Premium watches , expensive repairs
Discussion
My son and I treated ourselves to “premium “ watches 15 years ago , He got a Breitling, I decided on a Tag
15 years on and both watches need or have had “full service” which costs almost half the value of the watches ,not what you would expect from these brands is it ? I am of a mind not to have my Tag fixed .
Thing is due to brand snobbery I still fancy a good watch , so have been browsing Watchfinder .
Has anyone dealt with this company ? are their descriptions accurate ,?what is their aftercare like ?
Cheers
15 years on and both watches need or have had “full service” which costs almost half the value of the watches ,not what you would expect from these brands is it ? I am of a mind not to have my Tag fixed .
Thing is due to brand snobbery I still fancy a good watch , so have been browsing Watchfinder .
Has anyone dealt with this company ? are their descriptions accurate ,?what is their aftercare like ?
Cheers
Breitlling have the prices on there website, https://www.breitling.com/multimedia/pdf/sav/sav-4...
https://www.breitling.com/en/service/#
The only surprises are if you need hands/glass replacing, although, you can obviously tell them not to do this though.
Most other similar premium companies charge similar rates. expect higher servicing costs for more complicated pieces though.
As said above, watches are precision instruments, and after 15 years of continual use a service of £500 isn't too bad?
A good independent will keep the servicing costs down and will often have the watch back to you quicker.
https://www.breitling.com/en/service/#
The only surprises are if you need hands/glass replacing, although, you can obviously tell them not to do this though.
Most other similar premium companies charge similar rates. expect higher servicing costs for more complicated pieces though.
As said above, watches are precision instruments, and after 15 years of continual use a service of £500 isn't too bad?
A good independent will keep the servicing costs down and will often have the watch back to you quicker.
Just about to get my JLC Grande Reverso Duo serviced.
£670 so a little less than a V12V annual service
As with this day and age all the mid to high horological have moved to their own mechanisms rather than ETA and control all the parts. Even when they don't control the mechs, you may find the service requires replacement hands and they control that.
Bottom line......the Swiss houses are going to kill themselves with overproduction and monopoly servicing.
The real killer on the JLC btw is the 10 to 14 week service turnaround.
£670 so a little less than a V12V annual service
As with this day and age all the mid to high horological have moved to their own mechanisms rather than ETA and control all the parts. Even when they don't control the mechs, you may find the service requires replacement hands and they control that.
Bottom line......the Swiss houses are going to kill themselves with overproduction and monopoly servicing.
The real killer on the JLC btw is the 10 to 14 week service turnaround.
Guycord said:
. Even when they don't control the mechs, you may find the service requires replacement hands and they control that.
Really? I've never heard that before. As far as I know most watch hands are friction fit, if they are removed and replaced with the correct tools they should come off and go back on perfectly. If they don't the hole in the hand can be reformed with a broaching tool. Removal and refitting of hands is a normal part of a service after all.Is there something I don't know? If so, please bring me up to speed. I have a Night and Day Duo and was planning on giving it to my local watchmaker when it needs a service in six or seven years time. Buggered if I'm going to pay JLC's rates when they are six times what I pay elsewhere.
mikeveal said:
Guycord said:
. Even when they don't control the mechs, you may find the service requires replacement hands and they control that.
Really? I've never heard that before. As far as I know most watch hands are friction fit, if they are removed and replaced with the correct tools they should come off and go back on perfectly. If they don't the hole in the hand can be reformed with a broaching tool. Removal and refitting of hands is a normal part of a service after all.Is there something I don't know? If so, please bring me up to speed. I have a Night and Day Duo and was planning on giving it to my local watchmaker when it needs a service in six or seven years time. Buggered if I'm going to pay JLC's rates when they are six times what I pay elsewhere.
You are totally correct that when servicing, any local watchmaker can easily remove & then re-site the same original hands with a simple tool.
However, if the hands are damaged, or replacement is required for aesthetic reasons, the problem is that - like many other brands - the Richemont group (of which JLC is a part) do not always supply OEM spare parts outside of their network of accredited repairers, so if you want genuine JLC parts, they hold a bit of a monopoly, which adds expense.
