Another scam

http://counterfeitwatches.hypermart.net/booklet/swissscam.doc

Click on the link for a very interesting set of scams by the Swiss!!

Emailed from [email protected]
5-25-2005

Currently, our timepieces are exclusively sold through internet auctions and not in retail establishments. You can find various auctions of our products through http://www.ubid.com or http://www.quixtar.com. We do plan to expand to other avenues of distribution sometime in the near future.

There are some secondary sellers who sell our pieces purchased from us on Ubid.com and then offer them on other auction sites such as eBay and Yahoo Auctions.

Thank you so much for your interest in Louis Bolle!

The MSRP prices are based on research where we compare our timepieces with existing watches already on the market. The comparison includes movement, functions, case, and strap before an MSRP can be determined. How do these timepieces seem to sell for so low, then? Our brand website and visibility on auction sites are our primary sources of marketing. We do not have the extra advertising costs that many other watch companies need to consider within the price of the watch. Instead, we simply offer wonderfully crafted watches at reasonable prices for the consumer.

Go to http://www.register.com, look up whois http://www.louisbolle.com it will come back to “The company is” :
Always at Market
1545 Capital Drive
Suite 100
Carrollton, TX 75006
(972) 242-4045 x 301

Interesting enough, go to the website: http://www.omikronwatches.com/Contact_Us.aspx

They are the U.S. Distributor for Omikron and Balmer watches as well.

WHAT KIND OF BRAND IS THIS WATCH. I LOOKED EVERYWHERE FOR INFORMATION AND COULDN’T FIND ANYTHING. I TRIED LOOKING FOR THEM WHOLESALE AND STILL NOTHING!!! SOUNDS LIKE SOME ONE DID SOME IMPORTING FROM CHINA/TAIWAN…..AND STARTED SELLING THESE THINGS WHOLESALE……THEN MADE THEIR OWN LITTLE STORY ABOUT THE COMPANY’S SO – CALLED HISTORY OF EXISTENCE AND STARTED SELLING THEM OFF OF THE INTERNET OR EBAY RATHER!!! SOME ONE PLEASE EMAIL ME SOME INFO ABOUT THIS “RARE” TIMEPIECE….(SARCASTICALLY) SPEAKING! WHAT A BUNCH OF CRAP!!! I PROBABLY CAN GO TO CHINA AND HAVE MY OWN AUDEMARS PIGUET TIMEPIECE MADE JUST IN A NEW STYLE….HMM….MAYBE I SHOULD CREATE MY OWN STYLE! (SARCASTICALLY SPEAKING)

I will say that I did buy one of the Louis Bolle watches on ubid. I have a number of watches that in price go over $1000 that are automatics and I have to say that no I don’t think that these are $3000 watches but it does seem to be good Quality, it’s quite attractive and at least they arn’t trying to put a different company’s name on it and sell it as a fake. They seem to be nice watches for the price.

The bottom line seems to be that customers are getting a pretty good watch for their money. Reasonable people don’t expect to get a $4000 watch for $100. If the watches really were made in Switzerland, probably no one would be complaining.

What if I placed a bid on a watch at quixtar.com, but after seeing this site realized I felt kind of deceived. How can I retract my bid?

I too have bought 2 Louis Bolle watches from ebay (Momento and Incognito). They’re attractive and solid. This company was obviously specially created for ebay. But, does anyone know much about Trias (supposedly from Germany)? I bought one for under $100 and it is very striking. Was curious as to its legitimacy.

I recently purchased a watch called Liason by Louis Bolle. The watch is beautiful. But, the watch dial didn’t work, and there was a finger mark under the face of the watch. I emailed the customer service department and they told me to ship it to them. I did so, and since I’ve sent it to them. I haven’t heard a word from anyone. Even after I’ve emailed them and call the Always at Market number. I hope I’m compensated.

The company in my opinion borderlines on crooked. They appear to based in the Dallas Fort Worth area. I did buy a watch for a very reasonable price, however if I had purchased one for even half of their postedretail, I would have been major ripped of. And shame on that company if they ever let some poor unsuspecting soul pay it. The market these brands are sold in is ubid and ebay as well. The underhanded part of it is… They are the registered owners for the web sites for all the brands they pedal. If they were trying to be up front, they would put all the brands on one site. Different Site for each brand | LOUIS BOLLE | ROUSSEAU | Duboule | SUG | TAVAN |

I took the time and traced some of the activity of the company to e-commerce activity connected to AMWAY. If that does not throw up the red flag… What Will? It’s “time” for consumers to stop believing everything they read on the internet.

Let’s see, if one (business) wants to save cost, bring consumer goods to the table, keep low overhead and make a marginal profit, while giving back to the consumer high end watches, “GREAT”. So ever time we find out someone or some buddy has a product or products and although separate in all manners except its location, website then after reading the above their no good. Hum, have a problem with that one. True, you can’t believe everything you read on the Internet to be true, but in the same breath, not everything is bad either. Education is the key (due research, investigate), knowledge before you buy is the other; the wisdom to know the difference becomes ones joy and happiness when he/she acquires a true gem/watch. Cut it down, hack it up, in the end only you can be the judge, don’t let others rob you from finding your true delight. Whether it’s your first watch, or additions to a collection, no matter the size, learning before you act, can save you despair in the end; like the individual who wrote the last comment on negativity? Contact the company, inquire on the warranty, check them against the Better Business Bureau in the state they are located, and then decide. Good luck, and by all means, enjoy the experience, otherwise be prepared for another round of the above in the art of ‚ÄúNegativity‚Äù by others, who only can find fault when he/she comes along a path the has lead them to a gem/watch. But then again, that‚Äôs my opinion; I prefer the ‚ÄúPositive‚Äù approach, it‚Äôs very easy to find fault today, it takes effort and some time not too!

I just picked up another Louis Bolle. I went for the DUNE Model and it is a beauty. This is my fourth. My boss saw it and went nuts! He said, “I gotta buy one!” I referred him to the web site and he saw the MSRP. He did not blink! He asked where to buy one. I should have offered him mine for half the price! Of course, I may lose my job for that.

Then I referred him to to ebay and he is anxiously awaiting another to be available.

All I know is that these watches get a lot of looks and to be honest, the designs are more creative and attractive than a lot of the big name brands. I also own a Tag, Omega, and Rolex. They do not get the attention these get.

Plus, when I tell people the brand, they think it is some exotic brand you cannot get at your local shopping mall. I have to say, if you get value from the comments, looks, compliments, etc. Then these watches are worth as much as any if you pick the right model.

As for the guy who is still waiting for the repair, I had a repair on one and it is SLOW, but you will get it back in about 6 weeks.

My point here is that if you know a lot about watches, you would never pay the MSRP. But 99% of the people on the street would believe it is a $3000+ watch when looking at it. That is worth something.

I’ve actually bought quite a few Louis Bolle and SUG watches. I’ve had to return a Liason. They replaced it in 10 days. I also had to return a SUG for a minor date problem. It took about three weeks for that watch to be replaced. If these guys were putting a ‘ROLEX’ name on their watches, I would have a problem. However, they are creating their own brand name, which is what every new business has to do. The fact that they don’t have a corporate home page with links to all their different watch brands is not an oversight or deceipt on their part. Many companies have multiple brand names that they pit against each other. In fact, I work at a large corporation that makes top-quality equipment at higher prices as well as lower-quality, lower priced equipment. We wouldn’t think of linking the two names together, because one cheapens the other. Each brand name needs to stand on its own for its own merits and uniqueness. As for returning the watch, shortly after you fill out a service request, they e-mail you the location where to return the watch.
I’ve looked at many watches out there, but have to hand it to these guys for their innovation and style. Maybe I’ve lucked out, but I’ve also been impressed with how quickly they’ve gotten me a replacement on a return, too.

i bought a sug renegade watch form quixtar.com for $176.00. the posted retail price was $2,495. do u think i got ripped off, i dont know much about the watch.so if u have any information on the sug renegade,can u please email me at my email address.

I bought a LB Apogee on e-bay in September, it arrived pretty quickly, and has run well since, but gains about 5 secs per day – is that reasonable? I didnt go for the “costing $3,000” stuff, and some of the “documentation” that came with it was pretty hick. However I really liked the design and happy so far….

this is a cool watch , i get comments from everyone
i tell people it costed me 4000 dollars people believe me,I can sell it easly for 1000 but im not a scamer. by the way its a l.b skeleton . i was going to buy a Tissot for 900 dollars but good thing i bought this one it made me not spend $900. i love this watch all though it was a scam

I got me a L. Bolle “sierra” from a lady in Florida, new in da box,with admittedly bogus instructions and warranty, delivered to me for…..$2500..no I mean $250.. LOL.. Just teasin cause of their inflated MSRP!! Mine cost a even $100!!!MY GOSH.. It costs that much just to TALK about some of the spendie watches that has a price on it, with more zeros than most COUNTRIES budget!!The cheapest “auto’ I could find in my neck-o-da-woods was a $450, horribly ugly Sieko!My Bolle is cool lookin, I have got a couple of comments on it.. Yeah,yeah, I know the watch snobs are offended at such a piece,cause all da sudden theres some ( I think their made in Romania)lowly untouchable making basically the same thing!!?? How are they gonna sell us that $25,000 complication when obviously its not that costly to make.Its a WATCH not an artificial heart!! Anyhoo, I dig mine, from the REAL gator band to the fit and finish. Mine was about 5-7 mins. fast in a week so I (you could NEVER do this with your $$$somename$$ watch)unscrewed the back and adjusted the…..??the adjuster spring thingy and now I lose less than a min. a month. WHADA want for the price of an empty Rolex BOX. But you folks wont believe this.. They sell in stores for a couple o hundred less than MSRP!! Check out this link http://www.crescentwatch.com/images/header_05.jpg
Its folks like this that are the scammers! Not a new company that makes no claims except maybe their MSRP. But look at it this way. A cafe charges $2.00 for a side of toast(their MSRP) but we all know that 2 pieces of bread, only cost a dime. Stating a suggested retail,in my moronic opinion, is not a scam but ANY $100,000 watch that could give our youth an education IS!!I bet ,right now, my Bolle says the exact same time as a six-digit Ulysse Nardin!! Plus I can wear it always and if it gets lost stolen or beat-up… no biggy.

HEy hows life overther or where ever it is. Anyways i got LB from a girls friend of mine and to be honest i have no use for it i am a fossil guy because of what i do i was trying to get rid of it and came across a problem no one wants to buy it back whats up with this . retail said 4495.00usd its a zenith. as soon as i saw that i had my doughts about it its a nice watch but i need the money more then the watch any ideas what i can do thx

I had to eat my words for the statement earlier; you might want to consider a Movado or any other ‚ÄúSwiss‚Äù watch manufacture instead…

For everyone who down grades the others, third party watch makers, this one will get you thinking, it did me.

I recently purchased a Tissot Atollo watch ‚ÄúSWISS made‚Äù, paid the price for craftsmanship, I thought. I was so very wrong, I purchased after asking will it fit my large wrist, assured it would. Yet when it arrived, I could barely close the buckle. So I tried different clasps, single and butterfly styles with no luck. I tried contacting third party watchband makers for a replacement, nothing could come close — due the cut style of the band, and nothing was to be found. All after, I tried to purchase an extra watchband from ‚ÄúTissot‚Äù who flatly refused to sell me anything, I was simple blown off. I did receive the following from Tissot Customer Care as follows:

Dear Customer,

Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding spare parts. For technical reasons and to ensure quality servicing of your watch, we do not supply spare parts to the general public. As a premium brand, we are dedicated to servicing our timepieces with the highest possible quality standards.
To obtain parts please contact an authorized Tissot parts retailer. You can locate an authorized parts retailer by logging on to http://www.Tissot.ch or by contacting our Tissot Customer Care Department at the number listed below.

