We're Moving!

Image
Click for more info.

Where will you NEVER buy a watch from?

Discussion area for watches, clocks and all other timekeepers.
Post Reply
User avatar
watchpalooza
Global Moderator
Posts: 4310
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2018 12:43 pm
Location: Munich & SF Bay Area
Has thanked: 21586 times
Been thanked: 12443 times

Where will you NEVER buy a watch from?

Post by watchpalooza »

Based on experience, are there places that you will never buy a watch from an why? For me there are no specific retailers or wholesalers, but I will never buy from a seller based in India. I have had too many counterfeits come from there, and believe there is simoly too much risk from overall lack of regulation / enforcement. Further, it is very difficult to prosecute or seek remedy when a bad sale does happen.
Click Icon To Contact Me


’There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.’ - Leonard Cohen, Anthem
’One man's faith is another man's delusion.’ - Anthony Storr
User avatar
username
MoT Member
Posts: 172
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2018 5:42 pm
Has thanked: 506 times
Been thanked: 510 times

Re: Where will you NEVER buy a watch from?

Post by username »

I haven't had any counterfeits from India, but I have had some mongrels. Always knew what I was buying though.

Always cautious buying from Russia or Ukraine, especially now that most of the vintages with the best provenance have already ended up in someone's collection.

Based on a past experience in which Jomashop wanted to dock me for shipping on a return due to their own mistake, as well as having read countless anecdotes from others, I would be very reluctant to deal with them again. Would still buy the right watch at the right price, of course, but it would have to be an incredible deal on a watch I really wanted.

Will no longer buy from Good Stuffs after posters in f72 found evidence indicating several of the Sea-Gull models sold there are probably fake.
User avatar
The Sultan of SoWhat
MoT Member
Posts: 5375
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2018 8:52 pm
Has thanked: 10981 times
Been thanked: 11313 times

Re: Where will you NEVER buy a watch from?

Post by The Sultan of SoWhat »

username wrote: Wed Dec 26, 2018 12:43 pm I haven't had any counterfeits from India, but I have had some mongrels. Always knew what I was buying though.

Always cautious buying from Russia or Ukraine, especially now that most of the vintages with the best provenance have already ended up in someone's collection.

Based on a past experience in which Jomashop wanted to dock me for shipping on a return due to their own mistake, as well as having read countless anecdotes from others, I would be very reluctant to deal with them again. Would still buy the right watch at the right price, of course, but it would have to be an incredible deal on a watch I really wanted.

Will no longer buy from Good Stuffs after posters in f72 found evidence indicating several of the Sea-Gull models sold there are probably fake.
Well, I have no problem buying from Jomashop. I have bought many watches from them with only one irritant--a dead battery, but even then they paid me for the placement battery. Today, in fact, I'm wearing my latest purchase from Joma--an Alpina automatic Startimer. One store I will absolutely not buy ANYTHING from is Best Buy. I once bought a computer from them that was going to be carried out of the USA and they (3 BB personnel) hounded me to get me to buy a service plan. I of course didn't. To hell with them!
barutanseijin
New Member
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Jul 03, 2019 12:03 pm
Has thanked: 5 times
Been thanked: 12 times

Re: Where will you NEVER buy a watch from?

Post by barutanseijin »

Helgray. Never, never, never. The guy does not stand behind the product. You will be on your own in the event sometime goes wrong. All those stories about how awful he is are true.
User avatar
watchpalooza
Global Moderator
Posts: 4310
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2018 12:43 pm
Location: Munich & SF Bay Area
Has thanked: 21586 times
Been thanked: 12443 times

Re: Where will you NEVER buy a watch from?

Post by watchpalooza »

Ginault
Click Icon To Contact Me


’There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.’ - Leonard Cohen, Anthem
’One man's faith is another man's delusion.’ - Anthony Storr
pgcity
MoT Member
Posts: 930
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2019 12:46 am
Has thanked: 3608 times
Been thanked: 3155 times

Re: Where will you NEVER buy a watch from?

Post by pgcity »

Aevig. I probably got a lemon considering all around good praise for the brand. So maybe i'll buy from them again in the future but not anytime soon. My issues were primarily with the slow support and responses on getting my watch fixed.

