New Generic Parts Appearing At Cousins. Breitling, Rolex, Omega

[Mark]

This makes me both sad and encouraged at the same time.

 

Sad because it really could be the end of an era where independent watch repairers can look after customers in a professional manner by providing quality repairs using genuine parts.

Slightly encouraged because it seems that generic parts may allow watch owners some choice in the matter of who repairs their watches. It's not ideal but at least it is something.

 

A client of mine told me they recently got quoted £1200 for a service, and some case parts on their branded watch from the authorised service centre (I won't say which brand because that's not the point). 

 

If I can't get genuine parts any longer I will always recommend that the client sends their watch to someone who can, but if I can suggest an alternative using generic parts and saving them hundreds (yes hundreds) of pounds then I have no moral problem with that - as long as the owner knows that generic parts are being used.

 

The watch houses want to take choice away from the watch owners. It's nice to see that in a round about way the choice has not been fully taken. It's the tip of the iceberg but it's a start. And it is something we predicted quite some time back - if Switzerland won't supply the parts, China will!

 

Now the question is going to be about quality I suppose.

 

[Geo]

Thanks for the heads up Mark, it's kind of bitter sweet. I'm sure there will be plenty if folk willing to have their watches serviced even with the restrictions.

[Mark]

Yes - I have been fitting generic Rolex pendant tubes, glasses and screw-down crowns for years. I have always been up front about it though - the choice is with the watch owner. It is nice to see that some Omega and Breitling generic stuff will be available.

 

Would love to see generic Breitling crowns and pushers - that would be a massive help.

[oldhippy]

Yes - I have been fitting generic Rolex pendant tubes, glasses and screw-down crowns for years. I have always been up front about it though - the choice is with the watch owner. It is nice to see that some Omega and Breitling generic stuff will be available.

 

Would love to see generic Breitling crowns and pushers - that would be a massive help.

I can remember this happened with Rolex I think back in the 70's. Only Rolex dealers could obtain the genuine parts, also at one time if you didn't have the genuine Rolex case openers you couldn't open the little blighters. Lucky for me the workshop had such a thing with all the attachments.

[frenchie]

Thanks for posting this Mark, good information.

 

Eventually, the market will work itself out : the good quality generic parts will be available for a small premium compared to "generic" generic parts, and eventually might reach a quality close to the original (No matter what, you'll still have the cheap knock-offs all over the internet). The hard part is going to be sorting out the quality parts from the others...

Just like there are good fakes and bad fakes.

Edited July 9, 2015 by frenchie

[WillFly]

I predicted just this when the whole Swatch policy was first announced and confirmed. Not that such a prediction is exactly rocket science - anyone with half an eye on the market knows that, when a vacuum is created, something will emerge to fill it!

[cdjswiss]

The Swiss watch cartel is doing what the US aviation manufacturers have done for decades. They have a safety aspect to their restrictive practices but both Piper and Cessna have for many years milked the customers. Fortunately no agency can prevent generic parts being used in watchmaking. However beware:

 

Here are two examples of ETA 2892-2 date rings - guess which one is the generic.

 

[rogart63]

To bad they never can do the generic parts that looks the same and are as good ? Or maybe that is good ?

[clockboy]

This is what happened in the automobile industry their response was the generic parts were inferior. But money talks the small garages flourished while the main dealerships lost valuable revenue.

However quality is going to be an issue but as Mark states at least the customer will be given a choice.

[Blacklab]

We know all too well in the car & bike world OEM parts are not necessarily the best, but nearly always the most expensive. Agreed there is a fair bit of rubbish out there but quite a lot of good stuff too - just do your homework. As Clockboy pointed out the response from Smersh err Spectre err Swatch & others will range from inferiority issues to dire warnings about pianos falling on your head should you fit a generic bezel or similar. As ever the market will decide.....

[DJT2]

OMG the world is going mad. After becoming interested in watches after buying a cheap knock off watch in Turkey, then graduating to more highend replica watches & finally buying genuine watches. This makes me smile, as the reason I became interested in watch repair was that no watchsmith would ever touch a replica watch. Now we are saying that I could take a Gen watch in for service & end up with replica parts lol.

Here's a good example of gen v rep

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[clockboy]

The generic parts that will be needed is the movement parts & this could well be the problem in the future.

[Blacklab]

OMG the world is going mad. After becoming interested in watches after buying a cheap knock off watch in Turkey, then graduating to more highend replica watches & finally buying genuine watches. This makes me smile, as the reason I became interested in watch repair was that no watchsmith would ever touch a replica watch. Now we are saying that I could take a Gen watch in for service & end up with replica parts lol.

 

You may have little choice in the future, unless you want to take out a second mortgage to get your watch serviced.

[DJT2]

You guys are of course correct, I was looking on eBay the other week & some guy was selling some parts that had been replaced in a service on his omega 8500 movement. They went for an absolute fortune, used & worn parts. I couldn't believe it.

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[Lawson]

I'll throw my hat into the ring here.

I have one verse of Scripture for the Swiss.

 

Proverbs 16:18  (KJB)

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

 

I'm old; but not that old, and I can easily remember when the only thing that came out of China was cheap shoddy plastic toys.  Only a few decades back, companies the western world laughed at China's manufacturing base and quality ... well those companies laughed themselves into bankruptcy and don't exist any more.  Meanwhile, China has gone from strength to strength, and presently dominates the world in manufactured goods.

