THE TRUTH: Ali Express watches after 5 years of wear and tear!

[@Pierluigi_Di_Lorenzo]

'THE TRUTH: After 5 years of wear and tear' is not an honest title if you have owned the watches a shorter time and/or have worn them only a few days. Dec 2024 minus 5 years is Dec 2019, btw.

[@M123OCT]

Yeah! The title should be: "Some AliXpress Watches I Bought, Some Three Years Ago, But Some From Other Times, Either Older Or Newer, But Older Than Most Watches Reviewed On KZbin, But Including One That's Roughly Five Years Old, But Maybe Not Exactly, And How They Are Performing Now At Various Ages." Always need a catchy title. 👍 🙄

[@Pierluigi_Di_Lorenzo]

@@M123OCT Or simply: 'Some older Aliexpress watches revisited'

[@Horologique]

Totally. The KZbinr dilemma

[@Pierluigi_Di_Lorenzo]

@@Horologique What dilemma? Both new and old viewers recognize, if they are somewhat intelligent, that they are being conned.

[@jabuhrer1]

⁠@@Pierluigi_Di_Lorenzo”Being conned”…? Wow what an emotional rollercoaster your life must be 😂

[@mr.bmt216a2]

--> What on earth will our friends in the region of Jura, Switzerland do when the Chinese watch-making industry "matches" the internal quality of current Swiss watches. Right now, the Chinese factories have matched the exterior parts of Swiss watches on a few models. If eventually a San Martin overtakes a Swiss watch for under $500 USD, it will be as bad as the "quartz crisis" of the 1970s.

[@Horologique]

That's a very insightful thought! The Swiss strategy is backfiring, as they have outsourced bracelet and case production to China Chinese brands have caught up! Now if they put a SW200 movement inside, then that's it, the quality gap is almost non existent. The Swiss still have prestige though, which is huge for some buyers, and warranty which is the Achiles heel of the Chinese brands.

[@travis3430]

Chinese watches along with the smart watch rise must have the Swiss pretty worried

[@jabuhrer1]

What would it even mean for a Chinese bootleg watch to “overtake a Swiss watch?” No one buys a Rolex or Omega simply because there is not a viable $500 alternative. You can already buy a copy at 1% of the full price that is effectively indistinguishable from the real thing to the average person. Not to mention that you can buy plenty of good looking well designed watches that are more accurate than a Rolex for 0.1% of the cost. Anyone who buys an actual genuine Rolex does so because it’s an actual genuine Rolex. No one actually *needs* one, it’s something you buy because you have money to burn. So I don’t see a $500 watch taking any of the big luxury brands customers away.

[@jims4539]

I wear a Baltney, NH35, daily in construction - still looks new, runs great. Gone thru three straps but watch is almost as new.

[@Horologique]

@@jims4539 wow incredible!

[@mattzahab2946]

I have a cheap "winner" brand watch. I wear it all the time as a beater. The automatic disc is garbage but winding it once or twice a day keeps it on time good enough for me. It looks similar to an iwc model . It's only been three yrs so far and I dont have a fancy pulse meter. Best $40cad I've ever spent imo

[@haping1]

Great review. Thanks. Did you check the watches on the Timegrapher when you bought them? Best regards and Bon Noel.

[@Horologique]

@@haping1 Thank you so much! I didn't have a Timegrapher at the time I bought them, but for the Tourbillon I've been documenting it, here's 2 years ago: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ioO9pKFpfdmirbM

[@Spectrecontrol]

Interesting to see how theyre going, good video

[@michaelredding6219]

Great update. I have both the Seagull 1963 (5 yrs) and the CIGA Series Z (2.5 years), both continue to run really well, very pleased with both. Put the CIGA design on a bespoke padded red Horween leather strap that cost nearly as much as the watch. Worth every penny, totally elevated the look, night and day difference. 🌟

[@Horologique]

Thank you very much for the nice comment and the feedback! I'm curious to see your Ciga on the leather band! If you can drop a photo on the Horologique Facebook Group I'd be glad 😁👍. Merry Christmas 🎅

[@WMIYC]

I’ve actually found the accuracy of watch errs on the faster side the worse a watch runs. Clean consistent lines on the graph are a positive sign.

