Random musings and general banter.

[SiRich]

It’s Emma with Watches now

think I will stick with football league highlights Jazzy, tempting though it is

 

[cheeky chappie]

Peter is telling viewers If they don’t like the bike, it will be collected Is that true

Yes, Tim gets a bus to your house and personally collects them, cycling back to IW HQ.

 

[cheeky chappie]

Can he really say stuff like "eLife is the biggest seller of bikes in the UK" when that's clearly not true?

I just Googled it and I can't find anything to suggest they sell the most bikes in the UK, they're also not on any lists of the most popular bike brands in the UK either.

This links in with the comment I've made previously re I would LOVE to know the quantities they shift of each product per show.

If his comment was 'the biggest seller of bikes in the UK' as in 'bikes' plural that's blatantly not true. emmm Halfords?

They don't hold the biggest variety and I seriously doubt of the 'brands' they do stock they shift the greatest numbers.

What he maybe could have said with a degree of truth and validity is 'we're the biggest seller of eLife bikes in the UK.' I'm not even saying that's true, however it would at least be closer to the truth.

Grant posts about what sort of things do/don't we want to see. Cutting the bullsh1t would be number one for me.

 

[Herring]

Earlier he also said "IW is one of the biggest retailers in the UK" and, again, that's dubious.

He could, of course, argue he didn't say "the biggest" retailer, which is true. And he could also argue that "one of the biggest" doesn't have to mean "one of top 10 biggest", either.

But it feels… suspect for a channel that folded recently. More accurate would be “IW is a big retailer in the UK”, but “one of the biggest” just makes them sound like they’re duking it out with Argos, Lidl, Amazon, Boots…

Before they folded they turned over £125m and made £8m profit which is decent but absolutely dwarfed by Argos which was something like £4.1b turnover in 2022…

 

[Keep Going]

It’s Emma with Watches now

Jazzy didnt you say earlier your name is Emma? I'd happily and 100% trustfully buy what you sell, no need for sales tactics

 

[user 17461]

Earlier he also said "IW is one of the biggest retailers in the UK" and, again, that's dubious.

He could, of course, argue he didn't say "the biggest" retailer, which is true. And he could also argue that "one of the biggest" doesn't have to mean "one of top 10 biggest", either.

But it feels… suspect for a channel that folded recently. More accurate would be “IW is a big retailer in the UK”, but “one of the biggest” just makes them sound like they’re duking it out with Argos, Lidl, Amazon, Boots…

Before they folded they turned over £125m and made £8m profit which is decent but absolutely dwarfed by Argos which was something like £4.1b turnover in 2022…

IW v2 was haemorrhaging shoppers by the busload week in and week out by its collapse in the summer. Judging by the amount of shoddy goods shown so far, the ramshackle presentations from equally ramshackle presenters and the reactions of the old company's fans on social media, I am pretty sure that claiming IW v3 is one of the UK's current biggest retailers is very, very premature.

 

[Professor Branestawm]

I would prefer you not to tell me to "log off".

You seem to only ever comment to argue with longstanding members. When they call you out on it, you then abuse them for their grammar etc. You’ve been doing this, more-or-less constantly for a couple of months now- if you disagree with us all, surely that means this is not a forum for you?

 

[Professor Branestawm]

@Hammy60 All,
Just a heads-up, TkMaxx (thanks for the tip previously guys) are selling Traser Swiss Made quartz Ronda chronos for £160-£229. Bargain? Far cheaper than the Traser's Kev/IW2 used to?

https://www.tkmaxx.com/uk/en/search...e-desc&facets=stockLevelStatus:inStock&page=0
And TJC have/had Jowissa Swiss Made quartz Ronda for £89 (or less with discount codes/days).

https://www.tjc.co.uk/watches/jowis...wvar_1622999990_color=Black#q=jowissa&start=1
Which is pretty reasonable, I think.

I’ve had some real bargains from TKMaxx over the last 2-3 years. I got a Hamilton chronograph last Christmas with a Valjoux 7750 for £450, another Hamilton in bronze with an ETA 2892-1 with GMT complication and a rubber strap for £399, and a funky 60’s style square chronograph with another ETA 2892-1 with Chronograph module for £450. Always good to look just after Christmas for ones they’ve further reduced. and At those prices they definitely hold their value.
Wirth a 5 minute check on their site once a month. The Hamiltons they have are a bit pricey for me just at the moment, though…

 

[Professor Branestawm]

Now I am not the most PC individual in the world, but I think somebody should remind Mike Mason that when he is going through his list of reasons to buy a gentleman's watch, just occasionally a partner or spouse buying it isn't always female.. And "Girls - ...get this for you fellas," could be said as (using his particular vernacular) "Geezers - get this for your geezers.." The very thought of it....

And I have plenty of female customers who prefer the larger watches traditionally thought of as men’s.
And my old Nan, God bless her soul, used a very large diameter watch in her later years just so she could read the face.
I do think Mike lives back in the 1970’s, sometimes, at least as far as his patter goes!

