Austin Kaye

[Andy1hart]

Thoughts on purchasing from Austin Kaye! Yay or nay?

[Spice_Weasel]

I bought my Fortis B-42 Pilot Pro Chrono there in 2005. It was 3 months old and advertised for £750. Managed to get it for £700. Dealt with Ian Kaye and had good service from them.

[cyberface]

I had shocking treatment from the bloke in there when I was trying to sell my Explorer 2. The dealer I bought the watch off originally screwed up the certificate (it was my first Rolex, I have to plead ignorance there) and the guy flat out accused me of trying to sell him a fake. Was supercilious and throughout the whole conversation kept an ugly sneer on his face. Had to tilt his head back a full 6 inches to be able to look down his nose at me.

Of course when he spotted I was wearing my old steel Daytona and I explained that was the reason for selling the Explorer, he tried to salvage the situation. It's not as if I'd just rolled in off the street in tatty clothes - I'd made an appointment and was wearing my usual City consultancy wear, a made-to-measure suit, bespoke shirt and good Northampton shoes (not that I need to prove anything but was on my way back from the City)

I don't take kindly to being treated like worthless st so I told him what I thought of his opinion and left. The watch shop on Houndsditch (Watches 24? They seem to swap around the name every so often) were more than happy to take the watch and were thoroughly pleasant chaps, had a good bit of banter with them on servicing movements myself, etc.

From that experience I simply wouldn't recommend anyone to bother with Austin Kaye, purely on 'customer service' grounds... when you're in the market (either selling or buying) mid- to high-end watches (the Rolex is of course just a mid-range watch) then these small dealers are making a handsome cut from both seller and buyer, and AFAIAC they should bloody well treat their customers with respect. He could have easily said that he'd suffered recently from fraudsters trying to pass off fakes and would I like to see the movement inside to check? - which I'd gladly do, because not only do I like seeing the internals, but I know damn well that removing the back on a Rolex is a simple job with a simple tool (a tool that I own) and it confirms legitimacy immediately. I'd not consider this an insinuation that I was dishonest. Saying that 'it's probably a fake' and 'would *you* buy a Rolex off someone like you?' got me pretty fking angry.

I could continue into a PH-classic rant and fill this comment with profanity but they don't deserve it. I was *hugely* infuriated at their flat-out accusal that I was a criminal

Edited by cyberface on Friday 6th February 18:45

[andy tims]

Rather depends on what your buying. If you're after a brand new Fortis, in London they are about your only choice. That asside you can probably do just well elsewhere. Their pre-owned stuff is generally very pricey.

[chrisr29]

Bought several watches from them and found them perfectly reasonable to deal with. Had to make a couple of warrenty claims on a 70s Rolex Datejust and they sorted it quickly and with no quibbles. Wouldn't say their stock was over priced at all....at least not compared to the used stuff in shops round my way (Chichester). Plus their watches are very well presented. Would use them again.

[u got time?]

I bought a 3 month old Omega seamaster Pro Automatic from them, they has it polished and when I received it WOW, brand spanking new, you would never have known it had been on a wrist!

£750, great price too.......

They are well worth a visit in my opinion. Maybe Mr discontent was 'over dressed' it may have looked like it was a cover up for shifting fakes! I dress down for these sort of events, I enjoy them more then!!

[seaninog]

Have to agree with cyberface, I had pretty indifferent service from them when I went to buy a Fortis about 4 months ago. I felt they didn't know a great deal about the watches and were just keen for me to buy it and get out of their store. I didn't get the rudeness that cyberface experienced, more ignorance about their product really.

andy tims: I went and bought my Flieger from Jura on Burlington gardens instead. They are ADs for Fortis in London as well. Website too: www.jurawatches.com

[ChasW]

Been there twice to get valuations on watches I was thinking of selling. Very courteous, open and frank. Can't ask for more.

[cyberface]

[quote=u got time?]Maybe Mr discontent was 'over dressed' it may have looked like it was a cover up for shifting fakes! I dress down for these sort of events, I enjoy them more then!!
[/quote]
Well it was just my normal work clobber - I certainly wouldn't entertain 'dressing up' and trying to impress some guy in a shop, what's the point? All I was getting at was that I certainly didn't look or speak like some chav.

Perhaps I'd just caught him on a very bad day. Even so, wouldn't go there again. As I said, if he was concerned about it being a fake then he could have offered to take the back off for me

Anyway I was a bit pissed when I wrote that so maybe it came across a bit strong...

[x200sxy]

Bought an old but excellent steel Zenith mnaual wind from there. Well overpirced but top watch. In a separate deal I sold them by Breitling for £650, which they immediately advertised for £1300, which was what I'd paid for it new from an AD two years previously!

[x200sxy]

Bought an old but excellent steel Zenith mnaual wind from there. Well overpirced but top watch. In a separate deal I sold them by Breitling for £650, which they immediately advertised for £1300, which was what I'd paid for it new from an AD two years previously!