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canadajo
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Looking for help from my wis buddies...As I had stated in what I was wearing for today... I chose the Limes Tauchend, because I was going diving in Lake Michigan with my two boys ....I was 10 minutes into the dive and I looked at my watch, and was suprised to see what I thought was the paint dissolved on my bezel ...instead I realized that part of the bezel had come apart because part was still attached ...I was in 10 feet of water with great vizibility so we all looked for the part, but no luck ....I found it ridiculous that in fresh water for ten minutes the watch came apart ...I bought this watch from Watchbuys 6 mo.s ago .... is it under warrenty for that ??? Can I buy a full bezel somewhere??? Can it be fixed ??? Please help with any advice




srh_pres
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Ouch... sorry to hear that CJ.  It should have a 2 year limited warranty from the manufacturer which should cover a defect like this appears to be.  Hope you get it fixed soon - course it does make you wonder whats in the water in Lake Michigan... :?

Skipdawg
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Do you still have your paperwork?

Maybe contact Watchbuys tomorrow and see what they say.

http://www.watchbuys.com/Terms.htm

Paxman
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What a pisser, cuz. I am going to have to guess that is to be covered under warranty, though. Pain in the ass but it shoud come out all right in the end. I am bummed the watch performed like that too...

KenC
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Should be under warranty.  Bummer...glad Limes is not on my list!!!

NANDO-FERDZ
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What a watch!!!

 

I just erased that LIMES on my list...

 

Thanks for sharing and hope that it will get fixed soon.

oagaspar
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Sorry to see that CJ!....never seen a bezel insert fall out under any circumstances let alone a 1000m dive watchcoyote2.gif just goes to show what one incident can do to others opinions when something goes wrong on a higher end watchwatch2.gifWatchbuys has a good rep so they should replace the insert ...I would call them rather than e-mailhand6.gif

chris s.
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Dude that Blows!!!

Sorry to hear that ,I've always heard good things about Limes.

Matt V
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No big deal and it looks worse than it actually is; get a new bezel insert and glue it on. Your reseller should be able to get you the part and they aren't big $$ (unless you own a Rolex ;) ). Just make sure to properly clean the surface before applying the glue (remove all of the old glue and keep it dust/fat free).

A good reminder to always make sure to rinse your watch in clean tap water after you had it on the pool (chlorinated water) or shower/bath (something you should never do because of the temperature and chemicals in shampoo).

Not sure why anyone would think a warranty would cover a scratched or lost bezel inlay (warranty typically pertains to quality of material and workmanship); an inlay could fall off if the glue was disolved by chemicals or salt (seawater) or mechanical stress (you may have hit something inadvertantly or got it stuck somewhere without noticing which may have ripped it off without your knowledge or the watch/inlay/glue went through an extreme temperature cycle) and both would be the users or owners responsibility.

I can tell you from experience that to remove an inlay in order to replace it can be tough and frustrating as they usually sit very tight, but under the right (wrong) circumstanzas  I can see it happen (e.g. watch heated up in the sun / solar load and all the metal parts hot and expanded, than exposed to cool water and the metal and glue contracting at different rates, a tiny hit on the inlay may just be enough to loosen it from the glue).

By the way, many brands these days use glued on bezel inlays, Rolex e.g. has "friction" (pressed in) inlays and both methods have their advantages/disadvantages).

Cheers

Matt




Matt V
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Here's a little "DIY" post on bezel maintenance that might help! :)

Most diver bezels on watches are built the same way or at least very similar, so hopefully this pictorial will help with some of the basics for maintenance: removing the bezel, cleaning the parts or replacing a scratched inlay.


Todays "victim" is my silver dial Tridente.


The inlay is scratched and needs replacement and I am taking this opportunity to clean and lube the bezel as well.


First step: remove the bezel.



You can see a little ridge in this photo. This is where you'd carefully slide in a blade (e.g. watchmakers knife) and than apply pressure while you slowly turn the bezel to pop it off.


If you're planning to remove the bezel with a blade, I absolutely recommend you use scotch tape and tape off the case and bezel to avoid accidently scratching the metal.


Bergeon offers a great tool to remove bezels which I am planning to use for this pictorial.



You can see the 3 "claws" that grab onto the bezel in this photo.

Basically the tool is set on top of the watch, the claws are tightened to hold on to the bezel...


... and when you turn the knob on the bezel tool, a small rubber die presses against the watch in an angle which pops off the bezel.

Works great!


The bezel is off: be careful not to loose some of these parts:



You can see a flat metal "washer" with parts that are bent upwards (see left side of the photo) and a part that is bent down keying into a dent in the case (see on the bottom). This is the spring responsible for the ratcheting "clicking" sound and action. By bending the metal parts up a little higher or lower you can stiffen or soften the ratcheting action of the bezel!



Here you can see one of those bent metal ratchets as well as the ridge on the case that is responsible for holding down the bezel. Did you notice how thick the crystal really is (usually covered up by the bezel)?



Here you can see the counterpart; the inside of the bezel. Those metal "steps" are the ones that "click" over the ratcheting springs and only allow the bezel to be turned in one direction (uni-directional bezel) .


That little wire that is bent in segments and goes into the groove on the inside of the bezel is what's holding the bezel onto the case. This wire isn't perfectly round and straight segments "peak out" when it is inside the groove. These segments sit underneath the groove of the case thus securing the bezel to the case. Simple, but pretty neat!



