researching together. The main point is we are into watches for selfish reasons (not a negative), but every once in a while our hobby can affect others and make a difference in their life.
Started collecting watches in 2018, due to the sheer size of the collection... I started a little watch business on the side since 2020 to keep my wife happy.
Kudos to you for being a good man and watch ambassador. Great lesson to be kind and pay it forward when you can. The world would be a much better place if we all just did this.
You're a better man than I, but how the hell do people not know where to get a battery changed? I hope this was not a snap back case, because the necessity of the screw case back tool is a major gatekeeper to DIY.
You're a better man than I, but how the hell do people not know where to get a battery changed? I hope this was not a snap back case, because the necessity of the screw case back tool is a major gatekeeper to DIY.
People get thrown for a loop when it comes to a simple watch battery change. Likewise with cars, and oil/air filter changes. It's really simple.
They don't know you can use a small rubber ball to remove a screw-on case back. No special tools needed. Of course, some watches require grounding out after the change and I can see where that'd throw some for a loop.
You're a better man than I, but how the hell do people not know where to get a battery changed? I hope this was not a snap back case, because the necessity of the screw case back tool is a major gatekeeper to DIY.
It was a snap back and I used my caseback compressor.
That made me smile. Watches: bringing people together. Man, what a great hobby.
People get thrown for a loop when it comes to a simple watch battery change. Likewise with cars, and oil/air filter changes. It's really simple.
They don't know you can use a small rubber ball to remove a screw-on case back. No special tools needed. Of course, some watches require grounding out after the change and I can see where that'd throw some for a loop.
I know that a bulk of the populace is deathly afraid of doing any repair or maintenance of any kind on their own, but in the dang 90's there were little kiosks in the mall that would do battery changes (which is where I learned they were just popping a cap of the back with a knife edge) but in the internet age, how does one not figure out where a "watch repair" jeweler is? I think I answered my own question, as perhaps people are massively overestimating this basic service cost and not even investigating. I'd blame consumer throwaway culture, but it was clearly not thrown away.
Trust me, I'm a bit intimidated when using a screw case back tool. They are not reassuring devices. And I wouldn't expect a normal person to buy one.
Actually, I used to work with a guy who had some Timex bracelet watch that had clearly never been sized and was way loose. I offered to adjust it for him and he thought I was crazy and declined. As he took it off at work, I began surreptitiously removing a single link at a time. Eventually he complained that it was too tight and I added one back. The point being that many are very intimidated by DIY repair.
Love this story. I also became the watch guy at my old job. I fixed a watch for an co worker that got his watch in the mail and the hand was knocked off. And also my boss 15 year old invicta that I swapped the movement out to basically give him a brand new watch at that point. I told him I wanted nothing for it and he ended up giving me a gift card to a restaurant for $150 😅 which I still haven’t used lol
Love this story. I also became the watch guy at my old job. I fixed a watch for an co worker that got his watch in the mail and the hand was knocked off. And also my boss 15 year old invicta that I swapped the movement out to basically give him a brand new watch at that point. I told him I wanted nothing for it and he ended up giving me a gift card to a restaurant for $150 😅 which I still haven’t used lol
Are you my twin from another mother? 😂
Lovely story, thanks for sharing it ❤
Lovely story, thanks for sharing it ❤
Thank you for the kind words