Watchmaker Discovers New Scratch on Client's Watch During Service, Decides to Simply Never Mention It

Independent watchmaker Kenji Saitoh has been living with a secret for eleven days: during a routine service on a client's A. Lange and Sohne Zeitwerk, his screwdriver slipped and left a 0.2-millimeter scratch on the inner caseback that he has decided, after extensive deliberation, to never disclose. 'It's on the inside of the caseback,' Saitoh said, speaking in a near-whisper despite being alone in his workshop. 'Nobody will ever see it. The client won't see it. I'll see it every time I close my eyes for the rest of my life, but the client won't see it.' The scratch, which Saitoh describes as 'shorter than a human eyelash and shallower than a breath,' occurred when a size 0.6mm screwdriver deflected off a caseback screw and contacted the finishing approximately 4mm from the serial number engraving. Under normal viewing conditions, it is invisible. Under 20x magnification with oblique lighting, it appears as 'a faint line that could be mistaken for a machine mark but isn't, because I know it isn't, because I made it.' Saitoh considered three options: disclosing the scratch and offering a discount on the service, having the caseback professionally refinished, or saying nothing. He chose option three after calculating that caseback refinishing would cost more than the service itself and disclosure would 'end a fourteen-year client relationship over something smaller than a grain of sand.' 'I asked myself: does the scratch affect the watch's function? No. Does it affect the water resistance? No. Does it affect the client's enjoyment? Only if they know about it. So the most ethical path is silence.' He paused. 'That's what I tell myself. It doesn't help.' The watch was returned to the client, who pronounced it 'perfect.' Saitoh smiled, nodded, and has since developed a slight twitch in his left eye that he attributes to 'seasonal allergies and definitely not guilt.' He has ordered a new set of screwdrivers with rubberized grips.