Horace Derwent 796 Posted April 12, 2021 According to RWI , reports are that V6F, V6, XF, V9 factories have also been raided . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BadApple 13,081 Posted April 13, 2021 Just as I was having an order shipped out by @Mary Watch this weekend and this happens Hope all our TD's are safe which is the main thing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aramis2288 6,253 Posted April 13, 2021 34 minutes ago, BadApple said: Just as I was having an order shipped out by @Mary Watch this weekend and this happens Hope all our TD's are safe which is the main thing. I had a brief chat with Mary and fortunately, she claimed she's fine and the orders are also doable but will require more waiting. Perhaps it's not as bad as it may seem from the outside. Fingers crossed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BadApple 13,081 Posted April 13, 2021 2 minutes ago, Aramis2288 said: I had a brief chat with Mary and fortunately, she claimed she's fine and the orders are also doable but will require more waiting. Perhaps it's not as bad as it may seem from the outside. Fingers crossed. Yeah I suppose factories won't be moving stuff out anytime soon. My order is QC approved so just needed posting. I'll drop her an email and see what is happening. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Glaude 1,615 Posted April 13, 2021 TDs are fine with the exception of Puretime who has his shipper in trouble, but other TDs took preventive measure to avoid being in trouble, maybe they are now, but until yesterday raids where not over 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BadApple 13,081 Posted April 13, 2021 I gather two factories raided GMF and Noob (NF ???) Other factories laying low. My order managed to get shipped and is en route in the system...... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aramis2288 6,253 Posted April 13, 2021 Somebody on RWI suggested that the recent raids may be related to the new copyright law the Chinese assembly passed in November (link below). https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/china-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-57762/ Hopefully not as that could possibly mean bigger problems to the industry... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
serumwhiskey 2 Posted April 14, 2021 (edited) On 13/04/2021 at 13:57, Aramis2288 said: Somebody on RWI suggested that the recent raids may be related to the new copyright law the Chinese assembly passed in November (link below). https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/china-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-57762/ Hopefully not as that could possibly mean bigger problems to the industry... Could be, but China's been cracking down like mad recently on any commerce that it feels is damaging to its image. Have heard a multitude of reports about huge shutdowns across the board in manufacturing pharmaceuticals and "adult" products, as well. Edited April 14, 2021 by serumwhiskey Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aramis2288 6,253 Posted April 14, 2021 (edited) 43 minutes ago, serumwhiskey said: Could be, but China's been cracking down like mad recently on any commerce that it feels is damaging to its image. Have heard a multitude of reports about huge shutdowns across the board in manufacturing pharmaceuticals and "adult" products, as well. Perhaps. But on the other hand, the watch industry is one that has been plagued with raids since forever. Some lighter, some stronger. Let's hope that this case is no different and it's just a matter of staying down for a few weeks after which everything will go back to a relative normality. As I mentioned a few posts earlier, I've been in touch with my TD and the impression I got from the exchange of emails was that getting watches will not be a problem as soon as the factories reopened. She didn't seem to have a doubt about it. Let's hope my impression is correct, hold our fingers crossed and wait until we can place orders again... Edited April 14, 2021 by Aramis2288 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Glaude 1,615 Posted April 14, 2021 BadApple informations above are correct, many rumors of others factories being raided, but they are only rumors from Reddidiots ! And as far as reasons or future, each time (so each year) there's a raid, there's a topic or two on RWI (less here) about it with always the same guesses, about new laws, new something, and how the future will be etc... There's too much money and this is way too easy to hide for it to disappear like that, raids will remain the same, but the replica market hide himself better each time, when you read this or this factory have been raided, that's not the entire truth, part of the supply chain get raided, local reseller, some workers, some managers, shipper etc... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FunnyStarSystem 7,538 Posted April 14, 2021 The government has to seem to care about intellectual property every once in a while to keep trade flowing with their European partners. I wouldn't be surprised if the factories don't get a courtesy call beforehand, at least those who are current on their kickbacks to the local CPC. I'm not implying there is no economic/legal pain for the counterfeiters, but I'm sure it's targeted very carefully so as to mostly punish those who aren't playing by the (unspoken) rules, and almost entirely driven by the politics du jour. We do the same targeted raids in the US concerning undocumented workers, and a lot of it has to do with who contributed what to which campaign, who's in power and who's complaining loudest. But the flow of undocumented workers never truly ebbs, just as counterfeits won't stop coming out of China until they no longer are profitable and gainfully employing for thousands. Then they will probably just shift somewhere else, probably in SE Asia, all that machinery isn't going to just disappear. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aramis2288 6,253 Posted April 21, 2021 Fkn hell. I haven't witnessed any raids before so I don't know how severe current ones are, but it does not look too good, does it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trailboss99 994 Posted April 21, 2021 On 15/04/2021 at 05:30, serumwhiskey said: Could be, but China's been cracking down like mad recently on any commerce that it feels is damaging to its image. And what a joke that is! This is a country that builds fake islands to claim foreign territory they have no real claim to, places sanctions on foreign products to punish countries that dare to criticise their human rights record or call for an inquiry on COVID and generally act like a global bully. Image? Theirs is shit without this. The rep watch industry has to seriously look at a move to Pakistan or India because its future in China is pretty damn bleak right now. Robert was working on this idea when he died, he saw what would happen years ago. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GingerApple 7,284 Posted April 21, 2021 Who knew my Reps would start to appreciate in value! Happy days! PM me for potential purchase deets. Price guide is approximately the TD price plus an additional 45% on top (40% on top for VIPs. 100% on top for Noobs. 500% on top for Canadians). 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aramis2288 6,253 Posted April 21, 2021 5 minutes ago, trailboss99 said: And what a joke that is! This is a country that builds fake islands to claim foreign territory they have no real claim to, places sanctions on foreign products to punish countries that dare to criticise their human rights record or call for an inquiry on COVID and generally act like a global bully. Image? Theirs is shit without this. The rep watch industry has to seriously look at a move to Pakistan or India because its future in China is pretty damn bleak right now. Robert was working on this idea when he died, he saw what would happen years ago. What concerns me in the current situation is that based on the available evidence it seems like the authorities have cracked on it this time. It does not look like one raid here or there to 'show' that they care about the copyrights. Again, I am not long enough in this game to be able to compare to past raids and assess how serious is this, but using common sense, the sole fact that there are repetitive waves of attacks looks quite alarming. Furthermore, I think that the real problem is more subtle. If the authorities would want to inflict the max. damage to the industry, all they would need to do is to disrupt the R&D and logistics chain. If they could kill the suppliers of high-quality components, they screw up the factories quite seriously. And that's what worries me the most. That once this nonsense is over, we may be facing reps with more problems and flaws. Fingers crossed, hopefully, it won't be the case... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
black263 228 Posted April 21, 2021 I'm always a bit confused over what constitutes profiteering. I buy a watch for £100. 5 years later, the dealer wants £200 and the going rate for second hand is £150. Would I be allowed to ask £120 on the forum, or would that be profiteering, even though offering to sell here for less than the buyer would pay anywhere else? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brang1 4,007 Posted April 21, 2021 19 minutes ago, trailboss99 said: And what a joke that is! This is a country that builds fake islands to claim foreign territory they have no real claim to, places sanctions on foreign products to punish countries that dare to criticise their human rights record or call for an inquiry on COVID and generally act like a global bully. Image? Theirs is shit without this. The rep watch industry has to seriously look at a move to Pakistan or India because its future in China is pretty damn bleak right now. Robert was working on this idea when he died, he saw what would happen years ago. this +1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
narikaa 129 Posted April 21, 2021 On 14/04/2021 at 21:24, Glaude said: ................ from Reddidiots ! Le mot juste Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
australis 21 Posted April 21, 2021 57 minutes ago, narikaa said: Le mot juste LoL ... seems narikaa been named there as a 'source' !!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redfire1066 10,945 Posted April 21, 2021 (edited) Just a thought .. . . . but if GMF fancied relocating . .. .. .. There is around 1.7 million unemployed here in the UK . . . . and then there is the Hong Kong/UK Repatriation Scheme. The Home Office has already said it expects nearly half a million people to take up the offer over its first three years, but HKB said the number could be more than 600,000 . . ... . now there must be some amongst them with watch making skills .. .. .. another upside is . . . . maybe we receive our packets sooner . . ... no slow boat from China stuck in the Suez Canal. . .. .. . .. .. . lol Edited April 21, 2021 by Redfire1066 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
narikaa 129 Posted April 21, 2021 26 minutes ago, australis said: LoL ... seems narikaa been named there as a 'source' !!! F.F.S. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GingerApple 7,284 Posted April 21, 2021 6 minutes ago, narikaa said: F.F.S. Grass! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hasel5 4,798 Posted April 21, 2021 2 hours ago, TheGingerFerret said: Who knew my Reps would start to appreciate in value! Happy days! PM me for potential purchase deets. Price guide is approximately the TD price plus an additional 45% on top (40% on top for VIPs. 100% on top for Noobs. 500% on top for Canadians). Is there a Ginger tax as well Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deju 1,870 Posted April 21, 2021 2 hours ago, black263 said: I'm always a bit confused over what constitutes profiteering. I buy a watch for £100. 5 years later, the dealer wants £200 and the going rate for second hand is £150. Would I be allowed to ask £120 on the forum, or would that be profiteering, even though offering to sell here for less than the buyer would pay anywhere else? Profiteering is an unfair or excessive profit. If the second hand market was £150 then you’re not being unfair or excessive. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rx4Time 1,472 Posted April 21, 2021 20 minutes ago, hasel5 said: Is there a Ginger tax as well Ginger tax would more than double the cost to purchase one of those rare pieces that are no longer available due to the horrendous raids. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites