# A statement from Anonimo SA regarding repair of Anonimo Firenze watches.



## mikemargolis (Nov 14, 2009)

Dear Anonimo enthusiast,

I would like to make the following statement:

My name is Frederic Bastiat, and I am the CEO of Anonimo SA, the company which purchased Anonimo Firenze in 2012.

We do indeed repair any and all Anonimo Firenze watches. We have a huge stock of parts in our workshop in Switzerland, and if we do not have the specific part you need, we can make it or have it made.

Please do not believe that we have no parts, or that we can not repair, or are not interested in repairing, any Firenze product. This is simply not true.

We want to support our customers who have Anonimo Firenze products, as well, of course, as our Anonimo SA products.

We recognize, applaud and appreciate our historical Anonimo owners who have purchased watches since our beginning in 1997, and we will support you.

For information on what you can do to have your watch repaired, please contact us at [email protected]

In the USA, all repairs, whether Firenze or SA, are coordinated by Stoll and Co., who can be reached at [email protected]

Best Regards,

Frederic Bastiat
CEO, Anonimo SA


----------



## timefleas (Oct 10, 2008)

Very welcome news, indeed--thanks for the update--I am sure it will ease the concerns of many here.


----------



## John Price (Feb 21, 2011)

Thank you Mr. Bastiat, 

That is good news indeed!

John


----------



## uliviero (Aug 15, 2010)

that's the thing that could make me buy another one, rather than selling the ones I have


----------



## seanuk (Feb 11, 2006)

good news to hear. I have had a problem with my bracelet stopping me from wearing it and tried in vain to get the screws for the links. just my luck after reading this as last Friday I had a very nice jeweller laser the screws into the bracelet. This fixed the stripped threaded ones and will stop the others coming out. Of the 3 anonimo watches i have and minor issues i have had, its good to hear a statement like this. thank you
seanuk


----------



## b2s (Nov 25, 2006)

Wonderful new! Appreciate the update.

Cheers


----------



## JayVeeez (Dec 30, 2007)

Definitely buying another. Maybe a new one.


----------



## Dhillon (Mar 29, 2014)

Excellent and welcomed news, thank you Mr Bastiat


----------



## whywatch9 (Sep 30, 2012)

if it's true, anonimo value could be on the rise... a bit better than what's been selling on the bay, i hope.


----------



## torromoto (Apr 9, 2010)

That's wonderful news. I was just browsing on chrono24.com and I never saw so many different models being sold. Even some new models for sale from Anonimo SA of wich some of us were questioning if they were ever put into production..


----------



## ecunited (Jul 22, 2009)

Great news.


----------



## RICH61703 (Oct 3, 2009)

I may come back to the fold


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## ericfeuer (Feb 8, 2007)

Wow too bad I dumped all of mine. On the upside, they are pennies on the dollar to buy again. Lol. 

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk


----------



## korneevy (May 17, 2012)

Ok statements aside - An update form the field: 3 weeks of exchanging emails on buying a set of lug screws for Millimetri have come to nothing - Anonimo SA folks went quiet and I have not heard back in a week, after sending a couple of reminders. Basically, it looks like they very happy to peddle off the remaining old stock accessories (straps, buckles etc), but when it comes to actual small parts, there is very little desire to deal with those requests. The irony is, I am very keen to get a new strap and a deployant from them, but my lug screws are in such a bad shape that I am afraid to touch them, hence unless they bother to sell me a set (what is it, a 15$ effort?), I really have no use for other things I am interested in.


----------



## timefleas (Oct 10, 2008)

Bad but not surprising news--you can, however, easily get Anonimo screw sets on the bay for a lot less than OEM would have cost--exact same screw sets--I got a couple of sets when I had my last Mille, which I have since sent on its way, just a few weeks ago (and don't miss a bit).


----------



## korneevy (May 17, 2012)

timefleas said:


> Bad but not surprising news--you can, however, easily get Anonimo screw sets on the bay for a lot less than OEM would have cost--exact same screw sets--I got a couple of sets when I had my last Mille, which I have since sent on its way, just a few weeks ago (and don't miss a bit).


Yeah... They now send me a reply saying they have no parts for Millimentri so I need to send my watch to Switzerland to get the screws made and fitted! What bull...t is that, really? It's either a blatant money grab or incompetence, but whatever it is, I don't like the smell of it.

