Absurd Swiss In-House Repair Prices

[Webwatchmaker]

With the onset of Coronavirus and most Swiss watch manufacturers now closed down, how long will it be until repairs in CH will be returned to their owners ?
If the very high charges are not enough to put most people off, the projected return times most certainly will. Talk is of six months to a year.
I would imagine that most manufacturers are now looking round for any working Swiss independents. They generally work alone and from home, so are in effect self isolated in their workshops. So the question now would be will they be given access to parts ? Will that be a reversal of current policy and will it last beyond the virus ?
I can anticipate a lot of head scratching amongst the executives in order to keep their customers happy and loyal.
Meanwhile here is an email I received from Jaeger Lecoultre this morning, offering a repair charge of £2620.00 to fix a 1030/1 quartz chronograph of theirs. Crazy or what ??

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[KavKav]

With the onset of Coronavirus and most Swiss watch manufacturers now closed down, how long will it be until repairs in CH will be returned to their owners ?
If the very high charges are not enough to put most people off, the projected return times most certainly will. Talk is of six months to a year.
I would imagine that most manufacturers are now looking round for any working Swiss independents. They generally work alone and from home, so are in effect self isolated in their workshops. So the question now would be will they be given access to parts ? Will that be a reversal of current policy and will it last beyond the virus ?
I can anticipate a lot of head scratching amongst the executives in order to keep their customers happy and loyal.
Meanwhile here is an email I received from Jaeger Lecoultre this morning, offering a repair charge of £2620.00 to fix a 1030/1 quartz chronograph of theirs. Crazy or what ??

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Not just crazy but totally insane and a complete piss-take of their customers. Now where have I seen that before? Ah yes,
Rolex comes to mind!

[Templogin]

Is it a case of 'work we don't want, buy something new (from us)'?

[Bluebird84]

With the onset of Coronavirus and most Swiss watch manufacturers now closed down, how long will it be until repairs in CH will be returned to their owners ?
If the very high charges are not enough to put most people off, the projected return times most certainly will. Talk is of six months to a year.
I would imagine that most manufacturers are now looking round for any working Swiss independents. They generally work alone and from home, so are in effect self isolated in their workshops. So the question now would be will they be given access to parts ? Will that be a reversal of current policy and will it last beyond the virus ?
I can anticipate a lot of head scratching amongst the executives in order to keep their customers happy and loyal.
Meanwhile here is an email I received from Jaeger Lecoultre this morning, offering a repair charge of £2620.00 to fix a 1030/1 quartz chronograph of theirs. Crazy or what ??

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That is extremely expensive.

[Shuggy#1]

An outrageous price indeed.

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[Webwatchmaker]

That is extremely expensive.

Yes. Ridiculous. The Swiss watch industry has been living in a money spinning bubble for years. Trying to kill all the competition. I repair Rolex for example for less than half what they charge but pay a premium price for spare parts, whereas Rolex produce their parts for a few pence each.
Even more annoying, Rolex is listed as a registered charity and pays nothing in corporation tax. Who let that one through ?
I think that corona is going to fundamentally change this economic model. Customers aren't stupid. Their loyalty to a brand depends on fair prices and great service. Not being forced to pay for unnecessary work or having to buy a new watch because the cost of repairing a cherished watch is astronomical.
Most Swiss factories have now closed and many workers there fear that they won't ever go back to their jobs. I feel that these companies will now take the opportunity to cut their costs to the bone. It's all going to change. I hope for the better.

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[Webwatchmaker]

Below is my reply this morning to Jaeger Lecoultre. I don't believe that there has been a better time in recent years to fight the corner of the independent watch repairer. I look forward to your comments and experiences with major Swiss houses regarding this subject:

"Good morning Mathilde,

Thank you for your reply.

By refusing to supply spare parts to independent watchmakers I am curious as to what you are trying to protect your brand from.
There are many great independent repairers who can do excellent work, more quickly and at a far lower price than in house. If the watch should be badly repaired in this case, then surely it would not be seen as a fault by the manufacturer and therefore brand loyalty would remain and the customer would buy another of your watches as a result of such poor work.
With the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic, many companies are now closed, with no firm date as to when existing watches with you for repair will be returned to their owners. In this case the local independent is a very valuable tool, already self isolated, and mostly working from home. I would have thought you would seriously consider this option, particularly as watch repair departments lose money and are primarily there to ensure brand loyalty.
Currently all I read about Jaeger Lecoultre on the watch forums are serious complaints about your extremely high repair charges and long waiting times. This is doing nothing for brand loyalty with many saying they will not buy your brand again because of this.
These views are not limited to JleC, but also apply to other major brands too. Notably the Swatch Group.
You must agree that £2029.00 for the repair of a cherished watch is outrageous and is much more than the watch is worth.
Customers are not stupid, and will no longer accept in many cases, additional and mainly unnecessary work added to the estimate in order to justify the high price. They certainly will not then be coerced into buying a new watch from your company instead.
The virus is going to fundamentally change your whole economic model and I strongly recommend that you consider my views and act to save your brand before other companies act on this initiative, lower their costs and maintain a higher profile in this industry, thereby saving their reputation and customer goodwill for the future.
--
Kind regards,
Brendan Hoey
Webwatchmaker.co.uk"


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[IAmATeaf]

The only way an independent could possibly work is if they supplied parts at realistic prices else from a customer point of view the price and who they contact would be no different and no doubt they’d be squeezing the independent to do the work for as low as possible labour costs?

