If they did, I don't remember it specifically, I'm sorry. I'm sure that it will be a bit pricey!
Cartier Watch Service - beware!
- Thread starter Murberry
- Start date
TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others
I am considering using a watch repair place when my Panthere needs to be serviced. They are not an authorized dealer, but it's where I take my other watches for batteries, etc. Is this a good idea? Should I take it to the authorized dealer (jewelry store) where I purchased it? I just got it about a year and a half ago, so nothing needed at this time. TIA
After all these years I would like to add some info to my original post, because it still seems to be read sometimes and I think this could help others. The watchmaker I went to in the Netherlands is now active under the name Chronoglide in Grootschermer (at the time he had another name, but it is still the same guy. I guess even if you are not in the area you can contact him, because back then you could also send your watch to him by insured courier). I moved to the South of Spain in the mean time, my watch is still running perfectly, I found a watchmaker in Cádiz city to replace the battery (first time since my original post!) and service the watch, all while I was present. He was really very kind and speaks English as well, so I can highly recommend him to anyone living in the area seeking for a good watchmaker or needing service while on holiday. You can contact him through his website or even book a time slot directly I think, his name is Jesús Moreno and Relotecnic the name of his business. Then I managed to buy some parts for my watch (replacement bezel screws and gaskets for future use if I need them) at an online store based in France called WhatchesULike and I was very happy with their service, so it might be useful to know for others in need of replacement parts when they choose not to use the service of Cartier or other brands. Finally, here’s a photo of that watch this thread all started with. 
I’m still very happy with it!
I’m still very happy with it!
Hi all, I am new. I just bought Cartier must 21 chronoscaph from auction. It runs fine and the seller said no need to change the battery now. I cleaned the strap myself yesterday and it came out good and clean. I made adjustments for the length, time and date. How would I know if the watch needs servicing? Go to any watch makers or has to be authorized Cartier dealer or Cartier store?
If your watch is quartz and you don’t plan to take it into any type of water there’s no point doing anything but a battery change. (If you do plan to take it into water, then having the gaskets changed would be important via a service)
Thank you for your reply. It is quartz and I don’t plan to wear it in the water. If I ever do, should I get the service through Cartier store?
Depends on what you want them to do? If you want maintenance on the exterior like polishing or something like that. But if you only want to change your battery, you can have that done anywhere or even yourself with the proper tools.
The unfortunate reality of most quartz movements is that they are more expensive to repair than to replace so Cartier like many other manufacturers will just pop out the defective one and pop in a new one.
Will the polishing remove the scratches? It is vintage watch and has scratches. Do you know how much it usually cost to do it at the store?
@Christofle, I also want to add, there is no warranty card with the watch. When register on line, the site wanted me to take a photo of the card after it showed me the ref. number - I assumed that was the warranty card. Will I able to get a replacement card if I go to the store?
It’s best to contact Cartier customer service as the price can vary depending on the model.
Congratulations on your lovely new watch! I suggest you take your watch to a reputable watch maker if you feel it does not keep time correctly. He or she could service the watch for you which included in my case a battery exchange, external cleaning and lubrication of several parts (included the gaskets I think). If you would like a polish this can be done too, fine scratches in the metal can be removed this way, I guess deeper ones would be more difficult or maybe even impossible to remove, depending on how bad they are. In my experience I see no reason to have the watch serviced by Cartier, they will just charge you a lot more for the same service or less. If your watch keeps time perfectly, you don’t need to have it serviced (apart from having it polished if you wish).
Thank you @Christofle and @Murberry .I will check locally. Since it was my first time buying a watch from auction, I want to get it checked first before start wearing it.
In addition: the watchmaker in Cádiz I recently visited would charge €200 for a complete polish of my husbands Breitling automatic (a very large sized watch) after testing and cleaning it for free and telling him it didn’t need any maintenance because it was shockingly accurate. My husband was planning to send the watch to Breitling for complete service + polish à €640.
One more question: does warranty card really important? The watch that I bought has no card or receipt. Only has booklet.
Unless the watch is still within it’s warranty period (24 months from the date of purchase) I don’t think the warranty card is important. I never had or needed them but both my Cartier watches are from the ’90’s. Even without a warranty card you can still have the watch serviced by Cartier if you want. Don’t worry too much, it will probably never need much more than a new battery and a little lubrication (that’s the only thing mine needed 20-30 years after production!), just enjoy your new purchase!