Two of his eight Cartier watches have perpetual warranties, guarantees to repair the watches as long as they exist — something he said Cartier stopped offering in the 1980s. “I really cherish their attitude towards watches, as they expect customers to use them for a long time,” he said. But, like his experience with the Disney timepiece, sometimes the manufacturers cannot make repairs because the needed parts are not available. A pair of Grand Seikos that Mr. Ohtani owns — one from 1964 and one from 1971 — fall into that category, so Mr. Akiyama now services them. “Spending time with things I like enriches my life,” he said, like his car and his bicycle, both purchased in the 1980s.

Source: New York Times September 26, 2021 09:00 UTC