- 24/10/17
- 3,537
- 5,792
- 113
In my 8 years or so of Rep buying, I must have tried more or less every TD on both here and RWG.bz, including some that have since been excommunicated. I have since settled on my favoured TD, namely MaryWatch next door - she's so reliable and trustworthy, I use her to buy probably 95% of my purchases (sometimes when buying a brand new release that's super-hyped from a high demand factory, she can be a bit slower in getting access to them and I get impatient so go with Trusty or someone). But I really rate Mary, so I wasn't looking for a new TD, but I heard how competitively priced Andiot's watches are so decided I'd give them a punt.
OH MY GOD! What a brilliant service! Given the prices, I was expecting a no frills, bargain-basement service, but I couldn't have been more wrong. First of all the website is good (one update I'd make is for a 'New Releases' thread on it so us regular rep buyers can check in daily to see what's the latest releases). The FAQs explain the ordering process well and the automation for the buying process works seamlessly, so I placed my order and waited for my email with the Transferwise/Wise payment details which soon arrived. Payment was duly made and the confirmation of funds email soon came in.
Let me apologise for the monstrosity of the watch I purchased at this stage - a Clean factory OP Celebration dial. When this watch was released by Rolex, I told myself it was the fugliest thing ever designed and vowed never to buy it, but I'm a cunt, what can I say, and have zero standards. So apologies for the wristie that will follow below. But anyway, the QC pics soon came through and what a lovely surprise they were!!! I was expecting several pics as per most TDs, but the plethora of high res videos and pictures from every angle were brilliant. The video of my watch on the timegrapher was great, another video showing the rotation of the hands as the crown is turned was brilliant (no doubt you'd see the date click over on a date model). All the clasp codes and stickers etc are clear as day. A notably excellent QC process. I've seen a recent review suggesting that a watch with a misaligned cyclops got sent out to someone, but the onus is on you to cleck your QC and there's certainly ample, crystal-clear opportunities to do so. Really excellent QC.
Once QC was approved, the watch was posted pretty quickly and I was sent an update email notifying me of the posting and providing tracking. Then a week or two later as normal, the watch arrived. Up to that stage, I was very happy with the process. I go to rip open my box, expecting at best a polystyrene coffin inside with a bit of bubble wrap, but no, the packaging and design of this last stage is also the best I have ever had from a TD. The watch is contained within a very nicely styled and branded, sleek dark box, and that box is wrapped in air inflated tubed bubblewrap - better than the normal stuff. The branded box though is so cute, so professional; it gives you the feeling of buying a cheaper Gen like a Seiko or a decent microbrand rather than a rep - really on point and although I ripped open the contents and binned the box in haste, that was so I could hide it from the missis rather than because I didn't appreciate the effort! Surprisingly, to me, the professionalism and branding of the packaging genuinely added to the enjoyment of the watch's arrival. Brilliant branding and packaging.
So all in all, it was an easy, faultless and thoroughly brilliant buying experience. The only caveat is that true test of a TD is how they handle complaints and given that my purchase was flawless, I can't comment on that, but if Andiot can maintain their current standards, whilst the inevitable growth of their business kicks in, they are for me the TDs to beat.
WARNING - FLAWLESS, BUT MASSIVELY FUGLY WRISITE BELOW (It's also dirty from me wearing it and not being arsed to clean such a fugly beast off for the pic, but the watch came in perfect nick)
OH MY GOD! What a brilliant service! Given the prices, I was expecting a no frills, bargain-basement service, but I couldn't have been more wrong. First of all the website is good (one update I'd make is for a 'New Releases' thread on it so us regular rep buyers can check in daily to see what's the latest releases). The FAQs explain the ordering process well and the automation for the buying process works seamlessly, so I placed my order and waited for my email with the Transferwise/Wise payment details which soon arrived. Payment was duly made and the confirmation of funds email soon came in.
Let me apologise for the monstrosity of the watch I purchased at this stage - a Clean factory OP Celebration dial. When this watch was released by Rolex, I told myself it was the fugliest thing ever designed and vowed never to buy it, but I'm a cunt, what can I say, and have zero standards. So apologies for the wristie that will follow below. But anyway, the QC pics soon came through and what a lovely surprise they were!!! I was expecting several pics as per most TDs, but the plethora of high res videos and pictures from every angle were brilliant. The video of my watch on the timegrapher was great, another video showing the rotation of the hands as the crown is turned was brilliant (no doubt you'd see the date click over on a date model). All the clasp codes and stickers etc are clear as day. A notably excellent QC process. I've seen a recent review suggesting that a watch with a misaligned cyclops got sent out to someone, but the onus is on you to cleck your QC and there's certainly ample, crystal-clear opportunities to do so. Really excellent QC.
Once QC was approved, the watch was posted pretty quickly and I was sent an update email notifying me of the posting and providing tracking. Then a week or two later as normal, the watch arrived. Up to that stage, I was very happy with the process. I go to rip open my box, expecting at best a polystyrene coffin inside with a bit of bubble wrap, but no, the packaging and design of this last stage is also the best I have ever had from a TD. The watch is contained within a very nicely styled and branded, sleek dark box, and that box is wrapped in air inflated tubed bubblewrap - better than the normal stuff. The branded box though is so cute, so professional; it gives you the feeling of buying a cheaper Gen like a Seiko or a decent microbrand rather than a rep - really on point and although I ripped open the contents and binned the box in haste, that was so I could hide it from the missis rather than because I didn't appreciate the effort! Surprisingly, to me, the professionalism and branding of the packaging genuinely added to the enjoyment of the watch's arrival. Brilliant branding and packaging.
So all in all, it was an easy, faultless and thoroughly brilliant buying experience. The only caveat is that true test of a TD is how they handle complaints and given that my purchase was flawless, I can't comment on that, but if Andiot can maintain their current standards, whilst the inevitable growth of their business kicks in, they are for me the TDs to beat.
WARNING - FLAWLESS, BUT MASSIVELY FUGLY WRISITE BELOW (It's also dirty from me wearing it and not being arsed to clean such a fugly beast off for the pic, but the watch came in perfect nick)
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