Hi all,

I want to share my experience with purchasing this watch and firstly i want to state that i love this watch and walking in to the UK Westfield Omega store and buying it (it did take my wife 1 week to convince me to buy such an expensive watch But 'love' doesn't extended to the brand at the moment.

1st fault: Jan 2015
I got this watch at the end of December 2014 and 3 weeks later i started to noticing problems with its poor time keeping and stopping, i would end up manually winding it in the mornings and then after 6 hours of winding it stopps, eventually one day after winding it one morning it stopped completely and i couldn't get it to tick by manually winding it or shaking it, so i called omega store, packed it up in the box and went there next day to see the sales to check my watch. In store as he picked it up from the box it started to tick again and i was very surprised. I explained problems i been having and he send off the watch for examination. In the end fault was found and it was fixed. Here is what the report letter stated: "..and as result, we are now able to advise that the clasp screw was loose within the movement (the screw has now been replaced) and this affected the automatic winding system which caused the stopping of the watch."

2nd fault: May 2015
I haven't been wearing watch for few weeks due to work i was doing and just i picked it up one day to wear, it started to tick and then stop, thats fine since the watch been lying still for some time. I then set the date/time and manually winded it and the watch never moved again, it died. I again took it to the omega store and watch was send for examination, problem was found again and fixed. Here is what the report letter stated: "...As a result, we are now able to advise that the case clamp blocked the movement which caused the stopping of the watch. In order to return your watch to complete working order, all case clamps and case clamp screws (3) have been replaced and your timepiece has subsequently undergone stringent testing within our Quality Control Department."


I asked if they can simply replace the watch rather than repair due to already been faulty in the first place and answer was that it would have to break 3 times before service manager can authorize such action I asked the store sales that this manager call me and perhaps we can settle on 6 months extended warranty as a courtesy gesture but he is now not delivering second promised call.

Currently i am in talks to their store sales person as he is the only point of contact at the moment but finding it a bit of a chase to get manager to call me and document an official letter with not only fault statement but their promise 3rd time break to replace the watch, after all this is what i was told and if its true then it shouldn't be an issue to put this in wiring.

I am disappointed by the whole experience so far; a £2,700+ watch that breaks down twice, i cant even tell this to my friends or family; "hey look at my new fancy, expensive omega watch and of by the way it broke down twice in the last 6 months" - it would be embarrassing!

Any thoughts or suggestions would be great.

 

Sometimes stuff gets hosed. Omega is not being unreasonable. I personally think you should adjust your expectations.

Tom

 

I would not be happy either. I would send a letter/email to customer service outlining your grevences and what you expect as a reasonable response.
It does not matter what other people think is reasonable it's not their watch. If they do not meet your expectations then you have the choice of never buying another omega watch. I personally don't think asking for an extended warranty period is too much to ask.

 

If it was possible to produce a man made item that was consistently perfect, it wouldn't be required that a manufacturer provide a warranty. Your warranty is the manufacturer's way of saying that they think it is perfect, but just in case it isn't, they will look after you. Having had experience with a new car that had a bad engine bearing, I expected the engine would be replaced. Instead, they fixed only the bad bearing! When I questioned them, they told me that the warranty only covered them fixing what was wrong! One bearing! No more, no less!

 

It's bullshit and I'm sorry for your experience. Things break, that's fine, that's what the warranty is for.

Twice in such a short time and for the reasons described it seems.obvious there is something wrong with this watch...and with that store.

Regardless of what they may get away with there is such a thing as consumer care and I've seen stores provide exchanges and services for far less in many occasions.

Yes, I would reach Omega and Swatch headquarters and yes I would openly for very a low rating on whatever social media they're aligned with.

 

Actually its not the fact that i don't accept faults, its the fact that it happend so soon and twice, of course i expect that one day this watch 'might' have an issue but after its done some significant mileage for me. It just doesn't sell for me as a reliable product at the moment and my confidence in it is low.

First time it broke, i was surprised but accepted this as shit happens and its technology, lets fix it.

I didn't buy a computer or car but an expensive Swiss quality made watch that has been around for some time in production and as for Tom, well perhaps you might not feel same way if this happens to you twice and you are about to go on 3 weeks holidays but have to leave your dead watch behind to sort it out on your return.

 

Hello, @vadimo -- sorry to hear about your frustrating and disappointing experience. Regarding Omega as a brand, there is no reason to expect their Quality Assurance practices to be any less effective than other brands that offer watches in the same price range. Even at 2,700 pounds your watch is still, for the most part, a mass-produced item and thus there will always be some small number of units which will fail prematurely; unfortunately, you ended up on the wrong end of that particular statistic.

The repair vs. replacement policy seems reasonable to me, but that may be little consolation for someone who has had to return to the shop multiple times with a malfunctioning watch. As compensation for your inconveniences it would not be unreasonable for you to expect (judiciously ask) the seller to "gift" you something like an additional watch band (a NATO strap, for example) or some other low-priced, high profit margin item that the shop sells.