So these are the 4 parts you should end up with if you take it all apart. Make sure not to loose any, OK?



First, clean the case with a soft piece of cloth, soap and warm water (I use Windex) to remove dirt, sand or anything else that might have collected here. Clean the metal washer as well.



Than, put it back on and lubricate it (I use Moebius classic oil).



Next, clean the bezel. I want to remove the inlay next, so I am just wiping it off right now.



The bezel inlay is an aluminum ring that has been glued to the steel bezel, so in order to remove it I am using a small, sharp blade (watchmakers knife) to cut in between the bezel and the inlay and to lift the inlay up. Be caserful not to cut yourself, it sometimes requires a bit of force to slide underneath the inlay and to lift it off from the glue.


You can cut into the inlay when the bezel is attached to the watch, but be careful not to slip wth the blade and to cut yourself (or scratch the watch)! The blades slim enough to cut underneath typically are the really sharp ones.



It is really not that difficult and gets easier once you've done it a few times, but don't be afraid to try this yourself as long as you're careful with the knife.



Now you can see the leftovers of the glue on the bezel. This is what we need to clean up before we can glue the new inlay on.



Can you see how smooth, nice and clean the new inlay is that will get glued on soon? Let's get that bezel into ship shape as well!

A word on inlays; aftermarket inlays can be had in all sorts of sizes, but make sure to get the correct inner and outer diameter as well as angle in which the inlay is shaped (they are typically not flat)!

I recommend alcohol to clean up the remains of the old glue. A piece of wood works great to help scrape off the more sticky parts (and the wood won't scratch the bezel). My lathe comes in handy for cleanup jobs like this and at the same time helps me get a better surface for the glue. Just keep in mind that the surface needs to be clean and free of oil, fat or fingerprints for the glue and new inlay to stick properly!



Here's an important tip: don't glue the inlay on with the bezel off the watch. In order to line it up properly with the markers, having the bezel on the watch helps tremendously!


So now's the time when you want to clean up the bezel nicely, but the wire spring back into the groove of the bezel and push it back onto the watch case. It should simplu snap on; try it out and make sure it moves freely and is secure.



Looks weird, doesn't it?


Allright, here comes the glue. Most glue will work, miracle glue/instant glue/contact cement is used very often and this is the glue I use (mainly because of the precision applicator).



This glue is also used for watch crystals, but again; for getting a new bezel inlay to stick to the bezel, a less expensive glue will do as well.



Now make sure you've got everything ready because you will need to be quick to get everything done before the glue cures.



Spread the glue on the bezel. Be careful not to use too much but make sure you get glue evenly across most of the bezel. And make sure not to get any glue in between the crystal and the bezel; that would be bad!



Now carefully drop the inlay onto the bezel. Make sure not to touch the bottom of the inlay with your fingers to avoid getting fingerprints/fat onto the surface. Make sure you have the inlay roughly aligned because now you'll have to be quick before the glue cures and you won't be able to make large alignements.



Some quick pushes and it aligns perfectly. Than I use a piece of fabric to clean up the top of the inlay, push it down throughly against the bezel to make sure the glue catches on evenly and everywhere. Look carefully for glue being squeezed out and remove it immediately.



And that's it!


Give the glue a chance to cure at least overnight before you expose the watch to water again and enjoy the restored look!


Cheers


Matt

oagaspar
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Nice tutorial Matt!cool10.gifI would like you to install a red bezel insert on my Tridente once you receive it if possible and you have a red bezel insert...I think it would look Awesome on my black Tridente!hand6.gif

KenC
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All very interesting, and not to be argumentative, but to me all of this hocus-pocus about chemicals, soap, shampoo, etc....does not compute.  We also have the technologies in adhesives to make the glues impervious to chemical agents except those specifically designed to release the adhesive when properly applied.

When I read things like this that tend to absolve the manufacturer of responsibility for poor workmanship/material when something like this happens, I get a little upset.  I recognize that this may be the watch manufacturer's, but I also recognize the common sense and experience of the buyers...and virtually all reasonable people would consider an incident like this, especially happening to a WIS who takes great care of his watches, as a manufacturer's responsibility.  It is, in fact, an isolated incident of poor workmanship and/or material.  If a piece of exterior trim falls off of my warranted automobile, the manufacturer does not tell me about heat, extreme conditions, road salt, chemicals, sea spray, commercial car washes, pollutants, etc.  He simply repairs the cars and says, "sorry"!

I do appreciate the tutorial on replacing a  bezel...very interesting and informative!

 

canadajo
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first of all thanks to Matt for the schooling... you rock  ....but I have to agree with Ken in that I take really really good care of my watches and when I sell them people cant believe that I even wore them ....I understand about temp change and I can see how that might happen but holy crap ...CANT THEY MAKE A GLUE that can go from 80 degrees to 60 degree water ??? ther was nothing that was hard I couldve bumped it on and I wasnt even touching ground or ??? The temp change dissolved the glue in fresh water and for a thousand meter dive watch that is bullshit !!! Where can I buy an insert and I will use Matts schooling to put it on myself ....THANKS AGAIN everyone

Matt V
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KenC wrote: All very interesting, and not to be argumentative, but to me all of this hocus-pocus about chemicals, soap, shampoo, etc....does not compute.  We also have the technologies in adhesives to make the glues impervious to chemical agents except those specifically designed to release the adhesive when properly applied.