Sometimes there are ways around same, with independent watchmakers obtaining supplies by other means, but it is becoming ever more difficult. Basic after-market (non-OEM) parts can often be perfectly fine within the movement itself, or as a replacement crystal or mainspring for example (aside from certain brands, e.g. Rolex taking a very dim view of such matters if you subsequently return the watch to them with non-Rolex parts for official servicing), but when it comes to the visible parts, there is often little alternative, unless you have access to a skilled restorer.
As the availability of watchmakers decreases, brands become more restrictive re supply & focussed on sales rather than after-service, and with the move towards more specialist ‘in-house’ movements, the problem will only get worse, which is why some have taken to legal action against the big brands, involving the Swiss competition authority. Swatch Group (owners of Omega, Blancpain, Tissot, Longines etc.) is currently engaged in a legal battle with the supplier ‘Cousins’ in the UK.
Unfortunately, the average consumer is often quite ill-informed of the fact that their mechanical watches will need regular servicing, and oftentimes Sales Staff aren’t going to kibosh their sales commission by going out of their way to advertise the fact that your shiny new £2,000 purchase may need to go away for several months and a £500 service every 5-10 years.
A quality independent, experienced watchmaker with access to parts is someone worth getting to know!
I’m not going to get into the various schools of thought re servicing intervals & necessity, but suffice to say that a large majority of mechanical watches out there beat around 8 times per second, which is 28,800 times per hour, 691,200 beats per day, over 252 million beats per year in continuous usage, and circa 1.8 billion times between 7-Year servicing, on average. Amazingly, most parts in the movement wear very slowly or little at all, but even so, they probably deserve a good clean & dab of oil every so often, not to mention new seals/gaskets for water-proofing.
I would challenge whether Tag was a premium brand personally, but that's just my opinion. Generally (not always) the movements are relatively cheap mass produced items, it may be cheaper to source a replacement movement, as opposed to spending money on a service.
I have bought 2 watches from Watchfinder, an Omega and a Rolex. I had to return both almost immediately, the Omega kept stopping and the Rolex had multiple areas of undisclosed damage. I didn't return for a third attempt.
I have bought 2 watches from Watchfinder, an Omega and a Rolex. I had to return both almost immediately, the Omega kept stopping and the Rolex had multiple areas of undisclosed damage. I didn't return for a third attempt.
Another aspect worth considering is the increase in prices, in relation to both retail value and associated servicing costs. In 15 years, prices on new watches have increased substantially and as a result, servicing costs have fallen in line. £500 seems about right(ish!) for an automatic. It's what I'm expecting to pay for my Omega Planet Ocean. However as other have said, I might look into a good independent to save some cash.
I'd also go as far as saying that TAG Heuer are more innovative, and perhaps more interesting than Rolex. If you don't believe me, check out the Mikrotimer 1000, then the Mikrogirder 2000! Also, check out the TAG Heuer Pendulum. Seriously cool stuff!
R6VED said:
I would challenge whether Tag was a premium brand personally, but that's just my opinion. Generally (not always) the movements are relatively cheap mass produced items, it may be cheaper to source a replacement movement, as opposed to spending money on a service.
I'd say TAG were a premium brand - possibly not high-end, but certainly 'premium'. Sure, the majority of quartz pieces are overpriced, but some of the automatics are very good; the Monaco range, the latest Autavia re-issue etc ...I'd also go as far as saying that TAG Heuer are more innovative, and perhaps more interesting than Rolex. If you don't believe me, check out the Mikrotimer 1000, then the Mikrogirder 2000! Also, check out the TAG Heuer Pendulum. Seriously cool stuff!
mikeveal said:
Really? I've never heard that before. As far as I know most watch hands are friction fit.
I've had that twice now. Once with a Transocean needing a new minute hand - my watchmaker stating they weren't rated by Breitling for certain models going forward and would not touch it and once for a Navitimer World where under warranty, a drop of rain misted the glass and they wanted a stupid fortune for a service, new dial and new hands. (Sidebar: After showing them the inconsistency of the ATM markings on the watch, the manual, Breitlings own website and the Retailers website, I got a total refund after 12 months of use and purchased a Omega AT GMT which is fit for purpose. Never a Breitling again for me)So certainly Breitling do this and possibly Rolex (conjecture) on mid-noughtis pieces).
