How To Tell If A Watch Is Poorly Made - 7 Tips to Avoid Getting Tricked 

Hey all, I hope you find this video helpful. At the end of the day, you can choose to do whatever you want with your money but I do find that many brands that have tactics that match what is discussed in this video tend to prey on less informed buyers. For those more seasoned collectors, I would love to hear your tips in the comments below as well.

Rule number one of spotting poorly made watches : If a brand tell that it is luxury itself it’s actually not stay away from it !

MVMT Chronograph: "my goals are beyond your understanding"

I still can't stop laughing that MVMT has chronographs which have no markers! That's just so darn hilarious! Also, affordable luxury is an oxymoron. Luxury implies it's not affordable and is not for the masses.

I can’t believe I’m not going to be a part of the “future of luxury...”

As a watch newbie, I cannot believe I ALMOST ended up sticking with a Michael Kors, a Vincero, and maybe a Fossil..... I am now the proud owner of a Citizen Brycen, Orient Kamasu, and a gorgeous black Seiko 5. I am happy.

"cutting out the middle man" when they themselves are basically the middle man.

Unless you *are* the factory, "cutting out the middleman" = "i'm now the middleman".

I stick to well known older brands. Seiko or Citizen is what I can afford. For my money these brands for me are pretty safe to buy.

I think a lot of companies need more real, natural light photos on their sites. Color inaccuracy is shocking.

Thank you for not making me feel bad for liking Seiko. Update: I splurged a little on a Seiko SKX 013 and Seiko Alpinist Prospex SPB117. Both my dream Seiko’s at the moment and even though I’m going to be paying off my credit for a few months, I wear them with pride ALL THE TIME. Thank you for the support pimps🤙

I love getting sponsored ads for these types of watches because I just roast them in the comments

The only “fashion watch” I would have respect for is Fossil. They dont market their watches as luxury or anything and their designs are what they make.

Honestly, this was more about raising awareness to the real value of fashion brands than how to tell if a watch is poorly made. I expected something more on the technical side, like how to tell good finishing from bad. If people know what is actual value in a watch the rest should follow.

I've been waiting for someone on RU-vid to do a video exactly like this . I've been collecting for many years and with the advent of internet it seems that new watch companies have sprung up all over . I'm particularly impressed with your age vs. the vast amount of horological knowledge that you've absorbed . I've been collecting since buying my first good watch ( a 5513 submariner I purchased in the main PX in Da Nang) in 1968. I've been fortunate to meet some extremely knowledgeable people thru my lifetime and have learned a lot , but find it refreshing to see someone so young that can still teach an old dog so much . Thanx for making this video and calling out the carpetbaggers.

My son learned a hard lesson when buying a Fillipo Loreti. He bought a blue/rose gold sport chronograph for $150 or so. When it finally arrived some months after he ordered it, it actually didn't look or feel too bad, but the 2-subdial chrono feature didn't work! Like, at all--pushers did nothing. I told him to return it and get his money back. After some sketchy back-and-forth emails with them, the said they'd refund his money once the received it back. Return address was some eastern European country. So he shipped it back at a cost of around $35-$40. About 8 months later, it came back unopened in box he shipped it in with some label from USPS saying it was undeliverable! What a scam! He has since been happily collecting G-Shocks.

man, i remember when people were posting their DW on instagram like it was the most luxurious watch they ever bought. Honestly, starting somewhere is better than nothing though. I remember looking back when I was young, I was going crazy because my watches were constantly breaking (they were cheap watches from a random deli, or target, etc). That got me to start doing some research behind what makes a good watch - > youtube - > then the watch universe lol. It's been real and every once in a while, just taking a glance at my collection brings a smile :) still young tho, now aiming to get beyond entry luxury (oris) and into more omega seamaster 300 and rolex explorer 1 :O

Hands up for DW the top of this video list

The best channel for watches ... the way he shoots the pictures and videos just ... it’s stunning! And his opinion is damn good!

Love the lighting in the background. Appreciate the thought put into the art direction in this video.

My favorite MVMT is the bowel. Really made a splash when it came out.

I am in marketing (for another industry) and this is a very well done video. Your analysis is applicable to so many other product classes here. Nice work.

Fantastic video - Thank you for doing these videos and helping new people getting into the hobby Teddy

Pretty much all of these tips are valid for any other product out there. The best money saver is to have a well calibrated BS-meter.

