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Looks to me (an amateur) like superglue might fix it but I'd still be worried about it cracking in time.
If it's under warranty I'd get it replaced. It just shouldn't do that.
One of the centre rectangular links on my newly purchased Seiko Sarb035's oyster style bracelet has become unstuck so that one end now lifts up if I press down on the other end. There's no danger of it droping off as it is connected to the links above and below it and it's not a problem when the watch is on wrist as sits flush with the rest of the bracelet but obviously I'd rather get it sorted.
Oyster problem.jpg
The watch is still under warranty but I'm sure a quick drop of locktite or similar will sort it right out. Can anyone suggest the best product to use on this? Thanks.
Looks to me (an amateur) like superglue might fix it but I'd still be worried about it cracking in time.
If it's under warranty I'd get it replaced. It just shouldn't do that.
Send/take it back and ask for a new one.
Seiko repairs are excellent. I sent a rather battered watch and bracelet for a bracelet link repair under warranty and they replaced the whole bracelet. Thumbs up from me!
Thanks guys. It was purchased from Seiya in Japan. Who should I be contacting given that it's a JDM model? Does it need to go back to Japan or can Seiko UK deal with it? Thanks
I suggest: Ask Seiko UK first. They can sometimes deal with JDM watches (GS and Ananta mostly I think (since these are no longer in fact JDM) but possibly others). See what they can do. If Seiko UK can't deal with it then speak to Seiya. I understand that he is helpful with passing watches back to Seiko Japan for warranty repair.Originally Posted by beechcustom
Many thanks. I'll give Seiko UK a call.
I´m agree with makrlondon.
The first and best step have to be this one.
Just to update you, it's been with Seiko UK since 6th March. According to their online facility, it's 'awaiting parts that are not held in stock'. Seiya-San replied pretty much instantly to an email I sent him describing the problem. He offered to send new links FOC but by then I had already contacted Seiko UK who asked me to send the watch to them for repair under warranty.
Thanks for the update.
It's good that Seiko UK can deal with it (eventually hopefully) and better still that Seiya offered such generous customer service.
Can't fault Seiya-San but it's been 20 days since my watch went into Seiko UK for repair to the bracelet and they are apparently still waiting for parts. Should it be taking this long or am I just being impatient? It only took Seiya-San a matter of days to get the watch itself from Japan to the UK!
I don't know how long it should take but it doesn't surprise me it's taking this long. I expect it will arrive eventually...
Good news - Just checked the Seiko UK website and it says that my watch is now in the workshop and should be despatched within 10 working days!!!!
Can't wait to get it back as I don't actually have any other watches since selling my Skyhawk recently.
Happy to report that my Sarb035 is back on my wrist today :-) It looks like Seiko have replaced the faulty link plus given me extra as the bracelet is about one link longer than it was when it went into them. I may wear it loose and see if I can live with it rather than taking a link out (or more specifically, paying someone to take the link out). Good to have it back :-)
Excellent news. Glad they got it sorted.
Hope you enjoy wearing the lovely watch.
Thanks Mark
I've noticed another problem since wearing the watch for a day or so though :-(.
The spring bar has become dislodged from the top left lug many times already. I have to take the watch off then gently guide the left side of the end link so that the left spring bar 'clicks' back into the lug housing. Like I said, I'm having to do this very frequently and it's making me a little paranoid.
I did swap the bracelet out for a watch strap after a week or so of initial ownership but it really didn't look as good as the bracelet so I swaped it back. Is it possible that I may have damaged the spring bar during this process? In any event, the bracelet has not been taken off since recieving it back from Seiko UK.
So what are my options here? I really don't want to have to send the watch back to Seiko unless absolutely necessary - it costs money plus I may be without the watch for the rest of the month.
Suggestions very welcome :-)
A few thoughts:
1) Is the spring bar really correctly seated in its hole? In my experience on watches with solid end pieces (like the SARB035 I think) it can sometimes seem as if the spring bar is correctly seated when it is in fact just resting against the vertical side of the lug and is effectively wedged in place. After a little bit of wearing the watch the spring bar can work loose. The only solution to this that I have found is to test that the spring bar really is correctly seated by wobbling the bracelet end in place after fitting it. I sometimes find I need to use the end of a pin to push the spring bar the final half a millimetre or so into place.
2) Is the spring bar hole worn or chipped?
3) Is the spring bar the correct size? A spring bar that is too small a diameter may be able to flex from side to side and work loose. I have noticed that a difference of 0.02mm (e.g. using a 1.78mm diameter spring bar where 1.8mm diameter should have been used) can make a noticeable difference to the fit of the end piece in the lugs.
4) A finally, a new pair of spring bars of the correct size would not to any harm, just in case.
Hey Mark. Thanks for taking the time to give a detailed response.
Unless Seiko UK replaced them during the warranty work, the spring bars that are fitted now are the ones that came with the watch originally. I bought the watch brand new in mid February and it really hasn't had much wrist time at all cos it was with Seiko UK having the bracelet fixed for most of March. Therefore, I really can't see that the spring bar hole would be worn or chipped but it's a possibility as I found changing between the bracelet and strap a massive effort.
Anyway, I have been having a fiddle about with it since your reply but I couldn't stop the same problem occuring so eventually I took it to a watch shop and they said that the spring bars weren't seated properly. They put them right and didn't charge me and I was happy that the problem was finally solved.