1. I bought an Aevig Thor Stark Black which was running too fast upon unboxing. Yes maybe maybe magnetized on transport somehow but first impression was a downer.
2.The crown on the watch kept slipping back when winding so got it regulated at a local watch dealer. Now it runs about 15 seconds off per 24 hours which is within specs of the 8N33 but when it bugs me again probably will take to someone better. The crown is nice and smooth now.
3. The underside of the strap got discoloured within a day or two of wearing. So I guess it wasn't made to handle not so sweaty wrist in humid weather. Apparently Aevig has no control over the dye used by the strap maker.
4. Dial markers and lume dots were misaligned on 12, 6, 9 and a bunch more hour markers. Once you see it, cannot unsee it and it drove me crazy. Left the watch in a drawer. The black dial easily shows imperfection of the alignment.
5. I got in touch with Aevig to the issues above. Responses took days. Finally refunded USD 100(USD 50 for cost of regulation and USD 50 for the misalignment issues)which i think is fair so kudos to them for that but the slow responses was enough to put me off.
6 A few weeks later, taking out the watch from the drawer I decided that I cannot live with the dial so wrote to Aevig requesting if they have spare dials that are aligned properly and 'd be willing to pay. After 3 weeks of no response, I got in touch with a dial maker and right when I was going to make an order, Aevig replied they had a few spare ones with about 90-95% aligned. After another month, got them and fixed. While they're not perfect, they're better than before.

The thing is yes, I realize it's just my OCD perhaps but the slow responses just put me off. Watches can be faulty but bad support makes me wary of purchasing once again.
User avatar
cortman
MoT Member
Posts: 1027
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2018 5:57 pm
Location: Missouri
Has thanked: 10052 times
Been thanked: 3892 times
Contact:

Re: Where will you NEVER buy a watch from?

Post by cortman »

pgcity wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 8:39 am Aevig. I probably got a lemon considering all around good praise for the brand. So maybe i'll buy from them again in the future but not anytime soon. My issues were primarily with the slow support and responses on getting my watch fixed.

1. I bought an Aevig Thor Stark Black which was running too fast upon unboxing. Yes maybe maybe magnetized on transport somehow but first impression was a downer.
2.The crown on the watch kept slipping back when winding so got it regulated at a local watch dealer. Now it runs about 15 seconds off per 24 hours which is within specs of the 8N33 but when it bugs me again probably will take to someone better. The crown is nice and smooth now.
3. The underside of the strap got discoloured within a day or two of wearing. So I guess it wasn't made to handle not so sweaty wrist in humid weather. Apparently Aevig has no control over the dye used by the strap maker.
4. Dial markers and lume dots were misaligned on 12, 6, 9 and a bunch more hour markers. Once you see it, cannot unsee it and it drove me crazy. Left the watch in a drawer. The black dial easily shows imperfection of the alignment.
5. I got in touch with Aevig to the issues above. Responses took days. Finally refunded USD 100(USD 50 for cost of regulation and USD 50 for the misalignment issues)which i think is fair so kudos to them for that but the slow responses was enough to put me off.
6 A few weeks later, taking out the watch from the drawer I decided that I cannot live with the dial so wrote to Aevig requesting if they have spare dials that are aligned properly and 'd be willing to pay. After 3 weeks of no response, I got in touch with a dial maker and right when I was going to make an order, Aevig replied they had a few spare ones with about 90-95% aligned. After another month, got them and fixed. While they're not perfect, they're better than before.

The thing is yes, I realize it's just my OCD perhaps but the slow responses just put me off. Watches can be faulty but bad support makes me wary of purchasing once again.
Sounds like you got treated right in the end. Getting something that slipped through QC is super disappointing but it's really revealing how the company handles it after that.
It's also good for some of us (probably me included) to be able to take a step back and recognize that sometimes we are the hard to please, tough customers, and to be willing to be patient and give credit where credit is due for honest, reasonable service.
pgcity
MoT Member
Posts: 930
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2019 12:46 am
Has thanked: 3608 times
Been thanked: 3155 times

Re: Where will you NEVER buy a watch from?

Post by pgcity »

cortman wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 10:59 pm
pgcity wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 8:39 am Aevig. I probably got a lemon considering all around good praise for the brand. So maybe i'll buy from them again in the future but not anytime soon. My issues were primarily with the slow support and responses on getting my watch fixed.

1. I bought an Aevig Thor Stark Black which was running too fast upon unboxing. Yes maybe maybe magnetized on transport somehow but first impression was a downer.
2.The crown on the watch kept slipping back when winding so got it regulated at a local watch dealer. Now it runs about 15 seconds off per 24 hours which is within specs of the 8N33 but when it bugs me again probably will take to someone better. The crown is nice and smooth now.
3. The underside of the strap got discoloured within a day or two of wearing. So I guess it wasn't made to handle not so sweaty wrist in humid weather. Apparently Aevig has no control over the dye used by the strap maker.
4. Dial markers and lume dots were misaligned on 12, 6, 9 and a bunch more hour markers. Once you see it, cannot unsee it and it drove me crazy. Left the watch in a drawer. The black dial easily shows imperfection of the alignment.
5. I got in touch with Aevig to the issues above. Responses took days. Finally refunded USD 100(USD 50 for cost of regulation and USD 50 for the misalignment issues)which i think is fair so kudos to them for that but the slow responses was enough to put me off.
6 A few weeks later, taking out the watch from the drawer I decided that I cannot live with the dial so wrote to Aevig requesting if they have spare dials that are aligned properly and 'd be willing to pay. After 3 weeks of no response, I got in touch with a dial maker and right when I was going to make an order, Aevig replied they had a few spare ones with about 90-95% aligned. After another month, got them and fixed. While they're not perfect, they're better than before.

