UK servicing, preferably London based

Posts
330
Likes
163
Have had 30 years of Omega servicing, and while it used to be good, for the last decade/+, it's never come back as good as it left me, accuracy wise or aesthetically, and I'm beyond fed up with it, so would love to know people's own experiences of watchmakers, maybe ex-Omega techs who ran away and work for themselves. Be nice to visit rather than post, hence the London ask, but we all talk about Southampton and some of you have been really lucky, and I'm honestly glad for you, but I am now resigned to the fact that older models maybe aren't given the love that maybe the newer models are, because there's no excuse for forgetting the specific reason it's sent in for. Or I'm just really unlucky? Get an apology, which is fair enough, and I appreciate that, and the please send it back etc, but no I'm done. It's already been sent back. I'm far from a difficult customer, I just want what it was sent in for repaired. Simple as that. £590 isn't cheap when simple tasks are not done.

Every Omega bar one that was a lemon, that I've bought, has been brilliant straight off the shelf, but after servicing, they're not ever close to how they were out of the box.

This may be a SWATCH have taken too much on thing, and 18 is too many brands in the mix. Dunno? Do they service all 18 brands in the same workshop?
Do any of you send to Bienne in Switzerland, is that even a thing after frustration with their UK centre or is that a headache too?
Edited:
 
Posts
330
Likes
163
Seriously, out of the 200 odd people viewing this post, they all use Southampton?
Bar one
 
Posts
11,065
Likes
19,470
Most collectors in the UK aren’t concerned with a local watchmaker, instead we ship around the country to our trusted ones.
If you do a forum search you’ll find recommendations for trusted UK watchmakers.
 
Posts
19,783
Likes
46,228
Seriously, out of the 200 odd people viewing this post, they all use Southampton?
Bar one
Quite possibly people aren't bothering to answer because this question is asked repeatedly and a simple forum search on the topic will turn up many good firsthand recommendations.

That said, I will recommend Mitka (Mitka.co.uk). He is a watchmaker specializing in vintage watches and also a passionate collector.
 
Posts
9,439
Likes
14,870
Posts
330
Likes
163
Fair play, thank you gentleman. Also curious if my problems with officialdom are echoed by others who have noticed that basic servicing is not what it used to be up there anymore.
 
Posts
9,439
Likes
14,870
Fair play, thank you gentleman. Also curious if my problems with officialdom are echoed by others who have noticed that basic servicing is not what it used to be up there anymore.
I think the reality is that many of us just don’t share your view. I’ve found no deterioration in service at Southampton and I’ve been using them and Bienne since around 1995. I would only ever send them a current or near current model though. You’d be asking for big trouble to send them anything pre 1997. They operate on the replace not repair model and that doesn’t suit older stuff.
 
Posts
330
Likes
163
I think the reality is that many of us just don’t share your view. I’ve found no deterioration in service at Southampton and I’ve been using them and Bienne since around 1995. I would only ever send them a current or near current model though. You’d be asking for big trouble to send them anything pre 1997. They operate on the replace not repair model and that doesn’t suit older stuff.

I'm only talking about watches made in the 2000s and up, that have had to be sent back, not because I'm fussy, but because they forgot to do what it was there for, or repaired something that broke again within a few months, or scratched something. Not vintage watches. Why did you have to send to Switzerland, that they can't do here?

I’d second Mitka, along with WatchGuy and AJWSL
Thank you
 
Posts
330
Likes
163
Tough crowd, anyone else able to explain the whys and whens of being able to send to Bienne, and under what circumstances, vintage or?
Curious how and why people have sent to them instead of the UK centre?
Anyone...
 
Posts
1,550
Likes
3,607
Tough crowd,

Maybe but this is an international forum. Let's just say, for arguments sake, 10% of members are from the UK and maybe a third of those are from London or nearby. The title of this thread has already meant it has been scrolled past without even reading it by 97% of the forum population.
Considering there are many other threads on the same or similar subjects I'd say you're doing quite well with replies.

+1 for Mitka by the way 👍
 
Posts
330
Likes
163
Maybe but this is an international forum. Let's just say, for arguments sake, 10% of members are from the UK and maybe a third of those are from London or nearby. The title of this thread has already meant it has been scrolled past without even reading it by 97% of the forum population.
Considering there are many other threads on the same or similar subjects I'd say you're doing quite well with replies.

+1 for Mitka by the way 👍

Some fair comment, and appreciate the recommends, but I was only talking about the Switzerland comment that I had answered, and curious to hear his response, over a week ago. Not really sure what the big secret is, but I'm sure 'padders' has his reasons??? Getting shot down for having awful service is ridiculous. They've admitted their mistakes, it's not like I'm making it up!

'Not vintage watches. Why did you have to send to Switzerland, that they can't do here'?
Edited: