zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

Aminorclarification..

Posted By: SteveW62

Date:4/10/0717:31 GMT

InResponse To: OMNIBUS reply to most posts in this thread:(ChicagolandChuck Maddox)

Omega do NOT sell watches via the internet. Their website states this & I hear that AD's can loose their AD status if they are caught selling over the internet.

Butselling second hand ( albeit vintage , restored & guaranteed by Omega themselves ) watches via eBay IS OK ?Not in mybook.

So, Omega selling watches via Antiquorum is ok. Omega selling watches via Antiquorum and allowing phone and Antiquorum facility Internet bidding is ok? But Omega selling watches via Antiquorum and allowing phone, Antiquorum facility Internet bidding and eBay facilitated bidding is not ok?

I am not sure what you're saying, so I'm asking for clarification. I'm not sure where you advocate drawingtheline.

OK whatImeant is ...

[smirk...]

Brand New Omegas are NOT ( officially) available via the internetin any way whatsoever.

Um, these aren't brand new Omega watches to my knowledge. Ok with the exception possibly of LOT294"POCKETWATCH 1932, SET NO. 8

Most collectors know that some ( I have no Idea what percentage of the watches offered via the Antiquorom auction are coming directly from Omega themselves.

I'd say many don't know about most collectors, but that could very well be the case.

Some of the watches were bought from eBay ( Eg the Marine Chronometer Lot #265 ) by an eBay ID known to be amuseumemployee.

Yes, that is true.

Prior to the watches being offered on eBay, I was unaware that you could bid on/buy these watches via theinternet.

To be honest, I haven't read the specifics of the "how to bid" section of the Omegamania Catalogs yet [I know, it's getting late in the process], but I have been told that Antiquorum does have a internet bidding facility for their auctions that is separate and distinct from eBay.

I don't believe that anyone could buy any of the watches being offered as part of the Omegamania auction prior to the auction though.

(reading your reply though Chuck, it does look like these could bebidon via the internet)

That is what I have been let to believe.

Nowyouclearly can ( via eBay ).

Now you can bid on these used Omega's not only in person, via phone, and via internet/Antiquorum, but also via eBay's Live Auction facility.

I'd point out that Omegamania is not the first eBay Live Auction, nor is it Antiquorum's first usage of eBay's Live Auction facility.

HeymaybeI'm just splitting hairs here.

The thought had crossed my mind. But hey, perhaps I am too! It merely appears that we are splitting the hairs in different places.

Maybe some genius in the Omega management will wake up & say "Wow !! Just look at the interest we generated in the brand via the Internet. Maybe we could do this with ourday-to-daywatches & triple sales ! "

Again, Steve, I believe the key distinction here is that all of the watches that are being offered by Antiquorum/Omegamania are used watches. With the possible exception of the set of Split-Second timers...

LOT294"POCKETWATCH 1932, SET NO. 8"

That set may well be new, or at the very least previously unsold. So might some of the prototypes.

Myattitude is that if the Internet is good enough to generate interest / allow the general public to be able to easily buy these vinatge watches, shouldn't this avenue also be available to people wanting to buy new watches?

This is completely different than the impression of your thoughts than I had from your previous message.

I think the problem that Omega is trying to avoid with the sale of new watches via the internet is that it's easy/easier to do a "bait and switch" electronically than it is in-person. Getting a handle on the counterfeit watch trade is something that nearly all watch firms [at least those firms selling watches costing more than $100 or so] face. Not selling new watches over the internet is one of the prevelent methods of delimit one's product from those other "offerings".

It occurs to me that with Omega eliminating large numbers of their Authorized dealers [around half of Omega's authorized dealers have been let go with another round of cuts due soon] it may be difficult if not impossible to find Omega's in more out of the way places. When I visited my cousin Paula in Anchorage Alaska back in 1998 there was only one Authorized Dealer within 250 miles, the next nearest dealer [maybe] would have been in Fairbanks. Certainly that adds to the exclusivity of the brand, but it isn't necessarily a good thing when potential customers can not get your product withot undue struggle.

I think there is a notable difference between Antiquorum offering eBay's live auction facility as a method of participating in the Omegamania event and Omega offering new watches for sale on the Internet.