1971 Automatic, Steel / White - Swiss Made

1971 Automatic, Rose Gold / White - Swiss Made

A+ service and beautiful watch

Being a 1971 baby, I had to have it. I like the fact that I could get two watch bands included. Just in case blue gets old. The box it comes in is very attractive. Wish it had a glass top so I could admire the watch even when I don't wear it. Will just have to wear it more often. Looks better in person than in the pics.

I bought the 1971 Automatic watch for my fiance to commemorate our original wedding date (unfortunately we have to postpone to 2021 due to COVID). He absolutely loves it, and I can assure you it is a quality, gorgeous piece of machinery. The blue color in the sunlight is wonderful!

However, please note a couple things that turned into unpleasant surprises:

First, this watch is not able to be engraved on the back (due to the glass peek into the mechanism). Makes sense! But I wish the About Vintage website had made this clear before I ordered... in fact, during the check-out process, I was asked what phrase I wanted engraved! I chose the date of our new wedding, but then heard from Customer Service about it not being possible after my order had already been processed.

Second, I do want to give anyone in the US know a heads up about the shipping/import process, which turned into a hassle. I was contacted by DHL Express after the package reached the US. They asked for my Social Security number as the "importer," since this watch is over the $800 cost threshold for imports (I think, according to my online research). Likely due to COVID, DHL was unreachable via phone so I had to decide whether it was safe to send my number over email... not a good position to find yourself in vis-a-vis privacy concerns. Then, after completing the form, DHL required an Import Duty/Tax of $56 as well, which I had to pay. About Vintage never responded to my email expressing frustration that I wasn't informed in advance about this extra cost or request for reimbursement.

I wish that About Vintage had been more upfront about the engraving limitation and extra shipping costs - I honestly can't say I would have bought this watch if I had known in advance. So just wanted to put this out there for anyone else in the US who is considering the 1971! That said, I know that the import situation isn't About Vintage's fault, and the watch is truly beautiful. The more you know!