TeeJay

I know that I'm going to come across as a jerk, but I can't get over some of the attitude of some folks when it comes to buying a rep. When you're working with a dealer, that's one thing, cause I guess they're incentivized to deal with the neuroticism of folks who need to check the tracking number 20 times per day.

Don't try to make it out to be about anything other than your own inability to defer gratification. It has nothing to do with a lack of professionalism on the part of the dealer, unless they express their distaste for that type of sales transaction like it sounds like happened in this case.

As I said, people are brought up with, and brainwashed by businesses and shops which bend over backward to accomodate their whims to retain them as customers, and that is harmfull to both customers (who come to expect such treatment) and retailers (who have to then deal with customers expecting such treatment).

I think anyone has the right to be dealt with in a courteous and professional manner, as a matter of simple manners, regardless if it's their first transaction or their hundredth. As I said above, the amount of personal interaction (beyond the matter of the business being transacted) and potential discounts given, depends on the length of time the person has been a client, but, even a new client deserves to be dealt with professionally, and, if I may revise my statement, should not be left feeling that they were 'just another customer'. I'm not saying someone should fawn over and kiss the ass of a new client, but neither should they be off-hand or dismissive of them.

There does seem to be a certain amount of people on the forums who forget that they are dealing with illicit goods from non-standard sources. Sure, that does not entitle the dealer to be off-hand or pull shady tricks, but, it does mean that the buyers need to ask the right questions, rather than complain that what they receive, is not what they expected it to be (ie they expect more of the item than would be reasonable) and of course, buyer beware...

Is it a dealer (or seller's) job to walk a RWG'er through a transaction with the expectation that they are to be at the beckon call of neurotic buyers who need to know the hourly update on their tracking information? Is that part of the responsibility of the seller?

Of course it's not. If they do, then all the power to them for their level of service, but, it certainly shouldn't become expected, as I illustrated above, by reference to frequent clients, who start to expect, or even ask for, preferential treatment.

Cause I think it's ridiculous, and it's why I would rather deal with an established forum member if at all possible, who isn't wound up tighter than a coiled spring at the idea of having a few hundred dollars in transit.

Who are you meaning would be wound up by the money? I wouldn't expect an established trader to be concerned about the money, as they would have enough in other sales to easily compensate someone for a problem, where a private seller might be someone who needs the cash, makes the sale, uses it, and might be unable to immediately refund it should a problem arise. The buyer certainly has the right to be concerned about their money, afterall, they had to work had to earn it, but, there is indeed a line between reasonable and unreasonable expectations in terms of being reassured (or to use a more accurate term 'molly-coddled') by a dealer. I'm not sure who I'd be more concerned about trying to get a refund back from... The private sale, where the funds might not be so readily available, or the established dealer who does not need to really worry about negative publicity... In the year I've been buying reps, I've only once been in the situation to have to call a deal off due to poor response from the dealer, and even then, I asked that they donate the cost of the deal to charity rather than refund it (possibly out of concern that the refund process might have been equally delayed, possibly because I was not so worried about the amount in the Big Picture...)

mm hmm.. i hope so too.. but i'm sure it will get resolved EVENTUALLY.. eventhough i paid premium price compared to other dealer for this dealer's (QUICK, OMGOMGOMG FASTEST service IN THE WORLD) but still it's slower than if i bought from other people and a lil bit of abuse too that is..

Have to admit, that's not good... Okay, sometimes a mistake can be made and something can be sent by the alternate (slower) service, we're all human, we all make mistakes, but, it's usually apologized for and rectified by some kind of compensation, and even then, the goods should still arrive within the timeframe specified for the alternate service... I'd be more put off by the dealer's abusive comment rather than shipping delays (which could be down to human error), but abuse is never 'accidental'.

yeah teejay i know that he doesn't need my money.. i already pointed that out to him.. infact i already told him that i know he doesn't need my $108.. it's probably jsut like a pocket money to him.. but it meant alot to me.. so if he could refund it, i could probably give it to other dealers that would appreciate my money more.. but hey once they got the money in their hand they wouldn't give it back..

and you're right in the future i don't think i will go back to this dealer.. it's not because i'm threatening.. it's just that the more i bought from him the worst he treats me... and i ain't kidding about this but the first time i bought from him service was perfect (as what most people said about him in this board).. 2nd time bezel insert fell off and he was still good, and sent me a replacement.. then markers fell off told me to return.. then pearl came off beginmariner while wearing, asked me to pay 5$ for the replacement, then sent me an empty box but didn't believe me so i had to go through all sorts of trouble to prove to him that i wasn't lying, and now shouted at me for inquiring.. it's just getting on my nerves that with every transactions his service becomes worst.. and yet people on the board claims this guy to be RWG 'GOD' for his immaculate service?

