what would you do?

[monarch64]

I have a dilemma I''d like to present and need opinions on. One of my best girlfriends (and neighbors) received a watch from her husband last Christmas. It''s a Movado, which she specified to him she wanted, but that was all her description of what she wanted...it''s the sport women''s style with black face, silver bezel, and diver''s watch band with metal studs. Her husband, who is also my husband''s very good friend, decided to go ahead and purchase this watch from an "unauthorized" (read, off the back of a truck) buyer. He paid $500 cash for the watch, and she wore it for a few months without incident. The watch band broke apart (it''s rubber) after a couple months'' of wear, although she only wore it for special occasions. When I hung out with her recently at a party she hosted at her house for the Superbowl, she expressed to me that she thought it came from a department store near us and said she wanted to take it there and have the band replaced. Now I''m worried that she will find out (I''m sure her hubby is, too) that the watch didn''t come from there, as he seems to have lead her to believe, otherwise where would she''ve gotten the idea?

Sorry for the super long post...I basically want to know what someone else''s thoughts are on this situation. She wants to get a new band, but doesn''t know where to get one because she doesn''t know where her watch came from. These are very good friends of ours, and I feel it''s wrong of me to intervene, but I feel that because the husband has confided in my husband that he got the watch "off the street" so to speak, that I want to help them avoid any conflict between themselves... I looked online for this particular band and could not find the exact one, so I can''t steer the husband (through my husband, who talks to him daily) towards a good site to find a replacement band without her knowing. Should I just stay out of it and let this problem fix itself? Does anyone know of a site where you can find genuine Movado watchbands of this style? I''ve attached a pic of the actual watch in case anyone knows of a site that carries them. Any opinion/help would be greatly appreciated. This is a delicate situation and I don''t want to see my friend hurt, or her marriage, over a stupid watch!! He just wanted to get her a Movado because she asked for one, but he could only afford the aforementioned amount, and now it''s turned into this.

They are really nice people, and I am just sick over this. Maybe it''s none of my business, but I''m thinking if I can steer her toward an online site or someplace else to but a replacement band for, she won''t have to know that she got a total "off the truck" watch. Please advise!

 

[JulieN]

a watch store that is a Movado dealer should be able to get the strap. a department store would probably tell her to turn it into Movado under warranty.

 

[monarch64]

Thank you Julie, for your quick response. I guess I should clarify that there is a problem in that this friend of mind doesn''t quite "know" where her watch came from and her husband doesn''t want to tell her. Sure, we all know that''s what can happen when you buy from an unauthorized dealer, but I think he never expected that they would encounter this particular problem when he bought the watch. There''s no way for him to go back to the person he bought it from now to get a replacement band. He doesn''t want her to know that he bought the watch at a discount price. I only feel comfortable relaying messages through my husband to this girl''s husband on where to find a new band...so I guess my other question is, where do you find a Movado watch dealer who can supply the band around the Chicagoloand area?

 

[JulieN]

http://a3.geoserve.com/scripts/esrimap.dll?Name=L&Com=adr&Db=DLRMovado&Ds=Retail&RT=lo&LIM=500&Filt=User7+LIKE+%27_R%25%27&Cn=US&Zp=&Ci=chicago&St=Illinois

 

[LuvThatBling]

If it were me, I would stay out of it. This could really turn into an ugly situation & I would want to be far removed if it does. Your friend''s husband should have been honest with her. Since he hasn''t been honest, I wouldn''t want to help him. If your friend does eventually find out about the purchase, she may get mad at you for helping her husband in his deception.

For one thing, the band may be covered under Movado''s warranty (if it were purchased in a store), and I''m sure a dealer will tell her so. What is going to happen when she finds out & needs her DH to provide a sales record? What if she takes it in, the dealer tells her it''s not authentic & she confronts her husband, demanding to know what horrible store sold it? I understand why you are trying to protect your friend''s feelings. I would feel just sick about this if she were my friend. But her husband is the one who has been deceiving her, not you, and he''s the one that needs to fix the situation. Let him worry about how he is going to cover his tracks.

