Tudor Pelagos FXD bezel lume issue

[James007d1]

I wanted to gain some advice regarding Tudor and warranty issues, after noticing a strange occurrence with the bezel lume on my 2022 Pelagos FXD.
I purchased the watch from Watches of Switzerland back in July 2022. The watch has been worn on rotation with my current collection, averaging 7 days every month. Around 3 weeks ago, when getting the watch out of the safe to wear, I noticed slight discolouration to the Bezel lume plots (countdown graduation 10 to 20). I spent a considerable amount of time, inspecting the bezel under a loupe, and even attempted to clean the bezel with water and a soft cloth. The stain would not shift so I took the watch into my local Tudor dealer and asked for their opinion for returning the watch to Tudor for a warranty appraisal. The watch was sent back to Tudor, and the dealer received an update to which he forwarded to me.
This is a direct extract from the email.
“Tudor have noted that a replacement bezel is needed in order to get the timepiece back into working order. I did query this further, and they have noted that they are unable to clean the bezel and there technician has advised to replace. They are unable to speculate nor determine how this may have been caused. The cost for the replacement bezel is £433.”

So Tudor are unable to speculate how this occurred and want to charge me £433, I have questioned the charge and believe that Tudor should honour the repair under warranty. The representative from my Tudor dealer is on my side and has backed me up, but Tudor are not budging at the moment.

I have attached pictures of the discolouration on the bezel. As confirmation the only strenuous activity the watch has been through is a week hiking in the Yorkshire Dales. No LLP or square parachuting from helis into the sea have been performed.

It would be nice to get some advice from anyone who has experienced warranty claims with Tudor, and some valuable second opinions.

Thank you in advance,

James

[JC316]

I can see why they might insist on charging you. It looks as if the discoloration was due to something rubbing across the bezel. You can definitely follow what appears to be a line.

It looks to be a light red or brown based on the pictures you provided. I'm assuming it was not like that when you purchased it?

Have you tried scrubbing at it with a light pad and dish wash soap.

Generally, any issues that they admit is a defect due to quality control would fall under warranty repair/replacement.

Based on their response, it sounds like they're politely telling you it is not a QC issue and thus will not be covered under warranty.

[hutch300]

I would want them to honor the warranty in principle. I would read the warranty and determine if you believe it should be covered then ask to speak to someone there.

[James007d1]

Hello JC316,

Thank you for reading my post and taking the time to reply. In response to your answer, I do not recall rubbing the bezel against anything. Plus if I did, I would hope the bezel was robust enough to withstand this. If you study the actual discoloration in detail, it looks like the lume has faded or tarnished.

[Dan Pierce]

Originally Posted by James007d1

Hello JC316,

Thank you for reading my post and taking the time to reply. In response to your answer, I do not recall rubbing the bezel against anything. Plus if I did, I would hope the bezel was robust enough to withstand this. If you study the actual discoloration in detail, it looks like the lume has faded or tarnished.

Looks more consistent w/ something that brushed against it, not tarnished lume.
dP

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

Looks more consistent w/ something that brushed against it, not tarnished lume.
dP

Have to agree Dan and doubt if any warranty issue.

[James007d1]

Thanks for the feedback. I have just had a call from my AD today and after inspecting the watch further they have confirmed it looks like the lume has tarnished and will be pushing Tudor to replace under warranty.

If it was caused by rubbing against the bezel, it seems strange that the rest of the bezel is unmarked. I would expect the watch to be far more robust as the Tudor marketing team suggest. As a UK Airborne forces veteran, I would hope the watch would be up to the rigours of LLP and exiting a hot DZ.

[HAL9K]

Originally Posted by James007d1

I do not recall rubbing the bezel against anything. Plus if I did, I would hope the bezel was robust enough to withstand this. If you study the actual discoloration in detail, it looks like the lume has faded or tarnished.

Respectfully, you're exaggerating a bit here. It's not like the bezel fell off when you just picked it up out of the safe. It's a discolouration, and it also looks to me like you rubbed the watch against something, as others have alluded to. The lume is white, which probably explains why it's only apparent there and not on the darker blue ceramic part of the bezel.

And it's not like you'll recall every single time you rubbed or scraped your watch against something. It also seems to me like you'd have a pretty good chance of scraping against a rock or a tree if you were hiking in the forest for a week straight. More than diving into water anyways ;)

I'd just leave it. If it bothers you enough, and Tudor still won't fix it under warranty, pay for a replacement and enjoy the watch.

Edit: Tone is tough through text and my post came across as a bit harsh. You're lucky to have a good AD that is pushing back for you. Cheers!

[James007d1]

Thanks for taking the time to read my post and the feedback HAL9K. Regarding my watch being scraped or rubbed, the hiking trip was in February and the watch was mainly covered by a thick fleece and gortex due to inclement weather. I'm not overly precious about watches and believe they should be worn for the task intended. After 20 years of wearing Rolex, Omega, CWC, Seiko and Bremont in rather inhospitable environments, this is the first time I have noticed this type of issue with a bezel. Luckily my AD is on point, and is pushing back against Tudor.

[messikens]

I'm with the majority on this one. It does seems (not debating you on this btw) as if it's scraped / dragged against something. The discoloration across multiple plots is too much in a straight line on one side only to be just a random production fault.

That said it would be good customer service to replace it free of charge given that the internal cost can't be 433gbp but rather a fraction...

Good luck in any case and nice that you have an AD pushing on your behalf

[James007d1]

Not a problem with tone HAL9K, as I'm fairly thick skinned, and the written word can sometimes come across in a different manner. I was prepared for differing views, and opinions. I appreciate the fact that users have taken the time to read and comment on my post, thanks again:)