AllergyDoc 40 Posted June 1, 2010 Reading several sales threads on RWI, I noticed a couple of guys are selling watches they paid their dealer to service. The dealer is Angus and they paid $110, I believe. (A7750) What do you think about this? With all the concern about guys paying for a "water proofing" service from dealers then getting watches which had not been "water proofed", am I the only one who's a little suspicious about this? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AustinTech 0 Posted June 2, 2010 I think it is idiotic. A dealer who sells you a new watch wants to upgrade his sale by "servicing" the new watch. Why doesn't the dealer just say, "this thing is a piece of shit and needs attention immediately." And trust a dealer that makes claims like "waterproof" - come on!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lildaddym 0 Posted June 2, 2010 I'm with you, sir...I do find it a bit dubious...not to mention that service should be part of the deal...like buying a car with proper maintenance. One shouldn't add to the price for something that should be done anyway... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Relayman 0 Posted June 2, 2010 No Doc you are not. We are all dealing in the world of reps. That means that our world is a little on the dark side from the get go. I for one have always read the ads that claimed modded this and modded that with more than just a grain of salt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GC 4,484 Posted June 2, 2010 Doc, i'm with you on this... serviced I highly doubt, at best regulated. Having said that, only if Robert or Mary said they would have it serviced would I believe the claim. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
houndoggie 58 Posted June 2, 2010 They are laughing all the way to the bank. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AustinTech 0 Posted June 2, 2010 They are laughing all the way to the bank. Like a dentist, chiropractor, or snake oil salesmen! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
houndoggie 58 Posted June 2, 2010 They are laughing all the way to the bank. Like a dentist, chiropractor, or snake oil salesmen! something like that, funny man. BOOO! ... the Obamaman is gonna get you!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
saabin 0 Posted June 2, 2010 At best the claim of "serviced" means they will give it a couple of winds and make sure it ticks before tossing it in the box. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KBH 7 Posted June 2, 2010 Yep, I bought a couple of Molnija pocket watches from a Russian dealer thinking they were a great deal because the were serviced. Then I noticed every watch he sold was also "serviced". The BS meter finally went off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
narikaa 129 Posted June 2, 2010 Mmmm There is no doubt in my mind that watches can be perfectly and readily serviced in China. In fact on a previous visit to GZ I had (in a moment of carelessness) totally stuffed the tourbillon I was wearing due to a sudden impact. Long story, but on arrival in GZ I had a watchsmith there fix it. This was a complete teardown and rebuild of an actual tourbillon we are talking about (at one stage it resembled a li'll tiny slinky!) not something you'd readily get a watchsmith in the West to even attempt, and a far cry from dabbing gnats teardrops of oil on a movement. All done inside one day..... wait for it..... £4GBP (not quite $6 in Obama's freedom vouchers) Neither is there any doubt at all in my mind that if you allow any leeway for a Chinaman to make an extra 0.0001 of a cent on a deal by any nefarious means possible ...he will do (with alacrity). . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scope 3 Posted June 2, 2010 It's a crap shoot> I have bought three Molnija pocket watches. Two looked like hell and one was spotless and oiled with service date written in watch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luthier 1 Posted June 2, 2010 First - we have to determine, what exactly "serviced" mean. Narikaa is absolutely right - I saw how Mary's watchsmith worked, it was top class. I'm absolutely sure there's a great amount of high skilled watchsmiths. But I'm not sure if the factories do anything extra, they just assemble the watches. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AllergyDoc 40 Posted June 2, 2010 Usually it means taking it apart, cleaning and oiling it, then reassembly and testing. No doubt there are thousands of skilled watchmen in China. It's not a question of can they, it's do they when you pay extra for it. And Reg can get a complicated watch serviced for 6 bucks, why in Angus charging $110? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
