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I had to send my Tag Heuer watch for repairs because one hand was free wheeling.
According to the service centre, I must have dropped the watch before and watches don't like to be dropped. They are like living beings, I guess.
Anyway, after seeing the repair bill, I decided that I don't like to drop watches too!
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| $130. Ouch! |
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| LVMH gave me a nice drawstring bag. |
At least this is less expensive compared to my dad's Rolex which cost almost $800 to repair when he dropped it a couple of years ago.
The lesson to learn from these incidents is not to buy expensive watches!
Buy a cheap $40 Casio. Break it, throw it away and buy another!
What? You have a weakness for watches (like I do)? Oh, dear. Good luck to both of us.
Related posts:
1. My CASIO watch.
2. Vintage ROLEX watch.
Bloggy Award
40 comments:
ok ok i confess, i sent my dunhill watch for repair and it will cost me almost $1,500, yes you read correctly, so i told them hands off!
that watch is still in my drawer untouch for years now.
DO NOT BUY LUX@#%RY watch!
The delicate nature of a watch is due mainly to the fact that there are many individual parts to create the watch.
A simple mechanical watch contains at least 130 parts, a swiss-made watch can contain as many as 1000 parts.
Here's some insight t the process of manufacture for a Tag Heuer watch..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEvna1fle88
Hi AK:
Many years ago, I heard my colleagues trading actively in one share called Chartered Semiconductor. It is known to be a very expensive share to own.
What happen to it? What is the history of the share price.
Just curious..
Hi AK,
Hey, its a Tag Heuer! If the repairs are any cheaper, then you will be wondering if its an authentic repair. You dont want to lose the value of the watch because of some unauthentic repair, do you? lol...
Hi coconut,
Yes, I will have to remember this. The vintage Rolex I bought last year as a present for myself will be the last luxury watch I buy!
Hi Matthew,
You are a treasure trove of knowledge. Thanks for sharing this. ;)
Hi Tien,
How did a blog post on watch repair lead to you thinking about Chartered Semicon? ;p
Well, that blue chip became a blue black chip. I lost some money there too. Enough said. :(
Hi Steven,
I sent it back to LVMH. So, if it were any cheaper, it would still be genuine. ;p
I have a strange feeling that this might not be the last time I send my watch to them.
tien,
that semi-d or what now just like my watch! keep in drawer untouch for a few years already.
i heard someone bot over and went private.
price, i think during dot.com it went as high as $15 (like my watch), after the burst, it came down to as low as 20c (or even lower).
rolex!!
haha, i thought i'm the biggest sucker on this blog.
Wow, you also can lose money. Share the experience with the readers la, so that we don't lose money in blue chips in future.
Hi coconut,
You are so bad. Sob. :(
I really like the vintage Rolex I bought leh. $1,500 not too ex, I think. Saw my blog post on the Rolex? ;p
Hi Tien,
Of course, I have lost money many times before! I am just lucky that I made more money than I lost.
In case you have been thinking that I am a skilful investor, you are mistaken. I am just lucky. ;p
oh, your watch cost $1500, my repair cost $1500, looks like i still hold that title.
Hi coconut,
For sure, you are the King! ;p
Well, I did spend $1,700 to service and repair the Rolex King my dad gave to me a few years ago but I consider that a family heirloom. Haha... Worth fixing. :)
I also spent about the same amount fixing a pre-owned Rolex that I bought as a present for my dad before. Total price with service/repair was about $5,000. Still worth it because the same watch brand new would have cost $14,000. ;)
So, a watch might cost $X,XXX to fix but if it is worth it, do it.
you spend 5k to repair a 14k watch twice!!??
no, no, no, you have the title, i give it to you!
you thinking what i'm thinking?
soon the problem of repair that stupid watch will be soon gone haha!
Hi coconut,
No lah. Haha.. I think you got confused.
1. Rolex King from my dad - I spent $1,700 servicing. This is a S$30,000 watch.
2. Rolex (gold/steel) Datejust, present for my dad - I bought pre-owned for $3,300 and spent $1,700 servicing. Total cost of present: S$5,000. Brand new, this watch would have cost $14,000 to buy.
it always feel comforting when you know there is a bigger sucker right in front of you.
now i don't feel that painful to repair that watch.
but still, i'll give it to my son, that's his problem!
don't give excuses, title is still yours to keep.
(haha)
Hi coconut,
It is just like my dad giving me his Rolex King. Haha.. I sent it to Rolex Centre and got it serviced.
Cost a lot to service but it is something very valuable that my dad wore for many years. So, I like to think of it as an heirloom.
Your son is lucky. ;)
well, thats a story of a young kongcum wanted to howlien, he even got his wife a dunhill watch, a pair!
now he is not wearing any watches, he got SMARTphone.
Hi coconut,
I will remember this well.
Don't be a kongcum and howlien!
Kamsiah. :)
Learn from me; I don't wear watch. :D
Hi INVS 2.0,
With about 8 watches in my possession, it is too late for me, unfortunately. :(
Hi AK,
If you see your watch as an expense item and not an investment, then there cheaper options of good watch repair services available.
For my Omega and Rado watches, I have not gone back to the authorised repair centre at Wheelock after being fleeced time and again. $50 for a battery change and $25 to take a link off the metal bracelet? Wait 2 hours to just get simple services as such? Only men and women of leisure can afford the time and perhaps get some kick out of being spotted at the atas repair centre of some atas brand.
