Although I have had a good buyers experience at Ofrei.com, it seems that he had it with inquiries for parts. Look at this text:

“Email is such a pain and I have great frustration in it. Phone calls are 100% better, faster, real time answers. Now international calls are a problem and sometimes the connection can be bad so I understand email can have its place. However, I have no interest in free email for watch parts nothing in this world is free. The frustration is with email in whole as a drain on resources and the wasted exchanges with no orders. Multiple emails are quite common, then when you get the order is it worth all the time you spent? No, it is not. If you want me to treat you as a professional then you better order like a professional. So if you don’t want to pay the phone company to call us 510-832-0355 you can pay for my time spent answering your email. If I can read your email, check stock and with a reply all in five minutes or less of my time the charge is $15.00

My goal is to make $124,800 dollars a year. If I work 8 hours a day, 5 day a week, 52 weeks a year the would be 124,800 minutes worth of working. I would have to be paid $1.00 per minute or $60.00 a hour. In order to be paid $1.00 per minute, I would have to be bring in much more than that per minute. If any of your are business owners or have a mind for busines you know that you are very lucky to make after cost two to ten cents from every dollar you take in. I consider the rate of $3.00 per minute to be more than a fair exchange for my time. ”

My goal is also to make at least 124.800 dollars a year, however, if you are going to charge people for inquiries, I think it is better to move on to another business. I wonder if he realized that this inquiry stuff is bothering all shop owners.. 

Anyway, you can read his policy here: http://www.ofrei.com/page735.html

As promised, the summary of the Basel 2007 expo. I am looking forward to the SIHH 2007 expo as well, which started today in Geneva. A number of interesting watches are about to be introduced there.

But first, Basel 2007:

Blancpain Fifthy Fathoms with new movement, caliber 1315. The watch diameter is 45mm and has a power reserve of six days.

I already mentioned some news about Rolex, but want to add this new model called Milgauss (116400). There have been Milgauss watches before in the past, but Rolex decided to re-introduce it to their line of watches. This watch has a 40mm watch case and a rather interesting dial design. The ‘lightning’ second hand reminds us of the history of this watch! Prices will be from (+/-) 4400 Euro and up for the different Milgauss-models. Movement is inhouse caliber 3131.

Longines also introduced a number of new models, but their Legend Diver is getting a lot of ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaaahs’. This model should remind us of diver watches from the past. This 42mm watch has Longines caliber L633 which is based on the solid ETA 2824 movement. This watch is water resistant to a depth of 300 meters and therefor can compete with all time classics like the Submariner and the Seamaster. I think that Longines is heading in the good direction

I was never a fan of the Breitling SuperOcean series, but it looks like that is going to change with their latest addition. Also a model that seems to be based on one of their historic models. It will become available in 38mm as well as in 46mm. Each model has its own caliber (17 for the largest model and 37 for the smaller model) but both will be COSC-certified.

The Breguet Toubillon Messidor is an interesting watch in the high-end segment of watches. Although I am not convinced by the use of a tourbillon complication, it is nice to look at anyway This watch measures 40mm in diameter and is made out of 18k rose gold.

Glashuette is introducing a number of new models, among them is this Senator Rattrapante with the manual wound inhouse caliber 99. The platinum case is 42mm in diameter. This watch feature, like the name already revealed, a split-second chronograph. Love the red hand.

IWC introduced a few new DaVinci models. Even as a regular IWC basher, I have to say that I really like this model. The one with the moonphase is the ref. 3762. A limited edition of 500 pieces in 18kt rose gold, 50 in white gold and 50 in platinum. Movement is the inhouse caliber 79261. The case measures 43mm X 15mm and is water resistant to 30 meters.
 

As you can see, the big watches hype isn’t over yet, like some criticals had thought. If you want to see a more detailed and completer overview of the Basel Watch Expo, click here for the Basel 2007 Forum over at TZ.