Please note that you also have the option of submitting your watch to one of our factory authorized service centers for repair. To take advantage of this option, attached are instructions on how to contact and forward your watch to an authorized repair facility in your area.

If you have any further questions please feel free to contact our Tissot Customer Care Department at 1-800-284-7768 or e-mail us at [email protected].

With kind regards,
Tissot Customer Care

I made contact with the parties referred too, in return, I was told to contact the one that referred me to them in the first place, and nothing was resolved, pure aggravation! So I‚Äôm left with a ‚ÄúSWISS‚Äù watch I can‚Äôt wear, so it sits in one of my watch boxes gathering dust, a true waste of money (I ‘m selling it, trying to recoup my losses). I have several ‚ÄúSWISS‚Äù watches; and those companies have treated me with respect. Anytime I‚Äôve had dealings with them, from simple questions to repair and replacement parts, I‚Äôve been dealt with respect and courtesy. My other watches include American, Australian, French, German, (Japanese watches that are quality pieces) and Russian, to name a few.

Consider this, quality, craftsmanship, whether “Swiss made or not”, without customer support during and after the sale, the watch in my opinion is simply, junk, you might as well use it for a paper weight, for its intended purpose falls short and having it around only makes one upset.

I know many will find this hard to accept, a few will admit it’s happened to them too, but under there breath. The point is this, whether the watch manufacture is “Swiss or not”, without “TRUE CUSTOMER SUPPORT”, ones not any better then the other is it? So if your new watch has quality, craftsmanship and good customer support, enjoy, for there are others who have suffered under the hands of the above like me. Thanks for letting me VENT!

do the dials actually work? days, weeks reserve etc…

Well see my above comment, I got my watch back from Louis Bolle “fixed”. It went from gaining 5 minutes every 2 weeks to GAINING 5 MINUTES A DAY! I am asking for my money back.

Regarding comment # 36 — I had to eat my words for the statement earlier.

Update:
After several phone calls, letters and emails (by passing local representatives), I was able to make contact with the International Office for assistance.

———————————————————————————————————

On November 24th 2005, received (the following email):

Thank you very much for writing to us. It is very important that you got back to us stating your negative experience by purchasing a Tissot watch.

As a rule once one purchased a Tissot watch and the leather strap doesn’t fit, the customer shall get the extra large strap free of charge.

Could you please inform us where you have been to purchasing your watch in USA?

In any case we will also forward your request to the responsible brand director Swatch Group USA.

Please inform us about your complete address as well as the reference number of the case back and we will be glad to send you an extra large leather strap free of charge.

We are looking forward to receive your reply.

Best regards,

TISSOT SA

World Customer Service

On the 29th of November 2005, received:

Thank you very much for all the information.

As promised we will send you a leather strap extra large free of charge to the above mentioned address.

For more questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.

Best regards,

TISSOT SA

World Customer Service
———————————————————————————————————

On the 14th of December 2005, received:

One Tissot watch band, from Tissot Headquarters, Switzerland. The moral to this little saga, when dealing with individuals who pass the buck on a regular basis and only know how to irritate, it’s better to go directly to the source asking for assistance; by passing poorly trained (customer support) staff located in the United States.

I was assured by “Tissot” this would never happen again, they appreciated my patronage and the individuals responsible for the “poor customer support would be dealt with”.

A lesson learned, just because one purchases a high end watch, won’t guarantee one great customer support when needed, buyer beware comes to mine.

CASE CLOSED!

Just receive my L. Bolle 18k Solstice the other day. Looks like a finely made timepiece. Open heart design with a rotating 3-finned flywheel over the balance is really neat to look at. A heavily textured dial with two retrogrades, 33 jewely and an engine turned rotor and movement… WOW!

I don’t understand why anyone would be upset with this company. Looks like an outstanding product for peanuts.

Hopefully, it should last a long time.

Dean

Well, I just got one for xmas, a nice present from my sister. I like the watch and it seems to be of decent quality.
I’m more bothered that they sell on quixtar. Is everyone not aware that its for all intents and purposes – Amway on the internet? Just google either one and you can find lots of lives messed up by those fine people…
yes, the price marketing is cheesy, but not criminal, however the quixtar bothers me more.

DRK

Hope someone can help. I recently purchased (22nd December 2005)a SUG Swiss made Yachting watch. It keeps excellent time but other aspects of the watch are not functioning: Chronograph; alarm; the 2 minute hands have not moved since I’ve had the watch. Perhaps it’s the battery. I’ve filled out my warranty & e-mailled it off etc. Does anyone know the SUG Company address & phone number? Is there such a company. I must say inspite of the problems the watch appears to be of a very high quality & is eye appealing. A response would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Brian A Mckarkiel-Powell.

Everyone here in this forum cracks me up. All the comments about scams, being deceived, so on and so forth. Has anyone ever heard of old-fashioned MARKETING tactics? lol I have a Masters Degree in International Business, with a Bachelors in Business Administration and Marketing. I’ve owned just about every watch brand there is. Yes, I still have them…and yes, I’m a watch enthusiast and collector. I have recently been turned on to the Rousseau, Balmer, and Louis Bolle line. Guess what? I love each and every one of them. They keep good time, I have experienced good customer service, and the fact of the matter is…each of these watches are like a museum piece. The only watch that I can think of that comes close to unique design and beauty is a Rado, but hey…be prepared to fork out $1,000 plus. ;o) I LOVE my watches and will continue on buying more, each to fit my mood and occasion. You naysayers and negative people only attract what you have…as the adage goes — “Misery ALWAYS attracts company!” Enjoy and be happy…I sure am. ;o)

I recently purchased a SUG, Tavan, Rousseau, and LB from Ebay auctions, I am an avid watch collector, and have a total over 133 watches. I was impressed with each and every one of them. The SUG had beautiful engraving on each side of the case, unlike any detail I’ve seen before. The Rousseau has the most striking face and brilliant blue hands, I find myself just looking at it on my wrist. Granted, the MSRP on the web sites are bogus, and truthfully, I don’t see why ANYONE would pay for a watch what you could buy a CAR for…it’s only telling you the time!! I buy them for the uniqueness in style, as they just add a finishing touch to your outfit. I get tons of compliments on them, they are comfortable and they are affordable. They function more than adequately for the money, the most I paid for one was $75. I’ve paid more for a Swatch, and most of them are PLASTIC!! Just enjoy a beautiful timepiece without losing your shirt! Give them as a gift and people will love you, because they would certainly believe that you paid a hell of a lot more than you did. The fact that each brand comes with an identical warranty card is a dead giveaway that they are all made by the same company, but who cares?? I’m happy with mine, because frankly I can’t afford to pay over $1000 to tell time. Have fun and bid!!

Update: “Concerns regarding a Prague watch”
My wife made contact with LP Service 1203 NW 65th Place, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309 after numerous phone calls, I gave up trying. The answer she received from a female rep was they would ship out a replacement band no charge. The rep said she along with others in the company tried to return my calls but had the wrong phone number, hum. Awaiting band, note rep said “Overstock.com” Makes and Sells “Prague Watches” and they “LP Service” only services them. Sounds like a new trend, wholesalers making there own brand watches and selling them on there site along with other products like “ShopNBC” with “Stuhrling Watches”. I will update this forum upon receiving said watch replacement; maybe I should make my own watch and sell it on the Internet eh?

i recently purchased a sug seahwk on ebay, i am by no means a watch expert, but this seems to be well made watch! its a chronograph that keeps great time and all the secondary functions work. the reason i bought it was because i wanted a watch with a carben fiber face without paying a small fortune! i really like the watch, but hre is my problem the band is too tight and i cannot find anywhere to purchase extra links for it. ive tried their website and ther is no contact link, i also contacted seller from ebay and he couldnt help. if anybody can be of any help please contact me [email protected], otherwise i will have to try to resell the watch on ebay.

I have owned an LB Incognito six months and paid under $75.00. It has kept perfect time. I have received several compliments, and another watch afficianado has expressed great interest in purchasing a similar automatic watch. I am so pleased that I recently purchased an LB Apex. I have gotten a great deal from a timepiece which is timeless.

I just received my LB Negotiator, my first real watch. This thing is beautiful, functional, and all for 100$. No complaints here.

On a side note, if you base your opinions on google and negative blog posters, you’re a true moron. Perhaps you’ve never met the the people of Amway/Quixtar who didn’t quit and who have prospered and helped others prosper because of that decision. I’m sure you’re prospering yourself and changing lives where you work.

Next purchase will be a ladies watch, then possibly a Crazy Hour.

I just got mine today. It is a beautiful watch. It is well put together and very classy looking. Google the TY-2856 movement and you will see several other high end watches using the same movement.

I bought a Rousseau and a Picard and Cie and I am completely happy with them. Especially the Rosseau If I told you what I paid for it you wouldnt believe it. and not only is it made well with a lot of complications but it comes with a alligator strap. I am completely sattisfied. MONK. 4/28/06

I couldn’t stop myself from commenting after reading comment #50 from a guy who claims to have a Masters in Business. As a recent graduate from a Math and Business degree, just a bachelors though, I am quite familiar with business practices and ethics. I’m fairly confident that if everything on this page is true(I’m not saying it is), that Louis Bolle has been seriously misrepresenting itself. Although not necessarily illegal, it doesn’t take a business major to realize that jacking up MSRPs and creating fabricated tales of excellence aren’t good business practices.

Does anyone know when the Company of Louis Bolle started???

I knew these are scams but today I bid for Picar and Cie and won it for 26 in ubid + shipping comes $34 .They say it have Citizen movement ,can I belive them ?. In china town rado knockoff cost $40 ! so I think am fine here … I will never pay more than $50 for this …you get better deal for lucien picard at overstock.com …my take on this

OKAY, AFTER 71 COMMENTS THE NUMBERS ARE IN….

16 comments are AGAINST Louis Bolle, where they’re made, or against the people that like them.

28 comments are FOR Louis Bolle (most owners really love em).

7 comments which are both FOR and AGAINST them.

And finally, 20 comments that don’t pertain directly to LBs or are neutral in nature.

I honestly can see how some folks would be upset, insulted, or even feel ripped off with these watches. I think this is due to the fact that the world and the way product come into our lives is changing, and changing fast. The way we’re being “sold” products and “marketed” these days is in new, and constantly evolving, fast paced, aggressive manner. Add to the mix the power of the internet and the entire Chinese workforce and you probably should be freaked out. The folks that want to hold onto the past will no doubt have the toughest road ahead. Those who embrace this new way should be able to take life easier.

So, if you love your expensive timepiece, cool! If you love your inexpensive multi-complication Bolle, head on over to the Louis Bolle User Group at Yahoo. It’s at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LOUISBOLLE/

There, you’ve just been “marketed” again. Hopefully, you feel in a good way.

Dean

Also for a bit of amusement, visit the sites for Louis Bolle, Balmer, Rousseau, Picard, etc. and compare their strangely similar histories, clearly the fictitious product of a single writer.

