A scratched dial story

[AK797]

Originally Posted by P2725TMB

Have you confronted AP about it? If not surely that's the first thing to do! Indeed, didn't you say something when you picked it up, and if so what was their response?

Yes, AP usually want to make things right so they will probably offer you some freebies, but not sure what more they can do now as you don't want the dial replaced.

[Joaodebotelho]

They did. They told me they would change the movement as mine had never been serviced so it needed many parts changed. Bad previous owners......
Let's see what those freebies are but hopefully I will be fairly compensated.

I'm sure AP will be reasonable as is their reputation.

[Joaodebotelho]

So, after months waiting for a reply i finally decide to put my lawyer in contact with Audemars. Their response:

- we offer a new original dial to your watch
- your service cost back
- your old dial in a box refurbished

After another two months of back and forth I decide to take my lawyer out of it and keep directo contact with Audemars. And then the problems start again.
The Spanish contact person says:

- we can only offer a blue dial at the moment
- or a black dial from another model (this one with big luminescent numbers!!!)

In one of the emails this Spanish lady even says: "after consulting with my technicians we figure out your dial was originally blue!". This right after they say only a blue is available and that they never made a black one!!! What a huge lie! Isn't it?

So guys, seriously, what should I do? A lawsuit? By law what should they be obliged to do? :/ its been half year...

[mongrelnomoad]

Originally Posted by Joaodebotelho

Guys, come on. That is completely irrelevant here. Everybody can tell it was over polished. The dial was dark and became brown like many others of the same ref. The situation here is that AP destroyed my dial, independent of how it should be looking for anybody. I paid 2000euros for the service and this is what I get back? Is that acceptable? that's what's in question here, not how it should be looking or polished.

I’d talk to AP directly. Not quite sure we can help you here, though there is definitely a difference before and after.

Good luck.

[FWK]

Did they change the whole movement?

[TheDude]

It looks like paint flaking off the tapisserie. This happens on the old dials. When I look at the “before” images, it definitely had started. Either disassembly, the cleaning (ultrasonic?), or something else knocked more off.

The Beast dials from the same time period have the same issue with paint coming off.

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[Joaodebotelho]

Well, I couldn't see it before. And this is a fact: when I delivered the watch I specifically asked them not to touch the dial, afraid this would happen. Now I'm gonna wait to see what they propose as resolution. The dealer where I delivered said they never tried anything like this at audemars. So it's apparently a rare situation. Still I wonder what to demand from them. I certainly don't want my watch as it is now. It's a really ugly "transformation". In real life you can tell it 100times more.

So I was more asking you guys what you think I should demand from AP as a resolution.

Thanks

[tcpx]

Originally Posted by TheDude

It looks like paint flaking off the tapisserie. This happens on the old dials. When I look at the “before” images, it definitely had started. Either disassembly, the cleaning (ultrasonic?), or something else knocked more off.

The Beast dials from the same time period have the same issue with paint coming off.

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This is what I think had happened here as well.. hopefully AP offers a satisfactory response to you with regards to this. Keep us posted and good luck

[Muxi]

Their settlement offer above seems reasonable.

[fullofboats]

Seems like a very good offer from AP to me. New dial installed, old dial returned, and your money back

Having read the thread from the beginning, I don't see how you could possibly win anything in court. Your pictures are quite frankly low quality, you don't know the service history of the watch, and AP did do what you paid them to (i.e. service the movement).

How is your lawyer going to prove the color/patina changed after servicing; could just be bad lighting? How do you know the dial wasn't just dirty before you bought it? What legal liability does AP have with regard to servicing an out of warranty watch beyond their best effort, especially as it relates to something subjective such as the colour/patina of an old dial?

What do you hope to gain from taking this to court? The price you paid for the watch? Rather bold to assume your watch is now "worthless". You are much better off taking the offer.

Good luck if you decide to take it court...

[Joaodebotelho]

I think it would all be reasonable if they offered a black dial as a replacement. A blue dial is not of my liking neither was the original color as they promised to offer.

[TheDude]

I remember this thread. Glad you have some resolution.

Black won’t even look right. That dial looks salmon/gold. Will they give you a gold dial?

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[knorz]

Looking at your pictures seems to me that your dial color was burned out by the sun and it just lost the patina while dismounting the watch. It´s not scratched. I guess it was hold on in one piece because as you said it was never been opened since the beginning.
Honestly I think the offer they made is more than fair as I wouldn´t blame a technician for your dial to fell out of pieces :D

[Muxi]

I’d take it if I were you and move on to enjoy your watch. As said, the settlement offer is (more than) reasonable. Best to close the case while the corporate team handling the matter is motivated towards a resolution.

In some cases, persisting with legal threats will result in corporate merely transferring the matter to its legal team. When legal determines that a claim is unreasonable, that’s when all hell breaks loose.

[Nauti]

Two options....

1. Take the offer Blue dial will look fab ...2k back....put old dial in some form of display

2. Go to war fill lawyers pockets come out with same outcome ...or end up with retraction of offer and now 5k out of pocket....