I know what you mean, it's not a case of threatening, it's just a case of choosing to do business with someone who'll treat you with the respect due. I admit, if someone tries that 'Customer is always right' attitude with me, then they get told to jog on. I've always treated customers (and now I'm self-employed, clients) with the respect due to them. Here's my take on how people should treat their customers/clients...

1st transaction:

Courteous, polite, professional. Person gets item/service as specified, at the 'shelf price' specified.

Regular Clints:

As above, courteous, polite, professional, but, with less professional reserve, and occasionally, for example, if they're making a big spend, it doesn't hurt to knock something off the price.

Frequent Regular Clients:

Courteous, polite, professional, but going into more personal issues in conversation, rather than just 'the business at hand'. Discounts as appropriate, especially if spending a lot. Willingness to extend other favors to the client (ie sourcing unusual item, or holding stock)

Of course, many would say that there are people who provide the 3rd level of service to even a new client, and that is fantastic. The only problem I find with such practices, from my own point of view, is that a new client, receiving such treatment from day one, will continue to always expect it. Discounts should be given at seller's discretion, not client request or expectation. A truly 'good client', will not expect to get a discount every time they come in, but be greatful if it is granted. Even frequent clients can go down in my estimation if they do make impositions such as requesting discount or preferential treatment. Something I've always told the staff working under me, is that the 'good customers', the 'regular customers', will never point out that they are 'good customers', or how much they've spent.

It's a shame to hear that your dealer's standard of service slipped so much after your initial purchase, it certainly doesn't put them in a good light. If anything, I've found a dealer's standard of service increases with time... Time for a new dealer indeed, my friend...

well this is what i asked.

hi xxx, thanks for the tracking number you gave me.. however it has been 2 days since you gave me it and until today it still hasn't worked on both ems and austpost site.. it's very unusual as these things do normally update within 24 hrs or so.. eventhough i still believe it's too soon to tell.. so if you don't mind would you be able to check on what happened.. thanks

i think that sounds polite enough..

Certainly polite enough. Have to admit, EMS as a company has been known to not update it's info regularly, but, they do still get the goods delivered on time... I hope the issue gets worked out satisfactorily

Why can't you get past the Paypal thing....hundreds of other members manage to....?

Is that question directed at me?

i asked but he said the watch is outbound and is already sent to his people to ship it to me last night.. and for me to leave him alone.. but it still hasn't came up on the tracking site.. so hopefully he's telling the truth and should come up soon

but meh like i said assasi9.. next time i won't be buying from this guy anymore.. that outburst shocked me

Sorry to hear about the bad transaction. I was going to suggest, that if you're not happy with their attitude, to cancel the order, ask for a refund, and go to another dealer, but, as the parcel is (supposedly) on it's way, you don't really have that option... It could go one of two ways... Either you could be generous, give the dealer the benefit of the doubt that they were having a bad day, and you got the brunt of it, or, you could simply take your business to someone else in future. On principle, if I'm not happy with the service in a store, I do not go in it again unless there has been a change in management/staff. A lot of people have been brought up with, and brainwashed by, the notion that "The Customer is King!!!". As someone who has worked in both sales and management the retail industry, I can honestly say that that is BS. For example, several years ago, when I was managing a video store, a person had run up a

Good of you to keep everyone informed, it'll hopefully stop irate people posting "Why are my PMs being ignored???!!!"

I hope you have a good vacation, by the time you get back, I should have the spare funds for transacting some business

An idea I had earlier, and forgot to post until now, was:

Try using a hair-dryer to gently heat the strap, manipulate it into a more curved shape, then, holding it in that shape, run it under the cold tap. Might help put some shape into it, I can't say I've actually tried it myself... Best of luck

"Hi,

I'm out of town at the moment and won't be back

And TeeJay, you have the same train of thought as me too. At one point of time, I was thinking if I could 'carry' the pink gold watch. In fact, Neil did give me some advice on this when I ask him about it. Well, it's not really that 'gold', it's an elegant watch. And for those into Feng Shui, this coming Rat year wear lots of metal especially gold, so this watch fits the bill!

