Attention all Swiss ETA buyers.... Please Read!

[LegendofSpeed]

Everyone -
This is an issue that has been slowly creeping up and it is become such an epidemic that we, the staff of RWI, are compelled to inform our members as to information we have been receiving...

Long story short, we are being lead to believe by what we would consider some of our more honest dealers that there are very few genuine ETA movements shipping in watches these days from practically every dealer... and the genuine ETA's that may be found are repaired or reconditioned ETA's from customer returns, QC rejects, etc...

This is not meant to be a blanket statement but please let it serve as an advisory notice... as for myself, I will be purchasing only ETA clones as I truly believe that it is an impracticality to get a genuine Swiss ETA movement... therefore, since I highly doubt I will get Swiss, I will not pay Swiss pricing... the staff feels the same way...

We will work to combat the issue the best we can... but seeing how it is something we can not prove 100% at this time, we can only provide an advisory and seek to call out clones where we can.... a lot of good information is coming from certain dealers (and these dealers will not be named to protect them) who wish to be honest but want a level playing field as well...

Should anyone have questions, please feel free to ask in this thread...

As stated before though, no staff member is to divulge the names of any dealer's who have stepped forward... we rely on the information of certain dealers to be able to see what is going on in GZ and to compromise the trust would destroy that..

 

[hooligan]

I would certainly take a long, hard look at any so-called Swiss ETA movements in any reps I bought. That's for certain.

 

[cybee]

This is good info LOS...I have long since stopped paying for watches with so-called swiss movements. I think these clone movements have been around for longer than we might think, but now with all but extinct supplies of real Eta it is truly the attack of the clones, and they are getting really good.

 

[1leighton1]

what about the ETA 2678-2. i dont think there is a clone for this movement yet.

 

[drfcfighter]

I really no longer give a rat's ass if the movement works well and is sturdy. For an example, I understand that the ST19 "so called Lemania copy" works like a tank. I'd rather get that movement over a refurbed Swiss with questionable gears. Asian 21Js are also pretty sturdy to begin with, so I don't care anymore. Also, if the ETA clones are as sturdy as the ETA's, then why bother with the "true" ETA's? It would be a different story if they were being sold as true Rolex movements or something.

However, I'm still on the fense about the ETA clones as the verdict is still out on the reliability on them, no?

 

[hooligan]

I really no longer give a rat's ass if the movement works well and is sturdy. For an example, I understand that the ST19 "so called Lemania copy" works like a tank. I'd rather get that movement over a refurbed Swiss with questionable gears. Asian 21Js are also pretty sturdy to begin with, so I don't care anymore. Also, if the ETA clones are as sturdy as the ETA's, then why bother with the "true" ETA's? It would be a different story if they were being sold as true Rolex movements or something.

However, I'm still on the fense about the ETA clones as the verdict is still out on the reliability on them, no?

The bigger issue, IMO, is if/when people are paying a premium for "Swiss" movements and are actually getting clones.

Yes, I believe that the jury is still out on the reliability of these clone movements.

 

[LegendofSpeed]

The issue at hand is the paying of a premium for "Swiss" and not getting a "Swiss"...

 

[LegendofSpeed]

The bigger issue, IMO, is if/when people are paying a premium for "Swiss" movements and are actually getting clones.

Damn you Hooli... I'd be pissed you beat me to the punch if you weren't such a great guy.. oh wait, I forgot about today... you're a jerk!

 

[hooligan]

I'm still a great guy. I'm just also an enabler... :twisted:

 

[hk45ca]

The issue at hand is the paying of a premium for "Swiss" and not getting a "Swiss"...

it's funny how all of this just keeps coming back around to the little white lies thread over and over again isn't it?

 

[KBH]

Here's all the proof I needed. This is what one I got from one of the "most trusted" dealers. This came out of a Datejust. Supposedly a Swiss ETA 2836-2 but they couldn't even get the stamp right. It's stamped 2834-2 which wouldn't even fit in most of our reps if it really was what it was stamped. I never could keep running even after 2 trips to my watchmaker.

I'd have never known if it hadn't been such a piece of crap.

 

[hk45ca]

how long ago did you buy this watch? it would be nice to try and establish a time line for when this started happening.

 

[KBH]

About 18 months ago.

 

[doctorron]

Thanks for this advisory. I have also long assumed that the "Swiss" movements are clones. I guess not all are clones. Some Swiss movements are inexpensive anyway. I have my watch repair guy one block from my house. He told me that the so-called Swiss movements in nice fake Rolex's were usually Chinese. I think it has been pretty well established that one dealer who is considered an expert on Pams was or is using old or recycled Swiss movements. Anyway, thanks for making this public.

 

[doctorron]

Also, I just replaced a whole movement and stem of a so called 21 jewel Asian movement for $35 installed.

 

[drfcfighter]

tsk tsk tsk... the glory days of reps have officially been over... how long ago? Who the hell knows.

Thank goodness for Seagulls I guess.

Why not Rhondas, Myotas, and Sellitas?

 

[swissaddict]

First clone I received (advertised and claimed as gen ETA 2824-2) was in January 2008, from a dealer no longer endorsed here. I do have a rep originally purchased from the same dealer in June 2007 (I got it later in a trade) and that has a gen ETA 2824-2. All other reps I have are from January 2008 and up, and all the "swiss eta" movements in them - from several different dealers - are clones.

 

[daytona4me]

I feel really bad for everyone who purchased "Swiss" eta UPO's for $300 plus when I just delivered basically the same thing to members for $175..
Nice and calculated to get the word out the fastest as this is such a common watch, it will be easy to compare to those who just received clones as swiss.
This thread has nothing to do with my group buy but it certainly goes hand in hand. I delivered a watch to a good guy named Nielsen, it was an ETA 2824-2, he took pictures and it was compared to the clone and was indeed a genuine ETA.. He got what he paid for and that is not too much to ask for imo.
One of the other biggest tells is the finishing on the movement platform, the bridges, etc.. far different than a genuine eta.
I will never order a eta unless I have too. I will buy clone all the way. Just ordered a milgaus that I had no choice but to get ETA..
This last UPO buy was a real eye opener for me too. It is amazing what these guys get away with.

ONCE AGAIN I WILL SHOUT!!!! WAKE UP EVERYONE, STOP FEEDING THE BEAST!!! YOU ARE JUST AS MUCH THE PROBLEM AS THEY ARE!!!!

 

[pete2528ca]

some of these dealers drop ship so much they probably don't know their arse from their elbow. I usually buy the asian version and then buy a swiss eta from OFrei and swap the parts.

 

[DemonSlayer]

The last two reps advertized as genuine ETA contained clone movements. A Datejust and the Bond SMP.