My TagHeuer WAC111A service horror story!
Hi, this is my first post, ideally I'm looking for some advice.
This is my TagHeuer Formula one WAC111A (the one with the alarm)
I'll give a little background, I got this watch as a Christmas present from my parents in the early 2000's it had been my pride and joy for many years, one day it stopped working.
So I sent it to the Tag Heuer repair centre, it came back and worked fine, but this time only for 2 years. It stopped again and I thought I'll get it fixed someday, but I wasn't happy that it only ran for 2 years.
I left if for a while then took it to a respectable jewelers who had it sent away to be repaired. It came back working, I was delighted. Repair cost was £120.
I assumed they had replaced a battery or something...... They hadn't!
About a year later it stopped again. This time I decided since it had worked for at least 15 years when I got it, I'd send it back to Tag Heuer to have it repaired and tell them I wanted a proper job.
I did this, I sent it to the official Tag Heuer repair centre in Manchester in the UK, they contacted me to say the movement was the wrong type, so I asked them to put the right movement in and I'd pay for it regardless of cost as the sentimental value of this watch now far outweighs the monetary value. I paid £390 to have it done.
This happened at the start of COVID, when I got the watch back it was in a box and that is where it remained for the best part of a year.
I then started to wear the watch, it was then the horror show began, I realised several things.
- The alarm doesn't work.
- The date doesn't work.
- The watch doesn't keep time at all.
- If I tighten the crown the hands don't turn.
I contacted the repair centre to discuss this and they said because I didn't contact them straight away it wasn't their responsibility.
Now the advice I'm looking for, what do I do next? I absolutely love this watch, I just want the watch fixed properly. I want it to function properly. I get that I'm going to have to pay to have it properly repaired, I'm okay with that, but if I send it back to the repair centre I don't expect it to be any better than the last time.
To be fair, they're not wrong -- COVID or not, you should have ensured that everything was good with the watch when you got it back from them. How are they to know whether the issue is actually theirs or if you did something in the interim that messed up the watch?
I'd send it back to TAG and check it when it comes back. It should be returned with a warranty on the work.
Wow, that's terrible, especially for a quartz watch that shouldn't have that many issues. My guess is you had the right movement all along since the alarm worked, and they may have put a movement in without an alarm. Now, that original movement may have had to be replaced because something happened to it, but it sounds like they screwed that up. I've never had a problem like that with any of my quartz Tags, but I don't have that particular watch. I would call the service center and ask to speak to a manager, or someone higher up, and explain everything. Tell them you think they replaced the original movement with one that doesn't have an alarm, and you want them to put in the movement that is supposed to be in that watch. Get a price and see if they will discount it for you and then make sure to check it as soon as it arrives back. I would also tell them that the timekeeping is terrible and that you want to make sure it is fully checked and regulated for accuracy before they send it back. Short of that, there may be a local jeweler that could order the correct parts and do it for you where you live, but that may cost more, not sure about that. At least with the second option you could test everything out before you leave the store and pay for it so if something is still wrong they can fix it there.
To be fair, they're not wrong -- COVID or not, you should have ensured that everything was good with the watch when you got it back from them. How are they to know whether the issue is actually theirs or if you did something in the interim that messed up the watch?
I'd send it back to TAG and check it when it comes back. It should be returned with a warranty on the work.
100% I don't hold them entirely responsible, I should have checked it when I got it back, I went on bended knee asking them to help, they ignored my emails after sending a standard response stating that I was outside of the window to have it repaired.
I had thought of sending it back to them again for a repair, I was worried about it not being done right again. I don't know anyone who has had any experience with them other than myself. Have you had any dealings with them in the UK?
Thanks for the advice.
Retire the watch and leave it as a memory piece in your watch box. Buy a new watch. Wear the new one in memory of the old one. Turn the negative into positive.
Hopefully you can enjoy a new watch my watch friend.
Cheers!
Wow, that's terrible, especially for a quartz watch that shouldn't have that many issues. My guess is you had the right movement all along since the alarm worked, and they may have put a movement in without an alarm. Now, that original movement may have had to be replaced because something happened to it, but it sounds like they screwed that up. I've never had a problem like that with any of my quartz Tags, but I don't have that particular watch. I would call the service center and ask to speak to a manager, or someone higher up, and explain everything. Tell them you think they replaced the original movement with one that doesn't have an alarm, and you want them to put in the movement that is supposed to be in that watch. Get a price and see if they will discount it for you and then make sure to check it as soon as it arrives back. I would also tell them that the timekeeping is terrible and that you want to make sure it is fully checked and regulated for accuracy before they send it back. Short of that, there may be a local jeweler that could order the correct parts and do it for you where you live, but that may cost more, not sure about that. At least with the second option you could test everything out before you leave the store and pay for it so if something is still wrong they can fix it there.
