I had a package coming from China that was marked on the tracking as having cleared customs for about 8 days before it was delivered by An Post. It only entered their system on the day it was delivered, so figured it was going to be sent back.
Guess I was one of the lucky ones.
Over the last year especially, watches have become a huge part if my life. Starting with my trip to Prague, finding that pilots watch,then a week after getting home, attending the watch talk by Damian Duggan, getting chatting with some great people.
Then in July finding that Dolphin Bell got me chatting with a guy in Australia the past year who is a retired engineer that also repairs watches and has told me time and time again to start repairing myself.
After going to Birmingham to the watch fair, meeting John Bentley I knew I wanted to explore further options regarding getting into watchmaking.
I have watched countless hours worth of watch repair videos on YouTube and have always wondered could I do it myself. Looked into getting some basic tools and old movements to practice on, but without the knowledge the tools wouldn't be of much use to me.
Got the idea to go into town and ask around about how to get started and possibly work with a watchmaker to see if I even have the nack for it before going out and buying loads of tools.
Had a day off from work today and finally made the trip in. My first stop was to Dawson Jewellers, which funny enough, never been inside! Plenty of Rolex to look at! Got chatting with the guy there,who was very friendly and helpful.
Unfortunately as I already knew, there isn't much in the way of training in Ireland, the college in Blanchardstown that I live right beside, closed down. There is a college in Manchester that would be the closest. I asked if it would be possible to work with one of their watchmakers, even on one of my own pieces, the Heuer Stopwatch for example and pay as normal.
Handed me one of their cards and said to send in my CV and go from there.
Before leaving, he mentioned a place along the quays,Dix Jewellery Tools & Equipment [Link] that would give me an idea regarding tools required.
A quick Google search after stepping out showing it closing for lunch, had to get a move on! After making my way to the quays, found a non discript shop front that I must of passed by many a time
Went inside and started talking with the guy, a watchmaker. Supplier of both jewelery and watchmaking tools. As before he mentioned there isn't really much in the way of training anymore in Ireland. I was saying I just wanted to know if it is something I could even do, weither as a hobby or as a job.
He took my details and said he might know someone I could work with for a few weeks. There was also a basic watchmaking tools set for €30 I was tempted but decided to hang on for now. Very happy I finally got around to going in, not sure what will become of it.
And I saved the best for last! I brought along my broken Heuer Stopwatch I picked up in Wicklow. After showing it to the guy at the tools shop..... It's alive!!!
He wouldn't even accept payment! Would need a service, but to see and hear it working for the first time in god knows how long! Yet another chapter in my watch journey!
I like good news stories
Delighted to be the first reviewer in the world to get my hands on this. Its quite large at 44mm but the profile is slim enough so it wears very nicely
CAB doing a great job again ,Anyone able to name the watches?2nd one I think is a Patek and possibly a Breitling in there as well ?no idea of the models
Patek and Breitling alright quite a few Omega Seamasters and I see at least one Speedy. There's an IWC Pilot a Cartier Tank and a Panerai in there to. Few other high ends too. I'm sure there's a fake or to in the mix. Hopefully the owners spot them.
https://garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/office-of-corporate-communications/news-media/jewellery.pdf
I haven't a rasher's on the jewelry, but a lot of those watches are fake to my eyes. Tags, Breitlings, Omegas. Wouldn't give me a lot of confidence in the rest.
That’s a good link . Some amount of junk watches on it
Thought I'd share this anecdote. I found it funny.
I have a Fossil Hybrid SmartWatch. I had a minor accident recently and the crystal got smashed. The watch still works but the crystal needs to be replaced. I looked up their repair centres. Scrolling through the list of Repair Centres, I noticed their repair centre in Afghanistan is at:
AFGHANISTAN
Luxe Koncept Les Montres Trading
2nd Floor, 786 Pharmacy Building
Karte Parwan, Wahaj Hospital Street
Kabul- Afghanistan
Meanwhile, their repair centre for Ireland is:
IRELAND
FOSSIL
IRELAND REPAIRS
Rue du Martelberg , BP 80023 MONSWILLER
Saverne Cedex, 67701
France
denartha quote:
"Thought I'd share this anecdote. I found it funny."
If you're in Kabul a broken crystal on your watch is probably the least of your concerns.
Fossil is a fashion brand so it's appropriate its service centre for Ireland is in Paris.
This is a real headache for myself - I had been using CN22 forms but it seems now that electronic CN23 forms are needed (as in I head down to the post office, and the postal staff has to type in information into the computer, print it and attach it to the package...) I'm so glad this didn't happen earlier in the summer when I sent out around 200 packages - it takes around 4-5 minutes to send one package to the UK now.
