My experience with Cincinnati watch
:Disappointing experience with Cincinnati Watch Company (Desk Diver Pro)
I wanted to share my experience with Cincinnati Watch Company, specifically regarding a Desk Diver Pro I owned as the second owner.
The watch arrived with the original “Desk Diver” dial that reads “0 feet submersion.” At first, I didn’t think much of it, but the watch developed what appeared to be a simple stem/crown issue. Since the watch was still under warranty, I reached out through their website and eventually spoke with them over the phone.
Unfortunately, the interaction didn’t go well. I was told that because the dial was “incorrect” for the model, they believed I had tampered with the watch, and therefore the warranty was void. This didn’t make sense to me. The idea that someone would purchase both a rare, limited-run Desk Diver and a Desk Diver Pro just to swap dials is pretty unrealistic. Not only would that be expensive, it would also mean damaging a rare piece for no logical reason. Not only that but the watchmaker had a tone in his voice as if I was bothering him, annoying him . How dare I call him to ask a simple question ?
I suggested it could have been an assembly oversight, but I was made to feel like I was being dishonest. Even after pointing out that I had previously left a very positive review of the brand, I was still treated like I was trying to take advantage of them over what seemed like a minor repair. Then the very owner emailed me telling me that he didn’t care about my original review and that actually he wished that I would have never left one in the first place as the watch I reviewed was an abomination. His customer service skills as an owner are astonishing to me.
To make things worse, I wasn’t even given a clear option or price to have the issue fixed out of warranty. The situation became frustrating enough that I ultimately decided to let the watch go rather than continue dealing with it.
This was especially disappointing because I genuinely liked the watch. It was easily one of my favorites out of the many I’ve owned over the years. But for me, a microbrand is about more than just the product—it’s also about customer service and support. That’s where this experience fell short.
I’m sharing this so others can make an informed decision. My experience was the opposite of what I expected, and unfortunately, I won’t be buying from them again. Buyer beware. They will never have my business again no matter what deal they come out with , I’ve learned my lesson the hard way . No matter how pretty the watch if the customer service experience doesn’t match I will stay far far away.
Nick