Question about Laco and warranty

[JohnnyV]

Dear WUS members,


I have a question regarding warranty and hope you could shed some light on this.
Unfortunately my dear Laco observation auto watch, which I love so much, has been damaged by damp and also the hour-hand is damaged as the lume no longer works. I bought this piece on the 18th of july 2010, so nearly 2 years ago, from the online retailer TimeQuest which was recommended to me by someone from this forum.

As it says in the Laco manual that came with the watch, I have a 24 months warranty from the date of purchase. However, this is my first and only watch so I've never encountered this issue before. Should I bring this matter to TimeQuest or Laco? How does it work?

I look forward to replies.


Yours sincerely,
John

[mebiuspower]

I highly doubt Laco will cover moisture damage under warranty. It's not a diver's watch and it's not supposed to be exposed to extreme moisture.

[Uwe W.]

I would contact the retailer/AD from whom you bought the watch. Conceivably, one of the reasons that you bought your watch from TQ instead of the Laco Shop was to have a more local customer service. Contact them and let them earn their money. However, I am curious as to what happened to the watch. Was it immersed in water?

[JohnnyV]

I see. Very little information about what falls under warranty was given on the retailer's as well as Laco's website, so I thought I'd check here first. Thanks for answering.

Uwe W. - I did in fact shower with the watch still on my wrist, thinking it was waterproof(it was made for war!). I only did so once or twice, but apparently one too many times. Foolish mistake.

Seeing as the watch looks a bit damaged and rugged, perhaps I could convince the untrained beholder that it is in fact a real piece from the WWII. The date and "Laco by Lacher" logo on the face sort of ruins it, but I could try!

Cheers

[Nolimits]

I see. Very little information about what falls under warranty was given on the retailer's as well as Laco's website, so I thought I'd check here first. Thanks for answering.

Uwe W. - I did in fact shower with the watch still on my wrist, thinking it was waterproof(it was made for war!). I only did so once or twice, but apparently one too many times. Foolish mistake.

Seeing as the watch looks a bit damaged and rugged, perhaps I could convince the untrained beholder that it is in fact a real piece from the WWII. The date and "Laco by Lacher" logo on the face sort of ruins it, but I could try!

Cheers

It was made to sit in a nice dry Aeroplane.....

[Uwe W.]

I did in fact shower with the watch still on my wrist, thinking it was waterproof(it was made for war!). I only did so once or twice, but apparently one too many times. Foolish mistake.

It was made for war - the air war. If you're an aviator and you're in water, well... you've got a lot more to worry about than the fact your watch isn't waterproof. Don't worry about the mistake, it's an easy one to make, but I am wondering: wasn't it on a leather strap? That in itself is already an odd thing to take into the shower. How about some photos? I'd love to see what a water logged Laco looks like; it could in fact look very neat and maybe you're on to something. Within months everyone will be intentionally distressing their Laco with water to give them a more vintage appearance.

[Chris-John]

It was made to sit in a nice dry Aeroplane.....

I personally don't shower with watches, but unlike the original watches, it is advertised as water proof, is it not? At least to 5 ATM.

[Uwe W.]

I personally don't shower with watches, but unlike the original watches, it is advertised as water proof, is it not? At least to 5 ATM.

I have no problem showering with a good quality dive watch.

When it comes to non-divers, the key word is water resistant, NOT water proof. In the case of 5 ATM resistance ratings, it typically signifies that it can handle accidental splashes, "short swimming" (whatever that means), and activities such as car washing. Hard to say where showering fits into that scenario, but clearly it's not a good idea. The OP could contact his AD, as was already suggested. They will be able to advise whether or not the watch should be warranted for what happened to it.

[Chris-John]

I have no problem showering with a good quality dive watch.

I've heard it suggested that in theory, alternate exposure to hot and cold water could make the seals in a watch expand then contract, letting water in. For that reason I avoid showering even with a dive watch. Admittedly probably an outlandish scenario, but if its easy to take off, I figure I might as well.

[Uwe W.]

I've heard it suggested that in theory, alternate exposure to hot and cold water could make the seals in a watch expand then contract, letting water in. For that reason I avoid showering even with a dive watch. Admittedly probably an outlandish scenario, but if its easy to take off, I figure I might as well.

Can't say I've ever taken a "hot and cold" shower in my life. Some also claim that soap can damage seals as well. I've never had a problem to date, and just like me, the watch goes through a rinse cycle before leaving the shower, so it's not like any soap would remain to dry on it.