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Old 23 May 2018, 01:49 PM   #1
Largoshark
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Streaks under brand new watch crystals

Hi all, hoping for some help. Long story short, I purchased a Milgauss z-blue a couple of weeks ago. Loved it at first, but noticed that the dial looked washed out under a lot of lighting conditions. So I contacted the AD where I purchased it, and asked if they could do an exchange for the black dial. They agreed to, with the addition of a restocking fee.

Fast forward to today. I went to do the exchange, and all went well at first. I inspected the new watch, and it looked great so off came the stickers, and warranty card was filled out. The salesman took it in the back to adjust the bracelet. When he returned I put the watch on my wrist, and just as I was ready to leave the light caught the dial at a very specific angle and I noticed what looked like a scratch on the crystal. Upon closer inspection, shifting the watch under the light at different angles, I noticed more of these markings all along the right side of the crystal. I pointed this out immediately to the salesman, who claimed he couldn't see it at first. He brought over a couple of other employees and they reluctantly acknowledged that the markings were there. They tried to clean them off but nothing worked. Basically they told me the only option at this point is to replace the crystal because the stickers were all removed. I was not happy with this solution, and explained that I understand that they were doing me a solid by letting me exchange the watch, but I cant accept a brand new $8200 watch with a defect like this. They had none of it, and left me no other alternative but to arrange the crystal replacement.

There's essentially nothing I can do at this point but accept the outcome. I just want to get input from my fellow forum members. I dont believe that the markings are scratches. What I truly think they look like are streaks on the underside of the crystal. Have any of you guys noticed anything similar on a brand new Rolex. The picture I've attached displays the issue between 12 and 1 oclock. There are more like that all over the right side of the crystal, but they are very hard to capture with my cell phone camera. (And I am 100% certain that it's on the crystal, and is not just reflection from the hands/hour markers, etc.) Also this was not a display model. I watched them remove it from the coffin, and take shrink wrap off of the case. So unless he leaned the crystal against a few diamonds while adjusting the bracelet, this is how it arrived from the factory.

Apologies for the long winded post, and thanks for reading. Your input is greatly appreciated.

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Old 23 May 2018, 02:02 PM   #2
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That’s a bummer. Just bad luck. Get the crystal cleaned and in the long run you’ll forget all about it. Hopefully the RSC turns it around quickly.

But yeah, with most ADs once the stickers come off and your name is on the card it’s your watch. Anything after that becomes a warranty issue.
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Old 23 May 2018, 02:07 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by Largoshark View Post
Hi all, hoping for some help. Long story short, I purchased a Milgauss z-blue a couple of weeks ago. Loved it at first, but noticed that the dial looked washed out under a lot of lighting conditions. So I contacted the AD where I purchased it, and asked if they could do an exchange for the black dial. They agreed to, with the addition of a restocking fee.

Fast forward to today. I went to do the exchange, and all went well at first. I inspected the new watch, and it looked great so off came the stickers, and warranty card was filled out. The salesman took it in the back to adjust the bracelet. When he returned I put the watch on my wrist, and just as I was ready to leave the light caught the dial at a very specific angle and I noticed what looked like a scratch on the crystal. Upon closer inspection, shifting the watch under the light at different angles, I noticed more of these markings all along the right side of the crystal. I pointed this out immediately to the salesman, who claimed he couldn't see it at first. He brought over a couple of other employees and they reluctantly acknowledged that the markings were there. They tried to clean them off but nothing worked. Basically they told me the only option at this point is to replace the crystal because the stickers were all removed. I was not happy with this solution, and explained that I understand that they were doing me a solid by letting me exchange the watch, but I cant accept a brand new $8200 watch with a defect like this. They had none of it, and left me no other alternative but to arrange the crystal replacement.

There's essentially nothing I can do at this point but accept the outcome. I just want to get input from my fellow forum members. I dont believe that the markings are scratches. What I truly think they look like are streaks on the underside of the crystal. Have any of you guys noticed anything similar on a brand new Rolex. The picture I've attached displays the issue between 12 and 1 oclock. There are more like that all over the right side of the crystal, but they are very hard to capture with my cell phone camera. (And I am 100% certain that it's on the crystal, and is not just reflection from the hands/hour markers, etc.) Also this was not a display model. I watched them remove it from the coffin, and take shrink wrap off of the case. So unless he leaned the crystal against a few diamonds while adjusting the bracelet, this is how it arrived from the factory.

Apologies for the long winded post, and thanks for reading. Your input is greatly appreciated.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk
I would have:

A) Gone direct to the manager or owner and told them that you expected a flawless watch for 8 grand. That means brand new. Not flawed and then repaired.

B) Or requested a full refund. I also would not have accepted delivery of the watch. Even if they refused to refund me immediately. Assuming they are a reputable store, I would let them keep the watch and my money until I sorted it with the manager/owner.

