Ulysse Nardin

GREAT THANKS GO TO SJX WHO HAS TAKEN THE TIME TO CONDUCT THE INTERVIEW AND TO THE MANY PURISTS WHICH RESPONDED SO KINDLY. I AM FLATTERED AND RECOGNISED MANY WATCHLOVERS AND COLLECTORS WHOM I HAVE MET.

REGARDING THE QUESTION ABOUT WHICH OTHER BRANDS I APPRECIATE THERE IS A SMALL OMMISSION.

MY REPLY SHOULD READ - AMONG THE WATCH MAKING FRATERNITY WE ARE  NOT JEALOUS......

 K13ent's QUERY ABOUT MY COMMENTS ON GREYMARKETS .     I APOLOGISE FOR NOT SPECIFYING THAT ONLY AUTHORISED ULYSSE NARDIN RETAILERS IN HONGKONG ARE ALLOWED TO BORROW PIECES FROM THE MONOBRAND BOUTIQUE IN THE OCEAN CENTER.  ELEGANT TIMEPIECES IS BARELY 20 METERS AWAY FROM THE ULYSSE NARDIN MONOBRAND BOUTIQUE BUT IS NOT THE ONLY AUTHORISED RETAILER WHICH MAKES GOOD USE OF THIS MUCH APPRECIATED ASSISTANCE.

IT IS OBVIOUS THAT A MONOBRAND BOUTIQUE FEATURES A LARGER SELECTION OF MODELS THAN ANY RETAILER DOES AND MAY HAVE JUST THE COLOR OF DIAL IN STOCK WHICH IS MISSING AT THE RETAILER.

IT IS ALSO OBVIOUS THAT AUTHORISED RETAILERS INCUR EXPENSES AND INVEST LARGE SUMS IN STOCKS TO OFFER A WIDE SELECTION OF TIMEPIECES WHICH INTERNET DEALERS DO NOT, NOR DO THEY PROVIDE GUIDING ADVISE TO POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS OR  OFFER ANY KIND OF SERVICES.

I MAINTAIN THAT A WELL STOCKED BOUTIQUE DOES MORE FOR THE IMAGE OF THE BRAND THAN BILLBOARDS.  BOTH COST MONEY AND ARE PART OF THE MARKETING EXPENSES OF A BRAND.

IF IT WAS JUST TURNOVER WHICH WE ARE AFTER WE COULD EASELY SET UP OUR OWN CAMOUFLAGED GREYMARKET SET-UP TO COMPETE ON PRICE WITH OUR RETAIL NETWORK. I  STICK MY HEAD OUT THAT OUR AUTHORISED RETAILERS APPRECIATE OUR POLICIES AND SUPPORT WE GIVE THEM.

SILICIUM DIAL.  THE COLOR IS A SORT OF A VERY DISTINGUISED CHARCOAL GREY . THE SURFACE IS  ULTRA MIRROR POLISHED. IT IS THE PART WITH THE LOGOS PRINTED ON IT.

DUE TO THE SCRATCH PROOF COATING OF THE SAPPHIRE CRISTAL THE COLOR APPEARS BLUISH ON PHOTOS.

ROLF SCHNYDER

 

 

Always a pleasure to read you, and please, it will be our pleasure if you feel here like at home.

Feel free to share with us your thoughts and lights about this marvellous Brand.

So, now, what will you release next year? LOL

I'm impatient to k,ow and see all your new ideas!

Best From a Freaaaakie Fan!

Nicolas

with respect to Mr. Schnyder's comment:
"IT IS ALSO OBVIOUS THAT AUTHORISED RETAILERS INCUR EXPENSES AND INVEST LARGE SUMS IN STOCKS TO OFFER A WIDE SELECTION OF TIMEPIECES WHICH INTERNET DEALERS DO NOT, NOR DO THEY PROVIDE GUIDING ADVISE TO POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS OR  OFFER ANY KIND OF SERVICES."

My local gray market dealer has approx 300 pieces in stock, which must represent a large investment, easily equal to that of a smaller AD.  I'm not alone in having spent hours talking watches with him long before I bought anything.  I think he is seeing the worst of the internet dealers and painting all of them with that one brush.

A

This message has been edited by aaronm on 2008-12-07 19:01:37

When I went window shopping in many tourists traps AD, that's when the dissapointment run highest. Most of the salespeople are ignorant, lack of product knowledge, never follow up with my inquiries, and they generally looked down upon me due to my dressing habit (which in my opinion, means they don't have any sense of fashion ).