Ahh, my problem with gold, is that it brings me up in a rash. Strange, for a supposedly unreactive metal, but, there you go... I've just never been able to have it in contact with my skin for any prolonged period of time, so I just avoid it where-ever possible. In terms of aesthetics, I can appreciate gold watches, I just can't wear them

The second set of photos are fantastic, you've certainly got a fine purchase, I'm sure you'll get a lot of pleasure from wearing it

I SIMPLY LOVE THIS WATCH! To make the long story short, I was in fact planning to get the Radiomir 231 but I was introduced to this watch by TTK. It's sort of hybrid between the 231 and 183. Here are the pictures, please bear with the quality as I took these pictures using a simple handphone camera.

And here's the deal, no double AR, no canon pin fix, no C1/C3 lume, no swan neck etc...but when you have this watch in your hands, you will know what I mean. It's a beauty! I'm being a bit more adventurous here, that's why I decided to try this watch. Important point is that as long as you like the watch, the rest doesn't really matters.

Moving on, I'm planning to get a nice matching strap for this watch. Victoria did give me some good suggestions. If you all have any other ideas do share with me too. Thanks in advance. And here's a picture of the watch on the wrist...

Last but not least, thanks TTK!

Absolutely fantastic watch Not one I'd have for myself (I can't wear gold), but, it's absolutely gorgeous, and a fine dress watch As TTK said, no need to have the fixes done, it's only people here who would notice when it's worn

yes that fine

ill be $150 for the PVD coat

Cool I've got to order a 210 for my friend's birthday, and, when I order one for myself, I'll send it in for coating

I think i have made a major calculation error in the cost of this PVD case, as the PVD coating alone is $150

it'll definitely be around $200 mark or higher

Would it be possible to provide one's own case and simply pay for the coating to be done?

A bit of a late entry, I know, and apologies if it doesn't help with your decision, but, personally, I feel that with PAMs, it is the strap, not so much the watch itself, which dictates it's role in a wardrobe. For example, I'd always thought that the 127 would be too big for wearing with a suit to look smart, but, pairing it with a black aligator strap, with off-white stitching, and it looked incredibly smart and formal. When I wear it on the honey/tan straps, it looks casual. When I wear it on the rubber diver-strap, it looks 'more modern', functional and rugged (it also appears larger, due to the shape of the strap shoulders) Of course, in all those situations, the watch is exactly the same, it is just the straps which are changed, and which create the greatest change in tone and role. I have plans to get a Radiomir as a 'dress watch', but, I know that nine times out of ten, simply putting a black strap on my 127 would be 'smart enough'. Also, the Radiomir I had in mind, was the vintage variant, with four line cut-throughs on the cartinal directions, and 'dot' cut-throughs to represent the 'lesser' hours. Incredibly simplistic watch, which, in dress occasions, is the aim: Simplicity.

Im not sure but around $160 paypaled and shipped.

But price to be confirmed as the dollar has fallen against the Chinese currency so cost may be slightly more expensive

That's not too bad, I'll have to start rattling the piggy-bank

[Edit to add]

There is no rush, ill be doing a prototype just to make sure it comes out ok. Just like the B&R

Ill post pics when its finished but it will be a while as i dont even have the case yet

That could be helpfull I'll be most interested to see the finished item

I am interested, what is the estimated cost for the pvded case, caseback and crown?

+1

Funds are undeniably tight at the moment, but, having seen the ceramic PAM, I'm liking the aesthetic. Okay, so I don't wear my PVD 111g now I have my 127, but, such a watch would definitely be something I'd want to add to my overall collection If it's something which might take a while to organize, I might be able to scrape the cash together

What a toss-piece. For what it's worth, I'm sure he's going to wind up getting black-listed very quickly and finding himself unable to aquire more goods... The last thing this hobby needs, is unwanted attention from someone posting such things on public forum(s)

what about the SOSF ? is that 44mm or 42mm?

I'm not too sure about the size of the watch, but, although the case/bezel diameter is quite large, the actual dial is (or at least I felt was) quite small in comparison. I had been tempted to get one, but, having tried one on in an AD, I felt the dial was too small for my purposes. Gorgeous watch, it just didn't fit my requirements

I haven't suggested anybody...

just posted a link if somebody whishes to brows or to do whatever he want's...

