Disclaimer
This is my first post within RWI. I have been lurking on these forums for some time, building knowledge and heeding the valuable advice of forum members. I am a cautious person, so take reasonable measures to mitigate risk. I am a novice within the replica-field so do not pretend to know everything. This is an honest review of my first replica-watch purchase, written to assist anyone else feeling the urge.
Below is a list of considerations that should be made by anyone hoping to purchase their first replica-watch.
Risk mitigation (use forum advice plus a little common-sense)
*Select a Trusted Dealer (aka TD) with extensive and recent buyer-feedback.
*Talk to the TD. Ask questions, see how responsive they are, check that their English is good, and most-importantly - do they feel genuine?
*Start small. My first purchase was going to be a relatively inexpensive watch. I thought of this as dipping my toes into the water. Risking $300 would be better than $600, or $2000+ if I had purchased all of the watches on my starter-list.
*Consider chosing a popular watch. I picked the Noob V8S (out of a list of 4 or 5) because it was on Special Offer. Several TD’s had the same/similar promo’s, so I presumed these watches would be off-the-shelf and readily available from the manufacturer. I reasoned that this would reduce sourcing and delivery-times.
*Select a trusted payment method. For me this was Tranferwise. I had already used this service to send funds abroad in the past. It is simple to use and (so far) has never let me down. Many TD’s (including Puretime) offer a 5% discount when using this service.
Which TD to choose and why PureTime?
As above - I researched and researched. PureTime have plenty of positive feedback and member endorcements, plus responded promptly and courteously to my questions in good-English. I contacted several TD’s before ordering. All gave positive-responses, but PureTime edged-it. They appeared genuine.
Expectations
My main concerns regarded delivery timescales and potential for goods getting stuck within Customs or lost in transit. There was also risk that the watch would arrive damaged or may not live up to the QC pics. I had assumed that my “Sub” would take a best-case 4-6 weeks’ to arrive, with worst case 12-weeks’. Any loss or damage would add to the process. I considered the overall risk to be low – I would just need to be patient.
The Order Process
*I first asked questions about watch availability. PuretTme advised that they do not carry stock but would source from the factory. They also advised that delivery may take a little longer than usual due to COVID-19. Importantly for me, they were not pushy.
*I placed my order on PureTime’s website, selecting Transferwise as payment method. Cost of watch was $288 plus $35 shipping, minus 5% discount. Total $304.60. I live within the UK, so triangular-shipping was unnecessary.
*PureTime responded promptly with the Transferwise payment details.
*Payment was made. Total cost (incl all currency charges etc) was GBP £250. Transferwise charged less than $4 is fees, within nothing else to pay.
*PureTime responded same day confirming that payment had been received.
*5-days later I was sent QC pictures which I promptly accepted.
*PureTime confirmed my package was ready for shipment 2-days later.
Full Transaction Log – Initial contact thru to delivery
2020-04-28 Pre-order emails exchanged regarding potential order.
2020-04-29 Order placed for Noob V8S Submariner.
2020-04-29 Order confirmation received along with Transferwise payment details.
2020-04-29 Payment made.
2020-04-30 Payment received/confirmed by PureTime.
2020-05-04 QC Pictures received and approved.
2020-05-06 Received notification that my order will be sent out today. Informed that tracking info to follow in 2-3 business days.
2020-05-08 Shipment confirmation received including tracking info.
Parcel Tracking
2020-05-08 02:20 Baiyun,Guangzhou,China / Shipment arrived at facility and measured.
2020-05-08 02:20 Baiyun,Guangzhou,China / 4PX picked up shipment.
2020-05-08 23:25 4PX / Item will be despatched; as advised by Posting customer.
2020-05-09 05:16 Baiyun,Guangzhou,China / Depart from facility to service provider.
2020-05-09 19:20 HONGKONG / Arrived at Hong Kong hub.
2020-05-10 10:29 HKG / Hand over to airline.
2020-05-10 23:49 HKG / shipment departed from airport of origin country.
2020-05-11 13:57 LHR / Arrival of goods at destination airport.
2020-05-11 13:57 LHR / Arrived at the destination airport.
2020-05-12 14:22 GBLONA / Arrive at the destination distribution center.
2020-05-13 10:11 GBLONA / In transit, it's progressing through Post network
2020-05-13 21:32 South West DC / Item scanned on its journey.
2020-05-14 06:52 Item has been included in a Royal Mail Sales Order
2020-05-14 20:12 Romford MC / Item scanned on its journey
2020-05-15 02:01 Romford DO / Item sorted
2020-05-16 10:01 Delivered
Total time taken from order to delivery was just 17-days. This consisted of 9-days between order and shipment, 3-days to travel from Guangzhou China to London England (5900 miles), plus a further 5-days to travel 40-miles from West London to East London.
Box Contents
Upon opening the package I found a few nice surprises. PT had included a nice hand-written note apologising for any delays that may have been caused by COVID-19. They additionally included a free pack of face masks - I guess to help in the virus-fight. The watch itself was well-protected and pristine.
Under magnification the Rehaut is slightly offset and DW sits a little high. I am sure the experts will spot a dozen minor-flaws, but this is a relatively-inexpensive V8S so I am extremely-happy. With my own eyes and from arms-length it looks perfect.
Overall Experience
From initial questions thru order to delivery my entire experience with PT has been superb. I encountered have zero issues obtaining my first Rep (which I am extremely happy with). The only slight delay was created by the UK’s Royal Mail, taking 5-days to move the package across London.
I want to thank everyone @ PureTime for truly-excellent service.
