Dropped my Speedmaster and cracked the crystal, but Omega want to charge me 800 usd, advice

[ninman]

So I dropped my watch on a hard tile floor and put 2 massive cracks in the hesalite crystal.

I went to the boutique and they told me they're going to have to open the watch up to check it all, so the total cost is going to be about 800usd.

Is this normal, or am I getting screwed here?

 

[nicolamilton]

Complete revision is required, I assume.
In that case, it's the standard rate

 

[hen]

Sorry to hear that, at least the hesalite did not shatter and clog up systems in your moon lander.

 

[padders]

Find an independent watchmaker. Fitting a new crystal, if that is all that is required is nowhere near that expensive. Your problem will be if there is other damage.

 

[ninman]

Yeah, I'm not a watchmaker, but the watch was still running normally afterwards.

The problem is it's still under warranty, so if I let someone else touch it I'll probably lose that.

They said that because I dropped it they have to open it up to inspect it for any other damage, hence the bill.

 

[Geezer]

I assume the $800 is for a complete service of the watch.

Even though the watch may be fine, by just fixing the glass they cannot offer you any kind of warranty on the movement... For this reason they probably don't offer you this option.

Besides, dropping the watch means most likely that Omega will no longer honor the warranty.

N ninman

Yeah, I'm not a watchmaker, but the watch was still running normally afterwards.

The problem is it's still under warranty, so if I let someone else touch it I'll probably lose that.

They said that because I dropped it they have to open it up to inspect it for any other damage, hence the bill.

 

[ninman]

Geezer

I assume the $800 is for a complete service of the watch.

Even though the watch may be fine, by just fixing the glass they cannot offer you any kind of warranty on the movement... For this reason they probably don't offer you this option.

Besides, dropping the watch means most likely that Omega will no longer honor the warranty.

Yeah, that's basically what they said. Oh well, an expensive and frustrating lesson has been learned.

 

[padders]

If you were to replace the crystal like for like with an original by someone other than Omega, such as a certified Indy, the original warranty won’t be touched since there will no sign the watch has been opened. I think you’d be mad to pay the full service cost. Just saying!

 

[ninman]

padders

If you were to replace the crystal like for like with an original by someone other than Omega, such as a certified Indy, the original warranty won’t be touched since there will no sign the watch has been opened. I think you’d be mad to pay the full service cost. Just saying!

Where do I find one of those in Taiwan?

 

[padders]

N ninman

Where do I find one of those in Taiwan?

A watchmaker? I can’t help you there but I find it hard to believe there aren’t any.

 

[ninman]

padders

A watchmaker? I can’t help you there but I find it hard to believe there aren’t any.

I mean how do I know they're certified by Omega?

 

[padders]

N ninman

I mean how do I know they're certified by Omega?

They don’t necessarily have to be as long as they can get the part, and it’s not difficult to get. Try google and call a few.

 

[watchyouwant]

If the warranty is the problem after dropping it on a hard surface , then organize the original crystal with the Omega logo in the middle and ask a Watchmaker to install it. Cheap.

 

[Davidt]

Put it another way, most warranty claims will result in a partial or full service by Omega. If you get a watchmaker to replace the crystal, it does void your warranty and you have an issue in the next couple of years, you simply have to pay the full service cost which you’re paying now anyway if you go via Omega. In the more likely scenario where you don’t have an issue, you’ve saved most of the service cost.

I know which option I’d choose.

 

[Ali Haas]

Your average watchmaker cannot be stocking FRESH, proper gaskets, for a million different watches. Your water resistance will be at risk. This is why I never get a watch that needs a service repaired by anybody but the OEM company. The watch was injured. Face the facts. You need to pay for a full service and know that it is truly OK. Ask yourself - what's the right, proper thing to do? Sometimes shortcuts work, sometimes they don't.

I always try to do the right thing.

Ali

 

[padders]

Ali Haas

Your average watchmaker cannot be stocking FRESH, proper gaskets, for a million different watches. Your water resistance will be at risk. This is why I never get a watch that needs a service repaired by anybody but the OEM company. The watch was injured. Face the facts. You need to pay for a full service and know that it is truly OK. Ask yourself - what's the right, proper thing to do? Sometimes shortcuts work, sometimes they don't.

I always try to do the right thing.

Ali

I strongly disagree with more or less all of this but do what you think is best.

 

[gbesq]

Ali Haas

Your average watchmaker cannot be stocking FRESH, proper gaskets, for a million different watches. Your water resistance will be at risk. This is why I never get a watch that needs a service repaired by anybody but the OEM company. The watch was injured. Face the facts. You need to pay for a full service and know that it is truly OK. Ask yourself - what's the right, proper thing to do? Sometimes shortcuts work, sometimes they don't.

I always try to do the right thing.

Ali

Not exactly. Any indepedent watchmaker with an Omega parts account can order parts from the mother ship as they are needed.

 

[JwRosenthal]

gbesq

Not exactly. Any indepedent watchmaker with an Omega parts account can order parts from the mother ship as they are needed.

This is what I was thinking. There are independent omega certified watchmakers (some on this forum) who can give an assessment and repair only what needs to be repaired (if only a crystal) and perform the pressure testing while maintaining your warranty. Sending directly to Omega results in them doing what they do which seems to be an all or nothing approach- which I get as that is their way and you know going in what to expect.
Finding one in or near your country is the part that requires the googles.

That said, despite it still running fine, once a watchmaker cracks it open they may find broken case screws or other goodies that got buggered when it took the impact- so you don’t known what you don’t know until it’s on a watchmakers bench.

 

[hen]

Ali Haas

Your average watchmaker cannot be stocking FRESH, proper gaskets, for a million different watches. Your water resistance will be at risk. This is why I never get a watch that needs a service repaired by anybody but the OEM company. The watch was injured. Face the facts. You need to pay for a full service and know that it is truly OK. Ask yourself - what's the right, proper thing to do? Sometimes shortcuts work, sometimes they don't.

I always try to do the right thing.

Ali

I think so too. If the shock absorber system (Incablock?) didn`t absorb the shock when the watch hit the floor, some pivots or something may be bent. But I am a mechanic not a watchmaker.

 

[Larry S]

N ninman

Yeah, that's basically what they said. Oh well, an expensive and frustrating lesson has been learned.

A watch is a precision machine requiring skill to fix. I don’t begrudge my watch service for charging me to properly repair them. A drop onto a hard surface is gonna hurt.