Regarding your potential embarrassment, I wouldn't worry too much about that unless you explicitly tell everyone that you paid X pounds for it. My own experience has been that very few people notice that I'm wearing an Omega watch, and almost certainly don't know that it is a (relatively) expensive watch. If my watch said Rolex on the dial, it would be a different story (your experience in this regard may vary depending on the social circles you move in.) I actually bought Omega watches (vs. Rolex) so that they would NOT be recognized in public as expensive watches. In other words, I wanted the experience of owning a fine, (relatively) luxurious timepiece that was at the same time, unpretentious.

I do hope that these problems are resolved in a way that leaves you feeling that you were treated fairly and respectfully.

 

My first two new Omegas had issues and I must admit I was gutted with that so I feel for you. Go straight to Omega UK with your concerns but be polite and insistent and that will work wonders I know it did for me. Don't despair with them just make sure you get the watch fully overhauled and you want the warranty to start when you receive it back after the problem has been resolved. In my eyes that's not too much to ask. Remember the golden rule you catch more bees with honey than vinegar.

 

@Jones in LA. I already got two omega hats and two travel cases warranty extension is more important to me than any accessories and i agree mostly people don't pay attention at what watch you got but still when people notice, you want to say good news not the bad ones.

@Event horizon, i am been reasonable and currently want 3 things: 1. eventually that service manager calls me 2. try to agree on extended warranty and open to other suggestions 3. edit official letter from Omega stating not only the cause of fault but the fact that 3rd time break, it will be replaced and endorsed by the service manager.

oh the watch is this exact: http://www.omegawatches.com/collection/seamaster/diver-300-m/co-axial-41-mm/21230412003001

 

@vadimo -- even though I said what I said about not being noticed, your particular watch WILL be noticed! It's one of the prettiest watches that Omega makes

 

I had three issues with my first omega and after negotiations and downright threats they replaced my watch and upgraded my ass to boot, when I had problems with the replacement they were all over fixing the replacement. Don't forget omega think they are perfect they just need reminding nobody's that good.

 

1st problem loose screw. Embarrassing.
2nd problem looks a little more sketchy. Caused by the first repair. Sounds like they left something inside that didn't belong there. If it was a movement holder or screw rattling around, it could cause other issues if it got into the wrong place (balance, escape wheel, pallet, etc). Keep an eye on it and take it back at the first sign of trouble. You have reason to doubt their ability.

 

Hi gents, I have this exact same model and received it back from repair yesterday, after 7 months without fault and running +2 -0 seconds a day it just stopped overnight, manual wind 20 times it lasted all day but stopped within an hour on the bedside table. Returned to Omega boutique in Brisbane Australia, they said up to six weeks! Received an SMS less than 3 weeks into that repair period and a phone call yesterday to say it was ready. Picked it up yesterday and so far I'm very pleased with the result, the service report said some adjustment was made and it was checked for all parameters etc, etc. It's now better than +1sec in 24 hrs. I too have lost a bit of confidence but hopefully this is the last time I need to take it back. Great watch otherwise and it attracts plenty of comments from others. I have a 1977 seamaster f300 in my collection as well but it is beyond economical repair. Good luck with your Omegas guys.

 

Looks like 2 loose screws...I suspect the word "clasp" in the first instance should be "clamp" or maybe in the UK those words are interchangeable. So to me it sounds like the movement clamp and screws have come loose....twice.

Embarrassing for whoever did the assembly and the first repair? Yes certainly. A major problem with the watch? Certainly not.

I know these things are disappointing, but they happen sometimes. I don't think this warrants a new watch by any reasonable standard, and even the extension of warranty is asking a lot for what amounts to a simple problem and fix. These problems are not a sign of a "bad movement" or something that will haunt you long term....unless they keep leaving screws loose that is.

Let us know how you make out.

Cheers, Al

 

After another sensible email yesterday to the store I have had finally call from customer care manager today, he apologised, said that this is a rare case and agreed to start new warranty period from today and not the December 2014 when i purchased the watch. I also got the letter i wanted in writing from him.

He mentioned that if watch breaks down again 3rd time, they will look at this case very closely again and i could be looking at replacement within 3 years of the warranty, he said it would be my legal right.

Its also been interesting to see other people's reaction here, hopefully i dont have to ever update this post again

 

See? They took care of you without you having to go all batshit insane on them.

Tom

 

Great thread. I am going through this now. My Seamaster's chrono is skipping on the dial when I go to set it back to 12. I take it to the Omega boutique on Saturday. Hopefully this gets sorted out. When a watch is over five grand, I expect a lot out of it. I'll keep you guys posted. Wish me luck.

 

I just wanted to say that the watch is now loosing time, i noticed in august it was 45 seconds behind so i adjusted it on the 30th of august, it is now 25 seconds behind, surely this is not normal considering i wear it every day from 06.30am till 11pm.

Given the fact that my watch had faults now twice i will be pressing Omega for replacement or refund, sadly.

 

My SMPc had a similar fault to yours, only broke down once though and touch wood has been running bang on since repair 5 months ago requiring no adjustment, similar wearing pattern to yours also, I'd try the diplomacy approach first and just ask to have it regulated as it seems borderline out of spec.