Battery replacment on a TAG

[JumboBeef]

My TAG watch is about 2.5 year old, and the battery has just died. It is watertight to a massive depth which is irrelevant to me but I do need it to be watertight to at least the bottom of a swimming pool.

Do I get my local watch shop to change the batter for <£10, or do I send it off to TAG for approx £60? Is there a difference re: water tightness afterwards?

Thanks.

[Disco You]

You'd really get someone down a back alley who spends all day replacing batteries in £10 casios to replace a battery in a ~£1k watch?

And yes there is a difference, TAG will pressure test it afterwards.

[paulmnz]

I had to get the batteries done in two of my TAG watches recently. I went to the TAG store in westfield in london - they wanted £59 per watch, which included the preasure testing. However, they couldn't do it on-site and it would take '3 to 4 weeks' to have them done! They didn't say if TAG themselves do the battery change or if it's a 3rd party.

I asked if there was anyone else in the mall authorised to do them... they sheepishly said Goldsmiths "might be able to", but he didn't know if they did preasure tests...

Popped into goldsmiths, 60 mins and they where both done, £49 each for battery, full preasure test and 12 month warranty (seal and battery)

[Steve*B]

paulmnz said:

Popped into goldsmiths, 60 mins and they where both done, £49 each for battery, full preasure test and 12 month warranty (seal and battery)

That's weird, I took my TAG's into Goldsmith and they sent them off - 3 weeks later they're back with the official TAG guarantee service card.

[Disco You]

Steve*B said:

paulmnz said:

Popped into goldsmiths, 60 mins and they where both done, £49 each for battery, full preasure test and 12 month warranty (seal and battery)

That's weird, I took my TAG's into Goldsmith and they sent them off - 3 weeks later they're back with the official TAG guarantee service card.

Not all Goldsmiths branches have onsite watchmakers.

Also you mention the guarantee card, were they still in warranty (less than 2 years old)?

[Steve*B]

Disco You said:

Also you mention the guarantee card, were they still in warranty (less than 2 years old)?

No, well out of warranty and well over 2 years old. I haven't got the cards in front of me atm but as I recall Goldsmiths sent the watches directly to TAG and didn't carry the work out themselves.

[JumboBeef]

To up date this:

I decided that the watch should go to TAG for a replacement battery. I took it to my local jewellers (who are also approved Rolex stockists) who said they would send it off to TAG for me for a new battery and pressure test. Cost £55 and it would take three weeks.

Three weeks on, I call to see where it is. Long story short, TAG are now saying that the watch needs a full service (as it 'keeps stopping' with a new battery in it: funny, it was perfect before the battery went) which would cost £215!

A number of calls later, where it was pointed out that the watch was a/ under three years old and b/ at £215, the bill would be more than the watch is now worth (F1, cost £650. Value today <£200) and so my nice shiney nearly new TAG was, basically, scrap.

The jewellers were very good, and rang TAG and explained what I thought of their watches. In the end TAG said, upon production of my warranty card to prove the watch is less than three years old (which I have done), they will give it a full service and battery for the battery only price of £55.

So, a thumbs down to TAG for making a watch which needs a full service before it is three years old but thumbs up for common sense with the free service. The only major downside to this free service is it will take four to six weeks (watch already been away for three).

[bry1975]

Sounds like some good news! You do have to watch TH as they will screw you if they can, I was once charged £150 for a TH Links sapphire which is imo expensive considering an exact replacement elsewhere would be £40.

[GregE240]

I have to say, my experience of TAGs service centre is broadly similar. I lost a button off my Link Automatic, and, apparently as replacing a button is too difficult for my jeweller to even contemplate, they insisted on it being sent to them.

They sent it back about 6 weeks later. Button replaced (good), but now the watch wouldn't self wind (bad). It was making a funy noise as you tried to self wind it. Not impressed.

In short, my own jeweller stripped it, serviced it and it was as good as new.

That said, I sent a quartz TAG to them for a battery & service and they managed that ok.

[bry1975]

Sounds like the inhouse AD had botched the pusher replacement should be a simple job even with a Valjoux 7750/7760.



Regs


Bry

[ism123]

I have used Rytetime for battery replacements and he pressure tests them as well. £35 I think.