 

[Professor Branestawm]

You Garden are going to QVC with Shaun Ryan. I am more than surprised. Maybe they don't want to be associated with IW any more

I’m not surprised. Some of these retailers/manufacturers must’ve lost money each time IW hit the buffers.

 

[Professor Branestawm]

And on the watches front, a LOT do - Ideal World was selling so many watches during lockdown there was an article in the Financial Times about it. And if you look at the TJC-IW revival Facebook page there's almost always a bloke commenting about wanting more watches.

And it’s this, more than anything that really upsets me about IW.
During lockdown, a lot of people were worried about health, mortality and so on. A lot watched IW and were persuaded by claims of ‘heirloom’ and ‘needs to be insured’ etc. I’m sure some purchases will have been made with the idea of leaving something behind for others to remember them by. And I’m equally sure some of those poor souks will have passed on. At any rate, I’m now seeing some of these very watches in for repair, and I hate - absolutely hate - having to tell people they are, essentially, worthless. Generally it’s cheaper for me to source a new mechanism and drop it in, because the cost of disassembly, ultrasonic cleaning, replacing parts (and the parts supply is non existent), reassembly and regulation is far, far more than the value of the watches they sold. And that happens even with the better Chinese makers. Sea-Gull, for instance sold a double retrograde movement with an open heart (I forget the model number, but I still see new ones sometimes). I had those in to fix labelled up as Louis Bolle, as Ingersoll, as Thomas Earnshaw, as Sugess, and many, many others. And I don’t think I ever encountered a more fragile watch- they used to throw their hands into the case with no provocation, and I’m pretty sure there wasn’t any Nivorox in there - perhaps rusty steel!. And they sold for anywhere between £50 and £500. And i have disassembled them so many times that I can feel my heart sinking as I see the in-box and that horrible spacer made of light grey plastic that wouldn’t disgrace a lucky bag toy soldier….
There’s one guy who spent, from memory, something like £40k on selly-telly watches. Now he’s not my customer, so far as I know, but I’d doubt the current value exceeds a few hundred. I think that selling so many to one person surely verges on the criminal - unless, of course, he really wanted the watches and went in with his eyes open. I just find that vanishingly unlikely.
Every single watch they all sell, except for the Swiss brands (Roamer, Eterna, etc), and Vostock (not my taste, but they are, at least OK in their segment) can be sourced from Ali, Etsy, E-bay, or direct from the manufacturer, generally for less than £50. The average lifespan is around 2-3 years (I remember Poljot International proudly claiming that their average watch lasted 10 years, and at least they were- and are - real watchmakers).
But you can see why they all sell them when you think of purchase prices around £20 and sale prices around £200. I don’t know of any other industry, except maybe optical where glasses have a similar markup, where that can happen.

 

[Professor Branestawm]

Will he kiss the stallion?

That sounds Sooooo much like a euphemism.

’I walked in on Peter and was shocked. He was kissing the stallion….’

 

[Professor Branestawm]

A helmeted Shona and models showcasing Dr. Who Robomen outfits today..Don’t just buy one..Buy 1000 and start your own army..View attachment 26807

Does anyone remember Billy the Cat from (I think) the Beano.
Its a strange look to revive, Shona…

 

[Professor Branestawm]

Duchamp incorporated in 2020.

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/12942517

Great catch, Pat. The accounts are filed as a micro company. That means the company ‘Duchamp’, by law, has to meet two of the three following criteria:
1. turnover of £632,000 or less;
2. assets of £316,000 or less;
3. 10 employees or less.

Its not exactly Patek Phillippe, now, is it?

 

[Professor Branestawm]

It’s sad a 60 year old, almost having a orgasm over a blanket

Nae a soap person but watched when Alex Gilroy was behind the bar, always a good laugh.

When I lived near Manchester, back in the 80’s, I used to often get a cuppa with Roy Barraclough in the Owl’s Hoot in Stalybridge.
Blooming heck. I’ve just realised that’s 40 years ago now. Where did it go?

 

[Jazzydrury]

Jazzy didnt you say earlier your name is Emma? I'd happily and 100% trustfully buy what you sell, no need for sales tactics

Correct but I know sod all about watches

 

[rubia]

I posted further up on this thread, I don’t get how he still has a job in 2023

Me too!

 

[Deleted member 21838]

think I will stick with football league highlights Jazzy, tempting though it is

Hammered at cricket, beaten in rugby….Palace stuffed at Newcastle. I only wish I’d watched Ideal World last night..

 

[Deleted member 21838]

When I lived near Manchester, back in the 80’s, I used to often get a cuppa with Roy Barraclough in the Owl’s Hoot in Stalybridge.
Blooming heck. I’ve just realised that’s 40 years ago now. Where did it go?

Les Dawson’s oppo over the washing line one?

 

[Muttley]

Les Dawson’s oppo over the washing line one?

Duke, Cissy and Ada were my absolute favourite characters. In one sketch they're talking about a Greek holiday and talking about the food:

Cissy - have you had the shish kebabs?
Ada - ever since we arrived
Cissy: have you been to the Acropolis?
Ada - never been off it

There's clips òn YouTube, they always make me laugh and we need that in this depressing world we live in!