tvt Posted December 13, 2006 Report Share Posted December 13, 2006 We have a couple of other "best of" or "worst of" threads going so how about telling the tale of your biggest screw job. You know, before you found the forums you fell for the "Fine Swiss Replica" talk or what have you. I am lucky in that when I came around to these things I managed to stumble across RWCC (the very first "replica" watch board) within days of it's creation. This kept me abreast of what was happening very early on. I even got incredibly lucky enough to buy my first fake (a very bad Tag Monaco) from a web site that actually refunded my money! They are long gone but were called Chrono2000 I think. They were polite, quick and when I did not like the watch gave me a full refund... WOW, the opposite of being ripped off! While I do nto think I have ever been ripped off I certainly have overpaid. I would say among the worst for me is dropping about $400 or so on a Roadster that while accurate had the incorrect blue hands. I then needed to replace those for yet more cash. Probably into it $500 or so. At the time I thought "ETA movement, MUST be good!" Of course it does have a basic ETA in it that is worth $35, I paid I would guess double what I would today... maybe more. I count myself fairly lucky though, no horror stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archibald Posted December 14, 2006 Report Share Posted December 14, 2006 So far, I've never been ripped off. Sure, I've had all of the usuals...the asia-movement-advertised-as-swiss, the-no-watch-no-refund, and the oh-[censored]-this-watch-is-obviously-another-customer's-return, but the situations have always been made right (immediately in the case of Jos and Eddie) or eventually in the case of a couple of other dealers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvt Posted December 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2006 What do you mean 'No watch no refund"? Are you saying you bought a watch and never got it OR your money back... because that sounds liek a major rip off for sure! Maybe "rip off" is not the right term for this thread anyway. Maybe hust "over paying" or "poor value". When I look back at what I was willig to pay 5 years ago versus now the difference is striking. Back then anything decent seemed like it was worth a mint. Today we can be pickey and there is real competition to keep prices in check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfreeman420 Posted December 14, 2006 Report Share Posted December 14, 2006 I was lucky enough to "stumble" across rwcc as well when I was browsing all of those $1000 swiss replica sites. I have been around these boards for a while and consider myself pretty well educated. I have only been unlucky twice. Once I bought a datejust on yahoo auctions. I think I won the auction for around $25 plus $10 shipping. They claimed they bought a swiss replica from the web and pictured a very nice watch. When i got it it was a $25.00 bad china fake. I gave it to a friend and he wore it to death. I didn't get hurt too bad (besides my ego). The second time was more recently, and I am a little embarrased to admit it. I love Cartier glasses and own a genuine pair (my second). While surfing ebay about two years ago i came across a seller with Cartier and Fred frames for $89 bucks. Meanwhile my frames retail for $1,700. I thought to myself "they don't make fake cartier frames do they?". Plus they didn't have the wood temples like mine so it is possible to get them at this price fallen off of a truck. So i order not one, not two, but six pair to the tune of almost $600 with shipping. I get them and right away notice the quality is [censored]. I email the seller and paypal. I get a full refund and the seller tells me to keep the glasses. Not really a bad deal, just a little [censored] I fell for it. The frames made nice gifts as well and I still have one pair laying around to remind me of my stupidity. I have been unlucky with a couple of watches that died shortly after buying them, but I estimate owning over 125 replicas since I started frequenting the boards, so that isn't bad. BTW, I still own my first swiss ETA replica which is a SS day date blue MOP dial. To this day this is one of the best deals I have gotten and one of my favorite watches. I bought it for $225 which was a super bargain back then from Q10805 Tommy. He had worn it a few times hence the discount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvt Posted December 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 SIX PAIRS! That's too funny, glad you got your money back, you actually made out in the deal and got free (albeit bad) glasses. Not a bad deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nebakanezzar Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 mine involved a white van... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Tracy Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 ... hey, how about your first rip off,.... I'll start,... once, when I was a wee lad,.. I shoveled snow four hours after a blizzard to earn a shiny new quarter,.... the money was for a new coin machine at the corner store, that had hired me, which had watches of all sorts,.... gold, stainless, and one with a wiggling nurse in the dial,... Once finished, running back down the sidewalk I could hardly wait,.. then, there was the machine,.....sitting there like a gift giver from the future,... I got paid, then went back to to insert my coin carefully making' sure that it was seated properly,..even turning it face out and up,... then turning slowly listening for the clicks, and the plastic case falling into the slow below,... I pulled up the flap and retreived my prize,.. eyeing the case, this one has a paper cover hiding what was inside,... I immediately pryed open the cover,.. and ... the paper was the watch,.. only it had a sticker back for me to apply it to my wrist.... I screamed at the store owner,.. but he refused to refund me,... and I spent the rest of the day piling the snow back onto his sidewalk... That was my first replica....and my last rip off.