Excellent communication. Chris phoned me to explain the valuation of my pieces with complete…read moretransparency. Even though a sale didn't happen this time, his honesty and willingness to educate the customer were top-notch. Highly recommend.

I would give zero stars if I could. I made the Melbourne boutique call the Perth boutique this…read moremorning to make sure the watch advertised on their website was still available before buying it. The Melbourne store got back to me saying that the Perth store was keeping it on hold for some customer who would come to inspect it in the afternoon. Since no deposit was handed in, and since the website was still showing the watch as available, I purchased it online. The payment went through, I receive an order confirmation email and the website reported the watch to be SOLD OUT just after my purchase. All good, then? Not really. Five hours later, I find out my payment got refunded without even a courtesy call from anyone. I called the main office and I was shocked by the guy on the phone (guys, you really need to understand what proper customer service is), who didn't even apologize ONCE for what happened and didn't even offered me a possible solution to fix the problem. Since they had an identical watch available on the website (just with the steel band as opposed to the leather band), I proposed to buy that one (regardless of the fact that was more expensive) with the condition that they would offer me the same discount they applied on the one I bought earlier in the morning. They refused once again showing an unbearable carelessness  towards a problem THEY have created and a snobbish attitude that was really the icing on the cake. All I did was purchasing a watch from their website. And now I have no watch, no apologies, no valid alternative even offered. You tell me if this can even happen in a store that picture itself as a "fine retailer".

From what I'm told, Hardy Brothers is Australia's oldest family-owned jewelers in the country…read more Their store on Collins Street is beautiful and certainly exudes that traditional feel. As with seemingly all of the fine jewelry storefronts along that part of Collins Street, Hardy Brothers' display cases shone beautifully with sparkling (and expensive) baubles and trinkets. Julianne Brewer, our comely customer sales agent (who, to me, bore a semblance to Nicole Kidman!), was (bar none) such a terrific person to deal with. She took the time to show us what we needed, answered all our questions, and made us feel like "friends," rather than customers. If there's anyone who I'd want to give my business to, it would be to Ms Brewer! She is as good as it gets...!!! (Alas, it's such a pity that Tiffany & Co. is just down the street....)

Is there anything more sophisticated than a luxury watch for the discerning lady or gentleman?…read moreWhilst some guys and gals might be more in favour of a stylish mobile as their accessory of choice, the right timepiece, glimpsed at the right time, can telegraph important information about you. Finding somewhere to purchase a timepiece can be intimidating for the novice. The Hour Glass has managed to create an atmosphere of elegance without the intimidation (the security door excepted). Friendly, professional and knowledgeable staff will assist with any enquiry that passes your lips.

Usually staff are friendly but not very welcoming. The new boutique is beautiful, but its a shame…read more(and a little funny tbh) that all that space is filled with empty cabinets without any stock to view or purchase. Rolex patek and ap provide them with barely any stock and therefore I will have to buy my watches at market price. Its a shame that they cant get more, when in reality all of these brands could manufacture as many as they want. Aftermarket service is horrible, had my old rolex with them and none of my friends had good experiences here either. Take your watch to another watchmaker for servicing and save on the hour glass tax premium.

Here's my $20 lesson: If you see so many poor reviews, why do you think your experience is going to…read morebe any different? Went in around lunchtime to replace the battery of my The Citizen quartz. Me: "how much does it cost to replace the battery?" Owner: "$20, see you in half an hour" 30 minutes later... Owner: "watch is still not ready, by the way, how much did you pay for it?" After learning the price, the owner "jokingly" said he should've jacked up the price of the battery replacement. Another 15 minutes later, owner brought the watch out and murmured "how much should I charge for this repair" then told me it's going to cost $30 because, wait for it, he had to put the band back on, $20 for the battery, $10 to put the band back on........ Obviously, I disagreed and refused to pay $30. Then the owner started forcefully taking the watch away from me and said "give me the watch, I'll take the battery and band out". I again refused, five minutes later, the owner conceded and accepted $20, but not before telling me (no less than five times) to NEVER COME BACK TO HIS STORE, HE DOESN'T DEAL WITH PEASANTS (I found this part a little ironic, but anyway). A quick Google search will show you dozens of capable watchmakers with 4 to 5 star ratings in the Melbourne CBD. Please support those businesses who treat customers with respect.