When I read things like this that tend to absolve the manufacturer of responsibility for poor workmanship/material when something like this happens, I get a little upset.  I recognize that this may be the watch manufacturer's, but I also recognize the common sense and experience of the buyers...and virtually all reasonable people would consider an incident like this, especially happening to a WIS who takes great care of his watches, as a manufacturer's responsibility.  It is, in fact, an isolated incident of poor workmanship and/or material.  If a piece of exterior trim falls off of my warranted automobile, the manufacturer does not tell me about heat, extreme conditions, road salt, chemicals, sea spray, commercial car washes, pollutants, etc.  He simply repairs the cars and says, "sorry"!

I do appreciate the tutorial on replacing a  bezel...very interesting and informative!

 

Not to be argumentative here, but I am sick and tired of a society that doesn't give a cr@p about personal responsibility and accountability anymore (sorry to hijack the thread).

The murderer or rapist that quote a bad childhood to excuse their actions, the drunken motorist that killed an innocent driver and uses a "bad day" to justify their wrongdoing in an attempt to avoid the blame for their actions are just the extreme "tip of the iceberg".

My mother taught me to always take responsibility for my actions and as an officer in the army I was accountable for not only my actions but also for those of the men in my platoon.

Therefore it upsets me to no end to see the general attitude of not accepting personal responsibility anymore, especially with product warranties. If it's broken, the warranty will cover it. Doesn't matter if I broke it or not, they'll have to cover it. Their responsibility, not mine. My kid doesn't behave? It's the school/teachers fault, not me! Jobs being exported overseas? It's the bad big corporations, not me or my shopping habits to always go for the lowest price and bringing my $$$ to Wal-Mart instead of the shop around the corner. Where does it end, guys?

Scratched a watch? Got burned by hot coffee? Engine blew up because the "check engine light" was ignored and oild never filled up or changed?

Has anyone of you ever knowingly abused a warranty, not telling the complete truth just to get a freebie out of it, even you knew better?

Come on guys; if you pay retail, the brick and mortar reseller made so much $$$ on your purchase that he can afford to go the extra mile and may make you happy, even though normally a warranty wouldn't cover it. But if you're buying over the internet at rock bottom prices, that luxury is no longer there and you are ultimately responsible for your actions.

It is your responsibility to check (or have someone check) the lug nuts after you got new tires put on and you drove a few miles, it is your responsibility to check (and add/change) the oil on your car.

And it is your responsibility to make sure the crown of your watch is securely screwed down before you go into the water and you are responsible for getting the WR checked regularly by a watchmaker (preferrably before the watch floods on you).

You can't blame the manufacturer if a bracelet opens up on you because you didn't check the links once in a while with preventive maintenance just like you can't expect them to warranty cover that sapphire crystal which got scratched and you assumed was scratchproof. (I had a scratched sapphire crystal once and discovered it must have been my wife's wedding band/diamond that hit it when we were walking holding hands. Bad things happen even to good people).

If a piece of trim falls off your car, if a hubcap falls off, an antenna breaks off, have you ever thought about why/how that happened? Was it really a problem with quality of material or craftmanship or was it indeed that commercial car wash? Or did you accidently bang it into something? No offence Ken, but always falling back into the warm and fuzzy "warranty coverage" absolving the consumer from any personal responsibility (or even the slightest attemtp to find out what really happend) just doesn't do it for me.

A bezel inlay doesn't just fall off all by itself. I know from personal experience that they can be really tough to get off sometimes. An isolated incident of poor workmanship and/or material is just as likely to be the cause as an accidental bump/rip or whatever that went unnoticed.

That's why I have a real problem with this general attitude of "the warranty will cover it", where it doesn't matter what really happened. Experiend driver, WIS etc. or not.

A mechanical watch is a precision instrument and needs to be treated as such for many years of reliable service (maybe even for the next generation). Blind belief in technology can't replace common sense and reality. I'm not talking about pampering them though, but even the most modern material of a springbar will rust and ultimately break if you don't maintain it properly and you may loose that modern 316L stainless steel watch because of such a small cause. Can you justify that a warranty should cover the loss?

Should a bezel that is stuck, because the bezel spring rusted after being in salt water all the time without being rinsed off and lubricated, in fact covered by warranty?

We've got many new WIS coming to these forums looking for knowledge and guidance. Instilling an attitude of entitlement and generally pushing the blame to the manufacturer is way too shallow for my taste, even though sometimes the marketing of watch manufacturers is partly to blame by creating expectations far ahead of reality.

I try to simplify it for myself with a simple "if it's their fault I expect them to fix it, if it's not than I'm responsible".

JM2C and YMMV

Matt



 






scottymac
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Yeah, what Matt said! Wait, what now?

"Entitlement?" Wow, I must be pretty bad consumer 'cause after dropping a $1K plus on a watch and the bezel insert pops off, you're damn right I "expect" that to be fixed by the manufacturer.

Are there people that abuse warranties, yeah no doubt. Especially for you Matt, you've probably experienced it firsthand more times than you'd like. I certainly don't support/condone that.

