AP Reliability

[Manofsteelpt]

Originally Posted by Time Collector

To be honest, I didn't know there was a problem with the chrono since I usually just wear it without touching the chrono function.
Like you said, they are aces in my book, when it comes to customer service. The extra 2 year warranty was a plus.

Mine would occasionally stop running while the chrono was engaged, they replaced the whole module, serviced it and gave me a 2 year warranty. Again, this was while I was out of warranty. Can't beat that service

Yours will be fixed in a month. Did you opt for the polish? I did since it was only $200 and they already had the watch. Came back like new! (where's the "in love" emoji?)

[masterserg]

Originally Posted by masterserg

My current one is just off to Clearwater (crown turns on time setting position but the hands don't move.

After some mild bitching here, I should add that I dropped my watch at the boutique on Wednesday and got a phone call yesterday. They will cover under warranty.

As I said above, AP service is one the best across any industries. Extra word for the people at the Bal Harbour boutique. Simply outstanding. It's always a pleasure to go there to look around and chat.

[HL65]

Originally Posted by Manofsteelpt

Mine would occasionally stop running while the chrono was engaged, they replaced the whole module, serviced it and gave me a 2 year warranty. Again, this was while I was out of warranty. Can't beat that service

Yours will be fixed in a month. Did you opt for the polish? I did since it was only $200 and they already had the watch. Came back like new! (where's the "in love" emoji?)

Originally Posted by masterserg

After some mild bitching here, I should add that I dropped my watch at the boutique on Wednesday and got a phone call yesterday. They will cover under warranty.

As I said above, AP service is one the best across any industries. Extra word for the people at the Bal Harbour boutique. Simply outstanding. It's always a pleasure to go there to look around and chat.

APSC Clearwater best in the business in my opinion. They not only are great in addressing issues they do it so quickly with excellent communication.

[WJGESQ]

Originally Posted by masterserg

My current one is just off to Clearwater (crown turns on time setting position but the hands don't move!).

My advice, according to my own experience, is: If you buy the brand, you need to be mentally ready to deal with issues. If this is going to throw you off kilter, you are better off sticking with other brands such as Rolex which are (in my opinion) more robust.

I think Sam describes it well above. AP is a matter of the heart. I am on the fence right now. Not happy at all.

Brutal realization.

[improviz]

Originally Posted by WJGESQ

Brutal realization.

Speak for yourself, I've had two of my rolexes go tits up and zero issues with APs. Now how bout scurrying back over to the Rolex forum and not wasting our time bagging on APs as you seem wont to do as of late?

Oh, and how bout this little nugget? 27% of TRF Rolex owners report having issues with their Rolexes:
http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=419887

[masterserg]

Originally Posted by WJGESQ

Brutal realization.

There is a diference between a "brutal realization" and a decision made with all the facts (or experience as put above by Improviz). No realizations here.

[nakedtoes]

I have the AP dual time that stop running twice after abt 8 month inside the winder. That doesn't happen before.. Both times it stopped at 15:15 and the power reserve gauge still in the full position. First time it stop on me i thought is the winder problem and thus i shook the watch it began to run and i placed it in another winder with the right settings.

After it stop the 2nd time... I send it in for repair. Came back about a month later, AP didn't find any fault and passed QC check. I got no confident with the watch thus sold it away.

I still loves AP watch and 15400ST is my next target. Hope that the inhouse movement is more reliable.

[Wahlberg]

Originally Posted by improviz

27% of TRF Rolex owners report having issues with their Rolexes:
http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=419887

Horrible stats.

If you would let EVERY member on this forum cast a vote you will see that number drop immensely.

Also, people who have issues will easier come forward/talk about it than people who are completely happy and satisfied.

AND the people who frequent this forum are watch lovers, so a very nice and special crowd.

[improviz]

Originally Posted by Wahlberg

Horrible stats.

Horrible rationalization, followed up with hypothetical assertions stated as facts. Nobody was prevented from taking part in that survey, and it is disingenuous to cast aspersions on the motivations of those who did.

