Avoid Baume & Mercier at Any Cost

Thinking of purchasing an expensive watch? DO NOT purchase a Baume & Mercier watch, no matter how good you think it looks.

I made this mistake a few years ago and purchased one of their watches. Unfortunately, because of an eye problem, the watch spent its life in its box, unused due to its small face. However, I recently took it to one of their agents as the battery needed replacing. I was quoted £60 to replace the battery.

I paid the money and off my watch went. Many weeks later I received a call. My watch needed to be serviced and it would cost me an extra £230! They wanted to replace the hands. Nice little earner to bump up profits! I would add here that it is a quartz watch (not mechanical); nothing much to go wrong really.

Well, I did not want my watch repaired as it was working perfectly well before the battery expired. I declined the service and was informed, no extra £230, no battery! Yes, Baume & Mercier will not replace your batteries unless you bow to their, what amounts to, blackmail. When the watch was submitted to Baume & Mercier it was in immaculate condition. When I received it back in a plastic bag it was in an awful condition with prints/smudges and the like all over it.

Once you pay hundreds of Pounds for your watch, be under no illusion that you actually “own” your watch. You do not. Baume & Mercier reserve the right to dictate to you exactly what you do and how you treat your watch for its lifetime.

I should add that I own several watches: Breitling (mechanical), Bremont, Bell & Ross, etc and not one of these watchmakers has insisted on servicing when they have had to replace the battery. I think that says it all.

The only word I can think of for this company is Disreputable. If customers do not have the right to refuse overpriced unnecessary repairs, then all you have purchased in the first place is a piece of junk.