Hi Syrte,

I know you are a Longines fan, have met with people there, and I had a feeling that you would push back on my comments. You may be completely correct in everything you say, but if you are then Longines would be the only watch company in the world that I know of that would put a flaking dial back on a watch, or put hands back on with cracked flaking lume, simply because the owner asked them to. Maybe they do this and say "no warranty" so that let's them off the hook when things go wrong, but then that would in my mind be rather poor service.

Again please don't take this as some slight against the people you know and have met with - it's not about those people. It's about brand policies and not having a watch come back under warranty.

I'm not trying to "diss" the watchmakers there, the historians there, or the brand in general. I'm trying to help people understand how brands work, and what the risks are in sending a vintage watch to them for servicing so they can avoid an unpleasant surprise. I can't in good conscience tell people that they brand would never do anything they didn't want, when I know for a fact that is not how any brand that I'm aware of works. If people want to send their watches to brand service centers it's up to them, but I simply try to let people know what the risks are, and there are most certainly risks.

The fact that the video above shows the very thing that some are trying to avoid, tells me that their policies won't be any different than those of Omega. I know you have said this is for "non-collectors" but to be honest that video shows exactly what I would expect Longines to do. I don't think anyone would have expected Omega to refinish this customer's dial without asking, and directly going against what he did ask for, but it happens:

Information requested for my Seamaster Chronograph | Omega Forums

Again, people can make their own decisions to use the service center or not. Until I see some actual evidence of this exceptional stance on leaving damaged items on the watch by Longines, I will continue to urge caution. If someone has correspondence from Longines that says "We must replace your dial because the finish is flaking off" and someone said "No please leave it" and they put that damaged dial back on, then I will be happy to stand corrected. I do think I'll be waiting quite a long time to see that though.

Anyway, I hope this clarifies what I'm trying to get across.

Cheers, Al

 

Yes, I was a bit surprised at the price too, but we shall see what the Swiss say when they actually see the watch, I will keep you informed!

 

The boutique said they would send it to Switzerland....

 

Interesting. I am sending a 25.17 with central seconds to them this week for restoration - at the very least, I would like to obtain a quote for the work.

 

Hmmm.... Is it this one? What would you have them do to it? Please don’t have them redo the dial!!
I really like this watch, was sorely tempted to buy it twice- first time on Ebay, and then months later from the person who sold it to you. That dial is weathered but it is beautiful.

 

That is the one.

The dial is a lot dimmer in reality.

The minute hand is not connected properly - it swings around the dial when the watch moves.

I want to know what they might offer. If they create a new dial and give me back the original - that might be an option...

 

Oh lala , I love the style

 

Sorry to hear the dial was disappointing @imfagent449, let us know how it goes with Longines.

The hand problem could be a very easy fix, I had the same problem with a watch which had been serviced in a foreign country, it’s just the hands were not tightened enough when they were put back in place. The movement had perfect amplitude and function however, again it was a minor fix.

 

I have the first response. 75 USD to send it to St. Imier. They will inspect and quote. If I accept the quote, the fee is waived, if not, I pay the 75USD and they return the wristwatch.

 

Well I talked with the dealer that sent the watch to Longines in Switzerland. The first thing the guy asked if I was sitting down, then gave me the quote of 1200 pounds for a mechanical full service and that it would take 22 weeks! I had asked for a separate price if they could refinish the case since the starburst finish on the bezel was worn down, and if it would be possible. I Reminded him that I did not want any cosmetic work done on the dial and wanted to keep the dial and hands original. He was going to confirm this and ask about the case and get back to me. A little more than their original price from the dealer!

 

@yako54 I think I ended up with your old Longines Flagship 3102. I got it from the guy you sold it to. It's a great watch, so thanks!!

 

Obviously not cheap but less than I was expecting. Thanks for relaying the information.

 

Same here.

 

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see what the watch is, so can you tell us that and what the movement is inside? 1200 pounds is a very hefty bill, and I would ask for an itemized list of what they will do before agreeing to it. When the AD gets the estimate for this, there will be 2 prices - what they pay on your behalf and what they are supposed to charge you (which includes their mark-up).

There should be a retail price with details that they can send you a copy of, which will list the scope of work. It should list both mandatory and optional items (if applicable) on it - it would look something like this ion the body of it:



You should make sure you get this and look it over before you agree to proceed. Also read any disclaimers that come with it, because once they get into the job they can change the scope without asking, like this:

"Our workshops reserve the right to replace the hands, crown, push buttons, and crystal of your watch by original pieces or by brand components if their choice that are comparable, aesthetically similar and maintain the same functionality."

Cheers, Al

 

Oh my….that’s a huge amount of money

 

Well, apparently they’re giving discounts now as the quote came well under my expectation.

 

@imfagent449 i read this whole trail and holding my breath on what the final price was, and if you had the restoration done.

Hope you can come back and conclude.

 

I completely forgot that I even posted it here.

I had to go back through my emails. It looks like it needed to go to Switzerland for an estimate and it looks like I declined it. Ideally I would like to have the dial redone but... I wasn't willing to spend so much on what doesn't appear to have much value in the market (at the moment).

I had it serviced by someone in Oregon - they did a really good job including cleaning up the dial a little.

For one reason or another I only wear one watch - currently a Chopard GMT one Black.

So, the Longines sits in a little plastic box with the other Longines' ...