www.oldswisswatches.com

[VWatchie]

I just received my first (and likely last) delivery of spare parts from the Indian site www.oldswisswatches.com. For a Unitas calibre 6380 I ordered a mainspring, a complete pallet fork, and an escape wheel. I had the impression all parts would be original NOS, but they were simply used parts extracted from some old abused movement. The inner coil of the mainsping was slightly mangled (but otherwise in OK shape), the impulse surfaces of the pallets were slightly crackled and carved, and one of the escape wheel pivots were broken at the very top (although it probably works) and extremely dirty. So dirty that not even a thorough bath and brush off in acetone would bite on it. All in all I paid about $50 USD for these three parts so I am very, very disappointed.

Perhaps I was unlucky, but my recommendation is that you ask for pictures before you buy and then negotiate the price. Never again will I assume that a premium price equals a premium delivery. 

[watchweasol]

Hi Watchie  How dissapointing when these things happen,  I was always suspicious of the Indian goods after I purchased a quartz watch  pulse and battery tester. Although   bought from a British site. It failed and when opened up it was a cobbled job and the wiring was dropping to bits, I contacted the Indian site and guess what NO reply. I scrapped it and made a line release unit from the bits.  Thanks for the warning.

[AdamC]

Thanks for the tip off. I’ve seen them a few times in web searches for parts. However, I wasn’t aware they were an Indian site.


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[JohnR725]

If you look at their contact page they give you the complete address which according to Google puts them definitely in India.   I see they also repair watches with very interesting prices. I'm assuming the cost of living in India must be insanely low and hourly wages equally low.

 

https://www.oldswisswatches.com/watch-repair-services/

[VWatchie]

On 11/19/2019 at 12:55 PM, JohnR725 said:

If you look at their contact page they give you the complete address which according to Google puts them definitely in India.   I see they also repair watches with very interesting prices. I'm assuming the cost of living in India must be insanely low and hourly wages equally low.

 

https://www.oldswisswatches.com/watch-repair-services/

Well, I have just written to Mr. Sudarson at www.oldswisswatches.com and have politely asked him how he can help me with this problem. I'll keep you updated on the progress.

Yes, I don't think you're wrong to assume that the cost of living and wages in India are extremely low. An alternative explanation could possibly be that the repair prices reflect the same kind of quality that the spare parts they sent me had, but I wouldn't really know.

[Sundar]

Hello WRT admin/members! I appreciate your efforts to keep the watch making industry alive by giving us a platform to share our experience/feedback.

This is Sudarson, proprietor of oldswisswatches.com and it is my responsibility to explain myself to the complaint made by the OP.

I did receive an email from the OP stating that there were damages in the part and none of them are in "acceptable" condition. There were complaints about broken escape wheel pivots, slightly crackled pallets and mangled mainspring. I've asked for the picture of the parts, yet I haven't received a reply.

I've been supplying parts to watch repairers and enthusiasts all over the world for over a decade and I am into this industry for nearly 50 years. I've been into repairs and supplying parts. Yes, they were sold cheap in India and all these parts are from 70's which were in my old stock hence the price is quoted reasonably low.

I've faced such complaints earlier and started taking photographs of the parts I ship to my customers. I've attached the picture of the parts I sent to the OP before sending for reference. Please let me know if you see any broken escape wheel pivots.

I always deal with PayPal and if there are any concerns with the product, the buyer has all the rights to dispute. Rather, I see a complaint here (accidentally I found this post) which is surprising and makes me doubt the intention of the post. But, good that I have an option to clarify what happened.

If I don't clarify here, it will definitely spoil my reputation which I've earned with my hard work for years.

 

[VWatchie]

Open mail to Mr. Sudarson of www.oldswisswatches.com from the OP.

Dear Mr Sudarson,

As I wrote in my latest mail to you "I’m sure this is just a mishap in your service". Also, my apologies for not having sent you the close-up pictures of the parts that I said I would do. I have prioritised other projects and that’s why it has been dragging out. By the way, and it’s not that important, but in our mail conversation you never asked me for any pictures as you claim. Also, I didn’t explicitly claim that the parts aren’t "acceptable" but rather that "the parts did not have the quality I was expecting". However, I most definitely find the escape wheel unacceptable, and I’m not happy about the pallets and the mainspring. Furthermore, the parts in the pictures that you post are (as far as I can tell) not the parts that I received from you. Overall, it could be that you have simply confused me with another of your customers!?

Let me assure you that you have no reason to "doubt the intention of my post". The sincere intention of my post was to warn the other members of WRT not to expect NOS parts from oldswisswatches.com but instead used parts, to ask for pictures in advance and to negotiate the price accordingly.

