Omega Watches - Beware

Hi guys;

Interesting thread. I never owned a particularly expensive watch. The most expensive ones I have cost around 1000 euros or less. My mother still wears her Rolex which was given to her on her 18th birthday some 35 years back and it has never malfunctioned.

Some 8 years back I saw the Rolex Daytona in a car magazine and that was the first Rolex that I found to be beautiful. I made myself a promise that I would get me one when and if the finances come. It was offered to be given one as a present a couple of months back and I refused. I felt that this particular watch should be bought by me with my own money as a testament to a successful career (many years from now unfortunately).

As for reality, my favorite watch to wear to work is a Suunto Mosquito dive computer digital watch. Not only does it function flawlessly, but it lifts my spirits when I look at it cause it reminds me of my beautiful diving holidays and the great underwater world. For that, it is my most precious watch, regardless of price .

Regards...

My Seiko Sports 100 quartz movement watch is over 25 years old and still keeps perfect time.

My Rolex is less than 5 years old and has never kept decent time - despite returning it for testing. Looks the part, but pretty hopeless as a timepiece!

Peter

quote:

My Seiko Sports 100 quartz movement watch is over 25 years old and still keeps perfect time.

As does mine, I can't copy your next line as it doesn't apply.
I wear very little jewellery, so a watch is just for time keeping, might as well have one that keeps good time then.

Graham 55

I don't think my thread is unfair at all.

I have taken up the case with Omega, as I said. My complaint is directed at Omega customer service, which to date falls far below what I would expect from a 'luxury' brand.

I wonder what Omega could say to defend themselves - maybe that we are imagining the 'complaint?'. And to be quite frank, I couldn't give a t*ss if Mr Omega is aggreived by my comments. The comments wouldn't be here in the first place if they had offered a better quality of service.

It may or may not be 'fair' or 'unfair', but it's surely in the wrong place: a complaint against a luxury watch supplier has not a lot to do with a Naim Forum, even one where we're encouraged to talk about extra-musical matters.

Just be careful that you don't involve yourself or Naim (as de facto 'publishers' of this site) in defamatory comments.

I've no idea what response Omega might make, but the very first reply (from Julian H) gave a perfectly plausible reason as to why the watch may not be keeping good time.

It may or may not be 'fair' or 'unfair', but it's surely in the wrong place: a complaint against a luxury watch supplier has not a lot to do with a Naim Forum, even one where we're encouraged to talk about extra-musical matters.

Just be careful that you don't involve yourself or Naim (as de facto 'publishers' of this site) in defamatory comments.

I've no idea what response Omega might make, but the very first reply gave a perfectly plausible reason as to why the watch isn't keeping time.

Erm.. am I missing something here or have there not been oodles of previous threads with 'defamatory' comments on the forum?

I would imagine that if 'defamatory' comments are not accepted then the Padded Cell would have to cease to exist.

As for the first reply, yes, I realise the watch has to be wound initially.

However, should the moderators feel that protection of the corporations is more important than the voice of the individual then by all means please close this thread.

I do hope George Clooney isn't reading this. I wonder if George's Omega went wrong if he would have to send it back four times.

I treated myself to a Seamaster Professional self winder 15 years ago and it has kept excellent time. I have only taken it off my wrist twice - both times when I went under for surgery. Lounging around in bed and recuperating later at home I found it erratic on the time keeping front.
Steve2

quote:

Originally posted by dave brubeck:
Erm.. am I missing something here or have there not been oodles of previous threads with 'defamatory' comments on the forum?

I would imagine that if 'defamatory' comments are not accepted then the Padded Cell would have to cease to exist.

As for the first reply, yes, I realise the watch has to be wound initially.

However, should the moderators feel that protection of the corporations is more important than the voice of the individual then by all means please close this thread.

You clearly don't understand that, or why and how, London has become the "libel capital of the world", otherwise you might indeed "give a toss".

But I've said my piece, and have no more to add to this thread.

Graham,
I think you're over reacting here. What's been said that's libellous? Surely it's up to Naim to moderate if they're uncomfortable with this.

As far as I can see, nothing more than that an automatic watch may not be working well when worn by one individual.

At least one reasonable possible reason for this has been given early on page one.

I know of more than one instance where a mechanical automatic watch has not been successful, and this is not a question of blame on the design or manufacture of the watch or even a criticism of the person wearing the watch ...

Perhaps it is more a question of suitability of type to the wearer, rather than anything more?

In any case if the watch were mechanical, but not self-winding, then it is easier to pinpoint any problem. You have to wind a non-automatic mechanical watch ...

For me this is definitely a satisfactory situation. A routine.

On the other hand I would imagine that the seeming lack of communication from Omega is real enough, and thus not a particular issue with the law. BBC Watchdog might have been a better place to air it, but still not a matter for the law, I would think.

I doubt if anyone was put off buying an Omega because of this! Buying any mechanical watch involves greater potential reliability problems than getting an electronic one. The counter-balance is that fine mechanical watches last longer than people, if maintained and not abused. I doubt the same could be said of electronic watches.

