Will Jensen Dinh Ever Repent!

Jensen Dinh goes by the seller name jdm_k20(private) on eBay. Currently he is selling so-called mint Constellation case, dial and hand ensembles when he knows that they're not mint. He knows the dials are inauthentic and do not match Constellation specifications (see other posts on this matter) and there are serious questions about the authenticity of the cases as well. He has sold quite a number of these cases, so get ready for a wave of Frankenwatches to appear on eBay and other outlets

So as not to confuse this Jensen Dinh with any honourable person who is called Jensen Dinh, the person about whom we are referring lives at 5214 E Nicholas Place, Scottsdale, Arizona, 85254.

I believe rocks in Scottsdale are plentiful because Jenson Dinh, like so many other insects, prefers to hide under one. And what many subterranean species who live under rocks fear most of all - is the light. So we're going to shine a little light on Jensen in the hope that he will adopt commercial practices that are honest, open and not designed to conceal and dissemble; that he will somehow find in his black soul a little compassion for those whom he has ripped off thousands of dollars, and that he will mend his ways. Tall order, you may agree, but let's face it, other sons and daughters of Beelzibub have had conversion experiences so why not Jensen Dinh?

Here are some recent examples of Jensen's merchantile mayhem:

I made an inquiry to him not so long ago about a Blancpain 50 fathoms he was selling suggesting it was not authentic...you could tell by the laser etching that was then 'antiqued' to make it look old...and he wrote me back saying "maybe not genuine"...but he still let someone pay well over a thousand dollars for it without modifying his listing or caring a fig about the poor 'patsy' who had the misfortune to cross his commercial path.

Jensen Dinh has also engaged in other on-and-off eBay 'stings' with a variety of brands including Patek Philippe. His most recent outrage (see this listing) was to fit a tired, worn calibre 7-70 - a movement that powered a ladies ref 2295 line of Patek Phillipe watches (see pic above of the case and style of watch this movement should have graced) - into what he calls a 'unisex' case.

The movement was made in about 1953, but the case could have been made yesterday. The case has no case number, but does have a fake Patek case stamp. The reason why it has no number is that Jensen could get caught out if the buyer was to quote the movement number and case number to Patek Phillipe and ask for an extract from Patek files. You see, if the movement and case number don't match, it is PP policy not to comment on the watch at all - and therefore no evidence can be obtained by the inquirer as to its inauthenticity. Clever eh? Well, diabolical you could say.

In some parts of China and Vietnam, movement and case stamping on non-genuine cases and movements is rife, particularly so in Ho Chi Minh City. And there is evidence that nationals from those countries import such handiwork from their homelands and propagate countless frauds in their host countries. The happless winning bidder in the example above doesnt know it yet, but s/he has a piece of junk that is worth a fraction of what was paid for it.

The former pic in this post is a shot of the house in Scottsdale that Jensen supports through wreaking misery on gormless or trusting eBay buyers. A few grand here and there

squeezed from the pockets of trusting individuals can make a real dent in the mortgage eh Jensen? As one contributor suggested, Jensen's modest adobe should rightly be named the "Dinh of Iniquity'.

In another case involving a Patek, Jensen Dinh ripped off a buyer to the tune of 15 thousand dollars. In that case, a badly worn Patek movement was matched to another case and when the buyer sought information from Patek, lo!, they would not provide it because the numbers didnt match and the watch was a Frankenwatch. The watch movement required around two thousand dollars worth of repairs and an unspecified amount of money to find the right case in which to match the movement. Watch out for a law suit on this one Jensen, old chap, unless you make good your disreputable behaviour.

The above stories are not hearsay: they are backed up with evidence.

WHY OUT JENSEN DINH WHEN THE ARE CROOKS APLENTY ON EBAY?

I receive numerous emails each week from collectors who have bought what we can term 'lemons'. Sometimes the seller is simply a merchant who doesnt know about watches and who hypes up a watch in order to get a good price. These types will usually come to the party if the hype doesnt fit the product and they're confronted about it.