Christ almighty. I got sent a leather watch strap from the UK from a top quality hand making shop. He filled in the CN22 form and all. Watch got intercepted by Irish customs and returned to sender. And for what? Even the guys in the post office were embarrassed by this anal sort of behaviour by Irish customs :-( They said all was grand until a month or so ago and now Irish customs are deploying these sh1t tactics. And it's not like anyone is trying to defraud the revenue here. The item was properly marked and declared and all required forms were filled in.
Yeah last few things I’ve bought from uk I’ve used a courier. It’s fine going the other way. Sent a watch Tuesday to London marked at 200 euro as per value and sailed through to sender with no customs charges their end
Same situation here with a watch from Japan. From looking at the label I think the HS Tariff code is blank and that's the issue I had. Value and description was there, address was perfect.
Postal service from Japan is €22 , FedEx or DHL starts at €50.
I was very relieved when the Business Bell finally arrived, the suitation is crazy!
Started off getting it shipped via EMS as I have done with two other watches, cost was €24.87 Then it began to bounce back and forward between here and Japan!
When I got the email to say it had made it back to the warehouse in Japan, I was relieved that it hadn't gotten lost and decided that the best thing to do was just to go ahead with FedEx. The intital shipping cost was €18.21 and it arrived very fast
But at a cost.......
Still happy with the decision, glad it's finally here in one piece! Hopefully this will be sorted soon as I would be put off buying anymore (possiblily a good thing! ;) at the moment, along with sending them to be serviced in the UK.
Have a week off in October around the 18th, with some normality returning and a good time of year for it, thinking about having a Watch GTG.
Would be in the city center, learned from the last one and will be in a better location this time around that can be arranged via PM or set up a WhatsApp group. Thinking of a Sunday (17th or 24th). No matter what day, someone will miss out so maybe something we can start doing more often if all goes well giving everyone a chance to attend one.
EDIT: Also thinking of trying out the Zoom GTG idea that might be a better solution to allow more people to attend. Thinking of having the first one this Thursday and if all goes well possibly a weekly event.
Been in Greece the past 10 days, Santorini and Mythos and the watch spotting game is next level, Rolex to the left of me Rolex to the right and AP stuck in the middle
Half are fake....but you are right. In ireland we dont realise just how popular the luxury game has become.
Have the Panerai want again :(
Pam995 is latest crush.
They never stick with you, but if the darkside is on the block give me a shout 😁
What’s in your box at the moment?
The VC, the JLC Polaris and the zenith?
Vc, jlc x2 polaris and 8 day pc, zenith, iwc Portuguese and dark side
The Zenith is very, very nice IMO. I'd actually meant to drop you a message to give me a heads up if you ever consider letting that one go. Was only discussing with someone recently.
Thanks to the dept of ag I've developed a criminal mind (we're assumed guilty until we can prove our innocence in all dealings with them) I can see an opening for someone to move watches and other valuables in and out of EU. If customs don't get the finger out and cop on that trade needs to continue, we'll just have to find an easier way for trade to happen.
Pure looks, green dial. That's class.
"The bureau has been seizing increasing large amounts of luxury goods from suspected criminals in recent years. High-end goods, such as Rolex watches and designer handbags, are seen by criminals as a convenient and less obvious way of storing wealth."
Aircraft owned by cannabis dealer among items auctioned by Cab (irishtimes.com)
Criminals love ROLEX.
i'm sure they do, but also newspapers will report a name like rolex as its one most people recognise, if they said parmigiani watches do you think it would hit home the same way?
They love art too. And antiques. Both worlds are heavily cut with the proceeds of crime. As the writer says they're great ways to store and clean wealth. If you ever come into gains, ill gotten or not and want avoid the beady eye or taxman go out and buy antiques for cash. Appreciating wealth you can claim you've had in the family for generations. Vintage watches were in that mix too for a time, because they're very easy to move across borders. Interestingly enough well known stuff like Rolex not so much, because well it was well known. I remember one commentator back in the day reckoning part of the growing appeal and values for steel cased watches was they attracted less attention from the customs types.
Antiques aren't all that great an investment. First you need to know what you're buying, second if you buy retail there's the shop/dealer margin, that's even before you take account of changing tastes that can have a major influence on value.
Buy what you like, don't pay over the odds and enjoy without expecting any financial gain or even to come out without losing.
It can depend on the antique. EG nice quality well proportioned Georgian chests of drawers are very stable as investments over decades and considerably safer to economic forces compared to new designer stuff. But I was talking about criminals and their money. There would be a better and safer return on such items than the other money laundering methods. Then we have mutually agreed values which apply to the wider world as well. Diamonds were one for a time, but the wider understanding that they weren't so rare and valuable has put paid to that except in the brand new market. DeBeers came up with the Diamonds are forever line partly to influence people to hang onto them as their secondhand values were significantly lower. In watches precious metal Rolex was another agreed value. Today it's steel Rolex. Such things become currency for a time. Cowrie shells as it were.
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