[petespendthrift]

Those prices mean that many JLC beyond the age of 20 years that needs a service might be considered beyond economic repair.

Meaning the practical life of a JLC watch is only 20 years.

I just crossed ever owning the brand off my list.

[Neil.C]

But surely they would only be dropping in a new quartz module anyway, unless it was a Meca quartz type?

Shocking.

[PawG]

I wanted a JLC up until now. You have probably saved me a lot of money. Thank you Mr Hoey

[Mick P]

I must admit that I am not keen on JLC.

A few years ago I was walking the streets of London and unbeknown to me the winding knob and attached shaft of my Powermatic fell off.

It cost me £1200.00 to have the knob replaced along with a compulsory service.

[Griswold]

But surely they would only be dropping in a new quartz module anyway, unless it was a Meca quartz type?

Shocking.

Yep, I can't see them going to the trouble of stripping down a quartz movement and fitting new parts unless they don't have replacement movements. But then if they didn't have replacement movements why would they have replacement parts? I suspect they have neither and are quoting a stupidly high price with the intention of not getting the business.

[Pitfitter]

I've liked The of many of their watches but that kind of service gives me 2nd, 3rd and 4th thoughts, quite absurd, be interesting to see how/if they reply.

[Tom-P]

Looking at the original letter, there's no chance that's a typo is there? I mean, there's a gap between the '2' and the '620£' and I wondered if it was possible that someone mistyped but then failed to delete the '2'.

Though sadly with JLC aftercare I doubt it.

[Flasher]

Those prices mean that many JLC beyond the age of 20 years that needs a service might be considered beyond economic repair.

Meaning the practical life of a JLC watch is only 20 years.

I just crossed ever owning the brand off my list.

Been aware of the JLC service charges for a few years now and I am sure if I remember that Audemars are just as ridiculous. It is certainly something which has to be considered when purchasing the higher price bracket brands of not just the initial purchase cost but also the regular 5-10 year service charges. You nearly always see the JLC that come onto the pre owned market are just about to hit the service period and I think a lot of owners are just not willing to take the £2-3k hit from the JLC service.

A brand I have looked at on numerous occasions but stories told by the likes of the OP are far to common and quite happy to pass on this brand and similar who use the service as another cash grab.

[Webwatchmaker]

Been aware of the JLC service charges for a few years now and I am sure if I remember that Audemars are just as ridiculous. It is certainly something which has to be considered when purchasing the higher price bracket brands of not just the initial purchase cost but also the regular 5-10 year service charges. You nearly always see the JLC that come onto the pre owned market are just about to hit the service period and I think a lot of owners are just not willing to take the £2-3k hit from the JLC service.

A brand I have looked at on numerous occasions but stories told by the likes of the OP are far to common and quite happy to pass on this brand and similar who use the service as another cash grab.

I totally agree with you. These high service charges seem more like a rental fee every few years.
I serviced a Vacheron Constantin a few weeks ago. The only parts it needed were a couple of simple screws to attach the bracelet to the case which had been scratched during a previous repair. So I wrote to VC asking for two fresh screws.
Their response ?
Please send your watch to our agents in Scotland who will send it to us in CH, who will be happy to service the watch and replace the screws.
Apart from the watch having to travel to two addresses in Europe and suffer the risk of theft and the notoriously long turnaround times at VC, I am beginning to wonder if this procedure is at least bordering on the illegal.
In a situation where my car has lost a wheel nut, would it be reasonable for a garage to insist on a full service ? I think not. The arrogant coat worn by some of these Swiss companies is really starting to irritate. Surely their insistence on a full service in this case is at least a misrepresentation, if not pure theft. I'm sure an agreement to service the entire watch when any wear appears was not in the original contract of purchase.
Any lawyers out there who might clarify the position ?

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[learningtofly]

Conversely, I’ve just been incredibly lucky with regard to my GO perpetual calendar. It was returned from Glashutte a month earlier than expected (I collected it from Wempe last Monday), and I was only charged £600 for a £900 service due to an error when the work was quoted.

Its now running at +2 on the wrist and is like a new watch so I’m very happy indeed. I suspect that it would have been a different story had I delayed getting it off to them, though.

Edited to add - that “2” does look like it could be a typo. Wouldn’t they have written it as “2.650”?

[BillN]

Looking at the original letter, there's no chance that's a typo is there? I mean, there's a gap between the '2' and the '620£' and I wondered if it was possible that someone mistyped but then failed to delete the '2'.

Though sadly with JLC aftercare I doubt it.

