Jump to content

Watch Parts: Eu Commission Final Ruling - Announced 29 July 2014

Mark
 Share

Recommended Posts

Mark Distinguished Member

Mark

Posted
Posted

Source: https://www.cousinsuk.com/page/news

Commission closes its investigation into the refusal by several manufacturers of prestige/luxury

watches to supply spare parts to independent repairers.

The European Commission has closed its antitrust investigation in the sectors of the supply of spare

parts and the provision of repair and maintenance services for luxury/prestige watches in several

member states (notably France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK).

The investigation concerned watches which are typically worth repairing and maintaining (in that

regard, the Commission focused on watches sold above a certain retail price). The Commission

investigated, further to a complaint by the European Confederation of Watch and Clock Repairers'

Association ("CEAHR"), whether the discontinuance of the supplies of spare parts by prestige watch

manufacturers to independent watch repairers (i.e. repairers that do not belong to their respective

official networks for repair and maintenance services) may constitute an infringement of EU

competition rules on restrictive agreements and abuse of a dominant position (Articles 101 and 102 of

the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, respectively). Following a comprehensive investigation, the

Commission has concluded that there is limited likelihood of finding such an infringement in the

present case.

RosscoInOshawa WRT Addict

RosscoInOshawa

Posted
Posted

I'm not sure if I'm just being naive but is this a way of the larger prestige manufacturer's stopping amateur watch repairers who may not know what they are doing (me for instance) from buying parts and attempting repair of a watch, only to have it fail and then they blame the manufacturer and perhaps tarnish their reputation?  Or just corporate greed?

bobm12 Distinguished Member

bobm12

Posted
Posted

I believe it is a way to not just do that, but to have all distributors and independent watchmakers (and of course hobbyists like me) on a leach or worst. Total Swiss-watch-world dominance scheme! I wonder what the Asian market will do. Maybe the Swiss are shooting themselves in the foot (long term).

 

Something to think about:

 

Existing clone Chinese made ETA/Unitas movements 1 to 1 swappable.

Nice looking and dependable Japanese name brands.

Name brand Cloning market (for those that don't care)...

 

Maybe I'm stating the already known pattern here, but the reality is they are not the only ones out there! It is a pity they have assumed that position that negates their design for serviceability and thus an opportunity for everyone to be able to do so for profit or not.

WillFly Distinguished Member

WillFly

Posted
Posted

Well, we've mentioned this before on the forum. I'll repeat my own view that two things will happen:

 

(1) The market for s/h "spares or repair" watches will blossom (2) non-Swatch Swiss watch movement firms, and Asian firms, will also blossom.

  • Like 4
Mark Distinguished Member

Mark

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Well, we've mentioned this before on the forum. I'll repeat my own view that two things will happen:

(1) The market for s/h "spares or repair" watches will blossom (2) non-Swatch Swiss watch movement firms, and Asian firms, will also blossom.

Very true.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

RosscoInOshawa WRT Addict

RosscoInOshawa

Posted
Posted (edited)

Well, we've mentioned this before on the forum. I'll repeat my own view that two things will happen:

 

(1) The market for s/h "spares or repair" watches will blossom (2) non-Swatch Swiss watch movement firms, and Asian firms, will also blossom.

Will, bear with me as I'm not familiar with this issue but you're saying the market for buying and selling of "spare parts" watches and/or the sale of replacement movements will blossom?

 

I haven't had to buy any spare watch parts yet, or price them, but judging solely on the inflated cost of Swiss made tools so far, is the same likely to be true, inflated pricing on Swiss made watch parts or as they are trying to do, block the sale entirely?  

 

That's sad, it IS corporate greed then.

Edited by RosscoInOshawa
WillFly Distinguished Member

WillFly

Posted
Posted

I don't know what the state of things will be in the US but already, over here in the UK, one of our main parts suppliers (Cousins) is already saying that they will not supply various parts in the future.

clockboy Distinguished Member

clockboy

Posted
Posted (edited)

In this months bhi journal (August) a letter has been published by myself "has the industry hit a destruct button"  

The BHI CEO Dudley Giles also relied.

