Lost the Love

[Token74]

As the title says, I’ve lost the love for AP, with my most recent experience at AP House in London being the final straw.

For context, I currently have four AP references (Royal Oak 15450, Royal Oak 15300, Royal Oak Offshore Diver 15710 and a Royal Oak Offshore Chrono 26480ti). I bought all of these (along with another 15450 that came and went) on the grey market apart from the 26480 which was the only one I could get from AP House.

I’ve been disappointed in the quality of the movements, with the 15300 recently needing to go in for a repair thanks to a screw coming out in the movement, this only three years after being repaired due to the crown coming out (a common fault) and this is despite it being rarely worn. The movement of the 26480 is also pretty bad, with it being impossible to set the time correctly as the hand moves when pushing in the crown, only very slightly, but enough for it to feel a bit cheap.

The quality issues alone have not been enough to put me off, as the design and finishing of the watches has been so good that I’m prepared to suffer a little, but my recent experience at AP House, which should all be about experience, was so poor that frankly the brand has lost it’s lustre for me.

I booked to visit on a Friday at mid-day as myself and my wife were due to be in London and the 15300 needed to go in for repair. On arrival they seemed unprepared for our visit and seemingly wanted us in and out quickly. I asked if we could see some watches as it’s my 50th this year and will be marking the occasion with a watch. Reluctantly they fetched some watches although not the ones I wanted to see as they didn’t have any, albeit they didn’t say that, they just presented a tray of 5 random watches.

I then asked them to show me a gold Code 11:59 which I did really like, I wasn’t totally sold as there are other watches I’d prefer and it feels like a compromise, but it was interesting nonetheless. At no point did the sales guy show any interest in actually selling me a watch, and as many sales guys before will attest, I’m quite impulsive and easy to sell to!! So an opportunity lost, but it all fitted with the general apathy of the service.

Whilst there I noted that is expressed interest in a 15202 four years ago, and again when buying the 26480 three years so, but had heard nothing. I also noted that I’d expressed interest in the Taupe Offshore, at which point (having ignored the 15202 comment) he said they have one in stock and I could have it. I was then pretty grumpy, firstly because he ignored the 15202 comment and secondly because they hadn’t bothered contacting me about the Taupe Offshore, so I declined.

We left AP House somewhat disenchanted. I then received an email two weeks ago saying my watch had been repaired and asking whether I’d like to collect or have it delivered. I emailed back saying I was going away in a few days time so if it could be delivered before going away, that would be great. The response to my email was so slow that I’d long since left for my holiday.

To put this level of service in perspective, I’ve just bought a used boat from Ribeye in the Uk and I wrote to them cheekily asking for a cap as the friend I bought it with got one when the boat was delivered. I got a reply within hours apologising that there were no caps, but offering me two T-Shirts. They then wrote the next day saying there would be a two-week wait which they were sorry for, but saying they wanted to let me know as they didn’t want me to think they’d forgotten. I responded saying no problem, but could we have one in Medium and in Small, as my wife was grumpy that I was getting two and hadn’t asked for one for her. Ribeye responded immediately saying no problem, have two in Medium and two in Small. Proper service - it’s not even the offer of T-Shirts that’s got me, its the immediacy of the responses unlike AP (note: I had previously suggested to AP when buying my 26480 that I’d love a golf top or AP Cap - O don’t actually care that I’ve never received one as they don’t owe me anything, but the difference between Ribeye service and AP service is vast.

Apologies for the rant, thank you for humouring me


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