Thanks, I hadn't even thought of mentioning that they had replaced it with the wrong movement. I suppose it can't hurt to ask.
100% I don't hold them entirely responsible, I should have checked it when I got it back, I went on bended knee asking them to help, they ignored my emails after sending a standard response stating that I was outside of the window to have it repaired.
I had thought of sending it back to them again for a repair, I was worried about it not being done right again. I don't know anyone who has had any experience with them other than myself. Have you had any dealings with them in the UK?
Thanks for the advice.
I live in the US, so I can't say that I have had any experience with them in the UK -- my Carrera Twin-Time is starting to get close to service time, however, and I am planning on sending it back to TAG for the service.
Given that they have a warranty on their work for a period of time (generally 1-2 years), you should be able to hold them accountable if you check it when you get it back.
Retire the watch and leave it as a memory piece in your watch box. Buy a new watch. Wear the new one in memory of the old one. Turn the negative into positive.
Hopefully you can enjoy a new watch my watch friend.
Cheers!
Thanks for the idea, but I don't think I could bring myself to do that, maybe someday when my own ticker stops someone else can retire it.
I live in the US, so I can't say that I have had any experience with them in the UK -- my Carrera Twin-Time is starting to get close to service time, however, and I am planning on sending it back to TAG for the service.
Given that they have a warranty on their work for a period of time (generally 1-2 years), you should be able to hold them accountable if you check it when you get it back.
Yeah, I think that's what I'll do, thanks again for the advice 🙏
I'd do the research and find out the number and appearance of the original movement, then have the local guy do a cursory inspection. If he thinks it's something simple, let him have at it. If they seriously mucked it up or the movement is incorrect, back to the factory.
I'd also be very curious what the paperwork on the last repair said. Were they organized enough to list itemized part numbers, you'd be a step ahead. However I suspect it's vague box-checking that offers little insight.
I'd do the research and find out the number and appearance of the original movement, then have the local guy do a cursory inspection. If he thinks it's something simple, let him have at it. If they seriously mucked it up or the movement is incorrect, back to the factory.
I'd also be very curious what the paperwork on the last repair said. Were they organized enough to list itemized part numbers, you'd be a step ahead. However I suspect it's vague box-checking that offers little insight.
Thanks for this, I have contacted them to request they have it back and look at it, they said they will, but I think I'll do exactly what you have suggested here before I send it away.
So.... I just thought I'd update this, more for the purpose of information for anyone stumbling on the thread, more as I absolutely hate reading a thread and not knowing the outcome.
Firstly I did a lot of research on the watch over the last few weeks. I discovered how it was built, which parts were used, how they were put together and what battery makes it tick.
Being that I'm an engineer I convinced myself that despite my previous reluctance, I have all the necessary skills and tools to take the case back off and see if there was anything obviously wrong, see if it was the right ETA caliber 804.192 movement that was installed etc, etc without actually dismantling the watch.
Low and behold when I took the caseback off it was glaringly obvious, there is a little plastic disc that covers the movement and allows 3 contacts to 'earth' on the caseback this was installed incorrectly, so much so that it was over the white plastic stabiliser ring that holds the movement.
I also realised that the type on the caseback wasn't in the right orientation, meaning when the caseback was closed it wasn't in the locator hole and was screwed down wrong! Probably causing the movement to be at the wrong angle, which would explain why it wasn't working right with the crown fully screwed in.
As I had the watch open I decided to replace the battery.
I reassembled the watch placing everything where it should go. And...
It's all working as it should! I can't begin to tell you all how happy I am.
I'm also conscious I should have taken photos. But as soon as I got it working I didn't want to open it up again.
I'd do the research and find out the number and appearance of the original movement, then have the local guy do a cursory inspection. If he thinks it's something simple, let him have at it. If they seriously mucked it up or the movement is incorrect, back to the factory.
I'd also be very curious what the paperwork on the last repair said. Were they organized enough to list itemized part numbers, you'd be a step ahead. However I suspect it's vague box-checking that offers little insight.
I did what you suggested, a lot of research, and I mean a lot!
Then I did the repair myself!
I am now completely hooked, I am starting to read up on watch repair.