Myself and watches have a long and rather unfortunate checkered past…read more I mean I love wearing a watch, and I am rarely seen without one, but issues of dead batteries, crown threads and clamp damage seem to have continued throughout the watch wearing. It is therefore, that this store has been my go to when I experience watch based issues. Unlike 99% of any watch repair shop that you will find in the city and a surrounding 12 kilometer radius, the watch maker here is actually in store all the time. Not, as most others seem to have it, gone for two days or on a extravagant extended 2-4 hour lunch break. I find it odd that in prime-time for watches needing to be repaired, think the corporate lunch break zone of 12-2pm, most of the watchmakers are off gallivanting somewhere else, thereby making themselves unavailable. The great thing about this place is reliability, good service, and a log of all and every repair kept in records. It is also very popular and busy. little wonder why. You can count on them.

Very unique little shop. I've been here many many times…read morebefore and always end up getting dragged out by my boyfriend because if he didn't we'd be in there all day. Vincent 2 is a boutique shop that sells a variety of designer items for the home. Everything sold here is beautifully designed, from the bamboo kitchen utensils, to the stainless steel alarm clocks. This is definitely one of Melbourne's boutique 'arty' stores. The prices are pretty high (but its expected when your buying designer brands). Vincent 2 offers a variety of fun umbrellas, stylish kitchenware, singular watches, office equipment, wallets, backpacks, lights/lamps and much more. Brands sold: Design Stockholm House,Lexon, Dynomighty Desgin, Magisso, Bambu, Baggu. If you appreciate creative well-designed items, you must visit this place. Even if you don't end up buying anything, it's worth the look.

Love the culture and the food. Not a huge fan of the car park, but this place works better on…read morepublic transport.

I love Melbourne Central. I love how it's a one-stop-shop for everything you could need…read more ~ Smack dab in the middle of the CBD. Need something you (for some strange reason) cannot find at Melbourne Central? It's probably 10 steps away from Melbourne Central/ ~ Stunning interior design and architecture. You have your tower underneath a glass cage. At first, I thought that this was a bit strange, but then accepted the fact that the tower probably did a lot of bad things in its life and needs a cage to control it. You can't let that thing free, man. ~ Nice selection of food. Nothing too fantastic, but my favourites: Menya Ramen, Lord of the Fries, Grill'd, O-Bento, and Harajuku Crepes. There's bound to be more food heavens that I haven't explored in that massive building yet, and I'm keen to be on the lookout! ~ Convenient public transportation. If you're on the go, trust Melbourne Central to have a train running to anywhere you want in Melbourne. Trust Melbourne Central to also have great food takeaways for you to enjoy yourself at before your train arrives. ~ Loads of entertainment! Try out Cho Gao - a great Asian Beer Cafe with a stunning view of the city. Now try out Cho Gao after catching a movie at Melbourne Central's very own cinema. Seriously - what CAN'T you do here?

Stocking jewellery, scarves, watches, bags, books, stationary and more, the Met Store is a great…read moreexcuse for some retail therapy and a chance to look at some beautiful things that are hard to come by here in Australia. The Met Store has products that are influenced by and stocked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The jewellery is inspired by different time periods (Egyptian, Mesopotamian etc.), as well as classic art deco artists and designers. Also, it is worth noting that The Met Store is the only place allowed to reproduce the original designs from the Tiffany store. Other highlights include the scarves and children's' books. There are some beautifully illustrated classics like Alice in Wonderland and The Secret Garden, as well as some really cool art and popup books. The service is always spectacular; the sales assistants are very knowledgeable and really friendly. The only problem I have is the space. The store is quite small so watch out if it's busy and make sure you don't get sent flying into one of the beautiful statues or scarf rack.

Great friendly service and workmanship is fantastic! Dropped…read moreoff shoes and a watch for repair and by the time I had finished shopping at Vic Market my pieces were ready to be collected. Will definitely continue to take goods to these guys for repair.