# Alpina Diver 300 lost bezel insert :(



## johnnmiller1

So here's an interesting thing that happened to me yesterday. I bought a Seastrong 300 last week and since I live near the beach, I went for a swim. I checked the time when I finished and what do you know, no bezel insert. 

I'm a trained watchmaker and I'm pretty sure that they must have used a double sided tape to stick it down. Pretty poor form I'd say. 

I'll take it back to the AD at lunch today, who will send it across the country to Perth probably, who will check it and request a bezel. I'm sure that I won't see the watch for months and it is only a week old!

Has anyone else had similar issues?


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## mpalmer

That sure is rotten luck. I hope it all gets sorted out for you soon.


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## Triton9

Poor workmanship. Bezel insert will not came off so easily.


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## johnnmiller1

Went into the AD today and yep, needs to be sent away for repairs. That was fun, a nice 5 day cameo appearance - for $1800 Australian. Ouch. Anyone want to make a wager on how long it will take? My money is on not less than 2 months and given Christmas / New Year, probably more. 

Feeling very burned!!


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## Nokie

Tape? Good thing they don't make pacemakers........

Good luck, hope you get it sorted out.


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## UofRSpider

Wow, sorry that you are having to deal with an issue with the watch in your first week of wearing it. Got to love the Chinese! I am sure they made your watch bezel and case...although, it was probably assembled in Switzerland.


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## Stryder16

Wow.

Sorry you have to put up with this. 

I tried a Seastrong 300 in a store - I absolutely loved the solid feel of the bezel click when you rotated it. 

Also, do you really think they used double sided tape. TAPE? On a $1300 300M depth diver? 

Come on, Alpina....


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## Stryder16

UofRSpider said:


> Got to love the Chinese! I am sure they made your watch bezel and case...although, it was probably assembled in Switzerland.


If that is the case shouldn't they rename "Swiss made" to "Swiss assembled"?


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## UofRSpider

Stryder16 said:


> If that is the case shouldn't they rename "Swiss made" to "Swiss assembled"?


"According the official website of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) , a watch is considered Swiss, according to Swiss law if, 1) its movement is Swiss and, 2) its movement is cased up in Switzerland and; 3) the manufacturer carries out the final inspection in Switzerland."

Full article is here: "Swiss Made" Now Means More Swiss Made | aBlogtoWatch


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## Stryder16

Still waiting to hear from Alpina, but seeing this happen makes this ad for the Seastrong a little less impressive...


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## UofRSpider

I'm just confused as to why the guy left his watch on the ice? Maybe he had bezel problems? Lol


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## Stryder16

Any updates?


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## dinexus

Bum luck for sure - I've done plenty of swimming with mine and have had zero issues.


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## Stryder16

I hope Alpina took care of it


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## johnnmiller1

Welllll, no actual contact from Alpina directly, despite emails to all their known email addresses and using the form that they have on their website. I contacted the AD that I bought it from this week, just to see if there was any ETA for the watch to be returned to me fixed. Their response was that it usually takes a minimum of 6 weeks to fix if parts have to be sourced from Alpina directly. Like I said in an earlier post, recon I will see it sometime after the new year, if I'm lucky.


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## johnnmiller1

Well, 6 weeks on and still no word on the replacement bezel or the watch. Can't say I'm surprised really. It certainly feels longer


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## johnnmiller1

For those who are interested, I contacted the authorised repair centre for Alpina here in Australia directly yesterday. They were great, I spoke to the manager about the situation and he was really helpful, especially given that I am trained watchmaker and that the watch was 3 days old. 

Long and the short of it, they have tried to contact Alpina every week for the last 10 weeks to request a new bezel and so far there has been no reply. He was very apologetic about the whole situation but admitted, as many people on this forum already know, that Alpina has terrible customer service. 

Certainly the chances of me getting the watch back before Christmas are not very encouraging. I'm appalled, to say the least. 

I'll keep you posted folks. Cheers


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## Blaze0303

I hope you get the watch back soon, I've been looking at picking up a Alpina GMT but I'm having second thoughts now.


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## .HOHO.

Wish I had read this thread a week ago before buying my Red Bezel Seastrong diver! 
Fingers crossed I guess!


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## johnnmiller1

The conclusion to my bezel story :

I was in Melbourne the day before yesterday looking at plans and designs for a house my wife and I are having built and, having had a few conversations with the manager of the Alpina (and other Swiss watches) service centre I decided to call into the AD, 8th Avenue Watches, where I bought the watch. I have in the past bought quite a few watches from them and they have given me some big discounts for my continued patronage, so I really didn't want to let the Alpina bezel problem ruin our relationship, but I did want something done after 12 or so weeks now. 

