Devedander

Ok I know it's not exactly the best way to do things to ask other peoples opinions to make your own decision but I am in a quandry...

I am trying to make the best decision on my upcomming Daytona purchase so as not to have regrets later and have narrowed it down to TT MOP Sec@6 but can't make up my mind if I want diamond markers or roman numerals...

This will be my "fancy" watch when it's time to go out to a nice dinner, formal xmas or new years party or something so it should be a little showy. I am not doing full gold because that's a bit too much in my eyes.

I like the Roman markers as I think they are classy and seem a little less common, however I think they may be rather blah on a watch I want to be a little eye catching.

Diamonds are a bit over the top as I don't wear any other jewlery, but then again it would be nice for exactly that reason. Also this certainly won't be a blah watch with diamond markers.

So any input on what you think is best suited for my desires? Formal, eye catching, sophisticated and attractive but not too crazy or over the top...

I don't want to end up still looking for a "fancy" watch if I go the Roman method but I don't want to look like an Asian Malibus most wanted if I go diamonds...

Sorry to ask a question I know really comes down to personal taste but I am hoping someone give some input that helps me see another angle and or maybe even can comment on the quality of either (for instance diamonds are usually obviously fake or romans tend to be poorly attached etc).

Why can't they make diamond romans

Thanks for any input!

He does take MB, it's listed on the silix website, although the 10% discount does not apply to this GB.

I am finalizing what other watches I want to purchase from him at the same time so will be paying him monday unless I hear otherwise from him.

I wouldn't lie about it to my girl... she understands and I would rather give her a rep than haver her find out I gave her a rep if you know what I mean...

Besides... what kind of relationship are you in if you are trying to pass off a rep to your girl? I mean if you are just trying to get in some girls pants, well I guess... but that's pretty lame and if she sleeps with you for a watch, even an "expensive" watch... that's pretty dirty...

I can't say I would call this a happy ending... still seems like you need to be made right in my book, but if it works for you...

I know regardless I will not be in line to provide an opportunity for one of his much needed impeccable transactions... mistakes and poor service I can understand and even forgive... this was just an out and out showing of bad character... something which I believe is much harder to reverse.

Between this and reading the $600 rolex mods thread I am unhappy... I can tel this hobbie has many genuinely good hearted people involved but it sure doesn't take much to taint a good thing.

Yeah I understand the cost of doing small lots but at the same time there are lots of costs that aren't associated since it's happening under the table...

It seems that the market supports our reps as they are and keeps just high enough priced to not loose interest (kind of like gens actually).

Either way I am still stunned by how closely the companies are mimicking famous model watches, but I guess that's just how it has to be!

I guess I should ask him but maybe it's good for everyone else, I am planning to pay by MB, I assume that it's ok to pay whenever by that method?

Lapdances and chicken wings eh... I am in the wrong business...

Is it wrong to actually kinda like this watch?

No of course not... now if you would please step into the padded room at the end of the hall...

But seriously I had forgotten what can be had for cheap out there.. someone mentioned a while ago that we forget that $200-300 is expensive for a watch in most peoples eyes but we pay it becuase we look at it as getting a $5000 watch for $300 (which I confirmed as many of my friends gave me a "WTF" look when I told them I was ordering some watches).

Before I didn't pay much attention to fancy watches becuase they were beyond my reach, but now that I have looked at them more closely I am stunned at what's available for sub $100 down the street....

Many designs mimmicked expensive watches VERY well, from this submariner look to datejusts and even some very IWC and AP looking watches!

The thought crossed my mind on many occasion that if these are at walmart for $40, despite the obvious advantage to being a huge company like Timex, what would it take to get our rep producers to create similar quality items at these prices (I am aware of markup for dealers but walmart has a good makup too)?

I mean they were all obviously lacking in the spit and polish section but I was truly amazed... if any of you have forgotten or stepped above looking at dept store watch selection I suggest you go out and do it again if for nothing else just for sh*ts and giggles... I was personally stunned...

I agree... at this point all that I can see comming are rationlizations, apologies and or lies...

I guess I could accept an explanation like "I was hit by a truck and suffered brain damage and cannot distinguish a damaged product from a good one anymore" but that's about it...

I didn't actually get to play with it, it was under glass and no one was there to help me. I didn't really care... but my experience with indiglo is that indeed it lights up like no bodies business... actually I like indiglo in general, but that wasn't what I was looking at here

And in case anyone wonders it's under $50 retail....

So I was at walmart last night picking up a few household items and passed the watch dept... I asked the GF what style of watches she liked (trying to guage her for an xmas present) and I noticed while looking they had this watch

And right behind it was the Pepsi version - no pepsi on their website but this is pretty close, the red and blue were a 50/50 split

It just struck me as a sort of rep on it's own accord...

I just read the thread on the West Palm Beach Rapid Reaction Force ---oh man, that is just too cool! It's nice to know that with a shared hobby, you can become a band of brothers and protect your own. I found this to be true in other hobbies, like high-end audio for instance. You can tell who really loves the stuff - who really has it in their soul. Those are the people who will treat you like a brother and would never dream of misrepresenting or scamming. Heck, they usually go way beyond the call of duty in helping you out.

It's interesting to me that it is quite often dificult for men to really bond with each other and have any more than superficial conversations. The common interest, the shared hobby, is the casual and safe door opener that sometimes leads to really great friendships. I envy women in this one respect. They seem to bond so easily with their girlfriends.

Nonsense!!! I bond quite easily with my male companions! In fact I just got done going to the bathroom with 5 of them and later we are going to hang out and talk about our new underwear

Well I might ask the dealer if its ok to name but I think we have a dealer review section for a reason and dealers of the forum should sort of expect to be talked about.

