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The backplate of my 42mm SS watch was quite loose, so I took it to a Genius bar and now they sent it for repair. On Apple's repair centre website it says they are looking for replacement units for my watch. That really bumps me out as I really miss my watch and my workflow gets heavily affected by the watch absence. On the other hand, I am hoping they can give me a 2nd gen as the stocks for the 1st gen watch are pretty much depleted. Well, let's see...

Good luck getting a 2nd gen...if possible, then I envision me accidentally hitting back of my watch with a wrench in the very near future....
 
That's really odd. My wife has had FOUR backplates fall off her 38mm SS watches, and they replaced it with a new watch each time in a week to 10 days
 
Good luck getting a 2nd gen...if possible, then I envision me accidentally hitting back of my watch with a wrench in the very near future....

Honestly I don't mind if it is a 1st gen or 2nd gen Watch, but thanks! ; ) I just want a replacement to arrive ASAP!
 
"Finally happened to my wife's watch" makes it sound like it's a customary defect. It isn't as the vast majority of AWs still have their backs intact.

I think Hermes only repair/replace bands. You'd have to contact Apple to replace the watch body.

The watch was sent to the depot and exchanged for a new one within 5 days. There was only one problem: I could not restore from the backup. After a call to Apple Support, they figured out that it was because the replacement watch was a 0.0.1 version behind. I had to setup the watch as new, update to the latest version, then reset so that I could do the restore from backup. Now everything is back to normal. The iPhone Watch.app won't show you backups that don't match the watch version. It's frustrating because it takes so long to reset/restore the watch.
 
I just got a brand new replacement for my 42mm SS. Finally I have my Watch back, being those days without it made me realise how important this device is for me :D I just wish they had repaired watch I sent to depot instead of giving me a new one. I am not sure if that is a very "green" approach by Apple
 
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I just got a brand new replacement for my 42mm SS. Finally I have my Watch back, being those days without it made me realise how important device it is for me :D I just wish they had repaired watch I sent to depot instead of giving me a new one. I am not sure if that is a very "green" approach by Apple

Why do you think repairing the watch is better than giving you a new one? I'd feel more confident with getting a new one. Apple sends the old watch back to factory, takes it apart and rebuilds it, and sell it as refurbished or uses it to replace someone ekse's defective watch.
 
Why do you think repairing the watch is better than giving you a new one? I'd feel more confident with getting a new one. Apple sends the old watch back to factory, takes it apart and rebuilds it, and sell it as refurbished or uses it to replace someone ekse's defective watch.

Where is this info about Apple recycling 100% the watch? If they send to "refurbished" distribution channel, they will have to put at least a new battery in it. So where is the old battery that was perfectly fine going to? Because I am really trying to find that info. As long as they fix the problem effectively I don't mind getting the watch I sent for repair back to me, it doesn't have to be a new unit. Imagine if they could fix that problem by repairing quickly the watch in-store, imagine how much carbon footprint would be saved by not having to send the unit away and send a new one back for instance. Like I said previously, I wonder if this culture of "disposable repairs" is really an eco-friendly approach, that's all.
 
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Where is this info about Apple recycling 100% the watch? If they send to "refurbished" distribution channel, they will have to put at least a new battery in it. So where is the old battery that was perfectly fine going to? Because I am really trying to find that info. As long as they fix the problem effectively I don't mind getting the watch I sent for repair back to me, it doesn't have to be a new unit. Imagine if they could fix that problem by repairing quickly the watch in-store, imagine how much carbon footprint would be saved by not having to send the unit away and send a new one back for instance. Like I said previously, I wonder if this culture of "disposable repairs" is really an eco-friendly approach, that's all.

Hmmmm. Well, I don't know about if they recycle 100%, but for other devices, you go to the store and if it can't be fixed in-store, they give you a replacement device right away, and the old one gets sent back to be recycled/refurbished. So I think that's a good balance between customer service and trying to be Eco-friendly. With the watch, you don't get same day replacement either way, but perhaps if they repaired the watch, you'd be waiting, say, two weeks instead of one? Or maybe, setting up repair centers for the watch is so complicated, they have to be sent back to the factory anyway to be repaired? In which case the turn around time for repairs would be even longer.
 
Hmmmm. Well, I don't know about if they recycle 100%, but for other devices, you go to the store and if it can't be fixed in-store, they give you a replacement device right away, and the old one gets sent back to be recycled/refurbished. So I think that's a good balance between customer service and trying to be Eco-friendly. With the watch, you don't get same day replacement either way, but perhaps if they repaired the watch, you'd be waiting, say, two weeks instead of one? Or maybe, setting up repair centers for the watch is so complicated, they have to be sent back to the factory anyway to be repaired? In which case the turn around time for repairs would be even longer.

Sure, I understand that. But still, I just wonder whether this backplate issue could be fixed in-store in 1 day for instance. Maybe I could've even glued myself :p
 
I dropped my wife's 38SS ML off at the Apple Store on Tuesday and they said 3-4 days and she should have a replacement. I got if back before last Christmas for her, no AppleCare.
My 42 Sport still going strong. It also goes in the pool, and shower with zero issues.

