Page and Cooper – Damasko servicing – A warning
The question of the servicing of Damaskos in the UK (avoiding a return to Germany) is a perennial question, and fairly recently Damakso’s UK dealer, Page and Cooper, have been given responsibility for this. My DC67 has just been returned from Page and Cooper so I thought I’d report back to the forum.
I first contacted Page and Cooper in October 2015 and was told the cost of the service would be £280. Not cheap by any means, but not too bad. I’d been reluctant to send the watch to Germany to be serviced and Damasko refuse to supply UK watchmakers with the correct O rings to do the job properly.
I left it for a months and double-checked the price before sending it in. I was informed that whoever had told me that the price was £280 was wrong – it was in fact £380 (paid upfront before having any work done) to have my DC67 serviced.
We’re now into the realms of possibly the world’s most expensive stock ETA service. However, I love the watch and plan to keep it. Given that I wanted the job done properly and that Page and Cooper promised an exemplary service I took the decision to bite the bullet and have it done. I posted the watch and awaited a final quote. (It costs £30 just to have it externally inspected.)
In spite of their promise to do so, Page and Cooper didn’t bother to tell me that my watch had arrived, which was not a good sign. They then had it eleven days before I could get them to give me some idea of the accuracy I could expect from my expensively-serviced watch (+5-+10 secs/day). This all seemed rather vague and I was told that “Every watch is different”. I would have thought that the watch’s uniqueness would be taken account of when regulating it by a half-competent watchmaker.
They also provided a schedule that said that my crown and pushers would be replaced at service. I wanted to know that these would be replaced by proper Damasko-made (and signed) parts, and that my original parts would be returned. I was informed though that “we do not replace the crown or pushers, with Damasko they have a unique 25 year life.” There seemed to be an awful lot of confusion regarding the extent and details of the service.
Anyway, I paid Page and Cooper (BACS) and eventually over two weeks after sending them my watch they acknowledged receipt of my money. We agreed the address to which the watch would be sent when it was finished (in 2-3 weeks).
Nearly four weeks later I asked for progress update, and was told that they would speak to their sub-contracting watchmaker the next day and get back to me then. A week later I had still heard nothing whatsoever. Not a dicky bird.
Be aware before parting with your cash that unless you’re on the verge of splashing some cash they’ll only usually answer your emails on Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays, when the part-time ‘Head of Operations’ works. Outside of these times you can generally whistle. (If you’re on the verge of parting with cash someone will generally answer straight away of course.)
Nine days after my inquiry I asked again for an update. I was told it was being tested and that I would receive my watch back in a few days. Nine days later I got my watch back, though not before they tried sending it to an address other than that we’d agreed to weeks before when I sent them my money.
They also hadn’t provided an answer to the question of whether my watch had an early high-grade 7750 movement fitted, though when prompted they said they’d been in touch with Nadja Damasko and she’d said the movement on my watch was standard. (Two years previously, Nadja had written to me saying she didn’t know.)
No warranty details, no paperwork, no nice packaging – just my watch in a cardboard box, along with a little plastic bag containing the old O rings and – you guessed it – my old crown and pushers!
Given the cost of the service in relation to the watch I would have thought that some warranty paperwork was a pretty minimal expectation. The lack of it struck me as amateurish.
The other little present that was included was a hair underneath the crystal, obvious at the most cursory of glances. Had nobody looked it over before sending it back after almost nine weeks at service? If the dial looked like that, then what had they added to the movement? Back it goes.
Another period of silence ensued before I was told (in response to an email) that my watch would be returned. Another two days later I received my watch. It had taken over two weeks to remove a hair.
This time all seems okay, albeit the watch runs over +5 secs/day. As everyone knows, a 7750 is far capable of better.
I had to ask yet again for warranty paperwork. I eventually received something over email.
The service took a grand total of eleven weeks and two days. You can make your own mind up about whether Page and Cooper had done a good job. They seem to think they have. To me, they act like a bunch of chancers and part-time amateurs. Not what I expected when I agreed to pay top money.
It’s all very disappointing, especially given that Damasko make such great watches. Unfortunately it seems that the association with Page and Cooper is dragging their reputation through the mud.
I feel like I’ve been turned over, and I feel foolish to say the least. Beware.