Also many dealers have a policy to ship if seized by customs... This isn't exactly that, but I know I have asked all the dealers what their policy is and it seems everyone currently ships replacements.

My feeling is they make a good profit margin (I am guessing about 70-100% markup) and it offsets an occasional loss to customs (hazard of the business they are in, kind of like best buy who must factor in ocassional theft into their profit margin) assuming it doesn't get abused. Feeling secure you will get your watch I think brings in enough business to make it worth it for them (although I know at least one dealer is considering a change).

But whether they should is really ot here, I say maybe ask if he minds being named, but again if he is a forum dealer he knows there is a review section...

I am super [censored] for you!

This is a bell he can't unring (becuase the delay in shipping and contact was pretty bad already) but I hope you at least get your money back or proper value in watch...

I think either way it would be good to know as I think we are all worried about our items being lost in transit and it's good to know who is willing to replace items in that situation.

How often do you think OF gets visitors that look at it as a destination location?

Oh no.......I'm not gonna get 'screwed' am I?

I dunno... is that you in your avatar?

First picture was enough for me to say YES I WOULD BE DISSAPOINTED.

This is of course assuming that I was expecting a new or very good condition watch. I am guessing he did not detail to you any problems with the watcy.

The following pictures are just horrible...

I don't know all the details but I think you got ripped off pretty bad unless your final out of pocket is very low...

I don't know how this forum works but if it's propper to post reviews of other members with names I would not hesitate to do so for this transaction.

Unless some big details were left out I would consider this a very bad transaction both in communication and final outcome and would appreciate knowing who does something like this so I can stay far away.

If you really don't care about the brand etc of a watch, I find that many decent quality watches can be had at your local Dept store and even sometimes drug stores... nothing fancy but I have had and seen many $20-50 watches that last well over 5 years, perform well and are comfortable.

Hey man,

I appreciate your opinion to the fullest extent and certainly agree with you on your buddy's tactics. I just feel a little differently, re-reading my short little "you have to be kidding" did seem a little 'simple' and 'elementary', I apologize for that. Anyway, glad to see you have your own views.

All the best.

Fair enough. My question was rhetorical and your response was provicating... but no harm done. I wasn't joking and don't share your view but if I that is my biggest problem I am a lucky man

Agree to disagree on this one. Back to watches!

PLEASE say you're joking......

No... I just don't kid myself about the morality of what I do...

I am far from perfect, and I step on the wrong side of the line often, I just don't try to deny it when I do, and I try to keep it to things I can accept being in the wrong on.

Really wasn't trying to [censored] anyone off, but it is kind of true...

I have a buddy who constantly "works the system". He buys something he feels is overpriced but wants anyway, calls the company up, makes up a lie about the product (it was broken on arrival/not full/stale or unedible) and gets them to send him a refund or credit for more product. He says there is nothing wrong with it and it's not stealing because the company is so big they never feel the blow and it's their own fault for having a policy that allows that sort of thing to happen.

I think we can all see how that's a faulty rationlization.

Now I am not all rainbow bright, I have bent the truth before, but I never make qualms about the fact I am doing it and I try to draw the line at lying; both to myself and others.

I agree with your statement of the $4500 Panerai vs the $350... in fact maybe those are indeed the perfect rep which proves it CAN be done.

The statement I have problems with is the one that says you can't have a 100% rep because if it was it would be a gen... that just doesn't sound right to me (as I pointed out above whereby if I have all the parts made with the same machines it' still not a gen because it wasn't made by the gen manfacturer).

But the last part you have there about why they will never be 100% that's not quite right... it's HOW they ARE not 100%... but that is not a reason why they will or can never be 100%, because the problems you list can be fixed for money, and not that much money... I mean take the ING... if I go BUY a machine to create the date wheels my overhead will be huge because I am making so few. I may have to spend HOURS scanning in the fonts, recreating them in vector art or whatever at significant cost...

But add that all up, then divide it by the number of sales I would likely get (heck the GB is already hitting around 50 and that's just here and now) and the added cost per watch would probably be less than $10.

Now figure that those making reps already have much of the gear and labor going, they don't suffer the massive overhead from small yields that I would... that would proabably add $5 or less to their cost...

So again I ask why that doesn't happen... it's certainly not impossible, not even difficult really...

I can understand why things like a perfect daytona are not feasable right now, but many watches suffer blemishes that are cosmetic only and or something that obviously could be fixed without much trouble (for instance if you are manufacturing a dial that mimics another watches pattern, and you are off by a few mm, then it can't be that hard to fix, after all you already mimiced a whole dial!! That's 95% of the work right there, just a little tweak more to make it perfect... that's like me carving a porsche out of wax then deciding I can't be bothered to carve the door handle...).

Think it's a real swiss ETA in there?

Whether you feel you deserve it or not, you are as much responsible as anyone for helping a lot of use get a nice watch at 30% off so you certainly have my thanks!

Somtimes you don't have to go out of your way to deserve praise!

BTW I think that's a grand idea to donate to the board (especially since I am in the Jay group ) but seriously... then everyone truly wins, even the ones not in on the GB!

My friend, that happened to me, and I have been scarred by it since. I myself am EXTREMELY sensitive when it comes to someone else's things, I have never ever stolen, a moral and value I hold dear to me.

Not trying to ruffle feathers but isn't buying replica watches a kind of stealing and immoral in and of itself?

BTW I would think maybe it was someone in the delivery system, not so much customs... lots of hands touch a package in transit, so it's not hard to steal (especially internationally) and not get caught, but customs officials have to watch themselves... they have leway for sure but they are much more suspect and easier to track down if hey make a habbit of it.