Funny terms of a vintage watch warranty

Risto · Nov 30, 2020

So, this happened and it sounds a bit ridiculous to me.

I have one watch that I bought a few months ago. I bought it partly because the movement had been serviced a year before and watchmaker gave a total of 3 years warranty. Great deal, I thought!

Now, when I got the watch I noticed that it had an issue with a chronograph not resetting properly.
I notified the seller who told me to contact the watchmaker. OK.
Did not expect the following.
I'm going to paste here the reply I got.
I asked them if I'd send it in and could they fix it.
I would send it from Estonia to the UK at my expense of course and would pay for return shipping.

REPLY:
You need to send the watch to the person you bought it from and he will need to return it to us as you have a purchase contract with him not us. I have spoken to our watchmaker and the watch was serviced In April 2019.
We don’t think it would involve much to rectify but you must understand your contract is with him and the warranty is in his name. We do not want the responsibility of sending the watch abroad. So please send it to him to deal with the shipping.

Me: OK... weirdest thing ever.
I told them I don't see how the previous owner has got anything to do with this.
Warranty cannot be linked to the ownership.
So, I wrote them another letter and was explaining that I could take care of all shipping. Not to worry.

REPLY:
As I said it is not a long or complicated job to do so we don’t have a problem with doing it. But, as we do not know what has gone on with the watch after it has left us and if we sent it to you and it went missing then we would be liable for it and it would cost us. Where as you bought it from a certain person which means you have a contract with them and they are required to deal with it. As long as you will send it and organise return delivery to you, then fine send it in and we will do it.
But I have to point out that with the watch going back and forth in the post which is precarious at the best of times, and possibility of 3 or more owners in the 2 years, that is not normal wear and I suggest that you do not sell it on with the guarantee as we will not honour it.

OK.
Shipping is sorted.
But, how can a watchmaker make restrictions on how many owners a watch could have in the time of the warranty 😀 Ridiculous terms! If the watch has problems and has warranty, it might fly from an Antarctica back and forth many times in my opinion 😀

Dan S · Nov 30, 2020

Risto
But, how can a watchmaker make restrictions on how many owners a watch could have in the time of the warranty 😀 Ridiculous terms!

Not ridiculous IMO. A business can put whatever terms they want on a warranty, and they are not always transferable unless explicitly stated. So TBH, you should probably consider yourself lucky that the warranty is transferable at all. That's not always the case,

STANDY · Nov 30, 2020

I myself would send it to your own watchmaker.

Why would you want to send it to someone who didn’t sort it out. How do you know the previous owners watchmaker is a good reputable guy....

And agree warranty isn’t always transferable

Risto · Nov 30, 2020

Right. I guess I have not enough experience with the watchmakers yet.

Sounds strange, but there are no watchmakers in Estonia, who has experience with vintage Swiss watches.
Most watchmakers repair old clocks and Russian watches, change batteries and fix simple watches. But, they don't want to work on chronographs. I've talked to many. When they see a column-wheel chronograph, they just show me the door.
The watch isn't an Omega, but for example, there is no watchmaker who'd have an access to Omega parts.

I know a guy who is learning the trade.

STANDY · Nov 30, 2020

Find the best watchmaker you can is my advice to anyone.

Risto
I know a guy who is learning the trade.

Send this guy Siekos for a few years 😉 (that way you have contact when his a good watchmaker)😁

Flip · Nov 30, 2020

@Risto Hi, was this a private sale or did you buy the watch from a dealer ? If you bought from a dealer then they should sort the matter out for you under their warranty.
Although you pay a premium, a decent dealer would resolve matters like this so that’s why you pay extra, for the piece of mind it gives you, especially considering the sums of money involved.

Risto · Nov 30, 2020

It was a private sale. Actually, the seller even told me graciously that he could help if I can't work it out, but I don't want to involve him here.
And if instead of me, if the next owner would need to send it back to that watchmaker, then the watch should come to me, then back to the guy who sold it to me and then to the watchmaker... 😀
Anyway, as said before, every watchmaker can make their own terms.

Foo2rama · Nov 30, 2020

Warranties are commonly non transferable, ask any Hyundai 2nd owner.

