You snooze, you lose....

Discuss Christopher Ward watches
User avatar
robert75
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 1963
Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:03 pm
CW-watches: 2
LE-fourb: yes
Location: The frozen north

Re: You snooze, you lose....

Post by robert75 »

CornishDave wrote:CW have moved away from my budget over the last couple of years so an increase is really irrelevant to me. Any future CW purchases will I suspect be in sales or on the second hand market. For those who are happy to spend a bit more, I suspect the increases will not deter them. I am going to raise a separate topic under "Other Brands" but I look at some of the Ingersoll watches now on the likes of Bid TV and wonder what is the matter with them? An automatic with 35 jewels moonphase etc at £179.99 looks awfully good value and it was made in Germany!

I think that opens the whole "Use Chinese parts" (cough cough Seagull) Can of worms.
User avatar
robert75
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 1963
Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:03 pm
CW-watches: 2
LE-fourb: yes
Location: The frozen north

Re: You snooze, you lose....

Post by robert75 »

nuttcrac69 wrote:IMHO the guys who are complaining probably wouldn't have bought anyway......
What do you base that on?
macka splaff

Re: You snooze, you lose....

Post by macka splaff »

nuttcrac69 wrote:IMHO the guys who are complaining probably wouldn't have bought anyway......
Well we all know what opinions are like eh?

I went to the site to make a purchase. I did the same after the father's day sale and missed out. I was that fed up I went to the Steinhart site last night and bought a OCEAN 1 VINTAGE red. Unfortunately the delivery date has slipped to mid August from July as stated the previous day. However, I've gone 44 years without this watch, another 20 days can't hurt.

I can't support unrealistic price hikes.
robert_ford
Junior
Junior
Posts: 42
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2011 1:40 pm
CW-watches: 5

Re: You snooze, you lose....

Post by robert_ford »

CW I feel are at risk of going away from their original philosophy, high quality/ low price. I have written on a few threads about CW and the original reason for starting up. On Ebay now you can get a C5 in gold 2yr old for £105. CW value new £350. When I first bough a C5 it was £195 five years ago. That's 80% in five years. Hugh price increases and very poor resale value. If CW are that good a quality you would expect the resale values to hold.

Shame as I'm not sure what was wrong with the old business model.

Customer service seems also to be getting worse. Just sent my C5 back for a service and Deb quotes 3-4 weeks. Web site says 2 wks. In fact it took CW a week to tell me that so the turn around is actually 4-5 weeks.

What with that and a £2.5K watch coming out I may need to find another watch company as I no longer believe the cost/sale value ratio on the CW web site. :thumbdown: In fact Ebay may become the best way to buy a CW at a reasonable price!
CW Jumping hour
CW C9 Harrison auto
CW C5
CW Victoria deco
CW Ladies lido
Jeager le-coultre master control
Steinhart Ocean 1
User avatar
Gogs
Senior
Senior
Posts: 95
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:49 pm
CW-watches: 1
Location: Edinburgh

Re: You snooze, you lose....

Post by Gogs »

First and foremost, the main reason you buy a watch is because you like it, not because it is cheap. If these 10-15% increases are enough to put you off then maybe the watches aren't for you.
If you are willing to spend about 400 on a watch then surely an extra 40 won't make be a big issue if you really like it.
Prices have to go up - just happens to be now for the CW watches.
Tag Heuer Monaco
Tag Heuer Professional Golf
C60 Trident Auto
robert_ford
Junior
Junior
Posts: 42
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2011 1:40 pm
CW-watches: 5

Re: You snooze, you lose....

Post by robert_ford »

Just purchased a new Steinhart Ocean One for £276 with SS bracelet. CW C60 £460

Sorry but the Steinhart is just better value with a ETA 2842-2 movement.
CW Jumping hour
CW C9 Harrison auto
CW C5
CW Victoria deco
CW Ladies lido
Jeager le-coultre master control
Steinhart Ocean 1
User avatar
Gogs
Senior
Senior
Posts: 95
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:49 pm
CW-watches: 1
Location: Edinburgh

Re: You snooze, you lose....

Post by Gogs »

Would you have bought a C60 last week before the increase?
Tag Heuer Monaco
Tag Heuer Professional Golf
C60 Trident Auto
macka splaff

Re: You snooze, you lose....

