Can this 3706 case back be returned to the factory finish?

Hello everyone.

I posted a question about the Triovis regulator in the technical forum.

I bought this 3706 from a local shop and it was running -20 seconds per day. After deciding not to handle this myself I took it back to the shop and the owner said he'd have it regulated.

When I picked up the watch the case back had a few deep scratches and tool marks. The owner said he'd polish it and ended up putting a smooth finish on the back and by doing so removed the black enamel from the lettering and made the serial number very faint.

On top of that the chronograph second hand is not resetting to 12 o'clock since yesterday. Needless to say I'm fed up with this shop and had planned to send the watch for servicing.

I've included a pic of the case back. Any thoughts on the chances of returning this to factory finish with servicing would be greatly appreciated.

I'm sorry you had to go through this frustration and the seller damaged the watch in this manner :-(

There is no worry regarding black lettering as 3706 never had any. Was probably dirt, but the edges are definitely smoothed now. As the watch is now no longer in the same condition that you bought it, with additional problem, is it possible to cancel the transaction?

Here is what 3706 should look like (my friend's watch)
[](s1335.photobucket.com/user/regnimelf3717/media/IWC/CFB79FCB-0468-4739-8722-CDF5D87C3952_zpsporzapjx.jpg.html)

I concur with Mark´s recommendation: cancel the deal if still possible. Too many problems for a watch that should bring a smile on your face.

The exact reason is unknown to me, but IWC never refurbishes case backs. I once wanted to have this done with my 3711 double chronograph, but had been told the case back is always excluded when a case is reworked.

Thank you for your reply Mark, and it really is disappointing as I've wanted a 3706 for decades.

Unfortunately the store makes it clear all sales are final. It's a used watch shop so there's no other avenues I can pursue to make this right.

I was worried that the lettering was smoothed out when I compared it to a picture of the back before it was polished. Also thought the lettering had black enamel because in the before pic it looked black.

You can see in the before picture the scratches but also that the serial number was clear. I wish I had left the watch be and sent it to my own watchmaker.

Thank your for replying Jochen. As above, the store considers all sales final. I made the mistake of trading a couple of watches for this one and the store owner sold them pretty quick.

It's disappointing to hear case back polishing isn't including with servicing. I know my watchmaker, (Shane Ede in Toronto,) can do the work but the serial number is almost gone and I worry that could cause problems in the future.

You want to know what the funny thing is? The watch is keeping accurate time now, +3 seconds per day.

Paul

I contacted ABC Watchwerks in California to see if they could do something with this case back. I'm also thinking about contacting Jack Freedman at Superior and seeing what he thinks, but being in Canada I wouldn't be able to send him my watch.

By sheer coincidence, we share a watchmaker.

Shane, Jack or ABC? I'm assuming you mean Shane, but of course one should never ass/u/me.

I cannot say directly here, as I do not want to appear to be endorsing anyone on a non-commercial forum.

If you want to talk more, please contact me directly via email under my name.

Ok Mark, will do.

I heard back from Jack Freedman and he suggested having someone in America take the case back in for me and he would be able to put the original factory finish on the back as best they can, but the serial number can't be saved as they don't have the ability to copy the engraving done at IWC.

Jack also pointed out the serial number is engraved inside the case back, which is a valid point.

When I hear back from ABC I'll post that info as well.

BTW--I don't want to be seen as promoting or endorsing any company, I'm just hoping this info can be useful for other collectors. If I'm breaking the rules here I apologize and moderators please feel free to edit my post as necessary.

I heard back from Aaron at ABC and after looking over the picture I sent Aaron feels they can restore the factory finish, but there is a risk that the serial number will become more faded and re-engraving the number isn't possible.

I've received a lot of great advice here and from other sources as well, so I have to decide how I'm going to proceed.

Thank you for the feedback. I think we have all learned something from this.

I'd like to thank Mark for all the help he's given me with this, as well as talking to out mutual watchmaker about this. Cheers Mark.

I called IWC/Richemont in Mississauga, ON and was told that since they don't have the equipment to engrave serial numbers and because the watch had an "outside intervention" from an non-authorized agent, the watch would have to go to Switzerland for a new case.

I think my best option at this point will be to have Shane service the movement and do a bit of polishing avoiding the center of the case back and leave it like that.

If you are planning on keeping the 3706 for your collection, you can still sell this watch to someone who is not that keen on a perfect condition case and buy another one in a better condition from a trustworthy seller. The 3706 was sold in a comparably high number of pieces, so it should not be too difficult to find a really good one.
Before investing money in refurbishing the given case back while knowing the outcome will not be entirely satisfying, you could also spend the money on getting an overall better 3706.

Actually Jochen I had it listed for sale and even after lowering the price a few times no one was interested.

I'm going to leave it with my watchmaker and see what he's able to do with it. The chrono second hand is now loose and not tight on the pipe so that needs to be addressed as well, so I figured I might as well have him do a servicing.

When the servicing and polish is done I'll see how I feel about it and go from there.

Paul

Just wanted to post an update.

I saw my watchmaker today and he said the IWC movement didn't need a servicing. He tightened the post on the chrono second hand and re-attached it and it's working beautifully now. And the thing that was bothering me most--he was able to refinish the case back and it looks great.

The serial is still visible in light and he didn't have to take off any more metal in the polishing. He used two lathes and got it looking great. He said it was polished by hand with a buffing pad, which explained why it looked so horrible after the shop owner was done with it.

Thank you all for your help with this. I'm going to hold onto this one for a while, I'm not sure if I want to sell it after everything that's happened. It would feel like giving up.

Here's a couple of pics.

Well!! Congratulations are you n order.
I'm glad you got a successful resolution to this saga.
This 3706 sure has a story to tell and I'm sure it will endear itself to you because of that.

Well done :o)

Cheers Mark!

Paul

I wanted to ask the more experienced collectors here, do you think the serial number being ruined on this watch has altered it's value?

I don't mean monetary, because that's subjective; I mean it's desirability. Like a Rolex with over polished lugs, or a Seamaster 300 with a corroded dial, has the refinished back forever changed the watch?