Do you tell people their watches are frankens?

pw92676

I tend to stay out of other peoples business. Wouldn’t tell someone that I suspected replacement parts on their watch or their wife...not my place to say!

Redwes25

On sales post on OF, shouldn't be the idea to tell the mods about the issue so they can handle it have the listing modified or removed. I think someone saying a watch was all original but you know it is a franken is something that shouldn't be kept hidden.

Redwes25

I would speak up as well. Just responding to the prior comment about staying out of sales posts.

As for general posts, I don't think I would speak up unless they were asking for an opinion. For example, I have a watch that I bought knowing it had a replacement crown and the replacement on it isn't perfect either. I knew that when I bought it and I figured it into the price I was willing to pay. Also, no need for me to go chase to make the watch perfect. If I post it in the WRUW thread and someone pointed out the crown I think I would be pretty annoyed.

Syrte

If it’s a new acquisition that might be eligible for a refund- I would send the nicest pm I can so the person can return.
I would never rain publicly on someone’s parade if they’re not asking for opinions - or specifically asking for an assessment.

If I am positive someone is offering an incorrect watch for sale without a disclosure, I will invariably message them about the problem. If it is on Instagram and they refuse to address it, I then out them publicly.

Syrte

If it’s a new acquisition that might be eligible for a refund- I would send the nicest pm I can so the person can return.
I would never rain publicly on someone’s parade if they’re not asking for opinions - or specifically asking for an assessment.

If I am positive someone is offering an incorrect watch for sale without a disclosure, I will invariably message them about the problem. If it is on Instagram and they refuse to address it, I then out them publicly.

Engee

Maybe someone doesn't enough know to ask? If I came on here showing off my new franken I think I'd want someone to point it out to me, in a nice way. I won't learn otherwise. Joining and participating in a forum like this implies that I'm sufficiently interested in watches to want to know if I've made a mistake. Joining a facebook group or posting your watch pics on instagram may be a different thing where people don't care quite as much or don't want to know.

Better still though, as this is something of a minefield, and you seem to know, I'd really appreciate a post showing what to look for when deciding on whether or not to buy a piece like a yellow dial Pogue. Of course, you may not wish to share your hard learned knowledge, but this is the equivalent of the "give a man a fish or teach him how to use a rod" question. I'd like to be taught how to spot a dodgy watch rather than coming on here posting pictures every time I see something I'm interested in to ask if it's OK or not.

bradurani

For the Pogue, there's a wealth of information on the Seiko and Citizen Watch Forum (https://www.thewatchsite.com/). It takes searching to dig it all up, but there are several extensive threads. If you have a watch and want an opinion you can usually get a good one by posting photos there. The folks are friendly, though obviously, "Do your own homework" applies.
For the yellow dial Pogues specifically, there are a few tells that give away most of the fake dials:
- On the real ones, the tick marks on the sub dial extend all the way to the edge of the subdial. On most fakes, they come up short, leaving a space
- On the dial text at the bottom of the dial, the "A" in "Japan" should have a flat top, whereas it's usually pointy on the fake dials.
BUT, the fakes get better every day, and these tells may no longer be enough to distinguish a fake. It's a constant arms race, and I hesitate to elaborate more or risk giving you out-of-date info.