This is an interesting read:
http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=1016&rid=0
I have no issues with people paying $50 for a knockoff watch built in the far east; they getting what they pay for. However, why do Bolle, Omikron, Balmer, etc. claim a Swiss origin? The answer is obvious: to use the Swiss watchmaking reputation as a way to increase sales and profits. Could Balmer et al sell their watches if they replaced their fictitious “Swiss Made” label with “Made in China”? I’ll guess far fewer–and for less money.
Good capitalism works within legal guidelines, and the term “Swiss Made” has strict conditions to its use: http://www.fhs.ch/en/swissm.php

“…I find it amuzing that the Swiss would have any issue at all”

I too find it amusing that practices 150 years ago would be used to defend trademark violations now. After all, “Swiss made” is now a clearly defined legal trademark in the US (source: uspto.gov). If this practice were merely “ethically suspect,” US Customs and legal counsel wouldn’t pursue and win such cases. A case in point is the watch brand “Heuer-Lambelet‚Äù, no longer produced because TAG Heuer won legal action against the brand. As with the other ‚ÄúSwiss‚Äù companies listed above (#7), I think it‚Äôs only a matter of time before similar action is taken.

There are a few claims circulating the internet that are worth addressing. One claim is that Swiss watch companies don’t care about brand forgery or misuse of the “Swiss Made” label; anyone can sell fake watches with impunity. Not surprisingly, watch companies are no different than other trademarked products, and will take legal action to protect their products and profits.

Another claim is that “Swiss Made” is a deceptive term used by the Swiss watch industry to “rip people off”. As proof, this person then proceeds to list the legal conditions for the “Swiss Made” trademark, noting how these compare unfavorably with conditions established for the “Made in US” label. Ironically, they assert the Swiss have somehow implicated themselves by setting clear legal guidelines to protect their products. Amusingly, these claims are made by someone from Americanwatchdesign.net, which is owned by Montres Allison, and whose watches have been compared to those of a Hong Kong manufacturer. See the article listed above for details.

Perhaps too much has been made of the “Swiss Made” label, and arguably some Swiss watches are far superior to others. And there’s nothing to suggest that good watches can’t be made elsewhere. However, the real issue I see is one of full product disclosure; consumers should know what they’re buying and from whom. In today’s internet marketplace, outside the relative safety of authorized dealers, it’s upon the consumer to be aware and protect themselves.

Louis Bolles are for the most part, original designs. Out of their 100+ models, only a few of their older models resemble popular high end hand-made watches. This is what got them started.

Their Informer model does somewhat resemble an Eberhard Chrono 4 with its quad sub dials that run across the lower portion of the main dial, but the LB subdials show very different functions, and thus, are not the exact same graphically. Also, some of the Bolle’s open-heart and flywheel balance designs have flavors of Mullers and other exotics. But for the most part, they ARE original watches, and I believe are worth defending.

And to avoid any confusion, Louis Bolles (specifically that brand) do not state on them “Swiss Made” anywhere on them. They do, however, say “China” inside the caseback (I do not know if this is true about any other watches from this maker).

Other than the made up (marketing) story about Louis Bolle on their official site, there is nothing else that suggests anything to do with the Swiss at all.

Sure, you can knit pick if you want… LB’s do have some other features which are characteristic of almost all other automatic watches, like haaaands, diiiiials, straaaaaps, crowns, etc. which it must have in order to be a watch.

Are they copies? I don’t believe this qualifies them as such. In fact, I think these folks are downright clever, and in my opinion the Swiss SHOULD be worried.

On another note… to the gentleman on the previous post; When you take apart your LB to see what makes it tick, please post your finding on the louisbolle user group on Yahoo. We’d love to hear your analysis on the inner workings, no matter what the findings are.

Dean

“In fact, I think these folks are downright clever, and in my opinion the Swiss SHOULD be worried.”

Yes, that distributor in Carrollton, TX has a history of being clever. Whether or not they stick “Swiss Made” on a particular watch, they sure play loosely with the truth, and sometimes they get into trouble. Apparently this Texas company thinks so well of Switzerland, they use a fictitious history to play up their watches. And Ken is right: an “honest man” can tell the difference between an honest brand and a fabrication. Personally, I think the Swiss are most worried about brand confusion. That Texas company does a nice little dance around the truth, but I’m sure the FHS is watching every step.

#82- Yes, that distributor in Carrollton, TX has a history of being clever.

Yup…. because they do MARKETING! They’re doing exactly what our society lets them do…. bend or make-up the truth in order to sell products. This is not a new thing.

Believe me, AAM isn’t one billionth as dirty as Merck, Phillip Morris or Exxon, or any of the entities that actually hurt people (like our own government, for instance).

AAM sells exceptionally nice timepieces (for the money) and they’ve created a new market for a huge emerging country.

My guess is that the people who’d believe the facticious Swiss story which is used to give the watch street creds, probably are not buying the watch because of that. They like how it looks to /on them.

Those that like the line, and understand the story is BS, won’t be buying the watch for that reason either. So who cares about it?

Hey, this is just my opinion folks. It’s 3:11am (according to my Bolle). Time for lights out.

Dean

Wow this is so stupid, I guess people just want to think that they can buy a 4000 dollar watch when they only have 200 bucks. Maybe the owner of luis bolle is very unconfident in his product and has to make up stories(fake values) of his watches, although the real answer is that anyone buying these is doing so compulsively and that the luis bolle company is reselling these things for a huge profit behind an excellent marketing strategy. One can make up all the excuses in the world, they are cheap. It would be a disgrace for Honda to say their car is worth that of a Ferrari, and everyone should know it. Sorry to burst your bubble.

“is the top really a sapphire coated crystal, and does the watch really have an actual alligator strap. are the workings on the inside of the watch quality?”

You nailed why people should avoid paying more than $50 for these watches. There’s no way to verify watch quality before buying, since nobody can walk into a trusted shop to inspect the watch and get an expert opinion. If Louis Bolle, Rousseau, Montres Allison, etc. were such fine top-tier timepieces, they would be sold alongside other quality watches in respected watch shops. Where is that happening?

Bought three Rousseau watches on E-Bay auctions for about $75 each (average). Retail price is irrelevent! I don’t care what the retail price is! Each one is a great watch and I love them! My father worked for 50 years and the company gave him a cheap watch when he retired! These watches are great, and I intend to share my happiness with everyone I meet. So there, you nasty negative people. I hope one of my friends gives you one for your birthday! Take That!!!

The amount of defensive rationalization for these watches is incredible. Either the watch is Swiss or it isn’t. Your inability to determine the line between good business ethics and deception does not prove a point–nor would it in court. I challenge anyone here who owns one of these “Swiss” watches to bring it to a qualified jeweler or watchmaker for an expert opinion. Then, post what they say. Stop being pawns for dishonest businessmen.

“I have yet to get a reply that answers yes or no”

Seriously, it’s hard for anyone to answer that because these watches are not sold in stores where we can actually handle the product before we buy. There’s really nobody to independently test and stand behind these watches in the way many authorized watch retailers stand behind their watch lines. That’s why many people discussed the fictitious histories and parent company of Heuer-Lambelet, Balmer, et al because it suggests something about the parent company. I’d suggest getting to know a watch dealer that you trust and getting their feedback on these brands.

THere is a whole lot of naivete about marketing running around this thread! I have no affiliation with any of the brands or mfrs discussed here; I just collect watches, including serious brands (YLC, Omega) and whimsical ones. I just received my first Bernoilli (Mimic champagne, and yes I’m aware, and am waiting on delivery of a Louis Bolle. Frankly, the watch is far better and nicer looking than I expected for the $57 I paid (including shipping).

Let’s be real here about marketing: it’s the art of telling people what they want to hear in order to induce them to buy something — and to convince them that what they are spending is worth it. Hopefully this is done without outright lying, but “deception” of a sort is inevitable and universal (have you ever bought a fast-food burger thinking it was actually going to look and taste as good as the picture/description leads you to believe?)

The truth of the matter as far as I can see, reading carefully, is that the LB, Rousseau, and other sites tell absolutely no lies about their products. Yes, they invoke the “spirit” of Swiss forbears that have nothing tangible to do with their watches, but marketing is all about ambiance, and there is nowhere where you will see them state that *these* watches are Swiss-made — just Swiss-inspired. [NOTE: I can’t comment on what resellers might be saying in their auctions, but that is a whole different level of caveat emptor].

As for quality control, time will tell on the cut-rate watches I bought recently. I can, however, tell you that I have spent $thousands on a genuine YLC Reverso that happened to arrive DOA (unwindable — jammed spring). Of course they fixed it, and it took about 6 or 7 weeks to come back in pristine shape. Apparently about the same experience others have had with these $50 watches! See, customer service and qualityu control issues can exist anywhere (doh!)… Nevertheless, I love my ultra-pricy Yaeger LeCoultre watches for what they are, and I also appreciate my Chinese knock-offs for what they are — interesting designs (even if clearly derivative — isn’t almost everything in art derivative or evocative of something/one else?) and OK quality for an appropriate price.

They may not be quite “there” yet, but if anyone here doubts that the Chinese watchmakers will give the mainstream a run for its money someday, then I suggest you review your 20th-century history a bit, and see how many times something like that has happened in other industries (did someone say cars, steel, clothing, durable goods, etc., etc.?)

I too have bought watches that are considered “scam” watches and most recently I bought a SUG Challenger for about $ 36.00 US (that price includes shipping). I feel I got a nice looking watch but of dubious quality..yea it loses time. Anyone got any ideas on where to send it for “authorized” repairs ? It is of course still under warranty !!! HELP !!!

Swiss cheese made in Mexico; Italian sausage made in the USA; French toast from wherever; English mustard, Spanish omelet, Persian rugs. Come on, guys, who gives a doody? I read the comments, I knew what I was getting, so I went for a couple of these LB timepieces, and you know something? They’re really pretty good. For $50 to $175 they’re a nice addition to any snappy dresser’s wardrobe, and by golly they fool most everyone. “Nice watch!” Where did you get it?” Wow, I gotta get me one of these!”

I have purchased a Rousseau(Rhaphsody). I must admit that I was somewhat excited at the claim of the MSRP(29995.00)but did I honestly expect to purchase any watch with such a claim for under 1000.00? OF COURSE NOT!! What I did expect was to receive was a watch that kept good time amd looked nice on my watch. What did I get? A watch that KEEPS GOOD TIME,LOOKS GOOD on my wrist and gets compliments from strangers,friends,and loved ones.
I paid 70 dollars for the Rousseau on Ebay,including shipping and so far after a month it is still going.
Bottom line is this. As others have staed,be SMART and don’t expect to get a 3000.00 watch for fifty bucks people. If you like these(or any other watch)and have the money ,buy them. Just be mindful and use common sense. I would however advise against paying the MSRP for this9or any other watch). JMO.
I mean,I personally would rather rest comfortably in the fact that the money is safe in my accounts ready to serve me in other ways.
Again,JMHO.

My above comments, of course, are coming from somone who doesn’t intend to rely on this watch a an everyday workhorse.

I must say…..I have 12 watches from Invicta to Movado to Rolex…..Louis Bolle watches seem to be good quality. I believe that you SHOULD do your best to find the BEST deal possible only because of the unknown, but based on what I’ve seen…..not a bad watch and hey……you have to respect their marketing approach.

