So looking for a new watch I had the thought ‘I wonder if there’s a way of getting a rep of my fave watch, the Speedmaster moonwatch’ and ended up on reptime. Reading there led me to believe Trusty Time wasn’t a bogus site and I would actually get a watch.
So it turns out I could indeed get a Speedmaster rep, just not a very good one. But, I can get some very good other Omega reps.
So, one step at a time to test the water, ordered an OMF Speedy Silver Snoopy being the cheapest watch I wanted.
In under 48 hours I had my qc pics with no glaring problems. In under a week from order I had it in my hands. It was the same watch as qc pics and looked good for what it was. It worked fine, until I rotated my wrist to look at the time, when it would stop. Put my hand down by my side and it ran.
So, time to take my first steps in this hobby. (Buying reps isn’t a hobby to me. Working on reps is.) So opened caseback, removed stem, removed movement and set out to work out what was wrong. Rotating the movement next to my ear I could hear the balance wheel pinging against another piece of metal at certain angles and not others. Saw how that balance wheel was held in place, unscrewed it, seated the piece as best I could and rescrewed it back down and voila, no pinging at any angle and has run great since. Lucky it was an easy fix, whilst unlucky in that it didn’t challenge me to learn more. I was free to send it back for repair (I kept Andrew in the loop as to what was happening and that I was going to try to deal with it without returning. He was always responsive and still open to me returning it for repair.)
So having received what I ordered, and knowing there were better Omega reps available I ordered a VSF Aqua Terra. Again qc pics in under 48 hours, an excellent specimen as far as I can tell, and again in my hand less than a week from order. I was gobsmacked by the quality of this one. Truly mind blowing for someone who just stumbled upon reps.
I had found my way to this site by then. However yet to read much, having read TDs want some history on here before considering certain payment methods and transactions, I made my next order with Trusty. A Noob Daytona.
Andrew was upfront saying it will take a week or two to get one, instead of the day or two previously. No worries, I’ll wait. Between 1-2 weeks posts start popping up here that Noob is on a bit of a forced holiday. Andrew was straight again saying yeah, circumstances have changed and it will be at least another 3-4 weeks now (maybe longer, can’t be sure) until he can get one for me and asking if I would like to change my order.
So changed my order to VSF Omegas 300m diver and 600m planet ocean 42mm (puny wrist, I prefer the ceramic but don’t think it’ll work on my wrist). Less than 48 hours I had qc of 300m. There was the tiniest hairline fracture in the ceramic next to the pearl which couldn’t be seen with full watch on my phone screen but could be seen zooming in. I asked Andrew if he could give me another shot on the pearl as I do see a fault but don’t think it will be noticeable, and please don’t send it back (it was better than several specimens I had seen on here). Andrew replies ‘no problem, but will take some time.’
Next day qc pics for PO arrive. Excellent specimen to my eyes. Green light. And also qc pics of another 300m diver asking if I prefer this one.
Now what some here would consider an issue (and I’m not arguing against them, I’m giving full disclosure) is the specimen offered was on a V1 bracelet. I suspected it was, wasn’t sure and considered coming back to the rwi 300m thread where the differences are discussed in detail with pics... and decided it doesn’t matter to me. This watch was perfect to my eyes, I like the bracelet and I need to see the bracelets side by side to remind myself of the difference, so the difference is not important enough to give up such a good specimen and risk a not as good watch on a bracelet other people prefer, when I have no real preference. I green lighted it.
The first one was on v2 bracelet. The 2nd wasn’t an exchange on my 1st, but a ‘do you prefer this one?’ offer. I was still free to proceed with the first or ignore this offered one and red light my first one. Some would rightfully feel that the v1 bracelet should have been pointed out by Andrew given this offer. It doesn’t bother me but ymmv.
This package took under 2 weeks to be in my hands, significantly more than previous but still not long. I know this one was sent via a 3rd party. I’m unsure if previous went through 3rd party or not but suspect not and thus the speed of first 2 packages. Apparently times are hot for the rep world in China and I suspect the 3rd party was to help avoid customs problems but I’m making this all up in my head, so a bag of salt with this one.
I had constant and good communication with Trusty the whole time, including after one purchase only when I was emailing a lot about a not properly functioning watch and trying to sort it out myself, with Trusty still happy to repair it if I sent it back.
Every watch I received was the same watch from qc pics. After the first very minor problem which I easily fixed with very poor knowledge and zero experience, they are all functioning well. On my observations so far they’re between +2secs to + 7secs per day.
I have had an excellent experience with Trusty.
Now that I’ve had time to read a bit on here I understand that Andrew was previously a TD and then booted due to collusion with another on price fixing. Please correct me if I’m wrong on the why.
Especially correct me because to be honest, living in a modern capitalist country, shopping in supermarkets occasionally, buying packaged food from multinational corporations occasionally and putting fuel in my car...buying from people who engage in price fixing is the norm. I’d have to stop these behaviours if I had a claim to boycott a price fixer and have any integrity myself.
Given some reactions on here to Trusty, I do wonder if the booting was actually to do with more than price fixing, but all I’ve read so far is price fixing.
I’m inclined to try to support this site and thus use TDs for future purchases. However it’s not a confident step having seen experiences not as fast, not as communicative and resulting in worse specimens to mine from others dealings on here with TDs.
If it was only due to price collusion, I would suggest rwi should consider the reality of the world we live in and consider making Trusty a TD again, and if it was more than that then forget my suggestion and at least let us newbies know it was more than that, even if it’s without the details of that more.
