Franken Bulletin



It's common knowledge that some of the worst watch frauds come from Indonesia - so many eBay sellers add the postscript to their listings "No shipping to Indonesia", while quite a number of on-line dealers also won't have a bar with Indonesian buyers because of their unhappy experiences of the past.

As a general rule, buying from Indonesia is fraught with difficulties. In a country with so much institutionalised corruption, from the top down, its no wonder it filters through to the world of E-Commerce. Think very hard before you choose to deal with any Indonesian seller.

Broad, generalised statements, are always dangerous territory I know, and it's tough damming a whole country for the activities of its venal class, but take a look at this listing and you'll appreciate why a general warning about buying watches from, or selling watches to, Indonesia has some justification. It's just the latest in a long, sorry line of swindles I've observed coming from that illustrious home of the Big Squeeze.

The seller stwa73 claims in his description "No buyer beware sales, I honestly do give 100% effort to make sure my Buyers are 100% satisfied with their purchases, it is GUARANTEED for all my Item to be sold with high respect in this Ebay Auction are 100% Authentic, Absolutely NO FAKES or REPLICAS."

Yeah, yeah, yudder, yudder! No matter what you say stwa73 you are offering a true Frankenfreak.  Take a look at the movement. Where are the bloody jewels?????

All the pivots are unjewelled with the exception of the balance top cap jewel. Click on the listing and compare the picture of the movement with the one above. You'll note amazing dissimilarities between the real MCCoy above and the piece of crud that's under the bonnet of this monster.

See how many inconsistencies you can identify.

stwa73's words are hollow and the listing definitely comes under the "buyer Beware" banner. Perhaps stwa is code for STAY AWAY and that's exactly what you should do with this seller.

My next posting will be on a much happier note. A before and after story of a Connie movement brought back to life.

7 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:18 am

    ebay 320035998184
    CALIBER 563??????

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous10:14 am

    I appreciate for your unwise international-experienced lecture comment about my item on Ebay, and you could write anything but I only sell my item without any intention to cheat or hiding something to get money, and one thing I also believe that you must be expert about Omega and I am not. I am a well known person in the largest public utilities company in Indonesia so absolutely will not sacrifice my reputation only for a small amount of dollar. The decision is left to the observer or the buyer. If my watch didn't sold it will be no problem for me or neither for you I just make it for extra activities to join in Ebay, please read my feedback.
    Please kindly learn how to behave as a good person and respect other in this once of a life time. I believe after you travell all over the world you got good experiences instead of frustrated manner.

    regards/stwa73

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous12:18 pm

    Perhaps you might do the honourable thing and pull your auction, Sir. As it is, the pictures (which are well-taken, by the way), indicate numerous evidence that the watch is cobbled together from different sources.

    For example, in addition to the lack of jewels, the number of jewels indicated is incorrect, and the movement is _not_ "unadjusted." A close look at the movement reveals that one of the gears is in very poor shape (corrosion?) relative to the rest of the movement.

    On the dial, the date window is not properly beveled, and does not lay flat against the dial face. The seconds hand is badly corroded relative to the other hands. The ink printing is thin, the letter "i" is not dotted, there is no hint of a slash mark at the ends of the lettering. Lastly, the minute markers do not touch the border in a real pie pan dial.

    It might be just business, but it hardly would be appropriate for a well-respected figure in the largest utility in Indonesia to sell fake goods to an unsuspecting buyer.

    Regards,
    P.Sieh

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  4. Anonymous6:11 am

    Ebay 220039881692

    caliber 752?????????????

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous7:15 am

    I think P.sieh should get his eyes checked.There is nothing worong with the date window.This seller also has better feedback than many in "safe" places to buy so he must not be a criminal as P sieh is trying to say.
    This watch has a beautiful case and a dial well worth bringing back with a nice restoration.
    Sell the movement thats in it buy the correct one , a new seconds hand and you could still come in at a fair price.
    So I take it if people like P.sieh found an old 65 corvette in a barn with the wrong rims and motor and the person selling thought they were original you would take the car out of the barn and burn it insted of restore it and make it beautiful again.Rubbish.
    This watch is not "fake" just has the wrong movement and it's not a chinese movement.
    P.Sieh can piont out the easy to see but overlooks the fact this may be a beautiful watch with little work needed.
    I am willing to bet in another 10 or 15 years many will have wished they had purchased this watch for 700 or 800 bucks "back then".
    Even with the wrong but still an original omega movement it could still be a good buy for the money if you are not blind to it's potential.
    Ever see the Barrets car auction? clone chevy ss cars are going for six figures.
    That's the same way hard to find watches are going ( not 6 figures) but the price will go up even with the wrong engine.
    I don't think you could go wrong on this watch at that price unless you watchmaker was a crook.

    He comes across as a nice guy to me.I really don't think he was out to get anybody.
    He replied to this in a much nicer way than you P.Sieh and I would deal with him before you going on his post and yours.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for your comments on this one. Yes, I had a bit of a problem seeing anything wrong with the date surround.

    I think the point here is that under normal commercial ethics one must make the product fit the claim. In this listing I dont think that was the case.

    Agree with the comment that a new movement could be found, but that is something an expert collector or watchmaker would think of, and not a newcomer to collecting connies.

    The seller has some knowledge of watches and could have, if he had chosen, to describe the watch accurately I think.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous11:04 pm

    EBAY GERMANY 130038303170
    CALIBER 751 ??????

    ReplyDelete