Amazing service!

Totally random, but I recently had an incredible service experience - only tangentially related to watches, but very nice nonetheless.

A thing broke on my car - the hose that leads from the windshield fluid reservoir to the sprayers snapped - not a major thing, like the Johnson Rod, but a thing nonetheless.  I called up the dealership, and asked about scheduling an appointment to get it fixed - car’s still under 4-year / 50k mile warranty.  Was told by the scheduler that they typically do a diagnostic, which costs $250, and then if the technician determines the fix is covered under warranty, the diagnostic fee is waived.  WTF???  

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So, I called up my mechanic.  Dude went to my high school and has taken care of me for years

  • I used to have a Mini, and when someone ran into my rear end, causing a slight fender bender, I took it to a body shop that my insurer directed me to.  They promptly eff’ed the car up even more, and the engine died as I was driving home from that body shop!  Took it to my guy, and he fixed everything within a day, pointed out everything that other body shop had botched

  • My aunt once got an estimate to overhaul everything in her car for $1,000+.  She was told that it was unsafe to drive at any speed…  and, yes, the mechanic’s name was Ralph!  I took the car to my guy, he looked it over, and said, “Yeah, I’ll charge you $20 to change the oil.  This is a Toyota.  Everything is working like it should, and it’ll last your aunt another 200k miles at least”

  • VW tried to charge my sister $1,500 for something.  Took her Jetta to my guy, and he fixed it for $200

That leads me to today.  

  • Called up my guy, and he said, “Yeah, I can totally take a look, but it should be covered under your warranty.”  I explained the dealership’s diagnostic fee hokum, and he laughed and said, “Yeah, bring it to me.  I’ll take a look, and I won't even charge you a diagnostic fee”

  • When he checked it out, he laughed and said, “This is a known issue on this car.  One of my guys used to work at the dealership.  He’s talking to their service department right now, telling them to knock off the BS.  If you head over there, they’ll fix it right now, and they’ll fix it under warranty”

I can’t even give the guy my money!  He’s so good, he’ll find ways to prevent me from paying him for work!  Car’s getting fixed right now!

And here’s the coup de grace…   As I was lifting the hood to show him the broken hose, he said, “Yo!  I love your Grand Seiko!”

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Not only does he provide amazing service, but he notices the watch on my wrist???

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Nice Cayman HWC!

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Great story, nice friend, and beautiful watch!

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BtownB9

Nice Cayman HWC!

Thank you. I love it more than my children!

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TimeIsOnMySide

Great story, nice friend, and beautiful watch!

Thank you! Yeah, it's really nice to find people who are in it for the long-term. I mean, you can be "short-term greedy" or "long-term greedy" and long-term greedy just means doing right by people so that they keep coming back to you over the years, right?

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Winner of a day for sure, Good karma follows good karma💸!!

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MinnKonaMike

Winner of a day for sure, Good karma follows good karma💸!!

Yeah! It's fixed!

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That's a brilliant idea! Thank you!

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Did you get the watch to match your car? Both lovely! That's a great colour!

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Guvnor64

Did you get the watch to match your car? Both lovely! That's a great colour!

Ha! Nah, that "graphite blue" Porsche was just a Cayman sitting in the dealership. Took the wrist shot while waiting for my car to get fixed. Mine is the yellow one - got yellow because it was one of the no cost paint options... cause I'm a cheap bastard!

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Mr.Dee.Bater

Ha! Nah, that "graphite blue" Porsche was just a Cayman sitting in the dealership. Took the wrist shot while waiting for my car to get fixed. Mine is the yellow one - got yellow because it was one of the no cost paint options... cause I'm a cheap bastard!

No Paint to Sample???? 😂 What's an extra 10k (probably more now)

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What I read:

" something something something, car, something, car, person said 'yo, love your grand seiko!'

Awesome story 😀👏👏!!!!!!!!!!

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BtownB9

No Paint to Sample???? 😂 What's an extra 10k (probably more now)

Ha! I think it's $12k now!!!

I've always wanted Chalk paint color, but that's a $2,580 option!

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Fieldwalker

What I read:

" something something something, car, something, car, person said 'yo, love your grand seiko!'

Awesome story 😀👏👏!!!!!!!!!!

You have a one track mind!

