So, I found myself walking into Ben Bridge Jeweler over in Bellevue the other day. Had this old watch, see, belonged to my grandad. Nothing super pricey, but it means a fair bit to me. It stopped ticking a while back, and I figured, well, Ben Bridge, they’re known, right? They should be able to sort out a watch.
You go in, and yeah, it’s what you’d expect. Bright lights, lots of sparkly things behind glass, staff all looking sharp. I just wanted to know if they could fix this old ticker. Seemed simple enough in my head. Hand it over, they take a look, tell me what’s what. Easy peasy.
But things ain’t ever that straightforward, are they? First off, there was a bit of a to-do just to get someone to look at it. Then the fella, real polite and all, starts examining it like it’s some ancient artifact. Lots of looking through one of those little eye-glasses. Okay, fine, do your thing. I’m patient.
Then comes the chat. And this is where it always gets interesting, in my experience. He says, “Well, yes, we can probably get the movement going again. But, you know, while it’s here, we’ve noticed the crystal has a tiny scuff. And the strap, it’s seen better days, hasn’t it? We could replace that with something really nice. And perhaps a full internal clean and polish? Make it like new!” Suddenly, my simple “fix the tick-tock” job was turning into a full-blown restoration project.
It just threw me back, reminded me of this one time, completely different thing, but same kinda deal. I had this old laptop, perfectly good for what I used it for, just typing and emails. But the battery was shot. So I took it to one of those big tech stores. All I wanted was a new battery. The kid there, probably just doing his job, starts telling me, “You know, for the price of a new battery and the labor, you’re halfway to a new model. And these new ones, they’re so much faster, more memory, better screen…” He went on and on. I walked out of there with my old laptop, battery still shot, feeling like I was a dinosaur for not wanting the latest shiny toy. Just wanted a battery, man!
So, back in Ben Bridge, with grandad’s watch in hand, I’m getting that same vibe. They weren’t pushy, not really. All very professional. But you could feel it, that little nudge. That “why settle for just the fix when you can have the full works, and maybe even browse our new collection while you’re at it?” My little sentimental piece, which probably just needed a quick once-over from someone who knew watches, was suddenly being presented as this… opportunity. An opportunity for them to sell more, and for me to spend more.
In the end, I just asked for the basic assessment of the movement. Said I’d have a think about the rest. They gave me a little ticket, said they’d call. Still waiting on that call, actually. Maybe I’ll get it fixed there, maybe I’ll find some little old watchmaker in a dusty shop somewhere who just does the job without the song and dance.
It’s just how it is, I guess. You go in for one thing, and there’s always a list of “recommended extras.” Ben Bridge in Bellevue, it’s a fine establishment, no doubt. Got some truly beautiful pieces if you’re in the market for that. But my little trip for a simple repair, well, it turned into a reminder that simple ain’t always simple when business is involved. Just an observation from my afternoon out.
