Frustrating service...

Discuss Christopher Ward watches
User avatar
scooter
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 15249
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 7:14 pm
CW-watches: 1
LE-two: yes
LE-foura: yes
Location: UK

Re: Frustrating service...

Post by scooter »

There's faulty and there's faulty though.

A speck of dust inside the crystal and your watch is still working and doesn't need to sit in a cupboard for weeks on end.

Likewise a watch that simply needs slight regulating.

I'm sure there are other examples of this.

scooter
#1 scooter blue 2012 FLE (50 made)
JAFO
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 4490
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2020 3:59 pm

Re: Frustrating service...

Post by JAFO »

Seriously. it's too long.

A 3 month delay for servicing in a manufacturer's own service centre smacks of incompetence. I don't suppose they want highly trained staff sitting around doing nothing, so they avoid this by building in delays. One solution is to send all the repair watches back to Switzerland, where they have the skilled watchmakers making the watches in the first place. (don't they?) Get those watchmakers to schedule in the watch repairs. They just can't have so many repairs that they can't get them all stripped cleaned and completed within a week. CW only charge £150 for a service. Is it more depending on the watch? In any event, that can only be a couple of hours work at most. Charge a little more if necessary, but get it done in a week. I am sure users would pay more for superfast servicing.

Jomashop charge $12.99 for DHL carriage, ($30 for express service), to send me watches in the UK from America, so double that, and it's just £20/$25 for there and back.

Maybe they need to triage the watches, so if it's just an adjustment such as cleaning the case, they do it on the spot. Anything mechanical goes to Switzerland. Alternatively send out a pre-paid mailer for us to send all repairs to Switzerland, and Maidenhead don't need to get involved at all. That's probably more efficient. I can understand delays going to a local watchmaker, who might have to order in parts. The manufacturer should have the parts there ready to use. I suppose where this would break down, is if CW (or any manufacturer) buys in movements ready assembled with crowns, and doesn't carry a stock of spare parts. But surely they carry parts and crystals though. Most movements are a standard Selitta aren't they?

If car servicing took 3 months for a standard service there would be a public enquiry.

Anyway, just my musings.
User avatar
Thermexman
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 6225
Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2016 6:40 am
CW-watches: 4
Location: South West UK

Re: Frustrating service...

Post by Thermexman »

scooter wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 11:48 am There's faulty and there's faulty though.

A speck of dust inside the crystal and your watch is still working and doesn't need to sit in a cupboard for weeks on end.

Likewise a watch that simply needs slight regulating.

I'm sure there are other examples of this.

scooter
Ha ha. I thought exactly the same thing after I’d written my piece.
Steve.
JAFO
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 4490
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2020 3:59 pm

Re: Frustrating service...

Post by JAFO »

But to do it properly, they need to get inside a case, so they (probably) need a sterile environment

So to clean a crystal, they need to take the back off, remove the winding stem, remove the movement, check the dial, clean the crystal and then reverse the process, ensuring it's then watertight. I assume they have an air-tester, and don't need it to be underwater. To adjust the timing they need to remove the back, and then adjust and test the timing, maybe in multiple positions, until they they are happy, and then do the same testing for the seals. It's not a full service, but it will take a few minutes.

Maybe there is only one guy doing all this for all repair watches at Maidenhead, so it depends how many they get in. When he goes on holiday, maybe nothing gets done for 2 weeks,
User avatar
Viognier
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 4611
Joined: Mon May 28, 2012 8:16 pm
CW-watches: 5
Location: Canada

Re: Frustrating service...

Post by Viognier »

JAFO wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 1:00 pm Seriously. it's too long.

A 3 month delay for servicing in a manufacturer's own service centre smacks of incompetence.

Anyway, just my musings.
Respectfully it's no different from the wait times Omega has told me and reading another forum, it's worse for Rolex. It's not just CW. Overlay a Pandemic and it's magnified.

Watchmakers unfortunately may not be able to work from home with the specialized service tables and likely need for a sterile environment.
Small collection of timepieces that I enjoy
User avatar
rkovars
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 3253
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2020 7:56 pm
CW-watches: 5
Location: New England, US

Re: Frustrating service...

Post by rkovars »

JAFO wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 1:00 pm Seriously. it's too long.

A 3 month delay for servicing in a manufacturer's own service centre smacks of incompetence.
Tell that to Rolex and Omega. Standard service time is 3-4 months. Has been for decades. It was my understanding that most of that time was taken in observation, testing and inspection after the work is completed.

What restrictions are they working under? What if they can only have 50% of the techs in the clean room at any one time. That would effect throughput by 50%. What if it is only 1/3? That would be 66%.

Testing after reassembling a watch might take a couple of days. They would want to observe the movement timing over at least 24 hours or longer. True pressure testing would include both dry and wet testing. Does each step need to be inspected by a QC person (or a senior watchmaker)? There are likely a lot of things involved that we don't have any visibility into.

