FROM THE EDITORS Letters + Events
TAG Heuer’s newest
Autavia. Caliber 5 inside
now features a carbon
hairspring.
Gary George Girdvainis
COST OF OWNERSHIP
C
Publisher | [email protected]
enturies ago it was a fairly common practice for the wealthy clientele to engage the fabricator of a mechanical timepiece with
an annuity in order to keep these almost-magical wonderworks of time ticking. Whether the caretaker of the village clock, or
the blacksmith-cum-clockmaker was able to build spring-driven marvels in wood and metal, few outside the apprentices and
inner circle of guildsman had the ability to properly service and upkeep these rarities, so it made sense for both the owner and the
maker to engage in this ongoing service ritual.
THIS PROTECTIONIST APPROACH SERVED THE FEW MANUFACTURING
INITIATES well and helped secure the livelihood of these arcane craftsmen
unsuspecting owner.
It can get even worse. God forbid you had anything visibly done to your (out-
beyond the sale of the timekeeper itself while ensuring their wealthy patrons of-warranty mind you) watch and decided you were going to bite the bullet, pay
remained happy. the exorbitant fee, and send it back to one of the cartel’s own service centers. If
While this approach may have made sense in that nascent era when almost
they deign to work on your watch at all they may insist that any non OEM parts
nothing was standardized or interchangeable, it is anathema to today’s highly must be replaced (at your cost) in order for them to consider accepting your
skilled watchmaker whose only fault may be that he or she is not on the payroll watch (and your money) for service - a service that may well cost quadruple or
of a particular brand. more than that of your own local watchmaker.
Imagine the conversation when a client brings a 1990s Rolex, Patek, Cartier or In theory these monopolistic practices have been outlawed in the United States
Omega to a 30-year veteran of the bench who is well able and willing to repair a with the Sherman and Federal Trade Commission Acts of 1890 and 1914
watch long out of warranty for a reasonable fee, but cannot take on the job respectively, but lobbying, lawyers, and lots of money have protected the
because the watchmaker is not an “authorized” distributor or “brand certified” offenders. Now certain brands look at service and repair not as customer
parts account. service and brand building, but rather a profit center akin to the annuities of a
What could have been a nominal cost from a local provider taking care of a
regular patron quickly escalates into a huge cost that creates sticker shock to the
4 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | SUMMER 2019
bygone era.
Keep Watching!