Good luck!! I sent Cartier US an email with a complaint on my BB. 3.5 years old and has been repaired over 9 times and they still have not replaced it. Now the watch has condensation inside (it's supposed to be water reseistant up to 30meters) and running 5 hours fast every week. I emailed them a week ago and still no response!!
Ballon Bleu won't keep time and the local Cartier boutique won't help
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Good luck!! I sent Cartier US an email with a complaint on my BB. 3.5 years old and has been repaired over 9 times and they still have not replaced it. Now the watch has condensation inside (it's supposed to be water reseistant up to 30meters) and running 5 hours fast every week. I emailed them a week ago and still no response!!
What the heck.. 9 times..?? Condensation and 5 hours fast every WEEK??? Wow I'm lost for words.... didn't they say they'd replace it if you experienced another fault? I can't imagine how upset you must be.
Have you contacted consumer affairs..? Sounds like you might need to get a lawyer involved.. which is what will happen with Mum if they've don't come back with a satisfactory answer.
Gosh.. good luck, KensingtonUK!!
Well I'm traveling for a few weeks so I can't get to a shop so emailed customer services and of course have yet to receive any response. I will take to the SF shop next week and see what they say. If they try to charge me I am going to go ballistic!
Sorry to hear of the issues with your mom's watch. Just a couple of things. If the watch were a certified chronometer, which it is not, an acceptable deviation in time is -4 to + 6 seconds within 24 hours. The Ballon Bleu is not a chronometer therefore its accuracy and the deviation in time will be larger than that. Also it its possible the watch became magnetized, ...do not rest the watch on speakers, on or near clock radios or cell phones, or if working at a hospital stay away from the MRI department - as they can magnetize the movement which can cause it to be come inaccurate (although its relatively easy to fix this).
In addition, many automatic watches that start out running fast by a few seconds a day do slow down a bit after a few months to a year of normal wearing, as they start to break in a bit. You can have a watch regulated, in which case they open the case back take a screw driver and adjust its rate. Its very simple to do, but you have to open the watch to do that. Its no different than opening the hood of a car to make an adjustment to the engine. Or if one is not happy with that one can replace the movement. I'm not sure I'd worry so much about devaluing the watch as women's watches generally don't hold there value as well as men's watches and they rarely if ever appreciate because their just are not as many lady watch collectors.
I don't think you will get very far with a law suit or anything of that nature, although I don't know the laws in your Australia. However, here in the US, for example if it were a car, you would have to give the company/dealer at least 3 opportunities to correct the problem. If you/your mom won't let them open the watch to make any adjustments, how can they fix the problem? If you had a problem with a car and you told them they can't open the hood to do anything, then technically you haven't given them an opportunity to fix it. Also, it may have been a better idea to give them a chance to open it and regulate it or fix it earlier on when your mom was unhappy with its performance. Then you could say that you gave them every opportunity to repair/fix it and its still not running properly, and you think they should replace the watch. Now that she has had and used the watch 6-7 months, you haven't given them an opportunity to open it and make any repairs, so its less likely they will replace it.
I currently have 12 nice watches, 3 are Cartier watches (2 are automatics and 1 is a manual wind) and I've not had any problems with my Cartiers. The oldest of them is 15 years old, its been in for service when it has needed it roughly every 6 tears or so, and customer service has been very good. I think it is important to remember you have only heard from a handful of people here who have had problems with their watches, and the people on this forum are a very small segment of the market. Cartier sells something like 600,000-800,000 watches per year. So the handful of problems we are reading about here, may be upsetting, but its a relatively small number of problems relative to the number of watches sold. In addition, if you read watch forums for Rolex, Patek, Audemars Piguet and other good brands you will see that no brand is immune from producing a few watches that are far from perfect.
Anyway, wishing you and your mom all the best with resolving your watch issues and I hope she will have a watch free from problems soon. Cheers!
Thanks for the detailed response Jetsetmax! It's always great to hear the different experiences.
Yup, I only found out about certified chronometers after this incident. That will certainly be one of the things that will be checked for future watch purchases in my family (although I won't because I don't usually wear any).
Quick question about men's watches - would it devalue the watch in the men's market if the watch was opened, or not at all since it's akin to opening the hood?
