HELP!! My recently purchased Big Pilot does not work...

I just bought a Big Pilot 5002 on Chrono24. I received the watch Tuesday, but
I didnt have time to open until yesterday, Saturday. The exterior is in mint
condition, strap has very little wear. From the eye it looks like it was well
taken care of by the original owner I purchased it from.

I put it on at around 1pm yesterday. Through out the day the second hand
stopped 4 times. The first 3 times I reset the date and hour and it started
ticking again. The 4th time around 7:45 at night it stopped and I cannot get
it started again and is still not working. The 7 day power reserve is full.

Does this problem sound familiar to anyone?

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Do you know when, if ever, this watch had been serviced? If you send it in to
IWC, the service department may inform you that oils/lubrication have dried
out. During a full service (the likely recommended remedy), parts of the
automatic winding system for caliber 5xxx movements are also upgraded to
ceramic, reducing wear. I am suspicious that the original parts were
susceptible to premature wear (the fine metallic dust could combine with oils
and impede moving parts) and may have contributed to movment failure, but that
is pure conjecture;)

You have two options here:

1. Return it for refund - Item is not as described.

2. Send it to IWC for a service and bear the cost yourself.

Yet another warning of BUYER BEWARE when purchasing aftermarket!

Good Luck, I hope you have a succesful resolution.

This watch is from 2004 and has never been serviced.

I took it in to my local IWC AD this morning and they said to send it back to
IWC for service ~$950 and 6-8 week turnaround

I also reached out to a reputable independent repair shop and they said that
it most likely needs serviced due to the dried lubricants. He did say that he
could probably open it up and determine what the issue is. He quoted ~$750 to
take it apart, clean and relube it with a 2 week turnaround.

I am leaning toward the local option due to the turnaround time. Would anyone
recommend against this? I have waited 2 years or so for this watch so I guess
I can wait a couple more months to make sure everything is done correctly. On
the other hand, if a service is an easy process, I will just do it locally and
get it back sooner.

I would recommend against the local option. As I said previously, the
automatic winding system has several parts that need to be upgraded - and that
will only be done by an IWC service center. Without the upgrade you are likey
to experience the same issue again, maybe sooner. The winding pawls and
ratchet wheel are likely pretty worn. For the extra cost you get the new
ceramic parts and a new two-year warranty from IWC. And your watch hopefully
won't need service again for quite some time:)

The seller and I reached an agreement. He lowered the cost of the watch to
cover the projected cost of the service. I just dropped it off at my local AD
and now await to hear back from IWC on the actual cost, etc. My AD said it
would probably take 6-8 weeks to get it back. I've waited ~2 years I suppose
I can wait 2 more months.

I appreciate the replies!

Good cal. Those two months are quicky forgotten when you get the watch back in
excellent condition.

Kind regards,

Clemens

True. Now I am second guessing myself on giving the ok to polish. I have
heard horror stories, but I guess those are the ones you hear about.

Polishing is a tricky subject.

If you have a vintage Rolex polished or unpolished the value may easily differ
a few thousand dollar in favor for the unpolished one.

I guess for IWC this is less extreme although I know many IWC collectors who
prefer not to polish.

Regards,

Adrian,

(alwaysiwc).

It does cost a lot for IWC service, but you are paying for the comfort of
knowing the work is being professionally done by people who know your watch
and for the assurance of a two-year warranty. Your secondhand watch will come
back to you like new.

It'll come back good as new.. I suspect you'll have it back earlier than you
expect as well .... I just sent my 3786 doppel in for a service and it was
back on my wrist within 3 weeks.

Great to hear turnaround may be quicker than expected!

I just received a voicemail from my AD. IWC said I need a full service which
will cost $870 and take 6 weeks. I have not heard any details, but I hope my
fish crown does not need replaced although it sounds like they are now
replacing with fish crowns. I appreciate all the replies. I think I got
lucky with only needing a service. Good lesson learned here. I will service
at regular intervals going forward. As soon as I receive my Big Pilot I am
sending my 12 year old submariner to Rolex.

Send them an email and make sure they confirm receipt, that you want the crown
replaced with a FISH CROWN.

Secondly, insist that they return the old crown. They may or may not comply on
this, but it is worth a try.

Also, write this all down on the service authorization that they will email
you, before they begin the service work.

Is this a confirmed thing that IWC will upgrade older models to the ceramic
winding system? I've inquired about this in the past via the phone concierge
and didnt get far...

My 5001 was upgraded to new ceramic winding pawls during service recen

"Is this a confirmed thing that IWC will upgrade older models to the ceramic
winding system? I've inquired about this in the past via the phone concierge
and didnt get far..."

Yes, it was confirmed to me. The concierges may not be aware of such movement
details, but the old parts are no longer available at IWC service centers.
Worn parts are replaced with the current parts designated for the particular
movement (in this case, ceramic winding pawls and a different colored metal
ratchet wheel).

How's the watch performing after the service work performed?

Thanks for asking @Funkdawg! I have been meaning to give an update.

I could not be happier with the results of the IWC service. I was really
worried about the polish, but it came back flawless. It is running spot on as
far as I can tell. I bought a new buffalo strap before it returned from
service so it is like owning a brand new 5002. Which in my biased opinion is
the perfect Big Pilot.

Thanks again to all that helped me during my moment of crisis when it stopped
running after purchase!!

Congrats Jack!

That's really great to know. I'm a big fan of the 5002 and agree with your
perspective. Would love to see some photos!