I have a great story about the Bolle watches. I bought 3 of them for less than the price of my Citizen Eco-Drive (knowing exactly what they were when making the purchase). Anyway, I was shopping at Bailey, Banks & Bittle (high-end Jewelry Store here) and happened to be wearing one of the Bolle’s. The girl at the counter was admiring my watch and finally ask where I had purchased it and what the price was as she just knew her boyfriend would love it. While she was asking me, a man approached who was wearing a Rolex. He too asked about the watch, stating it was much nicer than his Rolex. I proceeded to tell them the story (the actual story behind the watches). Too make a long story short, BOTH ended up purchasing a Bolle. I agree, as long as you know what you are getting and pay accordingly, you’ll receive a decent timepiece. I’ve had mine for quite some time now and so far, they have all done as well as my Citizen as far as keeping time. With the internet providing the world at your fingertips, research is a must before buying ANYTHING, whether it be $1 or $1,000,000

HI just bought a Louis Bolle watch retailed at $3950 for just $55 on ebay. Received it and its excellent. Keeps great time and looks the part. Looks extremley well made and is an automatic. It keeps better time than my origional 12 year old Gucci that i get fed up changing the batteries every 2 years or so. I think you get a little more than you pay for. Kindest regards David

Quite humorous, now looking back at some of the responses. For someone to think that paying less than MSRP, or for the Mfr to suggest the MSRP is a scam? That’s a rather uninformed statement as a consumer.
From Business 101, I believe MSRP stands for Mfr’s Suggested Retail Price, (perhaps counterintuitive) which to me means the mfr suggests a retail price. To the “uniformed”, next time you go to the register with your clothing, make sure they don’t scam you into paying anything less than the MSRP. Insist on paying full. And in cash.

To John Q: if you’ve spent easily $200,000.00 on watches, I’d say you’re a damn idiot or a liar. I own a Cartier & a Rolex & an 1850 KW/KS Gold & Silver highly engraved Move. w/ Boa Strap & they blow away these Bolles & Picards away. I also own Gold & Silver Antique French & other museum quality pieces & they are all head & shoulders above the lessers. A Rolex feels infintelly better on the wrist then a Bolle or SUG.PERIOD! John Q. must be a liar. $200,000.00 my ass, ever consider feeding starving children? yes i do that too. fool.

I am a certified watch repairman with master grade certifications for both repair and restoration thru Omega, Concord, Cartier, TAG Heuer,and Baume&mercier and also hold Journyman certificates for Mavado, Aqua swiss, Oris,Bulova/Accutron and Balmer to name a few and have almost 30 years in the business I have held certificates from Chase-Durer, Invicta, CMYA, IWC,and yes even Rolex and Rolex Tudor Prince, although Rolex charges a rediculas fee for certification and I am sorry but Rolex is not all that Omega is by far a better made watch pit the seamaster 300 pro auto against the submariner these are watches that would be in compitition and the Omega wins hands down, and that goes for the speedmaster and the constelation and as far as a beautiful and as good or better made dress watch the Cartier Roadster blows Rolex away, now for Balmer and Louis Bolle they are 2 compleatly different animals yes the LB is made in china, or in Russia the TY-601 auto that is used in the LB that I have, I am an avid watch collector with some where in the 240 piece range including pocket watches that includes 4 rolex watches ,2 TAG Heuer, 6 Omegas, 3 Cartiers, 3 Concord, 4 Mavados, 3Chase-Durer, 8 Invictas (only their all swiss made , and limited pieces) 4 Accutron including a 1963 tuning fork model 4 Baume&mercier, along with several others such as Aqua swiss,tissot, ESO, Luminex, Swiss army,Zodiac and several japanese, so I am very comfortable taking the back off a watch and disecting the movt. as I said yes LB are china or Russian made but they only make claim to the mens names that were real swiss watch makers and those so called bogus histories are not bogus at all they are the histories of the men of wich this company takes its name along with a few others, Now Balmer is not in that same group the history they provide though the time line is off abit is a true history and they are swiss made and use an authentic ETA 2824 25 jewel movmt, I have this same movt be it the nickle plated ETA 2824 in one of my Accutrons, or the same gold plated one used in both Concord and Cartier and the diamonds used are of as high quality as used in OEM Rolex VSI and of I-H in color clarity, now the aftermarket Rolex diamonds I have seen in as good as VVSI and G_H and the diamond in the Cartier watches such as the Diamond Roadtser are always VVSI or better and H or better , but back to LB the MSRP is unrealistic b ut the fit and finish and the materials barring the movt are top quality some of their braclets are by far nicer and of better construction than those of your main stream high-end pieces including Rolex and Omega and the particular movmt I mentiond above my be made in china but it uses very high end parts including some modified swiss parts and is very well constructed this watch though not worth $4000.00 is easaly worth 500.00-1000.00 and remember retail mark-up on watches is even more outrages than diamonds a 6500.00 submariner or a 3700.00 dollar seamaster both cost less than $1000.00 us from start to the retail shelf and you can only go so cheap befor it is a plastic toy and the LB is not a toy and rivals the best Japaneese modkes easy. and the balmer is a beautiful top quality time piece that compares in both construction and quality parts as any of the top watches including rolex, infact I have found Cartier to be one of the nicest watches period. anyway just one mans humble but very knowladgable opinion for what its worth…..

I have owned a LB for two years now, and have to say it continues to be a fine timepiece. I still get comments all the time. It is an automatic, with a nice sweeping second hand and loses about 20 seconds every other day or so. Not bad for the money. I was never under the illusion that this watch was really selling anywhere for the so-called MSRP of almost $4,000, but I do think I got a good solid value for the price. In fact, I would pay twice as much as I did (around $100)in a heartbeat.

I have purchased two watches from europa timepieces and have received nothing but compliments from my co-workers.

I have not had any problems to date with my watches and as aresult have purchased two more

I bought/Won a Sug Nautilis on the Quixtar auction two months ago for the awesome sum of $46. Its black with the same exact tritium capsules of the more expensive Luminox or Bell watches. It has a fine Miyota automatic movement that gains about 5 seconds a day max. Very accurate so far. In its underlying form it is the same as much more expensive watches. Some invictas use the Miyota movement albeit the less expensive ones to the Swiss movement. The name/history may or may not be made up, the “msrp” IS ridiculous but it is a fine watch indeed and it looks great!! For the price I couldnt beat it. Value is purely subjective in anything. Id buy another at $100.

I have been reading this side about the Lous bolle Watches and they are also to get in the norwegian autions for around 90 to 150$
I tried to get in contakt with the firm to by many but they dont sell wholesale and they did only ship grund..
I olso like some og ther other brand like balmer, Rousseau.

If someone have contacts please email me at: [email protected]
Alice

I got a SUG as a gift last year and was also surprised at the msrp. The watch looks great and I have gotten a lot of complements because the design is unique. I was VERY disappointed to see moisture under the crystal when a slight bit of water hit the watch. Also, the leather band broke in about 6 months of use. Still, it is a great looking watch, and hasn’t turned green yet 😉

I haven’t seen any claim that these watches are sweedish. Most of their watches do not say where they are made. Two of AAM brands, Balmer and Omikron, claim they are Swiss made. To make that claim, because “Swiss made” is copyrighted, these watches must be assembled in Switzerland and have 50% Swiss parts. Both of these brands have Facilities in Switzerland.
Why criticize AAM for misleading MSRP when all Manufactures use the same phoney practice. Basically the MSRP is a Manufacture’s artifical price that retailers can discount from. I have never paid the MSRP for anything. I don’t know anybody who has paid the MSRP for any purchase. If anybody out there is willing pay the MSRP for an item, I would be happy to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge.

I am looking for a simple men’s watch with just the time and moonphase. Or at least, just the moonphase as a dial. The date can be on there, just not as a separate mini-dial. I don’t want the watch to have the moon phase as well as 3 separate dials. Charles Hubert has nice ones like this in pocket watches, but no wristwatches. Anyone know of any good ones out there?

I have been wearing my LB aramount nearly everyday since I got it. I am impressed with it so far. It’s solid, keeps great time and the power reserve works well. The strap good but I don’t like the blue color that comes with the Steel Blue model. I’ll probably replace it with a brown one. All in all, I recommend this watch.

I have owned a Rosseau automatic for nearly a year, and only remove it to shower. It has kept wonderful time, and I get nothing but accolades and compliments when I wear it. I’m very pleased with the quality. Any idiot knows that the (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) MSRP, which is used in every marketing area, is a rediculous price. This is how the free enterprise system works! So, if the watch was made in Hong Kong rather than Switzerland…what is that to me? It means I’ve probably paid less for the same watch of the same quality than if it HAD been made in Switzerland. Let’s use our heads here…shall we? Lower manufacturing costs….lower advertising costs…equal…better quality for the money.

ryan, that’s the stupidest thing I ever heard.

If you have more than 100 of these watches “under your belt”, that tells me these things probably didn’t last more than a day or 2 before breaking down. That is NOT a testament to quality. But some crooks are too stupid to be good con men. Saing thigs like that.

Go take you little scam elsewhere “ryan”

JUST A NOTE ON TEH UBID WATCHES… EVERY SINGLE ONES WEBSITE… THE ACTUAL CONTACT INFORMATION IS ALL THE SAME… 10 BRANDS ALL FROM 1545 Capital Drive
Suite 100
Carrollton, TX 75006

AND ALL SUPPOSEDLY OVER $1500 “RETAIL” VALUE.. YET NOONE SELLS THEM RETAIL…. GO FIGURE

hi i bought a omikrom privateer watch and just wanted to know if it is swiss movement or not. i paid $80 please let me know .
p.s. im happy with the quality. cheers.

To Fejust
All you can really do is try and get the seller to refund your money. I have tried to stop a transaction from paypal and it is almost impossible. You might consider going into paypal and opening a dispute. Look at comment 4 above and make your case that the description said LB is european yet LB is actually a Texas Company. Good luck.

Hello people,
Just got my first LB. The model is Marshall. The watch doesnt work properly at all. I think that charges by 2 ways: movement and typical winding(from the side).
Can someone help me about the winding of this watch?
When i charging it in from the side, after a little i here a noise like TIK. Another thing is that i took a chronometer and compared the 1min between the watch and the chrono. The result was 59 for every chrono 1min.
The watch stops all the time at 22″ line when i take it off my hand. WTF is going on with this watch?
Can i take it to another watchmaker to take a look?
I live in Greece and i dont think that i can use warranty properly. It will take 6 months till the fix it(if they ever fix it) and send it back.
I would appreciate any help
thanks

I purchased an LB “The Inspector”. It is very well constructed and it runs fine I paid less than 100.00 and know full well it is some kind of hybrid or chinese manufactured watch. It is really well done though. I sent an e- mail to the folks listed on their website to find out where these are manufactured and have not gotten an answer. I see most of the folks are satisfied on this web site. With every watch the chance of a defect ispossible. I bought a Gevril and wore it three times before sending it in for warranty work. same with an Invicta. Know that if you do send a watch in for service to a manufacturerit can take as long as three months to get it back. Even longer as in the case of my Gevril.