But of all the rip-offs Ive seen, I never seen such consistency of bad behaviour and naked deceit by any individual seller. EBay-world is big; it's not like a small town where everyone will ultimately get to know who the insects are, and Dinh is emboldened by the size of the market - this endless stream of enthusiastic but naive customers, whom he can easily dodge if theyre not from the same town or city.

And hence the Jensen Dinh story begins - an horological Days of Your Lives - in which the 3000 plus monthly readers of this blog will get regular updates on the latest shennanigans of our leading character. Jensen could end this saga now by simply repenting. What would you imagine are the chances of that?

Jensen Dinh is the 'American' name of our principle character. Should we reveal his other name?

To those horological sages and experts in a variety of brands

including Patek, Vacheron and Rolex, please have a look at

his current listings and let me know if you see other

outrages.

Franken Update

Thanks to our wily contributors, here is a list of Frankens reported as currently listed on eBay.

In heading this post Rogues Gallery I am referring particularly to the watches. While I'm sure some of the sellers may be bona fide candidates for the honour too, others may be ignorant about the monster they seek to offload.

adir2001 listing 130038303170. This chap has in the past offered frankens shamelessly. But why put a calibre 751 movement in a solid gold case? Or is the movement really a 751?  What may not make it so? Have a look at the rotor bridge and what do you not see? The dial? Not a bad refinishing job all round, but have a look at the dial surround. Why does it not look like most piepans?  Adir wins the Klutz of the Week award because he should have waited around to find a correct calibre 561 and a better dial in which to marry to the nice case. 

ericasp1 listing 190044247533. Bad redial. But have a look at the movement. The wheel bridge says calibre 551. Is it really? Again notice the rotor bridge and the absence of the correct stamping that would signify the movement is a fully adjusted certified chronometer. Seller claims the watch is mint - a freudian slip indicating the mint he intends

on making for a genuine Frankenwatch.

jethrull92 Listing 110047077207. This is now the third time this watch has been listed by this seller. Seller claims dial is genuine. Ive never seen a Chronostop-looking dial on a Constellation, and after a search of Omega brochures released in the UK, US and Europe I have seen no illustration of a Constellation with this dial. Timezone discussion on this dial arrived at a consensus that it was probably not original. He is trying to get absolute top dollar for a supposedly rare dial - it is rare as there appears to have been only one produced, and it certainly wasnt produced at the Omega factory.

jfm_enterprise Listing 290042826795. Mildly Franken. Wrong hands, shocking re-dial and rusted case and rusted swan neck regulator - could be a real problem. This seller is often indiscriminate with his descriptions.

mayby61 Listing 170042214501.  Offered as a 100% genuine Omega Constellation. Is not. Some calibre 562 chronometers were used in Constellations but this one is a Seamaster non-certified movement. The person who reported this one described it as "rusted to buggery" . Colourful but never-the-less accurate descriptions of the case and movement. Mayby you should avoid this abomination, which, to me, looks like a very early Franken creation.

f.q.watches Listing 170041177054 . Good old Franklin Queseda is at it again. Look at the movement. Notice the shoddy engraving of the calibre 1012. Notice also that the circular decal has no refernce to adjustments to five positions, which all genuine 1012 chronometers do have. Look at the dial - what don't you see?

jdm_k20 (Private) Listing 330041177065 .Claims this case ensemble is New Old Stock. Well the dial isn't for starters. Notice the script on Constellation and the fact that the i is not dotted. I think he, or whomever put together these starter kits for Frankens, may have got his dials from here.  They are not authentic Omega factory dials. Apart from discrepancies in the script, look at the date surround and notice the lack of bevelling. Also notice the pic of the underside of the dial. The rivets are glued and not soldered. Well, at 49 dollars a pop, what can you expect.

