cornerstone

Thanks for a great post. I'm only playing devil's advocate here - your post comes from a very interesting link - but it is PR spin on legalese. As in - they are promoting Swiss made as being "you can smell the cockoo clocks", but the ETA lawyers are interested in the very limits of the law, the bare minimum they have to do to make it 'Swiss'. So what has been written in the link puts the very best 'spin' on how Swiss these watches are. Law is only as good as the way it is interpreted. From our point of view - all the bits about being a Swiss watch are irrelevant, our watches aren't finished in Switzerland. The test of being a Swiss movement is slightly different. 50% of the value of the components have to be Swiss. But what is interesting is that some components are a lot more valuable than others. The jewels are made in Switzerland, and make up a disproportionate amount of the value. The actual 'value' of the other metal bits that make up the majority of the movement is less (relatively-speaking). What this means is, more than 50% of the actual movement - what you see when you look at it - is NOT Swiss made. And that is with a totally legitimate Swiss movement. Swatch have stated openly that they take advantage of this. Conversely, since all the jewels come from Switzerland - even your so-called Chinese ETA's have valuable Swiss parts in them. There are two other legs to the test of being Swiss made. One is that it 'has been assembled' in Switzerland. The big question is how much or little work is involved to qualify for this 'assembled' test. It doesn't say manufactured - I actually suspect that this involves either putting a few major working bits together, adding one final part, or generally just 'finishing' it. This entire area is debatable - from from a PR viewpoint 'assembled' sounds strong, but from a legal view it looks like quite a weak test. The final test is that it is inspected in Switzerland. I'm assuming that this doesn't happen for the so-called Chinese ETA's. I think that Ofrei do supply Swiss made movements - their Valjoux movements page explicitly says so twice, even though other threads here say that they are not finished as well as a Swiss movement. (Bearing in mind that many ETA movements are available in different finishes at different prices - just visit their website) It's my opinion that the so-called Chinese ETA's miss some minor assembly in Switzerland and a final 'Swiss' inspection. However, given that Chinese factories are perfectly capable of assembling cars, electronics, and anything else you throw at them (let alone factories run by Swiss companies) - I honestly don't see why watch movements should be considered beyond their wit. Is it possible that 'factory seconds' that don't pass inspection reach the market? Well yes, I suppose. But it doesn't sound very Swiss, and it's a machine process. When the China can make working movements, who needs a Swiss one that doesn't work? Much more relevant, I believe, is what happens to the movement after it leaves the factory. The conditions in which the movement is stored and the watch is assembled are not nearly as good. This is why we hear of grit or dirt in the movements - and they will not be as well serviced as a gen before it arrives on your wrist. As I said, just devil's advocate. But in terms of the movement I think there is very little other than legalese between a Swiss ETA and a Chinese ETA.

And he's probably shouting, "stop gawping and get on the back of the f*%king boat!!"

Aye, trying to wing a "no fault" claim! "My car was underwater when it was hit by a falling truck." Insurance: "Whoa! Back up a bit there. The car was...." "Underwater. Yes. Anyway this MASSIVE truck....." A couple of other embarrassing ones:

This is all getting very cosy...

Have any of you ever been assigned a really crap PIN number by your bank? Last year my bank sent me a letter with my new credit card PIN number. The number was my four digit postcode written on the envelope! Still - easy to remember! So to conclude - I recommend that Nanuq chooses either my postcode or whatever is tattooed on Ryyannon's arm to make it easier to remember.

Ultimately a good deal is a good deal. Compare with places like Bluenile to get an idea of the online price of the diamond and the ring - being able to see it and try it before you buy is worth a mark-up: question is how much! And don't forget....diamonds really are forever!

On a scale of one to ten - how big a fool do you think the driver of the first truck felt calling for help?

It's all true!

Even funnier, a page from a magazine for the well-travelled Irishman to slap the Assistant in the face with! Woolworths Tsk, the pressures of an international audience! !!

So you're admitting you're stumped? (I joke, I joke!) Of course it's a trick. You're right it doesn't work in that direction, but the two equations can be equal (2 - 3/2)2 = (1 - 3/2)2 can equal 4 - 6 + 9/4 = 1 - 3 + 9/4 (2 - 3/2)2 = (1 - 3/2)2 can also equal 2 - 3/2 = 1 - 3/2 Square roots can have a positive or negative answer. Square root of 9 is 3; but it is also -3. @Nanuq: you need to think of a PIN that Miss U can't guess..... Any ideas anyone?

From the story: "it might be possible for a man, or even for an exceptionally active woman, to have left the train without serious injury" Those delicate dames....

It's real! I promise.

From 4 - 6 + 9/4 = 1 - 3 + 9/4 ?

Alcohol responds.....

191,996; 191,997; 191,998; 191,999; that one at the back - 192,000. I count 192,000 how about you? It took only five days to make all of them.

Those sneaky zeros. When a=b, a-b is always 0. 0 x 50 = 0 proves that 0/0 = 50 0 x 150 = 0 proves that 0/0 = 150 0 x 1309413904834 = 0 proves that 0/0 = 1309413904834 Dividing by 0 disnae work. More fun: -2 = -2 4 - 6 = 1 - 3 4 - 6 + 9/4 = 1 - 3 + 9/4 (2 - 3/2)2 = (1 - 3/2)2 2 - 3/2 = 1 - 3/2 2 = 1

Great stuff! Love to the Langes! I've been checking out some stuff on the pyschology of collecting (in general) - most of it seems rubbish, but something must drive it all. Question is: what?! Cheers!

Now up to 60050....I think we're moving ever-so-slightly faster, but that the rate of catching up is about 0.75 posts per hour. I think there's a good chance we could catch up by September 2015.

That's not what it says on the door....

Oops, just beat you.

I should add to the above: I heartily encourage those that can afford to lose very expensive watches to dive with them....they make fantastic salvage for the next diver! (And of course, there are many that like their watch to 'earn its scrapes' and work it - fair play to them)

Oi, change the record will you? Time to leave for some reflective meditation..... Is there no peace?...

>>>>Kama Sutra...... BTW do any of them accept RWG$ while it's still legal tender? Hehehe....

The Longest Thread.....

This is beginning to look like a serious rival to The Longest Thread! Will it split the forum into Montagues and Capulets?.....