Hmm... not sure why the forum users above haven't had any luck with their watches being replaced after taking theirs back so many times. Hopefully they can use your tip to argue their case..?
The problem here though is that Cartier is saying there is no problem at all to fix. It it goes into repair and have same issues but by a lesser degree.. there will not be any further service on Cartier's part at that time.
Hmm.. sorry but I have to ask, are you affiliated with Cartier or just a very passionate Cartier customer?
I'm happy to hear that you haven't had problems with the watches and that on an average only a handful of watches have issues. Mum may have been very unlucky indeed. When it does happen though, it is very upsetting and rightly so, it seems, as it's a rare occurrence.
Thanks for the feedback and for all your time, Jetsetmax! Great comments to take account of in making an informed choice.
No opening a watch doesn't devalue a men's watch. It is expected that depending on the watch it will need to be opened and serviced at least every 5-10 years. Automatic (and manual wind) watches have oil and lubricants to reduce friction and wear and tear on gears and other internal parts. Over the years those lubricants can dry up or congeal and then it would just be metal on metal contact which would cause premature wear and tear to the movement (internal parts). In addition, the rubber gaskets inside the watch need to be replaced to keep it water resistant to that moisture can't get in and cause the dial to be come spotted (which will devalue a watch) and to prevent the movement from rusting. So even the finest and most valuable watches should be opened and serviced from time to time. Doing so protects the watch and does not devalue it.
I can't explain why some forum members here have not had good luck with their watches or getting them repaired. Much like with a car where some dealerships have better technicians than others, perhaps some service centers have better watchmakers than others. In addition, as I mentioned before, the people on this forum are a very small group of Cartier watch purchasers considering Cartier sells something like 600,000 to 800,000 watches annually. Even if hypothetically there were 50 people here on the forum with watches that had serious problems, that's a very tiny percentage of watches sold annually by Cartier. I've frequented dedicated watch forums for several years and I've read stories of owners of many brands complaining about problems with their watches. I've owned at 20 good watches over the years and only had problems with 3 of them, 2 were from Rolex and 1 was from Audemars Piguet. I'm still waiting for my Audemars to be returned to me.
I'm not sure if you are just bringing the watch into the Cartier dealer or Cartier boutique where you bought it. However, I would suggest finding out where the actual Cartier Service Center is in your country, send the watch there and let them open the watch. As I suggested, it could simply need to be regulated, but where your mom didn't want them opening the watch that couldn't be done. Also, some dealers and boutiques are not really equipped to regulate the watch in their shop, and it would have needed to be sent to a service center where they would open the back and adjust its rate.
I have no professional affiliation with Cartier. I'm a lawyer and in my practice I handle a lot of personal injury cases, business disputes, and divorces. My only connection to Cartier is I have purchased some of their watches and jewelry. Although, it has been about 9 years since I have purchased one of their watches as their current designs do not speak to me the way their vintage designs do.
Again, I'm sorry to hear things have not worked out for your mom and her watch. Its truly aggravating to spend hard earned money for something that has problems. It drains all the enjoyment from something that should have been a fun purchase. Perhaps if your mom is not satisfied with what Cartier can do for her, she should sell/trade the watch and get something else for a fresh start. Wishing you and your mom all the best and lots of luck with whatever she decides to do.
Many thanks for the detailed advice, Jetsetmax. There's some fantastic knowledge there.
It doesn't change the future course of action for this particular experience but it's great to hear the views of others like you who have a wealth of industry knowledge and have had positive dealings with Cartier.
By the way, I did wonder if you were a lawyer from the flow of your writing.. or possibly a Richemont shareholder...!
Update on the complaint:
I spoke to the Client Service Executive Manager who finally confirmed that a time discrepancy of 8 minutes after a month of wearing the watch 24 hours a day for a month would indeed be indicative of a defect in the movement. Yes, it is within the accepted industry norm for a movement to lose or gain time by up to 15 seconds in a given day but this should reset naturally and not ACCUMULATE per day to the extent that the time difference is obviously noticeable to the watch wearer.