This video should be part of a training program to some watch dealers employees. Very educating. Congratulations.

problem: the audience who follows your videos are already informed, unfortunately it's quite difficult for a newcomer to find a video such as this

Great Work Teddy really enjoy what you are putting out here for us all on RU-vid

Excellent video, Teddy. Loving the content. Keep it up!

I saw a Filippo Loretti ad and they called the Miyota movement a "Mitoya"....how can you trust them if they dont even know whats inside their watches lol

Teddy "Im going into your headquarters and make you admit you sell alibaba watches out loud" Baldassarre

Teddy this is your best video, yet. Also one of the most important watch videos on RU-vid.

Hi Teddy, thanks a lot for addressing this, not because I was ever tempted to get one of those, but because I am building a watch brand myself, these points are very valuable to me. thank you.

This is thé video everyone should see when they’re getting into watches. Very well done @Teddy

Fashion watch brands: The new middle men between Ali Express Drop Ship and the consumer.

Very good video, especially for those just starting with this hobby. Well done, Teddy

Nice video Teddy. You hit the marker. I can say it has taken me more than a year to gain the type of knowledge I think is necessary to make a good decision for a purchase that I'll be comfortable with. Plus I am always learning something new thanks to all of the youtube channels producing videos. Thanks

Crazy to me that even in 2020, people don't bother to just pop the brand or the model name into youtube and just check videos about the thing they're buying. Insane

These all kinda give off cult like vibes

Just found your channel. Your videos have been so helpful! I'm starting my journey into gaining more knowledge about timepieces; I have to say, your videos have been my main resource in navigating so far. Thank you!

Great video as always!! Thank you!

Some really good information here, I can tell a lot of thought went into this. The fashion watch industry as a whole is full of these tricks and it does unfortunately catch people out, which is why these videos need to exist. Honestly these companies probably spend more money on advertising than they do on watch production and that is a shame because they've probably accumulated enough money to actually produce decent watches, yet they choose the easy way out and keep delivering sub par watches at best. I guess the more videos like this there are, the less people will be misled by clever marketing.

I bought my first mechanical watch when I was in high school, given my budget at the time I bought an Invicta Pro Diver. This is about 7-8 years ago now, still runs really well and it got me into the hobby. Go for it.

Really instructive video mate, thank you.

Great video, much respect. Really believe in the work you are doing in standing up for the consumer.

Drinking game: Teddy says “dead giveaway” - drink a shot... 😎

Great information. The real problem is a $20 quartz movement can be more accurate than a multi thousand high end watch. It may not be hand assembled by Japanese virgins but will keep great time.

Very helpful video Teddy. I learned a lot from your video and it is thanks to your channel that my knowledge of watches has increased this much.

Great content Teddy, I was checking out Revolo watches still deciding, this vid is very helpful in current markets

My Fossil watch is still going strong 10 years on. It actually came with an 11 year warranty which is pretty unheard of. I've been considering getting the new IWC portugieser with the in-house movement, but for now certainly happy with the old Fossil!

One of my first watches (I've had it now for 32 years and it still runs perfectly) was a gold, Seiko Quartz Datejust homage. When I selected the watch, I'd never seen or was even aware of the Datejust (seriously), I simply thought that this was a very good looking watch. Today, if I could afford the Rolex I'd buy it (I still think it's one of the best looking watches out there).

Informative and well done video, Teddy. Thank you.

Very helpful video dear Teddy, thank you and keep up the good work.

How to know if the watch is bad is when they are heavily marketed on social media claiming to be "Luxurious goods at affordable price"

In my younger low budget days I used to buy Perry Ellis watches. I never had problems with them. They were well made with a low cost. Most watches capped at $150 CAD. Some were only $75. Sure they were quartz movements, but they were top notch in terms of design.

Great video. Teddy has a great ability to take complex or convoluted issues and explaining the basics in simple terms. I've been a watch enthusiast for about 30 years and have owned "high end" (Rolex) to "basic" (Timex) watches, and like Teddy has said in the past, still evolving my tastes and likes. This should be required watching for someone new to watch collecting. Thanks for another great video.

Great video, Teddy, informative, interesting and entertaining, thank you.