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probably someday give him a seiko for gratitude? lol, nice car man 🍻

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Mr.Dee.Bater

Ha! I think it's $12k now!!!

I've always wanted Chalk paint color, but that's a $2,580 option!

Gotta go with a Grand Seiko color…just because

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Mr.Dee.Bater

Have you driven the Taycan??? I don't want to do a test drive for fear of falling in love!

Compared to the sound of that flat 6...no chance you swap

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AllTheWatches

Ha ha ha! The cayman is objectively a better car. Right now though, the depreciation on an F-Type is nuts to the point they are bargains.

True and more the reason to go Pcar!

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BtownB9

True and more the reason to go Pcar!

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the dial is absolutely amazing!

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SweepSeconds

the dial is absolutely amazing!

Yeah! It's crazy to me that it seems only GS and Citizen are really pushing the envelope on dials. Maybe Swiss watches are supposed to have a utilitarian / tool watch aesthetic, and it's only the Japanese giants that have invested in the R&D and skillsets?

Like, check out this Citizen!

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Mr.Dee.Bater

Yeah! It's crazy to me that it seems only GS and Citizen are really pushing the envelope on dials. Maybe Swiss watches are supposed to have a utilitarian / tool watch aesthetic, and it's only the Japanese giants that have invested in the R&D and skillsets?

Like, check out this Citizen!

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damn this dial looks like a top view from the sky to the ocean from the tropicals, fresh fresh ocean water

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SweepSeconds

damn this dial looks like a top view from the sky to the ocean from the tropicals, fresh fresh ocean water

There are new examples of this watch for sale on Chrono24 for $683!!!

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Mr.Dee.Bater

There are new examples of this watch for sale on Chrono24 for $683!!!

the dial definitely looks like it's from a 10k+ watch

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Nice cars, sure, but that GS is perfection

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As I've said about a good watch repairer, a good mechanic is worth they're weight in gold. I've had the same with my Merc took it to the dealers (got a service plan) and there was a few 'bits' that wanted doing, the quote was £1870 😱 whipped it down to my neighbours independent garage the lot including rear brakes £380, now I know Lewis Hamilton needs paying, you get lovely coffee, get a video of the service and the lovely young lady who is your personal plan manager is very very lovely but yeah gods!!!. You've got great taste in cars as well as watches👌 some might say even more so 😉.

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Stricko

As I've said about a good watch repairer, a good mechanic is worth they're weight in gold. I've had the same with my Merc took it to the dealers (got a service plan) and there was a few 'bits' that wanted doing, the quote was £1870 😱 whipped it down to my neighbours independent garage the lot including rear brakes £380, now I know Lewis Hamilton needs paying, you get lovely coffee, get a video of the service and the lovely young lady who is your personal plan manager is very very lovely but yeah gods!!!. You've got great taste in cars as well as watches👌 some might say even more so 😉.

Wow! More than 4x to go with the dealer!!! Craziness!

now I know Lewis Hamilton needs paying

Given his performance last year, maybe it's gonna be George Russell as the #1 driver moving forward, right?

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Mr.Dee.Bater

Wow! More than 4x to go with the dealer!!! Craziness!

now I know Lewis Hamilton needs paying

Given his performance last year, maybe it's gonna be George Russell as the #1 driver moving forward, right?

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The old guard is certainly being pushed by the up n coming, and it makes it so much more interesting.

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I love this story!

ADVICE: If I were you, I would find a nice Seiko 5 Sports watch for about $350 or so, and give it to him for his birthday, Christmas, etc. This guy deserves it! 👍 And once he has a nice watch, you can send him your referral link so he can join the WC, and you can get a point toward your ambassador badge! 🤣😜 (Serious about the gift, teasing about the badge. But the gift would probably end up strengthening your bond, and you'd have a new watch buddy.) 😀

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TwiceTollingClock

I love this story!

ADVICE: If I were you, I would find a nice Seiko 5 Sports watch for about $350 or so, and give it to him for his birthday, Christmas, etc. This guy deserves it! 👍 And once he has a nice watch, you can send him your referral link so he can join the WC, and you can get a point toward your ambassador badge! 🤣😜 (Serious about the gift, teasing about the badge. But the gift would probably end up strengthening your bond, and you'd have a new watch buddy.) 😀

That's a brilliant idea!

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It is my grail watch