Seiko

As you may recall, I pre-ordered the SPB069 from the Manhattan Seiko Boutique upon its release in ?Oct/Nov 2017. It was delivered to me in early April 2018. After roughly 9 months, it was noticeably losing time. I took it to my friendly JLC AD, who put it on their timing machine and discovered it was running -80sec/day with amplitude 160 degrees, and starting this process as described here;

www.watchprosite.com

To recap, the watch has a 6R15 movement, which has documented accuracy ratings ranging from -45 to +45 sec/day to -15 to +25 sec/day.

I decided to have a local authorized Grand Seiko dealer, which has a service contract with Seiko to include all Seiko watch lines, send the watch back to the US Seiko Service Center (SSC) in Mahwah, NJ, the only authorized service center in the US. (I have been told that GS watches are sent back to Japan for service and are not worked upon at the US SSC.) On a youtube video uploaded by Spencer Klein, a vintage Seiko watchmaker in the US, he broke down a Seiko watch with 6R15 movement that new out of the box was running out of specifications, and discovered in his case that the problem was a lubrication issue; he also stated in that video that Seiko does not regulate their watches during/after the assembly process.

I dropped of the watch at the AD on January 12, 2019. The dealer was responsible for packing/shipping/insuring the watch back to the service center, and would be my liaison. Honestly, I paid a significant premium on top of what would be expected insured expedited shipping had I mailed the watch back to Mahwah, NJ myself, but I thought that the AD would have more influence and easier contact with the service center if need be, rather than had I been dealing personally with the service center. Again, the watch was and remains under initial full warranty.

Having noted this, the Seiko service center website states that after receipt of one's watch, it will send email notification of what work is to be done on the watch within 7-10 business days. After two weeks, I had heard nothing from the AD, so I called and inquired about what they had heard, which was nothing. The AD called the service center to confirm that they had the watch, despite also having FedEx delivery confirmation.

Another two weeks later, I still had heard nothing, so I called the AD again. After another round between the AD and the SSC, the AD called me back and told me thus: The representative at the SSC initially could not locate my watch, but upon further search, found my (untouched) watch in their "lost and found" section. Here is the explanation as to why the watch was put there: I had filled out the online paperwork found on the Seiko service center website giving my personal information, watch information, and my comments as to what was wrong with the watch and needed addressed. I gave this form to the AD, who included it with its forms to submit the watch to the SSC for service, in this case all covered by my warranty. (Yes, I had to send in my original warranty card with the watch). When the SSC was processing my received watch, they were "confused" as to whom the watch should be returned after it was serviced. Their solution to their "confusion" was to simply put the watch in their lost and found section. WTF? One would think the someone at SSC would call either the AD or myself, since they had both phone numbers, and ask, but no, of course they wouldn't do that...  All to say, if I hadn't kept calling the AD, to ask them to call the SSC, it would still be lying dormant the the lost and found section, whatever that means. (February 14, 2019, if you are keeping track.)

Anyhow, the AD representative told the Seiko representative that the client (me) was not happy with these events, and asked for "expedited" service for this watch. Roughly one week later, I got a call back from the AD that he had just that day received an email from the SSC stating that (my) watch was now being assessed, and whatever work was needed would be performed at no charge because the watch was fully covered by the warranty. (I guess this generic email fulfilled the email described above on the SSC website). So much for providing real information about what was wrong and needed for the watch.

After another roughly 3 weeks, the AD received an email from the SSC stating that the watch would be shipped back to the AD in 2-3 days, with no information as to what was found in or done to the watch. Eight calendar days later, I had heard nothing further from the AD, so called asking if they had received my watch back yet. A few hours later, the AD called me back, telling me they had my watch, the package was sitting on someone's desk but had not been processed back into the AD's computer yet. Sigh.

Without further ado, and several more days, I went to the AD today, March 23, 2019, and picked up my watch. The watch was returned from Seiko Service Center without any documentation about what was discovered, let alone what work was done to the watch. There was no information as to how the watch was running when it left the SSC. I asked the AD representative to put the watch back on their timing machine - he did and told me the watch was now running +15 sec/day with amplitude 300 degrees. Certainly, this is much better than when I parted with the watch. Hopefully, with time, it will settle in and run a little less fast, but it is certainly improved. My rapid inspection of the watch showed no gouges in the watch case or cracks in the enamel dial, so that is good too. I am glad to have the watch back after 10 weeks.

In conclusion, I don't think going through the AD was beneficial with regard to efficiency or personal cost, but I was spared having to call the SSC throughout the process. I am surprised that the SSC was so inept/uncaring as to put my watch in its lost and found section for an absurd reason, but at least it was not lost completely. I also was disappointed that the SSC does not provide any information as to what was wrong with the movement, and what was done repair it. I have no idea if the dial/hands were changed in the process, either.

In the months to come, I shall see how the watch runs, and hope it runs well and remains better than when I sent it off to the SSC. I do not know how to rate this experience because I have no comparison. But unless one has one's own local watchmaker, and certainly if one's watch is still under warranty, there seem to be no other options here in the US. I hope this essay is deemed informative by those in similar situations, because I have found no other honest accounts of the reality of dealing with the US Mahwah, NJ Seiko Service Center. M. Here is a picture of my watch as it is today again on my wrist!

More posts: Grand SeikoSeiko PresageSPB069

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