I explained the situation to them, forwarded some of the emails I've had from the service center and tried not to be aggressive or too assertive. I asked the new manager to talk to the manager of the service center. They were apologetic, but noncommittal until they had investigated directly, which was fine. 

I was called by the manager of 8th Avenue yesterday. She had spoken to the manager of the service center and he expected an indeterminate delay to get the bezel insert, likely months. She was willing to offer me a store credit for the total cost of the watch, which I gratefully accepted. 

Whilst I am super happy that my AD gave such excellent service and would certainly recommend buying from 8th Avenue, I am spectacularly disappointed in Alpina customer service in Switzerland , though definitely not their repair center in Australia, who were also excellent. 

All this for a watch that lasted three days before falling apart. I can tell you that there is no way that I will use that store credit to buy an Alpina. 

Thanks for listening. Case closed


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## serge70

What a nightmare!

I was quite interested in an Alpina but that has suddenly waned..anyone can get a duff watch from any manufacturer but it's the dreadful customer "service" in this case that kills it stone dead for me.

I don't care what anyone thinks,Alpina should immediately replace the watch & offer compensation as soon as the problem is brought to their attention..Cloud Cuckoo Land,I know..but it's a luxury purchase and as such deserves luxury service.

I've only ever had high-handed,slow "service" from the luxury brands.Plus bonus snobbery.

Hope it turns out right in the end.


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## A MattR of Time

but, but, but, this brand is endorsed by a Baldwin!!! How can this be?

Seriously, I hope I don't have any issues with my Extreme Diver Chrono. I love that watch...


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## Mechanicalworld

Did the watch come with a ding in the bezel? It looks like it has a mark at 7:30, if that isn't just distortion in the photo that could be the reason the bezel fell out.


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## MV-22

johnnmiller1 said:


> The conclusion to my bezel story :
> 
> I was in Melbourne the day before yesterday looking at plans and designs for a house my wife and I are having built and, having had a few conversations with the manager of the Alpina (and other Swiss watches) service centre I decided to call into the AD, 8th Avenue Watches, where I bought the watch. I have in the past bought quite a few watches from them and they have given me some big discounts for my continued patronage, so I really didn't want to let the Alpina bezel problem ruin our relationship, but I did want something done after 12 or so weeks now.
> 
> I explained the situation to them, forwarded some of the emails I've had from the service center and tried not to be aggressive or too assertive. I asked the new manager to talk to the manager of the service center. They were apologetic, but noncommittal until they had investigated directly, which was fine.
> 
> I was called by the manager of 8th Avenue yesterday. She had spoken to the manager of the service center and he expected an indeterminate delay to get the bezel insert, likely months. She was willing to offer me a store credit for the total cost of the watch, which I gratefully accepted.
> 
> Whilst I am super happy that my AD gave such excellent service and would certainly recommend buying from 8th Avenue, I am spectacularly disappointed in Alpina customer service in Switzerland , though definitely not their repair center in Australia, who were also excellent.
> 
> All this for a watch that lasted three days before falling apart. I can tell you that there is no way that I will use that store credit to buy an Alpina.
> 
> Thanks for listening. Case closed


Wow. Thanks for the follow-up. A Seastrong Diver 300 Auto is on my short-list to buy, and now this leaves me wondering what to do. I've been happy with the quality of the GMT 4 that I've had for the last few weeks.


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## Mechanicalworld

MV-22 said:


> Wow. Thanks for the follow-up. A Seastrong Diver 300 Auto is on my short-list to buy, and now this leaves me wondering what to do. I've been happy with the quality of the GMT 4 that I've had for the last few weeks.


I wouldn't worry about it. He posted a picture on here that leaves considerable doubt to the story. I don't like it when people try to bash a company when they may have been at fault. I tried to nicely suggest maybe he dinged the watch and he didn't reply. NOW if I am wrong and there wasn't any damage done to the watch and the bezel just fell off then I am sorry for doubting the OP, but here is what appears to be a pretty good gash in the bezel. A whack hard enough to dent the bezel like the picture shows would stand a good chance of popping the bezel insert off. Like I said, if I'm wrong and it's a bad photo then I'm sorry, maybe a second photo could be uploaded.


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## drewhenson

They're great watches. May have just gotten a bad one. That has happened to me with Ball. And by the way Ball has terrible customer service.


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