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Tim

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Posts posted by Tim

  2. Perhaps it's just me . . .

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Can't we all just get along???? :brow:

    Like I said before, I am relatively new around here and do not have the history of many of the old-timers. But regarding all the hell raising, it all seems to boil down to certain dealers that embellish their listings. To me it is not unreasonable to expect someone selling something to honestly describe the product they are trying to sell. If every purchase is a roll of the dice where you never know what you'll end up with.... well I am a watch collector not a game show contestant playing "Let's Make A Deal" where I have to wonder if I'll get the Ferrari or the goat.

    All the cartel stuff is pretty much nonsense as is the price fixing and so forth. One would hope that the dealers would be transparent in their business process but there is no requirement that they do so and in a sense it makes sense for them not to be open with things that help them economize

    The point of my message (not trying to drag that conversation into this one) is that it would be good if the Admins took the lead and quickly develop a consensus amongst the forum community. Then the conversation ought to be cut off. Right now the issues are just flopping around getting beaten to death and it is driving everyone crazy. Any forum like this should be a place where all opinions and views should be welcome and freely discussed. But a degree of leadership is also required when things turn negative. There will be some that complain that they were not afforded an opportunity to fully beat the subject to death, but as in all things you will not be able to please 100% of the people 100% of the time.

    /Tim

  6. Stenhausen Winders?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Stenhausen blah! Sharper Image BLAH! Orbita and Rapport too exepensive. eBay junk.

    About two years ago I found this brand named Eilux or Everwell Instruments Deluxe Watch Winders. It has been running now for two years, uses plug or batteries, fuzzy logic, and totally silent. If you buy them from Eilux they are reasonably priced (~$200-$300). But if you hunt they do sell OEM versions that you can usually get for half that price. The trick is to check out one of the Eilux sites below and note how the watch holder is designed. It is a design unique to them (a mightly good design too) and is spring loaded. Then hunt around for that same watch holder on other products. There were a lot of them on eBay at one time but I just checked and now all I see is the junk. Things been perfect and I have it 5 feet from my bed on my dresser--totally silent.

    The one I have is labeled ALAIN LeBLANC and I got it for $150 on eBay.

    http://www.eilux.com

    http://www.watchproducts.net =====> has a double listed for $250 special

    Review with good pictures: http://home.woh.rr.com/johnholbrook/everwellreview.html

    Eilux is a HK based company and the winders are made in China, so I don't see why one of our dealers could not source them and get a good price for us.

    /Tim

  7. A Big Bang rep posted at Hublot forum?

    in Other Brands Area

    Posted

    The real Big Bang uses a 7750 with transfer gears.. yes just like our reps. It is not a 7753 even though it has that layout. I expect this is probably due to the 7753 having no quick set date and needing the additional pusher for date change.

    So don't mistake the sunken date wheel for a definite sign of a replica.

    Learn something everyday around here. I thought a high end swiss manufacturer would never use such a goofy design.....

    /Tim

  10. Perhaps it's just me . . .

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Well I am still relatively new on this particular board but have been hanging around a lot lately. Some observations and some advice.

    First, I've been working with computer networks now for going on 25 years. This is one on a long line of "forums" I've hung my hat in. I was doing BBSs back in the 80s over telephone lines. This exact same discussion comes up on every board repeatedly. You have one group of rather frisky individuals come along and raise a ruckus. You have another group of peace loving people that actively voice the opinion of can't we just get along and why does it have to devolve into a rabble. And you have a third group that all passively sits around and watches--social voyeurs I guess you can call them. Eventually the loudmouths, er ah sorry, the more active participants burn themselves out. The peaceable folks are sick and disgusted and walk away vowing never to return. With these two groups gone, the board is dead and then the social voyeurs leave as well.

    Then either one of two things happens. Either all the people that were here before start to trickle back because they miss the camaraderie even though "these people frustrate me to no end." Some of the more extreme firebrands are usually the first ones back with their tails tucked in saying how sorry, how much I missed, blah blah blah. The peaceable folks roll the eyes and basically offer a group hug. And then the leaches, er ah, social voyeurs come back to watch.

    OR.....the board dies. Everyone moves on to another board. Maybe a board with a similar topic or maybe everyone scatters to something different.

    I do not know the history of RWG1 and RWG2, but doesn't this all sound familiar????

    The thing to me is that everyone needs to remember that these cyber social constructs are very much a living thing. And just like a dog with fleas, eventually everyone figures out a way to get along--sort of. Just like in real life there are arguments and friends. Some conspiracies and lots of sneaking around. Everyone talking about everyone else. Some people who

  11. For those of you now looking with suspicion at your Ultimate PO...

    in The Omega Area

    Posted

    Son of a Biach! They are cutting the rotors the same. You know that was always the first thing I would look at and just by the shape of the rotor I could tell which movement was contained in the watch. Now I see that you even need to look harder at the movement itself. It is not that it is hard to tell the difference -- ONCE YOU KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR! A great many enthusiasts are going to get caught with this one.