 

It's no secret that ETA has been manufacturing parts, and complete movements, in Asian countries like Thailand for many years.  The Swatch Group has fallen into the same trap of avarice that all western corporations perish in - by giving away their manufacturing knowhow to countries with a cheap labour force in order to make that "Yearly Record Profit".  Will we ever learn!!

 

If I had a several million dollars to invest, I'd be in China right now, tooling up a factory.  Then I'd go out and poach some of ETA's Swiss\Thai staff to train my workforce.  The first to do this, and delivery quality aftermarket ETA spares to market, will have a license to print money.

[clockboy]

I'll throw my hat into the ring here.

I have one verse of Scripture for the Swiss.

 

Proverbs 16:18  (KJB)

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

 

I'm old; but not that old, and I can easily remember when the only thing that came out of China was cheap shoddy plastic toys.  Only a few decades back, companies the western world laughed at China's manufacturing base and quality ... well those companies laughed themselves into bankruptcy and don't exist any more.  Meanwhile, China has gone from strength to strength, and presently dominates the world in manufactured goods.

 

It's no secret that ETA has been manufacturing parts, and complete movements, in Asian countries like Thailand for many years.  The Swatch Group has fallen into the same trap of avarice that all western corporations perish in - by giving away their manufacturing knowhow to countries with a cheap labour force in order to make that "Yearly Record Profit".  Will we ever learn!!

 

If I had a several million dollars to invest, I'd be in China right now, tooling up a factory.  Then I'd go out and poach some of ETA's Swiss\Thai staff to train my workforce.  The first to do this, and delivery quality aftermarket ETA spares to market, will have a license to print money.

Hope it happens 

[transporter]

OMG the world is going mad. After becoming interested in watches after buying a cheap knock off watch in Turkey, then graduating to more highend replica watches & finally buying genuine watches. This makes me smile, as the reason I became interested in watch repair was that no watchsmith would ever touch a replica watch. Now we are saying that I could take a Gen watch in for service & end up with replica parts lol.

Here's a good example of gen v rep

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my first post and i have to say that apart from the rep sites this is the first site/forum where someone has mentioned the fact that they own reps and hasnt been ripped apart by watch affecionados shouting fake fake!!!!

Yes i know reps are strickly illegal but its how i started in the watch game for exactly the same reasons as DJT2, its nice to see some maturity amongst the other forum members on whatbto some can be a very touchy subject.

[DJT2]

my first post and i have to say that apart from the rep sites this is the first site/forum where someone has mentioned the fact that they own reps and hasnt been ripped apart by watch affecionados shouting fake fake!!!!

Yes i know reps are strickly illegal but its how i started in the watch game for exactly the same reasons as DJT2, its nice to see some maturity amongst the other forum members on whatbto some can be a very touchy subject.

Welcome transporter, I have to say this forum has been a life changer & a breath of fresh air. Although I still play with a few reps now & again, I've started to focus more on vintage omega's etc. Loads of fun to play with & they don't break the bank.

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[clockboy]

I suspect it will be in the end game cheaper to replace a complete movement with a Asian copy than fix or repair many Swiss watches

[DJT2]

I suspect it will be in the end game cheaper to replace a complete movement with a Asian copy than fix or repair many Swiss watches

I'd probably say your 100% correct. It's amazing the advances in clone movements. I've just been reading about a clone (yuki) 3135 movement that has been modified with Gen rolex movement parts to a 3186 GMT.

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[clockwatcher]

Hi Transporter!

There are several things that set this forum apart from others and you've noted one of them. The folk on here are generally pragmatists who see through the trees and very clearly make out the wood! They're friendly, knowledgeable, tolerant, talented, patient, and welcoming to like souls, whether they are complete beginners (me) or time-served masters of their trade.

Glad you found us!

[oldhippy]

Hi Transporter!

There are several things that set this forum apart from others and you've noted one of them. The folk on here are generally pragmatists who see through the trees and very clearly make out the wood! They're friendly, knowledgeable, tolerant, talented, patient, and welcoming to like souls, whether they are complete beginners (me) or time-served masters of their trade.

Glad you found us!

Well said clockwatch. Take me I'm a retired old fart. :D

[DJT2]

Hi Transporter!

There are several things that set this forum apart from others and you've noted one of them. The folk on here are generally pragmatists who see through the trees and very clearly make out the wood! They're friendly, knowledgeable, tolerant, talented, patient, and welcoming to like souls, whether they are complete beginners (me) or time-served masters of their trade.

Glad you found us!

Booo can i assume that I'm the wood lol

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[clockwatcher]

As we're so tolerant you can be whatever you want but I assure you that I was referring to the 'trees' of public demonstration of conspicuous consumption combined with a patronising attitude that characterises one or two other forums (that shall remain nameless) and the 'wood' of an appreciation of interesting and sometimes complicated mechanisms, be they cheap or expensive, and a understanding of, and fellow-feeling for, those who gain pleasure from owning, servicing, repairing and just talking about them. (Mark, is this a record for the longest sentence ever on the WRT forum?)

DJT2, for me, the wood is the good bit! ;)

[DJT2]

As we're so tolerant you can be whatever you want but I assure you that I was referring to the 'trees' of public demonstration of conspicuous consumption combined with a patronising attitude that characterises one or two other forums (that shall remain nameless) and the 'wood' of an appreciation of interesting and sometimes complicated mechanisms, be they cheap or expensive, and a understanding of, and fellow-feeling for, those who gain pleasure from owning, servicing, repairing and just talking about them. (Mark, is this a record for the longest sentence ever on the WRT forum?)

DJT2, for me, the wood is the good bit! ;)

Thanks for clarifying & Many apologies for my poor translation. [emoji1]

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