Praesidus Watches Arvostelua 

One of the best experiences I’ve ever had

Items were not as described. Different movement and not limited to 50 pieces as advertised.

Not everything I ordered arrived. I had ordered the Black Tropic Rubber Strap- P3813AB - along with the watch. The strap was not in the box, attempts to contact Praesidus were never answered. The watch itself is okay, seems to get off time easily leave it sitting for more than a day and you have to check the time, chances are it’s a little off.

I saw the watch - fell in love and ordered it. After a few weeks it arrived and accompanied me on a 1300 km bike trip through France. Reliable & sturdy. And damn good looking. Thanks!

Ordered the wwii Iwo Jima watch. Will tryTo make a long story as short as I can. After a very long wait(4+ months), I inquired about the status of my order. Couple months later it arrived, that was still after several emails demanding answers. The watch arrived with a different strap. Once again, after several communications with customer service, I learned that the watch strap that I initially saw on Instagram was just a prototype.The company has yet to remidity the situation. I had plans to buy other watches, but that will NOT happen!!!, sad/sorry company.

Last email that I received:
Dear William,

Thank you for your message and for sharing your concern. I completely understand your frustration regarding the strap still being visible in certain promotional materials.

As mentioned in our previous email, the strap with the orange stitching was a prototype created exclusively for early press and promotional purposes. It was never released as part of our production catalog or available for sale on praesidus.com, and unfortunately, it is not something we can provide at this time.

We are working with our team to ensure our current advertising materials more accurately reflect the straps and models that are actually available, so as to avoid further confusion.

We truly value your support and understanding.

Best regards,
Rachel Summers
Customer Service
Praesidus Watches

Update on My Case
After nearly three months (since posting my review on Trustpilot on June 5, 2025, to report the issue), I finally received the refund in my PayPal account today.
I would like to sincerely thank Trustpilot for providing a transparent and trustworthy platform that enables consumers to share their experiences and hold companies accountable. It is reassuring to know that there is a reliable channel for addressing disputes with businesses such as Praesidus.
I also hope that every consumer who has encountered similar difficulties with Praesidus will ultimately be able to reach a fair and satisfactory resolution.

On July 18, 2025, Oscar Chabrat, Brand Director & Co-founder of Praesidus Watches, informed me that I would be refunded for a missing watch strap. However, as of today, September 2, 2025, no refund has been received.

During this period, customer service first requested and confirmed my credit card information, only to later respond that they were unable to issue the refund. They then asked for my PayPal account details, stating that the refund would be processed through PayPal. Yet, despite these assurances, the refund has still not been made.

Unfortunately, this experience reflects poorly on Praesidus Watches and raises serious concerns about the company’s integrity and business practices. I will continue to document and share updates regarding this unresolved refund, so that others may be aware of the challenges I have faced when dealing with this company and its co-founder, Oscar Chabrat.

My A11 Field Watch has been my go-to daily for over two years now when my wife gifted me one for Christmas. I've enjoyed not only the look and style but have also enjoyed having the chance to talk with other people about the brand and the history of the A11 watch. Of all of the takes on field watches out there today I believe that Praesidus is doing an incredible job of providing a product that is both true to it's origin as well as great for a modern rendition and style.

I recently sent mine in to receive servicing from Praesidus. Their customer service and support staff were incredibly helpful and always did their best to provide me with updates and information about it's status.

I remain a big fan of Praesidus and their watches. I'm looking forward to continuing to use my A11 daily and to purchasing more watches from them down the road.

Worst buying experience I’ve ever had.
DO NOT BUY A WATCH FROM THIS COMPANY.
Praesidus gives a bad name to micro brand watch companies and made in USA small businesses.

My experience in a nutshell:

• Delivery was quoted at 4-8 days. It has been over 7 weeks now and I still don’t have the watches.

• They took my full payment (nearly $1k) the day I placed the order and have my money this whole time.

• Never got any updates saying my order was delayed. After weeks, I had to send multiple messages with multiple followups to get any response and all of their responses were boilerplate emails that most times were confusing, contradictory and did not even address my questions or concerns.

• Eventually, they claimed they were waiting for parts to assemble, even though I purchased their most common in stock models and they claim they do not make watches to order.

• They told me the watches are made in FL, yet their distribution center is in AZ. It seems like their watches are drop shipped, not assembled in USA.

• At this point (about a month with no watches) they promised that once I received the watches they quote “would be happy to discuss a resolution after the delivery”.

• After five weeks I received a package with one watch (I ordered 3). It came from AZ even though, again, they claimed the delay was waiting on parts so the watches could be assembled in FL. Confusing. The one I got wasn’t even the variation I ordered, the interior of box was badly damaged (looked like a used watch) and it had the wrong strap. The packing slip claimed all three watches I ordered were in the box but there was just the one. No damage or tampering to the box. No room for more than one watch either. No upgraded shipping (even though they were a month over their delivery promise) no signature confirmation or insurance (even though this was supposed to be a $1k package).

• They basically blamed everyone but before admitting quote “After running some inspections, it appears that the issue you have faced happened at factory level, not a CS failure.”

• Over a week later, after basically begging them, they supposedly shipped the other two watches ( still waiting to get them as I type). Once again, did not upgrade shipping speed, did not get insurance or signature confirmation on the package.

• The watch I ordered is advertised to come with a free “clicker” yet they have the nerve to not even include that in the package either!

• They keep claiming that I should be grateful because they are sending me the correct strap (that was supposed to be with the random single watch they sent). Which is literally just them sending me what I ordered. To tell me that this is them making up for this whole experience is absurd.

At this point, I don’t even want to return the watches for a refund (if I actually get them) because I’ve seen other reviews online of customers who send watches back and never get their money or watch because Praesidus claims it got lost by in the mail. It’s a scam they seem to have been running for some time. I have also seen that their qc is terrible, so the watches probably won’t last either way.

In these 7 weeks they’ve had no issues paying for dozens of ads on social media and daily spam emails. They’ve released new watches, and are paying for influencers to review their products while ignoring that their social media comments have other customers like me begging for Praesidus to ship their orders.

They said that all of the issues above are because they are a micro brand and that quote “Big brands such as Rolex, Jaeger Le-Coultre, Omega & IWC get criticized as well, regardless of their legacy, quality control, and high-end customer experience. This is not unique to Praesidus.” Which is the saddest cop-out for dropping the ball that I’ve ever heard.

They seem to have zero interest in customer service or their brand as they didn’t care at all when I mentioned all of the similar reviews on trustpilot, google, Reddit and other platforms.

Regarding the “resolution” they promised they would offer (a month ago now) once I received the order, they said they would not be offering any kind of resolution because them shipping my missing order is considered a “replacement order” and they cannot do anything once a customer is sent a replacement order. What a joke. They literally offered me nothing to make up for this experience.

Give your hard earned money to one of the many micro watch brands out there who respect their customers, care about their products, and aren’t out to scam you.

Follow-Up on Promised Return Shipping Label and Replacement for Defective Spec 2 Ameriquartz A-11 Spec 2.C (32mm)
Date: July 14, 2025

Dear Rajae GHz,

Thank you for your response regarding the issues with my Praesidus Spec 2 Ameriquartz - Original Canvas A-11 Spec 2.C (32mm) watch, which has failed twice within weeks of arrival. I appreciate your commitment to send a return shipping label (RML) by the following day and to proceed with a replacement upon receipt of the defective watch. However, as of today, July 14, 2025, I have not received the promised RML, and no further action has been taken to address my concerns. I am writing to follow up and respectfully urge immediate action to resolve this matter.

As outlined in my previous letter, the repeated failures of the Spec 2 Ameriquartz—exhibiting issues such as stopped ticking and inaccurate timekeeping—have caused significant inconvenience, including time spent troubleshooting, coordinating returns, and being without a functional watch for daily use. To reiterate, I am requesting the following:

Replacement with the A-11 Type 44 (32mm, Automatic): Due to the reliability issues with the quartz-based Spec 2 Ameriquartz, I request a replacement with the A-11 Type 44 (32mm, Automatic) with a green canvas strap, which retains the 32mm case, matte black dial, and green canvas strap I value, while offering a more robust Swiss SOPROD P024 movement. I am willing to cover any reasonable price difference to ensure a reliable solution.
Compensation for Time and Loss of Use: The repeated failures have disrupted my daily use and required significant time to address. I request a partial refund or store credit to compensate for this inconvenience.
Return Authorization Label and Free Shipping Label: As you promised in your response, please provide a return authorization label and a free shipping label to facilitate the return of the defective watch.
As a loyal customer who admires Praesidus’ dedication to WWII-inspired craftsmanship, I am disappointed by the lack of follow-through on your commitment to send the RML and proceed with the replacement. Under the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act (Chapter 93A), consumers are entitled to prompt resolution for defective products that fail to meet reasonable expectations of merchantability. The ongoing delays and repeated issues with the Spec 2 Ameriquartz have impacted my trust in the product, and I hope to resolve this matter amicably to continue supporting Praesidus.

Please provide the promised return shipping label and confirm the next steps for the replacement.

thank you for your immediate attention to this matter, and I look forward to a prompt resolution.

Sincerely,
Marcus H Shagogue III

Dear Oscar Chabrat,

Thank you for your Trustpilot response on July 18, 2025, apologizing for the delays with my defective Spec 2 Ameriquartz watch and offering to cover 50% of the price difference for the A-11 Type 44 (32mm, Automatic). I appreciate your engagement, but I’m disappointed that I haven’t received the promised return shipping label or the email follow-up (Ticket #121717). The two defective watches and repeated delays have been highly inconvenient. As a loyal customer, I believe a full replacement at no cost would better reflect Praesidus’ reputation for quality and service. If this isn’t possible, I’m open to a reduced cost below $165. Please send the label and confirm the terms by July 23, 2025. I’ve also emailed with details. Thank you for your prompt attention.

