The Watch Appreciation Thread (Reviews and Photos of Men's Timepieces by Rolex, Patek Philippe, Brei

[in stitches]

Euro, if that is close the the discount you can get elsewhere I would strongly consider kopping from them. There is what to be said about buying in person from a store you can easily go in to for service, and the additional warranty is good. Assuming you dont drop your watch or something, they should cover any issues. And with mechanical watches anything can happen. Not super common, but the peace of mind is nice. 5 years on a watch warranty is very long.

Im not saying kop this minute, Id do some investigation first, but if its within range, its probably a good idea, and likely what I would do in that situation.

 

[Mr. Moo]



I think UPS got smart with people ignoring the customs bill that arrive in the mail, I had something arrive yesterday from Italy (not a watch) and the driver wouldn't give me the package until I paid the customs bill ($40 on a $220 order, where $30 of that $220 is shipping).

Yup. I went to a UPS distribution center to pick up something last year, and had to bring my checkbook for the custom's fee.

 

[Certified Pain]

My poor man Seiko, love it though. Hirsch duke in navy waiting to go on.

 

[jaypee]

Hi guys,
I'm hoping someone might have some knowledge on the pictured Omega De Ville manual wind (I think CAL625).
Also does anyone know a reputable spot in NYC for vintage Omegas? I was thinking maybe Ron Gordon, Precision Watch Repair on 47th, Swiss Watch Repair on 41st or even Aaron Faber?
I'll probably take it for a service this month and open up the back, but has anyone had much experience with them?

 

[guccihomme]

Europrep, the extended warranty may not be worth much if they don't send the watch to the manufacurer for service, and like Rolex, authentic parts within manufacturer specs may be unavailable along with proprietary oils specific to them. I was told Rolex uses 5 oils specific to thier movement and only 2 are commonly available, and if substitutions are used the movement could break. If that's true with this manufacturer, perhaps they will negotiate a larger discount with the original 2 year warranty. I've seen some watches run for 30+ years without service, so who knows how much is sales BS and how much is true. I would like to hear from more experienced members.

 

[guccihomme]



My poor man Seiko, love it though. Hirsch duke in navy waiting to go on.

That's a beautiful "cocktail time" Sarb065. When I researched Tissot & Hamilton, I looked at that Seiko. It's a beautiful design, but I've read it runs +/- 10 sec in most reviews. How does yours keep time? I decided to save for a Sub. If I purchased a Tissot or Hamilton, I'd probably start a collection of watches based on what I could afford at the moment rather than a Rolex or moonphase JLC. If ten years pass I would be happy to have 2 watches that are the best example I could reasonably save for. If times are good and in 5 years there's great abundance of wealth and a Patek becomes possible, I could trade up. I think $5k+ holds its value a little more than many ~$500 watches, and have greater durability over a lifetime. Lurking the Rolex forums it appears a recent preowned is easy to hold value, coupled with annual price increases helping owners selling in the marketplace.

 

[Dino944]

Stopped in Tourneau (sorry for the curse word) to try on the Nomos Ahoi Atlantik. I do really like the watch. While I had no intention of buying from them (I haven't bought anything yet), I was surprised the young sales guy offered an approximately 15% discount with very little pushing by me. The original price was inline with the majority of pricing I have seen in the States. With the 15% discount, it is still more expensive than ordering from the Netherlands, but there is the uncertainty of the customs cost.

So, my question is should I put any value in their complimentary 5 year warranty on the movement (Nomos has a 2 year warranty)? I am assuming no because they probably have so many loopholes in the fine print, but wanted to ask if anyone has experience with using it.

From their website:
Every new watch Tourneau sells comes with a complimentary Tourneau Warranty which extends the coverage of your timepiece's movement beyond the manufacturer's warranty up to 5 full years from the date of purchase.