We've become so busy and our local Apple Stores are so crowded it's just tough getting an appointment for anything.
When I went to drop the watch off at 10:30, I got there 5 minutes before 10 and I thought the iPhone launch had somehow got by me. The line outside just to get inside an Apple Store was strong.
 
We've become so busy and our local Apple Stores are so crowded it's just tough getting an appointment for anything.
When I went to drop the watch off at 10:30, I got there 5 minutes before 10 and I thought the iPhone launch had somehow got by me. The line outside just to get inside an Apple Store was strong.

Yeah. I've come to dread having to go to the Genius Bar, the wait is so insane!
 
The back cover has detached from the body of the watch exposing wires. We are going to the Genus Bar. Has this happened to anyone else?

UPDATE. Our visit to the Genius Bar proved to me, once again, that not all geniuses are created equal. I requested immediate replacement under Apple Care. No go. They insisted on sending it out to the depot for a decision to either repair or replace. One Genius had an interesting theory, however. He said that batteries sometimes start to expand--either pushing out the front or back of the Apple Watch. I will post again when we get more info from the depot.

UPDATE #2. Apple came through, just like they usually do. We left the watch at the Genus Bar on Friday, and received a phone call the following Tuesday advising us that Apple had decided to replace the watch and we could pick it up. Now my wife has a shinny new watch and we are all happy again.
[doublepost=1472755379][/doublepost]You have to hold your ground if you are out of AppleCare. They want $199.00 to fix the problem. After some time discussing the possibility of my watch being the only one out of the millions sold where the face fell out and suggesting I might need to attempt to round them up along with refusing to agree to the $199.00 to make the watch whole, they decided to fix it.
My position was, "The watch is NOT broken, or damaged, it is a manufacturing defect and should require being recalled." Then I ask if that might not be a good idea once I rounded up enough people with the problem. Mine was fixed a couple of months ago and still do not see a general recall of the sports watches.
 
You have to hold your ground if you are out of AppleCare. They want $199.00 to fix the problem.....
What is up with all the newbies quoting posts that are over a year old? If you read (Update #2) the OP had their :apple:Watch replaced in Aug of 2015. That is over a year ago.o_O
 
This just happened to my watch this week. I got it at release and it is way out of warranty. Called apple care and the rep acted like he had never heard of this and suggested i take it to the genius bar to see what they will do for me. Hopefully i dont have to pay for it to be repaired seeing all of these reports. Appt is tomorrow, ill update when i can.
 
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This just happened to my watch this week. I got it at release and it is way out of warranty. Called apple care and the rep acted like he had never heard of this and suggested i take it to the genius bar to see what they will do for me. Hopefully i dont have to pay for it to be repaired seeing all of these reports. Appt is tomorrow, ill update when i can.
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My 38SS did the same. When I called they acted like this was extremely rare. He said it was a problem early on but not lately. I purchased my watch Aug 2015 it was still covered under Apple care. I'm waiting for my replacement now.
 
[doublepost=1473527924][/doublepost]

My 38SS did the same. When I called they acted like this was extremely rare. He said it was a problem early on but not lately. I purchased my watch Aug 2015 it was still covered under Apple care. I'm waiting for my replacement now.
[doublepost=1473542357][/doublepost]They said the same thing when I called. Had an appt yesterday at the store and they were able to send it off for a free replacement under "quality program". Woo hoo
 
Happened to me this morning, purchased in August of 2015, and out of warranty. Unfortunately no AppleCare either.
 
I've been wondering if this problem carried over into the Series 2 watches. I posted a thread on the topic, but nobody responded.
 
I've been wondering if this problem carried over into the Series 2 watches. I posted a thread on the topic, but nobody responded.

Unfortunately you are asking a bit too soon. When this happened to me, it was a year on the dot and I was covered. I've barely had my Nike watch for a month yet.
 
Unfortunately you are asking a bit too soon. When this happened to me, it was a year on the dot and I was covered. I've barely had my Nike watch for a month yet.

If I remember correctly, last year, the first report of back falling off came very early. People were still lining up to buy the Watch when that person went to the Apple Store to have his Watch replaced.
 
I've been wondering if this problem carried over into the Series 2 watches. I posted a thread on the topic, but nobody responded.

Yea I was super excited to upgrade to a series 2 next year, but now I am really going to hold off and wait to see if this has actually been resolved in the next few months.
 
Yea I was super excited to upgrade to a series 2 next year, but now I am really going to hold off and wait to see if this has actually been resolved in the next few months.

Or...you could get it and do Apple Care. LOL. I love spending other people's money. HAHAHA
 
Yea I was super excited to upgrade to a series 2 next year, but now I am really going to hold off and wait to see if this has actually been resolved in the next few months.

Apple emphasized new adhesives and whatnot for the further waterproofed Series 2. That would give you a good chance or hope that it is improved.

You might still reach out to Apple because the back falling off the watch is a bit silly.
 
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Yea I was super excited to upgrade to a series 2 next year, but now I am really going to hold off and wait to see if this has actually been resolved in the next few months.

I was going to fly to Hawaii for a vacation, but I hear there was a plane crash last year. I'm going to hold off until I hear they resolved that problem. :rolleyes:
 
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