So far I get the impression when I order from a TD I will wait much longer, get less communication and not be at a better chance of a better specimen. So my next step is a bit reluctant.
So it turns out I could indeed get a Speedmaster rep, just not a very good one. But, I can get some very good other Omega reps.
So, one step at a time to test the water, ordered an OMF Speedy Silver Snoopy being the cheapest watch I wanted.
In under 48 hours I had my qc pics with no glaring problems. In under a week from order I had it in my hands. It was the same watch as qc pics and looked good for what it was. It worked fine, until I rotated my wrist to look at the time, when it would stop. Put my hand down by my side and it ran.
So, time to take my first steps in this hobby. (Buying reps isn’t a hobby to me. Working on reps is.) So opened caseback, removed stem, removed movement and set out to work out what was wrong. Rotating the movement next to my ear I could hear the balance wheel pinging against another piece of metal at certain angles and not others. Saw how that balance wheel was held in place, unscrewed it, seated the piece as best I could and rescrewed it back down and voila, no pinging at any angle and has run great since. Lucky it was an easy fix, whilst unlucky in that it didn’t challenge me to learn more. I was free to send it back for repair (I kept Andrew in the loop as to what was happening and that I was going to try to deal with it without returning. He was always responsive and still open to me returning it for repair.)
So having received what I ordered, and knowing there were better Omega reps available I ordered a VSF Aqua Terra. Again qc pics in under 48 hours, an excellent specimen as far as I can tell, and again in my hand less than a week from order. I was gobsmacked by the quality of this one. Truly mind blowing for someone who just stumbled upon reps.
I had found my way to this site by then. However yet to read much, having read TDs want some history on here before considering certain payment methods and transactions, I made my next order with Trusty. A Noob Daytona.
Andrew was upfront saying it will take a week or two to get one, instead of the day or two previously. No worries, I’ll wait. Between 1-2 weeks posts start popping up here that Noob is on a bit of a forced holiday. Andrew was straight again saying yeah, circumstances have changed and it will be at least another 3-4 weeks now (maybe longer, can’t be sure) until he can get one for me and asking if I would like to change my order.
So changed my order to VSF Omegas 300m diver and 600m planet ocean 42mm (puny wrist, I prefer the ceramic but don’t think it’ll work on my wrist). Less than 48 hours I had qc of 300m. There was the tiniest hairline fracture in the ceramic next to the pearl which couldn’t be seen with full watch on my phone screen but could be seen zooming in. I asked Andrew if he could give me another shot on the pearl as I do see a fault but don’t think it will be noticeable, and please don’t send it back (it was better than several specimens I had seen on here). Andrew replies ‘no problem, but will take some time.’
Next day qc pics for PO arrive. Excellent specimen to my eyes. Green light. And also qc pics of another 300m diver asking if I prefer this one.
Now what some here would consider an issue (and I’m not arguing against them, I’m giving full disclosure) is the specimen offered was on a V1 bracelet. I suspected it was, wasn’t sure and considered coming back to the rwi 300m thread where the differences are discussed in detail with pics... and decided it doesn’t matter to me. This watch was perfect to my eyes, I like the bracelet and I need to see the bracelets side by side to remind myself of the difference, so the difference is not important enough to give up such a good specimen and risk a not as good watch on a bracelet other people prefer, when I have no real preference. I green lighted it.
The first one was on v2 bracelet. The 2nd wasn’t an exchange on my 1st, but a ‘do you prefer this one?’ offer. I was still free to proceed with the first or ignore this offered one and red light my first one. Some would rightfully feel that the v1 bracelet should have been pointed out by Andrew given this offer. It doesn’t bother me but ymmv.
This package took under 2 weeks to be in my hands, significantly more than previous but still not long. I know this one was sent via a 3rd party. I’m unsure if previous went through 3rd party or not but suspect not and thus the speed of first 2 packages. Apparently times are hot for the rep world in China and I suspect the 3rd party was to help avoid customs problems but I’m making this all up in my head, so a bag of salt with this one.
I had constant and good communication with Trusty the whole time, including after one purchase only when I was emailing a lot about a not properly functioning watch and trying to sort it out myself, with Trusty still happy to repair it if I sent it back.
Every watch I received was the same watch from qc pics. After the first very minor problem which I easily fixed with very poor knowledge and zero experience, they are all functioning well. On my observations so far they’re between +2secs to + 7secs per day.
I have had an excellent experience with Trusty.
Now that I’ve had time to read a bit on here I understand that Andrew was previously a TD and then booted due to collusion with another on price fixing. Please correct me if I’m wrong on the why.
Especially correct me because to be honest, living in a modern capitalist country, shopping in supermarkets occasionally, buying packaged food from multinational corporations occasionally and putting fuel in my car...buying from people who engage in price fixing is the norm. I’d have to stop these behaviours if I had a claim to boycott a price fixer and have any integrity myself.
Given some reactions on here to Trusty, I do wonder if the booting was actually to do with more than price fixing, but all I’ve read so far is price fixing.
I’m inclined to try to support this site and thus use TDs for future purchases. However it’s not a confident step having seen experiences not as fast, not as communicative and resulting in worse specimens to mine from others dealings on here with TDs.
If it was only due to price collusion, I would suggest rwi should consider the reality of the world we live in and consider making Trusty a TD again, and if it was more than that then forget my suggestion and at least let us newbies know it was more than that, even if it’s without the details of that more.
So far I get the impression when I order from a TD I will wait much longer, get less communication and not be at a better chance of a better specimen. So my next step is a bit reluctant.