These are only but a few of the Frankens appearing on eBay at the moment - Caveat Emptor please

Life After Death

(Above: First 2 pics are after the restoration, the latter 2 are before)

Here's a good news story about a 500 series Omega chronometer movement that proves there is indeed life after death.

The pictures are before and afters of a restoration by Tim Mackrain, who trades under the name Omega_Addict.

The watch in question had a family history and it was important to the owner that it kept its originality and that the original parts were restored as opposed to being replaced.The only parts Tim had to replace was the case clamp and screw. Here's what he did with the movement:

"I took it apart, cleaned the rusted parts , removed the case clamp screw which was rusted and broken off in the hole. (You can see the damage to the plate that had occurred before I started). I cleaned the rest of the parts and then repeated the process for the parts that were rusted. Then the movement was given the rest of a regular service. The watch was run on the timing machine and then reunited with dial and case and was timed on the timing machine again. The watch was run for three days before a final timing check."

Tim says that "This one was relatively easy to restore, but that does not mean they are all going to work out that way." He doesn't recommend buying a watch with extensive rust in the hope that it can be saved. "It can end up costing quite a bit, depending how bad it is."

But in the case of a watch with great sentimental value or history, the price paid for a genuine restoration, to many people, would be small compared with the joy of seeing an heirloom such as the example shown purring away quietly.

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.

Archetypal Franken

There are quite a few inauthentic Constellations on eBay at the moment, but I've posted this one as it is an absolute classic!

I emailed the seller- oddstuff247 - and pointed out its inauthenticity and received this reply "I don't know much about this, I'm selling for a friend. You can send me the reference you are talking about to....."  The seller has sold watches in the past and sells a range of goods including jewellry, so it may be true the he doesnt know he is selling an ansolute abomination-
another Frankenfreak in fact.

For fun, click on the link above and see if you can work out the major clues that point to its Franken heritage
.....then match them against the following:

• The movement is claimed to be a calibre 565 and no Constellation was ever powered by a 565
  

• To double check and make sure that the train bridge that carries the calibre number wasn't simply replaced with a 565 train bridge, check the rotor bridge and notice that Adjusted to (5) five positions and temperatures is not stamped there, but is replaced by script that denotes the watch has been adjusted to two positions.
  

• Also notice that 17 jewels is stamped. That's a real giveaway because calibre 565s were a 24 jewel movement. So what we have here - if indeed we have a non-certified cal 565 movement - is a ring-in rotor bridge from another movement series. 
  

• Check the serial number against the Omega database. The serial number (in the 30 millions) dates the movement to the early 70s. Constellation Pie Pans with the case shown in the listing were not made in the 70s. In fact the last Pie Pans were housed in monocoque cases and were phased out in 1969.
  

• Compare the dial with  the reference dials in my September 1 posting under the heading 'Which Dial is Fake'. What you'll notice is that the script is ink-stamped and patchy. The word Constellation is similar but not exactly like the real thing....and they fogot to dot the 'i'!!!  Notice also the two T letters on either side of 'Swiss Made' at 6 o'clock. This denotes that both the hands and markers should have tritium luminosity - but neither the hands or markers have even a trace.
  

So what we have here is one of Dr Frankenwatch's blowbacks - a hideous attempt to create an authentic looking Connie from parts laying around.

The seller is no longer unaware of the problems with his listing and I think that he should alter it to reflect the truth about this awful watch - I wonder if he will? Or will he risk spoiling his 100% feedback record if a buyer twigs that s/he has bought a monster soon after the sale?

POSTSCRIPT: A correspondent tells me that oddstuff247 cancelled the listing - an honourable thing to do.

Cop This!

This watch sold on eBay for $393.00.

It attracted more than 20 bids, although we dont know for sure if they were all genuine because the seller cubias57 has opted for 'private' bidding, a practice that seasoned eBayers avoid like the plague.

