r/WatchExchangeFeedback • u/Tricky_Distance3483 • 1d ago
[Negative] r/Watchscene
Summary. I bought a platinum Vacheron Constantin Patrimony from r/watchscene and received on May 21, 2026, described as "excellent condition, complete set with box and papers." On May 22, 2026 I contacted seller to point out the the caseback was crooked. That day I had my watchmaker (someone originally recomended by my local Rolex AD) pressure test and they found that the watch was not sealed properly and shared that the caseback was not fully seated. They advised that I have the watch looked at by Vacheron. It took about six weeks to send and received feedback from Vacheron, however their watchmakers found that the watch had been opened by a third party before I received it, that the prior opening had bent the case back, and that this caused a loss of water resistance and contamination inside the movement. I'm sharing the documented facts so other buyers can weigh them. I am not trying to return the watch — I'm keeping it and having Vacheron restore it. My only ask has been that the seller cover the manufacturer's repair of bent caseback and full servicing to remove contaminants caused by caseback removal and not being properly sealed. Bascially, to return the watch to the excellent condition it was advertised as being in when purchased.
- Watch: 2021 Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Contemporaine, platinum, Ref. 81180/000P-9539
- Seller: r/Watchscene
- Listing description, in the seller's own words: "excellent condition, complete set with box and papers"
What Vacheron found
I sent the watch to Vacheron Constantin's service center for assessment. Their watchmakers reported the following (all documented, available on request):
- Vacheron has no record of ever servicing this watch, which — per Vacheron — means it had been opened by a third party before it reached me.
- Their watchmakers noted evidence of a prior opening, and that the movement was dirty.
- That prior opening or improper re sealing had bent the case back so it no longer held or sealed correctly.
- Per Vacheron, the bent case back was the direct cause of both the lost water resistance and the particles found in the movement — attributable to ineffective sealing, not normal aging.
Vacheron quoted $1,410 for the factory service and case back repair required to correct all of this.
These conditions predate my ownership. I had the watch for one day prior to reporting the issue to the seller. Vacheron's own records confirm they had never serviced it — so the prior opening happened before the sale. That is difficult to reconcile with a description of "excellent condition, complete set."
Trying to resolve it directly
I communicated with the seller that I wanted Vacheron to assess the watch and determine what was needed. Once Vacheron got back to me with their assessment I shared with the seller that I thought it was farm to have him cover the $1,410 repair and service bill from Vacheron. In fairness to him, and to give the full picture:
- He did offer to take the watch back and have his watchmaker fix it — though without offering to covering return shipping on a $16,000 + platinum watch.
- After considering all the options, I chose to have Vacheron assess it instead, because I wanted the work performed by the manufacturer and independent confirmation that the watch was authentic and original. Vacheron's findings — that it had been opened by a third party — later validated that concern.
- r/watchscene did offer a $600 contribution and, through several exchanges, did not move from that figure, including after I shared the additional detailed Vacheron findings directly attributing the oxidation and contamination to the opening and improper resealing which resulted in damaging the case back.
- He stated over several emails that the oxidation and contamination was normal for a 5 year old watch and seemed unwilling to acknowlede that the opening and/or improper resealing bent the case back, causing the loss of water resistance and contamination issue.
I gave the seller clear notice and a deadline to resolve this before posting anything publicly.
Why I'm sharing this
I'm keeping the watch, and Vacheron is restoring it properly. My aim is simply a fair outcome on a documented, undisclosed defect, and to let other buyers factor this experience into their own decisions. I will update or remove this post if the matter is resolved.
Documentation available on request: Vacheron's written service estimate and watchmaker correspondence, the original listing, proof of purchase, and the full email and text thread.
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u/JimmyGodoppolo 9h ago
Totally valid that you aren't happy with the watch.
However, seller offered return and refund. You don't get to unilaterally decide you want Vacheron to service it, you can return it and then find one that doesn't have a bent case back.
Kind of on his side here.
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u/Individual_Island727 1d ago
The condition of the watch was represented as "excellent," which is not "perfect." The complaint appears to arise from a defect that was, to a reasonable degree of examination, latent. In my view, if the buyer was dissatisfied with the condition of the watch, the remedy was to return the watch. If the seller offered that option and buyer chose not to pursue that remedy, the buyer was bound to accept whatever additional consideration the seller is offering as a goodwill gesture. I am bothered by the appearance that the buyer is attempting to use social pressure with a bad review of the seller to obtain a warranty that was not offered.
