Hi guys, long-time lurker here.

I got some disappointing news from Tag Heuer Customer Service about my vintage Carrera today, and I'm in search of a great repair shop (preferably in the NY area) that has the ability to repair it.

3 months ago, I decided to get my ~1964 Carrera Heuer Dato 45 fixed (I believe that's the exact model, guides differ). I had cracked the crystal in two, and the hands were beginning to corrode. I dropped it off at the 5th Avenue Tag Heuer store here in NYC, who began the process of shipping the watch back to Switzerland (at my expense) so the guys at the Heuer factory could have a look at it. They said that either NOS or new parts would be available, or they'd help me find them.

I was first suspicious when the folks at the US-based repair center wouldn't insure the watch for over $500, nor enter the serial number in the proper space on the estimate form. "We don't do that for watches of this type," they told me. After some back-and-forth, I was able to confirm the S/N over email with them, which was assurance enough that we were all talking about the same timepiece, so I approved the shipping estimate.

After waiting for 2 months, they sent me a terse repair quote: "The required spare parts to service your timepiece to factory specifications are no longer available from the manufacturer. Watch will be returned." OK, understandable.

I called Heuer to see if they could shed some light on things. A customer service rep in New Jersey (the only person you can actually speak with) told me they had no further information about what they found when they took the watch apart (if they did so at all), and wouldn't help further.

So despite my watch taking a trip back to its factory and back, I have no more information regarding its condition. Thanks, Heuer. Utterly useless. If you're thinking about sending your timepiece to them, that's the level of customer service you can expect.

As for the Carrera, it needs a crystal (easy), a bezel and hands (hard), and some attention to the movement, which hasn't been serviced in many years.

Anyone have a reputable vintage Heuer expert that you'd recommend?

Thanks so much.

Zach