ChronoMaddox

I am having a very bad experience (not the first one) with Cartier watch service, run by Richemont. On top of substandard repair, I was lied to again and again (see story below). My impression is that Richemont, in an attempt to cut corners, lacks qualified technicians in its service facility (which also services Vacheron Constantin, Baume & Mercier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Lange & Söhne, IWC, Piaget, Roger Dubuis). I won’t be surprised if watches are outsourced to people who have inadequate knowledge about a specific watch and/or lack proper tools.

I have snail mailed my complaint to both Cartier Internaional and Richemont International, but I haven’t heard from them. My feeling is that they are using the ignore strategy.

I don’t think I would buy another luxury watch again, knowing that getting it serviced can be so troublesome (and costly), particularly when brands are cutting corners at the back operation. Richmemont has impressive storefront, but the service facility here is located in a dingy industrial area (Richemont staff refused to tell me the location and I had to find it out myself).

Here is a brief version of the story:

The back of the middle case of my Basculante was scractched during Cartier service and I asked for a free case back replacement. The service people of Richemont kept saying the part was no longer available and asked me to settle for polishing. Luckily, I found out from other sources the part is in fact available, though expensive (and that's why they lied). I presented them this fact and they changed their tune to say that they were able to find a new part and agreed to a free replacement, but the part from Switzerland would take 10-12 weeks to arrive.

I waited for two months. When I went to collect the watch, I felt that the case back is too shinny and smooth and it doesn't feel like the one I was used to. It dawned on me that they might have merely polished the case back to deceive me into believing that I am receiving a new part! So I didn't collect the watch and I asked them to show me the old (replaced) case back.

A few days later, I went to look at the old (replaced) middle case front and case back (the case part consists of both case front and case back). They look brand new and the back is flawless (it actually looks more authentic than the more shinny back on the watch). However, the old case back should have some 4-5 scratches and those scratches were why I asked for a case back replacement. I was puzzled and I didn't collect the watch.

Later, a Cartier customer relations staff called to tell me that the middle case on the watch is indeed new and the old part I saw is indeed the old part taken from my watch. I pointed out that the old case back should have scratches and also that, on the day I discovered the scratches, two Boutique staffs saw the scratches and the Boutique took two photos showing the scratches.

To my amazement, she kept insisting that the old part I saw was taken from my watch even though this is evidently false (how can the case back with scratches miraculously become flawless?). It was clear to me that she was covering one lie with a more blatant lie. However, she offered to put the old part back to the watch if I choose.

My conjecture is that they did procure a new part [the old (replaced) part shown to me is in fact the new part]. However, they eventually decided to simply polish the case back to the save money on the part (the new part would be returned to Switzerland for a refund once I have collected the watch). This would explain the shininess on the case back which is now on the watch and the inability to show me the old (scratched) case back.

My watch is still in the Boutique. I feel very mistreated by being lied to and, had I been less cautious, I would have been tricked. I appreciate suggestions on how to settle this matter.

Hunghung