Baltic MR01: Amazing Piece of watch but a little Micro-Rotor Mishap
As a watch enthusiast, I was thrilled when I acquired my Baltic MR01, a timepiece I had been ogling for its vintage charm and incredible movement. I even made a post about how giddy I was to get my hands on one on this platform.
After about four months of sporadic wear, disaster struck. The micro-rotor of the automatic movement detached, leaving the automatic function inoperable. I was quite disappointed as I had shrugged off all initial fears with an untested movement and gone ahead to make the purchase based on Baltic’s reputation for building reliable and robust indie watches. I have come to terms with the disconcerting truth: there are quality control issues that plague the Chinese Movements, particularly the Hangzhou 5000, used in the Baltic MR01.
Despite meticulous regulation and adjustment for five positions as claimed by Baltic, it appears that crucial checks on fit and finish are overlooked. The micro-rotor incident exposed a glaring gap in quality assurance, casting doubt on the integrity of the entire production process.
I have reached out to Baltic's customer care team and to their credit, they exhibited a willingness to assist, offering repair services. However, the ordeal has left an indelible mark on my experience with Baltic's offerings.
Sending my watch back to their offices in France was a bittersweet act, tinged with disappointment. While I await its return, I can't help but question the longevity and reliability of the timepiece as it may be plagued by recurrent issues of the micro-rotor coming off.
Aside from my experience, I would want to know if any others have had similar issues. I like microbrands because they offer you the best value offerings out there; as their cost isn’t ballooned by marketing and AD markups. I really hope that these Microbrands and Indie watch brands confront these quality control deficiencies head-on. Failing to address these concerns not only jeopardizes their brand's reputation but also undermines the trust and confidence of loyal patrons like myself. As enthusiasts, we deserve timepieces that not only captivate with their aesthetics but also endure the test of time with unwavering reliability.
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I have and love the Aquascaphe and really admired your watch when they launched it but was hesitant as that movement made me very nervous. And I was a little surprised a Baltic’s courage (folly?) in using it.
I’m sorry it has key you down and I really hope Baltic come through for you.
I have only had a problem with one micro brand watch where the crystal effectively cracked of its own accord and to their credit they sent me a replacement crystal at no cost for me to have fitted here - which was probably cheaper and certainly less hassle than sending it overseas. I won’t name them, all good but I don’t want others to associate them with problems.
The after sales service is what counts here. The exact same story happens to much much bigger "maisons" more often than you think. A good brand is one that offers help. These are small mechanical things and shit happens. If they fix it for you than keep in mind you will have your watch serviced qc'ed and running as new
I once tryed that model on.
The micro rotor is quute noice. The noice is a kind of a rough grinding noice. Like stone on stone. It's not only the noice. If there is such a sound, there nust be friction. If there is friction, there will be material wear and tear. Which means that such kind of movements wouldn't resist long.
I really like tge Brand, the Team and the Idea.
But afterall we should consider, that it is a cheap chinese movement. Nothing different than in a Ali Express watch with the same Hangzhou movement for a few bucks.
I would rather concentrate on the models with Miyota movements, as like the Aquascaphe.
One incident isn’t really a good representation of a watch or a brand. Also, even the bigger high end brands have QC issues. Not saying I like it, but trying to be fair. It doesn’t take much time on Google to learn that Omega, Tudor, Grand Seiko and many others have their fair share of QC issues.
Love this !
Sorry to hear about that ... must be a bummer :(
I was severely tempted by the MR 01, but the fact that it had a cheap Chinese (nothing against the Chinese per se lovely people Im sure) movement made me decide against it. Just dont have the time and mental energy to go through this kind of experience. In general, my belief in life is that if something appears too cheap to be true, it probably isnt true! On the other hand you have the top tier exploitation built on marketing hype ... :(
With all due respect man, these things happen sometimes, and to much more expensive watch brands no less. I would judge based off whether this is a commen reoccurrence as opposed to your personal experience.