However, to assume that the customer should "know better" and realize it's "no big deal" is a massive problem, and I'd say an attitude that is just as much "wrong" as it is for the customer to knowingly abuse a warranty. 

At a very, very basic level we have this:

-Guy buys watch.

-Piece of the watch falls off.

-Guy contacts manufacturer.

Now, how much good is it going to do for the manufacturer to immediately take a defensive position? Should they assume the customer screwed something up? What if the customer is a non-hands-on person? Do you think the pictorial on how to replace a bezel insert would be helpful then?

All due respect Matt, I just cannot get my mind around why it's bad for me to "expect" the company that made my watch to help me make it right again, given these very specific circumstances and the fact that we have ZERO reason to suspect canadajo is trying to hide anything. 

Additionally, as I read through the replies here, I don't in the very least get a sense that anyone is encouraging an attitude of entitlement whatsoever. I think everyone sees this was a chance occurence, and naturally assumes that- again, based on this instance- will be swiftly addressed by the manufacturer.

But, like I said, I could just be a bad consumer......

Paxman
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KenC wrote: All very interesting, and not to be argumentative, but to me all of this hocus-pocus about chemicals, soap, shampoo, etc....does not compute.  We also have the technologies in adhesives to make the glues impervious to chemical agents except those specifically designed to release the adhesive when properly applied.

When I read things like this that tend to absolve the manufacturer of responsibility for poor workmanship/material when something like this happens, I get a little upset.  I recognize that this may be the watch manufacturer's, but I also recognize the common sense and experience of the buyers...and virtually all reasonable people would consider an incident like this, especially happening to a WIS who takes great care of his watches, as a manufacturer's responsibility.  It is, in fact, an isolated incident of poor workmanship and/or material.  If a piece of exterior trim falls off of my warranted automobile, the manufacturer does not tell me about heat, extreme conditions, road salt, chemicals, sea spray, commercial car washes, pollutants, etc.  He simply repairs the cars and says, "sorry"!

I do appreciate the tutorial on replacing a  bezel...very interesting and informative!

 

Well put, Ken. I don't care if the air temp was 100 and CJ jumped into 60 degree water. A serious diving watch with a price tag like the Limes better damn well be ready for any eventuality. And there is no reason for CJ to attempt the fix on his own even if they send him the insert!!

Regardless, thanks for the tutorial, Matt. Very informative!!

Paxman
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Matt V wrote: KenC wrote: All very interesting, and not to be argumentative, but to me all of this hocus-pocus about chemicals, soap, shampoo, etc....does not compute.  We also have the technologies in adhesives to make the glues impervious to chemical agents except those specifically designed to release the adhesive when properly applied.

When I read things like this that tend to absolve the manufacturer of responsibility for poor workmanship/material when something like this happens, I get a little upset.  I recognize that this may be the watch manufacturer's, but I also recognize the common sense and experience of the buyers...and virtually all reasonable people would consider an incident like this, especially happening to a WIS who takes great care of his watches, as a manufacturer's responsibility.  It is, in fact, an isolated incident of poor workmanship and/or material.  If a piece of exterior trim falls off of my warranted automobile, the manufacturer does not tell me about heat, extreme conditions, road salt, chemicals, sea spray, commercial car washes, pollutants, etc.  He simply repairs the cars and says, "sorry"!

I do appreciate the tutorial on replacing a  bezel...very interesting and informative!

 

Not to be argumentative here, but I am sick and tired of a society that doesn't give a cr@p about personal responsibility and accountability anymore (sorry to hijack the thread).

The murderer or rapist that quote a bad childhood to excuse their actions, the drunken motorist that killed an innocent driver and uses a "bad day" to justify their wrongdoing in an attempt to avoid the blame for their actions are just the extreme "tip of the iceberg".

My mother taught me to always take responsibility for my actions and as an officer in the army I was accountable for not only my actions but also for those of the men in my platoon.

Therefore it upsets me to no end to see the general attitude of not accepting personal responsibility anymore, especially with product warranties. If it's broken, the warranty will cover it. Doesn't matter if I broke it or not, they'll have to cover it. Their responsibility, not mine. My kid doesn't behave? It's the school/teachers fault, not me! Jobs being exported overseas? It's the bad big corporations, not me or my shopping habits to always go for the lowest price and bringing my $$$ to Wal-Mart instead of the shop around the corner. Where does it end, guys?

Scratched a watch? Got burned by hot coffee? Engine blew up because the "check engine light" was ignored and oild never filled up or changed?

Has anyone of you ever knowingly abused a warranty, not telling the complete truth just to get a freebie out of it, even you knew better?

Come on guys; if you pay retail, the brick and mortar reseller made so much $$$ on your purchase that he can afford to go the extra mile and may make you happy, even though normally a warranty wouldn't cover it. But if you're buying over the internet at rock bottom prices, that luxury is no longer there and you are ultimately responsible for your actions.

It is your responsibility to check (or have someone check) the lug nuts after you got new tires put on and you drove a few miles, it is your responsibility to check (and add/change) the oil on your car.

And it is your responsibility to make sure the crown of your watch is securely screwed down before you go into the water and you are responsible for getting the WR checked regularly by a watchmaker (preferrably before the watch floods on you).