On the subj of getting an aftermarket set - where did you get yours specifically? Could
You share the link to that set? I tried a few options off the bay, even those marketed as specially made for Anonimo, and none of them fit.


----------



## mikemargolis (Nov 14, 2009)

We have been clear all along that 1) we do not sell parts, we make repairs, and 2) all Firenze watches have to come back to Switzerland to be done. There we will determine what repairs are needed, and what parts are needed.

This is not a "money grab," this is proper procedure.

Do you think you can email to Patek or Lange or IWC and tell them "I need a bridge" and they'll send it along?


----------



## ericfeuer (Feb 8, 2007)

Seriously? You can't compare anonimo to those brands practices. And we are talking screwbars here. Not bridges. Most any brand will sell links, bars etc without sending the watch in. Laughable. 

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk


----------



## korneevy (May 17, 2012)

mikemargolis said:


> We have been clear all along that 1) we do not sell parts, we make repairs, and 2) all Firenze watches have to come back to Switzerland to be done. There we will determine what repairs are needed, and what parts are needed.
> 
> This is not a "money grab," this is proper procedure.
> 
> Do you think you can email to Patek or Lange or IWC and tell them "I need a bridge" and they'll send it along?


Mike, I am asking to sell me an equivalent of springbars; if you are so inclined to compare Aninimo to PP, VC (i am laughing as I am typing it, but ok, I'll play along) or, say, Panerai, then you will be pleased to know that I can casually walk into any Panerai boutique, ask nicely and walk away with a new set of lug screws, after having a decent expresso and a chat with their sales folks. Yes, they will not attempt to talk me into sending my watch to Neuchatel to a master watchmaker for an "assessment" as to what it will take him to do this awfully challenging job, ...surprise surprise.

What you should be comparing Aninimo nowadays is not Patek but more like Steinhart, if you're so lucky.. And I can assure you, if I ask Steihart folk for a set of springbars for my watch, I'll get one right away, with a smile and a thank you for your custom note along the way. Pls drop the pretence - this is a microscopic brand with zero credibility, acting all "haute horologie" is not how you build a reputation in your price segment. Honest, helpful service and realistic pricing is what you need to instil in the attitude to get any hope of pulling this company out of the garbage pit where it has firmly placed itself over the past few years. Just saying.

Anyways, it is what it is - and people can make their own conclusions based on my experience...


----------



## timefleas (Oct 10, 2008)

Will send info as PM regarding screws.


----------



## timefleas (Oct 10, 2008)

mikemargolis said:


> We have been clear all along that 1) we do not sell parts, we make repairs, and 2) all Firenze watches have to come back to Switzerland to be done. There we will determine what repairs are needed, and what parts are needed.
> 
> This is not a "money grab," this is proper procedure.
> 
> Do you think you can email to Patek or Lange or IWC and tell them "I need a bridge" and they'll send it along?


To be fair, Korneevy has a valid point, which he expresses below (or above)--he is simply trying to get some replacement lug screw sets--spare parts that should be available and if they aren't must be produced to ensure any kind of credibility of being able to service the old watches. Anyone can of course pay the bucks to have bridges, rotors, crowns or whatever machined to their specifications--that wasn't the issue, the issue was simply to get the most basic of all watch parts which surely should not require the sending off of the whole watch in order to obtain.


----------



## SBD (Mar 1, 2008)

Just when I think this forum has died, our friends at Anonimo return with yet more comedy gold!


----------



## watchknut (Sep 11, 2007)

If they have to make more lug bars, maybe they can improve the original design.

I picked up a set of the non-OEM bars for my Polluce and Professionale from a vendor in TX, and they are perfect. What is interesting is that they are identical to an extra set of OEM screws that I bought from About Time. Not only were they identical, they came in the same packaging.

I agree, no company will ever sell case parts, and will always require a full service, but lug bars are a totally different story. 

Requiring to send a watch for lug bar replacement is like the auto dealership requiring a 100,000 tune up with timing belt, water pump, spark plugs, filters, etc. when you need new washer fluid.

Anonimo SA appears to willing to work with customers, so hopefully they can machine up some lug bars and get them to Mike and his counter parts in the EU so they can sell directly to consumers.


----------



## mikemargolis (Nov 14, 2009)

korneevy said:


> Mike, I am asking to sell me an equivalent of springbars;


I did not understand that you were looking for the screw that attaches the strap. I thought you were looking for movement parts.

