client9

I just received a Noob Yachtmaster and I noticed that the crystal sits much too low -- it's perfectly flush with the bezel. Is there a way to fix this? If so, about how much will it cost?

This was a shock and a disappointment to read.

I understand. Reps are indeed a dirty business.

Where do they find these guys?

Lanikai, I've been complimented on my writing abilities before, but I've never had my work called "a literary work of high intelligence" before. Thank you for that. I appreciate it. I will admit, I've never been to a meeting of replica dealers, but that does not matter. It doesn't take a genius to put together what is going on behind the scenes with the facts that are given. This is what my post said: 1. Andrew is a major league dealer who makes a lot of money (fact) 2. Because he is a major dealer, he must have close connections to manufacturers (fact) 3. These connections allow him to threaten other 'trusted dealers' with access to watches (fact, it's the reason he was banned) 4. Price fixing leads to higher prices for forum members (fact) Is this line of reasoning really that outrageous, Lanikai? Do you really need a documentary and photographs to accept this? Is it worth insulting me over?

If ignorance is bliss, you must be in heaven right now, Robert. The retail price of a movement, like any other good, is indeed expensive, but the wholesale price is dirt cheap. For example, did you know Nike shoes only cost $5 to make? This is called economies of scale - look into it. The dealers don't have to say, "Yes, Massuh!" They only have to reply to emails promptly and deliver what they promise. That means not charging $100 for "waterproofing" that never gets done.

Lanikai, I am disappointed in you. Did you even attempt to read the posts before you posted this garbage? Let me spell it out for you: Andrew has been banned from RWI. Do you know why? It's for the very reasons I have stated. He was strong arming dealers on these forums to raise their prices to a level he found acceptable. If they didn't, he would stop them from getting access to watches. I didn't make this stuff up. This is what he did. I was merely explaining it to people in my own words. Next time, before you start throwing insults, the number of posts you have, and Saturn dealerships, try increasing your reading comprehension.

Actually yes, all that for $3. The watch business is a cash cow. Watches, except for the hand made ones requiring high levels of skill, are very cheap to make. Despite all the marketing hoopla, they are noting more than mass-produced trinkets. Even the glorified ETA movements are mass-produced. You have to ask yourself: "How does Rolex, Breitling, et al. afford all those million dollar television commercials and full page advertisements?" It's smoke and mirrors.

How does a factory not supply certain dealers? I'll tell you. The amount of money the dealers are making off these forums is incredible. These forums make up a huge percentage of their sales. Andrew, being the biggest seller, has the clout to make special deals with the manufacturers. He says to them: in return for blocking certain dealers who don't play by my rules, I will give you a bigger cut of my profits, or I will buy wathces from you at a higher price. Of course, they agree. This causes other dealers to set their prices to what Andrew demans, therefore, causing prices on the rep forums to go through the roof. The point isn't to ban all buyers in china, the point is to control the few that are called "trusted dealers" on the rep watch forum, which number about ten. Since we don't buy from those outside the "trusted dealer" network, the prices become artificially high for all of us. In other words, he is screwing all of us behind our backs.

The amount of money the dealers are making off this and other boards is staggering. According to a friend of mine who worked for a Citizen watch distributor, the wholesale price of a Citizen Nighthawk is about $15 to $20. This watch often sells in stores for $450. This is an amazing profit margin despite the costs of marketing, quality control, and warranties. The cost of making a fake in China is much cheaper than the cost of making a Citizen watch. They don't do QC, they don't do marketing, they don't have customer support, they don't use quality materials. It must cost them $3 at the most, yet they often sell for over $400. The time has come for we as a community to begin demanding more from our dealers. The days of simply getting a watch in the mail and then calling the dealer "a good guy" are over. If dealers are going to charge $400 for a watch, they should manually inspect it and deliver the ultimate in customer service. Remember, we are providing them with a wage that few in China can even imagine having. They should be bending over backwards to get our business.

I think this could have been avoided with an addition to this forum allowing reviews of dealers to be made without others attacking the reviewer. For example, the review thread could be locked, allowing only the dealer, administrators, and reviewer to respond. There is a natural tendency for members to defend dealers that they use from bad reviews, and in the process, skew reviews or silence those that would post negative reviews.

P4GTR, I want to apologize for my comment. You are right, I did make assumptions that are insulting. Again, my apologies, and I hope Admin can come up with a suitable solution for your and other members' needs. client9

There is nothing wrong with disagreement, it's how you handle it that counts.

Good riddance! I've said it before and I will say it again: Andrew, the sleazy watch guy.