    /Tim

  14. A Big Bang rep posted at Hublot forum?

    in Other Brands Area

    Posted

    the head of hublot is also one of the moderators of the hublot forum over at timezone; when people post about buying a hublot watch he usually sends them a hand written note providing an extended warranty on their watch.

    from the tone of the guy's posts, i think he is going to be devistated when he finds out he has a rep and not the real deal....he is to be pitied -- not snickered and laughed at. can you imagine if this happened to you? we're complaining here about a dealer misrepresenting movements in a replica watch. imagine for a second if you paid $4,000 for a watch, only to find out it cost $400...

    deltatahoe

    I hope never to get caught in these circumstances. With gens I only ever buy the dealer never the watch.

    That and most of my investment in watches are in vintage models that have never been rep'd. At least I've never yet seen a fake Omega Electroquartz or a Hamilton Electric.

    /Tim

  20. The Time has Come to Say Something....

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I think the problem with that is the "cartel" in question haven't posted a watch for sale here since Nov 2006, at least Josh and Andrew haven't. They have a website now...they might as well be Replica House we trust them because they once posted and used RWG to sell their wares.

    We still list them in the Trading Zone under "Watch Dealers". When I first came here, this is how I found the dealers and where to go. So instead of having just the "Watch Dealers" forum, have a second forum called "Watch Dealers on Probation". We can even have a sticky disclaimer at the top of the forum that states that there has been problems with the below listed dealers.

    /Tim

  22. The Time has Come to Say Something....

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I think the most reasonable solution is to remove all links to the Cartel's sites, and IP Ban the dealers. All this "give them a chance to make things right" is giving them a sign that people still want/need to do business with them, so are prepared to forgive and forget. Sorry, but that is not the way to deal with people like this. As has been pointed out, we are Occidentals looking at this from a Western perspective on business, what we need to do, is deal with it as Asians would. There has been, at the risk of sounded melodramatic, dishonor. It is possible to make restitutions to those wronged to restore honor (see Yakuza codes) It is also possible to simply sever all business ties. If we as a community allow them to continue to post to the boards and deal through the forum, they will take that as a sign of weakness, and in time, when things have died down, standards will start to slip again.

    To respond to the boldened point. Andrew used to make mistakes, that in itself is understandable, no one in any business hits the ground running and 100% perfect from day one. However, what the events mentioned in this thread have proven, is that Andrew either has, or certainly is, backsliding towards his old habits. As has been mentioned by someone else, this is a totally Asian approach to business, and the only way to actually get the job done as requested, is to 'stand there and watch them do it'. That is why, as I said above, anything less than a total ban could be taken as a sign of weakness and an invitation for further abuses of trust in the future.

    I am not saying that they should be removed from the boards and never to be spoken of again, as, if someone was to come to the forums and still wanted to do business with them, then they should be allowed to do so, ie given all the facts and history, given a url via PM, and basically told to buy at their own risk, as giving them a partial allowance, where abuses can still occur, and newcomers might not realize that abuses of trust took place.

    Just my .2c...

    I think this speaks to the method of a "Dealer on Probation" list like RWI. It is a buyer beware kind of thing but doesn't block them out entirely.

    /Tim

  23. The Time has Come to Say Something....

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Of course I am aware they teamed up and figure it was a way to make more money. What is wrong with that? Long gone are the days where a few collectors would get watches for their buddies and make a couple of bucks. This is a real business. A real lucrative business and they have every right to take whatever strategy they see fit to make as much money as they possibly can. This whole fiasco reminds me of a small town complaining about super Wal-mart moving in and putting the mom and pops out of business. Wah, wah, wah. Business in not personal, only business. They merged, just like AT &T and Bellsouth. So what? They lied about some products and got caught. If they want to retain customers they won't do it anymore. Everyone on the forum knows what has been going on. People have a choice of who to buy from. They are not the only game in town. I have had two transactions with Trusty and none with josh. I may or may not deal with either in the future. Everyone knows about the lies, and yet the dealers still get plenty of business. Caveat Emptor.

    They will not exploit me and I am not ignorant. If I choose to buy something that's my choice. I rarely buy anything from andrew and never from Josh. It just amazes me how when someone makes a good business decision that makes them more profit the consumer feels like they are getting screwed. This is a free enterprise and people are free to make their own decisions. As long as they keep the descriptions somewhat acurate there is no problem in my book. There are plenty of other dealers to buy watches from. This little hobby of ours is not what makes the world go round. We have spent way to much bandwith on this subject as I believe arguing it is futile.

    Republican! Establishment apologist!!!! CAPITALIST!!!!!

    /Tim

  25. www.best-watch.net

    in Name & Shame

    Posted

    Has anyone ever done business with this outfit? They are selling Japanese movement watches but a couple of them do not look bad and I was looking at one of the listed Silberstein models for $199. A good rep of Silberstein is so hard to find and I really do not care if it has a Japanese movement. These design are fantasy models but they look passable.

    /Tim

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