Tourneau – Bryant Park

I wish every store had a Joel. From the knowledge to going above-​and-​beyond, he did everything right. The selection was impressive, but the staff was even more-​so.

This review relates to my experience at the Bryant Park Tourneau store, and specifically to my dealings with the salesperson Ali, and the store manager, Alana.
I found a high-​end pre-​owned watch online at the Tourneau website, and came to speak with Ali regarding ordering the watch. After reaching a fair price on the watch, I pulled the trigger.
Unfortunately, my watch ended up stopping on me shortly after I picked it up. My first thought was to get a refund and be done with Tourneau for good.
What started off as a bad story quickly turned around though, as Ali and Alana worked tirelessly to make sure that I walked out happy. They offered to have my original watch repaired, but I preferred to select a different one. Ali and Alana must have went through the entire Tourneau inventory to find me another watch that matched my very distinct specifications. All in all, I walked out with a watch that I love, and a pleasant experience to boot.
Look, there are inherent dangers in buying a vintage watch. Anytime something has been ticking for several decades, there is an increased risk that there is a screw loose somewhere. I would absolutely not buy such a watch at anywhere else besides Tourneau, and specifically at the Bryant Park location. This is a store that stands behind their products. You may pay a (small) premium to shop here over other less reputable places, but trust me, the peace of mind is worth it.

We worked with Ali to purchase two watches over a couple of months — a Tudor and a Rolex. He was terrific! I appreciated his knowledge of the products and his willingness to take the time to work with us and educate us. Never aggressive or pushy, I found Ali and all of his colleagues to be professional, polished and pleasant. We’ve been back for adjustments a couple of times and are always greeted like family. This is a major reason I do a lot of watch research online but end up buying from Tourneau.

Came here for a battery change since its across the street from work. Don’t say you open at 9am when I’m outside at 9:01 and your doors are still locked and your sales people are still in their morning routine. Unprofessional.

I don’t quite understand Tourneau. They have a great selection of product and top real estate, but the majority of the staff I’ve interacted with have limited expertise in what they are selling. This could be a great place to shop, however there are better options out there for people to buy high-​end watches in NYC.
I have an appreciation for watches and have built a small (but respectable by high-​end watch standards) collection over the years. I am more likely to buy from people that share a similar interest. At Tourneau, unfortunately, the sale is purely transactional. Sure, they let you try watches on, but be prepared to be ignored if there’s someone else in the store that looks like they can spend more money than you. If you don’t look like you’re a high roller, you will be enticed with an extended financing plan. What they are really selling you on is a high-​interest credit card. To me, that’s a pass and their attempts to spin you on the practical benefits are laughable. A high-​end watch purchase is rarely practical — a $ 10 Casio will tell better time than any Rolex or Patek Philippe. If I wanted to be practical, I certainly would not be shopping at Tourneau.
Most importantly, do your research before you pull the trigger. I’ve been given wrong information about a watch on several occasions. For example, I was told a certain movement was in-​house when it was not. Or, more recently at their flagship location, they tried to sell me on a watch with a visible scratch on the sapphire crystal. When I asked the associate about it, he said they can just «polish it out» (scratches cannot be polished from a sapphire crystal — FYI). Needless to say, I took my business elsewhere.
Oh, and please don’t sell your watch to Tourneau. They will give you pennies on the dollar, refinish the watch, and then sell it to an unsuspecting customer at a 10X mark-​up. Yes, with a few exceptions, new watches depreciate in value the moment you buy them and it can be difficult to resell them at a fair price. However, Tourneau’s «best» offers are so ridiculously low, that they are not even worth entertaining.
In theory, Tourneau ticks all the right boxes. In practice, it falls short of expectations

They have an amazing selection of both new and pro owned merchandise. The manger there Dino is also amazing and goes above and beyond.

This review is specifically for Malissa, Senior Sales Professional, and Rosa, Assistant General Manager, for their professionalism, thoroughness, knowledge of product, and impeccable service.
When my fiancée and I came in to try on a watch we had ordered to this store, they made sure we were tended to immediately, sitting us down, offering us a beverage while they brought out our watch selection in two colors/​sizes; walking us through the brand and product’s qualities; and answering any questions we had. Malissa’s demeanor is unlike anyone I’ve come across in the watch industry — her authentic approach is extremely personal (and not pushy /​fake), making you feel like you’re speaking to a close friend, and receiving their honest opinion /​advice. Additionally, Rosa introduced herself, welcoming us to the store (during our visit), whom also mirrored the same qualities as Malissa, reassuring that this in fact was a significant purchase and ensuring we were treated well.
We wouldn’t typically purchase such a significant watch upon first blush, but the service we received that day both from Malissa and Rosa was unparalleled — an experience I highly doubt could be received elsewhere.
If you’re in the market to purchase a watch, I highly recommend visiting this location and requesting for Malissa and Rosa.

Here.
I stopped by tourneau on 42^nd st and was looking for a pre owned Rolex I had seen online. Unfortunately it had been sold but Peter told me that he would try find me what I was looking for. He got me a water and spent lots of time showing me other Rolex and other watches. Though I did not find what I was searching for, I felt the attention to working with me, though I was probably not buying, was incredibly professional. I will certainly wait to buy from Tourneau.

Good people all around at this location. David in the device department could not have been more pleasant and easy to work with.

I’ve stopped in the Bryant Park location twice recently and I really feel this is the most comfortable Tourneau in the city. Staff is friendly and knowledgable, and they have one of the best CPO selections you will see. I bought a new Submariner and found some slight scratches on it when I got home. Peter K took care of resolving the issue and also helped me pick up a flawless CPO explorer. If you are going to a Tourneau in NY, go here first.

Great experience buying a nice watch for my wife’s birthday. Ernst was very knowledgeable and friendly and Rosa did a great job helping me out. Very elegant but not snooty. Also got me a cup of coffee while everything was being wrapped. If you’re going to spend good money on a watch, this is the place to do it and feel good about the experience.

Extremely poor and unprofessional customer service. My experience was on May 29, 2015, around 1PM.
I went to in have my watch bracelet resized and was aggressively told by one of the employees that I’d be charged for the service, despite both of Tourneau stores on Madison and on Fifth Ave offering such service gratis for many years now. I inquired as to why this location charged a fee while the other two Tourneau locations (and nearly every authorized Rolex dealer in NYC) offered the service free of charge. I was told that Tourneau has always charged for this service. I asked him to please follow-​up and/​or phone one of the other two Tourneau locations to confirm and he refused and instead asked me «how are the people who work here going to be paid if this is free?»
The gentleman then pointed to other employees in the store and said «Go ahead, ask anyone here» and gestured to various people who I could ask to confirm that he was right and I was wrong. An extremely bizarre and inappropriate way to treat a customer, especially as it was made known to him that I had been a longtime customer of Tourneau.
Nevertheless, I walked ten blocks north to the Tourneau on Madison and was greeted with nothing but pleasantries, got my bracelet adjusted free of charge, and was offered a water while I waited.
Part of the reason why people go to these super high-​end flagship stores is that the service is supposed to be impeccable. The staff is supposed to be accommodating, knowledgeable, and most of all, courteous and deferential to its customers. That’s the point of the having a BS fancy flagship location on 5^th Avenue where tourists antagonize you all day and no one ever buys anything. You’re not a minimum wage service employee who has to do heavy lifting – you’re literally paid a premium to represent the brand and stand around and be doormat for everyone – and do it with a smile on your face. If you can’t deal with a guy who is trying to get a bracelet resized on a slow Friday afternoon, I worry about your demeanor when there are hoards of people acting like asshats.