From working in the watch repair industry, something to watch out for when buying these 'On trend' watch brands, is taking a look at the case-back if you have the chance. If you're looking to get a minimalist watch with a 38-40mm dial, and the case-back in anything less than that, walk away. your options for repairs are limited and may end up costing the price of the watch. If you have a fault with the movement, there's no way to replace it without also replacing the glass. this also applies to hands replacements and anything on the dial itself(like a minute marker loose in the dial face) Glass can be replaced fairly easily and cheaply, but it will probably need to be cracked apart to be removed, this can damage the dial or lead to glass dust entering the movement if the repairer isn't careful.

Hello, first of all really great video and now about the topic swiss made. It is true, in general 60% of a product must be made in Switzerland. But for watches there is a more precise gradation. Here is what I found on wikipedia: Swiss watch: A watch is considered Swiss, according to the Swiss law if: -its movement is Swiss and, -its movement is cased up in Switzerland and; -the manufacturer carries out the final inspection in Switzerland Swiss watch movement: A watch movement is considered Swiss if: -the movement has been assembled in Switzerland and, -the movement has been inspected by the manufacturer in Switzerland and; -the components of Swiss manufacture account for at least 50 percent of the total value, without taking into account the cost of assembly. From 1 January 2017, the law set the minimum at 60 percent. If a watch movement is intended for export and will not be cased-up in Switzerland, but it otherwise meets the criteria to be considered a Swiss movement, the watch may say "Swiss Movement" but it may not say Swiss made on the watch case or dial. A watch that says "Swiss Quartz" is considered to be a proper Swiss watch. However, it is often improperly used by foreign manufacturers to merely indicate that the quartz movement is of Swiss origin.

A very informative presentation, thanks Teddy for offering this video presentation. I learned a lot.

Good job! Thank you!

I try to stick with either lower-priced established brands, such as Timex or Casio, or mid-priced brands such as Seiko or Citizen. These are brands that I can currently afford, and with higher income, I’d obtain a Rolex, Omega, or a Jaeger-LeCoultre. A brand that I trust is Hamilton, due to their abundance of information and their transparency with what they’re selling. Their digital marketing is also not as abundant, as their marketing is primarily through Hollywood product placement, but they also let their history speak for itself.

Have to give credit to these “luxury brands” marketing. Daniel Wellington was the first brand that got me paying attention to watches. While I condemn their sly marketing and selling less-than-decent products, hopefully it’ll bring more people into the hobby and encourage people to put their money on more reputable brands

Thank you Teddy, great advice

Fabulous video. Really educative piece n for beginners in watch collecting.

Thanks for the video. I'm a watchmaker and producing my own watches. From the first idea to the first prototype, it took 3,5 years and now I'm able to produce about 10 watches in 4 months. Everything is hand finished and tested etc. It's hard to compete with these "fashion" brands when they are selling 2$ Chinese made watches for 100$ and I'm asking close to 5000$ for mine :D But that's the name of the game, I wouldn't even want to sell a watch to a person who doesn't appreciate what has gone into making of that watch and why it is costing what it costs. There are people who just wear a watch because it looks cool and there are the "others" who are diving in the deep end with watches and would never wear a 100$ fashion brand watch. And both are ok :)

12:35 Best part of the video 😂, totally true tho

Thank you, I’m new into watches and this video was really useful 😎✌️✨✨✨

Glad to hear your thoughts on this “firewall” discussion.

why not buy an Orient, seiko, citizen or even casio. None of this new companies taking my money.

Lots of brands are guilty of the high MSRP thing. I recently got a Seiko SNK807. I paid around $80 for it, which seems to be a good deal, but not a crazy unheard of deal. They aren't hard to find at $100 or so. The box says MSRP $195 on it. So in the case of this watch the everyday going rate is 1/2 of the MSRP, and it's not hard to get below that.

Thanks for sharing this info with us, that’s why I think this is the best watch channel, you can find here grate content always and even watch-education.

Thank you. Great video

just amazing in this information age where you can research any and everything that people can be so easily conned by these companies. everytime i hear those hyper-exagerated claims red flags are being raised all over the place

I’d take a 50-100$ time x over any of these “luxury” watches every single time

You are spot on here.

Thank you so much for this video.

