Watch Repair and Despair final update
- Thread starter TitanTim
- Start date
I’m glad to hear that there is at least some progress Tim, and they haven’t just turned their back yet. With posting it back off ... just ensure 100 percent that the postage is secure enough. Don’t accept their provided postage if it doesn’t cover all bases for loss. Call me cynical, but it would be in their interest for there to be a problem with the delivery service and then pass the blame as a loss in transit.
Well that's utterly rubbish! I had a bit of dissapointment with my local watchmaker with a couple of watches (although, thanksfully, nothing quite so disastrous) and have subsequently used Simon Freese in Southend.
TitanTim said:
I got a chunk of cash off and they got the accuracy near to standard. Fortunately there isn’t any cosmetic damage
The credit card company needed a second opinion from another accredited watchsmith before any cash refund
The accuracy has now gone way off again so it probably needs another service - can you guess where it’s not going to?
I have found manufacturers to be very expensive and not good at all, so I only have it done at small local-ish watchmakers that mus be at least 60 to qualify for me 
The last 5 years no problems what so ever since I started doing that, and less than half the price as well.
The last 5 years no problems what so ever since I started doing that, and less than half the price as well.
pvr said:I only have it done at small local-ish watchmakers that mus be at least 60 to qualify for me
Was gonna write nearly the same thing until I read your post!
Somebody like this:
My dad uses a guy in his 70’s, no website, no snazzy suits but he’s been plying his trade for decades. People like that can’t afford to make this kind of error.
The hard part is finding someone like him but word of mouth has to be the best way.
I’d guess you didn’t even get your own watch back but fingers crossed it’s a genuine mistake that they’ll rectify
Watch was sent back yesterday by special delivery so should be with them on Monday as I don't think they're open over the weekend.
I'm just thinking what would be an acceptable resolution? If they say a case repolish I'm usure if that would be acceptable as there is a reasonable chunk off one corner so a simple polish I don't think would sort it out.
Would it be unreasonable to ask for a new case if it was Tag who serviced the watch then I would think they could recase it?
All assuming they will do something about it but then I'm guessing LWR will need to persuade Tag to own up and sort it out or LWR insurance will have to cover the repair and they claim back off Tag :?
Tim.
I'm just thinking what would be an acceptable resolution? If they say a case repolish I'm usure if that would be acceptable as there is a reasonable chunk off one corner so a simple polish I don't think would sort it out.
Would it be unreasonable to ask for a new case if it was Tag who serviced the watch then I would think they could recase it?
All assuming they will do something about it but then I'm guessing LWR will need to persuade Tag to own up and sort it out or LWR insurance will have to cover the repair and they claim back off Tag :?
Tim.
You need to have the watch back on the wrist in the same condition or better than when it was sent to them - that’s what you paid for. I think you are fully justified in asking for a new case.
After all is said and done - you didn’t do any of the damage did you? Drive into the MD’s car in their carpark and see what their attitude to damage is!
Can you determine with certainty who caused the damage?
After all is said and done - you didn’t do any of the damage did you? Drive into the MD’s car in their carpark and see what their attitude to damage is!
Can you determine with certainty who caused the damage?
ronk said:
Thanks Ron, the watch had one small hairline scratch on the side of the case by the winder but was hardly noticeable and that was it no other damage. All that LWR have said is they will send it back to Tag who will compare the watch now to images they said Tag took of the watch before the work was done on it. I just wished I had taken detailed images before I sent it off in the first place. All in hindsight and that.
Great paying 550 quid for crap shoddy service if you ask me, it's disgusting really. I just have a feeling it won't be resolved to 100% satisfaction, they will just give it a polish and send it back.
A lesson learnt but then it's difficult to know what these companies are like before you use them, I just went off comments on their Facebook page and Trust Pilot which seemed good overall.
Tim.
Keep pushing!
Once resolved, put an honest review on the pages you looked at (Trust Pilot) and spell it out chapter and verse.
I don’t like getting damages to any of my kit but can accept day to day stuff ie stone chips etc but wilful unnecessary damage annoys me.
I forgot to ask, do Tags of that vintage not have a serial No. marked on the case? You will have any serial numbers when you bought the watch so you’ll be able to see if they have conned you by swapping cases
Once resolved, put an honest review on the pages you looked at (Trust Pilot) and spell it out chapter and verse.
I don’t like getting damages to any of my kit but can accept day to day stuff ie stone chips etc but wilful unnecessary damage annoys me.
I forgot to ask, do Tags of that vintage not have a serial No. marked on the case? You will have any serial numbers when you bought the watch so you’ll be able to see if they have conned you by swapping cases
ronk said:Keep pushing!
Once resolved, put an honest review on the pages you looked at (Trust Pilot) and spell it out chapter and verse.