Guycord said:
mikeveal said:
Really? I've never heard that before. As far as I know most watch hands are friction fit.
I've had that twice now. Once with a Transocean needing a new minute hand - my watchmaker stating they weren't rated by Breitling for certain models going forward and would not touch it and once for a Navitimer World where under warranty, a drop of rain misted the glass and they wanted a stupid fortune for a service, new dial and new hands. (Sidebar: After showing them the inconsistency of the ATM markings on the watch, the manual, Breitlings own website and the Retailers website, I got a total refund after 12 months of use and purchased a Omega AT GMT which is fit for purpose. Never a Breitling again for me)So certainly Breitling do this and possibly Rolex (conjecture) on mid-noughtis pieces).
All hands are friction fit, but many modern watches seem to have a much tighter fit requiring much more pressure to apply and often leaving the pipe of the hand weakened. It's not uncommon for a watchmaker in an aftersales centre to replace perfectly good looking hands with brand new ones to ensure a good fit without you noticing, but if they look damaged when the watch comes in I'm sure the manufacturer would rather you pay for them than them, esp for water damage.
Mechanical chronographs in particular need a really tight grip on the chronograph hands as they come to a very abrupt stop during reset. I suspect that in the past the posts for the hands may have had a slight taper allowing the hand to be pressed until it was tight. But many modern hands (subdial hands on 2894 calibers spring to mind) are often really tight on the watch, and upon removal seem to have lost their elasticity, meaning you need to squash them a little to make them tight again. With some hands, this may not be enough.
It doesn't seem to affect vintage watches the same in my experience. If I had to guess, I'd say it was down to production methods which probably produce fewer returns on new watches due to loose hands but, as a side effect, make it harder to replace without company backup (which isn't really a drawback for the manufacturer).
R6VED said:
I would challenge whether Tag was a premium brand personally, but that's just my opinion. Generally (not always) the movements are relatively cheap mass produced items, it may be cheaper to source a replacement movement, as opposed to spending money on a service.
I have bought 2 watches from Watchfinder, an Omega and a Rolex. I had to return both almost immediately, the Omega kept stopping and the Rolex had multiple areas of undisclosed damage. I didn't return for a third attempt.
And not a particularly enlightened opinion, either.I have bought 2 watches from Watchfinder, an Omega and a Rolex. I had to return both almost immediately, the Omega kept stopping and the Rolex had multiple areas of undisclosed damage. I didn't return for a third attempt.
randlemarcus said:
Variomatic on here might prove equally technically competent, but carry less Badge cost premium. My personal experience of TAG UK servicing means I will never use them again.
I am starting to wonder where my Tag has got to.... its been 6 weeks and all i've been told is a brief its more than a battery repair and its going to cost X to service. CooperS said:
I am starting to wonder where my Tag has got to.... its been 6 weeks and all i've been told is a brief its more than a battery repair and its going to cost X to service.
It it's those idiots in Manchester, its probably had a face change to a different colour, and will then come back with condensation inside it.Guycord said:
Just about to get my JLC Grande Reverso Duo serviced.
£670 so a little less than a V12V annual service
The real killer on the JLC btw is the 10 to 14 week service turnaround.
I have a Gran Sport - huge service costs, massive waiting time. It's not something they advertise when buying one. £670 so a little less than a V12V annual service
The real killer on the JLC btw is the 10 to 14 week service turnaround.
As I never sell watches (I therefore don't need the 'paperwork'), I do wonder about having them serviced at an independent.
NDA said:
Guycord said:
Just about to get my JLC Grande Reverso Duo serviced.
£670 so a little less than a V12V annual service
The real killer on the JLC btw is the 10 to 14 week service turnaround.
I have a Gran Sport - huge service costs, massive waiting time. It's not something they advertise when buying one. £670 so a little less than a V12V annual service
The real killer on the JLC btw is the 10 to 14 week service turnaround.
As I never sell watches (I therefore don't need the 'paperwork'), I do wonder about having them serviced at an independent.
Had my manuals and quartz serviced by a competent independent before with no issues. Sadly he has now retired, so will have to find someone else.
Gassing Station | Watches | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff