Pam 335 : a tragic tale

Apr 28, 2012,18:40 PM
 

this is a heart breaker :


bought my panerai with great enthusiasm .. i travel a lot so the GMT was a natural choice and the look and feel of the ceramic casing with the horizontal 10 Day power reserve made it a perfect package for me:




as soon as brought it home, i wanted to make sure the water proofing was good for my evening swims so i gave it a quick dunk in my sink ... 2 hours later :






i was horrified since i had to leave the next day on a 2 week  trip.  ( i dried out the watch before my travel by leaving it in my room with the dehumidifier on )

upon return, i dropped off the watch to panerai along with all the pictures i had taken to give them an idea of how much it had fogged up and the fact that once it had, it was obvious that the inside of the crystal face had huge smudge marks ( you can see a big once going from the power reserve hand to the date aperture )

they kept the watch for 2 months !!

upon return, they showed me the service book showing they had retested the watch in 6 positions and all timing keeping was within their quoted tolerances.

i had a dinner that night so i wore it and went.

i came back at midnight and the watch was showing 930.  my heart sunk.

i flipped the watch over and this is what i saw :










they had left a loose screw inside !!!!!!

it was jammed into the spring when i noticed it ...

i kept it face down and carried it in hand that way all the way back to the service center the very next day ... 

needless to say the meeting did not go well and they could not explain how it had had passed the timing tests since it was not possible for the rotor to move in certain positions with the loose screw moving around .

still haven't heard back from them.

since i bought in dec until now, i have not had a chance to wear it one full day.  

now if that isn't tragic, what is smile

kam




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Tragic indeed!

 
 By: ancs88 : April 28th, 2012-21:41
That's really tragic and sorry to hear that. I hope Panerai can come out with a truthful answer! Keep us updated.

You didn't read the Libretto well.

 
 By: amanico : April 28th, 2012-21:53
It is not written that you watch is water resistant in the sea, but from the beach. Seriously, I feel sorry for you, I am sure Panerai will fix that, even if it won't be easy for them. Best, Nicolas

Very worrying and my condolences....

 
 By: foowy : April 28th, 2012-22:45
it's worrying to hear quite a few "one-off" incidences with regards to their QC. Nobody likes it regardless of what brand of watches. More so when you move up the price tag ( except maybe for independents) Personally, the watch is as good as dead and I wo... 

Admirable, You are the perfect customer

 
 By: PoyFR : April 28th, 2012-23:52
How you deal with this situation is to me a dream customer, I would want plenty of you to maintain a non-merited high life style... I fell sorry for anyone that endures such adventures, which truthfully are getting to many. The price we pay is also for re... 

Pam 335

 
 By: kiat55 : April 29th, 2012-01:19
This is indeed " YOU GOTTA TO BE KIDDING ME !!!!! "

Now, that's a horror story....

 
 By: sergio : April 29th, 2012-04:51
the loose screw scenario is a bit worrysome, since it's due to sloppiness of the staff and not defects that, in a mechanical object are never to be discounted. Good luck for the next....round.. Ciao - Sergio

srew on the run

 
 By: Arie - Mr Orange : August 17th, 2012-03:18
funny, I bought a 359 about 2 years ago. 2 weeks after the purchase the clock didn't run anymore one morning. Flipped it over and had the same view you had. A loose screw sitting behind the glas. So I guess the Italians-Swiss are as sloppy as Alfa Romeo, ... 

Indeed sound like a

 
 By: Jester : April 29th, 2012-05:54
bit of a screw up. Sorry to hear about your bad luck and let's hope Panerai will see satisfying rectification to it. Keep us posted!

I'm sorry to hear about this...

 
 By: i_am_Sam : April 29th, 2012-06:38
Hope they'll get this fixed for you.. I'm hoping Panerai will improve more on the quality control of their pieces. Sam

Speechless....

 
 By: MasonBella : April 29th, 2012-07:38
Unacceptable, no matter the circumstances.

wow...sorry to hear

 
 By: ocwatching : April 29th, 2012-07:56
and that OP was unable to address these issues the first time around... hope for a better ending...

Aberration?

 
 By: elliot55 : April 30th, 2012-17:47
Kam - Truth be told, every Panerai I have ever owned has gone back to the Panerai service center in Dallas. Twice. It is heartbreaking and I feel bad for you. I have to agree with foowy - the watch is a lemon and should be replaced. With an apology. And t... 

No Feedback

 
 By: kamdaswani : April 30th, 2012-18:08
i had a titanium submersible ages go but sold it for the same reason .. it just didn't keep time so one could not really call it a timepiece was hoping that after years of R&D they may have advanced their skills but sadly, not so. no feedback as yet from ... 

Sorry to hear that

 
 By: Jester : May 3rd, 2012-03:34
you're still lacking a reasonable response/feedback from OP but may I ask your rationale behind your expectation of call from the regional head?

Probably

 
 By: elliot55 : May 1st, 2012-21:58
Nicolas - You are probably correct, but since I never wear it I suppose it knows the time twice a day for sure - scott

Ok, let's be fair...

 
 By: Jester : May 3rd, 2012-03:28
Perhaps you can share w/ us your sample space? When you said every one of your Panerai, exactly how many are we talking about here?

Three

 
 By: elliot55 : May 3rd, 2012-07:47
Hey Jester - To be fair, I have three. My 312's been back to service twice, my 184's been back twice. Both were purchased new and the 184 even has a JLC movement! The third, designated 5218/202a (from 1993), was an heirloom left to me by my grandfather. I... 

Scott

 
 By: Jester : May 3rd, 2012-09:40
Sorry to hear about your bad experience. I guess luck wasn't not on your side! :-( BTW, did you purchase all your pieces new from dealer/boutique? As for me, I've bought significantly more pieces from OP and I would say so far my back-to-factory ratio has... 

That would be a replacement in my book !!!

 
 By: P@trick@Belgium : May 3rd, 2012-08:07
sorry to hear this horror story, but I would definately demand a replacement for that watch !! they don't need to repair it but simply give you a new one , and pray you stay one of their customers !!

Very tragic..

 
 By: hans_jorgen_1968 : May 5th, 2012-10:27
... My full condolences.. As I believe the watch is dead, and should be replaced.. I have sold my Panerais due to other circumstances, and was actually looking at a few possibilities - but now I will move towards something else I think Good luck to you Ma... 

Sorry to hear the news

 
 By: AnthonyTsai : May 6th, 2012-10:25
Hopefully Panerai will replace the entire movement since the loose screw probably has scratched up the finishing and maybe made some dents. Please keep us updated with your service request. Thanks! - AT

Panerai solution

 
 By: kamdaswani : May 6th, 2012-20:14
they called me. as per their center here, Panerai will replace the entire movement as soon as they can ( they will send the movement to hong kong ) they will extend the international warranty for a period of 2 years from date of collection and issue new p... 

That's good to hear. [nt]

 
 By: fernando : May 9th, 2012-21:37
No message body

Yeah perfect, your money is gone and you wait... not a bad deal, I guess!

 
 By: PoyFR : May 11th, 2012-22:53
What I am saying here, you handed your respectfully earned money against a faulty merchandise, they will do whatever to make you happy IN THEIR OWN TIME, and a few weeks, months down the line you also say THANK YOU. Yeah what world we live in.... You will... 

+++ 1. [nt]

 
 By: amanico : May 11th, 2012-22:57
No message body

I don't think this is true JUST for OP though

 
 By: Jester : May 22nd, 2012-19:50
I see this w/ other brands as well. Faulty product delivered and if the buyer don't spot the problem quickly and have the product replaced then they'll have to bear w/ wait for watch servicing.

Oh yes, the more and more so regrettably!

 
 By: PoyFR : May 30th, 2012-00:26
And some are more 'excellent' at it!

That must be heartbreaking..

 
 By: moc : May 22nd, 2012-16:18
do not tolerate any more patronizing from OP. I wish you get it all sorted soon. What a record OP has!Even if I liked any of the watches..well I would stay well away...they seem careless about their product and their customers. Still they are a huge succe... 

Let's not

 
 By: Jester : May 22nd, 2012-19:56
jump to the conclusion too quickly. Complaints are always voiced out louder than compliments, especially in cyberspace. As such, I'm not sure if it's fair to draw any conclusion about the quallity issues w/ Panerai solely based on complaints/feedback that... 

a more serious statistical analysis????