Risto · Nov 30, 2020

So, then there's no point to mention service warranty in this forum when selling a vintage watch 😀

Iceter · Nov 30, 2020

I would have read between the lines and interpreted those silly shipping shenanigans as the company telling me they didn’t really want to see my watch again. I’d be looking for another place to have it fixed.

Braindrain · Nov 30, 2020

Foo2rama
Warranties are commonly non transferable, ask any Hyundai 2nd owner.

I did *not* know that. Not that I'm looking to buy that brand anytime soon, but also applicable to their Kia sub-brand?

Gav1967 · Nov 30, 2020

I have bought a few watches where a service warranty is offered as part of the sale. In these cases my assumption would be that it is the sellers responsibility to honour the warranty in case of an issue not the watchmaker.
I have only had one watch where this was tested and there was a subsequent problem and when I contacted the seller he immediately took the watch back (I paid postage). He then arranged the repair and then shipped back to me at his cost.

Foo2rama · Nov 30, 2020

Braindrain
I did *not* know that. Not that I'm looking to buy that brand anytime soon, but also applicable to their Kia sub-brand?

Depends on country... but... it appears the same as Hyundia

Can I Give the Kia Warranty to a Second Owner? Yes. It's that simple. The 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty is switched to a 5-year/60,000-mile limited powertrain warranty when the vehicle is sold, with the remainder transferring to the new owner

alam · Nov 30, 2020

Foo2rama
Warranties are commonly non transferable, ask any Hyundai 2nd owner.

In my experience, most warranties are transferable to the new owner. E.g. Rolex will honor any remaining warranty on a watch that was purchased from an AD (and properly registered) to the new owner; warranties of Ford vehicles stay with the vehicles and w/the same terms/conditions; the ten-year HVAC warranty on my previous home stayed with the equipment and w/the new homeowners... and many others - again, that has been my experience.

Foo2rama · Nov 30, 2020

alam
In my experience, most warranties are transferable to the new owner. E.g. Rolex will honor any remaining warranty on a watch that was purchased from an AD (and properly registered) to the new owner; warranties of Ford vehicles stay with the vehicles and w/the same terms/conditions; the ten-year HVAC warranty on my previous home stayed with the equipment and w/the new homeowners... and many others - again, that has been my experience.

I agree most do transfer. It’s just not uncommon for them not too.

alam · Nov 30, 2020

Risto
So, then there's no point to mention service warranty in this forum when selling a vintage watch 😀

Depends on the agreement between the original owner and the watchmaker who serviced the watch and is providing the warranty --- the watchmaker may agree to deal directly w/the new owner, but this is something that should be discussed between all parties before the deal is closed.

YY77 · Nov 30, 2020

Foo2rama
Depends on country... but... it appears the same as Hyundia

Can I Give the Kia Warranty to a Second Owner? Yes. It's that simple. The 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty is switched to a 5-year/60,000-mile limited powertrain warranty when the vehicle is sold, with the remainder transferring to the new owner

Quite surprised the warranty seems to differs per country, I work at Kia and our 7-year warranty is transferrable in Europe, just looked at the conditions stated by Hyundai in NL and also there the 5-year warranty is transferrable (not restricted in length).

WatchCor · Nov 30, 2020

I think a transferable warranty is a rare bird on the second hand watch market. The vintage watches that I have had, were all non-transferable warranties or had none.

I personally don't think the business owner is unreasonable although I do understand your frustrations with the matter.

P.s. I kinda wish you'd show us the watch Any thread can be improved by photos

Risto · Nov 30, 2020

It’s a nice Hamilton. I hate when there’s a mechanical issue 😀

Risto · Nov 30, 2020

One of issues is that the hour register advances too fast. Running the chronograph for 5 minutes it moves to 1 hour or so. And chronograph’s seconds hand resets to 11.55 or so.

Funny terms of a vintage watch warranty

Risto

Dan S

STANDY

Risto

STANDY

Flip

Risto

Foo2rama

Risto

Iceter

Braindrain

Gav1967

Foo2rama

alam

Foo2rama

alam

YY77

WatchCor

Risto

Risto

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