I agree - could be just £620

[KavKav]

I totally agree with you. These high service charges seem more like a rental fee every few years.
I serviced a Vacheron Constantin a few weeks ago. The only parts it needed were a couple of simple screws to attach the bracelet to the case which had been scratched during a previous repair. So I wrote to VC asking for two fresh screws.
Their response ?
Please send your watch to our agents in Scotland who will send it to us in CH, who will be happy to service the watch and replace the screws.
Apart from the watch having to travel to two addresses in Europe and suffer the risk of theft and the notoriously long turnaround times at VC, I am beginning to wonder if this procedure is at least bordering on the illegal.
In a situation where my car has lost a wheel nut, would it be reasonable for a garage to insist on a full service ? I think not. The arrogant coat worn by some of these Swiss companies is really starting to irritate. Surely their insistence on a full service in this case is at least a misrepresentation, if not pure theft. I'm sure an agreement to service the entire watch when any wear appears was not in the original contract of purchase.
Any lawyers out there who might clarify the position ?

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Times are changing but the Swiss companies looking out from their bubble of arrogance decline to see that. JLC have in the past produced some absolutely magnificent watches, I have owned the MCGT,(several) the MUT(several) and the Reverso. More fool I for selling them on but I would not buy any JLC watch now and that goes for Rolex as well. Sitting corporately on their arses with their eyes to the blue sky as they contemplate their next round of price increases allied to their ‘FU’ attitude to their customers is simply not going to end well for them and the end will not be pretty!

[bigbaddes]

Yes. Ridiculous. The Swiss watch industry has been living in a money spinning bubble for years. Trying to kill all the competition. I repair Rolex for example for less than half what they charge but pay a premium price for spare parts, whereas Rolex produce their parts for a few pence each.
Even more annoying, Rolex is listed as a registered charity and pays nothing in corporation tax. Who let that one through ?
I think that corona is going to fundamentally change this economic model. Customers aren't stupid. Their loyalty to a brand depends on fair prices and great service. Not being forced to pay for unnecessary work or having to buy a new watch because the cost of repairing a cherished watch is astronomical.
Most Swiss factories have now closed and many workers there fear that they won't ever go back to their jobs. I feel that these companies will now take the opportunity to cut their costs to the bone. It's all going to change. I hope for the better.

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sadly I doubt either highlighted point is true

[aldfort]

Well done Brendan,

The car industry got a sharp "tap" from governments a few years back making "dealer service" a customer choice not mandatory.

Lets hope that the watch industry gets the same directions in Europe. (not holding my breath )

[Glen Goyne]

I have a Halios Seaforth bronze. The keepers for the rubber strap are a bit wide causing it to slip on my wrist. I mailed Jason from halioswatches and he acknowledged the latest batch of straps had wider keepers. He then mailed me his personal strap keepers from an older version of the strap for free. Great gesture, it’s possible.


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[Webwatchmaker]

I have a Halios Seaforth bronze. The keepers for the rubber strap are a bit wide causing it to slip on my wrist. I mailed Jason from halioswatches and he acknowledged the latest batch of straps had wider keepers. He then mailed me his personal strap keepers from an older version of the strap for free. Great gesture, it’s possible.


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It is possible. When I opened my retail shop in the mid 70s, many watch companies sent me spare parts I requested for free !! I remember a few: Seiko, Keinzle, LIP, Roamer, and all thanked me for supporting their brands !
Rolex opened case backs for me until I could afford to buy the tool for myself.
I also was sent loads of now quite collectable publicity material mostly from Switzerland, and it was sent free by air freight ! Escapement models, penknives, diaries, ash trays, games boxes, chocolates and free boxes of incabloc assortments. I recently visited the KIF factory in the Vallee Joux. They no longer produce those complimentary boxes of springs of course.
Glasses, staffs and stems used to be sold in packs of three. Not any more.
Different times. The watch repairer was considered a fundamental sales instrument.

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[oldoakknives]

Interesting points being made here. I was considering one of the JLC models but perhaps the money is better spent elsewhere.

[Templogin]

I had hoped to own a Reverso one day, but I couldn't afford to be paying anywhere near that for a service, so they have ruled me out. I wonder if servicing will be same on the lower end Legend Diver, another on my would like to own list?

[MrGrumpy]

Looking at the original letter, there's no chance that's a typo is there? I mean, there's a gap between the '2' and the '620£' and I wondered if it was possible that someone mistyped but then failed to delete the '2'.

Though sadly with JLC aftercare I doubt it.

IMHO its may a typo, but they mean £2,620! There is a space, but I suspect its a space where a '.' was meant to go. After all, as discussed the Swiss Watch industry is becoming famous for insane prices, and the writer is clearly trying to justify an appalling price by describing the watch as 'Vintage' despite it not being that old.

[Robsmck]

I have often looked at the master compressor, went as far as trying one on in a local retailer ( not a JLC AD, it was a used model ). I really liked it but am now relieved that I did not buy. Outrageous.

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[Dougal]

An excellent reply.

No wonder that Oris, with its sensible branding and service charges, are doing so well.

I agree about Oris: sensible service charges generate brand loyalty.