You can't blame the manufacturer if a bracelet opens up on you because you didn't check the links once in a while with preventive maintenance just like you can't expect them to warranty cover that sapphire crystal which got scratched and you assumed was scratchproof. (I had a scratched sapphire crystal once and discovered it must have been my wife's wedding band/diamond that hit it when we were walking holding hands. Bad things happen even to good people).

If a piece of trim falls off your car, if a hubcap falls off, an antenna breaks off, have you ever thought about why/how that happened? Was it really a problem with quality of material or craftmanship or was it indeed that commercial car wash? Or did you accidently bang it into something? No offence Ken, but always falling back into the warm and fuzzy "warranty coverage" absolving the consumer from any personal responsibility (or even the slightest attemtp to find out what really happend) just doesn't do it for me.

A bezel inlay doesn't just fall off all by itself. I know from personal experience that they can be really tough to get off sometimes. An isolated incident of poor workmanship and/or material is just as likely to be the cause as an accidental bump/rip or whatever that went unnoticed.

That's why I have a real problem with this general attitude of "the warranty will cover it", where it doesn't matter what really happened. Experiend driver, WIS etc. or not.

A mechanical watch is a precision instrument and needs to be treated as such for many years of reliable service (maybe even for the next generation). Blind belief in technology can't replace common sense and reality. I'm not talking about pampering them though, but even the most modern material of a springbar will rust and ultimately break if you don't maintain it properly and you may loose that modern 316L stainless steel watch because of such a small cause. Can you justify that a warranty should cover the loss?

Should a bezel that is stuck, because the bezel spring rusted after being in salt water all the time without being rinsed off and lubricated, in fact covered by warranty?

We've got many new WIS coming to these forums looking for knowledge and guidance. Instilling an attitude of entitlement and generally pushing the blame to the manufacturer is way too shallow for my taste, even though sometimes the marketing of watch manufacturers is partly to blame by creating expectations far ahead of reality.

I try to simplify it for myself with a simple "if it's their fault I expect them to fix it, if it's not than I'm responsible".

JM2C and YMMV

Matt



 






 
IMHO this is completely unacceptable and disappointing...

Matt V
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canadajo wrote: I understand about temp change and I can see how that might happen but holy crap ...CANT THEY MAKE A GLUE that can go from 80 degrees to 60 degree water ??? ther was nothing that was hard I couldve bumped it on and I wasnt even touching ground or ??? The temp change dissolved the glue in fresh water and for a thousand meter dive watch that is bullS**t !!!
Not that simple (dang, I hate being an engineer sometimes ;))

First of all, it's not about the ambient temperatures. Solar load is what's really is the issue. Ever notice how hot it gets inside your vehicle on a sunny day, even in fall?

We had a wonderful sunny day in the 80's yesterday here in Minnesota and I actually burned my leg on a piece of aluminum patio furniture in a green color that felt more like ~140F (could have even been higher, no idea how much though).  face4.gif

Still not close enough to the max. ~170F that cyanoacrylate adhesive (crazy glue) is supposed to handle BUT think of this: your dark blue bezel inlay likely has a lot more temperature rise than the polished, reflective metallic surface of the actual bezel.

Thus, they would expand at different rates (likely also based on the different materials, e.g. aluminum versus steel). This would put stress on the glue (which at high temperatures loses some of its retaining strength). Now I am not sure what glue they used and how it exactly behaves at higher temperatures (e.g. gets gooey and viscose/soft or becomes brittle), but my instinct tells me that that's where the problem likely started. Could the sudden drop in temperature when submerging it in cool water or just the water swooshing in between the bezel and the inlay cause it to come loose? Maybe. I wasn't there so I can't say for sure.

But you've got me curious now: I've got a pretty good multimeter with a temperature head at home and will check surface temperatures based on solar load on some of my watches this weekend. I wonder how hot a black, blue, yellow and silver watch / bezels really get in the sun and how different the temperatures are between them! :)

Cheers

Matt

KenC
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Matt, my opinion was not meant as a personal attack.  It appears as though you took it that way...and I'm sorry you did so, but a subsequent lecture from you on your opinion of the state of our society is unacceptable!

As to personal responsibility, you are preaching to the choir.  I'm an old guy who served his country in the military, during war time, voluntarily.  I did 2 combat tours in Vietnam, one recon and one as an Infantry Company Commander.  I not only had personal responsibility for my men, I was responsible for their very lives.  So do not lecture me about personal responsibility.

And while we're at it, your questioning my personal integrity as to how I handle warranty work does not sit well with me either.

That said, we are talking about a $1000 dollar watch with a 1000M rating...we are not talking about hot coffee, rapes, murders or scratches...we are talking about a freakin' bezel that fell off in a couple of feet of water on a watch owned by a guy who takes immaculate care of his watches. If you want to rant about society, feel free, but if this is the stance of MarcelloC watches as to honoring warranties (BTW...I can't find instructions as to bezels and the care and feeding of glue on my Marcello C warranty), then mine needs to go on the market now and I need to stop recommending them.

You know what, watch manufacturers need to accept some "personal" responsibility too.  If a freakin' bezel falls off of a watch in 3 feet of water, they need to admit that something is wrong and fix it.  I am tired of a society of manufacturers that doesn't accept personal/corporate responsibility for their mistakes...that smacks of Invicta!

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scottymac wrote: Yeah, what Matt said! Wait, what now?