Post by macka splaff »

[quote="robert_ford"]Just purchased a new Steinhart Ocean One for £276 with SS bracelet. CW C60 £460

Sorry but the Steinhart is just better value with a ETA 2842-2 movement.[/quote]

Whilst I wasn't considering the C60 I went with the Ocean 1 for the relative value it offered. I fully accept that over the lifespan of a watch it is a miniscule rise but on principle I cannot support the 10% overnight hikes.
macka splaff

Re: You snooze, you lose....

Post by macka splaff »

Gogs wrote:Would you have bought a C60 last week before the increase?
Not me, it wasn't my third choice, perhaps within 12 months when the tax year is over and take home pay returns to what it should look like after HMRC are reinbursed for a "clerical oversight" some years ago. :silent:
robert_ford
Junior
Junior
Posts: 42
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2011 1:40 pm
CW-watches: 5

Re: You snooze, you lose....

Post by robert_ford »

No. Not now that I know of other good watches. I have 5 cw watches , but only found out about the ocean 1 from this forum! If the cw c60 had been around the same price or even a bit More I would have bought it as they offer the 5yr warranty and they are British. I wish cw all the best for the future, but I will now start comparing there products more carefully and not take it for granted that they offer excellent value.
CW Jumping hour
CW C9 Harrison auto
CW C5
CW Victoria deco
CW Ladies lido
Jeager le-coultre master control
Steinhart Ocean 1
robert_ford
Junior
Junior
Posts: 42
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2011 1:40 pm
CW-watches: 5

Re: You snooze, you lose....

Post by robert_ford »

Gogs wrote:First and foremost, the main reason you buy a watch is because you like it, not because it is cheap. If these 10-15% increases are enough to put you off then maybe the watches aren't for you.
If you are willing to spend about 400 on a watch then surely an extra 40 won't make be a big issue if you really like it.
Prices have to go up - just happens to be now for the CW watches.
If I took this method for all things I purchased then I would be broke very quickly. The ocean one and c60 look nearly the same and have the same quality movement but CW is £200 dearer. I might like the look of an Audi, but that does not stop me from buying a Skoda. (same make accept the badge) Is CW becoming the Audi and charging for the badge?
CW Jumping hour
CW C9 Harrison auto
CW C5
CW Victoria deco
CW Ladies lido
Jeager le-coultre master control
Steinhart Ocean 1
User avatar
Gogs
Senior
Senior
Posts: 95
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:49 pm
CW-watches: 1
Location: Edinburgh

Re: You snooze, you lose....

Post by Gogs »

Only if you bought things you couldn't afford. If you didn't have the money then you wouldn't buy it and then you wouldn't be broke.....
Tag Heuer Monaco
Tag Heuer Professional Golf
C60 Trident Auto
robert_ford
Junior
Junior
Posts: 42
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2011 1:40 pm
CW-watches: 5

Re: You snooze, you lose....

Post by robert_ford »

Gogs wrote:Only if you bought things you couldn't afford. If you didn't have the money then you wouldn't buy it and then you wouldn't be broke.....

That's why I bought the ocean 1. Nice watch and not broke :D
CW Jumping hour
CW C9 Harrison auto
CW C5
CW Victoria deco
CW Ladies lido
Jeager le-coultre master control
Steinhart Ocean 1
macka splaff

Re: You snooze, you lose....

Post by macka splaff »

robert_ford wrote:
Gogs wrote:Only if you bought things you couldn't afford. If you didn't have the money then you wouldn't buy it and then you wouldn't be broke.....

That's why I bought the ocean 1. Nice watch and not broke :D
+1
Thedose
Junior
Junior
Posts: 41
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 7:17 am
CW-watches: 2
Location: San Francisco - USA

Re: You snooze, you lose....

Post by Thedose »

The price increase has pushed me away from CWL and now I will be buying a Hamilton jazzmaster instead.

Shame because I was really in love with the C9 Auto, though, I DO NOT feel it is worth the $540 they are asking. Now knowing about their resale value I won't even think to buy a used one.

Goodbye CWL members it was a pleasure. :wave: