Reply With QuoteOuch. You would have noticed that before!
Just got my watch back from being regulated and swear the case marks were not present before putting it in for remediation. Haven’t got a ‘before’ picture so can’t say for sure - but I am careful with my watches.
Looks like it was put in a vice with impunity.
Maybe it’s because I dared to bring it back after having it regulated and they said it was +0.3 sec but after wearing it it was more like -4sec/d. I know I’m OCD but if they state +_2sec/d in the literature I expect it to be so.
Anyway. Lesson learnt - take loads of pictures before putting in any watch you value in for service.
I’ll get the Cape Cod out tonight and do a bit of polishing to fix this - but really peeved I need to do this considering how much this manufacturer puts on its customer service. I hope their Rolex Bots pick this up!
Martyn.
Last edited by MartynJC (UK); 29th August 2019 at 09:05.
Ouch. You would have noticed that before!
My old Speedmaster MkII went into Omega a few years ago for a service and light case refinish. I had some photos I'd taken before, but as it came back with the case's starburst brushing completely polished out, I didn't need pictures to demonstrate they'd messed up.
The 'before' photos did come in handy to highlight just how much metal Omega removed from the case in remedying the situation. They'd taken off so much that any future refinishing would go straight through the lugs.
Photos can be very useful!
Jeez Martyn I'd be livid with that, it's appalling have you taken it up with whoever serviced it, maybe you have an old wrist shot but presumably you've checked.
I know in the big scheme of things they're only expensive trinkets but when you take care of your watches and some muppet does that........
Thinking about it, when my Explorer went in for regulation I had to make a prompt return visit to RSC because when I got back to the office after picking it up I noticed a prominent smudge-like abrasion on the bezel that wasn't there previously.
The woman at Rolex wasn't all that happy with polishing it when I pointed it out to her (I had some fairly recent 'before' photos on my phone that helped my case). She made some comment along the lines of 'we'll do it this time, but any marks you make we won't fix for free.' Ho hum.
They did a good job of it in the end though. She may have been having a bad day...
I'd take that straight back. It's unacceptable.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Do you know if your watch actually went back to Rolex, or was it a main agent’s in-house watchmaker who did the work?
Rolex UK are not above some mighty cock-ups, but I’d be surprised if this came from them.
H
Hi Haywood.Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton
I took it myself to Rolex St. James today. They did the timing adjustment on the spot. Also the watch was given back to
me with the crown not tightly screwed done - which is strange.
Pragmatically, I can’t be arsed to go through any complaints process with them. I have fixed the polishing by hand myself (with judicious application of masking tape) and don’t want them touching it again if possible.
What do you think guys?
I now need to check the timing over the next couple of days so see how it is running. If it’s still running negative - I will be annoyed.
Martyn.
Last edited by MartynJC (UK); 29th August 2019 at 09:05.
How did they rectify this?My old Speedmaster MkII went into Omega a few years ago for a service and light case refinish. I had some photos I'd taken before, but as it came back with the case's starburst brushing completely polished out, I didn't need pictures to demonstrate they'd messed up.
The 'before' photos did come in handy to highlight just how much metal Omega removed from the case in remedying the situation. They'd taken off so much that any future refinishing would go straight through the lugs.
Photos can be very useful!
I'd got to the point of asking for a service case replacement, which the service centre manager was being hesitant about, when I decided I'd had enough and sold the watch.
What did you use to polish it if you don’t mind me asking? Looks a good job.
Well this doesn’t bode well.
B@gger this - they have much more sensitive timeographs and the lovely lady on reception said they can’t provide printouts or copies of results. Now I know why. I will wait over the weekend to check results on the wrist.
Looks like the service guy did b@gger all except mark up my case.
Last edited by MartynJC (UK); 28th August 2019 at 19:51.
Cape Cod cleaning cloth - designed specially for the job. Doesn’t cost much from the web.
And a great job on that too. Well done
Thats bloody terrible ! Just something I would not expect to see from a premium brand. I think they need to clean or replace there case holder.
Luckily, it was only light as you managed to remove it by hand .
The marks look as though they are from the jaws the watch sits in on the timing machine when regulating. It’s clear based on the position of the marks are that the timing machine jaws have been scratching/rubbing the side of the case.
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I recently took my watch into the Hong Kong Rolex service centre for regulation as I was there on holiday. Watch was running consistently 5 secs/day fast. Had to leave the watch with them. The next day they called to confirm that their equipment agreed with my assessment and that the watch would be ready to collect some 3-4 days later. Collected it and it’s still 5 secs/day fast!
Given its consistent I can’t be bothered taking it back to Rolex, especially now being back in the UK and having seen this thread!
Cape coda looks to have done a good job OP ;-)
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Great recovery there, looks spot on.
Always hate it when others manage to damage possessions.
