Everyone 's got me nervous now[emoji17]
Since this is your line of work, what's entailed with this?
Interesting timing. I also found this morning a little speck of dust and almost the same spot as you, between 10 and 11. Had this piece for a couple of months now but didn't notice this before (the dust particle shifted around inside?) bought mine at an OB. Emailing my rep about this.
Demand whatever you want. You bought it new from an AD. Return it if you have to and buy from another AD or Boutique. If you paid with a credit card dispute the charges if you have to. Unacceptable from an AD in every way on a week old piece - especially if it is bothering you.
If it is a boutique watchmaker yes, if it is a boutique "technician" then no. I would verify that it is a boutique watchmaker before having them do the work.
Some general information on such issues...
With regards to the QC of the watches for things like dust particles, it may be useful to understand the criteria Omega uses for such inspections. They do not use macro photography, loupes, etc. when checking this. They simply check by eye from 30 cm away under specific lighting, and if the dial looks clean at that distance, the watch passes. This is fairly standard protocol from watch manufacturers.
With regards to Omega's obligation under their warranty, although different countries may have laws that modify it, Omega will repair or replace the watches at their discretion. If you read the warranty in your owner's manual, you will likely see text to that effect, so there is likely no legal obligation for them to replace a watch for something so easily fixed. If they do so, it will be as a courtesy.
Personally I would not demand a new watch for something like this. Although it's disappointing to find a problem like this, it's not like it's a malfunction of the movement, or something more serious. I'm not sure I quite understand this idea of an "untouched" watch, because honestly it's been touched by a whole whack of people at the factory when it was manufactured and assembled, but that's just my view. This seems to me to be like trying to return a new car because an overhead light inside was burnt out, and replacing the bulb meant the car was no longer "untouched" somehow...
Cheers, Al
I would say expecting a dust free watch in this price range coming from the factory shouldn't be an unachievable thing. And yes, i have to admit that the dust particles are not always visible, but in certain lightning conditions it is quite easy to notice them as i did just on a normal sunny day without any magnification.
AD is saying they will send it to Omega. I'm not thrilled with this...
Do the ADs work with Omega sales reps or account managers? Maybe I should write to omega directly.
Sorry to hear that. The question is whether the facilities in NYC allow for this type of service. The tech himself is a very nice man. I met them when he fxed a bezel on my old PO xl
My AD is refusing to replace it and insists on sending it to the Omega Service Facility in NJ. I've heard nothing but bad things about that facility. I usually give the benefit of doubt when there are 1 or 2 isolated bad experiences, but when the majority provides negative feedback, that's a problem. So a replacement won't happen. I've brought a case manager from The Swatch Group into the situation and she is currently seeing what can be done. If a repair is all that can be done, then so be it. But if that's the case I'd like the Omega Boutique in NYC, with an on-site watchmaker, to do the fix. No way I'm sending it to NJ.
I hear there's an Omega service center in Seattle too. Is that right?
Mine has been fixed by now. It looks now dust free or at least i can't see any dust particles under the crystal. 😀
Unfortunately the happyness didn't took so long. 🙁 I've been unlucky enough to not notice a scratch on the watch housing in the boutique, it must be just me, but it seems my fears become reality. I've called the OB immediately, as i was in a rush i wasn't able to take it back to them today, but they would take care of it.
@Archer could you please confirm whether this is something what can be fixed/polished easily? Is it possible to restore the satin finishing without taking the watch apart again, or they will need to remove the helium valve? BTW it does look much worse on the photo as it is actualy.
Conclusion: I have a 6 days old watch wearing sings of the service (there are tiny little scratches on the back side of the lugs most likely from the spring bar tool, the case opener also left its mark in the gaps of the caseback.)
Funny, but this whole saga just brought the watch closer to my heart. 😁
Glad to see you got it sorted. Just a few questions for ya.
- Was this done at an Omega boutique by an Omega watchmaker?
- How long did the process take?
- Did they tell you what was involved in the process?
I'm just curious bc I'll be going through this on Saturday
@Archer could you please confirm whether this is something what can be fixed/polished easily? Is it possible to restore the satin finishing without taking the watch apart again, or they will need to remove the helium valve? BTW it does look much worse on the photo as it is actualy.
@Archer could you please confirm whether this is something what can be fixed/polished easily? Is it possible to restore the satin finishing without taking the watch apart again, or they will need to remove the helium valve? BTW it does look much worse on the photo as it is actualy.