Sincerely,

Marcus H. Shagogue III

My praesidius rec spec was delivered Jan 5th. By January 25th it was steaming up from walking in wet weather. It's rated at 5 ATM. Also by this time, one of the strap stays had snapped off.
Fast forward to July 8th and the glass has dropped out after returning from a field exercise and putting my watch on the table. Now, I didn't throw it down, it was casually placed like you would put your keys on the table. I do t expect the glass to jump out. It was cashback down, glass up.

I love the movement on the jungle field OG watch. The sweep seconds make it my favorite watch and I wear it everyday! The chrome second hand and the syringe style minute and hour hand are my second favorite features. The applied hours markers look amazing too! I had to go 3rd party to buy a 18mm bonklip, otherwise I would have bought one from you. I also would buy the leather strap separately as well.

Hi Oscar,

If what you are saying is true, then please send me the correct bracelet which I have ordered for more than half year ago right now. It's that simple.

=============================

long story short, your customer representative was absurdly unwilling to compensate the damages they had caused due to shipping out an incorrect bracelet unless i surrender that specific watch which i have been wearing for almost 2 years.

Great company, great watches, fantastic customer service (I did not have an issue with one of my watches, they were extremely accommodating with one of my orders).

Earlier this year, I bought an A-11 spec 1942 watch from Praesidus. Upon receipt of the watch, I found that the minute and hour hand lume was dead, and would not glow for more than a couple of minutes after exposure to light.

I contacted the company and complained, and they sent me a return authorization, so I sent the watch back to them for repair. Praesidus received the watch on 3/14/2025. Several weeks later, I started emailing to inquire as to the status of my watch, and was told that it would typically take seven to eight weeks for the repair process to play out and to get my watch back to me. Since then I have sent six emails asking about the situation, in each case getting basically the same reply. My watch is in repair, and they would check on it and get back to me on it. In no case have I gotten any further reply to tell me what the hell is going on.

It is now pushing 12 weeks that this company has been holding my watch, and I cannot even get a reply from them now. So I am out about $260.00 and have nothing to show for that expenditure, while they continue to hold my property.

I cannot speak for others, but I would earnestly advise everyone considering doing business with this company not to do so, or to anticipate being screwed if you do. Look at their reviews online and this will become apparent.

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Update to the above review. I have been sent a replacement watch, and so far, it appears to work and keep time properly, and the luminous features are good. While I didn't like getting a lemon the first time around, I am considering the matter as properly rectified now.

The company did make it right.

I like very much my Praesidus Tom Rice Black Leather. It has a vintage charm and reminds me of the courage and sacrifice of those brave soldiers that came to beat the Nazi Germany and liberate Europe from its occupation. It is superb Praesidus regularly reminds this story to us.

The watch is well made, it is not water proof but I have not had any problems with it wearing daily for some months. Very easy to change straps.

Zero customer service
I had issues with the watch and the strap I bought. I emailed numerous times and never received a return email. Also, I needed to change the battery. Couldn’t get any support if it’s a press back or twist back. I emailed numerous times. Zero response. Cool watches and I like the tribute but be a stand up company

This is my original Review... I am leaving this potion to give reviewers an idea of what happened.

Giving a 1/5 stars rating as it doesn't allow me to give a zero rating. Absolutely horrible service by Praesidus. Ordered an A-11 Black Face 40mm / Dark Brown web band, and also the A-11 Black Face 40mm Green canvas band. The crystal cracked on the green band watch (everyday wear watch) and despite many attempts and through various means I attempted to contact customer service. When I did get someone it was the same, asking for the order info and so on, each time I contacted someone it was the same thing like we never talked. Then I got the phone number through the better business bureau, they would answer I'd say my name and they would hang up. The BBB called them and the same thing, they hung up, eventually the number no longer worked. Not too long after that the brown band (Weekend watch) stopped working, both in less than a year. No I did not attempt to contact regarding the second watch because of the runaround in the first go. Now the Co-Founder wrote me through Trustpilot. DO NOT BUY FROM THIS COMPANY!!!!

The resolution and edited review. The company reached out to me and after messaging the service rep. Presides Watch Co. made this deal right with me by sending me a new watch to replace the two that stopped working. I have therefore changed my star rating from 1 to 5. They did make a 180 degree turn around on working with me to fix this situation. I wish from the get go, that the Service Dept would have worked with me. All in all the wrongs have been corrected.

Giving a 1/5 stars rating as it doesn't allow me to give a lower rating. Absolutely horrible service by Praesidus. Ordered an A-11 Type 44 White 38mm / Dark Brown Leather, but order tracking link kept showing that shipper has created a label but UPS has not picked up the package. After emailing support for updates, I was given bullshit non-answers like "waiting on the final component for the assembly of your watch". What final component? Their website continues to say in-stock? Tried contacting them through their Instagram account but their replies there were extremely slow. In the end, support refused to provide any clear answers or estimated date of shipment, and the tracking link was still not updated after months. I filed a dispute with my credit card company as I lost all patience to continue dealing with Praesidus. Stay away from the scam of a company.