This is my first post within RWI. I have been lurking on these forums for some time, building knowledge and heeding the valuable advice of forum members. I am a cautious person, so take reasonable measures to mitigate risk. I am a novice within the replica-field so do not pretend to know everything. This is an honest review of my first replica-watch purchase, written to assist anyone else feeling the urge.
Below is a list of considerations that should be made by anyone hoping to purchase their first replica-watch.
Risk mitigation (use forum advice plus a little common-sense)
*Select a Trusted Dealer (aka TD) with extensive and recent buyer-feedback.
*Talk to the TD. Ask questions, see how responsive they are, check that their English is good, and most-importantly - do they feel genuine?
*Start small. My first purchase was going to be a relatively inexpensive watch. I thought of this as dipping my toes into the water. Risking $300 would be better than $600, or $2000+ if I had purchased all of the watches on my starter-list.
*Consider chosing a popular watch. I picked the Noob V8S (out of a list of 4 or 5) because it was on Special Offer. Several TD’s had the same/similar promo’s, so I presumed these watches would be off-the-shelf and readily available from the manufacturer. I reasoned that this would reduce sourcing and delivery-times.
*Select a trusted payment method. For me this was Tranferwise. I had already used this service to send funds abroad in the past. It is simple to use and (so far) has never let me down. Many TD’s (including Puretime) offer a 5% discount when using this service.
Which TD to choose and why PureTime?
As above - I researched and researched. PureTime have plenty of positive feedback and member endorcements, plus responded promptly and courteously to my questions in good-English. I contacted several TD’s before ordering. All gave positive-responses, but PureTime edged-it. They appeared genuine.
Expectations
My main concerns regarded delivery timescales and potential for goods getting stuck within Customs or lost in transit. There was also risk that the watch would arrive damaged or may not live up to the QC pics. I had assumed that my “Sub” would take a best-case 4-6 weeks’ to arrive, with worst case 12-weeks’. Any loss or damage would add to the process. I considered the overall risk to be low – I would just need to be patient.
The Order Process
*I first asked questions about watch availability. PuretTme advised that they do not carry stock but would source from the factory. They also advised that delivery may take a little longer than usual due to COVID-19. Importantly for me, they were not pushy.
*I placed my order on PureTime’s website, selecting Transferwise as payment method. Cost of watch was $288 plus $35 shipping, minus 5% discount. Total $304.60. I live within the UK, so triangular-shipping was unnecessary.
*PureTime responded promptly with the Transferwise payment details.
*Payment was made. Total cost (incl all currency charges etc) was GBP £250. Transferwise charged less than $4 is fees, within nothing else to pay.
*PureTime responded same day confirming that payment had been received.
*5-days later I was sent QC pictures which I promptly accepted.
*PureTime confirmed my package was ready for shipment 2-days later.
Full Transaction Log – Initial contact thru to delivery
2020-04-28 Pre-order emails exchanged regarding potential order.
2020-04-29 Order placed for Noob V8S Submariner.
2020-04-29 Order confirmation received along with Transferwise payment details.
2020-04-29 Payment made.
2020-04-30 Payment received/confirmed by PureTime.
2020-05-04 QC Pictures received and approved.
2020-05-06 Received notification that my order will be sent out today. Informed that tracking info to follow in 2-3 business days.
2020-05-08 Shipment confirmation received including tracking info.
Parcel Tracking
2020-05-08 02:20 Baiyun,Guangzhou,China / Shipment arrived at facility and measured.
2020-05-08 02:20 Baiyun,Guangzhou,China / 4PX picked up shipment.
2020-05-08 23:25 4PX / Item will be despatched; as advised by Posting customer.
2020-05-09 05:16 Baiyun,Guangzhou,China / Depart from facility to service provider.
2020-05-09 19:20 HONGKONG / Arrived at Hong Kong hub.
2020-05-10 10:29 HKG / Hand over to airline.
2020-05-10 23:49 HKG / shipment departed from airport of origin country.
2020-05-11 13:57 LHR / Arrival of goods at destination airport.
2020-05-11 13:57 LHR / Arrived at the destination airport.
2020-05-12 14:22 GBLONA / Arrive at the destination distribution center.
2020-05-13 10:11 GBLONA / In transit, it's progressing through Post network
2020-05-13 21:32 South West DC / Item scanned on its journey.
2020-05-14 06:52 Item has been included in a Royal Mail Sales Order
2020-05-14 20:12 Romford MC / Item scanned on its journey
2020-05-15 02:01 Romford DO / Item sorted
2020-05-16 10:01 Delivered
Total time taken from order to delivery was just 17-days. This consisted of 9-days between order and shipment, 3-days to travel from Guangzhou China to London England (5900 miles), plus a further 5-days to travel 40-miles from West London to East London.
Box Contents
Upon opening the package I found a few nice surprises. PT had included a nice hand-written note apologising for any delays that may have been caused by COVID-19. They additionally included a free pack of face masks - I guess to help in the virus-fight. The watch itself was well-protected and pristine.
Under magnification the Rehaut is slightly offset and DW sits a little high. I am sure the experts will spot a dozen minor-flaws, but this is a relatively-inexpensive V8S so I am extremely-happy. With my own eyes and from arms-length it looks perfect.
Overall Experience
From initial questions thru order to delivery my entire experience with PT has been superb. I encountered have zero issues obtaining my first Rep (which I am extremely happy with). The only slight delay was created by the UK’s Royal Mail, taking 5-days to move the package across London.
I want to thank everyone @ PureTime for truly-excellent service.
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