saabin 0 Posted June 2, 2010 (edited) And Reg can get a complicated watch serviced for 6 bucks, why in Angus charging $110? Short answer......Because he just f&$ckin did. Lets face it these guys sell watches to turn a profit. Why shouldn't they??? Actually when you think about it, it may be our fault..... Suppose you could buy extra "servicing" for $10. The majority of the world that doesn't understand how little Chinese labor actually costs would probably say to ourselves "Yea right they are not going to do shit to that watch for $10" However when they charge $110 we say to ourselves "For $110 they must certainly take the utmost care in rebuilding my bran-new perfectly functioning watch that didn't need rebuilding in the first place" Edited June 2, 2010 by saabin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luthier 1 Posted June 2, 2010 What "service", if 90% of the dealers are dropshippers? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mbjoer 0 Posted June 2, 2010 Mmmm There is no doubt in my mind that watches can be perfectly and readily serviced in China. In fact on a previous visit to GZ I had (in a moment of carelessness) totally stuffed the tourbillon I was wearing due to a sudden impact. Long story, but on arrival in GZ I had a watchsmith there fix it. This was a complete teardown and rebuild of an actual tourbillon we are talking about (at one stage it resembled a li'll tiny slinky!) not something you'd readily get a watchsmith in the West to even attempt, and a far cry from dabbing gnats teardrops of oil on a movement. All done inside one day..... wait for it..... £4GBP (not quite $6 in Obama's freedom vouchers) :( Neither is there any doubt at all in my mind that if you allow any leeway for a Chinaman to make an extra 0.0001 of a cent on a deal by any nefarious means possible ...he will do (with alacrity). . Would that be a business for you? You would be able to evaluate the quality of the work out there and your margain could be worth it for me. It would be great if a watch could arrive complete with service, waterproofed, re-lumed and possibly AR treated. No need for crossing endless borders, and most likely still cheaper than having it done in the West. The trick is to build up the reputation. So far only a handful of dealers have that, and I think you are one of them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baldrick 1 Posted June 2, 2010 Would that be a business for you? You would be able to evaluate the quality of the work out there and your margain could be worth it for me. It would be great if a watch could arrive complete with service, waterproofed, re-lumed and possibly AR treated. No need for crossing endless borders, and most likely still cheaper than having it done in the West. I don't think that'll happen, too many pitfalls, you can't legitimise this business, the very nature of it precludes the kind of service that you would like, especially if it's expected at the kind of charges that Narikaa paid for the servicing of his tourbillon, that's why some 'dealers' are asking $110.00 for 'servicing', it's hard enough for dealers to source the best examples of what may be available without the added hassle of providing full modding services, history has shown that 'modders' have a habit of fukking off with people's money (TWP), fukking up re-lumes and servicing etc etc, (RBJ), taking exorbitantly long times to return items(PUGWASH), or generally having very long turnaround times for special order items, can you imagine the lengthy waiting times that Mary or Narikaa would incur trying to compete with WM9 / BKLM etc in supplying fully serviced and 'modded' items, not to mention the logistical nightmare of finding all the different agents who could carry out re-luming, AR treatment ad infinitum and to whom should the blame be apportioned should something happen to the watch when passed from pillar to post for all the different aspects of the services you would like. This is why manfactureres like to have everything under one roof, if the guy doing the AR fukks up, you can reprimand him, if you've outsourced you have to negotiate a solution, not always easy. Don't think it'll happen, getting a cherry picked watch such as you would get from Narikaa is the best you'll achieve, the rest is down to you., let's put it this way, I don't think Narikaa will be having the backs popped off his ever popular Nymphomariners for a lube job any time soon. JMO :( Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
narikaa 129 Posted June 2, 2010 Tho anyone who wants to gift me $110 in return for an email saying I have is of course quite welcome :( . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baldrick 1 Posted June 2, 2010 Tho anyone who wants to gift me $110 in return for an email saying I have is of course quite welcome . Exactly, just as the end user ( buyer) has to take the word of the dealer that it's been serviced, the dealer would have to take the word of the 'Asian' watchsmith also, that it's been serviced, as you Narikaa know, that's a stretch to the imagination in Asia, however you could sit down all day long watching to ensure that he is indeed 'servicing' them, but how would you find time to source never mind ship all the items, :( Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
narikaa 129 Posted June 2, 2010 Easy on the reality there soldier Too much o' that & you'll leave no room for the 'smoke & mirrors' merchants and their fanciful promises :( Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baldrick 1 Posted June 2, 2010 Was I being a little too forceful with the spoonful of medicine, should I have sugar-coated it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AllergyDoc 40 Posted June 2, 2010 The bald one does make a point. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brightlight 0 Posted June 2, 2010 So what you guys are saying is you don't trust the dealers? How cynical! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dingle 57 Posted June 2, 2010 So what you guys are saying is you don't trust the dealers? How cynical! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
