This is a follow up review to the one I posted a few months back since I have been receive various inquiries from members about my experience and facts of this site.
When I come back to this site and see the different reviews, sometimes I wonder if some of these people/buyers/reviewers have a brain at all. Again, the site clearly indicates everything they sell are replicas, to get a good replica is always hit and miss because there is hardly any quality control in what these people do. You can buy an exact watch 3 months later from here and it could work differently. You just have to follow a few rules of thumb. Here are some of my tips from experience, but before you decide to buy a replica watch, you need to understand the risks. Don't complain about the obvious.
Quality
1) Chinese/Japanese/Swedish movement
As I have indicated previously, the quality is hit and miss. Regardless of Chinese/Japanese/Swedish movements advertised, that is just the gut of the watch, the exterior looks exactly the same. If think want to spend a lot of money on the so called Swedish movement, I recommend you to buy an authentic used which is more for the money.
2) Styling
The more complicated the watch design, especially those grand complication automatics will look more fake than others. The craftsmanship will look horrible and unrefined, very easy to tell that is a replica. This shows more on the bigger face watches 38mm and bigger. If you get a smaller watch, it is more difficult to see the imperfections. Also for watches like Panerai that has a complicated stem lock, the outside of the lock will look OK but the inside is unfinished. So it will be better to get the Marine. Try not to get the so called PVD coated watches because you can some times see the imperfect material flow on the surface (different shading). PVD stands for Physical Vapor Deposition, a way to apply hard and wear resistant coating on the surface. But their process hardly provides an even coating. Don't get the so called diamond ones either, because the setting to hold the stones are quite weak, especially on the perimeter. If you hit something with it, there is a chance the stone(s) will fall out.
3) Stainless Or Leather
Personally I would always go for leather band, because they are actually not bad and very lasting. The stainless bands are usually poorly made with bad pin connectors, plus the surface finish is quite poor. If you can avoid it, please do so. In addition, most of the military style hoop bands are not connected all the way through and from a soft steel, so if you like to wear your watch tight, one of these days the hoop will deform and your band will just give away.
4) Date and Calendar
As far as I know, those work, not just for show. But you have to be careful not to adjust the time between 11:30pm to 12:30am because it could actually complicate the cheap movement and eventually the watch won't move, like the second hand just tries to tick but doesn't move. You can sometimes tell if you are doing wrong when you change the time, if you feel the stem all of sudden gets tie and you can hear some grinding sound, stop immediately and wait an hour or so before adjusting again.
5) Chronographs
Those work as well, not just for show. But same issue as 4) above.
Payment
1) Don't be cheap!
If you choose those western union payments or anything else besides a credit card and you didn't get your watch or they deny receipt of payment, 2 things could've happened. They will take the money and not knowing which order to apply to because they use a front for the transactions. Please do remember that this is an illegal operation in China (or anywhere), the government monitors the large and frequent transactions, sometimes your bank has indicated that the money is out, but it doesn't mean they actually got it. So don't try to save a few coins because of the discount, use something traceable. The worst case is tell you bank that it was a fraudulent charge and get your money back, simple. I did over 8 different transactions with these people, never once had payment issues. They didn't charge me until the watch(s) was shipped.
2) Transaction Fees
Yes you will be charge the foreign transaction fees, every credit card does. There is no such thing as no transaction fees though some credit cards claims that. All they are doing is adjust the exchange rate and does post it separately. US Banks are just as criminal.
Shipment
1) Carriers
They usually use EMS for overseas shipments. You can see the shipment status using their tracking system (which is not very good) all the way until it leaves China. Then you will need to start tracking it using the USPS website (in the US).
2) Shipment time
It is not a simple process and it will take about 3 weeks or more easily. Sometimes the shipment will get caught at customs and gets confiscated. However, these people guarantees delivery and they actually follow up with me all the time to let me know where it is at. I never had a no show. And yes if you get frustrated and scream at the people calling you to give you updates, you probably won't get it. Word of advise, patience. You will get it. The packaging is always sufficient, no complains.
Customer Service
1) Don't expect it, and I mean it. Do you really think these people have some established customer service protocol to honor the "exchange service"? If you didn't like your watch, there is a 5% chance you will actually be able to exchange it, maybe if you have been a good customer. A friend of mine was actually able to exchange his but it took over 6 weeks. So you just have to take your chance.
2) On the other hand, as I have mentioned above, from the time of your order until you get the watch, they actually follow up with you quite frequently to make sure you are not freaking out. That part of the service is good. They want to talk to you on the phone sometimes if they see something suspicious, such as your billing and shipping address is different. These people don't want to get scam as well. So if you don't want your phone number known to these people for whatever reason, get a Google number, or a Magic Jack number, whatever tickles your fancy.
Maintenance
1) Don't over use
People tend to forget these are cheap replicas, when you over use them, they will break and within a short period of time. The automatic movement will get over wound and lose the power retention, then it will just stop working. You will notice that when you shake your watch, you can hear the movement trying to start, the second hand will move a few notches and stop. My recommendation is to use it no more than 3 - 4 days at a time. I did a trial just to make sure, bought 2 of the same watch at the same time, I used one and gave one to my friend. I worn it everyday, 3 months later it is dead. My friend used it about 2-3 days at a time at the most, and skip a few days before wearing it again, now 3 years later, it is still going strong.
2) Adjustments
As I have indicated above, don't play with it between 11:30pm and 12:30am.
3) Waterprove?
No they are no water prove. They use very cheap screws holding the back plate, there is no torque on those, just for show. Most of the generic back plate has no seal, so take it off even if you are just washing your hands. If you accidentally drop it in water or got splashed really good, you remember those desiccant bags you find in food packages? Save some of those and put them in a seal bag for about 5 days, it could save it. Don't try to blow dry it because the heat will burn off whatever oil you have in the watch...
That is it. Good Hunting...
Before you write a review about replica watches, seriously please use your brain.
P.S. Just got my BR Phantom, awesome! The case is a little thicker than the real thing, but overall quality and weight is good!