I have thoroughly read these comments referencing these watches. I have an Omega, a Rolex, a Ball, a Movada and several other “quality watches”. I purchased several of these LB watches at a reasonable price. I must say that for the money they are a definate value. When you buy a Rolex for $10,000.00 and put it on your wrist it is a quality timepiece that makes a significant statement to the observer. The LB is a unique watch that gets good comments and compliments. For the money the watch is definately worth a few hundred dollars if compared to Seiko, Omega or other other well known “economy” type watches. It is easy to buy a name brand watch for $200 to $500 that is unreliable. If the watch looks good and works well then it is worth the money spent. Why all the Boo “friggin” who” comments. If you are a smart consumer you would do your homework as well as the math. If you are an idiot you will buy the watch without researching other consumers comments and then piss and moan to everyone willing to listen. I would adfvise that spending $75.00 to $300.00 for these watches may well be a better value than spending $400.00 for a Seiko Blah Zey timepeice.

T. Covert

My girlfriend bought me a Louis Bolle for Xmas – paid about $140 for it in ebay. I like the way it looks, it keeps time and people ask me where I got it. A friend of mine tells me the retail mark up on watches is about 400% anyway and the Swiss companies buy movements and chuck them in watches claiming that they’re all in house. If you like the watch and the price is right, buy it. If you’re a brand snob, pay a fortune and buy a Rolex.

I just purchased my Louis Bolle on eBay for $80. It’s a great looking watch, but when I look through the skeleton back and compare it with several other mechanical watches I own it’s clearly an inferior product. It’s running fine, looks fine, and I can enjoy it for the price I paid … but when it dies (and I expect it will sooner or later) it will be trashed. For the record I have mechanical watches that I’ve paid several thousand dollars for and a couple I’ve paid as little as $50 for (Seiko’s) and none have ever failed me so perhaps I’m being overly pessimistic. Right now it’s simply a fun watch.

I am the proud owner of a Lewis Bolle Gold Dune watch. I bought it on ebay for $185 well over a year ago and would not trade it for any other. This watch has served me well and keeps excellent time. I would buy another Louis Bolle watch tomorrow if I were in the market for a watch. Fantastic automatic at a great price.

I bought a Rousseau watch from ubid for $65 and I must say it is an excellent watch. And I had it serviced by the company ( a minor thing- it lost 4 min per day ) and now it works great. I get compliments from my watch. It is my favorite watch in my collection, why? Because it looks great and is very inexpensive. I am very happy with it.

Purchased a Louis Bolle Sovereign on ebay for like 120. Ive had several compliments on it. I have had it for about 2 months and I am really pleased with it. I am in the process of buying a new Liason 2 with the new huge 46.5mm face. I also plan on getting a LB paramount and a SUG hercules. Anyone have any comments. I will repost when I recieve them with my opinions. Any questions or comments welcome
Thanx

I’ve read all the posts in this column, and I am amazed that the majority of quality assessments of this watch are made towards how the watch LOOKS instead of the mechanics INSIDE. Things like the number of jewels in the movement, the type of movement, the shock rating, etc. are all things that are measurable and quantifiable. No offense, but if you are dumb enough to shell out lots of $s just on how something looks, then you get what you deserve. I would sooner buy a re-furbished Rolex than a no-name, overhyped watch. Real companies put forth their business practices where they are easily accessable for inspection by the buyer. Questionable businesses put up a web page with no direct dial number or mailing address. Its a shame that there are hucksters out there, but as they say in the realestate biz, let the buyer beware.

I have just purchased a Tavan from e-bay for 42.00. The watch is beautiful. Before I made the purchase, I went on line and found several hits for Tavan. I will have a serious problem if the watch gets any water under the crystal. I am the owner of a Tag alter ego and many others. This Tavan claims to be able to go 30 meters with no problem. If it does what it says, and I have no problems I could care less if a 5 yr. old made it in the basement in hong kong(no, I do only because I am against child labor) lol, since we all know the problem, what is the solution??? It is a) class action lawsuit, or b) the feed back will be so negative and we can demand our money back and keep the watch or c) call our local news and get the word out. So, it seems to me, you are all mostly, becomming part of the problem instead of the solution, I do not like people being taken advantage of, so, even if I LOVE my watch, the seller will know I am not fooled. I will still leave a positive feedback, and GUESS WHAT??? We will kick a– on ebay because the sellers will take our lowest offers!! Thanks for the info,…Blessings, Katia….Remember!!! We have paid at Victorias Secret a fortune for EVERYTHING made in china, the only part about this, is…DECEPTION

I just received a louis bolle watch that i purchased on line and have no complaints about it. I enjoyed the fair price and would of bought it without a msrp listed because i liked the look of it. I don’t really care if its a swiss watch or chinese made. The fact of it is that i enjoy it. Most things today have parts assembled in other countries but are still able to claim a different country of origin if they meet minimal requirements. Is BMW any less than BMW because they may of been made in america. Or is a ford truck anything but an american aotumobile because they have a plant in Mexico.Or is Land Rover still a British Auto manufacturer even if Ford Motor is there parent company. The fact of the matter is most people cought up on brand names are only trying to make themselves feel better then others by purchasing high end material items and are jealous of anyone who may of found a nice deal on a nice watch that may take the attention away from them. If you do not like or want a LB watch don’t buy one. But I see Nothing wrong with them. It keeps me from wearing my expensive ones more then I should. Its a nice fun watch. I still consider Land Rover a british automobile and currently own two,even though ford controls the company.

I too just received a lb watch from an online bid site. I wqas a bit skeptical at first but I guess i joined the hype and bid and won. Bright side is I got it for under $70. Down side is that in reality, like art, its really only worth what you think its worth, what you’re willing to pay. $3K? No. $70? Sure. Will I buy another? No. It looks good but not something to brag about. I also noticed that all the other varieties of lb watches have been pulled from the online site from which I bought it and there were lots of them. Maybe somethings up.

After rereading the comments I had to add a few things. I still have a lot to learn about watches and the funcions of them but anyone who dosen’t buy something on visual appeal and would rather buy something ugly that is solid is a moron. I have a panerai which is solid as a rock and not that easy on the eyes and I got it used on ebay for 3 grand. I have a movado museum watch that has 1.72 carats of diamonds in it. Im scared to leave the house in the movado and the panerai never gets any attention for what I paid. My LB has got lots of attention and I paid 120 for it. I do however have a problem with some of these morons on ebay paying 550 for LB’ statesmans. ( I saw it happen today) Learn how to look at the stock photos and do your own research. The same watch was on buy it now for 150 obo. Pull your head out your arses people. For a saphire coating 38 jewl movement and flashy looks 100-150 is a good deal. I think we can all agree. My only last question is how the hell do we get new bands and parts for these things?? The band on my liason and my paramount leather bands wont last forever.
[email protected]

From reading all of the comments posted, I ask why someone has not filed a complaint with the Texas State Attorney’s office? If the watches are being advertised as being “Swiss Made” and are (as stated in many statements) made in China or some other country, it would make a good case against false advertisement and prompt the ‘ebay’s’ and ‘ubids’ of the internet highway be more careful as to the items being hawked on their websites by their vendors. Instead of posting displeasure be proactive and file with any government agency for issues pertaining to fraud. After all, it’s your hard earned cash and you being the one deceived.

I agree with Dean completely and thanks for the input Joel. I got my Liason 2 today finally after usps screwing around for 2 weeks. I must say its a stunning watch but the band isnt near as nice as the crown. I think and would suggest anyone to get a Crocodile or whatever leather that suits them on ebay. There is very reputable seller on there. Once again I got a warranty card that is blank with no serial numbers to register it. Oil well as they say in texas. After getting a 100 dollar band this watch really look like its worth a couple of grand. I also thought I would mention I wore out my SUG Hercules and I got over 20 compliments on it. I think all and all anyone getting shafted by these watches is their own fault. I purchased all 3 of mine for under 450 and Im pleased overall.

People pay for a brand name LB ruined their brand name by lieing and commiting other unethical actions, but at the end of the day i dont got the bright watch, i got the right watch.

Yes, I am a sucker for MSRP, thats the first thing I looked at before purchasing 4 LB watches as well as 2 Tavans and a Romilly lol. The saying is true ,if its to good to be true then ……I just hope it looks as good in real life as it does in the pictures. I’ll keep everyone informed on my watches and how they perform. Hey, no one commented on the price difference between ebay and ubid, I got some really great prices from u bid, just dont get carried away in THE BID ZONE lol,yes i do not take my own advice how do u think I ened up with 7 watches lol.

A couple years ago I got a SUG Renegade watch. It looks great, even up close, and keeps perfect time. It was under $100 on ubid. The ridiculously jacked up MSRP and auction-only presence is a bit shady, but the product, at least the one I got, is solid – FOR THE PRICE PAID -. I get comments on the watch, people ask me what it is I tell ’em it’s a cheapo I got on the internet. Sometimes they believe me.

Vaguely remeniscent of the classic “white van” speaker scam, but in this case, the product, while misrepresented at the stated “MSRP” (like white van speakers), is actually a quality piece (unlike them).

these watches are cheap!!!1 the movements, are clearly inferior! They are misrepresented, and highly suspect! The cases are 14mm+thick, and the back crystal is`plastic. To be frank, they are clunky and ugly. Just look at the machining on the rotor, the materials are junk metal, and the entire collection is glitzy, and wreaks of junk. I am amazed at the lack of understanding today, of quality! You get a cheap watch for a cheap price if you are lucky. I bought one LB, it will sit in the box with the fake croc band. It is not a watch I would wear in public. “can you say JUNK?” cause that is all they are. try an Eterna, and that is a watch to fall in love with, not these sucker wrist watches.

Just recieved a LB Proctor today and I’m very pleased with the purchase. What other watch company sells an automatic skeleton watch for under $200? If these watches are near the quality of a Citizens or Seiko I would say Its a bargain for the prices you can get on Ebay. Dont expect to get a $3000 watch for $100, its just foolish. But I have to say quality appears to be on par with some of the $300-400 watches I own.

I just bought a watch made the the very reputated cloths designer “Givenchy”, now this watch is a chrono, of witch the whole watch seem very well constructed, very high polished bensel, and for the most part the rest of the timepiece too. My comcern was the “swiss movt” on the dial of the watch, and i have read that this was not lawful to put on a watch, because some people might mistake it as “swiss Made”.
Does anyone know more about this, it seem to be made in swiss, but you can now a days get a made in japan replica of any know name brand.

These are sidewalk vendor watches, and I am a sucker because I own two of them despite doing some research beforehand. I was delighted when I got my first because it looked great and I paid a mere $65. Then I lost my marbles bidding $200 on the next, a useless timepiece that?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s nothing more than a gaudy band of junk jewelry. Taking it out of its box, it showed me its ?¢‚Ǩ?ìexceptional quality?¢‚Ǩ¬ù when it gained about five minutes that first day, but that number began to climb. After a few months, it was gaining 30 seconds an hour, then a minute an hour, 45 minutes a day. Hey, at least I was always early. Then one day, it just stopped altogether and wouldn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t start again. After visiting the LB website and obtaining return instructions, I parceled the watch off to Texas. I half expected never to see it again but low and behold, a month later I got the watch back, fixed. Well, not quite. It was running, I mean the hands were moving, but now in slow motion, and the small hand no longer lined up with the hour. Is it seven or eight o?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢clock exactly? Who cares, what?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s in an hour, huh? It?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s a Louis Bolle, of exceptional quality. If you haven?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t bought one of these watches and are planning to, here?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s my advice: pay no more than $30 which is their showoff value (even that?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s probably more than their worth) but if the correct time is an issue of importance stay clear of Louis Bolle.