BUT.... one flex of the wrist later and the lower right lug is out of place again, so back to square one.
PLUS..... as I type this I have noticed that one of the centre rectangular links on the lower bracelet has popped open again!!!! It's either the same one as last time or it's the one above it. Not happy at all about this cos it's going to cost me another (almost) fiver to send the watch to Seiko UK again plus I'l be without the watch for most of the month. I'll ring them tomorrow and see what they suggest. Do you think it's reasonble to ask them to reimberse my postage?
Last edited by beechcustom; 2nd April 2014 at 21:35.
That's really frustrating. I have to say that I'd want to try new spring bars as a first step to resolve this particular issue. I'd also look at the spring bar holes with a loupe to see that there is no wear to them. It only takes a tiny sub-millimetre chunk of metal taken out to affect a spring bar's ability to stay in place.
Yes, with a second identical failure it seems reasonable to me to ask them to reimburse postage. You could alternatively ask them to replace the bracelet since repairing it has clearly not met with success!
If not too late, you might also want to photograph the watch and bracelet in detail before sending it away to keep a record of its current state.
If it were me I'd be asking them if they could replace the entire bracelet as there's clearing something not right with it.
I'd also take off the bracelet and have a look at the lugs to make sure there's no damage in and around and to also check the spring bars themselves, the last thing you want is the damned thing to come apart and fall on the floor.
I've had a look at my SARB and if you look at the back where the spring bars engage there's around a 1mm gap between the spring bar shoulder that's designed to make their removal easier and the lug on each side.
Thanks for the replies, gents.
I spoke to Seiko UK yesterday and they asked me to send the watch back to them for repair. I mentioned the cost of postage and the inconvenience of being without a watch for the duration of the repair and they agreed to reimburse me the postage and also to make a loan watch available to me if it looks like it will take a while to complete so that's good news.
In light of the reoccuring problem, I've asked them to replace the entire bracelet and also to check that the spring bars are correctly seated and to replace them if necessary.
Mark - I'd be very surprised if I've managed to damage the spring bar holes but if the watch comes back to me and the bracelet is still coming loose at the lugs I'll have a look at the spring bar holes with a loupe.
Thanks again and fingers crossed for this time.
Sounds promising.
Oh, I agree that it seems very unlikely that you could have damaged the spring bar holes and yet something is causing the problem. It's just that if it's not the spring bars themselves then looking at the holes is the next obvious step.
Received the watch back from Seiko today. They appear to have reseated the end links such that, so far at least, the bracelet seems completely secure. BUT they haven't even touched the faulty link on the bracelet. There is also no sign of the postage reimbersment that was promised. I'm not convinced that they even bothered to read the letter I enclosed with the watch. I'll ring them on Monday and get ready to send the watch to them for a third time.
Oh grief, one step forward, one step back.
Maybe they outsource customer service to Richemont. ;-)
Another update, I spoke to Seiko UK again today and they said to send the watch in to them again but this time to a named manager who will oversee the repair process. I have requested the bracelet be replaced in its entirety so fingers crossed this actually happens this time. In the meantime I have a new PRS-29A to keep me happy!
Hope it goes well.
:-)
Just got a call from the named manager from Seiko UK (I included my telephone number in the latest correspondence) and she said that they have now replaced the bracelet with a brand new one and resized it for me! When the watch first went in to them back in early March somebody decided to order an entire bracelet for their stock in addition to my replacement link so there was no delay in obtaining it. Pretty impressed to be honest as I was expecting another mammoth wait for it but it should be back with me in the next few days :-)
That sounds promising!
(Hopefully) final update. Got the watch back from Seiko UK today. It's had the bracelet replaced and resized with a brand new one (even has the plastic wrapping intact) and it arrived with a spare link. The watch is now as new :-)
The end links appear to be seated correctly and I'm not getting any suspicious movement when I flex my wrist anymore so it looks like the spring bar holes are undamaged. In any event, I will NOT be taking the bracelet off any time soon! I think it looks it's best on bracelet anyway.
Many thanks to everyone who suggested sending it in to Seiko UK. This was absolutely the right thing to do and I would encourage anyone else who has any warranty issues with JDM Seikos to contact Seiko UK in the first instance. The watch has been out of my hands for the vast majority of my ownership and there was some unecessary tooing and frowing but I'm very happy with the end result now. Seiko UK sent me a postal order to cover all the postage costs that I had incurred and the named manager who I dealt with towards the end was very helpful.
Excellent. Sounds like a happy ending.
It's good to hear of good customer service, even if it didn't go completely smoothly. They got there in the end which counts for a lot.
As to the previous bracelet not seating properly, it makes you wonder if it was in fact misshapen considering that the rest of it was physically faulty.
Thanks Mark and thanks for your comments throughout this thread. They were very much appreciated.
It's certainly good to have it back although it looks much bigger than I remembered but that's likely to be cos I've got used to my PRS-29A while it's been away. I wouldn't go any bigger than the Sarb (SubC and other 40mm divers aside which do actually feel ok to me size wise) and I really don't get how people can be comfortable with 40mm plus case sizes. I do recognise it's subjective and that I have small to average 7 inch wrists.
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