[@Wallace_Tan]

Depends, most watches some fresh out of the factory running fast. Many seikos' optimal accuracy is +5-10 based off the spec sheet, with the running accuracy of chronometers generally being +1-3 as this allows faster setting of a watch when correcting time. Over time, a watch will ALWAYS run faster instead of slower.

[@panormitis9416]

Good video, I just wanted to point out something about your watch with the tourbillon movement. The accuracy degradation is to be expected, hi-beat movements require servicing and oil change more often (every 3 years or so) because they work harder than lower beat movements, that could probably last 5-10 years without servicing. Of course the quality of the movement (and high quality oils/lubrication) plays a big role too.

[@Horologique]

Thank you very much and you are right, but in this instance as I have not worn the watch that mucho guess it might either what you say or a matter of the lubricants drying out. Thank you and have a lovely Christmas

[@adk7962]

Thank you for taking the time to put this together. I’ve always felt, if you take care of your things, your things will take care of you. Thanks again and looking forward to great content in 2025. Joyeux Noël!

[@Horologique]

@@adk7962 thank you si much for your continued support my friend. Merry Christmas 🎅❄️

[@dartagnan1954]

Watches generally are durable Even fake watches can last for years but the automatic ones need some kind of service along the way

[@ricardonercolini6053]

Hello Olivier, nice video! Have you checked them for "magnetized movements"? Thank you. I'll would realy like to know.

[@Horologique]

Hello and thank you! No I haven't, I don't even know how, even though I have a demagnetising tool, but I hear you can mess your watch up with it

[@ricardonercolini6053]

@Horologique Hello from Brazil again! You can check with a compass. If the arrows moves with the watch by they are magnetized. I believe there are KZbin vídeos explaining about it. Super easy!

[@S-Ltd1000]

My 1963 died in just under a year. Never again.

[@michaelredding6219]

@@S-Ltd1000 how unfortunate, i've had mine for about 5 years with no problems, in fact wearing it now. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@S-Ltd1000]

@michaelredding6219 they have a reputation for failure. I was one of the unlucky ones.🤷‍♂️

[@owenlaprath4135]

Regarding 2 of your watches, for one, I too have the "Newman's Own" Pagani (model is PD-1676), and it has 2 flaws: 1) The hands become invisible in many dim light situations, when they cross the panda eyes, so that was my first and last panda eye watch! I am happy I learned about panda eyes from a 50 dollar watch, instead of a 17 million dollar model! 2) How can Pagani be so stingy, they do not even add a sample package of "Newman's Own" salad dressing to this icon! About the tourbillon: Have tried to demagnetise it? I had a couple watches that ran fast. After using a demagnetiser (push the button with the watch on it, and then slowly pull the watch away), they are very well behaved! They hold time like a quartz, when I wear them for a day and take them off while sleeping.

[@dartagnan1954]

a question i have about automatic watches How do they fail ?? What is breaking ?

[@Horologique]

@@dartagnan1954 it's pretty much like a car, many moving parts working together. Something will inevitably break if not maintained correctly

[@rmoffettutube]

NH35s have a really broad range out of the factory. What were their numbers new? Maybe something is plus 5 now, but it was -15 when bought. It's more accurate because it got magnetized or something silly.

[@wngimageanddesign9546]

All screwed pin bracelets need service checks of the pins. They can back out with use. One trick is to remove each pin of a new watch bracelet and reassemble them after coating the shaft with silicone lube or bees wax. It is the stiction between links that loosens the threads and the pins back out.

[@Horologique]

That's very sound advice! Some use Locktite

[@owenlaprath4135]

@@Horologique - personally, I have been tinkering all of my 60 years on this planet. So I briefly thought about screw-in pins vs push-in cotter-pins, my experience in other projects, and order strictly and exclusively push-pin bracelets ONLY. I do not quite understand, why the community has such bias towards screw-in pins, when push-pins are much more secure and easier to work with, if you spend 10 dollars for a basic watch-maker tool-kit. Grant it, those tools are not real pro-grade and can cause a little more fiddling, but for occasional use, they are just fine, if you are not running a professional jewellery shop!