My Omega has given me some problems over the last few years. The repair cost has easily been half the price of the watch. Now I go to a watch repair uncle in Bugis, Albert Complex or something. Pretty good and doesn't chip my piggy bank big time. Resale value? I don't have a habit of selling my things away. I either give them away to make people happy or keep them for good. Watches seldom part with me. I have an extremely soft spot for them. :)
Endrene
Hi AK,
BTW, if you wish to learn from INVS 2.0, I will gladly volunteer to be the custodian of your watches. (A nice way of saying you can give them to me lah!) :P
Endrene
Hi Endrene,
I always want my cake and eat it too. So, for my luxury watches, I will send to the authorised service centres. ;)
For the cheapies (up to $200 in price), they belong to the wear and throw department. So, if they still work, change the batteries at City Chain. If they are broken, throw away.
I am wary of sending luxury watches to neighbourhood shops because my uncle told me his horror stories. The ABC shop removed his original Rolex parts and replaced with XYZ parts! Cheaper but adulterated. Had to spend more money later on to restore the watch.
I am inspired by INVS 2.0 not to wear watches. I am inspired by you, the savvy internet shopper. I think I will sell my watches online instead of giving them away. ;p
Hi AK,
Selling your watches is a good idea. Second hand watch shops may offer you a better price than the Internet. Don't forget, the Internet is full of 'cheapskate' shoppers like me who will only bite if the deal is super good. :D
Personally, I take watches below $2K as expense items rather than investments. That way, I don't have to bother about maintaining them very much. BTW, I'm quite careless and rough. My watches have scratches all over. Just like I'm very accident prone and have blue blacks here and there! LOL~
Endrene
Cheap or expensive watch, so as long it tells the time & date correctly, then it served it's functions. All others are just show off lah (sour grapes talking here)
Given that I travelled often, have a branded watch can attract unnecessary attention (unless I am trying to impress an SYT). From he German/Austrian/Beijing/Malaysia airport customs officials "is that your (name your brand) watch ?". Only to find that it is a metallic Seiko that costed about S$130 @ Mustafa. And I was let off.
Seriously, if you had to complain about the repair bills, then obviously, you shouldn't be owning these watches. They are high maintenance toy.
Yes, my trusted 3 years old highly used S$23 Casio stripe broke recently. Time for a new one.
Hi Endrene,
Hmmm... $2k is too expensive to me. $200 is more me. Yah, I am a frog in a well. ;)
My watches have few scratches. Even the US$100+ one which I wear every day to work is relatively well kept and that one is more than 10 years old. A gift from my mom, it is easily my favourite watch. It is maintenance free and runs on light energy. This is the most practical watch I have ever had.
Hi SnOOpy168,
I don't spend any money on cameras and accessories. So, I guess I could indulge a bit in my weakness for watches. ;p
I don't think I have spent more than $10,000 in my entire life on watches actually. So, I think I am still a good boy... I hope. haha...
Anyway, not complaining lah. Just chit chat. If I don't complain about spending $1,700 to service my dad's Rolex, why would I complain about spending $130 to repair my Tag? ;)
Used to include wines & beer, not forgetting the more-affordable Michelin Stars eatery that I would go to monthly. Hey, that was when I am still station in duty-free Hong Kong. Yes, cameras & lenses were my vices, but then the 2nd hand prices here in SG = New Retail prices in HK. You do the maths when I buy 2nd hand in HK. Going to missed all that....
To add. Ages ago, my newly retired (dad) bought mom an Omega watch while holidaying in Europe. It wasn't until the darling watch stopped working that we knew how atas this stuff are in maintenance. Battery + servicing costed a few hundred. After the 2nd attempt, we found a repair shop in Queensway Shopping Ctr that will do the same for 1/5 the price. But then the watch uncle passed away, and I told mom that she should keep it for sentimental value, but I will get her a Seiko or something more affordable and practical. Further more, rather than attract the "where you get this beautiful piece from " , where the expected answer is "while I was shopping in Paris/Tokyo/Zurich/Geneva/Vienna/London", we 3 room HDB dwellers will attract the "it must be fake" or "Yishun how-lian aunty" look.
She is happy with that decision. Now she tells the time by looking at the sun (very hot day = noon time, almost dark = 7pm) or by when she felt like having a nap (=1-3pm)
Hheheehhe
Hi SnOOpy168,
Don't miss, don't miss. You have been moved away from temptations! Good for wealth building. ;p
I only found out a couple of years ago about Michelin stars. For a long time before that, I was wondering what car tires had to do with fine dining. -.-
Hi SnOOpy168,
I know. My mom just got her Omega repaired a few months ago. She was quite pleased with the job but the bill was about $800. You know what? She hardly wears that watch. -.-
There will always be people who look down on others. They judge books by their covers.
Personally, I form impressions too rapidly and this is something I am constantly working to eradicate. :(
It is ok. Upstairs made us with a pair of eyes to see. But only up to anything in front of us only. Heheheh
I still have not bought my replacement Casio watch yet. Perhaps getting used to checking time on my Nokia
Hi SnOOpy168,
I have to learn to see more with my heart and less with my eyes.
LVMH at Ngee Ann City 11-08 is EXTREMELY INEFFICIENT.
I had to walk out after waiting 25 minutes for them to call just one person. Some other 20 customers in queue looked really frustrated.
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