That was satisfying to hear as the three Cartier employees I'd spoken to had made me feel as if I was being unreasonable by saying 8 minutes of time difference in a month (potentially 1.5 hour over a month) was not acceptable from a consumer's point of view. The third Cartier employee (Client Relations Officer) actually told me that 8 min in a month is probably just a little over the accepted norm as 15 sec per day would mean 7.5 min.. so the non-accumulation concept does not appear to have gotten through to the employees. The CSEM has promised to roll out a new training process based on the feedback.
As for the lack of written records of the tests and monitoring conducted by the boutique, the CSEM also confirmed that this was not standard procedure and that there should be written records and I should be given a copy if I request for it.
Anyway, the CSEM has agreed that if further tests confirm that there is a defect, the CSEM would offer either a watch movement replacement or an exchange of the BB for a brand new BB, which is a substantial improvement from my past conversations with Cartier. He has also promised to provide me with a copy of all the test results conducted at the headquarters.
I do feel more reassured about Cartier's quality assurance standards and customer service after this conversation. I think Mum will likely agree to the watch being opened and subjected to further extensive testing.
Let's see how we go...!
I spoke to the Client Service Executive Manager who finally confirmed that a time discrepancy of 8 minutes after a month of wearing the watch 24 hours a day for a month would indeed be indicative of a defect in the movement. Yes, it is within the accepted industry norm for a movement to lose or gain time by up to 15 seconds in a given day but this should reset naturally and not ACCUMULATE per day to the extent that the time difference is obviously noticeable to the watch wearer.
That was satisfying to hear as the three Cartier employees I'd spoken to had made me feel as if I was being unreasonable by saying 8 minutes of time difference in a month (potentially 1.5 hour over a month) was not acceptable from a consumer's point of view. The third Cartier employee (Client Relations Officer) actually told me that 8 min in a month is probably just a little over the accepted norm as 15 sec per day would mean 7.5 min.. so the non-accumulation concept does not appear to have gotten through to the employees. The CSEM has promised to roll out a new training process based on the feedback.
As for the lack of written records of the tests and monitoring conducted by the boutique, the CSEM also confirmed that this was not standard procedure and that there should be written records and I should be given a copy if I request for it.
Anyway, the CSEM has agreed that if further tests confirm that there is a defect, the CSEM would offer either a watch movement replacement or an exchange of the BB for a brand new BB, which is a substantial improvement from my past conversations with Cartier. He has also promised to provide me with a copy of all the test results conducted at the headquarters.
I do feel more reassured about Cartier's quality assurance standards and customer service after this conversation. I think Mum will likely agree to the watch being opened and subjected to further extensive testing.
Let's see how we go...!
Nice to hear that you found the right people in the Cartier organization to discuss the issues about your mom's watch. One always hopes not to have issues with a purchase, but these are mechanical devices so occasionally they have problems. However, I'm a firm believer that the measure of a company is how they handle things when a problem arises.
As for the non accumulation of time... time keeping in mechanical watches is often affected by the position of the watch and gravity. It may not have had any effect on your mom's watch, but sometimes resting a watch overnight dial up, dial down, or on one side or the other, can cause a watch to run faster or slower and help balance out gains or losses in time that happen during the day. To be honest, regarding the sales staff's level of knowledge (or possible lack there of), at the boutique you visited, does not really surprise me. I've visited plenty of boutiques for Cartier, Van Cleef, Chopard, etc., where the knowledge of the sales staff varies significantly. I have been rather lucky in that most of the sales staff and managers at my nearest Cartier boutique have been great to deal with and are quite knowledgeable. Still, I know many watch collectors who have come to accept that as a result of years of knowledge acquired by reading everything they can find regarding a brand and its offerings, they often know more than many sales associates.
Glad to hear things are moving in the right direction and I hope that things will be resolved in a manner that makes you and your mom very happy. Cheers!
Spot on, Jetsetmax. I am also a firm believer of that. Thanks for all your advice and guidance to date [emoji1360]
Yeah, I'm not sure what happened in Mum's case. She was wearing it 24 hours a day for the entire 4 weeks so perhaps that could be something to do with it...? It still shouldn't be 8 minutes faster in a month though as the watch would be subjected to a range of positions and movements throughout the day.
