Most reviews here of
watchservicesny are about clients receiving Mike's work immediately after service. It's been a around 9 months after having engaged with Mike's services.
I purchased what I believed was a NOOB 4130 locally and immediately sent it off to Mike for service after the watch failed on me a few days after purchase. Browsing the forums for dealers that can service NOOB 4130's, there are pretty limited options when it comes to expertise and know-how. Being able to service a 4130 is a real skill since the movement's at a similar level to a genuine movement, minus things like the parachrom hairspring, etc. After having spent some time evaluating and researching several watchsmiths locally and on the forums, I decided to send my watch off to Mike. The thought process was In the end, if I was replacing the watch it would have needed to be serviced eventually anyways - might as well get it done right.
Plot twist: Upon receiving my watch and after quick inspection, Mike noticed the watch I sent him was actually an "Asian 7550 Movement". Well...that complicates things. Feeling embarrassed for sending Mike the wrong watch, I apologized to Mike for unknowingly having purchased a misrepresented item. Truthfully, there were suspicions going on in my head of whether Mike would have "switched" movements from the one I sent him and told me that I sent him the incorrect one. At this point, I could have easily just taken the watch back and canceled my relationship with Mike to "cut my losses", but at the same time - like many of you, I'm an enthusiast in our hobby and wanted to be part of the "chase" that many of us pursue.
Against what my emotions were feeling, I decided to take my chances and double-down with Mike by ordering a Noob 4130 from a TD and having it sent directly to him. In a not-so-nice world, the downside of me doubling down would have resulted in Mike "scamming" me for not one, but for two watches. The first watch could have been a "real 4130", and the second could be "lost" in transit. I'm sure many of you understand that in this hobby we engage in, there are usually no guarantees and that one's word is often bond when it comes to these types of transactions.
A few weeks went by where I began tracking the watch obsessively to see if it arrived at Mike's yet, on the day of expected delivery we met another challenge. Tracking on the package was showing something along the lines of "Returning to Sender"; a logistic nightmare I thought. I reached out to Mike on the situation, and a few hours later he informed me that was able to receive the watch despite my own efforts with trying to work with the carrier to understand the situation.
From here on out, everything was very smooth - working with Mike you'll come to realize that he is short with words but effective and efficient with communication. To a beginner or a first-timer, this may come off as rude or with a lack of care, I would encourage anyone that has these feelings to see past any of these perceived sentiments. Mike sent me a few pictures of the watch as he finished his full-service, and over the next couple of weeks I received both watches from Mike along with various replaced parts we discussed on upgrading throughout the process.
Receiving both watches and having them side by side, it's clear that my initial doubts were completely misplaced. After seeing and feeling the final product in person - winding the crown was buttery smooth, and it's completely erased any doubts I've had about Mike throughout the process. Rather than deciding to share this review immediately after receiving the watches, I wanted to see whether my impressions would change after having had the watch for a few months.
Happy to report back that the watch serviced by Mike has been my daily driver for around 9 months, everything functions the way the same as when it arrived (Including the chrono, which I use on a daily basis). Accuracy parallels the Rolex standard (+/- 2) a day, power reserve is excellent reaching 65+ hours no issues, and the watch continues to make me smile. Throughout this process, given the entire situation - It's also given the watch more character on how it came to be, and a reminder that there's still good left in this world.
Mike, I wanted to thank you again for your service and patience - looking forward to working with you again. For those on the fence, there's no reason to hesitate.