That being said despite the brands great reputation, I personally feel cautious of these watches solely because of the movement, sane with studio underdog etc
Recently got my MR01 back from Service after the Rotor screw got loose, to be honest I didn't really Mind it and was suprised that it only took about 2-3 weeks in total.
QC failures and issues are present in nearly every product in every industry. Mechanical objects, like watch movements, can be difficult to guarantee until they’ve actually been worn a bit. There are problems that exist which are much more mechanically complex than a rotor malfunction, and assembly/finishing short-comings that can be far more frustrating to a buyer/customer. What matters the most is whether or not a brand/manufacturer will stand by their products in cases where QC falls short and/or misses something.
It sounds like Baltic will be taking care of you and your watch. Unless you encounter further issues, it would be a bit unfair to write them off entirely (though I don’t blame you for being a bit more skeptical/uncertain).
I once tryed that model on.
The micro rotor is quute noice. The noice is a kind of a rough grinding noice. Like stone on stone. It's not only the noice. If there is such a sound, there nust be friction. If there is friction, there will be material wear and tear. Which means that such kind of movements wouldn't resist long.
I really like tge Brand, the Team and the Idea.
But afterall we should consider, that it is a cheap chinese movement. Nothing different than in a Ali Express watch with the same Hangzhou movement for a few bucks.
I would rather concentrate on the models with Miyota movements, as like the Aquascaphe.
That’s true. I was certainly hoping to have it around for at least a couple of years. If it had broken down after a year or two of active wear, I would’ve shrugged it off and probably tossed it in the bin as a loss but breaking down after a few wearings is quite disconcerting. I do agree with you though, there’s no need to hold these movements to any high esteem.
I have and love the Aquascaphe and really admired your watch when they launched it but was hesitant as that movement made me very nervous. And I was a little surprised a Baltic’s courage (folly?) in using it.
I’m sorry it has key you down and I really hope Baltic come through for you.
I have only had a problem with one micro brand watch where the crystal effectively cracked of its own accord and to their credit they sent me a replacement crystal at no cost for me to have fitted here - which was probably cheaper and certainly less hassle than sending it overseas. I won’t name them, all good but I don’t want others to associate them with problems.
I was equally hesitant about purchasing it but the appeal of a vintage style watch in an attractive package as the MR01 was too good to pass up. I think these movements need some time to get better refinements. The rotor made a very scratchy noise whenever it wound up. Come to think of it, that was a dead give away. 😂 I do hope Baltic are able to get the movement working like new without any grinding or scratchy noise from the rotor.
With all due respect man, these things happen sometimes, and to much more expensive watch brands no less. I would judge based off whether this is a commen reoccurrence as opposed to your personal experience.
That being said despite the brands great reputation, I personally feel cautious of these watches solely because of the movement, sane with studio underdog etc
I certainly hope this is a rare occurence and nothing to do with QC issues with the movements. It’s true bigger brands face same problems and I do appreciate that Baltic’s customer care team were very responsive in handling the issue. It still does make for a sour experience all together. I think better to stick with reliable movements from Miyota and Seiko.
Their customer service is really good and they're always willing to help with any QC/QA issues, even after the warranty is expired. Mechanical movements will always have their issues even from big brands.
https://www.reddit.com/r/rolex/s/ABSliNMjrr
Maybe it’s a one off. A bit unfair to condemn a brands whole manufacturing QC with your experience. Tudor had quite a few problems when they started producing watches with their in-house movements.
I don’t own a Baltic, but I’ve considered the BR01
This is the third time I've heard people having trouble. It seems the Chinese movements are not quite ready for the big leagues. I love the designs, but would not own one. I wish they would try Japanese movements.
very well explained. I will write you later about my experiences with Baltic
Sry mate,
I have not had any issues while being in the microbrand sphere since ~2019. I have Spinneker, Phoibos, Zelos, Helm, Islander (multiple), Nodus, Direnzo (multiple), Lorier, and my most recent is the Hermétique from Baltic.
All with NH, Miyota, Sellita movements. I will pass on Chinese movements tho.
