Wholesale Fashion Jewelry From China
Have been considering a Rado Integral men's watch due to its distinctive
appearance and apparent durability.
Curiosity led me to research the quality of the movement and this watch
apparently uses a ETA 255.411. Since Swatch owns both ETA and Rado this is
certainly no surprise.
However when I ran a web check on the cost of a replacement 255.411 I found
several sources that offered them for under $50. Now a $50 movement in a
$1600 retail watch seems really out of wack to me. I am sure many other
watches have the same pricing structure but in reality isn't this a piece of
jewelry that happens to contain a watch rather than the other way around. Am
I missing something here?
Nope, you ain't missing nuthin'.
This is the reality of almost 100% of quartz watches. Any quartz watch that
retails for more than maybe $100 is a dubious value proposition. I would
note that not only is your $1500 getting you a piece of jewelry, but it is
costume jewelry - without that $45 movement you have a $50 (retail) ceramic
bracelet (not that anyone would want to wear a bracelet made of clay) But
take $50 clay bracelet, add $45 movement and add famous Swiss name and you
have a $1600 watch.
If you were looking at a stainless watch, there would be plenty of cheaper
alternatives. In ceramic, the pickings are pretty slim. Here's something
roughly equivalent for $100:
http://blujay.com/item/100-AUTHENTIC-TUNGSTEN-DIAMONDS-SAPPHIRE-CRYST...
I'll bet the manufacturing cost of this one comes within a few $ of Rado's
cost.
You neglect to mention that the ETA mechanical movements are just as
cheap -- some of them wholesale for around $25 US.
Also, I doubt that the knockoff you point to is as well-manufactured as
a real Rado. They do laat forever.
I didn't mention the price of tea in China either. Most of the ETA's are at
least a little more - the 2824 retails for about $85 in a moderate grade
and the 2892-A2 for about $250. If you want chronometer grade, decoration,
etc. the price can go way up from there. But there's a pretty hefty markup
on mechanicals as well, just perhaps a touch less than quartz. IMHO it's
more important to stay away from the "big names" than it is to stay away
from quartz per se. If in a quartz watch, the cost of the movement only
represents 3% of the retail price and in a mechanical it's 5%, you still
have the other 95% to explain and most of that represents either profit or
marketing expense.
Is the knockoff 1/16th as well manufactured? Will the Rado last 16 times as
long? Since we know the only moving part of the watch is the movement and
the movement is not made by Rado but bought from their sister co. ETA and
cost under $50, how "well manufactured" can the Rado be in relation to any
other quartz watch? One piece of tungsten carbide is like the next - if
they are telling the truth about the material, the knockoff case and band
will be just as scratch resistant as the Rado. I repeat without the movement
the Rado is just a piece of costume jewelry that you wouldn't pay $50 for.