[Harneet.S]

After months of toil, rewarded myself with a DJII. Doesn't look bad on a 8 inch wrist.

[Jeroen]

Christmas present from my wife:

The Oris Diver sixty five leather. This is a new version of an earlier Oris diver watch. It’s rated at 10 bar, so more snorkelling than diving I reckon. But I bought it primarily because of the way it looks. Love the very dark blue face and the ultra domed sapphire glass.

http://www.ablogtowatch.com/oris-div...ve-42mm-watch/



Jeroen

[devarshi84]

Where do you all get your mechanical watches (including automatics) serviced in India?

Any reliance watchmakers in major cities with a reputed history?

[GJ01]

Originally Posted by devarshi84

Where do you all get your mechanical watches (including automatics) serviced in India?

Any reliance watchmakers in major cities with a reputed history?

Hi Devarshi - what kind of servicing are you looking for ? Your location says you are based out of A'bad. If you are looking for places in A'bad - the obvious places to go would be Golden Time (Swastik Cross Roads / Gulmohar Mall) or Just in time (CG Rd / Dev Arc Mall). I had purchased my Tissot from Golden Time and get it serviced there. Got the winding mechanism repaired once. Haven't had any experience with Just in time.
I think there is also a watch showroom in Alpha One that sells high end watches, I would suppose they will be servicing too.

[pankaj_sachdeva]

Originally Posted by GJ01

Hi Devarshi - what kind of servicing are you looking for ? Your location says you are based out of A'bad. If you are looking for places in A'bad - the obvious places to go would be Golden Time (Swastik Cross Roads / Gulmohar Mall) or Just in time (CG Rd / Dev Arc Mall).

I would second Golden time in A'bad, had a good experience with them. In mumbai, I can refer Kamdar, very good service and it is being run by folks who are genuinely interested in watches, rather than doing it just for business.

[rki2007]

Hi,

I have a replica of Rolex submariner watch. I have some problem with the lock in the watch.

Can someone guide me on getting it repaired somewhere in Bangalore. I don't know whether I can take it to the Rolex outlet to repair it!!

I already tried with some of the multibrand outlets, but they are unable to do it.

Thanks in advance

[devarshi84]

Originally Posted by pankaj_sachdeva

I would second Golden time in A'bad, had a good experience with them. In mumbai, I can refer Kamdar, very good service and it is being run by folks who are genuinely interested in watches, rather than doing it just for business.

Originally Posted by GJ01

Hi Devarshi - what kind of servicing are you looking for ? Your location says you are based out of A'bad. If you are looking for places in A'bad - the obvious places to go would be Golden Time (Swastik Cross Roads / Gulmohar Mall) or Just in time (CG Rd / Dev Arc Mall). I had purchased my Tissot from Golden Time and get it serviced there. Got the winding mechanism repaired once. Haven't had any experience with Just in time.
I think there is also a watch showroom in Alpha One that sells high end watches, I would suppose they will be servicing too.

Already used services of Golden Time (they call it second time) and Luxury Time (Rolex). I am satisfied but was looking for a more service and repair centric shop than a more sales and aftersales kinds.

Just in Time people are more interested in selling. I would not trust my watches with them from the initial interaction. Their technical guy didn't even know the regular movements.

[GJ01]

Originally Posted by rki2007

I have a replica of Rolex submariner watch. I have some problem with the lock in the watch.

None of the Authorized shops will touch this watch. There have been multiple cases where people have taken fakes for repair / service and then blamed the shops for switching their 'original' watch wiht a fake one. They just wont touch the watch.

Your best bet would be a multi-brand / neighbourhood watch shop

[dark.knight]

As someone interested in and somewhat experienced in horology, I find it astounding what people's brand opinions are when it comes to watches whenever I debate with fellow "enthusiasts", its so stereotyped that I know the instant answer to the question of best watch brand on earth - Rolex. For sports it'll be either Omega or TAG. Value would throw in Seiko, Tissot and Longines perhaps and that's about it. I decided to dig deeper and deeper for brand positioning in the timekeeping industry (since I'm passionate about marketing in general), and I made a list of watch brands in terms of ranking, of course it needn't be said that the highest ranked ones will be absolutely unaffordable and highly restricted in availability (double digits).

