Gotta love ADs who can talk watches!
Popped into the Grand Seiko boutique in NYC and I gotta say, it was great talking watches, not just Grand Seiko. Discussed JLC, Glashuette Original, Rolex, Richemont, Zenith, and of course, I got to try on these beauties!
Not everyone nerds out over watches like we do, but it’s a great experience talking to sales associates that are knowledgeable about watches. I get it, for some it’s their 9-5, for others, it’s a career they are passionate about.
Curious, if you walk into an AD, and the SA is unable to answer your watch question, how does that impact your buying experience?
12 comments
Sort by
DH
Watch nerd! Batman nerd! Straight up nerd!
New York, NY, USA
Member since
Last active: 17 min ago
17.78 cm
GS boutiques are the only places where I've ever encountered sales people who were real watch nerds, and were actually knowledgeable.
Rolex, Omega, Tudor, IWC... all those boutiques I've been to have just been staffed with random folks who would spout random nonsense, like, "Oh, this here IWC was the first watch in space. And did you know that Tudor came up with the first waterproof watch? And, finally, this Rolex Explorer, here, was the first watch up Mt. Everest!"
GS boutiques are the only places where I've ever encountered sales people who were real watch nerds, and were actually knowledgeable.
Rolex, Omega, Tudor, IWC... all those boutiques I've been to have just been staffed with random folks who would spout random nonsense, like, "Oh, this here IWC was the first watch in space. And did you know that Tudor came up with the first waterproof watch? And, finally, this Rolex Explorer, here, was the first watch up Mt. Everest!"
Yes I know what you mean. I know only one other SA who is an enthusiast. And again, I get for some people it’s a job, but it is refreshing to talk to an enthusiast.
Woah what is the model of that last watch, is it teal?
I buy from a family operated boutique with two locations one in the suburbs, the other downtown, two brothers are the managers both serious watch guys, very knowledgeable. Additionally they sell to
enthusiasts who often share their insights and news. When the customers buy Grand Seiko, Zenith, Breitling, Omega along with Journe, Laurent Ferrier, Moser, Parmigiani, Czabek and more the seller needs to know the products. I always want to know fully about what happens after I walk out the door when snafus occur.
Woah what is the model of that last watch, is it teal?
It’s consider green, but it looked teal to me. It’s the “green birch”. SLGH011G
GS boutiques are the only places where I've ever encountered sales people who were real watch nerds, and were actually knowledgeable.
Rolex, Omega, Tudor, IWC... all those boutiques I've been to have just been staffed with random folks who would spout random nonsense, like, "Oh, this here IWC was the first watch in space. And did you know that Tudor came up with the first waterproof watch? And, finally, this Rolex Explorer, here, was the first watch up Mt. Everest!"
Not always true. I had a great watch conversation with the manager of a Rolex AD in the Rockville MD mall last week. This was after he told me he wouldn’t even put me on the list for an E2 because my primary address was too far away. 😂
Its like with any profession from any walk of life, if they know their "onions" as it were, and are not blagging it, it shows professionalism, which is what we all expect I hope!.
Which one? SoHo or Madison Ave?
I once walked into the SoHo boutique and we nerded out over my SARB Alpinist while trying on various pieces from their Evolution 9 collection.
Good guys.
The SoHo boutique is run by Watches of Switzerland. While a watch purchased at the SoHo boutique gets the extra year of warranty as if purchased directly from Grand Seiko, I wonder if any GS purchase there would count towards purchase history in the wider Watches of Switzerland group.
GS boutiques are the only places where I've ever encountered sales people who were real watch nerds, and were actually knowledgeable.
Rolex, Omega, Tudor, IWC... all those boutiques I've been to have just been staffed with random folks who would spout random nonsense, like, "Oh, this here IWC was the first watch in space. And did you know that Tudor came up with the first waterproof watch? And, finally, this Rolex Explorer, here, was the first watch up Mt. Everest!"
I once nerded out with a sales rep at NYC Tudor boutique, our conversation was rambling from Seiko, to Rolex, and everything in between. When I asked for his card, he said “I just put in my two weeks notice, you’ll find me at Grand Seiko in a few weeks.”
Which one? SoHo or Madison Ave?
I once walked into the SoHo boutique and we nerded out over my SARB Alpinist while trying on various pieces from their Evolution 9 collection.
Good guys.
The SoHo boutique is run by Watches of Switzerland. While a watch purchased at the SoHo boutique gets the extra year of warranty as if purchased directly from Grand Seiko, I wonder if any GS purchase there would count towards purchase history in the wider Watches of Switzerland group.
I nerd out with the guys on Madison. But if you buy at Soho, it does count towards your purchase history at WOS.
I popped into a GS AD as well in Manhattan. The gentleman I spoke to was a really good sales man and we had a great conversation. Way better then how I got treated at Rolex in Long Island 🙄. ✌️😉
GS boutiques are the only places where I've ever encountered sales people who were real watch nerds, and were actually knowledgeable.
Rolex, Omega, Tudor, IWC... all those boutiques I've been to have just been staffed with random folks who would spout random nonsense, like, "Oh, this here IWC was the first watch in space. And did you know that Tudor came up with the first waterproof watch? And, finally, this Rolex Explorer, here, was the first watch up Mt. Everest!"
That is a good point, my Local GS AD genuinely has staff that know all about the models/movements, the history, aswell as talking about other watches