Watchrepair

Dr. Narasingha Sil
Independence, OR *******

September 8,2012

My Xezo Freelancer (Limited Edition), purchased in 2003, suddenly stopped moving about three or four weeks ago. I sent my watch for repair, if any, to Watchrepair.com, the advertized Xezo specialists. I received a repair estimate (that actually is the replacement of entire mechanism supposed to have been damaged beyond repairs) of $ 296.00 (twenty Dollars above the purchase price of $ 275.00). I asked them to send back my watch as I did not wish to spend that much. They did so and at this time I did not deel like examining the condition of the watch and stored it away in my dresser drawer. A few days later, I thought of getting it checked by my jewelers in Salem, Oregon but when I took the watch out for wiping it clean, I noticed the seconds hand moving normally. I thus decioded to check myself for a few days before I took it to my jewelers. When I tried to set the time and date, I pulled the crown but its stem came out. I did not know what to do, but pushed it back and then I could change the date and the time. The watch was put on a winder as before and I saw it working perfectly. However, I then noticed a diagonal scratch mark (microscopic but visible under light) on the back cover and some deep (against minute) scratches on one side of the back cover (presumably the result of some probe there). I always use thin transparent protective cover (as I do in my three other solid gold watches) but I noticed that it was not on the watch. It is inconceivable that it happened at my place. I use soft cleaning cloth to clean and polish the metal and the crystal of all my watches even when I am not able to wear them all at the same time. I am old enough not to whack the crown out forcefully. I am very watchful and careful about the exterior of my timepieces--a lomg habit of nearly half a century. I am certain in my mind that these marks and the loose crown were not the result of my careless doing. I therefore wrote the repairers about my findings and also took it to my jewelers in Salem. The Salem folks did not do anything, but asked me to take it back and contact the manufacturers.
Then I heard from Watchrepair Customer Service that they do not do "invasive" intervention (whatever that means) and, as proof, asked me to check the repair report and they provided me a link in this regard. Upon clicking the link, I found a couple of lines informing me that they had shipped back my timepiece, nothing else. When I again wrote to the Customer Serivice, I received no further response till date.

I smell a rat here. I believe, what this company (presumably a Xezo subsidiary) plan to do is that when I send them the check for $ 296.00, they would have sent me a brand new ("new"? One has to be cautious here) Freelancer to make me happy. But what about my "defective" watch? Would they have trashed it? I think not. A little bit of refurbishing would have made it an aution piece in the internet, such as Ebay. This is double deeping--sound profit plan but unwholesome business practice. However, this is my speculation. My immediate complaint is: The Watchrepair folks have violated the very first clause of their "eight commandments" of business ethic that they proudly publicize in their website. They provided me a demonstrably fraudulent diagnostic report and virtually tried to get me to puchase a new watch while keeping mine which, as it turns out, is perfectly functional (minus its loose crown and some minor blemishes). My advice to the unsuspecting Xezo users: The Xezo is truly an excellent timepiece until it develops some quirks. In the latter case, the Xezo owners must look elsewhere for maintenance or repair. Over the phone a representative of the Xezo sales office (from where I purchased my watch in 2003 via internet) told me that their repair cost was high becuse they get their repair work done in Switzrland. This is very doubtful, for as I read somewhere in 2003 (possibly a report on Xezo products), all Xezo watches are made with Swiss parts but assembled somewhere in New York. The report was in fact a positive review of the Xezo timepieces. I believe the so-called "repair" or ("replacement") would have happened in the US. The bottomline is: I have my watch alive and kicking despite a diagnosis by "specialists" of its terminal disease, but since its arrival from its "hospital" it shows clear marks of abuse by those who are supposed to restore it to health. It's a victim of "violentum pharmacum"--a violent medicine.