P.S. I’ll hold my JR Vespucci next to my Nivada Grenchen with Swiss Quartz and let you know how it keeps time.

Drew

I was in the internet, on Ubid.com website. Looking at watches auction, I got some brands and visited their website. Rosseau, Bernolli, Romilly, Balmer, Louis Bolle and many others are all brands from the same company. And the address for contact is the same for all of them (1545 Capital Drive, suite 100, Carrollton, TX ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú 75006 ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú USA).

The website of each one is well done and gives us the idea that the product is fine jewelry ?¢‚Ǩ?ìA+?¢‚Ǩ¬ù classified merchandise, but in reality it is just one more product from China.
Looks good while it is new, but it never passed by any Swiss manufacturer?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s hand.

Always at Market, U bid, & Property room are all selling watches almost solely supplied by Always at Market out of Texas. They are the sole importers in the U.S. These watches are of good, not exceptional, valve. What I have experienced, with hundreds of purchases, if you win a bid with a high dollar amount and they are out of stock, they will offer you an equal replacement or cancel the transaction. If you win at a low price, they tell you it is cancelled, due to out of stock, and don’t offer you an alternative. Makes you wonder, if you win with a low bid, do they just tell you out of stock? For the money, these are good watches and do have what is advertised inside. Keep in mind, a cheap priced Timex would probably outlast most watches, including the ridiculous priced Rolex!! So if these watches appeal to you, they do keep good time and are of good quality, for the money.

I feel so awful. I had my son look at some and he bought 4 of them because of the style and he could have used his money on something else. I bought 3 of them all very stylish. I have no problem with the time keeping or how they look. They all have very artistic and innovative designs. I think they have put a lot into the craftsmanship of the watches even down to the sweep hand with the LB on the short end. I got one of these watches for my husband for father’s day and it said china on the band which made me suspicious. I wrote the company but have not heard back yet. I went to the site and pulled up a watch that had china on the band that had a MSRP of $9995 and I knew there was something wrong. I called my son and we tried to find other LB watches that were not on ebay or ubid but could not find them any place else. Then we found you all and my heart sunk! I told my son I would give him the money back that he spent since I told him about the watches. He is young and used the money for his car payment and food to take a chance at owning something that would be worth something in the future. This is not creative marketing. This is a scam!!! These watches are advertised by bogus watch dealers as swiss made watches. We bought them mostly for this reason and partly for how they look. This false advertising puts their marketing tactics in the scam category. If they advertised great looking watches from Xi Chu in China no one would bid the prices that they do for them.

LET’s CLEAR SOME THINGS UP…

Joe Manix’s (post #183) reports legal action against the owner of the marketing firm that owns the Louis Bolle line (and others). Only problem is, HE GOT THE WRONG GUY!!! There is NO legal action against the owner of AAM whatsoever. Please get your fact straight.

Fade9150 (Post #181)- You’re lucky… these watches are not waterproof. They are only water resistant to 3 ATM (100ft. or 30 meters). At this rating, they will withstand splashes or brief immersion in water, but is not suitable for swimming

Regarding the woman in post #194 who feels she got scammed. These watches are NOT what you’re thinking they are (they’re not knock-off cheap Chinese junk watches at all) You just need a bit of info on them and you’ll probably feel better about your purchases. Please check out the Louis Bolle User Group on Yahoo at;

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LOUISBOLLE/

Dean

I bid on and won a SUG Avenger watch last week on EBay. I got it for $124.00. It was a great looking watch and I even checked out the “Official SUG Site”. They claim the MSRP is $1995.00 and that the watch is water resistant up to 3ATM. We just got back from the local swimming pool where I never even went into water above my chest. Needless to say there is water & fog under the crystal of this “$124.00” watch and it also stopped keeping time at 6:15 p.m.! My old Coleman watch that I purchased at Walmart for $9.95 3 years ago is now back on my wrist and has been swimming for years now & still keeps perfect time. It’s not as pretty as the SUG, but it still keeps the right time! I had taken the SUG watch down to the jeweler the day before to get a link taken out so it would fit better. He has been in business for over 25 years. I asked him what he thought of the watch! He replied “I have never heard of this one before!” I told him it listed for $1995.00 on their website. He kind of laughed a little bit and said “Are ya sure it didn’t say $59.95?”

I have a Balmer, LB, and a Rousseau. The only watch that was advertised as Swiss Made was the Balmer. I agree with most here who say it is a nice watch worth the money and not worth the thousands listed as MSRP. But, if everyone who sold items at a price lower than MSRP because it was elevated, I guess we would have to walk since the car industry does it without shame. If you like the watches, buy them and accept them for what they are. I have no buyer’s remorse whatsoever. As for comparable watches for the price being paid here that were recommended by some posters, you will be happy to know you can buy Invictas at sporting goods stores for less than $50.00. Is it better to buy watches below the listed value and be happy with the quality and the overall purchase, or to buy a watch for more money that has a better-known name, that anyone can buy for half the price you paid for it. Bottom line, it is a watch, buy it if you like and feel it is worth the money you pay for it. But don’t make a decision because someone complained about it or raved about it on the internet.

Omikron is by a swiss company called Leschot SA. Tissot is part of the Swiss Swatch group.Many of the low cost E-sale watches use a swiss made action. Some of the cheepo quartz jobs use a jap Seiko or Swiss Rona action.

Louis Bolle watches. C’mon get a life. A cheap Chinese watch that has a recommended retail price that is nowhere near the value its worth. Get some sense. If you want a good watch pay good money for it!
It’ll last for life and you know you have a good product. Me…if its chinese…avoid it!!! Too many bad experiences

I bought TAVAN “Fiona” watches from ebay. I just wounder if diamonds are really genuine dimonds or not. You can not check stones cause they are behind the glass. So if someone actually cheked the “diamonds” please tell me if they are genuine or not.

I resently bought two Louis Bolle watches,MINISTRY & INCOGNITO-(jump hour) and am very pleased with them. I’m a machenist and a perfectionist, these watches are not worth their MSRP but their not $10 either.the gold platting is of good quality. the leather bands are not top end neither bottom end,overall their products are mid to 34 high range. on the MINISTRY the two sub dials 24 hrs and the power reserve do actually work.

These watches are fantastic. The quality is honestly getting better all the time. But this is not to say they’re perfect. It seems that about 1 in 20 have some small issue (which may or may not correct itself), and 1 out of 50 which have a genuine defect. Typically, all you hear on sites like this are either the nay sayers who know not what they speak of or the 1 person out of 50 who got the defective one. They’re upset, and they should be. But overall… THERE ARE MANY, MANY MORE HAPPY AAM WATCH CUSTOMERS THAN UNHAPPY ONES.

So here’s the deal. These amazing watches are being designed and assembled in China at a quantity and speed that is beyond belief. The shear magnitude of all the processes which it takes to design, market, build, distribute, and then redistribute them, (never mind all that goes into the auction and payment process as well), is just sick. By the time one makes it onto your wrist, it is probably warm from the friction of BS it took to get it there.

Due to this fast pace, and the unskilled labor used to keep the prices cheap, a small fraction of watches get overlooked in the final stages of assembly. This is typically when the watch gets oiled, regulated, and is given the once over to make sure it functions properly.

Another problem seems to be with customer service and repairs. Once again, there are many repairs which I hear of that go smoothly, but some don’t. My only comment here is that AAM is a MARKETING company, not a watch manufacturer or even a retail chain. I would expect a marketing company to be good at the marketing part, but not at the customer service or repair end.

I still think they are an exceptional buy. If you purchase one, and it has an issue that bothers you, consider bringing it to your local Watchmaker (not a jewelry store) for service. They will do a better job (unless they have a bad attitude).

Dean
Louis Bolle User Group Moderator

Hi

there is a similar company called always at auction (alwaysatauction.com) with a phone thats very close.

also, http://www.j-springs.com/distributor.html shows them as a distributor. and that’s a SII ( Seiko brand )

are these a SEIKO product?

Recently, a friend showed me ubid.com and once day I went there and placed a bid of $50 on the first watch I liked. I did not even read properly, which means that while I should have placed a bid of $37, I did put $50 (so much to say for my intelligence!). I did not expect to win it, but since there were 49 watches on auction, I got a mail within 4 hours telling me that I won. So it cost be about $60 to get a watch. It was a Romilly watch.

When the watch arrived, I was bit nervous (I had even told my colleagues that probably I would get a plastic watch!), but it turned out to be a nice watch: good vintage looks, nice leather strap, heavy,attributes I like in a watch. It has been 3 weeks and the watch is still doing fine. Actually, I wear Prague, Esprit etc. brands, but this Romilly of mine is the one watch, which makes people look at it and ask me as to how much it cost me, or from where I bought it.

I had planned to buy a Tissot for my birthday, but now I am instead bidding on an SUG. I can buy the Brown one right now for about $50, but I would instead wait for the black one.

In a world where a pair of $6.49 sunglasses has better UV protection than a $300 one (I am not making it, Wikipedia has a reference on this study!), where many bottled mineral water is apparently processed tap water (not that it is any worse, but just that it is processed tap water. again I’m not making it, I saw a TV report), I am happy with my $65 Romilly that looks great, works fine and on which people compliment me.

If you LOVE these watches, please goto; http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LOUISBOLLE/ and join the Louis Bolle User Group on Yahoo where we can talk about them without bothering those that dislike them.

Dean

I own three louis bolle models that I bought off of ebay. Two of the three worked perfectly out of the box (Dune and Proctor). The third (Glacier) woundnt stay wound so I sent it to AAM for servicing. Even though the warranty didnt apply for this watch, they fixed it and sent it back free of charge. That tells me this company is legit. Personally I like the style of some of these watches and they work well. They are definately worth $100. I toyed with the idea of getting a Tag Heuer, but couldnt justify the price, I’m just not that impressed with them.

Hi…
I bought a Trias and can only tell you that it is almost once a week someone will comment on the watch and where did I get it. The Trias is an automatic and does not keep perfect time but with a regular wind and daily wear, this watch will keep time correctly. The only issue is that even though it is a self winder and I walk at work, it does require a wind now and then and will keep acceptable time. It is not a battery watch! So, the perception of quality is that you will have a unique watch for just over $100.00 US and people will notice this watch. So you just enjoy it when you wear it. It is not a super high end watch but a daily wear watch that you can enjoy. I have not found this watch other than eBay.

Fine, cast a positive light on the subject then David…

Good, positive, points I think…

After slogging through all of the comments on this forum, I’ve noticed striking similarities in just about *all* of the positive comments on these watches. I’m fairly certain that all of these glowing reviews about the watches are coming from the same person, or the same group of people, who is or who are most likely the owner of the company importing and selling these “exclusive” watches. If you look at the positive reviews they share the following things:

1) Many come from watch “collectors” claiming to own several of the scam watches (which are almost always listed by model), and many more recognizable brands. They throw in a few impressive sounding credentials (a Master’s in business, a collector of fine watches, etc.) to make themselves appear to be a legitimate enthusiast of this ridiculous brand

2) They trash-talk recognizable and expensive brands (if they’re so crappy, why in the world did these “collectors” bother to shell out $20k for them in the first place? it doesn’t make sense)

3) They admit that these watches are most likely a scam, but rationalize the “capitalistic” marketing schemes as “clever” (just because a marketing scheme is “clever” does not mean it’s legal…conmen are clever, but they still screw people over)

4) They have an excess of awkward and ridiculous lingo (who identifies themselves as an “informed buyer”?? someone who is trying to sound legitimate because they are, in fact, NOT legitimate)

5) They throw in exhorbitant prices so that the $120 for the LB watch seems cheap in comparison

6)A number suggest that these watches will gain value in the near future or are already doing so

7) ALL of them mention how many compliments the buyer has received on the watch. Who walks around complimenting and noticing watches so frequently? Are watches purchased in order to get compliments? Or are they purchased because they keep good time?

