Chopard

Well, I might be overreacting, but I honestly don't even want to look at this watch any more. It's a Chopard Luna d'Oro Quantieme Perpetuel, a very fine watch and the only ultra-thin perpetual calendar I have ever seen that has a seconds hand. I bought it used.

The watch just came back from Chopard service for the second time and will have to go back yet again. The original service was done promptly and courteously, but the watch arrived back gaining about two minutes per day. I sent it for regulation, which was done promptly and courteously. Only two problems: first, it still seems to be off by about ten seconds per day (whereas it routinely ran within one second per day before service); second, the watch, whose day, date and month indicators are "slaved" together rather than being adjustable separately, has been set to a combination that does not exist in the current four-year cycle! Conclusion: nobody bothers to take a hard look at the watch before sending it back to the customer.

I will of course send the watch back, and I'm sure in another try or two Chopard will get it right or at least fairly close. However, the experience has completely taken the joy out of owning the watch and I plan to get rid of it as soon as it is functional enough to sell. This raises a few questions:

1.  Has anyone had a similar experience? Is it common with all complicated watches, or brand-specific?

2. Does the feeling of revulsion pass once the watch has been made to work?

3. What, if anything, can be done to motivate a watch company to do a reasonably careful check before returning the watch to me?

Dear mkvc,

Happy New Year!  You might be right - maybe a tad over-reacting, as you said.

Both times, you noted that Chopard service was "done promptly and courteously". This is encouraging because Chopard is known for it's customer care.

In their off-duty hours, after a few drinks, I have asked quite a few watchmakers whether they strive to make life difficult for customers by fiddling or twiddling with the watches they service..you know...."just for laughs".  Not surprisingly, they all claim to be too busy and stressed to waste time figuring out how to do that!

All watches going into Chopard service have a record of the complaint, diagnosis, remedy and most importantly - the results of the tests pertaining to the original complaint. Why do they do this? Because their supervisor, "who has nothing better to do but chew their ass about returns", can see who signed-off as the watchmaker responsible on the work sheet.

For complicated watches, a special section takes care of the job. Irrespective of whether the watch is simple or complicated, none leave the workshop without the standard timing and water-resistance checks.

So, it is a mystery what happened to your watch. But it does not matter because you have made your decision already.

"The experience has completely taken the joy out of owning the watch" and you plan to get rid of it as soon as it is functional enough to sell. That is enough reason to do so and really makes your next 3 questions redundant:

1. Has anyone had a similar experience?
There must be at least one other person on the Internet with similar experiences.  It is a bit more difficult to get the ones with good (normal) experiences to respond on the Internet.

2. Is it common with all complicated watches, or brand-specific?
Yes, complicated watches tend to have more to go wrong. I was going to say that 'the law of averages' should even it out occurence amongst brands but one specific model of one specific brand (not Chopard) probably holds the record for unreliability (5 out of 7 pieces known to me or my buddies)

3. Does the feeling of revulsion pass once the watch has been made to work?
Depends on the owner:  For you - it looks like No. 
For me - Yes, the revulsion passed when the damn things (multiple) work again!   :o)

3. What, if anything, can be done to motivate a watch company to do a reasonably careful check before returning the watch to me?
Nothing  -  because they are already doing it the best they can.
As someone said, "I don't wake up each morning figuring out how many people to piss-off that day".

It seems a pity that you are determined to get rid of it. I agree with your assessment that the Chopard Luna d'Oro Quantieme Perpetuel is a very fine watch and the only ultra-thin perpetual calendar with seconds hand that I have seen too. 

Somebody is going to get a great deal on a great watch and one that has been through full services, not to mention, extra careful checks this time!

Good luck,
MTF

The Halter Barnes Antiqua, which I own.

This is a piece unique. It carries a hand made,uniquely designed, instantaneous movement, totally custom made by Vianney Halter, just a short bicycle ride away from Fleurier...at St Croix.

Now, since the time I have acquired it...some years back or so...it was in the beginning running slightly fast, maybe just a tad gain of about 2 mins a week...I did not bother. I have the feeling that some of these perpetuals are really bloody complex.

I have seen the Chopard Perpetual's insides and it is very complex....and the Antiqua is similarly convoluted and extreme in its original pre Janvier days...well it still is very complex today actually.

Anyway, one day..it was feb 28!!! And the watch had to make a triple jump..instantaneously from 28 to 1...hell!!! It stopped between 31 and 1.

And later, at 2pm, it clicked to 1. I was worried, and I sent it back to St Croix. It was fixed.

I tried to simulate the Feb 28 to 1 march jump at home, after waiting 2 months for its return...it worked!!! The watch was now super accurate even, no loss or gain..hardly.

I had NO REGRETS, these watches are temperamental. But wait...

The real feb 28th came again...and bloody hell...it stuck at 30 this time!!! So back to the workshop, a year later.

It comes back..perfect. I tested it.

It has never again stuck at feb 28th since.

Moral of the story, perpetuals can be temperamental. Wearing one daily, can change its behavior thru no fault of the watch, sometimes the tiny parts get magnetised without anyone knowing.

Sometimes..lubrication creeps into a part where it does not belong.

I have not loss any love for the watch! Like any piece of art or furniture that I have had to restore from my home, the passion, the creative genius within the objects history, the sweat and blood it takes to fix it whenever it may feel "unwell"...is to me a part of nurturing the watch's health, and a process for me to begin respecting its intricacies.

Enjoy!

Wear these complicated little pieces of genius and you're bound to experience some disappointment along the way.

Hang in there. Chopard will make it right.

Best,
John
NYC