[Wahlberg]

Originally Posted by improviz

Horrible rationalization, followed up with hypothetical assertions stated as facts. Nobody was prevented from taking part in that survey, and it is disingenuous to cast aspersions on the motivations of those who did.

I'm glad you agree!

[Baco Noir]

Originally Posted by Wahlberg

Horrible stats.

If you would let EVERY member on this forum cast a vote you will see that number drop immensely.

Also, people who have issues will easier come forward/talk about it than people who are completely happy and satisfied.

AND the people who frequent this forum are watch lovers, so a very nice and special crowd.

It'll still be higher than the general population. Why? Because the OCD here will send a watch back under warranty for a tiny spec of dust under the crystal that can only be seen with a loupe and similar minutiae. I'm not saying that it is wrong to do so, but I believe firmly that people here have higher expectations than the general populous.

[Passionata]

Originally Posted by Le Chef

When I unscrew the crown to wind the watch (don't like watch winders) it doesn't engage consistently with the winding mechanism. It engages then feels like it is "freewheeling" then engages again.



It's been back to Patek twice and is due to go back again when I have time to take it to the AD. I don't think that's acceptable.

Definetly not ,i ve a 40yrs old swiss diver that makes the same as yours due to the worn gears.

[Maiden]

Originally Posted by HL65

APSC Clearwater best in the business in my opinion. They not only are great in addressing issues they do it so quickly with excellent communication.

I guess what I struggle with is yes, they seem to fix a lot of things that break just outside of warranty. The fact they seem to fail in the first place is the problem, warranty or not. I would have great communication to if I had someone spend 20k plus on a watch and it broke down, when with regular service it should never happen.

[improviz]

Originally Posted by nresetar

I guess what I struggle with is yes, they seem to fix a lot of things that break just outside of warranty. The fact they seem to fail in the first place is the problem, warranty or not. I would have great communication to if I had someone spend 20k plus on a watch and it broke down, when with regular service it should never happen.

Newsflash: mechanical things break. Name me any brand that appears in this forum that hasn't multiple reported breakdowns of their multi thousand dollar watches by users on this site.

[jrs146]

I've not yet had an issue with my 15400. (fingers crossed). I will say that when I sent in for it's 3rd year inspection APSC was fantastic!

[Zymol]

Interesting thread
I had the opportunity to own couple offshores. I do have to admit their quality is not up to par.

Encountered dry oil while winding. AP Service Centre cited lack of oil.. *yeah right*
Encountered broken screws on my strap. Luckly watch was held in place by my jacket, else I would have lost it in Tokyo.
Encountered a screw that came loose off my watch and it flipped the other way and hit against another watch in the box.

Those are not as epic as the most recent incident.
The hands on my wife’s 37mm roo warped. Yes it W.A.R.P.E.D.

Service Centre ? I guess they are fine, except the responses they give for issues that are stumped are priceless. The most epic one (as you may have guessed it) was the recent one with the warped hand.
APSC telling me that my movement was dry and needed to service. I asked them how about my hands and why it was warped. No good response.

My wife hates the brand now honestly. She still believes in gd old rollie …

Im now on my 26401 RG. Still going well (for now) not holding my breathe if something goes wrong.. just waiting…

[brettpaul]

Originally Posted by Wahlberg

Horrible stats.

If you would let EVERY member on this forum cast a vote you will see that number drop immensely.

Also, people who have issues will easier come forward/talk about it than people who are completely happy and satisfied.

AND the people who frequent this forum are watch lovers, so a very nice and special crowd.

Originally Posted by improviz

Speak for yourself, I've had two of my rolexes go tits up and zero issues with APs. Now how bout scurrying back over to the Rolex forum and not wasting our time bagging on APs as you seem wont to do as of late?