HOWEVER, you may have screwed yourself by already agreeing to a crystal replacement. I would still argue my case to the manager/owner and see if he thinks its acceptable that you not receive a watch in pristine condition. If it came that way out of the coffin, they should be able to send it back to Rolex and they shouldn't lose money anyway, it seems. ???
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Old 23 May 2018, 02:41 PM   #4
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I would have:

A) Gone direct to the manager or owner and told them that you expected a flawless watch for 8 grand. That means brand new. Not flawed and then repaired.

B) Or requested a full refund. I also would not have accepted delivery of the watch. Even if they refused to refund me immediately. Assuming they are a reputable store, I would let them keep the watch and my money until I sorted it with the manager/owner.

HOWEVER, you may have screwed yourself by already agreeing to a crystal replacement. I would still argue my case to the manager/owner and see if he thinks its acceptable that you not receive a watch in pristine condition. If it came that way out of the coffin, they should be able to send it back to Rolex and they shouldn't lose money anyway, it seems. ???
I should have mentioned, I did speak to the owner and he was absolutely no help. He was the one who attempted to clean the crystal. Outside of that, he hid in the back. I even asked the salesman if I could speak to him again later, and he refused to see me. Said he was no longer available, but that he made the final decision that the only course of action was to replace the crystal.

I do agree that I could have handled the situation much better, and probably screwed myself to an extent. I felt overly gracious about the exchange because their return policy was very stringent in the first place, and let that effect the entire interaction. I did say that I would not accept a defective watch, but in the end I truly felt like i had no recourse. The stickers were off, and the warranty card was filled out.

I dont think I will ever purchase another Rolex through an AD again. My experience buying from Trusted Sellers here on the forums have been infinitely better.
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Old 23 May 2018, 02:49 PM   #5
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- I did speak to the owner and he was absolutely no help. He was the one who attempted to clean the crystal.

- Outside of that, he hid in the back.

- I even asked the salesman if I could speak to him again later, and he refused to see me.
Wow! That's incredible! It really sounds like you tried and they didn't leave you any choice.

The behavior of that AD and the owner is embarrassing. They provided you with a defective watch and then refused to take it back. I would take it up with Rolex USA and Rolex Switzerland through letters or emails.

At this point, I would say name and shame.....because that is shameful behavior and I'm sure your fellow TRFers would appreciate the warning. Even a TS would take back a watch with a defect like that, I think.
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Old 23 May 2018, 03:06 PM   #6
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Was this also the Milgauss z-blue with the misaligned hands, or did you take that back earlier?
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Old 23 May 2018, 03:09 PM   #7
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Was this also the Milgauss z-blue with the misaligned hands, or did you take that back earlier?
Oh yeah, looks like you've had some bad luck OP. Very sorry to hear and hope you get the crystal sorted ASAP so you can start enjoying your watch.
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Old 23 May 2018, 03:12 PM   #8
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Inexcusable, Unacceptable, BS.. The lesson learned here is to fully inspect the watch with a magnifying glass if you have to before removing stickers and putting name on any card.
Try to stay positive, in due time you’ll have the watch with a brand new crystal and can enjoy it.
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Old 23 May 2018, 03:43 PM   #9
Largoshark
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Was this also the Milgauss z-blue with the misaligned hands, or did you take that back earlier?
The same z-blue. I ended up taking it directly to the Beverly Hills Service Center. The watchmaker explained to me that the hour hand actually was within acceptable tolerance, given the slack required for the hands to properly function. What ultimately turned me off the z-blue after living with it for two weeks was the fact that in too many lighting conditions the dial appeared washed out to me. And while beautiful in just as many other conditions, it was just a little flashier than I prefer.
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Old 23 May 2018, 03:48 PM   #10
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Oh, they also want me to bring the watch back there and have their Rolex certified watchmaker replace the crystal. I'm assuming most would recommend I take it to RSC directly, and never deal with this AD again? Side note, I'm a bit concerned RSC is going to think I'm crazy after the "hour hand" visit less than two weeks ago.
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Old 23 May 2018, 03:55 PM   #11
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Oh, they also want me to bring the watch back there and have their Rolex certified watchmaker replace the crystal. I'm assuming most would recommend I take it to RSC directly, and never deal with this AD again? Side note, I'm a bit concerned RSC is going to think I'm crazy after the "hour hand" visit less than two weeks ago.
You shouldn't worry about that. It's shoddy quality control by Rolex. Twice. They should be concerned, not you.

That hour-hand tolerance excuse sounds like BS on their part, too.
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Old 24 May 2018, 03:11 AM   #12
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You shouldn't worry about that. It's shoddy quality control by Rolex. Twice. They should be concerned, not you.

That hour-hand tolerance excuse sounds like BS on their part, too.
The watch is now with RSC Beverly Hills getting the crystal replaced. The watchmaker believes that these streaks resulted from when the crystal was first cut

In any event, they estimate that it should be ready by Friday, so I'll update this thread with results. Thanks all!
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Old 24 May 2018, 03:18 AM   #13
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hope they get you fixed up asap!
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Old 24 May 2018, 06:58 AM   #14
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Impossible to see anything from these photos. Might be best for everyone to stay away from Milgauss watches. I hope you get it sorted, I would be very disappointed.
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Old 24 May 2018, 07:35 AM   #15
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Impossible to see anything from these photos. Might be best for everyone to stay away from Milgauss watches. I hope you get it sorted, I would be very disappointed.
Yes, the streaks are very hard to capture using a cell phone camera. I took a video at the AD which illustrates the issue much better, but dont think I can upload it here.

