: When I try to get a repair done on a watch or dash timer, I go
: through a litany of what I want and don't want. because everyone
: wants to fix or polish things to make them look pretty.

This is completely the way to go about it. Get it in writing, get both parties to agree and then you have a schedule of work everyone can refer to.

It's not like most watchmakers will be able to do the work right away (if they can, I'd be a bit worried that they didn't have any sort of backlog), so down the line in a month or two (or six), will they remember that conversation verbatim? Have it in writing and you can check it whenever. I really think this is how it should go down every time.