Who Watches the Watchmen (Our Chit Chat Thread)

Interested to get an infomed answer on this too, the last time I bought a watch from the UK I got him to declare it as a gift with a nominal value. Now I'm currently in negotiations with someone else in the UK about a purchase and he is absolutely refusing to consider it and seems offended that I asked!

As far as I can tell it's 23% of the watch + shipping cost, and a bit extra to the delivery company for collecting it, but hopefully I've misunderstood.

True enough. I bought a bunch of LiFePo4 batteries that cost about €40 each including shipping, delivered to me last year from China. Individually. So technically they should have attracted 23% VAT when coming into Ireland (as the value was over €22 - this loophole was closed last month).

All of them were marked as something like "iphone case $16" or "keyboard $12". These packages were well over 2kg each 😁

I think the answer is to have a friend in NI, which unfortunately I don't have!

Be prepared for thousands of euro in depreciation if you're going to buy at retail. Even at a substantial discount. Here on adverts in the last week or so, a Hesalite sold for well less than half of that retail price you saw in the AD...

Significant upgrades...

You are a marketers dream 😉

CT, that's precisely the kind of customer Omega are hoping for. Personally, yes the new model seems to have a nicer bracelet but there are zero actual significant upgrades.

In particular, it would impact on the already tenuous authentic link between the "moonwatch" and space. If the NASA link and moonlanding in particular matter? There is zero reason to buy the new model.

Why buy a watch that only looks like the moonwatch, when I can buy the space flown versions for far, far less?

And that's grand, there is zero issue with that.

For me, the new watch is more of an homage to the flight qualified 1861 movement watches. It takes design cues from the best of that watches heritage and TBF it does that we'll.

But, and for me it's a big but. The switch in movement to a non-flight qualified one means the new SKU's aren't moonwatches.

They certainly are Omega Speedmasters, they wear lower and they are a lovely watch, but the essence of the "moonwatch" is IMO at least the link to NASA and the landings.

There is none of that with the new Ref.

It's an Omega chrono, not a moonwatch but as most here know..

I can be a pedantic pain in the hole at times but the link between the speedmaster and Moon is severed.

If that link matters in any manner other than having an "Omega" on the wrist? Then an 1861 powered ref is the way to go.

If it's name recognition, or nice chrono that matters? Then barrel on.

Which, in pedantic world...

Is a lie, it's not.

It's the successor to that watch but afaik given that NASA haven't been on the moon (manned at least) since '72, it's not a moonwatch. If it's not an 1861 movement, it's not a "moonwatch" and other than carrying Omega branding, it wouldn't be considered moonwatch adjacent.

I can't hand on heart opine as to the flight qual status of the 3861, but it's probably the model Jeff Bezos wore so there is that at least 😉

I've yet to buy from Aliexpress since the new VAT ruling but I see they charge VAT at checkout up to 150 euro and over that they don't charge a cent, saying on the website that an individual countries' customs will charge VAT/import/handling fee. What I have heard though is in the case of an item being over 150 euro, is that they stamp a sticker on the box saying fees paid or something to that effect and put another sticker declaring the value <€150 so that customers won't get charged 9 times out of 10.