Not thrilled
Not thrilled
My Sealander 36 arrived today. Opened it up and the clasp pin on the strap was broken. Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal. This was a “complimentary strap” they sent because they are out of Bader Bracelets (what I ordered). They are sending me the bracelet in mid may? The strap that was sent was an XS (I’m a bigger guy). So they sent me basically a woman’s watch with a broken clasp pin on a strap they sent me as a courtesy for not having what I ordered in the first place. I had no choice in the matter or was asked if I just wanted a refund because they didn’t have the watch I ordered in stock. I honestly think they sent me a returned watch. Well, I’m returning it. This is the weirdest watch buying experience and it’s completely unacceptable. Anyone else have a similar experience?
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Bahnstormer_vRS
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Re: Not thrilled
Clasp pin broken on the strap? How come? Any chance of a photo or two to help us understand.
As to the length of strap? When ordered on a strap the 36mm Sealander comes with an XS strap; Strap SKU 20-SET-01-SXB2-DC-XS
CW have simply supplied you with the strap that they would have supplied any other customer ordering a 36mm C63 Sealander.
Did you specify that you wanted a normal length strap in your discussions with CW?
As to you being sent a 'returned watch'. I strongly doubt it. You've been sent what would have been a normal order for the 36mm Sealander on a strap.
If it doesn't meet with your expectations, you are naturally fully entitled to return in for a refund.
Guy
As to the length of strap? When ordered on a strap the 36mm Sealander comes with an XS strap; Strap SKU 20-SET-01-SXB2-DC-XS
CW have simply supplied you with the strap that they would have supplied any other customer ordering a 36mm C63 Sealander.
Did you specify that you wanted a normal length strap in your discussions with CW?
As to you being sent a 'returned watch'. I strongly doubt it. You've been sent what would have been a normal order for the 36mm Sealander on a strap.
If it doesn't meet with your expectations, you are naturally fully entitled to return in for a refund.
Guy
In small proportions, we just beautie see:
And in short measures, life may perfect bee. - Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)
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And in short measures, life may perfect bee. - Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)
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Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 5NB, England
Re: Not thrilled
There was no discussion. I ordered the watch on a Bader bracelet. They told me they shipped the watch with a strap because they were out of bracelets. I figured they would have looked at my wrist size so they wouldn’t send me a XS strap and they would send me the bracelet when they came in in mid may. If they didn’t have the watch I ordered, they should have told me so and just cancelled the order. I think the watch they sent me was a return. The watch arrived with the clasp pin broken, I have no idea how it happened.
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Bahnstormer_vRS
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Re: Not thrilled
@Jim77
In what way is the clasp pin on the strap broken? It's a solid strip of metal, I can't comprehend how it's broken.
.
Photos will help.
What evidence do you have that you've been sent a return watch?
Guy
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In what way is the clasp pin on the strap broken? It's a solid strip of metal, I can't comprehend how it's broken.
. Photos will help.
What evidence do you have that you've been sent a return watch?
Guy
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In small proportions, we just beautie see:
And in short measures, life may perfect bee. - Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)
Inscription on the Longitude Dial
Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 5NB, England
And in short measures, life may perfect bee. - Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)
Inscription on the Longitude Dial
Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 5NB, England
Re: Not thrilled
It’s not a solid piece of metal, it’s a mini spring bar. The spring bar for the clasp was missing on one side. Someone put it in the box broken. The pin was broken when I pulled the watch out the clasp fell off the strap. This is why I think it was a return. It arrived with the plunger pin completely missing.
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Bahnstormer_vRS
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Re: Not thrilled
^^^^ That makes sense now.
Unusual for the spring bar on the clasp to have failed, but that's what looks like has happened.
You just need a replacement spring bar of the appropriate size. A simple fix.
Guy
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Unusual for the spring bar on the clasp to have failed, but that's what looks like has happened.
You just need a replacement spring bar of the appropriate size. A simple fix.
Guy
Sent from my Galaxy S23 Ultra using Tapatalk
In small proportions, we just beautie see:
And in short measures, life may perfect bee. - Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)
Inscription on the Longitude Dial
Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 5NB, England
And in short measures, life may perfect bee. - Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)
Inscription on the Longitude Dial
Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 5NB, England
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tikkathree
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Re: Not thrilled
@Jim77 What @Bahnstormer_vRS says, and just to ease your frustration if you'll confirm your delivery address and that the strap is 20mm width I'll be pleased to pop one in the post to you. (You buy a box of spring bars and they'll last you forever!)
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Re: Not thrilled
Interesting that CW look to have have switched from standard to the XS strap as the default with the 36mm Sealander.Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: ↑Tue Feb 11, 2025 12:27 am Clasp pin broken on the strap? How come? Any chance of a photo or two to help us understand.
As to the length of strap? When ordered on a strap the 36mm Sealander comes with an XS strap; Strap SKU 20-SET-01-SXB2-DC-XS
Screenshot 2025-02-10 at 23-19-32 C63 Sealander Automatic Christopher Ward.png
CW have simply supplied you with the strap that they would have supplied any other customer ordering a 36mm C63 Sealander.
Did you specify that you wanted a normal length strap in your discussions with CW?
As to you being sent a 'returned watch'. I strongly doubt it. You've been sent what would have been a normal order for the 36mm Sealander on a strap.
If it doesn't meet with your expectations, you are naturally fully entitled to return in for a refund.
Guy
The standard was the standard sized strap when I bought my Acer red LE. The extra strap that came with the series of four LE’s was XS, but ordering on a strap resulted in the standard strap.