What is probably happening is that standard service times are being quoted. That way they are under promising and over delivering. If you get it back in three weeks all the better.
Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well.
Jack London
User avatar
scooter
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 15249
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 7:14 pm
CW-watches: 1
LE-two: yes
LE-foura: yes
Location: UK

Re: Frustrating service...

Post by scooter »

rkovars wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 4:38 pm
JAFO wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 1:00 pm Seriously. it's too long.

A 3 month delay for servicing in a manufacturer's own service centre smacks of incompetence.
Tell that to Rolex and Omega. Standard service time is 3-4 months. Has been for decades. It was my understanding that most of that time was taken in observation, testing and inspection after the work is completed
That's simply not true in the UK.

My Rolex Submariner was left with an authorised AD in Southampton for onward transmission to Rolex for a full service on March 2 2015 and back in my hands on April 22 2015.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=31104&p=442165&hili ... se#p442165

scooter
#1 scooter blue 2012 FLE (50 made)
User avatar
rkovars
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 3253
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2020 7:56 pm
CW-watches: 5
Location: New England, US

Re: Frustrating service...

Post by rkovars »

scooter wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 5:08 pm
rkovars wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 4:38 pm
JAFO wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 1:00 pm Seriously. it's too long.

A 3 month delay for servicing in a manufacturer's own service centre smacks of incompetence.
Tell that to Rolex and Omega. Standard service time is 3-4 months. Has been for decades. It was my understanding that most of that time was taken in observation, testing and inspection after the work is completed
That's simply not true in the UK.

My Rolex Submariner was left with an authorised AD in Southampton for onward transmission to Rolex for a full service on March 2 2015 and back in my hands on April 22 2015.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=31104&p=442165&hili ... se#p442165

scooter
Do you remember what they quoted you? I bet it was 3 months (12 weeks) and you got it back in 7 weeks. Under promise and over deliver.
Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well.
Jack London
User avatar
nbg
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 13151
Joined: Sun Nov 24, 2013 6:43 pm
CW-watches: 14
Location: UK

Re: Frustrating service...

Post by nbg »

rkovars wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 4:38 pm Tell that to Rolex and Omega. Standard service time is 3-4 months. Has been for decades. It was my understanding that most of that time was taken in observation, testing and inspection after the work is completed.
3-4 months standard service time for a Rolex?

Well that is certainly an urban myth as far as those of us in the UK are concerned.

I remember checking a few service invoices that I have, on one of the many previous occasions that type of timescale was mentioned by someone.

All came back within 2 months, or less.

Mind you I remember a recent thread elsewhere on another forum headed “Rolex service times shocker” :)

On 18 October 2020 well worn 10 year old LV Submariner sent for service. 18 November 2020 fully serviced once again mint condition LV Submariner returned to it’s happy owner.

Neil
Other watch forums of interest:
TZ-UK
JAFO
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 4490
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2020 3:59 pm

Re: Frustrating service...

Post by JAFO »

@scooter.
Yes. That's more like it. I imagine Rolex service centre in London is quite busy. That's a reasonable price really.
Have you seen any of the youtube "LondonWatchCollector". He pays some eye-watering service bills.
User avatar
rkovars
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 3253
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2020 7:56 pm
CW-watches: 5
Location: New England, US

Re: Frustrating service...

Post by rkovars »

There is a big difference between quoted and actual. The quoted service time is always 3-4 months. Most of the time they over deliver. Often they don't but meet the quoted time. All of mine have been 3 months in actual time (give or take a few days).

Now, is the backlog 3-4 months (meaning it will be 3-4 months before they get to it)? That is a different discussion altogether.
Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well.
Jack London
User avatar
Caller
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 2124
Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2014 11:44 pm
CW-watches: 2
Location: Hua Hin, Thailand

Re: Frustrating service...

Post by Caller »

Richard D wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:54 pm ^^^^No different than the wait time I had at the Omega Service Centre in Southampton for the repair to my PO.
Bangkok Swatch Repair Centre seem to provide a better service. 4 weeks for my PO. And a walk in facility.
'Tis me
User avatar
scooter
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 15249
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 7:14 pm
CW-watches: 1
LE-two: yes
LE-foura: yes
Location: UK

Re: Frustrating service...

Post by scooter »

7 weeks is not a standard service time of 3-4 months.

scooter
#1 scooter blue 2012 FLE (50 made)
WalterSMonaco
Senior
Senior
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2019 5:41 am

Re: Frustrating service...

Post by WalterSMonaco »

My is issue isn’t with the initial three months to repair a misaligned hand. It’s the 3-4 months I have to wait to repair another misaligned hand after having watch back for one day
Tag Heuer Monaco Cal 12
Tag Heuer Link Cal 16
Hamilton Khaki “Murph”
CW C60 Trident 600 Pro GMT
Tudor BB steel
Tudor BB GMT
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post