To summarise his reply. The BHI is not a trade association but the BHI board of directors is keenly aware that the membership wishes to know where they stand. The conclusion is that the BHI feels honour bound to move in step with "our european colleagues" He also reminds members of the failed attempt by CEAHR several years ago to address the imposition of anti-competitive & restrictive practices.

I take it from this that nothing will happen and the only change will be is in time any future customers will gradually move away from Swiss watches as the bad news spreads.

Edited by clockboy
  • Like 1
Mark Distinguished Member

Mark

Posted
  • Author
Posted

It's the watch owners who will ultimately be screwed as 'choice' is removed from the equation when deciding on who to send their repairs to. The watch houses will be able to charge whatever they damn well like and the customer can take it or leave it.

Watch repairers on the other hand will always have work to do, so will not lose out much.

I feel for the watch owners.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  • Like 3

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Similar Content

  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Nucejoe
      Argh. Breaking pallet pivots

      By Nucejoe · Posted

      If a runner, I usually let the movement run in naphta for a minute, some movements need a bit of encouragement to run in liquids, so a quick dip of the movement in naphta then remove and encourage the oscilator with puffer, repeat several soaks.  Or if you don't want to soak or dip the movement in cleaning solution ,   keep putting naphta on jewel holes as the movement runs on bench. A pre-clean of some sort  helps.  Avoid lifting out the fork with tweezers or any tool.  Try blowing fork pivot out  with strong puff of air from jewels holes back side. Good luck .      
    • HectorLooi
      Argh. Breaking pallet pivots

      By HectorLooi · Posted

      60! Wow, that's a lot. Can't say I understand the problem because disassembly is usually quite uneventful, except for springs launching into space. Most people break pivots during assembly. I use a homemade brass pry tool to loosen parts. It's just a short length of hard brass wire sharpened to a chisel point. Don't pry at just one point and crowbar it out. Pry at the notch and when a crack opens up, slip the pry tool in and loosen it at a few more points until the bridge is free.
    • WpgRob
      Argh. Breaking pallet pivots

      By WpgRob · Posted

      Beginner here. Of about 60 watches I’ve serviced and repaired, I’ve broken a pallet pivot on three, always during disassembly, and usually when the old oil has transformed to glue. Each watch was Swiss, in case that makes a difference. Here’s what happened in each case: - unscrewed the pallet bridge or cock - gently inserted a screwdriver in the  slot under the pallet bridge or cock - gently but firmly rotated the screwdriver, avoiding a forwards force on the screwdriver. If alignment pins stick, the cam action is alternated back and forth between back corners of the plate. - heard a small but horrible click. Is there a special tool or technique for safely lifting the pallet bridge? Should everything be soaked in naphtha before beginning disassembly if there’s any sign of old oil gluing parts together? Thanks! Rob
    • mbwatch
      Full plate watch, Suitable tool for adjusting & testing pallet stones?

      By mbwatch · Posted

      You shared this test with me a few months back on a Hamilton project and so I had checked this watch to find the pins were still equally spaced. Their screw slots were undamaged and very tight hard to move so maybe no one has messed with them before. I can't work on it much today but I did measure the fork slot again and it seems like 0.44 is the right size. I measure the jewel that had been installed at just 0.42. would an undersized too narrow impulse jewel impact the impulse drastically? I ask because I have had it at a state where flipping the fork manually with a tool would unlock some of the time, but the balance was never capable of unlocking.
    • HectorLooi
      Help with repairing a quartz clock

      By HectorLooi · Posted

      This was what I was afraid of. The movement is not one of the generic black square modules. Remove the movement from the clock and try prying it open very carefully, without breaking the plastic tabs. The plastic might be brittle from age. Clean the wheels and check the battery contacts for corrosion. Check the PCB for bad solder joints. Take plenty of photos along the way.
×
×
  • Create New...