1,589 Discussions and CommentsMember since May 16, 2002
What ever the problem and I understand what you say that the watch comes to a halt, just take it in to your AD, it will be sorted in due course. Most service centres will be able to deal with it without a trip back to the factory. Only certain models will require that as a matter of course, like repeaters and the very high end stuff or old models.
4 Discussions and CommentsMember since Oct. 28, 2012
Dear Greg, Thanks for your comment. ' Just take it in to your AD, it will be sorted in due course. Most service centers will be able to deal with it without a trip back to the factory. Only certain models will require that as a matter of course, like repeaters and the very high end stuff or old models.' In general, I agree with you that often a local repair station can usually deal with common well understood problems and adjustments. I would note, however, that, in my case, I was told by IWC UK that the watch would need to go back to the factory as a warranty repair. An intermittent fault of the sort that I (and Watchjunkie) have encountered is often difficult to trouble shoot and, with a brand new watch (and model),it is important to be satisfied that the 'repair/adjustment' is done to factory standards. Of course, I am still not sure to what extent the fly-back function is a new feature on this movement. If it is, the factory will no doubt want to investigate whether the movement design or the manufacturing quality controls or both are satisfactory.
86 Discussions and CommentsMember since Oct. 12, 2012Torquay,
Australia
For the life time that this great company exist, there should be a way for a customer to follow up on a 'repair' job? Maybe some of the more experienced users could shed some light on this? I see it shameful having to 'repair' a new watch though.
163 Discussions and CommentsMember since April 22, 2011
United Kingdom
Hi guys, Greg's list of trip back to the factory repairs is correct but there is another instance when Factory Only repairs are necessary: IWC,like most other Manufactures, has a system in place to actively monitor,repair or improve as necessary all new models. As JRSHAN correctly noted the factory will no doubt want to investigate whether the movement design or the manufacturing quality controls or both are satisfactory Whether the movement or case or both are new, watch repairs within the first year of release must be returned to the factory and cannot be repaired locally. This process can,initally,take a little time but will result in the owner having an IWC that is reliable and accurate for lifetimes to come when kept regularly serviced. Obviously I can only offer my knowledge on the technical side of repairs but I hope I have eased your concerns as to why your watch went to Schaffhausen so early in it's lifetime and was not dealt with locally. Leo
Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.....Confucius
4 Discussions and CommentsMember since Oct. 28, 2012
Hi everyone. I purchased a new Spitfire Chronograph in August 2012. From the start, it had an intermittent problem with the fly back function, whereby the watch would freeze/stop about every 20 times the fly back function was used. I noticed on this forum, that another new owner of the same model watch was having an identical problem to me. As very few of these watches were out in the field at the time, it seemed to me that this indicated that IWC either had a quality control problem or the design of the fly back was inadequate. I sent the watch back to the factory in early September 2012 to get it repaired. The watch was 'repaired' and sent back to me in December 2012. I would note that I did not get any documentation from the factory with the returned watch which described what had been done to fix the problem. In the event, I immediately found, on trying out the watch, that the problem had not been fixed and, accordingly,I sent the watch back to the Factory in January, 2013. This time, IWC looked at the watch more carefully, replaced the movement with a new one, and ran extensive tests to ensure that the fly back function (and the rest of the watch) was working properly. I have now finally received back my watch today, 22 May 2013 after about 8 months from the time it was originally sent back to the Factory! I am pleased to report that, thankfully, the fly back function now seems to work perfectly. In addition, the new movement's chronograph push button actions are much better in feel than those in the original movement. This whole saga shows how important it is for manufacturers to ensure that factory quality control procedures are as good as they can be and that factory repair departments are equally of the highest quality. Both were unsatisfactory in this case! The huge cost of repairing watches in these circumstances, the inconvenience to the customer and the inevitable danger of brand damage must be obvious to everyone. I hope that IWC will have learnt from all this. I would add that the feed back from the factory as to what was going on and where the watch was in the repair cycle was patchy at best for much of the time. Feedback improved in the last few months but IWC (and other watch manufacturers) could learn from online suppliers like Amazon as to how to keep customers informed as to the status of their watch repairs. An investment in this area of their business would be, in my view, money well spent. Hopefully, I can now look forward to long and trouble free use of what, when it works, is a very fine pilot's watch.