It''s not that I think there''s anything wrong with trying to get a bargain (although I do draw the line at men selling watches from trucks LOL) but I do feel that there is something wrong in deceiving someone. He *knows* he did something wrong or he would have come clean and the longer he waits, the worse it''ll probably get. To me, this is on par with a man presenting his fiancee with a CZ ring and letting her think it is a real diamond. Or, maybe even more apt, presenting her with a "Louis Vitton" handbag that he bought from a street vendor & letting her think that he bought it from LV. I would encourage, or get your DH to encourage, him to tell his wife the truth, sooner rather than later.

 

[Dancing Fire]

$500 off the street ?

how much this watch go for in a jewelry stores?

 

[qtiekiki]

At first I thought for that price maybe it''s a fake but then after some searching online. I found a couple online sites that are selling the Ladies'' Movado S.E. for around $500, but I don''t know the reliability of the online vendors. And there''s an authorized dealers online selling is for $895. Here''s the links to the online vendors: watchzone.com, bluedial.com, and princetownwatches.com.

Personally I wouldn''t get involved for the same reasons that LuvThatBling mentioned, and I agree that the husband should have been honest to begin with. You also mentioned that the husband could only afford $500 to spend on the watch. Is that something that your friend is aware of? If not, then the husband should have told her he can''t afford the watch. If so, then your friend should not have ask for such an expensive watch. I understand why you want to prevent things from going bad, but I just don''t think it''s something you need to do.

 

[monarch64]

A thought on this just ocurred to me: what if she knows where he got her watch and is telling me she thinks he got it from a store because she doesn''t think I know where he got it? I guess maybe I will stay completely out of their predicament after all. I mean, I guess it''s even possible it''s a fake and they BOTH know it. We all go to the same jeweler, and they are an authorized Movado dealer. I have even seen her watch there, and the guy we always deal with always gives us a good discount (well, he removes some markup, anyway.) So why they haven''t taken it there after all this time to get her a new band is beyond me, unless its authenticity is in question. Oh jeez, what a mess. I''m totally staying out of it. Thanks for your responses, though!

DF, lol. I was looking online to see if I could find her watch or a replacement band, and I found it on one site for $499 on sale from $600, I think. So he either got a really expensive fake, or just a regular deal...or maybe he just TOLD my husband he paid $500 for it, and they both know it''s not real. I don''t know, and I don''t think I care anymore. This is whacked.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 2/15/2006 9:18:15 PM
Author: monarch64

DF, lol. I was looking online to see if I could find her watch or a replacement band, and I found it on one site for $499 on sale from $600, I think. So he either got a really expensive fake, or just a regular deal...or maybe he just TOLD my husband he paid $500 for it, and they both know it''s not real. I don''t know, and I don''t think I care anymore. This is whacked.

20 bucks is more likely.

 

[monarch64]

DF, you are probably right!!!

 

[eks6426]

Monarch--I''d stay out of it too.

But if I were the girl''s husband I would take that watch from her and tell her that he will get the band fixed then go buy her a real one with a good band ASAP. Or if that won''t work for him, I''d at least take the watch to a dealer and see if he can get the band replaced without her around. That way if the dealer tells him it is fake she''s not there to hear it. If he can get it done, it will just seem like he''s a hero taking care of it for her.

 

[monarch64]

I totally agree, ID...I wish her husband would just get the freakin'' thing fixed, for cryin'' out loud. I am going to take everyone''s sage advice and stay the heck outta their business. I wish there was a way I could help, but I can''t without it turning into a mess, oh well. I need to corral my good samaritan urges! We have a good friendship with this couple, and since they became our neighbors as well we''ve all helped each other out a lot, like with our houses and projects or parties...but I think this particular watch situation is a little too personal for me to try to help with, so I''ll leave it alone. Thanks everyone for your input!