[Cogumelo]

Is it really $198 in the US? It shows as 265€ here

Here it shows USD 198, EUR 197 and BRL 1085, which is quite consistent considering the current exchange rate. No fees are charged at the time of purchase.

 

[kccastle]

Not sure if this is the right place for this question, but does anybody have any tips for removing links on cheaper metal bands for AliXpress watches? I recently bought one and have bent a couple of tools already trying to get them to come out. I'm pushing with the arrow, place my tool in the hole on the band and push with everything I've got, but it doesn't budge.

I learned from my former watchmaker that some manufacturers use a 'Lok-Tite" type of product, especially on links with screws. You may need to gently heat the link to break the seal. Note: use an alcohol-based burner if possible to prevent soot on the bracelet.

 

[ivarle42]

Our VAT is 20%, that doesn't explain the 37% price difference.

Ovar 150EUR you must add customs also

 

[mougino]

Ovar 150EUR you must add customs also

17% customs fee on top of 20% VAT?

 

[hietsukka]

San Martin on Heimdallr mesh

 

[kenls]

Well no, price difference is +37%, not +20%.
It's 265€ not 256€. Which is $272 at today's rate vs. $198 that's +37%.
View attachment 16801198

17% customs fee on top of 20% VAT?

Does that equate to your 37% price difference?

Edit:
Would they (AliEx) be clever enough to make the calculation????

 

[GHK]

The custom fee for a mechanical watch over 150€ in Germany (EU?) is 80 Cents fixed (+19% VAT in GER).
For a quartz watch the fee is slightly higher because of the battery (But probably there are only a few chinese quartz watches over 150€. Are there any actually?)

 

[mougino]

17% customs fee on top of 20% VAT?

Does that equate to your 37% price difference?

Edit:
Would they (AliEx) be clever enough to make the calculation????

The custom fee for a mechanical watch over 150€ in Germany (EU?) is 80 Cents fixed (+19% VAT in GER).
For a quartz watch the fee is slightly higher because of the battery (But probably there are only a few chinese quartz watches over 150€. Are there any actually?)

Exactly, customs fees are peanut compared to VAT. + the new European law forces online marketplaces to collect VAT only, the additional customs fee on products > 150 € is due by the buyer and collected by the post office at delivery.
Nothing justifies this +37% price difference, except if ali cheats on exchange rate and make extra money on the back of their EU customers, like someone above said.

 

[Notathome]

On the titanium-sapphire-wr50m you've found @mougino , if you stay in USD, you can see that the price difference between US and EU is exactly 20% due to VAT (but you have to pay in $, otherwise you'll pay more).

On the more expensive watch : There is a difference of 31.91% in $ prices (if you buy a watch or something pricey, pay it in $) which doesn't match anything (there is no import fee of 11.91%)
I guess it's either :
- An error
or
- A calculation of the final price including VAT and some burden rate/fixed fees because Fedex is involved in the shipping process.

Trying to get an explanation and a split of the final cost like I would do on Amazon, I put it in my cart, and checked-out but ...I went too far and accidentaly paid for the watch ! They did not ask me for my Paypal password, they probably kept it from last time.

I cancelled my order, and asked for a reimbursement not even 1min after.....The order has been cancelled and they say I'll get repaid somewhere between the 5th and and the 30th of August....I really hope so ! ...

I wanted to have an explanation : I have a statement instead : I'm an idiot !

Found this one, but for the price I think it's too good to be true: 40mm Flieger Type B with Seiko VH31 sweeping second movement, sapphire crystal (!) and titanium case (!!) for less than $70!?!

Comes in a variety of dial colors, including full lume white dial:

77.61US $ 61% OFF|Men Pilot Sapphire Crystal Watch Japan Quartz Movement Classic Retro Wristwatch Luminous 50M Waterproof Titanium Nylon Strap| | - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

a.aliexpress.com

Well no, price difference is +37%, not +20%.
It's 265€ not 256€. Which is $272 at today's rate vs. $198 that's +37%.
View attachment 16801198

 

[Grasshopperglock]

Hmmmm

Quartz

Green...

 

[Marcelo71]

Say what you will about AliEx, but they do get some things right. Bracelet arrived 20 days after order/payment, while the watch it came to go with is in transport somewhere between the US and Brazil (and has been for 4 days). So 22 or 23 days and a watch sourced in the US is somewhere unknown while its Chinese bracelet is here already.

 

[hori]

I wonder if anyone here has had any experience with the brand "Addiesdive"? Saw this and thought it looked alright. Wonder if this is an original design or a homage of something more expensive?
View attachment 16781299

I have this one. The case is extremely well built, the bezel moves smooth without backplay. In this model the crystal is domed and similar to the vintage plexys. Very nice imo. Lume is excellent.
The bracelet is very bad, similar to the main bracelet on cheap watches. But for the price is worth every penny.

The case is similar to the Omega with its lyre lugs, but the design ofinsert and dialis similar to certina D's ph200

Thanks @hori - when you say the bracelet is bad, what aspect about it is bad? Can you elaborate on it please?

