Sad... Nautilus sent to Switzerland

[sensui]

Bit strange... I feel like perhaps the AD needs to go to bat for the op too.... I received a 5164a with some noticeable scratches on the inside of the butterfly clasp .. AD/Patek told me to enjoy it and got me a new clasp to install in less than 2 months... This was March/April during the height of shutdowns.... Something seems way off here.

[dragonliondog]

sad to hear....
my 5712 1a has some moist shade on the moon disc....
i do not send back for service as i do not watch it to be polished accidently
now live with it
good luck

[iLLGT2]

Hate to sound like a broken record about being a broken record on Patek topics... but get use to this

Everyone has this grande false illusion and image Patek is leaps and bounds above everyone else in the industry yet it’s been the worst reliability of any timepiece with horrible service

I still own Patek but I’d never buy another

I hope you get it sorted without any added headache or hassle for you...

[ts3]

OP, can you upload some pics for future reference?

Replacing the bracelet is not as straightforward as one might think as the brushed surfaces on the new bracelet may look slightly different from the old bracelet (and existing case). Patek Service Center acknowledged as much and explained that it depends on where the polishing materials are in their life cycle.

[DayTona78]

Sounds ridiculous and obviously unacceptable. AD and/or Patek have both done a terrible job thus far here. As an AD, they shouldn't wait for the customer to call and check in a month later. As far as Patek, shameful if this is all true. No wonder they warrantee their watches for only 2 years. Mine doesn't have a bracelet but surely if something were to malfunction, it would take a good 8-9 months to get it resolved with everything i've read/heard over the years. disgraceful.

[77T]

Originally Posted by ts3

OP, can you upload some pics for future reference?

Replacing the bracelet is not as straightforward as one might think as the brushed surfaces on the new bracelet may look slightly different from the old bracelet (and existing case). Patek Service Center acknowledged as much and explained that it depends on where the polishing materials are in their life cycle.

In this case, the OP doesn’t have the Watch, PP has it.

This is a brand new watch purchased only a couple of months ago so there is less chance with a new bracelet’s grain matching the OP’s midcase.

But, PP HQ likely wants to eliminate any possible dealer or owner involvement by using something on the bracelet to cause the phenomenon the OP described. If they believe the OP had nothing to do with this, they will proceed to diagnose the issues.

More likely, the sleuthing that PP wishes to do will be a destructive process as they will likely disassemble the links to determine what is happening. So a new bracelet may be in the offing.

The process is excruciatingly slow - but hope for a good outcome and many years of happy ownership by the OP.


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[fsprow]

I'll make a guess here (materials science background) that the bracelet pins were made of a less rust resistant alloy than the proper metallurgy. I'm confident that PP will handle this to the OP's satisfaction, as they have done for me and others many times.

Look forward to hearing how this works out.

[RoscoPico]

wow that's shocking. rest assured you'll be taken care of though. i can't imagine a prestigious brand commanding $$$$$ does anything less

[WWC]

Just an update, I received a call a couple of days ago from the AD saying that they had received the watch from the service centre. After 11 weeks, Patek in Geneva had replaced the bracelet and conducted a complete overhaul of the watch, no polish has been done on the watch. A complete 2 year warranty starting the day I received the watch. It's nice as I lost 3 months just by waiting for it to come back from Switzerland.

Super happy about how things have turned out from Patek. I will see if the same issues arise from this new bracelet.

[JSolution]

Originally Posted by iLLGT2

Hate to sound like a broken record about being a broken record on Patek topics... but get use to this

Everyone has this grande false illusion and image Patek is leaps and bounds above everyone else in the industry yet it’s been the worst reliability of any timepiece with horrible service

I still own Patek but I’d never buy another

I hope you get it sorted without any added headache or hassle for you...

Really puts me off buying some of these storys. Have desired to own a patek as my next watch for a while 5711r or 5205r and I haven’t yet gone for it.

[fsprow]

All good. I wish they had identified the cause of the staining/rust/?, but I guess that wouldn't be realistic.

[envuks]

This is why Patek limits their steel model production. Gold won’t tarnish this way.


Jokes aside, this is shocking. I’ve started to fantasize about a Patek and this thread has made me stop in my tracks. Thank you


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[AK797]

Originally Posted by WWC

Just an update, I received a call a couple of days ago from the AD saying that they had received the watch from the service centre. After 11 weeks, Patek in Geneva had replaced the bracelet and conducted a complete overhaul of the watch, no polish has been done on the watch. A complete 2 year warranty starting the day I received the watch. It's nice as I lost 3 months just by waiting for it to come back from Switzerland.

