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Thread: Faulty strap caused damage to Speedy, what would you do?

  1. #1
    Master
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    Faulty strap caused damage to Speedy, what would you do?

    So, I bought the Hirsch Voyager Alligator strap on deployment for my Speedy, from watchobsession.com. On about the 5th time I undid the deployment, it just snapped. Causing the watch to drop from my wrist. No awful damage but a definite ding on my most prized material possession! Would you do anything more than just ask for a refund? I imagine that is all I can do, it is a bit rubbish though!

  2. #2
    Grand Master RustyBin5's Avatar
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    Tricky one. If it was not fit for purpose and as a direct consequence it caused you material financial loss I think they should be accountable. I’m sure others will add meat to the bones of it, but as a starting point perhaps you could say a mint speedy is worth (?) £3k, and with the ding maybe £2.7k (I’m just plucking figures here as example to illustrate).

    Based on the above potentially £300 plus a replacement strap is not entirely unreasonable.

    On the flip side it is accidental damage really so would your home insurance cover you?

  3. #3
    Master earlofsodbury's Avatar
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    Timely thread, as I was considering purchasing exactly this strap for one of my watches - so that's one lost customer.

    A ~£300 watch strap should not just break after a small number of uses - I would chase them for full recompense.

  4. #4
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    I would make a polite telephone call to the seller of the strap and explain to them what happened and go from there.

  5. #5
    Grand Master
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    I read it as the deployant was faulty, not the strap.

    Quote Originally Posted by earlofsodbury View Post
    Timely thread, as I was considering purchasing exactly this strap for one of my watches - so that's one lost customer.

    A ~£300 watch strap should not just break after a small number of uses - I would chase them for full recompense.
    Cheers,

    Ben



    ..... for I have become the Jedi of flippers


    " an extravagance is anything you buy that is of no earthly use to your wife "

  6. #6
    Grand Master MartynJC (UK)'s Avatar
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    You ask what I would do? I would make a claim against my insurance policy to make it good. It includes accidental damage.

  7. #7
    What exactly snapped? Strap, deployant, spring bar?

  8. #8
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    Before adding a comment I would have to see exactly how the strap failed. Pictures would help.

    As for having any comeback against the seller or Hirsch, I think you'll struggle.

    Have you spoken to the guys at Watchobsession? In my opinion that should be your first action before publicising the event on a forum.

  9. #9
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    It was the deployment that broke, just snapped as I took the watch off. I have spoken to watchobsession and they will "get back to me". Asking the forum because people might have come across a similar scenario in the past.

    Here is a photo of the clasp, you can see on the bit of metal attached to the strap still where the rest of the clasp should join, but it has just sheared off.

    Last edited by watchstudent; 6th December 2019 at 18:35.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by MartynJC (UK) View Post
    You ask what I would do? I would make a claim against my insurance policy to make it good. It includes accidental damage.
    I think my home insurance has got an excess of at least a couple of hundred quid so it wouldn't be worth it.

  11. #11
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    Still not entirely clear what's happened, whether it's metal failure or a pin that's come out. First step is to establish that the strap was fitted to the clasp correctly, then get either a refund or replacement from Watchobsession.

    Where is the damage to the watch? How severe is it? More to the point, how is easy is it for someone competent to refinish it and fix the damage........that person won't be me but if you post pictures I can advise, to me it's the logical way to approach this. If that can be done for a modest fee perhaps Watchobsession will give discount off your next purchase as a goodwill gesture?

    If this had happened to me I wouldn't be happy, if the clasp has suffered a materials failure I`d be most disappointed. Hirsch stuff is usually very good, but perhaps they're going the same way as the rest of the industry and getting things made cheaply in the East. If that's the case it's a shame.

  12. #12
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    Same thing happened to me with this type of clasp,luckily I felt it go and caught the watch before it hit the floor.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by walkerwek1958 View Post
    Still not entirely clear what's happened, whether it's metal failure or a pin that's come out. First step is to establish that the strap was fitted to the clasp correctly, then get either a refund or replacement from Watchobsession.

    Where is the damage to the watch? How severe is it? More to the point, how is easy is it for someone competent to refinish it and fix the damage........that person won't be me but if you post pictures I can advise, to me it's the logical way to approach this. If that can be done for a modest fee perhaps Watchobsession will give discount off your next purchase as a goodwill gesture?

    If this had happened to me I wouldn't be happy, if the clasp has suffered a materials failure I`d be most disappointed. Hirsch stuff is usually very good, but perhaps they're going the same way as the rest of the industry and getting things made cheaply in the East. If that's the case it's a shame.
    It is definitely a metal failure. Hard for me to explain without you with me and the strap but you see in the picture where that square rough piece of metal is? That is where the rest of the clasp (the bit on the left) was attached. The deployment is supposed to be undone by putting up on the metal that you see attached to the strap still, when I did that the clasp just broke. All pins and the strap still intact. The metal join just broke under minimal friction that it is designed for.

    Thanks for the offer of your opinion on the refinishing. There is an Omega service centre up the road from me with an experienced watchmaker there, I have no doubt that he could polish out the damage. Main point of the thread was to see people's opinion on whether or not Hirsch/watchobsession would/should help me with the cost or something similar.

  14. #14
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    Hirsch need to be informed of the problem, I’m sure this will happen via the supplier!

    I bought an ‘Omega style’ deployant from ebay for about £30 several years ago, it’s identical to the Omega offering but doesn't have the logo. Quality’s excellent, I’ve compared it to a genuine Omega and I can’t tell any difference. I paired it with an alligator pattern strap that cost around £25 and I’m delighted with it, currently have it fitted to a Zenith so the lack of logo is a plus!

    Hirsch straps and clasps aren’t chap and you would expect good quality, I sometimes buy Hirsch straps, but non- branded items can be just as good if you’re lucky.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by MADDOG View Post
    I would make a polite telephone call to the seller of the strap and explain to them what happened and go from there.
    Pretty much this, no need to go for the nuclear option.

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