Sorry for the delay.
The middle link is too blinky. It is all solid with solid end links but you feel it very lightweight, the clasp is one of these you can buy for about 1-2$
Imo you feel more solid the one of an Invicta's watch

 

[hollywoodphil]

The jubilee this comes with is excellent, but I felt like trying something different today.
Orangey-brown rubber.
I don't hate it.


US $86.10 30%OFF | Parnis 40mm Sapphire Glass Automatic Men's Watch White/Black Dial GMT Function Dual Time Date Cyclops Jubilee/Oyster Bracelet

86.1US $ 30% OFF|Parnis 40mm Sapphire Glass Automatic Men's Watch White/Black Dial GMT Function Dual Time Date Cyclops Jubilee/Oyster Bracelet|Mechanical Watches| - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

a.aliexpress.com

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

 

[caktaylor]

it dropped a few cents during the night, but still...
View attachment 16801207

First, sorry about the transposition error earlier.

When I switch currency, the price changes to EUR202.64, which is $206.32 according to Google. Adding 20 percent tax gets to $243.16.

So, yes, the seller is actually trying to squeeze you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[HoustonReal]

Their prices on quartz are really interesting...(probably not including 20% VAT though)
Do you know if it is possible to order directly without going through an agent who would take a commission as it was the case in the past with Alibaba ?
Do they have a « dispute system » or a kind of customer protection in case you receive a DOA watch or if you don’t receive anything...?

You should not need an agent, as this seller has direct sales set up. For that matter, Alibaba is designed to sell Chinese goods to foreign markets, so an agent is not something you should ever need. TMall and TaoBao are only designed for sales to Chinese customers, and outside a few foreign areas with large Chinese populations, most of the sellers don't know how to ship things outside Asia. Agents for Chinese websites provide a way to buy items only intended for Chinese customers, and are set up to handle the shipping.

I have no experience with the dispute process, but it is the same company as AliExpress. Looking on the orders page, they seem to have a similar dispute process.

 

[HoustonReal]

Not sure if this is the right place for this question, but does anybody have any tips for removing links on cheaper metal bands for AliXpress watches? I recently bought one and have bent a couple of tools already trying to get them to come out. I'm pushing with the arrow, place my tool in the hole on the band and push with everything I've got, but it doesn't budge.

I learned from my former watchmaker that some manufacturers use a 'Lok-Tite" type of product, especially on links with screws. You may need to gently heat the link to break the seal. Note: use an alcohol-based burner if possible to prevent soot on the bracelet.

Using a manual tool (like the ones often included with a watch) to push the pins out often doesn't work, and you need the screw in pin remover. Having gone through a number of the blue plastic ones that eventually split, I finally bought an all metal tool.

↓↓↓ Not worth it! ↓↓↓

 

[manchette]

Exactly, customs fees are peanut compared to VAT. + the new European law forces online marketplaces to collect VAT only, the additional customs fee on products > 150 € is due by the buyer and collected by the post office at delivery.
Nothing justifies this +37% price difference, except if ali cheats on exchange rate and make extra money on the back of their EU customers, like someone above said.

Some products are expensive but hopefully they are not always vital for life.

...We have a clear choice, it's either kidney or watches ;=)

Does it really help to pay in $ , no exchange fee?

 

[Notathome]

Some products are expensive but hopefully they are not always vital for life.

...We have a clear choice, it's either kidney or watches ;=)

Does it really help to pay in $ , no exchange fee?

Yes it does if you have Revolut or N26 you can pay in USD without fees.

 

[john_marston]

So the Sanda somehow got cleared through customs (after rejection) and arrived. I wonder if a watch in a bubble wrap bag raised suspicion.

My review/first impressions:

Price fluctuates. After tax & shipping it’s about £16, I paid £11 after a sale coupon. I didn’t realise tax gets calculated after a coupon 👍
So what do you get for £11-16? Well, there’s obvious cost-cutting:

• Bubble wrap bag, no box
• Rubbish strap
• Low-end specs (alloy, mineral, quartz, 3bar)

And for the price, I think all the above is reasonable. In fact, I’d be more worried about the watch if it came with a decent box & strap at £11.
As long as QC and design is good. And here is my one real negative: QC. It’s not bad–given the price–but could be better. Mine has a few specs of dirt under the crystal and a tiny smudge on the dial. 2 things I think I can fix, though just now I can’t get the crown out: don’t know what to push, am I missing it (I tried the red circled parts, not them)?

As far as build quality elements I like:

• Screw in (with 4 screws)caseback in stead of snap-on
• It does have a caseback gasket, so I think 3bar splash-resistant is accurate.
• Japanese TMI movement
• Dial is a nice off-white, with thickly printed numerals, and blue hands. Very nice

In terms of styling & size, it’s nice! It’s 27,7 in diameter and 34,5 in L2L. The 20mm strap width is my favourite, easy to swap from your collection (I put mine on a grey goatskin strap that cost more than the watch..).
I dislike these huge Tank-style watches that have 24mm+ lug widths. This looks more elegant. Don’t be put off by the ‘women’ label on AliX. This is a Cartier Tank Solo Large homage, which is advertised as either male or unisex.
I have a 7~7.25in wrist, and it looks classy. I wouldn’t go smaller, but wouldn’t go wouldn’t go much larger, either. I’d probably wear up to 32mm diameter for a Tank-style like this, but larger than that and it would lose a lot of its elegance. 7mm, could be thinner for a small watch like this, but what do you expect.