We went through a period of time where every tradesman who came in our house would damage something and deny. Ended up taking photos of everything before & now internal cameras keep watch.
I use a cheap timegrapher that’s served me well over the years, but the first thing I did before using it was put some tape over the metal clamp on the microphone! It was obvious that the clamp would mark watches. Can’t prove it, but that’s what could’ve caused this. What’s frustrating is the fact that it’s a very easy job to polish out.......but whoever caused it has to realise/admit their error and rectify it before it goes back to the owner. This could’ve been rectified easily and you would never have known, everyone would’ve been happy.
I think you’ve done a fantastic job!!
I’d personally report it to the AD, might save the same on other watches.
I’d be amazed if someone that works on watches did that damage to be honest. If you zoom in there’s hundreds of tiny up & down rub marks there. It also looks too wide apart for timegrapher as the clamp mic pickup would want to touch centre of case. If it was damaged it’s more likely from a clamp holding it steady when removing case back but again there’s hundreds of rub marks so not even consistent with that, they’d have had to sit there for many minutes moving the case up & down in a clamp to get that many marks.
Only reason I’m sceptical is because I’ve had someone say I’ve damaged their watch “that wasn’t like it before you worked on it”. Luckily I always take pics before starting work and list any damage I see, then it’s “oh, sorry”. I’m sure it’s just because people who have work done scrutinise the watch when it gets back and yet when they send it they don’t even look it over.
The last thing people that work on your pride n joy want to do is cause any damage. Granted if it’s some hack changing a strap but someone competent enough to regulate should know how to handle it.
My first ever Rolex was a GMT IIc in around 2009.
It was +60s/day from AD new, so it got sent back to Rolex for a fix (I suppose I should have insisted on a replacement?).
It came back keeping good time but with a huge great grazed imprint of the case-back-remover right across the case back - visible very obviously at arms length with the naked eye.
How on earth it was allowed out of Rolex looking like that is beyond me.
I complained to Rolex, and the UK Head of Sales (or similar) wrote to me and arranged to send me a new watch directly from Rolex HQ.
I am amazed too. I’ve never seen such marks on cases - the only place there may have been some slight feint marks on that side of the case is where it touches a counter top when resting - not either side.
I found recent pics before it went in to St. James and see no evidence of case marks. I haven’t been wearing it much anyway. The Rolex assessment letter (prework) had assessment of ‘light marks’ on the case - annoyingly they took that letter on returning the watch - but if I could be arsed I could refer to that letter which must be on their system.
Let the evidence speak for itself:
Insult to injury a few tiny strap changing marks now present on the case back lugs - hardly noticeable on the back of the case. But I know they weren’t there before. They can easily be polished out but really annoyed. I don’t know what the service guy was smoking that day but I hope he wasn’t doing intricate work.
Martyn
Last edited by MartynJC (UK); 29th August 2019 at 09:11.
Nice look on the strap
Let the evidence speak for itself:
[IMGhttps://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-sLP62MS/0/f608cf2d/X2/i-sLP62MS-X2.jpg[/IMG]
Martyn
De-blings it nicely
Thanks! I bought this hand made strap off the forum. Lovely piece of leather and just the right shade of golden brown. I may put it back on the strap once I have calmed down.
M
I was furious with Omega some time ago when the speedmaster was returned with a small nick in the bezel and the 12 hour function on the chronograph didn't work..............they apologised and remedied it saying that they had missed it on the service.
I had to send my datejust back from one service, maybe 6 years back, as the crown was very tight on winding and the timekeeping was above 10 secs per day............they fixed it.
In both cases I wrote to them expressing my concerns and I am satisfied with the outcome but not the lack of QA on service.
So now I write a note to go with the watch to Rolex or omega quoting these events. I have had no problems since.
I always take photos now in the presence of the dealer that I am contracting the service with.
B
That's awful.
I may have mentioned before the time I took in my Exp2 42mm to St James because the hour hand went floppy. The watch came back fixed, fine. After a few weeks I noticed under some direct light that there was a mark in the centre of the dial, what looked like an oily fingerprint (I have pictures somewhere...). Back to St James, and they replaced a dial that was already going a nice shade of very dark brown with a black replacement. This is why it's only going to go to Duncan Potter for any work in the future.
"A man of little significance"
A point about RSJ when did they start giving a green pouch after a service?
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I took pictures of my Speedy before it went in for a service due to the pusher falling off with the pusher in the clear bag at the AD which it was taken from me in. I sent it for the service via the AD I bought it from because they said there was "absolutely no difference between sending via us or going to omega directly" but couldn't give me a quote until Omega had seen it.
When the AD called me a week later and quoted £50 more for the service than on the Omega website (undeclared handling fee) I declined the repair and asked for it back to give it to Omega directly myself. It came back to me without the pusher and without pictures I wouldn't have had a leg to stand on.
End result was a £580 service for £150 and two lessons learned.
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