davidbir

Here is a link to their website-I want to be clear, I have no knowledge of these people, I am just looking for input but if you guys haven't heard of them?.... http://www.perpetual-watch.com/index.html

I sent Homer a pm yesterday-waiting for response. I wondered if anyone had experience with Perpetual watch co? David B

Hi all, I have been away for a while. I am considering getting a tourbillon watch and in researching on the net I have come up with the name "Perpetual Watch Co"-they are in Hong Hong apparently and make a limited number of watches of good quality that they sell directly. I notice they are now on ebay too. Anybody have any experience with them? I am sorry if this has been gone over already, I did do a 'search' on the forum and found nothing on them. David B

Thanks Mickey, it certainly looks different to mine!

May I ask where you got the high quality Swiss movements and what sort of price? Thanks, DB

My first post in a while-I have been busy with other projects. I finally got around to taking my beautiful rep Navitimer TT (Ruby) to my watchmaker to have the Swiss movement installed that I bought as part of a group purchase here on RWG. I was very surprised when he informed me that the Swiss movement was no better quality than the Chinese and that I would have been better off having him service the Chinese movement. Comments?

I have to relate this back to cars, the one subject I understand well. There has be an industry in replica Cobras for many years and we thought that they would kill the value of the real cars but it hasn't happened yet and remember, there were only about 1200 original Cobras built. Try doing that with Ferrari though and you have a whole different situation! Ferrari protect their copyright vigorously and have cease and desist orders placed on anyone trying to sell a Ferrari replica. In Italy there have been cases of beautiful but replica Ferraris and Maseratis being crushed by court order because they were being passed off as the real thing. The difference with the Cobra is that Shelby, the originator of the Cobra, didn't retain the copyright to the name or design and he is being forced now into selling "Cobras" that are built in an old MIG factory in Poland!-Then shipped here via South Africa. If the major Swiss manufacturers want to they can make if very difficult for the replica trade I think. But until they feel really threatened it isn't worth their while. Just my 2c worth

Funnily enough I just bought two of these on epay. Both 2001s. The first had a bad transmission which was declared by the seller and factored into the price. However, These transmissions are VERY expensive ($4400 plus labour). I thought I would get a used transmission but discovered that this particular car came from a very narrow vin range and no used transmissions were available-I finally sold it to a Volvo mechanic for what I had into it. I then bought a Cross Country version-one owner, Arizona car, lowish miles for $8500-nice deal except I have been waiting a month for the freaking title to be sent to me. A copy was faxed today so I know it exists but i cannot import the car into Canada until the US approves export and they need the title for that.... There are a couple of very good sites on the web for researching maintenance issues that provide cheap fixes if you know one end of a wrench from the other. The big issue with these cars is flushing the transmission system every 50,000km or so--something that is not mentioned in the service book! The fluid is special but don't for God's sake pay the stupid Volvo price. Toyota uses the same transmission and sells the fluid at a reasonable price-it is called Type 4 by Toyota but is made by Mobil and is type 3309 if you can get a Mobil dealer to sell to you. I used to be a service manager for Volvo, then VW/Audi/Porsche. Volvo makes very good cars-the paint finish is amongst the best you will find on any car but expect expensive maintenance-just the way they are.... (See swedishbricks.com but there are other sites also.)

I only spotted this thread last night. I bought a replica Gibson SG65 about three years ago. It is made by Fender! but listed as a Squier and made in Korea I think. I am very impressed with the fit and finish of it and I paid $160 for it at a reputable music store. A friend who is a fine jazz guitar player and regularly plays his $6000 deAngelico (sp?) says he is very impressed with it. I spent years trying to learn to play when I was in my twenties but finally concluded I had no musical talent-I keep this guitar on display because I think it is a beautiful sculpture. Sorry no pics, I still don't have a digital camera

SIXTy, you got a problem with that punk? Well, do ya? Of course, I don't know what the f**k I am talking about where watches are concerned....

Put me in for one--I am getting the mvment replaced so might as well do it right!

After reading the "Asia SFSO dead after one month" thread (These two threads could be blended) I decided to take the back off my Navitimer. With great hesitation I add; I recently overhauled an Aston Martin engine and am currently working on a Bentley but the 'bits' are rather larger than watch parts.... When I removed the back a very small part dropped out--I have no idea what it is. It is perhaps 3mm long, 1mm wide with a hole in one end and a slight curve to it. I gently replaced the back with the loose part still inside. I have to say the level of workmanship of the movement looks extraordinary given that it is made in a back street in China.

After giving some more thought to this I realise I am dreaming in technicolor! We are dealing with people in China who are outside the law even of their own country - did you see the feature on tv recently about 'replica' drugs being made in China and passed off as real? And I want them to service the watches!! ROTFFl!

If you look at the posting times for my last post and The Zigmeisters you will see they are the same! Again, I am not commenting on what The Zigmeister charges-that is irrelevant to my point, I am commenting on the need to perform the service! No one has addressed my suggestion that RWG ,as a group, lobby the manufacturers to have them prepare the watch movements properly before selling them--at the prices we are paying there is more than enough to cover the cost if done in China.

My concern is not with The Zigmeister, I want to make that very clear, it is with the manufacturers. Do I think they will change their ways? As Mohamed Ali once said: "You have two chances, slim and none!"