I have some difficulties understanding this point .
I payed in full.
I have a sale receipt with “Snoopy 50” on it.
I payed taxes on the reference.
In return they “guaranteed” 2000% that the watch was specifically allocated to me.
Why they should decide to change the rules and issue refunds?
To lose clients?
Seriously, I don’t get it.

 

Looking good there! Thanks for sharing some photos of how it looks in natural lighting. Appreciate how you dressed up for it with matching jacket and shirt

 

This question could seem loaded delivered via forum post, but it’s not loaded: did they give you some guarantee in writing, or any promise of a delivery date?

Otherwise they may lose a client, but they wouldn’t be obligated to perform.

 

Got two distinct receipts, listing the specific good sold.
Payed sale taxes calculated on the watch price.
Got an email stating that my payment was placed, the order communicated to Omega, that It was acknowledged by HQ, and confirmed that my piece will be delivered for sure.
I’ve that in writing from the Omega official email.
What else should I ask for?

 

You're assured of your watch. Period.

Omega will certainly meet it's obligation to deliver, that's the basic premise when they accept deposits through their channel.

I don't know if anyone who booked 5711 with a deposit at their boutique didn't get the watch.

Patek, like any other reputed brand, would have to honour its commitment if deposit is already accepted for a certain watch before they announced the discontinuation. Just my 2 cents....

 

I don’t think deposit alone guarantees what you might think; return of the deposit would also satisfy the obligation (at least in the US, but I think it generalizes).

But, if the gent above has an email guaranteeing delivery of the watch eventually, then the only thing left to deal with is the definition of ‘eventually.’

This isn’t meant to be discouraging, as of course Omega will be motivated to perform. I left a full deposit in the SS cal.321B for a year.

But folks with full deposits down should weigh into their decision making the practical extent of Omega’s obligation.

(As for the 5711, I understand people with deposits were given the choice to (a) get back deposit, or (b) leave deposit toward another watch including whatever watch may replace the 5711.)

 

Also 5711 deposits are with AD's while most of us with deposits are with an Omega Boutique. Company owned OB's are higher on the priority allocation than AD's.

 

Several people answered this, I think. But look at it this way...today, early February 2021, Omega has the intention of building you a watch at some point in the future. Let's say they expect it to be delivered by the end of 202. Four months from now "something" happens. I can make humorous, or not so humorous hypotheticals. But let's just make it something simple: whatever license that Omega has that allows them to use Snoopy on the their watches, gets cancelled. Charles Schultz's estate decides they don't like watches. Or United Features (who's probably the licensor) decides that they want 10x the licensing fee, and their contract allows them to renegotiate the deal. Whatever it is, suddenly Omega can't put Snoopy on their watches anymore. Or maybe Omega announces a new president, and he or she thinks that cartoon dogs shouldn't appear on luxury timepieces, so Omega stops making them. I can make up a dozen other examples.

All of those guarantees don't mean anything at that point. In the US and, I'm guessing, most countries, if they return your money (including your sales tax) then they have no further obligation to you. If you look at whatever paperwork they gave you, there's probably some kind of fine print that gives them an out. Let me add that I expect that YOU will get your watch. I've heard stories that they have stopped taking deposits. Probably because the lead time is huge, and they don't want to piss off their clients.

Here's a sort of real-world example...back in the 90s, my friend had a license from Apple Computer to make watches. They were fun quartz watches with the Apple logo, or they ran backwards and said "think different" on the dial. Stuff like that. Steve Jobs walked up to their booth at the MacWorld Expo, looked at the watches, and said something like "These are dumb" and their license was cancelled the next day. They had a contract and everything, but Jobs (who was, needless to say, much bigger than my friend) unilaterally decided to end the relationship.

 

Just to be clear, this is my experience at my OB. YMMV elsewhere. I was one of the first depositors back in June. I was told at that time it would be based on deposit order. Watch was released in October. I checked in and was told I would be in the first batch of deliveries. Fast forward to Jan. Now I’m told that they can no longer say definitively when I will receive my piece because corporate change how watches will be distributed. They are deliberately being vague so that they don’t make any more promises to clients.

 

If you placed your deposit at an OB during the first few months of the release, you should be able to get your watch. I’ve heard but cannot confirm that OBs have stopped taking deposits. If true, it’s also a good sign for you. That means omega has a handle on their demand and plan to fulfill their obligations on delivering on those who made deposits. Now, the only question is how long the wait will be.

However, there is no absolute guarantee that they will deliver all watches. Any company can change their mind. As long as they return your entire deposit, their obligation to you is over. They will have a lot of unhappy clients but that’s a different problem.

 

thanks for all the comments.
Those rules that are reported as changed, were actually explained to me from the very beginning. So definitely there were some issues in the Omega communication.

I placed the deposit in September when the lists were “officially” opened at my OB. About 3 weeks before the launch.
I understand some placed the deposit before.
Anyway, I have the mail confirmation, the guaranteed in written (without “eventually”), the virtual handshake with the associate and with the director sealing the deal and confirming that my piece has been already assigned to me by Omega.
Then, of course the world might collapse, Martians might attack us from the deep space, and Omega CEO might decide to halt the production to make 1 billion of swatches. In that case I will get a refund... I guess.
Otherwise, I believe I can trust their promises and I’ve pretty decent chance of getting my watch.
At this point time will tell!

 

I didn’t mean literally the word “eventually”

unless the guarantee told you a specific date by which they would deliver you the watch, you can just read in the word “eventually”

 

gotcha. I have no specific date, so if that means “eventually” it makes sense
Basically by doing something like this they will have zero credibility in general. But I see your point. Omega could do that.
Nobody can legally prevent them for doing it.
Anyway I like the watch and trust the brand and the associate. In the end I still believe that a gentleman handshake is more powerful than a binding contract, in some instances.
Probably I’m a desperate old fashion romantic man

 

re-awakening this post…. Got my Snoopy last week and checked my certificate. Movement still Cat 1a, over a year after your delivery….. good sign.

 

Actually it’s a CAT Ia not 1a ( so it’s a i and not a 1 )

Which would mean something to do with the things that make stuff turn on the back of the movement