Water-resistant, what does that mean?

We have given a lot of advice, written about various topics, described what to do or not to do, how to use and how to treat your watch to make it last for years, but we have never considered one important thing: at the time of sale, are we sure that we have explained clearly, simply and comprehensively what to do or not to do with the watch we have just bought? Have we explained how it works and its technical characteristics? Is it not the case that satisfied with having completed a sale we have forgotten to do what is the primary task of a good salesman, namely to advise and make all our experience, expertise and professionalism available to the customer? We often fear that this phase is not carried out to the best of our ability, or at least that we limit ourselves to saying the classic four things that the customer could easily read in the manual that came with the watch. This doubt arises because it often happens to have in one's hands watches that have been badly altered only because the customer trusted the writing on many of the backs, and in addition comforted by the seller who confirmed that when there is writing on them, everything is legitimate: it is not a rare thing to see a watch transformed, after the first bath of the season, into an aquarium! Usually the customer objects: 'But there was a lot of water-resistant indication! Here's a sore point: how many salespeople describe or, better still, explain the difference between the terms waterproof and water-resistant? And how many know and explain that a plunge into water is one of those traumas to be avoided at watches that are not properly technical? And what about saunas or Turkish baths, which are not so good with water-resistant watches? Shall we talk about showers? Often a strong jet of water is a more serious trauma than a real immersion, because let's not forget that tests on beloved watches are carried out in the laboratory with virtual descents and slow pressure increments, whereas the impact with a jet of water causes a sudden and concentrated pressure on a limited area. In conclusion, a good salesman should not see the sale as an end in itself, but protect himself and the customer against any inconvenience within, or beyond, the two-year warranty granted by the manufacturers. From the customer's point of view, it is good to demand from a retailer an explanation of the qualities and limitations of the watch we are buying, even in a few simple but comprehensive words, to avoid unpleasant surprises.

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