[@thesolver1970]

I have the Aesop rose gold aventurine turbillon and it runs about +15 seconds - but thats ok because the most it gets worn is up to 4 hours when going to special events every now and then.. but given I have around 80 watches now, they are always going to be in good condition! I do like miyota 9 series and the seiko VK quartz, Ronda quartz are good too. I have PT5000, SW200 and ETA 2824 watches but still prefer the good ole NH35 as those swiss ones 'seem' delicate. But of course, G-Shock DW5600 and the Mudmaster for the win for me....

[@Horologique]

Thank you for your feedback. Yes, our collections end up ballooning out of control 😂

[@blobrana8515]

Even if you buy the cheapest watch every 3 months it's still works out cheaper.

[@pr4photos]

Given that you have a timegrapher, why would you not simply recalibrate the watches. Most watches would slip accuracy over a year

[@Horologique]

Because that would mean opening the watch, adjusting it myself and potentially compromising water resistance. And basically I'm a lazy f**k 😂

[@cosmodoc]

@@HorologiqueI think it is fun and satisfying to regulate watches

[@Factory051]

​@@Horologiquewhat a terrible excuse. You have a lot to learn about watched.

[@dartagnan1954]

@@Horologique😂😂 thanks for the honesty but that would make a great video

[@michaelj8793]

Merry Christmas to you and Yours Big Daddy and of course Big blessings my friend 👍

[@Horologique]

@@michaelj8793 thank you so much my dear friend, Merry Christmas to you and your dear ones 🎅👍

[@mr.bmt216a2]

--> Hey Olivier, great video. Please do a short video on your OLDEST WATCH you bought from ALiEXPRESS. And describe how it has weathered in your collection and use. Merci encore.

[@Horologique]

@@mr.bmt216a2 thank you so much! This is the first Aliexpress watch I bought 5 years ago: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKi9mYSijNGEnrM It still works fine, but the bracelet is destroyed

[@mr.bmt216a2]

​Merci Olivier. I have the Pagani version of your 43mm green submariner. Happy New Year à vous.​@@Horologique

[@erichkitzmueller]

Can you explain the meaning of amplitude and beat error?

[@Horologique]

The amplitude is the degree of rotation of the balance spring, and therefore is a testament to the "health" of the movement. Beat error is the difference between the swing of the balance wheel in one direction and in the opposite one, think of a pendulum to its further left or right. You want this measure to be the closest to 0

[@frankyz007]

Thanks Olivier, this review is really interesting to see After few years if these chinese bargains are reliable or not so much... It appears to be quite good in the end, except for one who broke! Not that bad... Merry christmas to all! 🎉😊🎉

[@Horologique]

@@frankyz007 thank you SO MUCH my friend for your enduring support! Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones 🎅

[@waktosha7378]

Looks like you need to zero out the beat error and regulate some watches!

[@griffn14]

So the tourbillon which is supposed to increase the accuracy, keeps degrading over time. Oh, the irony... LoL

[@Horologique]

Lool 😂

[@dartagnan1954]

😂😂

[@Proth-h7t]

I'm occasionally tempted by Chinese watches but I then remember one of the main reasons why I buy watches and that's the horological history. When I buy a Tissot, Seiko, Timex or Citizen etc, I know I'm buying a watch with a genuine and rich heritage.

[@Horologique]

@@Proth-h7t yes I totally understand, that's something most Chinese watch brands still cannot match, except with the original Seagull 1963

[@jabuhrer1]

Makes sense. I do think eventually some Chinese brands will build their own history just as some Japanese brands like Seiko and Citizen had to. Eventually a few brands will come up with some respectable unique designs which are sought after in their own right instead of just copies/homages. That already happened over the past couple of decades with Chinese knives. They went from crappy knockoffs to now there being a few high end manufacturers with original designs and top notch materials like WE Knife Co., and lots of mid-level brands like Civivi and QSP etc. that have cool original designs and compete with American, European, Japanese brands and so on. It takes a long time to build luxury prestige, but some well made, original affordable models go a long way.