Ultra-top tier :
Maximillian Busser & Friends (MB&F), Kari Voutilainen , Phillipe Doufour, Richard Mille, Greubel Forsey, F.P Journe, Urwerk, Bovet, Harry Winston, De Bethune

Top tier :
A.Lange & Sohne, Breguet, Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet, Franck Muller, Patek Philippe.

Middle tier :
Blancpain, Jaeger LeCoultre, IWC, Girard Perregaux, Jaquet Droz, etc.

Entry Luxury :
Rolex, Omega, Bretiling, Zenith, Chopard, Carl F Bucherer, Panerai, Cartier etc

Affordable Luxury :
TAG Heuer, Longines, Raymond Weil, Tudor, Rado etc

The positioning I've given to Rolex and Omega and be hotly debated but I don't see any of the brands in that level graduating to mid-tier which are mostly limited production and masters of movement innovations and complications. Eye opening for sure, as it was when I first got interested in timekeeping.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

The positioning I've given to Rolex and Omega and be hotly debated but I don't see any of the brands in that level graduating to mid-tier which are mostly limited production and masters of movement innovations and complications. Eye opening for sure, as it was when I first got interested in timekeeping.

Interesting listing. I would say it also lines up with simply the average price of said brands.

I'm not a big fan of Rolex. I cant help but associate them with fat (American) guys. Although you have to admire them in the sense that every Tom, Dick and Harry has a Rolex these days and they are still considered by many a luxurious exclusive brand. I have no idea how many watches they produce, but it must be vast. From all the brands mentioned it is by far the most easily available brand, I find, with the exception of Seiko. You can buy a Rolex just about anywhere in the world, whereas you might be hard pressed to find say an Oris or a Sinn. So I don't consider it a luxury brand at all. Its available everywhere, lots of people own them.

I dont have enough watches to perform a statistically meaningful test, but I can report that my Oris is more accurate than any of my other watches.

Jeroen

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Interesting listing. I would say it also lines up with simply the average price of said brands.

I'm not a big fan of Rolex..

Thanks for the read and insight, your opinion is 100% agreeable and truthfully hilarious as well. The marketing team of Rolex irritates me to no end, they go all out when it comes to promotion and portraying themselves to be the ultimate watch makers on earth (whatever that ultimate is), that includes making sure their models are seen in every 2nd Hollywood movie possible and also that great marketing scheme of "every special occasion needs a Rolex", they've literally cornered the retirement gift market, or atleast the idea of it.

What they never reveal though, are sales, movement history, caliber type etc. All they say is they're manufactured and fitted to highest standards and that's it. I've heard that many of their top execs have quit over the past decade and sales are falling, even then conservatively they're selling well past 500,000 pieces and that's shockingly high, enough to dilute them 5-6 levels in terms of exclusivity and that's why they keep it hidden. It works though, their secretive, exclusive "ways" are getting customers left right and center.

Oris is a good brand, quite exclusive and that's exactly what we'd look for. I'd say the likes of Oris, Breitling, Panerai etc are purpose watches covering a deep history in diving, aviation and mining, true engineers brands and you have 2 of them.

[deerhunter]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

What they never reveal though, are sales, movement history, caliber type etc. All they say is they're manufactured and fitted to highest standards and that's it. I've heard that many of their top execs have quit over the past decade and sales are falling, even then conservatively they're selling well past 500,000 pieces and that's shockingly high, enough to dilute them 5-6 levels in terms of exclusivity and that's why they keep it hidden. It works though, their secretive, exclusive "ways" are getting customers left right and center.

Oris is a good brand, quite exclusive and that's exactly what we'd look for. I'd say the likes of Oris, Breitling, Panerai etc are purpose watches covering a deep history in diving, aviation and mining, true engineers brands and you have 2 of them.

I agree that Rolex is the ultimate watch brand for most layfolks. But even for horological aficionados, Rolex is one of the best at that price range. This is because movement matters. All of the Rolex movements are in-house since ages. But most of the other brands in that price range either use a ETA movement or started developing in-house movements only recently.