Negotiate the best price you can, the extended warranty from them isn't worth sh*t in my opinion. A buddy of mine bought a Breitling at one of their NYC stores. The watch was fine for a year or 2. He brought it in to them to send out for service, and the watch came back as a complete basket case. It wasn't keeping good time, big scratches and other marks that would suggest it was amateur hour when his watch was being serviced (his watches are generally in really nice condition). He complained about it and they redid the service, but again he wasn't happy with the condition of the watch when it came back...it seemed to be getting worse. All of this mind you was with them telling him that Breitling screwed up the watch, and they would straighten it out for him. Well, more time goes by and he decides to call Breitling himself...at which point they say, they don't know anything about this and they have never had possession of a watch owned by him. They never sent the watch to Breitling, they were doing it in house and doing a lousy job.

Unless your watch is definitely going back to the company, the extended warranty is garbage. That being said, I have dealt with 2 reputable jewelers in the past who had extended warranties, and they actually did send the watch back to the official service center under warranty. I called the official service center and they contacted me when the watches arrived.

T is fine for window shopping, and if you can get a good discount then it might be worth it. But what could be an extended warranty,where the watch goes to their watch maker isn't of value IMHO. Even if they say it goes to the US service center, I couldn't trust that after my friend's experience. I have been to the Boston T since its in the Copley Mall, and my wife likes to visit the Barney's there, but I'm not a fan of their store or their shopping experience. That being said, I'd rather buy from a dealer in the US rather than chase a few percentage points, deal with shipping/customs/duties etc. and also have to hope that the store overseas doesn't send you a watch with lots of "Shop wear/scratches." Just my 2 cents.

Edit- Note their watch site doesn't actually say they send the watch to the manufacturer's official service center. Their website mentions they have their own service center in Long Island City, NY.

 

[europrep]

Thanks guys. I truly appreciate all the feedback. Very helpful when making a larger purchase.

 

[Keith T]

NEW DOG ALERT

 

[guccihomme]

Dino944, your posts are very informative and I've learned much reading them. Thank you.

 

[Certified Pain]

That's a beautiful "cocktail time" Sarb065. When I researched Tissot & Hamilton, I looked at that Seiko. It's a beautiful design, but I've read it runs +/- 10 sec in most reviews. How does yours keep time?

I decided to save for a Sub. If I purchased a Tissot or Hamilton, I'd probably start a collection of watches based on what I could afford at the moment rather than a Rolex or moonphase JLC. If ten years pass I would be happy to have 2 watches that are the best example I could reasonably save for. If times are good and in 5 years there's great abundance of wealth and a Patek becomes possible, I could trade up. I think $5k+ holds its value a little more than many ~$500 watches, and have greater durability over a lifetime. Lurking the Rolex forums it appears a recent preowned is easy to hold value, coupled with annual price increases helping owners selling in the marketplace.

I actually just bought it, after long debating purchasing it. The dial is just too fantastic to pass on. I haven't noticed it yet but I'm only on day two of ownership.

 

[in stitches]



NEW DOG ALERT

Waitwat??


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Great info on the Torn service situation. Once again their tarnished name gets grungier. However, if the price is close to what you are getting elsewhere, especially overseas, and the elsewhere does not offer extended service anyways, its still worth considering. If you pass the manufacturer warranty period and have an issue, you can still send it to them, you just have to pay for it, same as if you kopped somewhere else w/o the extended warranty. Food for thought.

 

[Kaplan]

Speaking of Tourneau, I was reading up on reviews of B&W's Panorama soundbar (soon to sit under my old but venerable Pioneer Kuro plasma ), when I came across this intro, which I thought some of you might enjoy:

There are some things that absolutely ooze sophistication and class—products that, even if you don’t happen to be interested in or have much knowledge of that particular sort of thing—can spontaneously elicit a feeling of admiration. For example, I’m not a big fan of high-end analog watches, yet I can’t help but respect the craftsmanship and attention to detail of a Tourneau or TAG Heuer sitting in a jewelry store’s display case.

 

[dopey]

^^^ Yep. And its true enough for most people. A useful perspective on what it means to choose to be fixated on the minutiae of a particular subject and obsess about its details over being a normal person.

 

[Tried and True]



A useful perspective on what it means to choose to be fixated on the minutiae of a particular subject and obsess about its details over being a normal person.

So true. I yearn for the simpler days when I was blissfully ignorant of the stain that Tiffany & Co. placed on my Pateks by having them branded in Manhattan (rather than Geneva), like some back alley abortion.