Reply With QuoteWell written.
Do you think the same service would be extended to a SKX007/009 model?
My SBBN007 Tuna, another favourite...
Wearing it the other day and I notice this...
I have a screw loose!
You knew that.
But so does my Tuna. In fact, a screw missing. How did this happen? I have no idea. I am distraught.
I seek out the nearest Seiko service place, a few minutes by bicycle away...
Ms Ohama appears and I explain my predicament.
Have they, by chance, a screw for an ancient but much-loved old watch? Ms Ohama appears more upset than me. Have I overdone it? A Japanese saturation diver once lodged a complaint with Seiko in 1975 about their existing dive watch. Seiko took it so seriously that they spent the next few years developing the Tuna model.
I just need a shroud screw.
Ohama-san discreetly bows and takes the failed instrument behind the curtain to the workshop. I sit back and wait for quite a while.
Presently, Ohama-san re-appears. Looking if anything more lovely. Yet somehow, gravely concerned. She explains, with much apology and lowered head, that the technicians advise having the whole watch checked over. In case something else is potentially loose. It might pose a danger. This is a professional instrument.
I consider my deepest desk dive, with my inbox being the only saturation I usually encounter. I magnanimously accept, but mention that I will be out of the country in a couple of weeks, so please try not to call me then. Ohama-san takes great care in noting the dates of my absence.
A week later, I receive a call. More apologies for the terrible failure, trouble, and unforgiveable time taken. But the watch has been checked and is now ready for me. I return to the service centre, and Ohama-san greets me with a smile. She glides off behind the mysterious curtain and returns with my watch. Narrowly avoiding bursting into tears, she explains that it has all been thoroughly checked and of course, the missing screw replaced.
The paperwork confirms the work. Ohama-san explains that there will be no fee.
Back again, and ready for the depths. Seiko treat these watches seriously.
Well written.
Do you think the same service would be extended to a SKX007/009 model?
V good. Entertaining and satisfactory outcome.
Great service from great company,
Yeah, but CHAPTER RINGS
Excellent outcome!
Any different to using Herr and taking a stern position if it's a hypothetical German?Originally Posted by nunya
It's so great to see a manufacturer take such pride in ensuring the customer's needs are met and their product is in perfect condition. A whole host of other firms could take note and learn from this.
The UK Seiko Service Centre could learn a thing or two from its Japanese equivalent. It'll never happen of course.
Great write up and result, and what a stunning watch.
True and probably true of every brand's UK centre v their Japanese counterparts.The UK Seiko Service Centre could learn a thing or two from its Japanese equivalent. It'll never happen of course.
Great write up and result, and what a stunning watch.
Certainly not from Seiko France. I bought an SKX007 from Creation and the crown was screwed down so tight I needed pliers to free it and then unscrewed and screwed with less than half a turn - which seemed to me not quite right. So, on Creation's advice, I sent it to Seiko France together with the international guarantee card.
2 months later I received my watch back with a terse note informing me that my watch was functioning perfectly well within design specifications and in future I should take watches to a dealer and not send them to Seiko France (contrary to what is written in the guarantee booklet).
Creation are really bad like this. They are not authorised dealers so they cannot ask Seiko (or any of the brands they sell) to provide warranty support. Your contract and warranty is with Creation.
They state somewhere on their website (my emphasis)...
They then slip in an unsigned/unstamped international guarantee card anyway (which as they admit, is only valid if bought from an authorised dealer) and try to pass customers to the manufacturer when they ship you something faulty. Or ask you to send it back to them in Singapore, at your expense. Because as above, return shipping to them is not covered by their "2-year warranty".We are not authorized dealers for the brands we carry, because we want to offer you lower prices. Manufacturers do not allow dealers to offer both manufacturer warranty and low prices, so all dealers must choose only one or the other... we cover every watch we sell with our own 2-year warranty. Just like the manufacturer, it covers all manufacturing defects and associated costs except the one-way shipping from you to us
As they add regarding low prices or manufacturer warranty:
Quite deceptive of them to point you to Seiko for remediation in this case.you have the decision to make about which is more important to you
Anyway, for my "professional" watch (it says so on the dial!) I think Seiko do err on the side of caution. They had no way to know I am not a professional diver. I think they take some extra care with these, and perhaps some pride too. A lot of work (and patents) went into their design.
Last edited by Tokyo Tokei; 12th July 2018 at 15:56. Reason: Creation info
Well yes and no. To say that because I got it cheap the manufacturer is not liable is cleary a cynical way to avoid what is a moral responsibility if not a legal one. We did away with 'you bought it in the sales so you can't bring it back if it doesn't work' years and years ago for retailers.
I know Creation cannot offer full service guarantee cover at the prices they ask for the watches they sell, but so what? My watch was not malfunctioning after 18 months of use, it was a brand new watch, whether it was retailed in Singapore or Paris should make no difference; are you really saying otherwise? Clearly it was more practical for me to send a watch with a manufacturing defect to a local service centre than back to Singapore, or Japan or Korea for that matter, so Creation's response was extremely logical, even if for the wrong reasons. Seiko France's reply was nothing short of a lie - a crown with half of turn of thread clearly does not 'conforme aux normes constructeur, aucun défault constaté'.
I've had this crap before, from Sony. Yonks and yonks ago I bought a Walkman in the US. After a couple of months it packed up so I sent it to Sony UK who told me an international guarantee only covers a period of 30 days from date of purchase. Again, a cynical avoidance of responsibility, since if I had bought exactly the same model at Woolworths in Birmingham they would have been required by law to fix the problem. Any money they saved they then lost many times over in potential profit from the various domestic electrical items that I bought while assiduously avoiding anything made by Sony.
When companies say as a matter of policy 'we are not legally obliged to...' just to save themselves a few shekels, then for me it's the old saw 'fool me once...', time to shop elsewhere. Or to use the French expression 'a scalded cat is afraid of cold water', I will think long and hard before buying another Seiko product.
But I'm happy for you and the service you received.
Last edited by SimonK; 12th July 2018 at 19:18.
I'd love another analogue tuna at some point and great to read of such sterling service.The UK Seiko Service Centre could learn a thing or two from its Japanese equivalent. It'll never happen of course.
Great write up and result, and what a stunning watch.
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