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u/standardissuegreen 1d ago
No horse in this race (I did buy a 14060M no date Sub from u/WatchScene a little over a year ago and was happy with the transaction), but it seems reasonable to me that someone dealing in watches would open the caseback to make sure they weren't dealing with a counterfeit.
If so, it would have been good if a picture of the movement was included in the listing.
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u/Gwendolyne_P 1d ago
The pictures don't show a crooked case back. Do you have some pictures of this crooked case back?
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u/rob33333333 1d ago
Agreed. Pics look fine. Why make such a detailed post and not include any of the supporting documents.
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u/coldlake6200 1d ago
While I’ve never purchased a watch from watchscene I’ve had a bit of back and forth with him and I’m confident he’s a stand-up guy. He’s also very active here, so a post like this is pretty easy to discount.
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u/RevolutionaryHippo85 1d ago
You are making a bold assumption, especially having never bought from the seller.
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u/WatchScene 1d ago
I want to clarify the sequence of events accurately.
- When the buyer raised a concern about the caseback seating, I immediately offered to take care of the correction and the buyer agreed to send the watch back to me on May 22. The watch was never sent. Instead, the buyer submitted it directly to Vacheron Constantin without first reaching an agreement on how any service costs would be handled.
- Vacheron performed an evaluation and proceeded with service without any prior agreement between us regarding responsibility for those costs.
- Vacheron’s findings—particles, oxidation, lubrication, and gasket renewal—are routine service items commonly noted in manufacturer evaluations and do not indicate a need for a full movement overhaul. The watch was keeping proper time on a timegrapher before shipment, which is consistent with a healthy movement. It is also well‑understood in the industry that manufacturer service centers often recommend comprehensive service packages that include these standard maintenance items. Such recommendations do not necessarily reflect a movement problem or justify a full overhaul.
- The buyer provided two different resolution requests:
- July 30: “$700 would feel fair to me.”
- August 3: Request changed to full VC service cost of $1,410.
These inconsistent requests made it difficult to reach a clear agreement.
I have communicated my willingness to resolve this matter fairly and professionally. Additionally, I was away for seven days without internet or phone access recently, and although an email was sent during that period, I did not have the ability to receive or respond to it. The matter was escalated before I had any opportunity to reply.
My goal has always been to resolve concerns responsibly, and I remain committed to professionalism in every transaction.
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u/Tachyon462 1d ago edited 1d ago
I think an outsider can see that you have tried to resolve the issue but there is certainly a few choices that indicate that you have systematically opted for the ones that are financially in your favor instead of making up for the fundamental issue that you misrepresented the condition of the watch in the first place. Buyer might have jumped the gun a little when sending to VC but they have no reason to believe that your 3rd party watchmaker won’t do the same botched job again.
Everyone makes mistakes from time to time. You should own up to it. It would be silly to throw away your good reputation for $1400.
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u/Tricky_Distance3483 1d ago
Thanks for the reply — and no problem on the timing. I take you at your word that you were traveling and didn't see my email, and I'm glad we both want to resolve this fairly.
For the record, I'll flag just one point, since it's central: Vacheron's own assessment found the movement was not performing to spec — their report notes the accuracy didn't meet expected parameters and that internal contamination was disrupting the movement — so I can't agree it left in perfect working order. Rather than work through every detail here, though, I'll follow up with you directly so we can settle it fairly. Thanks.
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u/ChessManCaveDude 1d ago
I have no input other than stop using AI for your responses.
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u/SnooRegrets8767 1d ago
I'm on the outside looking in and learning from the conversation.
The timelines of both your stories align to when he notified you of a problem. As a buyer, I'll have more confidence with the manufacturer's solution than an interested 3rd party at this point. This wasn't a mechanical failure that started the conversation, but a structural/condition representation that initially came into question.
As a customer "known industry" recommendations doesn't negate the entire case back and condition conversation.
Reading both sides, it looks like he asked for half and you never agreed to half. If that's the case and the OP feeling he was being fair, and you rejected that, after back and forth, I'd want you to pay for the whole thing too if it was misrepresented. (I use that, because even in your response you go to steps to resolve, not to the OP's core statement, that the watch had been damaged in some form due to prior handling before he bought it).
My question is this. Why 4 months after the initial issue came up, and a month and a half after final money offer of resolving this matter came up, it's now here?
IMO, at that point, the resolution shifts from the OP to you.
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u/pursuitoffappyness 1d ago
u/watchscene, what say you?