An accident with the Omega Ploprof

[STT1987]

Took a heavy trip down some stairs and landed flat on my face. Due to the way I fell, protecting my chest and face; I landed on my Omega Ploprof. I'm okay apart from a bruised knee and wounded pride - lots of people helped me get up on my feet. On the other hand, this is my Omega Ploprof now.


Note all the scratches on the sapphire crystal. I landed flat on the concrete floor and skidded. Nice even scratches all across.

Contrast this with the Ploprof when healthy:

Crystal clear sapphire.

Very "sim-thia" laaa! One silver lining is that the Ploprof is one tough watch, still good. If I was wearing a Panerai during the spill, I would no doubt be picking up the shattered crystal from the ground. Good thing that the Ploprof crystal was flat, if it was a domed crystal - it would have cracked for sure.

HOWEVER, as you can see from the scratched sapphire crystal, the bezel is completely okay. The crystal sticks out 0.1 mm from the bezel; so when I landed, the point of contact was the sapphire and NOT the bezel. It should have been the other way around. The bezel should have gotten scratched not the sapphire dial crystal. This is like putting the windshield before the car bumper. The bezel was supposed to protect the crystal in such a fall. Breitling and TAG Heuer for example, has metal studs on the bezel just for that (and to grip the bezel).

So how now? Barely 2 months old, can I get it repaired under warranty? Or is there a way to polish the scratches off the crystal without paying thru the nose?

[takashi78]

Its happen cause of your "fault" and not something Omega did wrong.

Pay and get a new crystal fitted.

Glad that you are ok though.

Best to check accuracy for the next few days.

[hanz079]

Ouch, sorry to hear about the fall.
But I guess a crystal replacement should not be pricey given that a Rolex Sub crytal replacement is rm300.
Do keep us updated though.
Always interesting to hear about after sales service.

[TheHobbit]

If I was wearing a Panerai during the spill, I would no doubt be picking up the shattered crystal from the ground.

Sorry to hear this but glad to hear that you are ok.

Not defending Panerai, but assumption at best?

[Everdying]

this is a ploprof 8500?
sure its not just the AR coating that is scratched off?

[sshark]

Ouch!!! Lucky, you were  not injured seriously in the fall. It looked like the AR scratched as what the other member said.

Hope ur watch get well soon

[Lurch]

Looks deep, can this be saved by polishing?
I hv a similar situation ...

[JPSP]

i replaced my franck muller crystal at $600 when it's under warranty..i suspect yours will cost around the same.

[STT1987]

If I was wearing a Panerai during the spill, I would no doubt be picking up the shattered crystal from the ground.

Sorry to hear this but glad to hear that you are ok.

Not defending Panerai, but assumption at best?

I love my Panerais so I won't be testing this assumption! 

That being said my PAM320 (my alternate daily wear) has a domed crystal, if I was wearing it and I landed on it like the Ploprof, I don't see how it would have survived with cosmetic scratches like the Ploprof. It was a good hard whack and skid.

I checked with my AD, this isn't covered by the warranty. It not just minor scratches on the AR or crystal. Very deep scratches into the Sapphire itself. The AD will check what they can do for me, I'll let you guys know the $$$$ damage.

Fate is very funny. If I had to take a bad spill; luck would have it that the I would be wearing the toughest watch in my collection - the Ploprof. Scratches like this can be easily fixed.

[TheHobbit]

My personal experience with Omega and Panerai has been pretty good thus far. From 1997, my daily wear has been the Omega Seamaster 300M Chrono. And from 1999 to 2003, the Panerai has been my daily wear, both the PAM3 and then PAM111. Battle scars? Plenty. I use to work on planes, on the engines and airframe. Both the Omega and Panerai were exposed to vibrations (during engine run), various liquids used on the planes (including very strong corrosive fluids like skydrol) from fuel to oils to soap to water and sometimes the occasional blue water of the toilet. They have been through rain and sunshine, night shift and day shift. What my watch went through, my boss Breitling Aerospace went through. All the watches survived (one of the reason I have an aerospace in my collection), although the Panerai went through 5 strap change between the two.

All 3 watches are still with me and have not been for a service (due soon) and is running fine. In fact experience with these two brands have been so good, their watches forms the bulk of my collection.

[1to12]

Sorry to hear about the accident. Between "repairing" the watch or you, think this is a better outcome. And the tough guy survived with just a few scratches.
In the Breitling family, think the Chronomat and Ploprof are the hardy boys? Dont think my navitimer would have survived without going into ICU.

[STT1987]

Got the bad boy back from repair.
NEAR PERFECT REPAIR JOB!
     

Costs:
Official Swatch repair center (sent to KL): RM 2390.00
Not giving me any breaks here, they said they had to replace the entire crystal and part of the bezel.
This took, 2-3 weeks back and forth.

Said, "no" on advice of the AD (through which I bought the watch from).
The AD sent it to a third party watch repair. They used a glass polisher; completely removed the top AR coating and polished the crystal as best they can. Not a perfect repair job - looks 97% original state and no more AR on top. Near perfect if you don't know there are scratches on the crystal edge. Less than a week, it was back on my wrist.
Cost: So low that I hesitate to mention it here. The AD did me a great favor doing this for me.

FYI: AD is the only Omega AD at Prangin mall (next to Sushi King). They give fantastic customer service IMHO.

[squasub]

good to hear that. any pic after the repair?