TAG repair they want $500.00 is it fair

Eh. Is what it is. Of course they mark up repairs because it's a profit center... but yes it's annoying. Maybe search for 3rd party jeweler that can perform the repair? Would be cheaper than TAG store.

I paid $1000 for cleaning / fresh oil in my Cartier Roadster. I thought that was a lot for a $6500 watch. But it was at the Cartier store and they shipped it off somewhere.

 

I JUST heard this story from someone else. Damn near exact same numbers. He chose to get an aftermarket crown and be done with it $100 later. I could tell it wasn't original but if he ever chose to go original he could.

GT

 

Crowns are fairly easy to install by any watch repairman worth his salt.
Generic will do.
Ebay or the nets may have an original.

 

Is the stem still in place, or is the whole crown/stem combo missing? Either way it should be <$100 for the parts and 5 minutes to repair. I replaced my Omega crown and stem myself and only paid like $50 for the parts brand new.

Ofrei has genuine new Tag Heuer crowns for around $40-60, check it out!
Tag Heuer Watch Crowns, Pushers, and Tubes

 

totally agree - find a watchmaker - usually the high end independnt jewlery stores or pawn shops have someone they can recommend ... authorized dealers have to send to the MFG's support people....

if you can get the back of its a fairly simple thing to replace the stem... you need a small pin or mini file/ probe - you press that into a small hole at about 4pm on the back of the watch and that usualy releases the stem ( assuming its a quartz watch) if its mechanical then it can be more intensive and you will need specalized tools... best to leave to a watchmaker...

 

Reason # 9437859347523049587230 to buy from an A/D

Authorized dealers also sell watches with warranties so **** like this gets covered for free...

Buying online from "Whoever" is always a roll of the dice. Sometimes you're a money saving hero and others not so much. Sorry this happened to you.

 

I have a Heuer languishing in a drawer.... $600 to repair a watch I paid $1100 for - nope.

 

sounds like they want to service it as well.

 

My panerai stopped working after 3 years. They asked for$500+ to fix it. I thought it was pretty poor from a 3 years old watch that cost $6000. I put it in my drawer for 2 years and one day decided to fix it but that was my first Pam and my last.

 

I don't get people's attitudes about servicing watches.

First, whether a $300 or $30,000 watch, a movement is a movement, a service is a service, takes the same amount of time, and should cost about the same amount of money (yes, complications add to the price.)

Second, it's a mechanical device that needs service. Would anyone ignore their car for years and then disparage the brand because it no longer worked? Servicing a watch is expensive and may cost more than it's worth, you would think that's a concept familiar to Ferrari owners.

 

If you are talking about service, if in the case of the OP, servicing costs 30% of total cost of the watch, I understand his reluctance to pay. When i service my porsche, it's usually 2% every 2 years.
Now some people don't care (bless them!) But I do. I am not that liquid that I can spend 30% of my car value every 2 years just so it runs as the manufacturer intended. And while $500 is not a lot of money, it would still bug me that I have paid for a new watch after 3 services.

In my case I was just disappointed that my watched stopped working for no real reason and panerai wouldn't own up. I know it was out of warranty but that is not what I expect a $5k+ watch to do. And if it does fail, which can happen, I expect the manufacturer to own up and offer "some" gesture showing that he values me. They didn't and basically told me I was sol. So as I said first and last Panerai.

My ferrari watch (cartier) still works despite being 22 years old and much cheaper.

 

A lot of people feel that way, but the premise makes no sense.

For the sake of argument:
A $300 watch has 100 parts, takes 4-5 hours to disassemble clean, reassemble, oil and adjust.
A $6000 watch has 100 parts, takes 4-5 hours to disassemble clean, reassemble, oil and adjust.
One service should be less because it's a greater percentage of retail value? To a watchmaker it's 100 parts and 4-5 hours.

 

Too expensive. Any experienced watchmaker can fix this for much less.

I personally hate when things like this are so expensive for no reason.

DIY FTW!

 

So then, for the sake of argument, Should everyone trust a mall watch repair guy with a Patek?

 

Although that would be a completely different argument, no.

 

Sending my Tag to have a new battery put in was $75 I believe.

Went to the local Jared's and they sent it out to Tag. Took a couple weeks. I believe when it's sent back you automatically get a little bit of a warranty on the work done should something happen.

Don't quote me on that though.

 

I think you nailed it before when you posted their intent was to service it as well.