Yes, that is for sure. Unfortunately I don't know any true watch collectors around me so this forum has been great!
Thanks so much! Hopefully this will all be resolved very soon
Just know that magnetic fields will affect an automatic watch: my BB got magnetized when it got in contact with the magnet on my bag and ran 2 minutes fast everyday! Took it to the Cartier store and they fixed it in their demagnetizing machine. They said even new fridges or other appliances can magnetize an automatic watch. But I haven't had any problems since. Now I am simply careful not to put it directly against the magnet on my bag.
Hth!
Hth!
OP - it sounds like you are in Australia, I would lodge a complaint to the department of fair trading or equivalent in your state
They are usually very helpful. You may know this already but there are consumer guarantees by law when you are buy goods and if there is a major failure, you can ask for a refund or replacement (not just a repair). Major failure may include if you knew about this problem, you wouldn't have bought it.. also the fact that the salesperson said gold when it was steel would be unacceptable to me.
Also, I don't know which state you are in but Cartier in Sydney has the worst customer service of any shop i know. Whatever you buy there, you better make sure you are 1000% happy with it cz it there is any problem they will make your life hell. It took me months and no less than 5 visit to replace a love ring that had scratches, nicks and indentations in it (I went to ask for a replacement the following morning of the day I purchased it and they accused me of making those scratches, nicks and indentations on the ring). I would like to buy a few other items but waiting to go overseas.. I will never purchase anything from that store ever again.
They are usually very helpful. You may know this already but there are consumer guarantees by law when you are buy goods and if there is a major failure, you can ask for a refund or replacement (not just a repair). Major failure may include if you knew about this problem, you wouldn't have bought it.. also the fact that the salesperson said gold when it was steel would be unacceptable to me.
Also, I don't know which state you are in but Cartier in Sydney has the worst customer service of any shop i know. Whatever you buy there, you better make sure you are 1000% happy with it cz it there is any problem they will make your life hell. It took me months and no less than 5 visit to replace a love ring that had scratches, nicks and indentations in it (I went to ask for a replacement the following morning of the day I purchased it and they accused me of making those scratches, nicks and indentations on the ring). I would like to buy a few other items but waiting to go overseas.. I will never purchase anything from that store ever again.
Thanks marie132 for the comments! How old was the watch when you realised the watch was running that fast?
Yeah they did tell me about magnetisation but Mum pretty much stays home and doesn't have any magnets around her.
With so many magnets around us these days though, shouldn't there be some more recent developments in modern day timepieces to mitigate such daily magnetisation issues? I don't know [emoji849]
Thanks for sharing Parisluxury! That was the next course of action. I'm in Melbourne and the Collins Store boutique manager was frustrating to deal with. I will definitely make sure to never purchase anything either Collins St or Sydney Cartier stores!
The CRM based in Sydney was pretty good though. At the end of the day, it's about making the customer feel heard with empathy that goes a long way. The boutique manager was just all standard lecture in terms of how automatic movements work, blah blah blah blah.
It definitely doesn't pay to speak to some of the boutiques as they really don't care too much about you once you've bought the item.
Anyway, the latest update is that Mum has decided to accept the repair on the basis that should she find any issues again, Cartier would provide a full refund or exchange for a new model. As a gesture of apology, the CRM will be sending complimentary leather passports holders but meh, they're really of no real use to Mum but of some consolation.
So that's a wrap for now, I guess! Let's hope that this is the end of all the troubles, for my sake [emoji16]
Thanks to everyone on this post who have shared their experiences and insights. You have all been so helpful and supportive. It is truly appreciated!!
As long as your Mom doesn't rest her watch on her cell phone or on speakers, its unlikely her watch will get magnetized . Even if it were to get magnetized, a watch can be demagnetized very quickly & easily if you bring it to the boutique (they have a machine to demagnetize watches). I've owned nice watches for over 20 years and never had one of them get magnetized.
Rolex and I believe Patek have both developed movements using new materials that resist magnetism. Rolex now uses a blue parachrom hairspring (it is actually blue in color) in the movements all of its automatic watches and its highly anti-magnetic. Patek developed a movement with silicon to prevent magnetism, but its not in all of their watches. Cheers!