Neil
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Re: Not thrilled
Are you saying you ordered a different size watch and this has been sent as a replacement? Seems like a strange process where you’ve essentially got nothing that you actually ordered if that’s the case?Jim77 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 11, 2025 12:11 am My Sealander 36 arrived today. Opened it up and the clasp pin on the strap was broken. Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal. This was a “complimentary strap” they sent because they are out of Bader Bracelets (what I ordered). They are sending me the bracelet in mid may? The strap that was sent was an XS (I’m a bigger guy). So they sent me basically a woman’s watch with a broken clasp pin on a strap they sent me as a courtesy for not having what I ordered in the first place. I had no choice in the matter or was asked if I just wanted a refund because they didn’t have the watch I ordered in stock. I honestly think they sent me a returned watch. Well, I’m returning it. This is the weirdest watch buying experience and it’s completely unacceptable. Anyone else have a similar experience?
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Amor Vincit Omnia
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Re: Not thrilled
@jbm90
Following the various threads, it appears that the OP did order the 36 mm, which is the smallest size. Obviously the strap supplied is not satisfactory for purpose, but we should be clear that there is no such thing as a “woman’s watch” in the CW catalogue. They scrapped that distinction years ago, and gradually began making their other watches in smaller sizes. You order the size/colour to suit your wrist/build/taste, not your gender (notwithstanding the fact that those considerations may overlap).
This is not to excuse poor QC/CS, merely to correct a possible misapprehension.
Following the various threads, it appears that the OP did order the 36 mm, which is the smallest size. Obviously the strap supplied is not satisfactory for purpose, but we should be clear that there is no such thing as a “woman’s watch” in the CW catalogue. They scrapped that distinction years ago, and gradually began making their other watches in smaller sizes. You order the size/colour to suit your wrist/build/taste, not your gender (notwithstanding the fact that those considerations may overlap).
This is not to excuse poor QC/CS, merely to correct a possible misapprehension.
Steve
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Bahnstormer_vRS
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Re: Not thrilled
Nice offer, Pete.tikkathree wrote:@Jim77 What @Bahnstormer_vRS says, and just to ease your frustration if you'll confirm your delivery address and that the strap is 20mm width I'll be pleased to pop one in the post to you. (You buy a box of spring bars and they'll last you forever!)
Yes; strap will be 20mm at the lugs but could be 18mm or 16mm for the buckle.
You'll need to get that from @Jim77
Guy
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In small proportions, we just beautie see:
And in short measures, life may perfect bee. - Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)
Inscription on the Longitude Dial
Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 5NB, England
And in short measures, life may perfect bee. - Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)
Inscription on the Longitude Dial
Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 5NB, England
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exHowfener
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Re: Not thrilled
Yes, a nice thing to doNice offer, Pete.
Yes; strap will be 20mm at the lugs but could be 18mm or 16mm for the buckle.
You'll need to get that from @Jim77
. But isn't @Jim77 sending the watch back? (see various other threads).I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left
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Bahnstormer_vRS
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Re: Not thrilled
Agreed; quite right.exHowfener wrote:Yes, a nice thing to doNice offer, Pete.
Yes; strap will be 20mm at the lugs but could be 18mm or 16mm for the buckle.
You'll need to get that from @Jim77. But isn't @Jim77 sending the watch back? (see various other threads).
It's not just the buckle issue but also that he's got an XS strap, where he would like a normal length strap; a situation that I'm confident CW will be willing to assist with.
Guy
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In small proportions, we just beautie see:
And in short measures, life may perfect bee. - Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)
Inscription on the Longitude Dial
Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 5NB, England
And in short measures, life may perfect bee. - Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)
Inscription on the Longitude Dial
Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 5NB, England
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timepieces_and_bags
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Re: Not thrilled
If the watch had been ordered with a bracelet resize (I assume that’s how the wrist size would be known), it’s not ideal that it has been shipped with a free strap that doesn’t fit, even before the clasp issues.
Ultimately CWL is a business so the cost to them of sending a strap is presumably lower than losing associated sales altogether, and would ideally be a win-win for both sides, so I can understand why they would just action it rather than asking first. It looks like they’ve tried to do a good thing by getting you the watch ASAP with a temporary solution before the bracelets are available, but maybe left hand hasn’t talked to right.
But the short question to this longer post is: might a quick email to customer services not sort this out, or has that already been tried?
Ultimately CWL is a business so the cost to them of sending a strap is presumably lower than losing associated sales altogether, and would ideally be a win-win for both sides, so I can understand why they would just action it rather than asking first. It looks like they’ve tried to do a good thing by getting you the watch ASAP with a temporary solution before the bracelets are available, but maybe left hand hasn’t talked to right.
But the short question to this longer post is: might a quick email to customer services not sort this out, or has that already been tried?
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Re: Not thrilled
A relatively small proportion of CW offerings are now 40mm plus, and so buyers are being trained (or sort of forced) to buy smaller sizes, by CW and other brands.
In the last sale I bought a 36mm which I am still considering. The bracelet is shorter than my other bracelets. I may need to remove one link at most, maybe just a half link, and normally I remove 3. I also bought a rubber strap which is similarly sized, and will most likely fit in the last hole only.
But if CW want buyers to downsize their watch cases, they must realise that straps and bracelets don't need to change. (Unless that are intended for women)
In the last sale I bought a 36mm which I am still considering. The bracelet is shorter than my other bracelets. I may need to remove one link at most, maybe just a half link, and normally I remove 3. I also bought a rubber strap which is similarly sized, and will most likely fit in the last hole only.
But if CW want buyers to downsize their watch cases, they must realise that straps and bracelets don't need to change. (Unless that are intended for women)