[@owenlaprath4135]

So, if you want a company making watches anyone can afford, AND has a grand history, there is Tandorio! Unknown to most is the OEM of all these Swiss con artist companies, like Rolex, Patek Philippe, Omega, and the whole bunch, allowing them to make thousands for every watch sold! You can buy a genuinely unique and very affordable Tandorio "Pilot-Diver", designed by Luigi "Don the 3rd" Tandorio himself, for less than a hundred bucks! It comes in tasteful solid steel cases in 36mm and 39mm, is 200-proof (so no worries about having a pool party or taking a dive with concrete weights), sports a selection of beautiful, colourful, and sporty dials fit for any occasion, and a super reliable calibre, that has been copied by Seiko for decades! The "Pilot Diver" was named in honour of the brave goodfellas, who saved a Ju-52 gold transport aeroplane from the clutches of the WW2 French Nazi Vichy government and freed it, but that's a different story! WHAT? You don't know about Tandorio? Mind you, their history got deliberately wiped, since Swiss-Italian Luigi Tandorio ended up as a crown witness against Goehring in 1945, because his small (so small, it was unknown outside Switzerland) Swiss watch company had made Flieger watches for the Luftwaffe, and he insisted on a permanent home in USA, which they gave to him. Mind you, to this day, there are rumours about how they managed to make so many watches in a 5 person shop, more than 18 thousand of them in 7 years, and there were a lot of trucks in the neighbourhood, that had watch deliveries fall off the back and were never found again, but that's a different story. From there it went a wee sideways, because his son Johnny Tandorio, became "Don" Tandorio in Brooklyn (but that's a different story, knowaddameen?), and Don sort of made a family tradition out of going into witness protection in 1968 himself. So Johnny "Don" Tandorio then settled in Hong Kong and took his daddy's watch factory tools with him, so Tandorio got established in China! 37 years later, the now senile "Don" Tandorio eventually took a scuba-dive in the Bay of Hong Kong without his air-tank and could not come up again, because the quick release on his concrete dive-boot weights got stuck, so his grand-kids took over the then still fake watch factory in 2005. In 2007, not having other income after Don's witness protection money ran out, they quit making junk just as a cover, and switched to selling quality watches that fell off a ship straight from the Swiss Alps! When those ran out, they used the money to buy Japanese second hand tools from an accidentally burned out factory in Shinshu. This is, when they came to the attention of the Chinese FBI, who arrested them all. Since the Tandorio factory was however already established and had made some deals, they kept the name for the now state-owned company, to catch more crooks, and eventually ran it as a clean operation, producing high quality watches, that are now well respected. These are the watches we can now buy on AliExpress as "Tandorio", run by good honest Chinese business people and watch makers. So, you see, there is a rich and interesting history here. ADDENDUM: Luigi Tandorio 3rd bought the company back in 2013 and has improved the quality of Tandorio. It is all true, I swear! (I am NOT crossing my fingers behind my back!) (This is what happens, when you allow your child to watch too much television!)

[@comprandobien]

Buen análisis 😊

[@Horologique]

@@comprandobien muchas gracias 👍

[@gregtolley3455]

Your 1963 has counterweights on both sub dials, that's a no no.

[@frankyz007]

@@gregtolley3455 these movements are known to be fragile and loose precision very rapidely. They need regular services on a daily use, that's why swiss sold this tech to china in 1963. 😎

[@isluderea8322]

@@frankyz007thanks for the info. I was thinking of getting one. So for me its a No now.

[@ricardonercolini6053]

Hello Olivier, I will send you a link to know about magnetized watches: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKrahHuDg81raqcsi=ciYVjy6PeJIXBF9b Merry Christmas!!!

[@Horologique]

@@ricardonercolini6053 thank you! I know how to do it but it's tricky because of they are not magnetised you can end up magnetising them...

[@rw2266]

Your video is nonsense

[@Horologique]

As is your comment

[@rw2266]

@Horologique Your mom goes to college