I purchased a Omega semaster as a gift to my dad , there was no complaint with it as he uses it everyday . few weeks ago the watch stopped working and within couple of hours i took the watch to the nearest authorized service ( in India )to get the battery replacement. The technician took the watch inside to change the battery but soon he came out and said the there has been a discharge from the battery and all the internal components have been spoiled and it will cost you Rs,14,500 (GBP £142 ) to fix it . When i asked how could this happen he said if you have kept the watch for long time like 30days without using the battery will discharge, but when i said i brought the watch within 2 hours of stopping he gave me a reply " we cannot do anything for that " . I even spoke with the Customer care india and all are justifying you should pay the amount so we will do servicing and maintenance to your watch . What cheap product OMEGA could be i wonder now. I gonna sue this company for using such a cheap battery and making the customers pay huge amount in the name of servicing.

 

Let me give you one of life's axioms: shit happens. This time, shit happened to you. Does it suck? Sure, you bet. But coming here and whining along with threatening to sue Omega with your first post isn't winning you many friends or supporters.

Try adding the battery company to the list of people to sue. As a matter of fact, sue Mother Nature for making India such a bad climate for battery leakage.

 

How long ago was it purchased? Was it new? How old was the battery? I will be kind and assume your command of English is not perfect and therefore you did not give us these details as a result.

 

Batteries leak - they tend to leak more often when they are discharged, but they can still leak when they are not discharged.

I would be interested to know the brand of battery used.

Cheers, Al

 

I always feel like these stories leave A LOT out...

 

A lot indeed!!!!

 

Ah, first posts like this, I hope at least you feel better after that Dinesh.

First up, I applaud your gift to your father and I can understand, in some ways your disappointment. On the other hand, I personally do not have much confidence for your lawsuit, for (AFAIK) Omega do not make batteries. I think a new movement, however, may end up saving you lots more rupees.

I feel for you Dinesh, and I'd suggest that in future, like me, you only buy Mechanical.

Whilst doing a search for similar problems as you have encountered, "Bhopal", and "Union Carbide" were prolific in my results. As our esteemed member above stated.. "Shit Happens." Comparatively, your little hiccup is definitely a First World problem.

Perhaps take a few deep breaths, donate some money to a charity, and realise just how lucky you are?! With respect, Owning, let alone "Gifting" an Omega in India,..... I applaud you on your success. Enjoy it, don't fight it.
Welcome to The OmegaForums!!
Some pics would be great!

 

Welcome Dinesh,

Sorry your first visit to our forum was due to a bad experience.

You didn't mention how old the watch was (new from an AD?) or if it had any battery change since new.

I have four battery powered Omegas, most about thirty years old and have never had a problem like yours.

I don't know how trustworthy the watch repairer is, but did he show you the damaged movement with all of the corrosion that would be evident from such a catastrophic battery failure?

I would suggest that going down legal avenues to resolve this problem will be far beyond your capacity, Omega have no case to answer unless you can provide irrefutable proof that they installed the battery with the knowledge that it had an inherent design flaw.

Maybe try to get a second opinion from an independent watchmaker and if it is a worst case scenario, get a new movement and restore the watch to good condition and I'm sure it will last your father for many more years.

In closing, I would recommend that you don't use Renata brand batteries, try Maxell or Seizaiken brand which I've found to be very reliable.

Cheers

Jim

 

That is another reason why I only buy automatic.

 

This watch i purchased during 2010 summer and its the first time i went for a battery change . The technician dint open the case in-front of me . He took it inside and then came out showing some strain marks under the battery placing area saying there is a leak from the battery . If Omega has not made enough R&D on the battery or if they have opted out for a battery battery , why would i come here to say my problem ? I spoke with the customer executive and they too support the service guys rather than listening to the actual problem.

 

You waited four years for a battery change. This is on you, my friend and not Omega. Period.

 

+1

 

If you are going to insult OMEGA, please, do so on another forum. e.g. Timezone, Watch U Seek.

 

+1

 

I like WatchUseek.

 

Joe K got me banned. I hope his watch dies.

 

Dinesh,
Shit happens, and this time it happens to you.
Trust me, swallow the RS14,500/ GBP 142/ USD 231 is reasonable and your best option right now.
For comparison, if it is an automatic watch every 5 years you should service it, and Omega service center will charge you around USD 400 to do so. If you choose more cost effective option, qualified independent watchmaker will still charge you about USD 200.
So owning high quality brand watch has its cost and you must consider it if you choose to do so.
Your time is valuable, your emotional health is also very valuable. Don't waste your time, energy and emotional health.
Fighting Omega etc will give you no result. Similarly trying to get support from members in here to support your stance might not be wise move.

just my 0.02 dollar