The styling, size, and price are ultimately why I bought it. Always wanted to try a Tank, but it’s not something I’d wear a lot so didn’t want to spend much, and most don’t get those ‘tank’ proportions right. This scratches the itch. It’s basically a dressy fashion watch. The real Solo Large is £2500 new and is quartz/steel/3bar so yeah, not gonna happen.

The value is one of the most interesting aspects. If you have £11-16 to spend, a Casio is better buy. But this looks nicer.

So how cheap can you go on AliX to get a decent watch? It seems about £10. The Japanese movement saved it for me, if it was Chinese it'd be a dealbreaker. At least now it has a guarantee of some reliability. But a steel case is still the desire. There's a minimum cost to simply ship a working watch, and this watch is priced below my value sweetspot. I'd happily spend 2/3/4x if it came with a steel case, and maybe even sapphire.
On the other hand, this watch is fine. If anything a steel case but no sapphire would still render it long-term disposable, so either go all the way and make it 4/5x the price with steel and sapphire, or keep it cheap.

If someone comes along with those specs upgrades I’d be interested. But as it is, this is the only Tank Solo homage with good proportions, styling, reasonable build-quality, and is not a replica. At a very low price.

 

[JojX]

So the Sanda somehow got cleared through customs (after rejection) and arrived. I wonder if a watch in a bubble wrap bag raised suspicion.

My review/first impressions:
View attachment 16804154
Price fluctuates. After tax & shipping it’s about £16, I paid £11 after a sale coupon. I didn’t realise tax gets calculated after a coupon 👍
So what do you get for £11-16? Well, there’s obvious cost-cutting:

• Bubble wrap bag, no box
• Rubbish strap
• Low-end specs (alloy, mineral, quartz, 3bar)

And for the price, I think all the above is reasonable. In fact, I’d be more worried about the watch if it came with a decent box & strap at £11.
As long as QC and design is good. And here is my one real negative: QC. It’s not bad–given the price–but could be better. Mine has a few specs of dirt under the crystal and a tiny smudge on the dial. 2 things I think I can fix, though just now I can’t get the crown out: don’t know what to push, am I missing it (I tried the red circled parts, not them)?
View attachment 16804160
As far as build quality elements I like:

• Screw in (with 4 screws)caseback in stead of snap-on
• It does have a caseback gasket, so I think 3bar splash-resistant is accurate.
• Japanese TMI movement
• Dial is a nice off-white, with thickly printed numerals, and blue hands. Very nice

In terms of styling & size, it’s nice! It’s 27,7 in diameter and 34,5 in L2L. The 20mm strap width is my favourite, easy to swap from your collection (I put mine on a grey goatskin strap that cost more than the watch..).
I dislike these huge Tank-style watches that have 24mm+ lug widths. This looks more elegant. Don’t be put off by the ‘women’ label on AliX. This is a Cartier Tank Solo Large homage, which is advertised as either male or unisex.
I have a 7~7.25in wrist, and it looks classy. I wouldn’t go smaller, but wouldn’t go wouldn’t go much larger, either. I’d probably wear up to 32mm diameter for a Tank-style like this, but larger than that and it would lose a lot of its elegance. 7mm, could be thinner for a small watch like this, but what do you expect.

The styling, size, and price are ultimately why I bought it. Always wanted to try a Tank, but it’s not something I’d wear a lot so didn’t want to spend much, and most don’t get those ‘tank’ proportions right. This scratches the itch. It’s basically a dressy fashion watch. The real Solo Large is £2500 new and is quartz/steel/3bar so yeah, not gonna happen.
View attachment 16804312
The value is one of the most interesting aspects. If you have £11-16 to spend, a Casio is better buy. But this looks nicer.

So how cheap can you go on AliX to get a decent watch? It seems about £10. The Japanese movement saved it for me, if it was Chinese it'd be a dealbreaker. At least now it has a guarantee of some reliability. But a steel case is still the desire. There's a minimum cost to simply ship a working watch, and this watch is priced below my value sweetspot. I'd happily spend 2/3/4x if it came with a steel case, and maybe even sapphire.
On the other hand, this watch is fine. If anything a steel case but no sapphire would still render it long-term disposable, so either go all the way and make it 4/5x the price with steel and sapphire, or keep it cheap.

If someone comes along with those specs upgrades I’d be interested. But as it is, this is the only Tank Solo homage with good proportions, styling, reasonable build-quality, and is not a replica. At a very low price.

Thanks for the nice review. To remove the crown try pressing the metal part I have highlighted.