Cheers Greg Chalk
Cvanwhite at aol dot com
Last edited: 21 February, 2013 - 13:47
Thanks for your comment. ' Just take it in to your AD, it will be sorted in due course. Most service centers will be able to deal with it without a trip back to the factory. Only certain models will require that as a matter of course, like repeaters and the very high end stuff or old models.'
In general, I agree with you that often a local repair station can usually deal with common well understood problems and adjustments.
I would note, however, that, in my case, I was told by IWC UK that the watch would need to go back to the factory as a warranty repair. An intermittent fault of the sort that I (and Watchjunkie) have encountered is often difficult to trouble shoot and, with a brand new watch (and model),it is important to be satisfied that the 'repair/adjustment' is done to factory standards. Of course, I am still not sure to what extent the fly-back function is a new feature on this movement. If it is, the factory will no doubt want to investigate whether the movement design or the manufacturing quality controls or both are satisfactory.
I see it shameful having to 'repair' a new watch though.
Last edited: 25 April, 2013 - 11:45
Greg's list of trip back to the factory repairs is correct but there is another instance when Factory Only repairs are necessary:
IWC,like most other Manufactures, has a system in place to actively monitor,repair or improve as necessary all new models.
As JRSHAN correctly noted the factory will no doubt want to investigate whether the movement design or the manufacturing quality controls or both are satisfactory
Whether the movement or case or both are new, watch repairs within the first year of release must be returned to the factory and cannot be repaired locally.
This process can,initally,take a little time but will result in the owner having an IWC that is reliable and accurate for lifetimes to come when kept regularly serviced.
Obviously I can only offer my knowledge on the technical side of repairs but I hope I have eased your concerns as to why your watch went to Schaffhausen so early in it's lifetime and was not dealt with locally.
Leo
I am just delaying the inevitable (... and hoping for a miracle)
Last edited: 25 April, 2013 - 11:45
I purchased a new Spitfire Chronograph in August 2012.
From the start, it had an intermittent problem with the fly back function, whereby the watch would freeze/stop about every 20 times the fly back function was used.
I noticed on this forum, that another new owner of the same model watch was having an identical problem to me. As very few of these watches were out in the field at the time, it seemed to me that this indicated that IWC either had a quality control problem or the design of the fly back was inadequate.
I sent the watch back to the factory in early September 2012 to get it repaired.
The watch was 'repaired' and sent back to me in December 2012. I would note that I did not get any documentation from the factory with the returned watch which described what had been done to fix the problem.
In the event, I immediately found, on trying out the watch, that the problem had not been fixed and, accordingly,I sent the watch back to the Factory in January, 2013.
This time, IWC looked at the watch more carefully, replaced the movement with a new one, and ran extensive tests to ensure that the fly back function (and the rest of the watch) was working properly.
I have now finally received back my watch today, 22 May 2013 after about 8 months from the time it was originally sent back to the Factory!
I am pleased to report that, thankfully, the fly back function now seems to work perfectly. In addition, the new movement's chronograph push button actions are much better in feel than those in the original movement.
This whole saga shows how important it is for manufacturers to ensure that factory quality control procedures are as good as they can be and that factory repair departments are equally of the highest quality. Both were unsatisfactory in this case!
The huge cost of repairing watches in these circumstances, the inconvenience to the customer and the inevitable danger of brand damage must be obvious to everyone. I hope that IWC will have learnt from all this.
I would add that the feed back from the factory as to what was going on and where the watch was in the repair cycle was patchy at best for much of the time. Feedback improved in the last few months but IWC (and other watch manufacturers) could learn from online suppliers like Amazon as to how to keep customers informed as to the status of their watch repairs. An investment in this area of their business would be, in my view, money well spent.
Hopefully, I can now look forward to long and trouble free use of what, when it works, is a very fine pilot's watch.