Although most novelties are already covered on the TimeZone Basel 2007 Forum, tomorrow I will post an overview of - what I think - are the nicest new time pieces. And then, on to the SIHH 2007 starting tomorrow in Geneva.

Universal Geneve with microrotor, 43mm model. The large watches aren’t over yet!

Last friday, Chris sent me a nice birthday present, a link to the International Herald Tribune site about watches in movies, including a small mention about this website. Click here for the article.

The horror, a new Yachtmaster.. euh.. Yikesmaster. The Rolex Yachtmaster II, as pictured below, has a programmable countdown timer function. More specs can be found here.

To make things up again, the Rolex wiedergutmachungsschnitzel so to speak, is the new Rolex GMT-Master II in all steel. We have seen the gold/steel and full gold model last year, and finally.. the steel model will be added to the GMT-Master range.

More news on Rolex watches can be found at this thread over at R-L-X.de (they also opened an English forum).

On the 28th of April, the Dutch based RolexForum.nl will organize a meet & greet for Rolex collectors, connoisseurs and addicts. If you want to be there, please sign-up throug the RolexForum.nl website. You can also contact me by e-mail for more details.

Over at the Dutch DeZinVanLuxe forum, Edgar wrote about his terrible bathroom accident. He fell and smacked his Jaeger-LeCoultre against some furniture. Luckily, he has his precious watch insured and will get a refund on the repairment. Time to check your insurance papers as well

Here is the link to the thread at DzvL (Dutch).

The auction of his Rolex Date took place on the 3rd of April and it fetched 10.000 euros. Adding the premium for Christies, it will be 12.000 euros the buyer has to pay. Christies said in an interview (with GeenStijl.Tv)  that it was his holiday watch… Could be, but he has been spotted with his Rolex OysterQuartz Day-Date in yellow gold numerous times.

Click here for the interview (it is in Dutch, the auction is in English however).

Today I received Watch Lounge magazine edition 2. If you are able to read German, it is really worth checking out! This editions covers the Rolex Sea-Dweller, a visit to Helmut Sinn, Doxa divers, a DIY on resizing bracelets, in-depth article on buying vintage watches and much more. If Watch Lounge can keep up producing articles with this level of writing and information, I’ll bet a number of the other German watch magazines will get nervous!

Send an e-mail to info@muellerverlag.at if you want more information about subscriptions and availability!

Over at the WatchRap forum, poster ‘pplater’ has started a nice discussion on the sacred cows Nautilus & Royal Oak. Here is a large part of his post:

“I can understand the intrinsic value of great design, be it the ‘classics’ of the ancient houses or the cutting edge and confronting efforts of the Independents. Although beauty is in the eye of the beholder, we seem naturally to share a common denominator that allows most to agree that an orchid is beautiful in the way that a potato is not. I can understand the value of robustness to those who look for it – cases of submarine steel, water resistance to improbable depths, movements that will withstand an atomic blast…

I understand the singular merit of engineering innovation and greatness; I appreciate in equal measure complexity and simplicity, rarity and ubiquity, novelty and antiquity, supply and demand.

I also understand that there will always be a gulf between objective and subjective points of view, such that I am already setting myself up for a slap from all directions. What I do not ‘get’, though, no matter how hard I try, is the extent of the appeal of just one or two perennial favourites – particularly, the PP Nautilus and the AP RO.

I know the following that these pieces have here, and I am just waiting for the hate mail, but - please – enlighten me. What is their appeal? Is it commonly thought that they are beautiful (so that it is time for me to get my antennae re-aligned)? Are they fitted with ground-breaking movements? Are they milestones in the horological arts? Do they rightly have a place in the pantheon of modern design? Do they fulfill any particular function better than any competitor? In short, why do so many of you hold them in such high regard?

Please resist the temptation to grant me instant pariah status. I am sincerely bemused, and equally sincerely open to being educated. If you can be bothered, tell me: what is it that I am missing?”

Most forums would probably go down in flame wars, however, the WatchRap forum seems to be civilized enough to produce some great answers.

Click here for the entire thread.