AIBU in expecting a £600 watch to NOT be a throw away item?

[NannyRed]

My DH bought me a beautiful rose gold watch shortly before we married (4 months)

It’s a ‘quality’ brand ( Emporio Armani) he spent £600 on I, so it wasn’t cheap. I took it for repairs just before Christmas (so 5 years old) and it was sent away to EA for a new bracelet and glass. It’s just been returned with neither the glass or the bracelet replaced as “it’s too old”

Am I bu for expecting an Emporio Armani to be repaired?

The company dealing with this is Fossil and tbh I’m disgusted with the “here, take 30% off” sorry Fossil, I have a Fossil purse but I will never use you again

I don’t want money off of another watch, I expect Fossil to repair my current watch ( I had already paid £150) for the imaginary care.

I’ve found a replacement bracelet (EA) for £76 and will be taking my watch for independent repair, why do companies think we want to ‘throw away’ £600 watches as if they are a Timex? (The original ‘throw away’ watches)

You poor darling.

Why don't you get your watch repaired in a 'high street' watch repair shop. Or is that to common for you?

I completely understand why you are annoyed, but unfortunately I wouldn't expect anything else - it's a "designer" brand, not a quality watch brand.

Essentially what you are paying the money for with a brand like that is the design of the bracelet and the face.
So if it was the bracelet that needed replacing I don't think it's unreasonable that they can't, presumably as they no longer make that design. It's not a 'classic' brand where they make essentially the same design with small changes for years. If it was a component of the watch mechanism that broke I imagine they would be able to replace it.
I'm shocked that they can't replace the face though, I would think they are pretty standard! I recently had the face replaced on a watch I got 6 years ago - not quite as expensive as yours but not cheap. The face is an unusual shape so they couldn't get an exact replacement, but they found one that fitted, just the curvature of the glass is slightly off. So I would certainly expect them to offer something to "fix" it, even if it doesn't quite restore it to "good as new".

Why are Fossil repairing your Armani watch?

Hang on what’s up with you two pps?

She’s worn a £600 watch for 5 years and doesn’t want to throw it away - this is good surely?

Most things have a guarantee or warranty of 2 years, unless it is something like eg Zippo which is a lifetime guarantee .

I've just looked and as Im sure you are aware, it is a 2 year gwarantee

services.fossilgroup.com/hc/en-gb/articles/115004724946-Emporio-Armani-Two-2-Year-International-Warranty

I'd try a private jeweller on the hight street.

I have a £££ Seiko watch that can’t be repaired. It needs a new back and they don’t make them anymore. Very disappointing. And Seiko is specifically a watch brand so I thought they’d be able to do repairs.

I used a private firm to do my tag heuer. Loads cheaper

Not sure why some other posters are being so bitchy towards you. I don't think you are being unreasonable at all. My watch cost about £30 from the Swatch shop 8 years ago and I was annoyed when they told me it couldn't be repaired because it's a sealed unit.

I dunno. It's a fashion watch. I would expect it to last longer than 6 years but if it didn't I don't think I would get too wound up about it (pun not intended).

Something like an Omega I would expect repaired (have just had one done that was over 50 years old) but Armani are not watchmakers.

Fossil Group have lots of different high street brands, including Puma and Michael Kors.

Sorry OP, your mistake was assuming high cost means high quality.

To be fair, £600 for an EA watch sounds like a lot, I don't want to drop your husband in it but I didn't realise they made watches that expensive (maybe under the GA brand).

Watch bracelets, providing you get the right lug width, are fairly universal so could you not get a rose gold coloured one to match? The glass, presumably it's mineral rather than sapphire, can probably be polished if it's wear and tear.

Fossil make watches for a number of 'designer' brands who just put their own logo on them. They're normally decent enough but they're not 'proper' watch brands and, therefore, most watch repairers/horologists won't go near them.

My advice would be to get a third party strap/bracelet and get the glass polished. If you need to buy a new watch then either get a cheaper model or invest in a Swiss brand which will have lifetime support (albeit at a cost).

HM Samuel took a link out of a watch for me for free. I’d suggest looking at a chain that does repairs or an independent watch mender’s.

Agree with the others about it being a 'fashion' brand which means it becomes very much a disposable item unfortunately. I can understand why you would be hacked off.
Don't know why the first 2 posters have such a stick up their arse

I agree with a previous poster, it is a designer watch not a quality brand, money spent does not always equal quality especially where labels are concerned. Maybe look for a watch repairer on the high street, see if they can help?

I agree with you. That's rubbish.

I worked in a jewellers for years and the Armani watches are made by rotary.. they just have the Armani badge.
No reflection on the quality of them
We had issues with them all the time, so much so that we didn't renew the franchise to sell them!
Sorry but your money was wasted

Better brands are Raymond Weil, oris, omega... or even a pre worn tag would be better value

I wouldn’t really expect it from EA. They’re a fashion brand more than a luxury watch brand.

Aren't Emporio Armani a bit 'style but no substance', ie about the name and what it looks like, not a quality timepiece?

I do agree about things not being made to last and being considered obsolete far too quickly by the manuafacturers, who obviously just want you to spend hundreds on another short lived item though.

But if you wanted a decent quality watch that would last, you wouldn't buy a fashion branded one would you? You'd get one made by a proper watch brand or even a second hand one?

The high price was for the “designer” name, rather than for quality. I wouldn’t expect it to last a long time if it was your daily / very frequent wear. I also wouldn’t expect spare parts to be available 6 years on.

I would expect a decent repair shop to be able to do something for you with similar parts though.

What did you spend £150 on?

So the OP'S husband bought his wife a watch as a present and all the nasty comments just show how jealous you are. It doesn't matter what it cost or the make, the OP was and is happy with the watch.

Sadly this is the epitome of today's throwaway society. I remember 20 years ago, DH and I gave ourselves a new TV for Christmas. It was a big thing for us and our new TV was state of the art. For about a month I should think!

Now I've been known to pick one up with the weekly shop!

Better brands are Raymond Weil, oris, omega... or even a pre worn tag would be better value

May I disagree. Omega, definitely, but RW are pretty poor in quality terms and Tag Heuer, whilst decent enough, are massively overpriced for a watch that uses an ETA movement. Personally, unless you fancy shelling out for a Rolex, Omega ,Audemars Piguet, Patek etc. (and not a lot of people do) then go with a Seiko or something made by Swatch (they have a lot of brands).

@PBo83 I bout a Raymond Weil shine 12 years ago and it has never missed a beat! Best value watch ever

anything like that is essentially a fashion disposable item and repairs are unlikely imo. You really are just paying for a name.

Having said that I am pretty sure that it was Fossil that repaired dh's Skagen watch, one of the numbers fell off the face and was free roaming inside the glass, they replaced the strap, the face and the glass at no charge, he was really thrilled, and surprised, it was over two years old and he'd contacted them just to see what they might be able to do.

I'd bought it for him with tesco vouchers too, so that was a really good value purchase!