I don't think the deposits guarantee you anything. At the point when they were taking your money, the OB (or even Omega itself) fully intended to sell you that watch. However, a lot can happen in the interim. At worst, you'll just get your deposit refunded with an apology.

 

nope, the allocation is guaranteed 100%.
It was confirmed verbally multiple times and I have it in written by Omega’s boutique together with the confirmation of payment for the sale of a good.
The allocation, at least with the full price payed, was and currently is guaranteed.
I hope I’m not the only one who asked for confirmation in written
I don’t think there is any question on this, unless Omega HQ, Boutiques, directors and associates have zero credibility.
Frankly, I don’t think this is the case.

 

i think you’re missing the point.

they are not obligated to give you a watch if they return a deposit

failing to deliver the watch wouldn’t really lessen their credibility except to anyone who didn’t understand the above from the start

 

As we know they can do whatever they want, from a legal point of view. They will give me my money back, refund taxes and we are good.
Would they do that when they wrote in an official communication that my watch was guaranteed, the data sent and received from Omega HQ, and that I would have had a Snoopy 100% (it was just a matter of time)?

I believe that with a full deposit and sale taxes (placed before the launch in September), I’m better positioned than the thousands of clients on list of interest without deposits.
And I believe that if somebody wants a Snoopy, and was able to place a deposit (better if in full) should be patient and keep the money where they are.
Because the will deliver to these clients.
There is no question about it.
Unless Omega goes out of business.

 

My US OB also told me I'm guaranteed one as I have a deposit ($5,000). They also said they don't want to be holding onto deposits long (over 1 year) as it runs into some kind of issue accounting-wise (maybe he meant legally?). Not sure what US consumer laws there are about deposits and timeframes...

 

1900 to the US (out of 5000) is way out of proportion with global sales.
Traditionally, US had made up closer to 5% of global sales, I was once told.

 

on the other hand, we are here talking about a watch that commemorates NASA/U.S.-centric events, are we not?

Separately, I also think we’re here talking about deposits where people have been told they could be waiting years - while you seem to be assuming that the “out of 5000” relates to a specific and shorter time frame?

EDIT: PS more generally U.S. accounts for 15% of all Swiss watch exports; so while it is possible the U.S. disproportionately avoids Omega (accounting for only 5% of Omega imports while 15% of all Swiss imports), that would seem odd and worthy of further info

 

It does lessen Omega’s credibility quite a bit if the person has an email from Omega/Swatch Group stating that they will get a watch and Omega decides to cancel their deposit. Omega can include all the boiler plate language they want but that they’ll lose big time in the court of public opinion. I’m pretty sure they would lose a customer for life and that person would post about it here.

 

Surely, and I never intended to suggest there wouldn’t be costs to Omega for not satisfying orders backed with full deposits.

Instead, occasionally on this thread someone pops in seeming to nearly suggest that having a deposit is as certain as death to a watch being delivered; and I think those assertions benefit from some reality check.

Especially because every “guarantee” I’ve heard about (1) specifies no time frame for performance, and (2) comes from OB representatives that as a general rule tend to know less than we do about what’s in the mind of Omega HQ. In that context, it doesn’t take much for a Omega to find coverage in “disappointing” some people.

Depending on the circumstances and how Omega spins it, there is a scenario - especially if years from now with still languishing deposits - where in furtherance of being a company selling ~500,000 watches a year they decide it prudent all things considered to incur the “cost” or irritating a few hundred people.

Just ask the people that were years deep on a Patek 5711 waitlist ...

PS EDIT: I had in a full deposit for a full year before receiving my 321B, so I’m far from criticizing the prudence of relying on a deposit

 

Difference between 5711 and this is people here have deposits with a company owned Omega boutiques. 5711 waitlist deposits are with AD’s who do all sorts of shenanigans. Rolex operates the same way as Patek with almost no company owned boutiques and use the AD model almost exclusively.

I think a Snoopy deposit with an Omega boutique is more similar to a 100% owned AP boutique. The AP boutiques in NYC and Bal Harbor are 100% AP owned and will tell you to put a deposit down for a watch when a piece has been allocated to you. They don’t accept deposits for a waitlist spot.

 

I would still keep my "full deposit" where it is.
They said it's guaranteed 100%. They put it in written.
Can they get out, legally? Absolutely.
Would they ever do it? Never.

Do we want to play with real odds? Let's do it:
I say that a U.S. client with full deposit payed before the official reveal of the piece (around September), has a watch coming his way 99.999%.
Omega will not deliver to this client with a probability of 0.001%. (they could still go out of business, or maybe France decides to declare war and invade Switzerland, who knows).
A client on a list of interest in U.S., without deposit payed, that manifested the interest after the day of official reveal, has a probability of gettin a Snoopy that is definitely less than 99.999%.

Ergo, if you like the watch... keep your deposit where it is.

 

If you have a deposit at a US boutique and haven’t had your deposit returned to you by now, then you are guaranteed a watch. Timeframe of delivery though is not guaranteed. It could be next week or 2 years from now but you will get one before production is stopped.

 

What’s the time horizon of these odds?

1 year?

6 years?

 

Expected for my piece is 2022.

 

Before Omega stops production

 

that seems the right qualifier for folks in the U.S.

 

Still better than being stuck on a register your interest list!

 

without a doubt!

not incidentally, where I am...

 

Good luck. It’s going to be a long wait for us regular people.

 

Today OB in Spain told me that they have already delivered 11 pieces.