I'm beginning to think there is a niche market for Frankenwatches. Are there people out there who collect horological misfits like Barnham did human oddities? This one goes beyond the realms of Frankenwatch to take its place amongst those rarer abominations we'll label Frankenfreaks. Perhaps it should join a circus!

Note the star: it's pointing to ten o'clock. Maybe the re-dialler thought he was correcting for central time? The hands are ok for this vintage, but the dial finish???? It resembles uncannily some of those early Formica/Laminex patterns that covered kitchen tables and benchtops in the 1950s or the kind of decorative motifs that you'd see on pajamas in a Hong Kong night market. Uggggh!

A Cantonese chicken farmer has more design intelligence than whomever refinished this dial. In fact, the script looks as though the farmer may well have been induced to provide one of his more literate fowls to do the Constellation wording.

The seller claims the watch is 100% authentic, even though it has a calibre 562 under its gaudy bonnet. Either the rotor bridge or the wheel bridge has been replaced, who knows, but the movement is anything but authentic. The seller claims the gold is solid when he should say the bezel is sg and the lugs are gold plaque. The movement number is obscured and is given no mention in the listing.

The movement looks a tired old thing. Direct your gaze towards the balance wheel and look at the extent to which the watch has been regulated (advanced) to compensate for its lack of performance. The poor old swan neck would break with any further tweaks. This is indicative at least of a watch that is magnetised, but more likely it needs completely dissembling and given a clean and oil, or at worst there is severe wear and in need of replacement parts.

cubias57 has sold a heap of stuff on eBay and buys and sells watches - he should know better, and probably does.

Franken Detectives

There are, thankfully, a lot of keen eyes out there detecting the latest eBay seller shenanigans in passing off wedding and Frankenwatches as the real deal. I have received a number of emails this week nominating the following sellers and watches for our Hall of Shame:

haydn_uk1( 190) Listing 220032316692 with a cal 563 movement probably out of a Seamaster - Seller asserts the watch is genuine, but may have wrong information. Don't bid on this one.

f.q.watches( 1128) Listing 170034431835. This guy is at it again. Claims the watch is authentic when he knows its not. Has a calibre 563 movement in it. Come on Franklin - be honest!

jethrull92(464) Listing 110038788228. This is the second time this watch has been listed by this seller. Seller claims dial is genuine. Ive never seen a Chronostop-looking dial on a Constellation, and after a search of Omega brochures released in the UK, US and Europe I have seen no illustration of a Constellation with this dial. Timezone discussion on this dial arrived at a concensus that it was probably not original.

soiiba( 0 ) Listing 220032759464 Avoid this listing like the plague. One of our Chinese friends is seeking to make some pocket money out of some poor and gormless person. Has fraud written all over it. I saw this exact listing from a seller some time ago

billshaine( 387) Listing 230033767695. Advertised as a Grand Luxe 354. Is isn't - it's a Deluxe. Big difference, but this is a minor infraction.

trigger.x( 3808) Listing 140034999043. Good 'ol Trigger is bending overboard and giving us decidedly more bang for our buck. Has squeezed a cal 564 into an early 2852 case which should house a cal 501 or 505 movement.

Trigger deserves to be in the Roy Rogers Hall of Fame as well as celebrated for his pure gaul!

omega_zone(private) Listing 170033545332 This guy is patchy with his calibres. Here he lists a cal 565 under the heading Omega Constellation, which he knows is incorrect. Also has private bidding. Avoid.

antiquesintime( 2008) Listing 150038368518 This guy should know better. Unless he's made a mistake and described a 501 as a 561. The case should be powered by a 354 or early 500 series. 561 is the non-quickset date movement.

micha0827( 2869) Listing 160034010984 This one deserves honourable mention for the pure ugliness and non-authenticity of the two tone redial. Watch is ok but the dial, Whoa!

Thanks folks for your sniffing about. Feel free to email me when you uncover a frankenwatch. Please add details why you believe it fits the Franken description.