It was very disappointing to say the least, and I really dont like having my brand new watch opened up. But at this point I'm just going to try to make the best of it, as I think this is the optimal solution available to me. The watchmaker said I could leave it as is if I wanted, because apparently they dont like opening up brand new watches either, but I know this particular defect would bug me to know end of I left it alone. Just crossing my fingers that the service goes without a hitch, and this nightmare can be over so that I can start enjoying my watch.
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Old 24 May 2018, 07:36 AM   #16
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hope they get you fixed up asap!
Thank you!
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Old 24 May 2018, 03:47 PM   #17
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That’s a drag but it sounds like you should be good to go by Friday!


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Old 24 May 2018, 06:20 PM   #18
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Hey OP, I'm in So Cal as well. Can you tell me where you are going to be tomorrow so I can stay faaaaar away from you? :) Your luck is crazy bad.

You did the right thing by bypassing the AD and heading to the RSC. Hope it turns out ok.
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Old 24 May 2018, 11:15 PM   #19
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Crazy .. is Rolex Quality Control going down hill the last couple of years ??

Bonus ... The Black GV is nicer !
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Old 24 May 2018, 11:32 PM   #20
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I've learnt my lesson now on Rolex QC.

Make sure you check each and every single one under strong light for these things + dust + scratches on dial etc.....I've heard many horror stories very similar to yours and I myself have experienced this 2 times now.
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Old 25 May 2018, 12:03 AM   #21
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I read your thread on mis-aligned hour hand and that was on my mind to check on my Zblue l picked up on tuesday. As 1st post said "that's a bummer" but how far are you going to go. It's hard to believe this happened to you twice. Hope it ends well and you get the new crystal quick. It seems to be the best solution at this point.

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Old 25 May 2018, 01:12 AM   #22
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I read your thread on mis-aligned hour hand and that was on my mind to check on my Zblue l picked up on tuesday. As 1st post said "that's a bummer" but how far are you going to go. It's hard to believe this happened to you twice. Hope it ends well and you get the new crystal quick. It seems to be the best solution at this point.

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Thanks, and congrats on your new Milgauss! What do you mean by "how far are you going to go?"
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Old 25 May 2018, 02:07 AM   #23
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Just meant if you stood them up as far as a refund or compensation and how much of a hassle it would be. At this point l guess you have to bite the bullet and get the crystal replaced. I do feel bad for you being it took away the positive AD experience.. but it's a great piece. when it's all said and done you'll have a story. Again Congrats. I still can't believe this happened to you twice..

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Old 25 May 2018, 02:22 AM   #24
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Sorry to hear, but once you get your watch back, soon you will enjoy and forget all this pain.

But makes me wonder what kind of inspection do ADs do to avoid these things? If an AD finds a flawed watch in their inventory, can they send it back to rolex? Or is it a warranty fix for them too?


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Old 25 May 2018, 02:38 AM   #25
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Just meant if you stood them up as far as a refund or compensation and how much of a hassle it would be. At this point l guess you have to bite the bullet and get the crystal replaced. I do feel bad for you being it took away the positive AD experience.. but it's a great piece. when it's all said and done you'll have a story. Again Congrats. I still can't believe this happened to you twice..

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Gotcha. Exactly! Maybe there was further action I could have taken, I dont know. But that would have meant more interaction with the AD, and quite frankly I never want to go there or see any of them again. I much prefer dealing directly with RSC. And I'll hold off on my final impressions until I get the watch back, but so far their customer service has been impeccable.
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Old 25 May 2018, 10:43 AM   #26
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Update:

A happy ending to this story. Got the call from RSC Beverly Hills this morning that my watch was ready for pick up. They did a fantastic job replacing the crystal. Not a spec of dust on the dial nor the underside of the crystal. Was actually able to pick it up on the way to an interview, and was so pleased to get to wear it there - this watch looks amazing with a suit. Already picked up a few micro-scratches from my shirt cuff, so now the watch is truly mine! Thanks you everyone for your input and words of encouragement
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Old 25 May 2018, 10:46 AM   #27
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And a wrist shot of course!

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Old 25 May 2018, 10:49 AM   #28
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Looks great!
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Old 25 May 2018, 11:45 AM   #29
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Oh, I also wanted to share this:

While I was waiting at RSC, I decided to peruse the giant book "The Rolex Way" that sat on a pedestal in the lobby. The front desk associate asked if I would like to look at a smaller one, and handed me a coffee table book sized copy. "You can keep that" she added. Cool! Granted I'm sure they have tons of these, but it was nonetheless a very nice gesture that really elevated the whole experience. That's costumer service!

Opened to my favorite page:

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Old 25 May 2018, 01:08 PM   #30
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Sorry to hear about it chalk it up to bad luck, I guess. I hope things turn out ok


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