I don’t like getting damages to any of my kit but can accept day to day stuff ie stone chips etc but wilful unnecessary damage annoys me.
I forgot to ask, do Tags of that vintage not have a serial No. marked on the case? You will have any serial numbers when you bought the watch so you’ll be able to see if they have conned you by swapping cases
Thanks again Ron, will definitely keep pushing on it, its just very annoying and unecessary.
If I had damaged the watch then fine its to be expected but when supposidly in someone elses care thats another matter.
Unsure if the case itself has any serial numbers on Tags, it has the model and serial number on the case back which is correct but whether there are numbers inside the case itself, I'm not so sure :?
Tim.
i think it is becoming more and more common for watches to be sent to manufacturers directly via a third party, although i am surprised the manufacturers allow this! (this would also make mixing the cases a bit easier to understand if no more acceptable) this is due to the fact that swatch group (ETA, TAG, Omega and numerous others) stopped supplying parts to non approved independents its incredibly tough to be an independent and get approval.
decent independents are worth their weight in gold, and authorised repairers even moreso! i hope they resolve this for you!
A quick search suggests the caseback carries the serial number on a monaco so the case itself probably isn't numbered, if this is the case it can be replaced without a mismatch or missing number which would be good, alternatively quite a lot of places now repair or refinish by filling dents with laser welding, whilst a decent solution it isn't for everyone, as certainly in the vintage world there is a premium placed on "unpolished" watches, that said most of the time if it has been polished well you would never know!
decent independents are worth their weight in gold, and authorised repairers even moreso! i hope they resolve this for you!
A quick search suggests the caseback carries the serial number on a monaco so the case itself probably isn't numbered, if this is the case it can be replaced without a mismatch or missing number which would be good, alternatively quite a lot of places now repair or refinish by filling dents with laser welding, whilst a decent solution it isn't for everyone, as certainly in the vintage world there is a premium placed on "unpolished" watches, that said most of the time if it has been polished well you would never know!
minimental said:
Thanks for the reply and info much appreciated
They received the watch back last Monday and I have only received a reply to confirm this. I expect they have forwarded it onto Tag themselves to assess the damage. It took over 3 months last time to do the service so god knows how long it will be this time.
I was surprised they sent it to Tag in the first place as their website gives the impression they can service any high end luxury watches. All they said was it was due to complexity of the Calibre :? I wonder if acting as middleman that's how they make any mark up on service costs. I may as well have sent it to Tag in the first place.
Thanks for info on the case. I will just have to wait and see what they are going to do. I have a feeling they will offer a complimentary polish as we are doing you a favour, take it or leave it. I would be surprised if they replace the case entirely but I'm hoping they will.
To be honest this experience has pretty much put me off buying any future mechanical watches and just stick to quartz and change the battery myself.
Tim.
No worries!, firstly a correction i got mixed up TAG isn't part of the swatch group but LVMH (hublot, zenith, dior, TAG) the point about restricted parts certainly from a tag specific (ie cases dials crowns pushers etc remain the same) the calibre 11 which your monaco should is a nice movement but i wouldn't call it complicated any decent watchmaker should be more than happy working on one! (i just rebuilt an eta 2892 and i am not a watchmaker!)
depending on the exact age of the watch it is based on either a heavily re worked ETA 2892 or selita movement with an added chronograph module.
To be honest a decent case finish with some laser welding should leave a repair that 99.9% of people wouldn't notice if done well!
Unfortunately i think you have just been super unlucky! sadly i think they sound very much like a middleman!
Really sorry to hear that it has put you off mechanical watches though, hopefully one day you find something you love enough to make you take the plunge on mechanical again, not that there is anything wrong with quartz i love my g-shock! there are plenty of great watchmakers out there who will be able to look out for you much better than this!
depending on the exact age of the watch it is based on either a heavily re worked ETA 2892 or selita movement with an added chronograph module.
To be honest a decent case finish with some laser welding should leave a repair that 99.9% of people wouldn't notice if done well!
Unfortunately i think you have just been super unlucky! sadly i think they sound very much like a middleman!
Really sorry to hear that it has put you off mechanical watches though, hopefully one day you find something you love enough to make you take the plunge on mechanical again, not that there is anything wrong with quartz i love my g-shock! there are plenty of great watchmakers out there who will be able to look out for you much better than this!
minimental said:
Thanks again, I do have a fair few mechanical watches and mix of quartz but as you say I think I have just been pretty unlucky on this, all the more gutted as I bought the Tag for my 50th and it took me a while to find one in mint condition second hand, eventually sourced it from Watchfinder. Its the limited edition Gulf, can't remember if they were limited to 2,500 or 3,500 pieces now
Still pretty angry and flabbergasted really but there you go, I traded a Tag Carerra in against it at the time but even so it was a 4k watch that a monkey wearing boxing gloves has ruined
Tim.