 
 By: moc : May 23rd, 2012-01:56
No I don t have it actually,I purely base my opinion on the fact that in the first page of this forum and other times in the past ther are serious complaints about OP QC and customer service....opinions that I gathered at dinners,chit chats,forum talk etc... 

Dear Mo.....

 
 By: THH : May 23rd, 2012-18:38
dont you know that you need "serious statistical analysis" if you have any negative thing to say abt pam??!! however, none required if u have positive thing to say....of course!! and lets not jump to conclusion here, so to speak.....because those faulty p... 

I'm never

 
 By: Jester : May 31st, 2012-10:50
shy about speaking out for qualtiy issues or any issues for that matter, even for brands that I so love. A lot of my friends know about this. To put things into perspectives: There's no doubt that OP has taken a route to elevate themselves by introducing ... 

You shoud know me as a staunch Panerai supporter, by now...

 
 By: sergio : May 23rd, 2012-04:36
What, with 26 of them, I've earned the right. I have to agree with the critics though. I've heard enough horror stories to have become...wiser, in my judgements. The whole 339, 375, 386 saga it's just embarassing. One of our more popular members (BluNotte... 

Tell you what....

 
 By: sergio : May 23rd, 2012-13:33
in....absolute numbers...jester is perfectly right. I was referring to the uneasyness that, as a die-hard Panerista, I feel...mounting...around the brand.. Ciao - Sergio

Of course I got you Sergio...

 
 By: moc : May 23rd, 2012-13:42
mine was just a tongue in cheeck remark. Sometimes the evidence doesn t need to be supported by statistics...lets say its not a great time for OP and their customers relationship. Ciao Mo

Mo my dear friend allow me

 
 By: Ares501 - Mr Green : May 31st, 2012-03:23
to teach you few things about statistics Best D...  

Just discovered another of your talents Vodka buddy!

 
 By: patrickmaniac : May 31st, 2012-06:58
If only they taught that way in Engineering school.... cheers PAt

Sorry to hear about your problem...totally unacceptable for Panerai

 
 By: gasterus : June 2nd, 2012-05:09
I've been noticing more complaints about Panerai quality issues lately. Has there QC gone soft due to increasing production quantities?

Panerai 335 waterproof issue

 
 By: nyn994 : August 3rd, 2012-09:10
Hi, Here is the result after being in a swimming pool with my brand new panerai 335. You can imagine how shocked I was ... It happened in June and I still have no answers from Panerai right now. . . they are "investigating". Will keep you posted. Kind Reg...  

Sorry you having these problems...what's with Panerai QC???

 
 By: gasterus : August 5th, 2012-02:50
What's happening with all these defective watches? I thought panerai tested their watches before leaving factory. I'm a panerai fan myself, but i will be worried to see increasing problems happening to their watches. Definitely giving me the creeps.

What's this - a second waterlogged 335?!?

 
 By: travelller : August 13th, 2012-16:44
OMG... ...when I saw the OP's, I chalked it up to "the one that got away" (from QA testing). But... two? Two different units - and both 335s, what the f...heck?!? I have a brand new 233; I've washed it under running water but I couldn't bring myself to su... 

no news

 
 By: kamdaswani : August 3rd, 2012-16:02
we've gone past 6 months since the problems with this watch started.. i have still not had the watch returned to me and the most frustrating part is they never ever call to keep me updated. i have to call every couple of weeks and the answer is always the... 

sorry to hear that...

 
 By: Hororgasm : August 3rd, 2012-16:45
my own experience is quite the opposite. over the last year, i have send in two watches, a 341 and a 292, both under warranty to fix, and a older 86D for service. the 341, with a winding issue(apparently common for those with 8 days PR) took just under a ... 

Gotta Tell You.....

 
 By: MasonBella : August 13th, 2012-05:06
I know this post has been going on for some time now, but this is really a very tragic expolitation of horrendous customer service. I know also.....that the Panerai lovers (myself included) will come to defend panerai and say this is a "unique" situation.... 

I feel your pain...