Let me go back to them and see if they also misunderstood.


----------



## mikemargolis (Nov 14, 2009)

I did some investigation....

Amazingly, Anonimo does not have any of these bars. We've searched twice through everything and don't have even one piece.

So it's not that we do not want to help Evgeny, it is simply that we don't have any to sell him.

I ordered a set off eBay, have them shipping to La Chaux de Fonds, we'll reproduce them and have them for sale. For now, I think eBay is your best bet.


----------



## ericfeuer (Feb 8, 2007)

SBD said:


> Just when I think this forum has died, our friends at Anonimo return with yet more comedy gold!


HAHAHAHA INDEED.....THey are great at putting foot in mouth...OOOFA


----------



## watchknut (Sep 11, 2007)

mikemargolis said:


> I did some investigation....
> 
> Amazingly, Anonimo does not have any of these bars. We've searched twice through everything and don't have even one piece.
> 
> ...


Smart move, the ones on ebay are perfect and better than the original ones that came on my Professionale.


----------



## ericfeuer (Feb 8, 2007)

Its like Calling Patek for a crown and them saying "We don't have any laying around here but i did find a knock off on ebay and ordered a few so we can knock off the knock off"....lol

Its funny......and sad.......All smugness aside , I wish i still had my 8 Anonimo watches as i really loved them.....Truly was one of my FAV brands until the SH^T hit the fan...


----------



## watchknut (Sep 11, 2007)

ericfeuer said:


> Its like Calling Patek for a crown and them saying "We don't have any laying around here but i did find a knock off on ebay and ordered a few so we can knock off the knock off"....lol
> 
> Its funny......and sad.......All smugness aside , I wish i still had my 8 Anonimo watches as i really loved them.....Truly was one of my FAV brands until the SH^T hit the fan...


I ordered a pair of OEM Anonimo bars from a dealer awhile back, and to my surprise, they were the exact same bars as the seller has on ebay. I have both pair and they 100% identical. My only thought is that late in the game Anonimo contracted the bars to an outside manufacturer, and somehow that seller in TX got the remaining stock...I mean come on, why on earth would someone make replacement Anonimo bars?

As far are replacement case parts, I would hope that they have the specs on hand, but who knows.


----------



## korneevy (May 17, 2012)

mikemargolis said:


> I did some investigation....
> 
> Amazingly, Anonimo does not have any of these bars. We've searched twice through everything and don't have even one piece.
> 
> ...


Thanks Mike - I actually spoke to Mr. Rota who is responsible for the parts inventory and after sales at the new Anonimo. He was kind enough to call me in Singapore even through he is on medical leave, which I told him I appreciate a lot. He sort of said what you said but slightly different: his guess is that there may be some Millometri lug screws in his parts cabinet but as many of them don't have markings, he isn unsure which one I need. I will take photos of the lug screw and will make exact measurements of my OEM specimen so he could try and match these against his stock. I really don't want to ship parts back and forth as shipping to Switzerland with Fedex won't be cheap, and as that's the only pair I have, if it gets lost I may as well throw the watch to the bin I also tried ordering a set of the eBay seller but for some weird reason he does not ship to Singapore, so now I am totally stuck


----------



## mikemargolis (Nov 14, 2009)

The Historic collectors will know better than I, but it seems there is only one size bar?

Why don't you confirm that the eBay bars are what you need, and order them shipped to me here in USA, and I'll send them to Singapore for you.

Depending on your rush, I can even have Peter Chong or some other friend bring them back from SIHH in January.


----------



## murokello (Aug 3, 2012)

So did I understand this correctly, a watch company is ordering parts from ebay and then selling them as their own to the customers?


----------



## ericfeuer (Feb 8, 2007)

murokello said:


> So did I understand this correctly, a watch company is ordering parts from ebay and then selling them as their own to the customers?


Oh boy.......I chuckled when i read this come across the screen of my smartwatch.....with its own springbars of course


----------



## mikemargolis (Nov 14, 2009)

Actually, what you read is that a watch company rep is helping a customer out with his own money.


----------



## ericfeuer (Feb 8, 2007)

OK sure. That is a nice gesture. The rest of this is pure comedy. Sorry you don't see that. 

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk


----------



## Sean779 (Jul 23, 2007)

mikemargolis said:


> Actually, what you read is that a watch company rep is helping a customer out with his own money.


which is indeed a nice gesture, and noticed.