ATB from George

quote:

Originally posted by Mick Parry:
Chaps

I have a 1954 JLC in for repair at the JLC workshop. The winding knob and the shaft dropped out so goodness knows what the bill will be for that.

Mick

Mick,

Which model is it? My father has owned a reverso for the last 18 years and still loves it as much to this day. Not my cup of tea, however I do like the recent ones.

KR

Right Wing

It is a 14ct 1954 Speedomatic.

I have had it for about 15 years and one day the winding knob and the shaft which is attached to it dropped out and was lost.

It is now in Switzerland where I will be given a quote for a repair.

Regards

Mick

I've bought a military watch.

It does not tell the time, it told me to get a haircut.

quote:

Originally posted by dave brubeck:
For the advice of all rich Naim owners.

About two years ago I bought my dad an Omega Seamaster automatic watch as an 80th birthday present. It cost a lot of money.

After about 8 months, it started showing the wrong time, and kept stopping. Sent back to jewellers, was fixed and sent back to us.

After a further few months, same problem again. Again, sent back to jewellers, was fixed and sent back to us.

After a little while longer, same problem again. So we wrote to Omega, told them we would be sending it back, and asked for a replacement watch, as there was obviously something amiss with the one we had.

Omega said send it in, we will test it first. So we did. And they tested it. Of course it was deemed to be functioning perfectly. And it was then sent back to us.

And yes, a few weeks later, we are facing the same problems. Omega have now told us to send it back AGAIN, and that a replacement 'is being considered' (I expect 'subject to further tests').

Now, is it just me, or is this ridiculous? I would expect better service from Casio. Thankyou for listening to my rant.

Just wondering how the watch were to behave if you wore it for a week or more ?

Maybe the watch is fine and you father just doesn't wear it enough to wind it ?

Just a thought ...

I am a Tag Heuer man. Never lost time since I got it about 15 years ago and it doesn't need winding.

I had my heart set on an Omega Speedmaster Professional a few years ago but decided against it after putting the thing on my scrawny wrist. Then considered another automatic, but knew it wouldn't be worn enough to keep it powered up. Dammed if I spend a few grand on a watch and then have to by a watch winder!

Settled on an Omega Aqua Terra mid-sized with quartz movement. Handsome and practical, it keeps time within a second or two a week. I know it's electronic and will fail in 30 or 40 years but there will surely be a replacement movement for it.

Everyone should have one nice watch to wear and it need not cost a fortune.

My Rolex never kept good time until after it's first service. Thereafter it was would gain less than 2 seconds a week. Late last year it started losing time so it's in for service again (the quotation stating that it needs a new winding weight).

Willy.

I have a 15 year-old Tag Heuer automatic. One reason I used to justify buying the fully mechanical movement (costs extra and doesn't keep as good time!) was so that I could legally take it into underground coal mines (where I was working at the time). It had a service in its first year to free up a tight winding weight (wrong lube was the verdict). Since then it has been all but flawless. It runs slightly slow, but good enough. A couple of minutes week at most.

I am especially impressed with the "glass". It is curved and protrudes slightly from bezel so is quite exposed. But it is absolutley without a scratch after 15 years of wearing it everywhere.

Update:

Having been told that the watch would receive urgent personal attention from the 'top man' at the Omega (i.e Swatch) repair centre.... we have yesterday received an email for repairs valued at 230 Pounds(!), advising us there a couple of scratches that can be burnished.

If we do not pay within a short period the watch will be returned... Appears the urgent personal attention of the top man involved sending the watch to the wrong place, bypassing him altogether. Oh dear.

Incidentally, I have a 10 year old Fortis Spacematic automatic, which I absolutely love. Loses a few minutes a week now, probably due a service, but it looks great and not one scratch on the glass.

Will keep you all up to date on what happens (if anybody is interested?!).

I spoke to my Dad yesterday and told him, if he does get a 'working' watch back, to have a good wrist waggle every day. This felt slightly awkward.

Some neck now trying to charge you to get a working watch they should have supplied in the first place, for no small sum I bet.

I did look at a couple of Omegas ,they didn't have an Aquaterra I had seen on line,in stock, the other choices were too cumbersome for me.
Nice looking watches though, worth the money? Who knows.

I had a handsome black metal watch from Tiffany, it was being worn at the edges and when I had it worked on was told it was supposed to get a Patina. I thought that funny. But it had just spots instead of numbers and I was constantly misreading it.

Now I have to have an inexpensive black one with simple large numbers so I can read it without my glasses on.

I tried the electronic ones but don't care for them and resetting them is a pain.

So, to update and maybe end this thread on a happy note...

Since the above Omega have contacted us, and initially offered the equivalent quartz watch as a replacement. They did of course fail to point out to us that the quartz model is approximately half the price of the automatic.

So we told them where to go.

And voila, a few days later, they have agreed to replace the watch like for like. Hallelujah.

Well done Omega, but minus marks for customer service.

Fin.