Super happy about how things have turned out from Patek. I will see if the same issues arise from this new bracelet.

Good to hear they have stepped up at last.

[Russell996]

Originally Posted by envuks

This is why Patek limits their steel model production. Gold won’t tarnish this way.


Jokes aside, this is shocking. I’ve started to fantasize about a Patek and this thread has made me stop in my tracks. Thank you


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Patek makes many many 1,000’s of steel watches per year, you can buy in confidence that it won’t happen to you.

[Etschell]

Sorry to hear this op. Glad.they made it right.

[Mr. Miami]

glad they made it right for you!

[EEpro]

Originally Posted by Russell996

Patek makes many many 1,000’s of steel watches per year, you can buy in confidence that it won’t happen to you.

When you consider the low build quantity, price of product, and the fact that it's a raw materials issue, several per thousand is not so great. Most owners probably haven't noticed so the count is low.

[sgwatchguy]

Why don’t they just use better quality stainless steel?

[envuks]

Originally Posted by EEpro

When you consider the low build quantity, price of product, and the fact that it's a raw materials issue, several per thousand is not so great. Most owners probably haven't noticed so the count is low.

I tend to agree with this perspective. With Patek’s product positioning 1 example is too many. 2 examples is far too many. How many others are sitting in a safe somewhere waiting to surprise an unsuspecting owner?

These pieces likely never see much / any water activity so what the heck is going on? Sweat causing this?

Maybe my standard is too high, but this seems like a HUGE deal for a stainless steel “sport watch” coming out of a top manufacturer .

“You never actually own a Patek, you merely look after it while it rusts and tarnishes” doesn’t quite have the same ring to it


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[bonsai-man]

Originally Posted by WWC

Just an update, I received a call a couple of days ago from the AD saying that they had received the watch from the service centre. After 11 weeks, Patek in Geneva had replaced the bracelet and conducted a complete overhaul of the watch, no polish has been done on the watch. A complete 2 year warranty starting the day I received the watch. It's nice as I lost 3 months just by waiting for it to come back from Switzerland.

Super happy about how things have turned out from Patek. I will see if the same issues arise from this new bracelet.

Glad you got it sorted.

[KBM]

Seems like a good resolution. Thanks for the update, OP. Now go enjoy that beaut!

[DoctorA]

I would ask for a 5711 for my hassle

[lig]

Originally Posted by WWC

Just an update, I received a call a couple of days ago from the AD saying that they had received the watch from the service centre. After 11 weeks, Patek in Geneva had replaced the bracelet and conducted a complete overhaul of the watch, no polish has been done on the watch. A complete 2 year warranty starting the day I received the watch. It's nice as I lost 3 months just by waiting for it to come back from Switzerland.

Super happy about how things have turned out from Patek. I will see if the same issues arise from this new bracelet.

Glad this is a happy ending for you.

Super happy would not be my reaction if this had happened to me. If I ever get the call for the blue 5711 I’m in but otherwise I’m not likely to become a Patek owner partly due to stories like this.

[Watchflair]

Great to hear they resolved this for you - kind of crazy but glad it's fixed.

[RoscoPico]

a slight sigh of relief. PP reputation is clearly not infallible

[swink6112]

Originally Posted by GB-man

The fact that they aren’t just immediately overnighting you a new watch shows how little they value your time. This thread alone will cost them more than it would have to make you believe they stand behind their products.

They want to have a science experiment fine but they can do that on their own time

^This!!!

[Michael T]

It is unusual that they can not just replace the bracelet and move on. Rust in stainless steel is a defective alloy. Patek’s service times are poor. For what is likely a very profitable private company, they sure miss the customer service of Rolex Watch Service Corp. A Calatrava took five months for a simple COA (pre Covid) and Rolex took two months on a Day-Date.

[kneedeep]

Originally Posted by Daytonaman799

They should just give you a new watch. Period. End.

They should have replaced the entire watch immediately instead of making you wait. Period.

[Calatrava r]

This must be the third thread on rusting Nautilus watches from Patek. Really is a shame. No stainless steel is totally corrosion resistant, especially from salt water but this seems odd to me. I think the problem is in the pins which replaced the screws in 2014. Water gets in the links via the pins, stays there and rusts. Screws do not allow water inside the link.

[dchang81]

11 weeks is pretty pathetic for a bracelet swap and servicing for warranty work. I always thought warranty work was supposed to jump the line. Sad since my 3 year old 5711 is running 15 s slow (so much for the patek seal) and I haven’t sent it in yet since I figure it’ll be gone for half a year.