Quality Control Issues at JLC

Hello All,

I recently acquired a new JLC Master Compressor Extreme World Alarm from a local AD. I love the design and features of the watch, and the alarm sound is wonderous (for an alarm) to me. However, after a few days of owning this detailed watch I've noticed some flaws in the dials design. These same flaws I've also noticed on other EWA watches whose photos I have found on the internet. So I was wondering whether there is a quality control issue with this particular watch model. The flaws I have found are misalgined hour markers, particularly at 5 and 7 and the "6" is also slightly off center. All are off by fractions of a millimeter, and are only visible with the naked eye if stared at, but are readily visible through a loop. Also, a (white) line segment above the numeral "1" at "12" is missing (see my photo). Also, one of the compressor keys, when closed, is not parallel to the surface of the watch (when both keys are open, they are both parallel to the surface of the watch). Are such flaws usual for a JLC watch? Should I confront JLC about what could be done, if I care to have them rectify the flaws? Has anyone here with an EWA watch seen similar flaws? Since all photos of this watch model have similar visible flaws I would not want to ask JLC for a new watch since I would just probably get another flawed watch. Any opinions on this one? Thanks!

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You pay for the best, so you should get the best IMO

By: Starman : June 8th, 2010-12:59

One of the reasons for me to buy high end watches, is the care for the details without being mass manufactured. Hand made with the ultimate care for finish. IMO you are right for the points you mention in your post, and I have to say that I cannot imagine...

Fixing the watch's flaws

By: bobscamp : June 8th, 2010-13:23

would be out of the question since it would require too much possible destruction. How does a technician take off the hour markers after they have been glued down without causing scratches to the dial surface, and then have to reset/center them? Very very...

Hello Bob and welcome!

By: blomman Mr Blue : June 8th, 2010-13:12

First of all, welcome to the forum and congrats to your new watch! Sorry to hear that you experience issues with your watch. About your issues; The missing minute mark should not be missing! Please see attached photo, not my watch. I have been looking a l...

That watch has flaws too!

By: bobscamp : June 8th, 2010-13:26

The 11, 1 and 2 hour markers on that watch are obviously off center from their minute marker lines. As I had mentioned earlier, seems like all photos of EWA watches show similar flaws. My watch's flaws are at 5, 6 and 7 (plus the missing line segment abov...

Don't forget, sapphire distorts.

By: mkvc : June 8th, 2010-19:38

Before concluding that there is an alignment problem, be sure you are not actually seeing distorted image through the sapphire crystal.

It is definitely not a distortion

By: bobscamp : June 8th, 2010-20:06

otherwise the markers would go in and out of alignment as I viewed the watch's dial from different angles. The majority of hour markers are aligned correctly to their five-minute ticks, but a few are not, no matter what angle the watch is viewed from. I w...

First, welcome here to the Forum

By: respo : June 8th, 2010-13:20

...and congratulations on a beautiful watch. I do see the missing line above the "1" at 12 o'clock, at least in your photograph, and that is the only thing my eyes can see. I really can't detect the off-centeredness of the markers at 5 and 7 or see that t...

I do admit

By: bobscamp : June 8th, 2010-13:34

that in my photo it is a bit difficult to see the misalignment in the 5, 6 and 7 because they are so small, but they are much more apparent in the photo that Blomman posted at the 11, 1 and 2 hour markers. As I mentioned, to see these flaws one must stare...

Just realized I did not answer your question about the alarm ...

By: bobscamp : June 11th, 2010-09:59

It is so beautiful to my ears. It sounds like a mini school bell, and that brings back good memories for me (ahh, the innocence and purity of childhood). I typically use the alarm to wake me up and as appointment reminders, but I also set it at random tim...

Welcome here, first, Bob.

By: amanico : June 8th, 2010-14:03

Yep, I see the missing mark, and the misaligned index at 7, not the other points. Yes, you're right to complain, and I would send a mail to the nearest JLC Boutique to inform them that you have some issues with your watch. As to know if all the EWA presen...

Numerals

By: nickd : June 9th, 2010-06:18

Dial design is tricky and the positioning of numerals is not at all obvious. They were often put slightly off-center to ensure that from an overall visual point of view the "masses" of the numbers balanced out over the entire dial. For example, they somet...

Hand application versus machine stamped

By: bobscamp : June 9th, 2010-10:33

Actually after careful measurement of various points on the watch's dial it appears that the hour markers are correctly applied since they are equi-spaced, but the white tick marks are slightly off (by fractions of a miliimeter between the five-minute tic...

Hand or Machine?

By: BDLJ : June 10th, 2010-16:19

Hi Bob, Do you mean individually applied/painted by hand? I can't imagine so.. My guess is that they are stencilled or silk screened. Probably in a machine. Or by hand... So there must have been something clogging up that particular marker. What surprises...

Welcome here....

By: MiniCooper : June 10th, 2010-12:45

Congratulations on your new watch..... As Nicolas suggested, teke it to your AD or a JLC boutique to fix the missing index mark.... I would also ask for the warranty to restart from the moment that it is delivered to you.... I understand that you are prob...

Actually

By: bobscamp : June 10th, 2010-19:30

I am not upset. I'm at the age where I have experienced enough to know that all kinds of things can and may happen, so I try not to fret too much whenever these things happen. Besides, in no time at all I'll start getting scratches from who knows where, a...

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