Omega used ETAs throughout 80s, 90s and 00s and only in the past decade or so started using in-house movements. Oris is a great brand and has some great collection. But most of their movements are ETAs. So the combined number of all watches under all brands with a particular ETA movement will be much larger than each Rolex movements. So Rolex is more exclusive that way.

Now, take Breitling Navitimer series for example. It is a very popular collection. Many of the models in the series use the same ETA movement as the Tissot chronographs which costs almost 10 times less. That movement maybe heavily modified, but it is still the same movement. This is why most horological aficionados admire Rolex.

Even Panerai was using ETAs for all their watches till 10 years back.

This is why not only layfolks, but watch geeks too, consider Rolex in a different league. Because at this price range, history and heritage is what matters more than functionality. So a history of in-house movement making is always a plus point, which many in this price range do not have.

The only brand, which I think, beats all of these (except for snob value) at this price range is Grand Seiko. The quality is unbelievable. They give twice the value of a Rolex for half the money. Their quartz range is probably the most accurate time piece ever made, sans atomic. And I dont think there is any movement that is better than a springdrive.

Another brand which has ultra top tier quality, but middle tier pricing is Credor. I dont think it is available in India yet, but I had the chance to see one with a colleague. It is a horological marvel.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by deerhunter

I agree that Rolex is the ultimate watch brand for most layfolks. But even for horological aficionados, Rolex is one of the best at that price range. This is because movement matters. All of the Rolex movements are in-house since ages. But most of the other brands in that price range either use a ETA movement or started developing in-house movements only recently.

Omega used ETAs throughout 80s, 90s and 00s and only in the past decade or so started using in-house movements. Oris is a great brand and has some great collection. But most of their movements are ETAs. So the combined number of all watches under all brands with a particular ETA movement will be much larger than each Rolex movements. So Rolex is more exclusive that way.........

The Swatch group owns amongst other ETA, Omega and Tissot, so Omega using ETA movement is an inhouse affair.

http://www.swatchgroup.com/en/brands_and_companies

Swatch Group, Brands and Companies

Swatch Group is a diversified multinational holding company active in the manufacture and sale of finished watches, jewelry, watch movements and components. It is the world’s largest watchmaking group, and supplies nearly all the components required for the watches sold by its eighteen individual brands and the multi-brand retail companies Tourbillon and Hour Passion.

Its production companies supply movements and components to third-party watchmakers in Switzerland and around the world. Swatch Group is a key player in the manufacture and sale of electronic systems used in watchmaking and other industries. It is also a leader in the field of sports event timing.

Swatch Group brands
Breguet, Harry Winston, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Jaquet Droz, Léon Hatot, Omega, Longines, Rado, Union Glashütte, Tissot, Balmain, Certina, Mido, Hamilton, Calvin Klein watches + jewelry, Swatch, Flik Flak.

Swatch Group production companies
ETA, Nivarox-FAR, CHH Microtechnique, Comadur, Rubattel et Weyermann, MOM Le Prélet, Universo, Manufacture Ruedin, Simon Et Membrez, Lascor, Novi, Swatch Group Assembly, DYB, EM Microelectronic, Renata, Micro Crystal and Swiss Timing.

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by deerhunter

But most of the other brands in that price range either use a ETA movement or started developing in-house movements only recently.

I believe Orient watches (priced similar to Seiko) have been using their own movements since a long time. Where would you place them in the ranking listed in dark.knight's post?

Cheers,
Vikram

[deerhunter]

Originally Posted by Aroy

The Swatch group owns amongst other ETA, Omega and Tissot, so Omega using ETA movement is an inhouse affair.[/b]

They maybe part of the same group, but they are separate companies. ETA supplies movements to non swatch brands too(eg: IWC). A movement is considered in-house if they are made within the same company. ETA is a different legal entity compared to Omega and Tissot. Anyway, Omega now uses in-house movements for most of their models.

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

I believe Orient watches (priced similar to Seiko) have been using their own movements since a long time. Where would you place them in the ranking listed in dark.knight's post?

dark.knight's post is about luxury watches. Orient is an affordable watch, not a luxury one. Orient, Seiko (not Grand Seiko), Tissot, Victorinox etc can be clubbed together as affordable watches.