Oh, and how bout this little nugget? 27% of TRF Rolex owners report having issues with their Rolexes:
http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=419887

Not to start an argument, but I think if you were to look at the relative production numbers between Rolex and AP, the number of members on TRF versus the total Rolex-owning population I think you'd still see a lower overall defect rate with Rolex.

This is not to say AP has any specific challenges - I've got a 2 year-old 15400 and it's had 0 issues and keeps time perfectly.

[improviz]

Well, thinking is one thing, but it's awful difficult to establish it. My point is that the vaunted Rolex reliability being brandied about here isn't quite so ironclad in my experience, nor in that of the folks who took that poll...which, btw, hasn't induced me to sell any of them, nor to go over to the main Rolex forum telling people there that their watches suck as some of the folks from there seem to love to do here.

[thisismetom1]

My 44mm stopped working twice. Not a reliable watch at all.

[Baco Noir]

My 15400 is running strong after 4 years including many days of skiing moguls in the Rocky mtns.

[Burlington]

As with all of these types of things, some watches will have issues, others won’t. It’s the same for all manufacturers.

What is highly commendable to AP as seen frequently on here is they have fabulous customer care when things do go wrong.

[thisismetom1]

I love the watch I love the brand and the history but they hit a snag with the 44 Chrono. I've owned almost every rolex and not once did I have a problem. The AP stopped 2 times and I sold it. Will I get a new one? I guess I don't learn from my mistakes because I am looking already haha. But I think I'll go with the 42. Those seem to be bulletproof.

[improviz]

I've had two Rolexes, both of which I purchased brand new, stop dead and require visits to RSC to fix. Zero problems with either of my APs over roughly same time of ownership. It happens with all brands. In each of my cases, RSC was awesome and had my watches in perfect working order in short order, and from what I see here AP offers fantastic customer service as well. I love my Rolexes and wouldn't consider selling any of them, same as my APs.

[Tht Weeknd]

Well I had my fair share of bad experience, and it’s still unresolved.

To cut the long story short, I have sent in my watch for assessment twice since I collected my 15450 last September. The timepiece has been behaving erractically- either stopping or falling behind by hours.

Just recently (on Wednesday evening), they returned my watch and assured me that there’s nothing wrong with my watch. Even the quality supervisor was present during the collection and he gave me his business card and told me to reach out to him directly if anything happens again.

I guess his wish came true- the watch was falling short by more than hour on Sunday, despite only removing it from my wrist on Saturday morning at 2am.

[mr_gray]

as a potential ap buyer (looking for a 15300, dreaming of a 15202 in gold) this type of thread doesn't put me off at all. anybody with a problem with their expensive watch will tend to complain. why shouldn't they! so the discussion of issues will be skewed.

i do think though that i would not treat an AP 15300 like i treat my sub (which just never comes off the wrist really). i think i would tend to baby it a bit.

and for what is worth my wife's datejust has gone back for rolex service like 3 times in 2 years for very poor time keeping (way outside of COSC).

[macrowatch]

Reviving this old thread as I learn more about the brand and watches. It does seem like reliability has improved over time, so I'm curious for the ones that have had bad experiences (tht_weeknd not withstanding), how many with bad experiences were with modern AP models post 2017?

[BigBoy17]

Im guessing the more complicated the movement the more issues that will arise sooner or later

[grievor]

15400st owner here...had that pesky issue where the crown fell out while winding...

Pro tip. Never send in your AP for 3rd party servicing. Always go for the OEM although prices might be a bitch once outside warranty.

[locutus49]

This is not a bash ROLEX THREAD. Start your own thread.

Originally Posted by improviz

Speak for yourself, I've had two of my rolexes go tits up and zero issues with APs. Now how bout scurrying back over to the Rolex forum and not wasting our time bagging on APs as you seem wont to do as of late?

Oh, and how bout this little nugget? 27% of TRF Rolex owners report having issues with their Rolexes:
http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=419887

[Baco Noir]

I had my AP 15400 for 5 years and truly “wore” it - didn’t baby it - and had 0 issues.