"Entitlement?" Wow, I must be pretty bad consumer 'cause after dropping a $1K plus on a watch and the bezel insert pops off, you're damn right I "expect" that to be fixed by the manufacturer.

Are there people that abuse warranties, yeah no doubt. Especially for you Matt, you've probably experienced it firsthand more times than you'd like. I certainly don't support/condone that.

However, to assume that the customer should "know better" and realize it's "no big deal" is a massive problem, and I'd say an attitude that is just as much "wrong" as it is for the customer to knowingly abuse a warranty. 

At a very, very basic level we have this:

-Guy buys watch.

-Piece of the watch falls off.

-Guy contacts manufacturer.

Now, how much good is it going to do for the manufacturer to immediately take a defensive position? Should they assume the customer screwed something up? What if the customer is a non-hands-on person? Do you think the pictorial on how to replace a bezel insert would be helpful then?

All due respect Matt, I just cannot get my mind around why it's bad for me to "expect" the company that made my watch to help me make it right again, given these very specific circumstances and the fact that we have ZERO reason to suspect canadajo is trying to hide anything. 

Additionally, as I read through the replies here, I don't in the very least get a sense that anyone is encouraging an attitude of entitlement whatsoever. I think everyone sees this was a chance occurence, and naturally assumes that- again, based on this instance- will be swiftly addressed by the manufacturer.

But, like I said, I could just be a bad consumer......

Sorry, but you missed my points somehow.

a) a bezel inlay falling off looks worse than it is. It is no big deal to replace it and IMHO a DIY effort (hence the pictorial). Probably easier and less risk than sending a watch back and forth (as anyone who has ever had a watch damaged or stolen in transit can attest to).

b) immediately having this mishap reflecting badly on the manufacturer is a bit pre-mature IMHO. A single incident is no systematic failure. Innocent until proven guilty. Yes, I am defending Limes here and have no affiliation with them or benefit from doing that. But I can't just chime in and condem them or their watches; seriously, this could happen to anyone, Rolex, Omega etc.

c) Marketing portrays these timepieces as invincible (1000m WR deep sea capable, submarine steel, Navy Seal approved, professional diver used etc. etc.) and manages expectations of performance under any circumstance, yet the reality is different.

Sure you expect certain things from a watch, especially after dropping $1K for it. You have a feeling of entitlement to what was portrayed in the marketing that watch.  A 1,000m WR watch should work flawlessly in 3 feet of water etc. etc.

Was it Helmholtz that theorized that there could be no perfect, flawless system?

The reality is that watches are overhyped and not flawless, they are mechanical precision instruments and should be treated as such. Reality is that springbars on submarine steel watches do rust and can fail, that bracelets can come loose and let the watch fall off the wrist. Reality is that watches flood if the gaskets fail under water. Reality is that a dive watch that's designed for 1000m can fail at 3 feet when the crown wasn't screwed down all the way.  Are all of these cases the responsibility of the manufacturer and the manufacturer alone, to be covered under warranty?

That's the point I was trying to make.

These things happen (they are mechanical, fer cryin' out loud. Otherwise I'd blame it on the software! :D Disclaimer: I'm a EE).

I have seen a crystal pop out of a Rolex while flying in an airplane and you could argue that should never happen on a $4,000+ dive watch. But a dive watch is engineerd for positive pressure, not negative pressure at altitude. I have seen a dive watch fail in a hot tub and can understand the why (it wasn't engineered for these temperatures). What is odd to me is that noone really seems to expect his $1,000 timepiece to be as accurate as a $50 quartz watch, yet expects almost mythical capabilities from them in other areas. I believe we can't just point to the manufacturer for any disappointment, we should be open to the realities of these mechanical wonders, educate eachother on preventive maintenance etc. and IMHO, we need to take responsibility and accountability for issues that are clearly outside the manufacturers realm.

In the case of a bezel inlay falling out, I am interested in why it could have fallen out.

Yes, I do realize that I hijacked the thread talking about issues that are way above and beyond the bezel inlay that fell off his watch. I didn't mean to sound like he had done anything wrong and I am in no way accusing him of hiding anything.

But until I have a better understanding of what happened, I can't automatically conclude that the manufacturer has done anything wrong either. Not taking any sides here due to lack of facts, just having theories about what may have happened.

And yes, it rubs me the wrong way to see blame being passed, noone accepting responsibilities for their own actions, even though that does not pertain to this particular case (which is why I pointed out that I had hijacked the thread).

My point there again; let's not shoot so fast.

I am not absolving the manufacturer from their responsibility in case the problem was their fault (and you have every right to get it fixed, that has nothing to do with "bad consumer") but let's have all the facts first.

No personal attacks from me guys, I'm just trying to be the voice of reason.

Cheers

Matt




canadajo
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Thanks Ken ... for so eloquently stating what I was thinking

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Matt V wrote: scottymac wrote: Yeah, what Matt said! Wait, what now?

"Entitlement?" Wow, I must be pretty bad consumer 'cause after dropping a $1K plus on a watch and the bezel insert pops off, you're damn right I "expect" that to be fixed by the manufacturer.

Are there people that abuse warranties, yeah no doubt. Especially for you Matt, you've probably experienced it firsthand more times than you'd like. I certainly don't support/condone that.