8) Similar tone and style in most of them. Notice over-usage of “in my opinion” or “but that’s just one person’s opinion”, as well as the phrase “I must say”.

There’s more, but this is getting a bit long. The bottom line, though: if someone is so pleased with their watch, what are they doing scouring a scam-alert forum’s comments and adding in their glowing reviews? When I’m happy with a product, particularly a piece of jewelry or a watch, I don’t google it or go on to forums to talk about how much I like it. The majority of the people who come to these forums are NOT satsified customers, but concerned buyers. Beware of the positive feedback in here. More likely than not, they are the opinion of the same person, and that’s the person who is making the profit here. And I imagine it’s quite a profit. I can say that because the watch I bought from this manufacturer stopped working within one day of my receipt of it. The supposed leather band is cheap, shoddy, and uncomfortable. Definitely not high quality. I think $15 would be a reasonable price, purely for ornamental value. Throwing away $85 sure does hurt. Perhaps the “watch aficionado” on here doesn’t mind throwing his money away, but I certainly do, and it makes me mad that this person is making money with his scam. Capitalist does not equal scam-artist, and I hope people realize that. BUYER BEWARE.

If they are made of good quality stuff and workmanship, they could catch on and people may be willing to pay those high prices. the smart thing for the maker to do would be to stop production after the first flood of them. If they are high quality, people will be demanding more of them.

I just received my Tavan Norman yesterday. I paid a whopping $72.00 for it. I immediately set it to the same time as my $400.00 Citizen Eco Drive. More then 24 hours later, it is still on time with my Citizen. Besides the time keeping, it looks great! Very expensive looking, solid design. I’m very happy with my purchase. I have 2 Bernoulli’s on the way and I’m sure I will love them as well.

Just received this today from the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry August 30, 2007

Must Read and make your own decision on the E-mail received.

Thank you very much for your interest in the Swiss watch industry.

As you may know, Swiss law (Swiss federal Ordinance governing the use of the name ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSwiss?¢‚Ǩ¬ù or ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSwitzerland?¢‚Ǩ¬ù for watches; please see under http://www.fhs.ch/doc/osme.pdf) gives the criteria which must be met for a watch to be considered as Swiss and to be allowed to bear Swiss indications.

According to Article 3 of this Ordinance, ?¢‚Ǩ?ìthe name ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSwitzerland?¢‚Ǩ¬ù, indications such as ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSwiss?¢‚Ǩ¬ù, ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSwiss product?¢‚Ǩ¬ù, ?¢‚Ǩ?ìmanufactured in Switzerland?¢‚Ǩ¬ù, ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSwiss quality?¢‚Ǩ¬ù or other appellations which contain the name ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSwiss?¢‚Ǩ¬ù or ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSwitzerland?¢‚Ǩ¬ù or which may be confused therewith may be used solely for Swiss watches or Swiss watch movements?¢‚Ǩ¬ù.

Article 1a of the Ordinance states that a watch may be considered as Swiss if, and only if it fulfils the following minimum criteria:

1. Its movement is Swiss; 2. its movement is cased up in Switzerland, and 3. the manufacturer carries out the final inspection in Switzerland.

Furthermore, Article 2 of the Ordinance defines the Swiss watch movement as the movement which: 1. has been assembled in Switzerland, and; 2. has been inspected by the manufacturer in Switzerland, and; 3. the components of Swiss manufacture make up for at least 50 percent of the value, without considering the cost for assembly.

According to article 3 of this law, in case the watch only contains a Swiss movement but does not comply with the other requirements, the dial may only bear the indication ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSwiss movement?¢‚Ǩ¬ù. The word ?¢‚Ǩ?ìmovement?¢‚Ǩ¬ù must appear written out in full in the same type-face, dimension and colour as the appellation ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSwiss?¢‚Ǩ¬ù.

In other words, a watch bearing the name ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSwiss?¢‚Ǩ¬ù or ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSwiss made?¢‚Ǩ¬ù on its dial should not only contain a Swiss movement, but this movement should be cased up in Switzerland and the Swiss manufacturer should have performed the final inspection of the watch.

Swiss law territorial scope of application is of course limited to Switzerland in principle, but thanks to some bilateral treaties, this law is also applicable in some European countries. Furthermore, the Federation is very keen to protect Swiss denominations when associated with watches, especially in the USA, where we have registered certifications marks for the words ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSwiss?¢‚Ǩ¬ù and ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSwiss made?¢‚Ǩ¬ù.

Having said that, we know that some unscrupulous sellers and/or producers are using Swiss names on watches in an illegitimate manner. Thus, buying Swiss watches through official dealers is the only secure way to ensure that you get a truly Swiss watch.

The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH is the Swiss watch industry?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s leading trade association. We are a private, professional, and non-profit association, currently bringing together more than 500 members representing more than 90% of all Swiss watch manufacturers. All the major Swiss watch brands are members of our Federation (please visit our website at http://www.fhs.ch/en).

Balmer is not a member of our Federation. You will see on Balmer website that they are trying to create a link with the brand Colomb & Balmer and Badollet. I can confirm to you that the trademark Colomb & Balmer is registered in Switzerland by the Swiss company Badollet SA, which has nothing to do with the watches advertised on the website http://www.balmerwatches.com. In fact they are not very happy with this situation! Furthermore, in 2004 we had analyze in our laboratory one of the watches advertised on the website http://www.balmerwatches.com, and we found out that this watch did not even contain a Swiss movement. The Domain Name balmerwatches.com has been registered by the US company Alwaysatmarket, 1545 Capital Drive Suite 100, Carrollton, TX 75006. This company is selling different brands of watches (very similar to Balmer) exclusively on the Internet and especially on auction sites. They create artificial links with Switzerland on their websites. Furthermore, the watches are advertised with high retail prices (over 3?¢‚Ǩ¬?000 US$) but then sold in the end for a couple of hundred US$ (please see the forum on this issue: https://www.fratellowatches.com/archives/2004/11/16/another-scam ).

I would then recommend the strongest caution regarding Balmer watches.

Hoping that this information will be useful to you, and staying at your service, please receive my best regards.

Vincent Stauffer

Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH
Vincent Stauffer
Legal Department
CH-2501 Bienne
Tel +41 (0)32 328 08 28; Fax +41 (0)32 328 08 80
http://www.fhs.ch

i got a loius bolle as a christmas gift and was also shocked to see what my brother spent 2495! So needless to say i didnt want to tell him the watch was broken, so i went online and started seeing to my horror ebay selling these watches for such small sums. then of course i come accross this information all of you are sharing and i am at odds as to what to say to my brother. i hope he found the watch for cheap too! i must say, the design is beautiful, although i do not know the name of the model. anyway, can anyone share an email addresss for the company so i can communicate with someone there, in texas, or russia, or china. wow what a racket!!

I have purchased several SUG, Louis Bolle and a Picard and Cie. All of them run perfectly thus far. I have nto received the SUG yet, but am very anxious for it to arrive.

All watches made now pretty much share movements. From Tags to Seikos, it is all essentially the same companies making the watches guts. This was told to me by my wife’s jeweler who provides her diamond needs. He will not deal in watches any longer because of this.

Enjoy your time piece.

I own several of these ‘fake’ watches according to you folks and I tell you what. Regardless of your opinions or findings on them to be worth a few hundred dollars I find them to be quite posh and even elegant looking. I haven’t had any issues with time adjusting. I have them in a nice watch winder that keeps them on time. I was at lunch today and receieved a compliment from an older gentleman wearing a $5000 rolex. A REAL Rolex yes. He said “Now, THAT is a nice time piece…”. I rest my case. If you can touch it, wear it on your wrist it’s not a fake watch. I’ll continue to buy these kinds of watches rather than spending the money on your diesel watch that has to fit in that ‘trendy’ scenester setting. I’d rather blind someone with the polished chrome of one of my Balmers… Thank you very much.

Respectfully,
Happy

Re- LOUIS BOLLE STEEL BALANCE WHEEL LUXURY WATCH Recommended price is $2,995

Louis Bolle Watches are now sold in London & Chester Omega / watch stores, They are genuine high range quality watches at a very good price, If you took an average watch, you would get the odd few faulty, send them back to Louis Bolle and they will fix you up great company with some very good watches,

<IMG src=”http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/4/2/6/1/7/6/webimg/102673315_tp.jpg”

Another scam??? ?¢‚Ǩ?ìI don’t think so?¢‚Ǩ¬ù Why would you say that?

Is it because they are selling them at affordable price’s,…..

The Louis Bolle Watches are very high standards in watch making & the quality is of the very best among any quality watch & Yes they are “Swiss Made” ,

(It sounds to me that you’ve bought one of the Louis Bolle watches at top whack from someone and then found out you can get them at reasonable prices? Or you?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re a watch maker yourself & your trying to give the Louis Bolle Watch a bad press)

As the Gentleman above has quoted the Louis Bolle watches can be bought along side Rolex, Tags, and Breitling Watches, throughout the UK, All Louis Bolle are top quality watches, Buy one now before prices rise you won’t be disappointed

I bought a Louis Bolle watch from York City yesterday & they are selling like hotcakes, Prows & cons from what I can see, PROWS: wonderfully crafted watch, Very good price I paid ?Ǭ£450.00 for the LOUIS BOLLE STEEL BALANCE WHEEL LUXURY WATCH Recommended price is $2,995, came in a large leather showcase, along with registration certificate top quality polished stainless steel , I dropped it on the floor the first day and no marks shown very tough watch, last but not least its an eye catcher, everyone at the pub wanted it. CONS: If you like light weight watches this is not for you, its extremely heavy, & you know you?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve worn it at the end of the day it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s a relief to get it off your wrist, I guess most people like heavy watches though.

I bought Tavan watches over a year ago for myself and my wife. I have to say I am amazed at the quality. Wearing them 1 year and no scratches, nothing wrong, perfect time. When or if they ever wear out, I’ll be dealing with Tavan again.

Excellent watch.

Just bought Louis Bollie watch it lookes & feels $1,000’s of dollars, it shows my Tag up I’m now looking at buying more of the Bollie collection great watch for a great price

I just like to say i have to admire to marketing stragy here, it is brilliant. I bought a Ramses watch for $89.99 US and I knew something was up, but the timepiece is beautiful, and who’s to say what the msrp should and shouldn’t be. I’d never pay $2500 dollars for it, but I still think it was a bargain at the price. As far as some feeling ripped off…sorry if you thought you were really getting a watch worth thousands of dollars, and i’m even more sorry if you really paid that. I think they are worth the money and just ordered my second one

I just bought a Rousseau Largo watch today. So far everything is running spot on but it hasn’t been a day yet. I don’t own any Swiss or high quality watches but I do have a Seiko and I have them running side by side along with the time on my mobile phone. Time is the true test so for any updates hit me up at [email protected] and let’s see what it does.

