Your point is still valid, though. I was a staunch ironman advocate until my first cruise when I caught the expensive watch craze.
My Omega X33 had the crown fall off. I sent it into Omega, and while they'll repair the crown for free, here's the rest of the story:
Complete Maint. Svc. Quartz Chronograph........340.00
Titanium crown micr......................................0.00
Steel pusher................................................0.00
Steel pusher................................................0.00
1-faced anti-refl.sapph.cryst..........................154.00
Kevalr black X-33/20 x 18..............................132.00
Buckle sat.steel X-33-18mm...........................13.00
Sales Tax....................................................35.78
Shipping/insurance........................................20.00
Total..........................................................694.78
Bottom line is everything is scratched and they want to replace it. I'm going to call them and have them fix the crown and send me the watch back. The band is trashed, but I have the titanium one to put back on it. I wear it everyday, so I expected this to happen. What's the point of having a great watch if you don't use it?
Either that, or I'll just replace it all and take the money out of my bonus.:icon_smil