Khalid M. Nabulsi reports multiple failures of his brand new Constellation double eagle chronograph in the Chronocentric/ZOWIE Omega discussion forum...

Co-axial technology, a bad coice after all!

Posted By: Khalid M. Nabulsi <alnabulsikm@yahoo.com>

Date: 6/21/06 15:10 GMT

I bought a brand new Constellation double eagle chronograph. The watch stopped after a couple of days and was serviced by the agent. A couple of days later the watch stopped again. The watch was then sent back to switzerland for repair. The watch is with them for almost three months with no resolution as to this point. I am frustrated because I spent a hefty amount on what supposed to be the best of OMEGA watches and yet have to go through this bad experience. so next time if you are planninmg to go for that dont think twice, but trice since you might go through the same experience. For the records, I bought the watch 6 months ago, stayed with me for three weeks only and the rest it was with the agent and the service center in switzerland. Does any one have an idea how to pressure the Company to reimbuse me for the price of the watch.

Regards

A quick google search reveals that the DE Connie Co-Ax Chronograph Chronometre was a 2004 Basel announcment and is a c.3313 based watch.

To my knowledge this is the first report of problems with a Connie Double Eagle Model. I remember that Keith Downing had issues with his Co-Axial Deville Chronograph, so it's not the first of the cx.331x's to exhibit problems.

Sadly, this is raises the question of if the remedial parts intended to address the shortcommings of the Fredric Piguet co-designed and manufactured chronograph movements in the c.33xx product line are a perfected solution to the issues these watches suffer or not. I understand and realize that it's difficult to determine based on the poster's report if the problem is related to the Co-Axial Escapement, the base Fredric Piguet movement into which it's installed, both, or something else.

I am resigned to the fact that Omega is so committed to press these products into the market, that they won't take a step back and scrutinize their actions and take whatever steps necessary to make the c.33xx's reliable, durable and dependable however drastic that may be up to and including pulling them until their reliability issues have been resolved. Instead they seem very content to put their customers through the ordeal of having brand new watches and their money tied up in a movement that seems to have a significantly higher probability of becoming a hangar queen that sits in a pile of it's own parts in Switzerland for months and months and months. It truely is a deplorable situation for a firm with a reputation such as Omega enjoyed before the introduction of these movements.

-- Chuck