Benjie’s Trade

It’s the third time in four years that I visited Benjie’s place of business at Pedro Gil, this street in Paco, Manila that used to be Herran. I told him that this is the only place I know who repairs repro watches. “I can do original Rolexes. Even Patek Phillipes” he bragged with so much confidence, I am tempted to make him do my original Rolex and my wife’s Omega. The estimates given by the Service Center were atrocious so they have stayed in my drawer for so long.

Benjie showed me a magazine which he pulled from under his work bench. I subscribe to this magazines because I have to know what’s happening in the industry. It looked new but I did not catch the date of publication. Props, this guy knows how to sell his trade. I wonder what his talent is really, in making good impressions or in fixing timepieces.

I asked Benjie how much it will cost to repair the crown of my Rolex and he explains that it is cheaper to use the stainless crown rather than the gold one. We can get the replacement part from this trader that holds office in Nepomuceno Building. He wouldn’t tell me where it was and says, all the watch makers know where that was. Anyway, I was here to have my two repros fixed, a Breitling and a Rolex so I cut the lsmall talk and asked how much he will charge me.

In half an hour, the both wristwatches were working. No waiting for Job Order papers to be processed. I paid Benjie 150 pesos for his service and I got my watches back. How much do you pay for this stand? He showed me a receipt from the City of Manila which says “Manila Hawkers Association” and explains “twenty pesos a day. We all pay City Hall here.” And he points to two other makeshift work benches on the sidewalk. One was a locksmith and I’m not sure what the other bench does.

Benjie and his step-father brings out two plastic glasses and a bottle of Matador brandy. Cheers.