walidk
118
Unfortunate for sure!
Aug 18, 2023,15:34 PM
Hi Stere,
This is definitely an unfortunate turn of events. I recently had my L1 with a Guilloche MOP dial serviced for the first time in some 16 years by one of the few authorized watchmakers (who is not part of Lange/Richemont) and it was in line with the price quoted on their website (under $2k, including a new strap). I have come across 2 scenarios where the service cost was in the $10k+ range: (a) a gentleman accidentally dropped his Saxonia Annual Calendar on a marble floor while trying to strap it on and the glass shattered, movement got damaged, etc. (it was a sad thing to see) and that was around $15k to bring it back to new; and (b) a gentleman purchased a pre-owned Lange (unfortunately can’t recall which model) and when he sent it in for regular service, it was discovered that someone tried to service it outside the authorized channels and caused some significant damage to the movement, which required around $10k to bring back to new.
Clearly your situation is not (a) but do you have the full service history? If it was never serviced and did not get a serious knock, I can’t for the life of me think of how it could be what they quoted you and would suggest working with an AD or a Lange authorized watchmaker - they can at least give you more detailed information to justify the cost. You would think that Richemont would be keen on getting that much money on a service and would go out of their way explaining all the benefits of why you should pay them that amount!
While Richemont has been off-putting as of late, every time I wear one of these wonderful marvels I realize that I can just keep my interactions with Richemont to a minimum (the once every 5-7 years service interval) and enjoy these pieces.
Hoping this situation can be satisfactorily resolved and you can still find enough love to keep your L1!
All the best,
Walid