However, to assume that the customer should "know better" and realize it's "no big deal" is a massive problem, and I'd say an attitude that is just as much "wrong" as it is for the customer to knowingly abuse a warranty. 

At a very, very basic level we have this:

-Guy buys watch.

-Piece of the watch falls off.

-Guy contacts manufacturer.

Now, how much good is it going to do for the manufacturer to immediately take a defensive position? Should they assume the customer screwed something up? What if the customer is a non-hands-on person? Do you think the pictorial on how to replace a bezel insert would be helpful then?

All due respect Matt, I just cannot get my mind around why it's bad for me to "expect" the company that made my watch to help me make it right again, given these very specific circumstances and the fact that we have ZERO reason to suspect canadajo is trying to hide anything. 

Additionally, as I read through the replies here, I don't in the very least get a sense that anyone is encouraging an attitude of entitlement whatsoever. I think everyone sees this was a chance occurence, and naturally assumes that- again, based on this instance- will be swiftly addressed by the manufacturer.

But, like I said, I could just be a bad consumer......

Sorry, but you missed my points somehow.

a) a bezel inlay falling off looks worse than it is. It is no big deal to replace it and IMHO a DIY effort (hence the pictorial). Probably easier and less risk than sending a watch back and forth (as anyone who has ever had a watch damaged or stolen in transit can attest to).

b) immediately having this mishap reflecting badly on the manufacturer is a bit pre-mature IMHO. A single incident is no systematic failure. Innocent until proven guilty. Yes, I am defending Limes here and have no affiliation with them or benefit from doing that. But I can't just chime in and condem them or their watches; seriously, this could happen to anyone, Rolex, Omega etc.

c) Marketing portrays these timepieces as invincible (1000m WR deep sea capable, submarine steel, Navy Seal approved, professional diver used etc. etc.) and manages expectations of performance under any circumstance, yet the reality is different.

Sure you expect certain things from a watch, especially after dropping $1K for it. You have a feeling of entitlement to what was portrayed in the marketing that watch.  A 1,000m WR watch should work flawlessly in 3 feet of water etc. etc.

Was it Helmholtz that theorized that there could be no perfect, flawless system?

The reality is that watches are overhyped and not flawless, they are mechanical precision instruments and should be treated as such. Reality is that springbars on submarine steel watches do rust and can fail, that bracelets can come loose and let the watch fall off the wrist. Reality is that watches flood if the gaskets fail under water. Reality is that a dive watch that's designed for 1000m can fail at 3 feet when the crown wasn't screwed down all the way.  Are all of these cases the responsibility of the manufacturer and the manufacturer alone, to be covered under warranty?

That's the point I was trying to make.

These things happen (they are mechanical, fer cryin' out loud. Otherwise I'd blame it on the software! :D Disclaimer: I'm a EE).

I have seen a crystal pop out of a Rolex while flying in an airplane and you could argue that should never happen on a $4,000+ dive watch. But a dive watch is engineerd for positive pressure, not negative pressure at altitude. I have seen a dive watch fail in a hot tub and can understand the why (it wasn't engineered for these temperatures). What is odd to me is that noone really seems to expect his $1,000 timepiece to be as accurate as a $50 quartz watch, yet expects almost mythical capabilities from them in other areas. I believe we can't just point to the manufacturer for any disappointment, we should be open to the realities of these mechanical wonders, educate eachother on preventive maintenance etc. and IMHO, we need to take responsibility and accountability for issues that are clearly outside the manufacturers realm.

In the case of a bezel inlay falling out, I am interested in why it could have fallen out.

Yes, I do realize that I hijacked the thread talking about issues that are way above and beyond the bezel inlay that fell off his watch. I didn't mean to sound like he had done anything wrong and I am in no way accusing him of hiding anything.

But until I have a better understanding of what happened, I can't automatically conclude that the manufacturer has done anything wrong either. Not taking any sides here due to lack of facts, just having theories about what may have happened.

And yes, it rubs me the wrong way to see blame being passed, noone accepting responsibilities for their own actions, even though that does not pertain to this particular case (which is why I pointed out that I had hijacked the thread).

My point there again; let's not shoot so fast.

I am not absolving the manufacturer from their responsibility in case the problem was their fault (and you have every right to get it fixed, that has nothing to do with "bad consumer") but let's have all the facts first.

No personal attacks from me guys, I'm just trying to be the voice of reason.

Cheers

Matt






Not to belabor the fact...but a voice of reason does not speak in a seemingly emotional rant on the state of society and personal responsibility that impunes and insults the integrity of our members when addressing improperly glued bezel (no...I'm not an engineer.  I'm just a reasonable person with common sense that made his living selling products that carried reasonable warranties).  A voice of reason does not assume the customer is wrong...the issue was not a scratched bezel...it was a lost bezel insert on an immaculately maintained $1000 watch that came off in 3 ft of water.

Anyone want to buy a LNIB MarcelloC GMT?  Box and papers (for what they're worth!)

Matt V
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KenC wrote: Matt, my opinion was not meant as a personal attack.  It appears as though you took it that way...and I'm sorry you did so, but subsequent lecture is unacceptable!

As to personal responsibility, you are preaching to the choir.  I'm an old guy who served his country in the military, during war time, voluntarily.  I did 2 combat tours in Vietnam, one recon and one as an Infantry Company Commander.  I not only had personal responsibility for my men, I was responsible for their very lives.  So do not lecture me about personal responsibility.