This video was great to avoid the marketing pitfalls. But if I could go back and educate my old-self (in terms of quality), I'd talk specs: - case: Fully 316L Stainless Steel (or better). ''stainless steel (case) back'' often means the actual case is some alloy. Avoid. - glass: Sapphire is best. Mineral glass is cheap. If you tap on the glass and it sounds thin and fragile, avoid. - movement: Avoid Chinese movements. Quartz is cheaper, don't pay much. Japanese mechanicals is best value. BONUS: - 30m Water resist means nothing. Screw down caseback and crown means decent water resistance. 100m+ is good for swimming. Don't shower with anything non-Casio, hot water/steam is a killer. - If you get a diver bezel, get a ceramic or sapphire insert. Aluminum scratches easily.

Omega watches are made so well you can't tell if it's 3D render or a real watch.

Thank you Teddy!!

Loved this very informative....

After 1 post of getting paid to show a brand, they will be seen in the next post in a patek 😆

I appreciate the video but unfortunately in the age of IG I think this is a lost argument. Whether it’s a watch or a tee shirt, it all goes back to advertising and the ability to hype a product. All it takes is a blogger or a one minute video made with a drone for a young consumer to fall for the gimmick. We all go through these growing pains as a youngster to which we all live and learn. Without these fashion brands it could be argued that the common consumer may never wear a wrist watch at all. So maybe they are playing a role into the gateway of true horology.

Great topic!

A lot of valuable information in this video. Thank you.

"The most dangerous lies are ones that are partly true." -some guy who lived at some time.

In the end, it is important to ask what your doing and why when buying a watch. Are you a collector? Are you a horology buff? Are you just looking for something that tells time? Are you buying bling to impress? The true "watch enthusiast" emphasizes heritage, reliability and a real curiosity about the watch he or she wants to buy. Also keep in mind that most people, unless they are "watch enthusiasts", don't amalgamate the thought process you have presented when buying these generic products. Nevertheless, excellent and well thought out points for discussion. Thank you Teddy.

diz was a great one, thanx !!!!

Excellent video said it like it is Thank You

Unfortunately, I see also from brands like Omega, JLC, and Zenith not presenting real photos of their watches on their websites. Usually they just post a front facing photo, and JLC now posts renderrings. Honestly, this does not bring much confidence in those brands anymore, though I know they are good. Why they do not present representable photos? What are they hiding?

I love ya, man, and I really like video but..."luxury can't be mass produced"? Well, I'd like to introduce you to this watch brand named Rolex.

I see these ads all the time on Instagram and I just can't help but wonder how good these watches are. I would never actually purchase one but you have to admire the effort put forth to sell them. Thanks again for another informative video.

Many thanks for such a honest video to bust the tall claims from these brands. I'm a regular viewer of your videos and I luv the way u give unbiased opinions on the watches. Tushar. India

Imagine buying a Baldassarre watch: 36000 bhp, 3 case sizes, 100m wr, +/- 3s, sapphire, small seconds, polished markers, date, open case back w/power reserve for $499! 👍🤓

I unfortunately bought a MVMT watch back when they started. I was so disappointed in the quality. The crown was skewed and the ticking could be heard from the other side of a quiet room. Yet still, when i see their watches online i think "damn that's a good looking watch" cause they really are nailing that department. It's just sad that they are so terrible at putting them together.

Great video Teddy

Thanks mate

This is not only a watch thing, it happens all the time in the fashion industry, in the beverage industry, the cosmetic industry, the footwear industry. Think about Supreme brand. Their $5 shirts are selling for $100 and they are nothing special. I think people should spend on stuff they find appealing, nothing what you or I say will change that. We can just shake our collective heads. The problem with brands like seiko, orient, citizen and timex are that their comparative designs are quite untrendy and have no clout with the younger generation who are the target market for brands like mvmt and vincero. The funniest example of that is that people in the watch community tell the fashion watch buyer that they should buy the casio duro because Bill Gates wears one. Have you ever seen him dress? He is a horrible dresser and looks like he gave up on maintaining his personal appearance. To someone who wears Supreme shirts, Gucci fanny packs and some type of Nike collaboration sneakers, mentioning someone as uncool as Bill Gates is like mentioning donald trump at a Bernie Sanders rally.

dont forget another tell of a cheap watch is really short hands

Awesome material, cheers.

Love it Teddy