The thing is yes, I realize it's just my OCD perhaps but the slow responses just put me off. Watches can be faulty but bad support makes me wary of purchasing once again.
Sounds like you got treated right in the end. Getting something that slipped through QC is super disappointing but it's really revealing how the company handles it after that.
It's also good for some of us (probably me included) to be able to take a step back and recognize that sometimes we are the hard to please, tough customers, and to be willing to be patient and give credit where credit is due for honest, reasonable service.
Yes I think they did. If the brand responds slowly or doesn't back their product like what [mention]barutanseijin[/mention] says of Helgray, consumers will not buy from them again. It is a collective loss on both sides especially if watches are interesting. For me when there is no answer to queries within a 3-5 days period, it makes it harder to be their repeat customer, especially when my first purchase isn't geat. Waiting several weeks/months is not acceptable.

On the issues of the crown slipping back and misaligned lume dots on the dial, the response I received was this:

"It's normal for the crown to slip back. If the "misalignment" is not visible at normal viewing distance then it is within tolerance. Note that the printing and placing of the indexes is done at different stages. Before the indexes are placed, holes are drilled. Also the indexes have pins and these can also have a slight deviation.All things considered and tolerances added up it is within QC norm"

IMHO QC needs to be better than this, but again like I said it could be the odd lemon watch that I received considering the praise on the brand. And if the regular watch dealer could get the crown to not slip, then i think QC is to blame. Regardless, I bought 2 additional dials from them. The lumed dots on them are still misaligned but much better and not so visible compared to the original one.

Someday in the future when it bugs me enough, i'll just remove the lume dots on the dial because as a dress watch it looks better without them or I may still get that custom dial if it's made better.
User avatar
mconlonx
New Member
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2018 3:44 pm
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 49 times

Re: Where will you NEVER buy a watch from?

Post by mconlonx »

Never buying ebay from regions with sketchy history. A "recently serviced, good working order" vintage watch I bought from Indonesia ended up being a total nightmare.
User avatar
kgrier
New Member
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2019 12:49 pm
Location: Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Has thanked: 117 times
Been thanked: 46 times

Re: Where will you NEVER buy a watch from?

Post by kgrier »

parnis.org - I was looking for a sterile Explorer I homage to use as a donor for a simple "Route 66" dial decal add to create watches for a trip I'm taking with my dad and son. So I bought a sample Expedition 07 from Parnis.org after believing their quality marketing. It is just that - marketing. The watch arrived with finishing grind compound embedded in a bent end link causing the bracelet to jam, no glidelock clasp just a tack welded non-adjustable look-alike, but worse was the DG2813 running at +45s/d when the watch was advertised with a true Miyota.

Parnis.org refused to honor the 14 day return, saying I had to return for repair. And contrary to their site there is not a "local" country option, u have to ship it back to China. Had the watch been $70 I would have been unhappy but ok. I can address the issues. At $144USD I feel ripped-off. So the watch became a donor for some mods I want to try. That's when I discovered the Miyota-clone movement.

Moral here - buy your Parnis watch where u can get it the cheapest, hopefully at a retailer u have some recourse with. Parnis.org is not that retailer. Using AliX or ebay is probably your best bet.
synequano
MoT Member
Posts: 71
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2019 1:33 pm
Has thanked: 522 times
Been thanked: 90 times

Re: Where will you NEVER buy a watch from?

Post by synequano »

That shady guy in the alley that can get you any Rolex you want at 90%off list price from inside his coat...

As an Indonesian,I’d say that getting your watch serviced here is pretty difficult,as there are limited number of capable watch repair in our country....heck I won’t even buy a mechanical watch that was serviced locally except by some good ones....
User avatar
Robotaz
MoT Member
Posts: 2581
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2018 2:01 pm
Location: Cumberland County, TN
Has thanked: 1232 times
Been thanked: 5873 times

Re: Where will you NEVER buy a watch from?

Post by Robotaz »

watchpalooza wrote:Ginault
ROFL
Post Reply