----------



## Sean779 (Jul 23, 2007)

mikemargolis said:


> Actually, what you read is that a watch company rep is helping a customer out with his own money.


which is indeed a nice gesture, and noticed.


----------



## Sean779 (Jul 23, 2007)

twice apparently. Thanks WUS?


----------



## csm (Apr 11, 2011)

i'm very glad with these new! thanks a lot for the support. as a militere chono owner, i'm much more relaxed knowing that you are doing this!

regards


----------



## JayVeeez (Dec 30, 2007)

I'm all about calling BS when it's due. But, we are not talking about Patek, we are talking about Anonimo. And, there has been a huge change in company framework and ownership.

But, the only negative energy lately is from the Firenze owners, and it's just not right so far. You guys are playing gotcha when they are trying to correct the Firenze repairs fiasco.

Yeah, they caused problems with repair on their watch and that was wrong. But, continually taking jabs doesn't help anybody and makes Firenze owners look like the eBay shoppers and owners. God knows I bought a couple Firenze models on eBay. I'm guilty too! But that is no reason to call out Mike right as he is getting into this issue right or wrong. The Dude is am executive, not a watch dork. Let him catch up and be a little more positive for everyone's sake, please. I'd like to see how this shakes out. 

Clearly there is some money behind the new deal. Why not let Mike do his thing and try to get it right? It's not like there are many other options, except being angry on the Internet.


----------



## Akerue (Oct 30, 2009)

JayVeeez said:


> I'm all about calling BS when it's due. But, we are not talking about Patek, we are talking about Anonimo. And, there has been a huge change in company framework and ownership.
> 
> But, the only negative energy lately is from the Firenze owners, and it's just not right so far. You guys are playing gotcha when they are trying to correct the Firenze repairs fiasco.
> 
> ...


+1

I think all the negative energy and attitude is unproductive and silly. Yes, Anonimo SA has put their foot in their mouth more than a few times, and turned their backs initially on Firenze owners. But they have clearly shown that they are willing to help now. Mike has shown his willingness to help however he can, so I can't see why certain individuals take a stab at everything he does! Give the guy a break!

Re: the comments about using a possible aftermarket screwbar to retro-engineer new ones - So what?!? what options do we have? Anonimo Firenze watches are out-of-production watches which may or may not have available parts.. so the fact that Mike and Anonimo SA have been willing to create parts for us is a step in the right direction.

At the end of the day Anonimo SA has no obligation to help us in any way. There is no agreement to supply us with any parts we request...

So we can all either sit here and whinge about how Firenze owners have been wronged (and risk Mike and Anonimo just giving up and saying 'sorry no-can-do'), or we can accept the help from a company who has clearly taken on a trainwreck of situation and is now willing to work with us to move forward.

Choose wisely.


----------



## korneevy (May 17, 2012)

mikemargolis said:


> The Historic collectors will know better than I, but it seems there is only one size bar?
> 
> Why don't you confirm that the eBay bars are what you need, and order them shipped to me here in USA, and I'll send them to Singapore for you.
> 
> Depending on your rush, I can even have Peter Chong or some other friend bring them back from SIHH in January.


MIke - I think I have to go with your offer of its OK; I tried taking the bars out this weekend so I can take photos and send them to Anonimo's Mr. Rota but one of them is stuck so I am afraid to use more force to get it out without having a replacement set, and I am pretty sure I will break the thread and it will render the watch useless...

I will be happy to cover your cost for shipping to SG, registered mail should be $15-20 max.


----------



## Akerue (Oct 30, 2009)

korneevy said:


> MIke - I think I have to go with your offer of its OK; I tried taking the bars out this weekend so I can take photos and send them to Anonimo's Mr. Rota but one of them is stuck so I am afraid to use more force to get it out without having a replacement set, and I am pretty sure I will break the thread and it will render the watch useless...
> 
> I will be happy to cover your cost for shipping to SG, registered mail should be $15-20 max.


Korneevy, Don't know if this will help, but have you tried heating the screwbar up a bit, maybe with a hairdryer (get someone to hold the hairdryer). Maybe there's a bit of thread-lock stopping the screw from coming out? When I received my Polluce, the screws were so tight, I was worried I wouldn't be able to remove them - Fortunately I managed to enlist some help from a family member who was able to hold one set of screwdrivers whilst I torqued the other.

Once it loosened, no more problems with getting it on and off.


----------

