JohnG

I am going to say no, but the size of the coronary would have been orders of magnitude greater...

Man, that's frakked up! I would have had a frakkin heart attack! SIXES RULE! (like to frak me one I would)

I have a Poljot that I love - it has polished ss case and bracelet, has display caseback, but it manual wind. It cost just under $500. But Poljot has watches that run to well over $1000 so it is another option: My Poljot Sturmanskie "Civil": An Aviator chrono (also manual wind) - it comes with a leather strap and solid caseback but you can get ss bracelet and display back options - shouldn't run over $600. They have this watch with ETA 7750 for around $1200 but have to add bracelet and caseback - over your budget. And they are not polished...: Anyway, the Russians make some pretty cool watches in the price range you are looking at. Check them out!

That's EXACTLY what happened. Reading those words in context makes that clear. Reading those words looking for an excuse to flame him - well, that yields an excuse to flame him. Whether you favor a gen forum or not, the original post is pretty innocuous and not deserving of the treatment it received by some. As to the original question - I am indifferent. If it would really be used and not be dead space, I would have no objection. But I fear it would be dead weight as By-Tor has suggested might be the case. There does seem to be some interest - the only question is there enough?

Thanks Chris! It is great to know that you have the high beat Asian movement. It is a nice alternative for people who want to spend less but want the cleaner sweeping movement. I have thought seriously about it myself - there are so many watches I want but I could not justify buying all ETA's - just too much money. So for me it was either buy fewer watches, or put up with yet another tell in the second hand sweep. Your price sure is right! JohnG

I'm with Pugwash - very cool little car!

Prices will come down again but it may take a while. As we speak higher oil price effects can be divided into two basic categories: Innovation - as during the price shock in the 70's high prices will stimulate innovation and research and development in alternative energy sources and more efficient energy consumption - i.e. hybrid cars, intelligent appliances, and low consumption lighting. People and technologies will adapt to find more efficient ways to use a scarce resource. Exploration and extraction - also as in the 70's the new high prices will (and already are) sustain a boom in exploration and the exploitation of deposits already known but until now too expensive to reach. At $50 a barrel a particular extraction technology (shale oil) or physical location (very deep ocean floor) might not be cost effective to develop, but at $140 a barrel it becomes extremely lucrative. So as yet untapped deposits will be developed rapidly over the next five years. So, at the same time the development of alternative energy sources and gains in efficiencies through technological advances are lowering demand for crude oil, the exploitation of new deposits will increase production and refining capacity will be expanded thus increasing supply. The result will be a steady drop in prices such as we saw from the late 70's right through the 90's. My only hope is that the higher prices remain with us long enough to effect some serious change in both conservation technologies and societal attitudes towards responsible energy use.

Thanks for reminding me why I switched from Time to the Economist ten years ago.

It is normal for people to desire large comfortable cars. Cheap fuel makes these cars a realistic option for many people. That is why I am thrilled fuel prices are so high. The current spike in oil prices will stimulate innovation in new alternative energy sources and force manufacturers to increase efficiencies in new cars. The market is the best solution to this problem - only when prices are high will the public demand highly efficient designs and be willing to pay a premium for them. Give them dollar a gallon gas and generally they don't give a [censored]. To increase fuel economy in your current vehicle: Check air pressure in tires every time you fill the tank. Have all regularly scheduled servicing. Do not accelerate or brake abruptly. Accelerate slowly and smoothly and let the car coast when you see traffic slowing. Use cruise control on the highway. Avoid excessive idling. Remove excess weight from vehicle. According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy, every 100 lbs of excess weight reduces economy by 2% in the average vehicle. Carpool whenever possible.

I should have been clearer. Genuine sapphire is actually a synthetic or manufactured form of sapphire. There are no watches sold (that I know of anyway) with natural sapphire crystals. HOWEVER... many rep dealers (the seller of the watch in question included) use the term "synthetic sapphire" to denote mineral crystal. When they are selling actual sapphire, they say "sapphire."

Crystal: Synthetic Sapphire Crystal front and back , Front AR Coated Water-resistant Sorry you had to find out this way - "synthetic sapphire" is mineral crystal. It is a "white" lie some dealers tell - though as far as I am concerned it is a big fat lie.

