jonniedoo
1
Newbie needs some advice on repair
Hi... My wife decided to wear her circa 2000 Gondolo for our wedding (it had been in a safe for around 8 years) and the bracelet broke while she was wearing it. We took it into the official dealer where her father had bought it and they instructed us to let them send it off to Patek in Geneva for repairs, saying they couldn't do it in house and that with this type of repair you really only want the official Patek people to do it.
So now a few months later we get a quote from the jeweler we took it to (relaying the quote supposedly from Patek in Geneva) - $1600. Oy. We know nothing of these things, as my wife and I have never dealt with this caliber of jewelry, but I feel like I'm getting ripped off yet and can't take it anywhere else for a second opinion... So, I was hoping someone here could let us know if that sounds about right? Here is the gist of the quote we got:
(4)bracelet screws=$80.00 + tax
factory movement clean-overhaul,calibrate=$575.00
repair of bracelet,polish,rhodium plating=$825.00
shipping/ins/fees=$145.00
estimated completion time=27-28 weeks
total cost = $1631.20 for repair
I'd love to hear the community's thoughts and advice about this... I've posted a picture of the watch as well in case you guys are interested.
Our wounded Patek Gondolo
Newbie needs some advice on repair
Hi... My wife decided to wear her circa 2000 Gondolo for our wedding (it had been in a safe for around 8 years) and the bracelet broke while she was wearing it. We took it into the official dealer where her father had bought it and they instructed us to l...
This sounds reasonable to me...
given that it includes the technical (movement overhaul), cosmetic and functional repairs (bracelet). The estimated timeframe also seems normal for high-end watches. Please keep in mind that if the watch "had been in a safe for around 8 years" its highly ...
Looks like a realistic quote to me...
...and is in line with any of the other top brands. It's typical for the original maker to insist on a complete mechanical service any time they're working on a customer's watch. And based on the fact that the watch sat in a safe for eight years, I'd say ...
THE SERVICE COSTS ARE IN LINE WITH WHAT I
have paid when taking watches directly to Patek. I have always been most satisfied with my watches after service and my policy is to service each of them every 5 years. As I have 10 Pateks, I just have to accept that in average my monthly costs for keepin...
Expensive, but fair. Which raises an important point which is almost never discussed.
Nobody asks how much a service will cost when one buys a watch, WHILE this question is always asked for a car. This is something which should SYSTEMATICALLY be asked, IMO. How much money, how many weeks. These are very important questions, to be fully inf...
true but difficult in practice
Whenever I have asked an AD I either get an outright lie (and very low quote) or told they don't know. I aspire to own a minute repeater but have only heard second or third hand information about service costs which often run into the very high thousands....
You are luckier,
I paid about US$4,000 when I sent my 5059R for repair. It was very expensive, i know, but i have to admit that it is worth it. Best regards!
What about an independent watchmaker?
I think you will save time, money, and have a more personalized experience. Just ask one for an estimate.
I don't recommend!
When the watch is serviced by non-authorized watchmaker, you might get some surprises when taking the watch next time to Patek. And if enough parts are non-Patek, they might refuse to service the watch. Would you take your Ferrari or RR to an independent ...
Sometimes you get lucky with an independent...
...and sometimes you don't. I decided to save some money on servicing a Rolex once. Took it to a local watchmaker...actually a very good local watchmaker. He was about half the price of an official Rolex service. But I had to take the watch back twice for...
Surprised?
Sounds like the estimate is in the ballpark for servicing from Patek. I wouldn't send my Patek to anyone but an authorized Patek service center. Aloha, Bob
I think it's a fair price, though the time needed of 28weeks is ridiculous.
Ask them to commit to a shorter time frame...they would have probably inflated it to give themselves on buffer anyway. Best, Horo
Strap
Would you or PP consider a leather strap. In many ways that looks more elegant. fnk