Whether prices are "reasonably low" or not is of course a subjective matter of opinion. I’ve compared the prices of brand-new similar parts from cousinsuk.com with the prices you quoted me:

cousinsuk.com Unitas 6325 Mainspring (US$ 16.62 excl. VAT) US$ 19.94 including VAT
oldswisswatches.com Unitas 6380 Mainspring US$ 12.00

cousinsuk.com Unitas 6498 Pallet fork (US$ 15.66 excl. VAT) US$ 18.79 including VAT
oldswisswatches.com Unitas 6380 Pallet fork US$ 18.00

cousinsuk.com Unitas 6498 Escape wheel (US$ 19.98) US$ 23.98 including VAT
oldswisswatches.com Unitas 6380 Escape wheel US$ 20.00

Anyway, with good will I’m sure we can find a solution! I’d be happy return the parts for a refund or a replacement (in NOS or near NOS condition), and any positive impressions of your service I’d be happy to report in this thread. Here are the close-up pictures of the parts that I received from you with my comments:

Kind regards

This escape wheel pivot is damaged and just impossible to get clean.

The teeth of the escape wheel look very worn.

The pallet staff pivots are slightly worn and impossible to get clean.

The guard pin isn’t polished. I'm not sure that is always the case, but it is my personal experience that the guard pin is polished.

Slightly crackled and worn pallet impulse surface.

Slightly crackled and worn pallet impulse surface.

This is how the mainspring was packaged. It did not come tucked in a spacer as shown in your picture.

A slight abuse can be seen in the innermost coils of the spring, and it is of course dirty.

Edited December 4, 2019 by VWatchie
Posted too soon

[VWatchie]

Oh, I should mention too that all parts in my pictures, except the mainspring, has been meticulously cleaned. They were excessively dirty upon arrival.

[Sundar]

Thank you for the pictures and the explanation!

As mentioned, these are the stock from 70's. These parts are bought in lots and stored for quite long time and its difficult to check every part in a microscopic level that I ship to a customer.

I would be happy to issue a refund as soon as I receive the parts back and we can close this thread. :-)

Just to let other forum members know, I do have customers who buy from me regularly:

Thanks

[VWatchie]

17 hours ago, Sundar said:

Thank you for the pictures and the explanation!

As mentioned, these are the stock from 70's. These parts are bought in lots and stored for quite long time and its difficult to check every part in a microscopic level that I ship to a customer.

I would be happy to issue a refund as soon as I receive the parts back and we can close this thread. :-)

Just to let other forum members know, I do have customers who buy from me regularly:

Thanks

Very good! I'll let you know as soon as the parts are in the mail.

[VWatchie]

I just want to report that oldswisswatches.com have refunded me for the parts that I was not satisfied with. Mr. Sudarson has been very kind and accommodating in this matter.

Again, I do not recommend against oldswisswatches.com, but given my dissatisfying experience I strongly advise that you ask for pictures and negotiate the price accordingly before placing you order.

Edited January 18, 2020 by VWatchie

[dummy]

I wanted to make my contribution to this thread, about Krishnamurty Sudarson.
This gentleman thinks that lowering the price of his repairs and services for a watch, that a customer sends him makes him an exceptional watchmaker and seller.

Quite the opposite is what happens, to tell the truth.

The repairs are poorly executed, approximate, the parts that this individual uses for his repairs are sometimes copies or they are not new and this is not always mentioned to the customer. For example, the finishes on a polishing of a watch case are filthy and the entire price list announced on its site is not always respected.
Not to mention the accuracy of your watch once it has been returned to its owner.
Obviously, what more could you ask from a so-called watchmaker who is in India, you will ask me?

From personal experience, I have obtained honest, precise and careful work, sometimes for 50 or 100 euros more on watches with various Swiss calibers, from watchmakers located in Spain, France or even in Switzerland, which is a shame, given the cost of labor or parts in the two countries I just mentioned ...

In short, from the moment you entrust your watch to this individual, the worst is to be feared. If you really love your favorite watch and want to keep or resell it later, do your services, repairs with a watchmaker authorized by the brand (and who can attest to it) and ask what has been changed, repaired and by what type of parts, supporting images, to certify.

Obviously, none of what I just mentioned in my previous sentence happens when you send your watch to Krishnamurty Sudarson.
A summary invoice, but that will not go further.

The morality of my story? What you want to save initially by sending your watches to India, you will pay much later to compensate for the poorly work and often irreversible work on the condition, emotional or monetary value of your watch.

Jose Luis Gonzalez

[VWatchie]

The same guy (Krishnamurty Sudarson) seems to be running https://www.watch-spares.com/, so be careful. Ask for pictures, detailed description, and negotiate the price before considering anything!