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Usil Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 Richard, That is funny. I relate because I used to shovel snow when I was a kid for money then head to the drug store to buy SciFi books when I was in 5th grade. I had not thought of that in years. Usil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 Thank god I was also lucky enough to "stumble" across RWG1 when I started looking for my first rep and I got a very nice Pam 196 from Scotty... Never had any major problem.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 4 years ago. Didn't know a thing about replica watches. Paid $750 for a Swiss Submariner in summer blue from buydesignerwatch.com and Walter Wong. Watch ran 40 minutes fast per day on delivery. Had to get it serviced. Pearl fell out a week later. Screw came out of the bracelet in a stairwell and the watch flew off and down the 3 story center opening in the stairwell. It didn't survive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KB Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 4 years ago. Didn't know a thing about replica watches. Paid $750 for a Swiss Submariner in summer blue from buydesignerwatch.com and Walter Wong. Watch ran 40 minutes fast per day on delivery. Had to get it serviced. Pearl fell out a week later. Screw came out of the bracelet in a stairwell and the watch flew off and down the 3 story center opening in the stairwell. It didn't survive. Ok now thats tough Me? Lets just say I've been lucky Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonton2000 Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 Ok now thats tough Me? Lets just say I've been lucky Ken Well me? i've been luckyyy'd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chubbchubb Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 My biggest rip-off was indeed a pretty big one.... It all happed some 22 years ago when I was living in New York. That year, I bought a number of watches from various sources.... a gen 1680 red letter for a meager 400 $ in a Chinatown pawn-shop (It was serviced by Rolex three years later and got their stamp of approval... and unfortunately was traded for another watch ten years ago ) ... and I bought a used 18k Baume Mercier from a jeweler on 5th avenue. The watch was beautiful... gold bracelet, gold case, white dial with black roman numerals, date.... it was stunning - at least I thought so at the time.... I received a written appraisal from the jewelers.... and paid 3.000$ for the watch. About two years later, I decided to send it in to Baume Mercier for service. I took it to Wempe ... a famous German AD. They took the watch and sent it to BM for service. A couple of weeks later, I receive a package from Baume Mercier with my watch and a letter.... "Dear Mr. Chubbchubb, the only reason why we are returning this fake watch to you is the fact that both case and bracelet are genuine 18k gold. The case, the bracelet, the movement and dial are fake. None of these parts have been manufactured by Baume Mercier." With best regards" Oooops..... Update... I still have the appraisal and the letter from BM....the watch - together with a few others - was stolen from my house some 10 years ago... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slay Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 DW Daytona had the poorest value. But I somehow have the feeling the watch has a curse attached to it. Some ppl will know what I'*m talking about. You think it's working, but WOHOOO the next day something is wrong. Than you get a super expensive movement for it, and still something does not fit here or there, or well you know, its a pain in the ass! I sold all my parts except for the Genuine Crown&Tube. I may get another one in the future, but for now, the DW 6263 is just too much for my nerves along with other project I have on hand! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvt Posted December 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 I have a feeling that Chubbchubb is not alone. How many peopel are strolling around with various levels of fakes which they belive to be gen. Some could be from eBay, others from dishonest stores or pawn shops... Maybe ignorance is bliss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJGladeRaider Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 We have a couple of other "best of" or "worst of" threads going so how about telling the tale of your biggest screw job. You know, before you found the forums you fell for the "Fine Swiss Replica" talk or what have you. I'm sorry, but much as I would like to cooperate, I have only been royally screwed over once, by a person who had the misfortune to die suddenly, if not particularly tragically, shortly thereafter. I have no particular qualms regarding speaking ill of the dead, but the facts and circumstances attendant to his passing are not clear, and no arrests have as yet been made. Thus, it may be best that I not provide anecdotal evidence that some might construe to be motive. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torques Posted December 16, 2006 Report Share Posted December 16, 2006 I'm sorry, but much as I would like to cooperate, I have only been royally screwed over once, by a person who had the misfortune to die suddenly, if not particularly tragically, shortly thereafter. I have no particular qualms regarding speaking ill of the dead, but the facts and circumstances attendant to his passing are not clear, and no arrests have as yet been made. Thus, it may be best that I not provide anecdotal evidence that some might construe to be motive. Bill Funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stac Posted December 16, 2006 Report Share Posted December 16, 2006 Ahhh... A genuine Submariner which I bought from Baily Banks & Biddle in 1987. It was so bad I don't even want to get into it. From the leak caused by a cracked case/back gasket to dealing with the ass-holes at Rolex to not having the watch for 2 months... Funny... I never had any problems with any subs from Joshua (after some mods and a good gasket lube-job) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solicitor Posted December 16, 2006 Report Share Posted December 16, 2006 My first two replicas-$500.00 a piece. Panerais with Asian movements. Damn. It still hurts. I was somewhat mislead, but " I should have read the description more carefully". Yeah, right, and I should have paid less than half for each, too!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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