Chandigarh, Aug. 24 -- A city resident who bought a luxury watch for Rs.1 lakh has been awarded a refund after the timepiece continued to malfunction despite three repair attempts during its warranty period. The district consumer disputes redressal commission, Chandigarh, has directed Ethos Summit Store at Elante Mall and Oris Watches India to refund Rs.1,00,000 to complainant Hitesh Aggarwal, along with 9% annual interest. The commission also awarded Rs.10,000 as compensation for mental agony, harassment and litigation expenses. Aggarwal, a Sector 36-C resident, had purchased an Oris Big Crown watch from the authorised reseller on December 30, 2023. The watch came with a two year warranty. According to the complaint, the watch stopped functioning on June 10, 2024, and was submitted for repair. However, the defect recurred within three months, prompting a second repair on September 19, 2024. The watch again stopped working within two months. Aggarwal was subsequently informed that it had a manufacturing defect and was asked to submit it for repair, for a third time. He submitted the watch on November 12, 2024, but it remained non-functional even after the third repair. Aggarwal approached the consumer commission, alleging deficiency in service and unfair trade practice. The store, in its defence, said it was only an authorised retailer and had acted in good faith by facilitating the sale and warranty service. It argued that any latent manufacturing defect was the manufacturer's responsibility. Oris Watches India, despite being duly served, did not appear before the commission and was proceeded against ex parte on December 8, 2025. After considering the submissions, the commission observed that the watch had malfunctioned during the warranty period and that the defect persisted despite three attempted repairs. The commission held that the watch was not repairable and directed the opposite parties to refund its invoice price to the complainant, besides the compensation and interest....