I paid $8k for this last year from a family member who works for a Jewlery store. When I first started wearing the watch, the clasp mechanism on the band kept breaking. The pin would come out and the whole thing would fall off your wrist. I slipped outside once in the snow going into a movie theater and when I got inside I noticed the watch was gone. Miraculously I was able to find the watch and all of the band pieces in the parking lot snow after about 30 minutes of searching. It kept happening and I was able to improve it by bending the hook a little. However, I finally got annoyed that I spent this much for a new watch and the freaking band won't even stay on. I contacted IWC to see about warrantying it. They informed me that they would not since I didn't buy it from an AD, which was news to me since my family member told me they were an AD. So they were incorrect about that. I'm also concerned it may be a preowned watch, as this was the sticker on it: PREOWOO535 BIGPILOT43MM so# 100-0005918 "PREOW" makes me concerned. However, I was able to register it with IWC when I bought it. So the questions are: 1. Is this watch real or counterfeit? And 2. If real, is it new or preowned and resold to me as new? Thanks
It looks real, but there's no way to tell if it's preowned or not from a photo. When you bought it, did your friend activate the warranty and fill out the warranty card with that day's date?
I can log into my account on the IWC website and see that I registered it. It came with a card that showed a purchase date of last December when my family member bought it for me. It has a product ID of IW329301 and serial number of 6401536 It says international limited warranty ends 12/11/24. So I'm confused. This all sounds like it was a new watch if IWC let me register like this. But they won't honor the warranty since it came from an unauthorized dealer? I have no idea where this store acquired the watch, and I can see that they don't sell IWC on their website (Diamonds Direct).
IWC is telling me their limited warranty only covers defects on the timepiece itself, not the strap. Seems kinda bogus. Odd that I could register it with the warranty card but could still possibly be pre-owned. The watch looked new. Well at least it's real, that's all that matters. I can buy a new strap if I have to.
So, last year ? more than 12 months ago ? If so, that answers your question. Leather bands will not be covered, but you have an IWC signed clasp problem. Buy a new unbranded band to wear it. Take a copy of your Watch IWC registration , pack your band only and send direct to the Factory in Switzerland. If there is a solution, it will be dealt with there. Good luck !
Seems to me if it was able to be registered on the IWC website the warranty should be valid. Why not contact the family member and find the skinny on the watch....new, pre-owned, something else? That would be the first thing I would do, and then take it from there.