I voted with my wallet, and my money goes to those who can service me the best with the least amount of cost. Grey or authorised.

cen@jkt

... I think I can safely state that online dealers with that sum of watches in stock are not too common. Additionally, a well-assorted brick-and-mortar dealer of several brands normally has a substantially higher number of watches in stock, twice to three times the number quoted is not unusual. Finally, too many online dealers unfortunately do not make clear which watches they have in stock and which ones they have to order themselves, pretending a larger stock they actually have.

By no means I want to ignore the merits of certain (grey market) online dealers. We are talking about large sums of money here, and it is only logical that we try to make the best use of it. But not all fish in the pond taste good, as my dear Kung Fu master in the monastery, which I called my home for thirtyfive years, used to say. And after fifty years of mussle-farming in the Outer Hebrides I made the experience that a shiny shell may also contain a rotten flesh ...



Marcus

fellow shellfish aficionado, much as it pains me to say this publically, there is some merit to the comments made by Aaron and Cen.

Before I comment further, I want to remind you and Rolf how much I have supported the authorized dealer channels, with  both my own  purchasing dollars, and all the efforts and costs of ThePuristS (and subsequently PuristsPro) as well as my various published writings around the world.

That said, between the extremes of "the rule" versus "the exception" is a wide expanse of grey area known as the area of "too much" and "far too little."

I completely agree with your comments about far too many online dealers (authorized also, but especially non-authorized, dealers) offering pieces for sale which they do not have in stock, even specific pieces which are being offered "in syndication."

But a variant of this "syndicated offering" game is extant in the authorized channels as well - pieces which WILL BE gotten in on memo, for example, which an AD claims to have in stock.

But more importantly, the area that I find most disturbing and sorely bothersome is something that Aaron and Cen specifically mention as well - that many (not necessarily most!) non-authorized dealers are actually enthusiasts themselves who found they could service fellow enthusiasts better than the AD's - with enthusiasm, knowledge, and REAL passion.

FAR TOO MANY authorized dealers (and their staff) really are qualified mainly for their ability to pay their invoices based upon their credit, rather than any real knowledge or passion for the products or industry.

Before this descends into an endless debate ad absurdum about which "more" is more, and which "less" is less significant (meaningless and ultiimately frustrating, not far from debating how many angels can dance on the head of a pin) let me just put it as simply as possible - as good as the really good AD's are, there are FAR TOO MANY lousy ones, who are (or should be) shamed by the far more than the industry wants to admit good secondary market dealers.

In principle, I have supported, and will continue to support, the AD channels, because I believe it is the right thing to do.

But I can no longer stand quietly by and allow the myth to continue to be propogated that "AD good, non-AD bad." That is a myth, no more universal than "Jews and Chinese cheap and money grubbing" or "European superior in culture and virility."

(last tongue in cheek, to hopefully reduce any latent tension in a controversial subject. Which is not meant to trivialize a very important subject, of course...)

Broad, general, over-arching generalizations are good, and bad, both ways, and cut both ways.

Cheers,

TM

Thomas, I do not post often (actually this may be my first post) but I have been following this site for a long time. I'd like to thank you for voicing your opinion on this rather controversial matter. Indeed, I am sure there are many, many poorly run non-AD internet sites, but there do seem to be a few who have hold a large stock of watches are are truly knowledgable and passionate about them. I have always been a bit cautious and skeptical about ordering from them because of their non-AD status, but it is reassuring hearing from someone of your knowledge and experience that there are non-AD retailers out there that can provide the same, if not better, service than authorized dealers. I understand as Purists, we are encouraged to voice controversial opinions as long as they are made tactfully and objectively. I am glad and thankful that you have voiced your opinion on this matter.

-Jonathan

I would also say that the ‘bricks and mortar’ grey market dealers that I have walked into when travelling have more often been run by knowledgeable, enthusiastic individuals who had products on hand to show me. It is also not unusual to get carried away talking about a watch that they don’t even have on hand to sell me. My experiences here, just as a customer, have been generally more positive than in AD’s where the salespeople present themselves well, but frequently know little more than superficial information about the products they sell.

 

If it wasn’t for after sales service if something goes wrong, which can be a bit hit and miss I think, I would be happy to purchase from the grey market.

 

I am more cautious about buying over the internet from people I do not know who might run a watch business from their spare bedroom. Although in reality, I am sure there are honest people like that around, and some of them probably use our Collector’s Market facility as well.

 

Andrew

And apologies for my late reply. I have been travelling and only just checked the UN forum today.

- SJX