I certainly hope this is a rare occurence and nothing to do with QC issues with the movements. It’s true bigger brands face same problems and I do appreciate that Baltic’s customer care team were very responsive in handling the issue. It still does make for a sour experience all together. I think better to stick with reliable movements from Miyota and Seiko.
Oh for sure. Hope you have better luck in the future
Had a faulty nh35 once which sucks but at least that was in a very affordable watch so no great loss
Maybe it’s a one off. A bit unfair to condemn a brands whole manufacturing QC with your experience. Tudor had quite a few problems when they started producing watches with their in-house movements.
I don’t own a Baltic, but I’ve considered the BR01
@DrewP94 I agree on not bashing a brand because of one QC experience but I was only highlighting my disappointment with the movement, not to bash Baltic as a brand. I think Baltic is a fantastic brand and it is the reason why I asked in the post if others have had similar issues. The point is that just one QC failure on one model can undo years of brand building and brand cache. I think my remonstration and request for better QC on movements goes to all our beloved Micro and Indie brands. Don't forget most people will fork out several thousands of Dollars for a "Swiss Made" designation just for the peace of mind they believe they will get...and ooh the BR01 is a smashing piece so it's worth considering. Top of the day mate!
This is the third time I've heard people having trouble. It seems the Chinese movements are not quite ready for the big leagues. I love the designs, but would not own one. I wish they would try Japanese movements.
@derbycitywatcher Well, I think Baltic had to go with the Hangzhou 5000a since they wanted an affordable micro-rotor movement for the MR01. At the moment I have not come across a Japanese micro-rotor movement at that price point. I think this is a good opportunity for Chinese movement makers to win over part of the enthusiast market. It all boils down to QC. I guess better QC may push the price up a bit. Truthfully, with better QC and a 25% bump in price, I'd take that.
With all due respect, I'm a bit surprized to see such an emotional reaction.
These things happen, and as long the customer service is good (and at least I had very nice experience with Baltic), this all is fine.
Worth noting, that I had issues with Sellita in Squale out of the box - the rotor was stuck. Also, some of SW200 I have encountered in new watches are really all over the place in terms of accuracy.
So I'm not sure, author's story is an indication of any particular QC issues.
@AndreRC51 With all due respect, I also think how people react whether emotionally or not to a failure they have had with a watch is a very personal experience. We all geek out about watches because we have an emotive association with our watches. If we are being honest about it, a wristwatch is an accessory that in today's world lacks any pride of place or reason for one to have. I also think it is true that almost anything mechanical is more likely to have an issue with its moving parts one way or another. I respect your opinion on this matter and would say there is no need to be surprised about another person's "emotional reaction" on this platform which is supposed to be a safe space for us to geek out about watches.
@AndreRC51 With all due respect, I also think how people react whether emotionally or not to a failure they have had with a watch is a very personal experience. We all geek out about watches because we have an emotive association with our watches. If we are being honest about it, a wristwatch is an accessory that in today's world lacks any pride of place or reason for one to have. I also think it is true that almost anything mechanical is more likely to have an issue with its moving parts one way or another. I respect your opinion on this matter and would say there is no need to be surprised about another person's "emotional reaction" on this platform which is supposed to be a safe space for us to geek out about watches.
I didn't mean to insult anybody, and if I did - I'm sorry about that.
I guess, I shared my opinion, just to be fair to Baltic. My experience shows, that they are actually trying to make things right. Also, I guess, I want to mention "Swiss Made" QC issues, which in my experience are way more obvious, but people don't seem to be complaining about that.
Anyway, no hard feelings, just an opinion.
I didn't mean to insult anybody, and if I did - I'm sorry about that.
I guess, I shared my opinion, just to be fair to Baltic. My experience shows, that they are actually trying to make things right. Also, I guess, I want to mention "Swiss Made" QC issues, which in my experience are way more obvious, but people don't seem to be complaining about that.
Anyway, no hard feelings, just an opinion.
@AndreRC51 No offense taken and thanks for your courteous remarks. I really appreciate that we have this respectful approach towards each other on this platform. Top of the day to you mate!
Man, at sub €1000 price tag, you cannot expect Omega quality control procedures.