Opinions on a watch sale issue needed.

[stairpost]

Hi all,

I'd just like to gauge people's opinion on the following matter if I may?

I recently sold a watch to a chap I have dealt with a couple times in the past, it was a 90s Breitling watch of non diver spec, waterproof to 30m. He contacted me today to say he tried washing it in warm soapy water, which has unfortunately resulted in the watch developing a condensation issue inside the case/crystal. He asked for his money back, but I am disinclined to agree to this.

He has always been a very pleasant person to deal with so I am disappointed this has happened. I am going to help as much as I can by contacting the company I purchased it from as it came with a 12 month warranty. It was a private sale with the buyer collecting in person and paying cash after inspecting the watch. I made no claims about the watch being waterproof, so I strongly suspect/hope that I am within my rights to wash my hands of any responsibility.

All polite opinions would be welcome.

Thanks

Rich.

[AJSki2fly]

When was the service, if it still valid then I would refer him to them. I think under the consumer act even when purchasing new you cannot return an item once 14 days have passed. If the item is second hand then there is little come back unless you offered a return period.

[stairpost]

When was the service, if it still valid then I would refer him to them. I think under the consumer act even when purchasing new you cannot return an item once 14 days have passed. If the item is second hand then there is little come back unless you offered a return period.

I purchased it used from a reputable dealer 3 months ago, from memory it was sold as having had a new battery fitted with reseal. As my sale was private not trade I made no mention of any guarantee offered by me, just the 12 months warranty still in place from the dealer.

The buyer had a good look at the watch before he paid, and I made no claims about waterproofing or the integrity of the seals. In fact he did not ask about that aspect of it at all. I experienced no issues with it during my time owning it and it was worn on a daily basis; the buyer did also openly admit to exposing it to warm soapy water. My understanding of waterproofing standards is that a watch rated to 30m is essentially just splash proof.

[Primalsea]

30m water resistant or waterproof, I think they mean different things to a watch manufacturer and I believe neither explicitly mean that the watch can handle submersion. Also soap contains surfactant which lowers the surface tension of the water, meaning it can penetrate into gaps better. Also the heat can mitigate the effectiveness of the seals and condense any moisture within the air in the watch. When you factor in that you don’t really know what he has done and if its an expensive watch he should have taken it to a professional to have it cleaned I think you have every right not to reimburse.

It might be worth contacting the dealer you bought it from and say that someone washed it in warm soapy water and explain the condensation issue and ask if the guarantee covers that on a 30m watch. If they so no it backs up your refusal.

[Len Co]

Washing a watch in soapy water sounds like a daft thing to do, though waterproof to 30m would imply to me that a dip in the kitchen sink should not be a problem. Tricky one, there’s no answer really. If you don’t want a disagreement you might consider refunding and opening up the watch to try and dry it out (removing the winder is normally easy to get access to the glass as you probably know). I recently did this to my wife’s watch - I think the back had not been pressed on properly WHEN I CHANGED THE BATTERY! If it works out you could sell it again. If you’re not bothered about disagreeing then use whatever arguments you can to tough it out.

[Stryder5]

Waterproof to 30 metres means it is splash proof, not to be immersed in water. I think your buyer did not understand this and has immersed in water, not your fault, lots of info on this if you Google it.

The watch has been compromised by the buyers action, I wouldn't accept any responsiblity, any value in the watch has been destroyed.

Gary

[Roy S]

Waterproof to 30 metres means it is splash proof, not to be immersed in water.

Exactly right. Washing any watch in hot soapy water strikes me as daft anyway, he's probably ruined it.

[stairpost]

Waterproof to 30 metres means it is splash proof, not to be immersed in water. I think your buyer did not understand this and has immersed in water, not your fault, lots of info on this if you Google it.

The watch has been compromised by the buyers action, I wouldn't accept any responsiblity, any value in the watch has been destroyed.

Gary

That's my understanding too, I would have considered it splash proof. The buyer is actually an avid watch fan and has quite a collection. So I'm surprised and slightly suspicious about the damage to be honest.

[montesquieu]

Waterproof to 30 metres means it is splash proof, not to be immersed in water. I think your buyer did not understand this and has immersed in water, not your fault, lots of info on this if you Google it.

The watch has been compromised by the buyers action, I wouldn't accept any responsiblity, any value in the watch has been destroyed.

Gary

This. Designation of 30m means it pressure tests to 30m in an air tank. Soap can compromise rubber seals lowering their effectiveness. The buyer may be a nice chap as you say but he's either completely ignorant about what 30m means, or he is taking the proverbial. Let him take this question to any watch forum and ask, he'll get this same answer.

In any case a vintage watch like this carries no guarantee about the performance of the seals and anyone who professed to be a watch collector would know this.

'Waterproof to 30 meters' should mean just that. If it was just splashproof or 'water resistant' then that's what they'd say. So you should be able to drop it in a sink full of water with no issues.

Rated 30m water resistance does not equal 'waterproof to 30 meters'. You don't drop it in the sink or use it in the shower, that's a misunderstanding.

[Macca]

This. Designation of 30m means it pressure tests to 30m in an air tank. Soap can compromise rubber seals lowering their effectiveness. The buyer may be a nice chap as you say but he's either completely ignorant about what 30m means, or he is taking the proverbial. Let him take this question to any watch forum and ask, he'll get this same answer.

In any case a vintage watch like this carries no guarantee about the performance of the seals and anyone who professed to be a watch collector would know this.





Rated 30m water resistance does not equal 'waterproof to 30 meters'. You don't drop it in the sink or use it in the shower, that's a misunderstanding.

Fair enough, what I know about watches could be written on a postage stamp.