Louis Bolle is a downright scam. I bought a very good-looking watch for my boyfriend last October and right away the finish on the leather band started wearing away which is ridiculous for a supposed thousand dollar watch (granted I only paid $200, but still). It eventually started running weird and broke all together last month. I tried to use the warranty to try to get it fixed but was unable to access the website and found out there is no way to get in touch with the company. They’re garbage and I am so disappointed that I can’t get that money back. Please spend your money elsewhere. It’s worth it to pay an extra couple of dollars on a watch that will be reliable. However, if you don’t care that your watch breaks within a year, go for it.

I have bought several of these watches like Tavan, S.U.G, Rommelly and Rousseau and every one of them works great. I agree that the msrp is a little bogus but the most i paid is 83.00 and that includes shipping and handeling.

Why pay a couple or even a hundred for these dubious brands when you can find a very good used condition Tag, Omega or Movado for about $200. These fine watches are of established quality and reputation, respected for their inner workings rather than their fancy looks.

Alex- sorry to hear that, BUT, I’d like to use your example to go over a few things for everyone OK?:
#1. You bought it from an UNAUTHORIZED “RE”SELLER/outlet on Ebay.
I know that for a FACT, because my company was- and still is to this day even though we currently don’t (business decision based on profitability and other not so cool decisions/factors..won’t go there;)- the ONLY company that was ever authorized to sell these watches, DIRECT FROM THE DISTRIBUTOR, there on Ebay.
**In my listings, I NEVER put the “MSRP” and I even warned trustings Buyers about buying from “Unauthorized Resellers”!! You know what??? IT DIDN’T- AND STILL DOESN’T MATTER!!! Folks just keep buying them from no matter where or from whom!!!! Crazy, isn’t it?????
#2. You paid WAYYY too much.
#3. That’s a 2006 model year watch- it may have been sitting in that person’s living room for quite some time before you bought it! Heck, who knows HOW many people owned it before you got it, right?? =:0
#3. If you had only paid $50-75 and knew what you were buying from the start, you would NOT be here, correct? 🙂

Now, let’s ask some follow-up questions, OK? For ALL to read……

#1. What was your education level BEFORE you bought this watch??
That is, did you know it was a Chinese made timepiece with a Sea-gull TY-601 movement? Did you Google to find out info on the Brand? (My bet is “No”, right? 😉 (If you knew all of this, then you shouldn’t have posted your post)
#2. Did you get the 1-Year Original Manufacturer’s Warranty with this watch? Did you ask? Did you CARE?
#3. Did you follow-up with the Ebay Seller for resolution/service??
#4. Did you just want this watch because you thought you were getting a steal on an attractive timepiece for ONLY $200?

What I’m getting at is that there is now PLENTY of information out here on the Internet for folks like you- and ALL of us- to be more informed, EDUCATED, NON-IMPULSE CONSUMERS! 🙂
These watches are what they are: a viable, cost-effective, Chinese-made solution for wearing a timepiece on your wrist with LOOKS AND FEATURES that the MAINSTREAM POPULACE still does not wear!
I own MANY of these watches- LB’s, Wohler, Romilly, Eberle, DuBoule, SUG, Rousseau, Bernoulli, et al.- both auto’s & quartzes- that I’ve NEVER had a serious performance issue with!

For everyone who reads this- PLEASE GET EDUCATED BEFORE YOU BUY!!
Don’t buy something and then just point the finger and blame everyone and everything that led up to that point! (ALL Chinese made watches?? Do you truly know the real extent of what that means??? 😉 Remember, when you point your finger, the other 3 fingers on your hand are pointing back at you! 😉 (Really, they do! 🙂
Any questions, let me know.

just bought recently a louis bolle henry I skeleton silver white – black. hoping it will arrive sooner than expected (paid another 30.30usd just to have it shipped on the philippines). i hope it will not let me down

will post comments on the watch soon after ived recieved it. good day to all

I have to leave my 2 cents. These watches are gorgeous. I paid $135 for mine back in 2005. The invisible clasp broke though. Out of all my watches it is my favorite. I get more compliments on it than any other. And it is the cheapest of all my other watches. So is it worth it. Absolutely! Is it a scam. No. Not if they keep putting out these beautiful watches. Now if only I could get them to send me a new clasp I’d wear it everyday again.

All,
As an owner of Omega and Rolex watches, I was looking for an everyday timepiece that was functional, attractive and keeps good time. I wear the highend watches at more formal functions.
In late 2005 I bought an OMIKRON EXCALIBER. With the exception of one cleaning, the watch runs perfectly. I am pleased and will buy another one of these watches.

Wait just a second here! Did I miss something, or is everyone complaining for no reason here? LB makes a wonderful watch. They stand behind their craftsmanship and will replace any watch that has even a small problem (like a fingerprint behind the glass). These are not cheap china watches that you can pick up on the streets of NYC by no means. They are LOW PRICED, but somehow that does not mean bad quality with this company. They are finely crafted out of top grade materials. I agree with the company website’s pricing. If you went to a store and tried to buy this watch after every jewelry middle mans markup, then you could expect to pay $1,800 – $4,000 for one. You are lucky and have found a creative company that actually cares about your wallet. Reward them with your purchaces.

I bought a ramses I for $70. The retail is $1560. I am taking it to my local watch appraser very soon for an honest apprasial (something that no one else on this site has bothered to do btw). I am not in the watch business, but I am a precious metal dealer (platinum, gold, some silver) and I see these sort of things pass by me every day, and I feel very confident that $1,100-$1,300 would be an honest price to pay for the watch that I purchaces if I had went to a dealer. This watch is not only a timepiece, but an investment. Reward this company for what they are doing for you, don’t put them down because they are not robbing you blind like many others.

You are crazy if you think a watch that cost 1100 – 1600 on their website is going to be sold on an auction for 75-90 dollars. Like you said, you aren’t in the watch business; however do deal with metals.

I took my Wohler Fromm watch to a dealer for an appraisal. It was appraised between 150-200 dollars. That was before the date hand fell off.

I contacted Wohler about their watches and where they are made. All they could tell me is that they are made in the Orient. They could not be precise.

Also, isn’t it kind of weird that Wohler, Tavan, Rousseau, SUG, Romilly, Eberely and other watches spoken of all have the same contact number and address in Carrollton, Texas (outside of Dallas).

I am one of the ‘idiots’, that bought several of these watches, i.e. LB, Rousseau, Eberl etc. ok they are not the best in the world but then again I paid peanuts for each one of them and all I can say is that they are beautiful, solid timepieces, what lets them down is the finishing, e.g I ve had to open a few of them to clean the crystals from the inside, one watch had something fall off, I just glued it back on, most of the straps are made of boring black leather etc. but overall I am quite happy and just keep them as part of my collection ( I have around 50 at the moment, incl Rolex, Breitling, Oris x 2, etc.) I even sell them if the price is right, back to the LB’s etc., they are indeed made in China, but they are making some very good movements there, even tourbullions, I have recently bought an Invicta and a Lucien Piccard and both have Chinese movements, the one in the former looks great ( Venus re-production), I can’t say how reliable they are cause I hardly ever wear them, the only advise I can give on this subject, is make your research before you buy anything, whatever it may be, because once you buy it more than often than not you will be stuck with it, and please don’t pay more then a $100 for any of the China made watches, unless off course its a tourbullion.

I have a couple of new Louis Bolle watches I want to sell, a Power Reserve and a Jump Hour, both in gold tone s/steel and with leather straps, they can be viewed at http://www.kronoking.com, if anyone is interested please make me an offer, I can be contacted at [email protected]

I have bought LOUISE BOLLE through ebay.When I received it, there is are Serial No., Seller’s Name etc. On belt written “CHINA” and also on box is written made in china. In LB’s card written ” upon receipt, you may register your watch….. …” it is a lie out of whole cloth. I cannot do it !!!
My conclusion LB is cheap China watch with nice looking. So consider well before you buy it. Be careful, do not swallow the bait.

It is with much regret I cancel my comment. On back of watch there is serial no, and finnaly I can open warranty register. If posible I hope moderator can cancel my comment.

I used to own several Rousseau Watches & after my first 4 watches, I stopped buying them. They are cheap & not of quality. But the most I ever paid was like 70 bucks. So in essence, I got what I paid for. I was ignorant & coming from Fossil, Guess fashion & Kenneth Cole watches. Rousseau Watches are better than Fossil & Kenneth Cole because they are automatic. But a nice automatic watch will cost you at least $200-$300 bucks. My advice would be to start with 32 Degrees watches, Jaques Lemans, Adee Kaye & the cheaper Invicta’s as they will have swiss or japanese mov’ts. The chinese movements are downright appauling. Swiss-made watches will never be sold for under $300.00 bucks (and that is a steal). So just as someone fooled you on Ebay, start giving those crumby watches away as gifts. My dad is getting the last two I own & he will be thrilled as he is a Timex / Casio type of guy.

I have 4 Louis Bolle watches and COULD NOT BE HAPPIER also I bought S.U.G models as gifts from a ebay seller smark1004 and got outstanding prices everything under $125. I had a 32 Degree model that broke after 9 months from this seller and got a BRAND NEW WATCH in 3 weeks!! I guess it depends on who you buy from some of the resellers have a relationship with the supplier and can get things done. Try smark1004 on ebay if you want a quality watch and a dealer who takes care of their customer. I am VERY SATISIFIED!!

i purchased a tavan laramie swiss quartz watch from ubid.i paid 58usd for it,the watch is beautiful,well made and keeps great time.i am not a big fan of buying something only because of a brand name.if you want to spend thousands on a rolex,that is fine,but,the time will be the same on my tavan….buy what works….buy what you can afford…..nobody really cares how much you pay,at least i dont.

i have been wearing my bolle watch for 5years and no problems. it’s not ascam to buyat $200 with an msrp much more . what is a scam is buying a watch at $5000 just based on a name

Had to give my two cents worth on this topic!

I too recently have discovered this huge Watch Auction venue! So many brands of watches available through these “Auction Sales”. And the same exact brands also available, via this avenue! Rosseau, Romilly, Louis Richard, S.U.G., 32 Degrees, Wohler, Jacot, Tavan, Bernoulli, with an occasional Louis Bolle, Invicta, Croton, Edox, Elini, thrown in! The MSRP shown is definitely a high price bait grabber totally misleading the customer!

Many of these watch companies I’ve never heard of before? Obviously each company offloaded watches at cost or below cost value, so to at least have a cash flow. This should be telling on their actual manufacturing value! Some watch manufacturers don’t even have a web site anymore? And I can’t find any reason why, like bankruptcy or corporate takeover or a buyout? No info available online too, curious?

I did fall for a few of these styles! They looked beautiful too, but the MSRP was what swayed my buying decision! Won’t do that again! I don’t believe I got scammed but probably paid a bit over actual cost! At least it wasn’t a huge dollar amount.

I believe these Auctions still produce a profit too! Especially when several unaware buyers want the same beautiful looking watch, making the bidding price go up! It seems many sell at or around $60-$100+ a watch, with MSRP averaging around $1195. You would think you got a steal of a deal. But you probably paid well over cost!

Hope this is helpful for the unaware watch buyer! The “Watch Auctions” are mostly unknown no name brands using a high MSRP price rarely applicable to that brand.

If you want to learn about the Louis Bolle line of watches including where they come from, who distributes them, and why there’s all this hubbub, checkout my LB guide on eBay. Deanhttp://reviews.ebay.com/LOU…