 
 By: Blue_Orca : August 4th, 2012-00:38
...but wonder if you had thought of requesting for a replacement rather than a repair? You have been most patient in waiting for Panerai to fix the mess, but if Panerai cannot even promise you a date when the watch is returned to you, I think it is not un... 

You have the right to be upset

 
 By: gasterus : August 5th, 2012-03:16
I would have reacted the same way if i were you. Don't think this issue is acceptable coming from a company who is known to supply their watches to the italian navy. I have serious doubt to use my panerai for any diving/swimming activities. Their customer... 

Very poor customer service

 
 By: mixedsg : August 7th, 2012-05:03
You would think that Panerai, part of the multi-billion dollar Richemont would be able to replace a faulty watch. What about water resistance to 100m.

100M

 
 By: kamdaswani : August 7th, 2012-05:54
It didn't make it in my sink so I doubt very much it would survive 100 :) I have the Hublot Unico with no screw crown and hesitated taking into the water despite its water rating but it's quite at home in the swimming pool and as it is almost weightless i... 

Response to: (panerai) 100M

 
 By: mixedsg : August 9th, 2012-04:26
I assume your purchased the watch new from a boutique. Cannot understand why Panerai did not replace the watch and apologised for your inconvenience. I wouldn't have been so calm and thoughtful. Have a lawyer from Mallesons or another large legal firm sen... 

replacement

 
 By: kamdaswani : August 13th, 2012-16:52
i did ask for a replacement ... their stand is since it can be "fixed", they would rather pursue that over a replacement piece... of course, they have the "limited" edition to fall back on and say there are no more pieces so it CAN'T be replaced ... i gue... 

matter of principle

 
 By: Arie - Mr Orange : August 17th, 2012-03:38
listen; the moment you purchase a good you have a binding agreement. You pay money (your part of the binding agreement) for a good that the other party has to deliver (their part of the binding agreement). Meaning: a working product. If the product failed... 

Blunt But True

 
 By: MasonBella : August 17th, 2012-04:44
Well Put! Those are the facts my friend! Good advice.

WATCH SERVICED

 
 By: kamdaswani : August 22nd, 2012-02:27
hi all, well i got the piece back today with the new movement ... here are the test results : now, lets hope it stays good .. well post again if anything further develops ... pray for me :) kam ...  

Congrats

 
 By: LLZA : August 27th, 2012-13:23
At last you got the piece back. Hope there will be no more issues in the future..

so far so good ...

 
 By: kamdaswani : August 28th, 2012-09:08
got the watch back on the 21st and set it via time.is checked it now and in 7 days, it has gained 25 seconds...

TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!!!

 
 By: descartes1 : September 2nd, 2012-08:00
I spend most of my time on the Patek and Rolex forums, but I was browsing here because I am considering the PAM 275 or 321. (I collect GMT watches). I find the replacement of the movement totally unacceptable. The watch should be replaced. First, since yo... 

Time for a dip

 
 By: kamdaswani : August 29th, 2012-03:21
need your help guys... i want to wear the watch while i swim .. am not a big fan of the standard rubber strap and can't swim with the leather one ... any suggestion on other options - am flexible with pricing as long as it is very well made. also, i went ... 

Leather for swimming

 
 By: H2F : September 7th, 2012-12:28
First off, glad to see you can finally enjoy your watch! As to swimming, I swam & dive with an inexpensive (BradyB) leather and generally don't find any issues. After salt water I rinse well and soak a few hours in clean (bottled) water in a glass. Air dr... 

Mario Paci

 
 By: kamdaswani : September 13th, 2012-01:40
Decided to just get a new strap my laps : MP tan / waterproof with a pvd buckle ... let's see how it all goes :) ...  

is the problem solved?

 
 By: Maikeru88 : January 17th, 2015-06:50
Hi Kam, I am interested in getting a pre owned N series 335 from a good friend of mine. I googled for a review on the 335 and I come across your thread. I am just curios, how is the water resistant of your PAM now? What is the standard 10 days accuracy fr... 

All Good

 
 By: kamdaswani : January 17th, 2015-07:38
hi, No issues at all .. It was my main swimming and travel watch for 2014 ... As for accuracy, I must admit I have not really taken note ... It must have been good as I do not remember adjusting the time regularly or dealing with any degree of deviation t...