And while we're at it, your questioning my personal integrity as to how I handle warranty work does not sit well with me either.

That said, we are talking about a $1000 dollar watch with a 1000M rating...we are not talking about hot coffee, rapes, murders or scratches...we are talking about a freakin' bezel that fell off in a couple of feet of water on a watch owned by a guy who takes immaculate care of his watches. If you want to rant about society, feel free, but if this is the stance of MarcelloC watches as to honoring warranties (BTW...I can't find instructions as to bezels and the care and feeding of glue on my Marcello C warranty), then mine needs to go on the market now and I need to stop recommending them.

You know what, watch manufacturers need to accept some "personal" responsibility too.  If a freakin' bezel falls of of a watch in 3 feet of water, they need to admit that something is wrong and fix it.  I am tired of a society of manufacturers that don't accept personal/corporate responsibility for their mistakes...that smacks of Invicta!

Ken, no; absolutely no personal attack or "lecture" or anything like that and I apologize if in any way my post was understood that way by you.

I probably should have started a completely separate post on this subject on a different forum (off topic) rather than hijacking this thread and allowing it to be misunderstood.

Sure, watch manufacturers should stand by their product (and I have gotten rid of some of my own collection when I found that their manufacturer was not standing behind their product or capable of supporting it, even when they were overhyped on some forums). But Limes is no Invicta.

But should Limes be judged because of a single incident that could have happened to anyone and they didn't even have a chance to respond or make it right?

Should I have just kept my big mouth shut rather than sharing my view?

Matt


canadajo
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What was really funny was that Matt was preaching not to the choir , but to the pastor subtlelaugh.gif

canadajo
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I would like to add that the Limes I own I LOVE, and it wouldnt stop me from buying another Limes

Matt V
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KenC wroteNot to belabor the fact...but a voice of reason does not speak in a seemingly emotional rant on the state of society and personal responsibility that impunes and insults the integrity of our members when addressing improperly glued bezel (no...I'm not an engineer.  I'm just a reasonable person with common sense that made his living selling products that carried reasonable warranties).  A voice of reason does not assume the customer is wrong...the issue was not a scratched bezel...it was a lost bezel insert on an immaculately maintained $1000 watch that came off in 3 ft of water.

Anyone want to buy a LNIB MarcelloC GMT?  Box and papers (for what they're worth!)

coyote2.gif

Where did that come from? Where did I "impune and insult the integrity"? Where did I "assume the customer is wrong"? Did I miss anything? Why the personal attack?

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canadajo wrote:
Well said CJ...your positive attitude toward everything and WIS knowledge on this forum is why we all respect you so much Buddy! I would like to add that the Limes I own I LOVE, and it wouldnt stop me from buying another Limes

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Matt V wrote: KenC wroteNot to belabor the fact...but a voice of reason does not speak in a seemingly emotional rant on the state of society and personal responsibility that impunes and insults the integrity of our members when addressing improperly glued bezel (no...I'm not an engineer.  I'm just a reasonable person with common sense that made his living selling products that carried reasonable warranties).  A voice of reason does not assume the customer is wrong...the issue was not a scratched bezel...it was a lost bezel insert on an immaculately maintained $1000 watch that came off in 3 ft of water.

Anyone want to buy a LNIB MarcelloC GMT?  Box and papers (for what they're worth!)

coyote2.gif

Where did that come from? Where did I "impune and insult the integrity"? Where did I "assume the customer is wrong"? Did I miss anything? Why the personal attack?


addressed in a pm...

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Let me simply say, that Matt and I have exchanged PM's and "ironed" a few things out.  I fully believe that it was not Matt's intent to upset or disparage anyone.

I believe Matt was sincere in his motives to properly explain some of the problems that manufacturers have in honoring claims from those that are unscrupulous.  He was speaking in general terms and in no way meant to imply that anyone here would attempt to "file" an specious warranty claim, but sometimes, when English is not your 1st language, words do not come out that way they were originally intended...

I thank Matt for his contributions to 3T and look forward to his future posts!

Oh...and I'm keeping my MarcelloC GMT!:D

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Ken and Matt I thank you both. hand6.gif

thankyou.gif

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Everyone is so heated about this but, AFAIK, the manufacturer has not even responded yet.  Give them a chance to say sorry our inlay guy sniffed all the glue that's why your bezel fell off.

canadajo
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I am waiting to hear back from Watchbuys ....I will let you know what happens ....

Skipdawg
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canadajo wrote: I am waiting to hear back from Watchbuys ....I will let you know what happens ....

Hoping for the very best. I would hope they do their best to help you out in fast time too. Fingers crossed for ya.

;)

canadajo
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UPDATE....Rob at Watchbuys contacted me last night and told me that everything would be handled at no charge...... asap ....cool10.gif 

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canadajo wrote: UPDATE....Rob at Watchbuys contacted me last night and told me that everything would be handled at no charge...... asap ....cool10.gif 
AHA....................under warranty...as it should be!  EXCELLENT!hand6.gif

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canadajo wrote: UPDATE....Rob at Watchbuys contacted me last night and told me that everything would be handled at no charge...... asap ....cool10.gif 

oagaspar
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Great news CJ! Watchbuys has always had a great rephand6.gif


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