My 2015 C60 Trident Pro SH21 needed a service. It's time keeping was fine but it was getting increasingly difficult to wind. As I'm not going to the UK anytime soon I won't be able to drop the watch off at the Maidenhead HQ in person. It was time to try out the return system from the US. I haven't got the watch back yet but the initial part has been very good. Here's a timeline with some comments.

Contacted CW CS by telephone 28th October 2024 and had to leave a message.
CW CS contacted me on 29th October 2024.
Return label and instructions received by email 29th October 2024.
DHL pick up arranged for October 31st. (I had to find a box... why, oh why had I just recycled all of wifey's amazon boxes?) - DHL do not have a convenient shop near me so a pick up was the best I could do. The DHL process is a bit fiddly and you'll need the details CW provide to properly arrange the pick-up.
Watch package collected by DHL. Read the instructions provided by CW. The shipping label document is five pages long. You will need a shipping label for the box, a shipping label for the courier, a commercial invoice for the box and a commercial invoice for the courier. CW don't tell you to put a copy of the commercial invoice in the box and their instructions should be modified to include that.
Watch received by CW on November 4th.
Watch inspected by CW and initial report issued on November 6th. SH21 service will cost $467.76 and take up to 10 weeks.
And that's it so far. All good.

Comments
International shipping is always going to require paperwork. CW's instructions are pretty clear. It's up to you to read and follow them. They may want to change them to include putting a copy of the commercial invoice in the box with the watch. The shipping label document gives you two copies of everything you need. One label stuck to the box, one for the courier but makes no mention of the two invoices. Sure, you can work it out and I do ship internationally often enough to know but the instructions could be more explicit. Timing was very quick. Price and timing of service are reasonable. If you want to complain about "up to 10 weeks" then go ahead. I will ignore you. Unless you go to an independent watchmaker, who may well be quicker, that's about right. A brand has to make and service watches don't forget. How much are you willing to pay to have a service group that's as big as the assembly group? For an SH21 I think the price is reasonable too. So far, so good. Relatively easy, quick and at a reasonable price. Well done CW and DHL.

I have had good experiences sending stuff back and forth for warranty work too. It has been a while now and I can't remember whose instructions I ended up following (probably DHLs directly - I really don't remember). It wasn't very hard and it went smoothly.

As easy as it is, I would still prefer a US option. The fewer hands it needs to go through there and back the better. If a couple of CWs of mine turned up missing it would be hard to near impossible to replace them. I feel like I roll the dice every time I send them back. There are enough reports of empty packages arriving at the destination to know that the process is far from secure no matter which carrier you are using (Fedex, DHL or UPS).

My local watchmaker uses registered USPS mail as there is a chain of custody retained for those packages.

I am also with you, the time is what it is. In my experience though, CW has under promised and over delivered. My watches were turned around much quicker than the estimates.

They say "up to 10 weeks." So it may well be quicker. Any less and I'll be happy but let's face it there is Christmas in the way too. A conservative estimate is better than an optimistic one after all.

albionphoto wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2024 8:50 pm They say "up to 10 weeks." So it may well be quicker. Any less and I'll be happy but let's face it there is Christmas in the way too. A conservative estimate is better than an optimistic one after all.

Keep in mind that the service department is in Maidenhead and I think that is all that they do. The watches are assembled in Switzerland. But now that I say that, CW is in the middle of a massive move which will put a wrench in things for a while.

Many years ago SH21 service had to be done in Biel/Bienne Switzerland. Not sure if this is the case now. If it's done in Maidenhead then, as you say, the move may have confused things. Although, I seem to recall an article saying that service was already moved. Well it's not as if this is my only watch.

^^^^ SH21 servicing had been carried out at CW Towers in Maidenhead for some while now.

This a photo, taken four weeks ago at CW Towers #2 aka The Yard, of the new Watchmakers / Service room equipped for 12 watchmakers, currently 10 in post, in the process of being fitted out. It has space for expansion to 18 watchmakers in years to come.



The photo is taken from the Showroom complex through a large panel window that allows visitors to the showroom to see repairs and servicing going on and I believe the Watchmakers moved into this new facility a week or two ago.

There are further watchmakers elsewhere in the building doing the QC of stock.

All very impressive.

Guy

Sent from my Galaxy S23 Ultra using Tapatalk

very cool @Bahnstormer_vRS .

Hopefully we get nice pics of the new HQ in Loupe once the move is completed.