SSD

I think that is what highoeyazmuhudee means. We are not upset because of the money per-se but rather because we didn't get what we paid for.

I just threw away a Pringles/Yagi tube last night! What was I thinking?!

I don't know much about swapping movements but if the watch has an Asian 21J right now, then you may have a problem with the hands - and may have to source a set for the ETA. If the watch came with a fake ETA - I am not sure. I am sure others will know.

The fake ETA 2836-2 is a 28800 bph movement - the same as the gen. According to all those that have expressed an opinion on the subject however, the fake has a significantly higher failure rate. Clearly quite a few people or they would not be paying a premium price for them. I myself would not mind having an Asian copy - if I had paid for an Asian copy.

THAT is the simple naked truth right there. Everything else is varying degrees of unsecure. It's like calling a watch "waterproof"

They are most of the way down the main page you get after logging in... Andrew's trade review: http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showforum=111 Trade review section generally: http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showforum=11

Kind of convoluted but it works. I am going to ask what the watchmaker here in my teeny tiny rural Spanish town will charge to swap movements - I'll bet it's not much. But I am glad you mentioned the hands issue - I forgot they don't always swap over...

I think you are right. I am going to wait for that other member who is getting his watch serviced and if once again the opinion reinforces the consensus then I don't think I will even ask for a break. I do not believe that my dealer knew and I will just inform her that this issue exists, what the consensus seems to be, and included the photos. That way appropriate action can be taken if that dealer so chooses. Beyond that I like your comments about the Asian. Last night someone at RG reminded me that Ajoesmith sells the high beat 21J. Perhaps what I will do in the future is buy 21J watches, swap for the higher beat 21J and save myself some money. And if I really want Swiss or one of the more expensive Asian movements I will buy it from EuroTimez (that now goes without saying I guess). As you suggested, to me it was kind of neat to think that I had a "Swiss" movement in a Chinese copy - it made the watch more interesting in addition to (presumably) more reliable. I really didn't want to believe that the movement was fake. But I also read in the past 24 hours (don't remember what thread - maybe even this one) a post in which the author said that he had 40 I think (maybe 20) watches with 21J movements and that they are very reliable. (The opinions on this seem to conflict but since the movement is so cheap to replace I guess it doesn't really matter one way or the other) I suppose it is just as interesting to have a really nice rep for maybe $150 - all Asian - as to have a really nice rep - Asian/Swiss - for $250 - 300. I have decided to look at it like this: I bought one watch that was overpriced given the movement is fake. I bought another watch - worn three times by Taka - with a genuine ETA, for $120 (way below what it was worth). If I sum the prices, divide by two, I am probably where I should be. So rather than seek an adjustment maybe I will just give my dealer the information and call it a day. Thanks to all for the comments. Jnkay, please let me know by pm when you post about the service and your watchmaker's conclusions. Thanks!

As to the sticky - not a bad idea - and EuroTimez's pics are the clearest and best explained I have seen. That I have seen only he and Roflwaffle have posted comparison pics (again, that I have seen). But they only cover one movement (though it is possibly the most common "Swiss" ETA movement along with the 2824-2. If I am wrong someone can correct me (if possible without flaming me). As to your other question - I have read a post by EuroTimez where he states that he has received batches of watches and had to reject MANY during his QC process because they were fake ETA's.

What is your problem man? Whatever it is I don't think it has anything to do with repetitive or incorrectly placed posts. Even if I am guilty of everything you say I am, you are WAY out of line.

It's looking more and more like it!

Kinda explains my interest in your Davidsen thread doesn't it?

Until about a week ago I totally didn't get it either - I thought they were at times plain, at times fugly, but I never ever imagined wanting one. But then I was browsing aimlessly at RG and came across "Strap Cultures" section and stumbled onto their catalog. Just to give you and idea until now I have bought a SSD and an Explorer I from Taka here on RWG. I dreamed (and still do) of an IWC Slevin, an Omega Aquaterra Coaxial... you get the idea. But then I saw the pics at SC's section and WOW - I suddenly wanted one. Here is one of the pics that did it for me: Now it is all I am thinking about and I finally bought a crappy second hand on RG which should arrive next week, just to see if I really want this - and if I do I will pay bucks for a nice one. So my point is, never say never!