Semantics

If people don't "post links and let people make their own minds up" (better? ) then people will never find out about other dealers, and posibly get as good, or even better, deals for their requirements.

I have enough experience to stick to known dealers...

And I have enough experience to know that not every unknown dealer is a scammer, and that known dealers, does not always guarantee a flawless transaction/product.

Buyer beware... Or however it translates into latin...

Not sure we should be posting links to unknown dealers with inflated prices

I agree on principle about the prices, but, unless people do suggest new dealers, no-one knows about them, which could wind up with people missing out on good deals...

While I would certainly advise caution when using a dealer who is unknown, I don't think the forum needs to run to RepGeek's standard of removing links to 'unrecommended dealers'. One person's 'unknown', is someone else's 'trusted source'.

I don't have any PVD PAMs, and frankly, I think PVD would look much too masculine on me. Okay, this is ceramic, same idea -- the rep would be PVD.

That and the fact that a PVD Radiomir is just SO wrong (it ruins the sleek lines of the case!), makes me think...yeah, I'd give this a shot.

But IS it wrong? I mean, think about it for a moment... As I'm sure you know, the Radiomir was originally a watch issued to naval divers (Frogmen/SEALS/Hardassmotherf*ckers/whatever you want to call them ) It was supposed to be used in combat situations, not propping up (to quote from L4yer Cake again) 'naff wine-bars' Bearing that in mind, this black ceramic appearance is totally in keeping with that kind of combat aesthetic, totally functional (unless shattering would be an issue) and, if I may be so bold as to suggest it, probably how OP would have made the original Radiomir 'war watches', if they'd had the capability to do so at the time, as it would have perfectly suited the operational environment the watch was intended for use in. Imagine the watch on the 26mm Dive strap, or a carbon fibre weave rather than a shiny black aligator...

hate to rain on the parade on this one, but the chances of them getting both the PVD coating and the submarine logo thingy on the dial right = 0.00%

EDIT to add: in the event this case is actually ceramic instead of PVD, i will revise my projection to -0.00%

deltatahoe

I agree entirely.

As others have said, unless the watch is replicated in ceramic (and going to be costly), and, depending on if someone's attention to detail demands the little sub/torp, the easiest and cheapest option, would be to buy a regular Radiomir, and have it PVDd.

Perhaps that could be the option for the manufacturers... Get the dial accurate, and use a PVD case as a reasonably priced 'general enthusiast' watch, and then have a ceramic case version at a higher price, for those hardcore enthusiasts who are want that detail correct, and prepared to pay for that detail. I know which version I think would sell more units though

the UPO is too big & bulky...

it looks like a monster on your wrist...

hence the reason why I didn't pull the trigger on it...

other than the size, it's a great rep.

Comparing to a Panerai, after a few months wearing Panerai, the 45mm Planet Ocean actually looks small Not as small as a Sub, of course, but still small

In all fairness, the 45mm Planet Ocean is a large watch, but, it is an easy watch to adapt to once it's been worn for a few hours

Fear not, I have EMUs, too. There hasn't been a [censored]-over-[censored] trend set by the Olsen Twins that I haven't followed. Nice one, Vicky.

BTW, the EMU v. UGG rivalry reminds me of the Husky v. Barbour jackets one. Well we know who won that one, don't we.

Ahh, the good-old Olsen Twins (at least it's possible to tell them apart now ) Now, if I could only convince them to let me design them hugely visible tattoos, I'd be set

I didn't realize that EMU were such a known brand. I have to admit, from what I've seen, they certainly appear the nicer product. Then again, those honey-tan shoes in my wrist shot do up with velcro and cost

Yes, yes, I know. My boyfriend thinks they're UGGLEE too. But I have to keep justifying the pricetag, since they were in fashion 4 years ago...

P.S.: I'll take a Fiddy shot for you to compare. I'm a size 7 US.

What you really want, are a pair of EMU (brand) boots. Emily swears by them, and apparently, they're more popular in Australia than Uggs Also, they're made so the 'hard rubber' of the sole, rather than being totally flat, goes up at the back into the 'foam' later, so any unusual foot pressure won't wear into the foam so quickly

[Edit to add]

I forgot to say, but apparently, Paris Hilton once said she wouldn't be seen dead in Ugg boots

As people are posting watches and shoes...

These are more 'every-day' wear...