HELP! Patek irreparable?

Mar 03, 2004,11:11 AM
 

I already wrote about my unlucky experience with my Patek 1 month ago - but the bad luck continues:

After having purchased an Aquanaut in the Patek store in Geneva, Switzerland in Sept. 2003, the watch first seemed to work perfectly well. After 6 weeks it started to speed up and was off about 8 seconds a day. My dealer found out that there was something wrong with the balance and he sent the watch to the Geneva service-centre. 10 weeks later the watch was returned to my dealer, but he had to send it back to Geneva the very same day because the crown was not working. After another 4 weeks the watch was again returned to my dealer with the crown replaced, and I luckily could pick it up 4 days ago.

Now the fine piece was working nicely for exactly 3 days. Yesterday it suddenly stopped ticking. First, I did not worry about it because I thought that the watch was simply not wound enough, so I wound it up manually. But the watch just ran for about 5 minutes, then stopped ticking again. Now it won't move at all!! I have to mention that I was wearing the watch during these 3 days in private and for work (I'm NOT a box-fighting professional!), so the self-winding mouvement should have done its job.

What is wrong with this watch? Should I send it in for repair AGAIN? Are there other service-centers than the one in Geneva that could take care of the watch?

Greetings, Sebastian


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Looks like the broken mainspring symptoms.

 
 By: Breitlinger : March 3rd, 2004-01:13
Really bad luck, they were supposed to be unbreakable nowadays. If you wind it to the end and the watch runs for some minutes, then stops, it must be the case.

could be , but could be plenty of things

 
 By: ei8htohms : March 3rd, 2004-04:16
Hi Breitlinger, A broken mainspring could cause the symtpoms described but there are any number of problems that could also result in the same effect: the watch is not running. Diagnosis over the internet is all but completely impossible so I'd rather not... 

I agree.

 
 By: Breitlinger : March 4th, 2004-09:09

one thing to check

 
 By: Phil : March 3rd, 2004-02:14
I would ask your dealer to provide you copies of the paperwork from the Geneve repair center just to confirm the problem was with the Patek repair facilities. Then I would attempt to contact Patek directly making reference to the paperwork to explain the ... 

excellent advice

 
 By: ei8htohms : March 3rd, 2004-04:16

Simailr problem with my 5056P

 
 By: Tom Grande : March 3rd, 2004-07:19
Hello Purists, Some of you may have read my earlier post about the troubles I'm having with my 5056P. My watchmaker suggested (and quite resolutely I might add) that I keep the watch as close to fully wound as possible all the time. His position is that i... 

the movement should run the full power reserve (or very nearly) and . . .

 
 By: ei8htohms : March 3rd, 2004-07:19
with a reasonable degree of accuracy for at least the first half or so. Anything short of this means the watch needs professional attention. _john

I'm not quite entirely with you John. So it should>>>>

 
 By: Tom Grande : March 3rd, 2004-08:20
run the full power reserve accurately or I should only expect it to run the first half accurately with the second half being a crapshoot accuracy-wise? It just doesn't seem right that it should not run properly, or at ALL, while there is still power in th... 

it should keep ticking for the full power reserve but. . .

 
 By: ei8htohms : March 4th, 2004-03:03
Hi Tom, The power reserve is the length of time it should actually run. Generally speaking the timekeeping will diminish as it goes through the lower half of the reserve and get pretty wonky right near the end. That's why watches are designed with a power... 

power reserve

 
 By: howard : March 4th, 2004-10:10
Are you relying on the power reserve indicator as an indication of how much reserve is left or are you timing it independently? Maybe the power reserve indicator is malfunctioning and the watch is not fully wound when it says it is?

All possibilities, but...

 
 By: TheodoreD : March 7th, 2004-10:10