Flogging Rotary

Seems like no matter where you look on the web, SWI is flogging the hell out of Rotary. Must have bought a boatload of the brand, which, as we've discussed elsewhere, seems to have slipped several notches.

Or is this just me?

I keep getting emails about amazing deals on them. Of course I get emails about Invicta, Swiss Legend, SWI, Rotary, and a few others but those 3 seem to be the most constant.

All I know is last I saw of Rotary on the Shop hey were selling a nice Auto Dress watch for $300ish. Now I see all the time on Daily Deal sites different Rotary watches going for $50. 2 different companies? New Ownership of same old company?

WatchNoob wrote:

All I know is last I saw of Rotary on the Shop hey were selling a nice Auto Dress watch for $300ish. Now I see all the time on Daily Deal sites different Rotary watches going for $50. 2 different companies? New Ownership of same old company?

Same company, just going a different direction. They make a FEW Swiss watches with solid movements and specs and a LOAD of ....other watches.

A step down from what? Just another brand with fancy packaging as far as I'm concerned.

Nobody heard of Rotary until Lior brought them to shop and the brand was propped up like it was the best watch around. "Very, very popular in Europe" it was said.

People bought into the hype of the brand based on what was said on TV. Now that they gutted the prices, it makes it look like any other TV brand.

Wisconsin Proud wrote:

A step down from what? Just another brand with fancy packaging as far as I'm concerned.

Nobody heard of Rotary until Lior brought them to shop and the brand was propped up like it was the best watch around. "Very, very popular in Europe" it was said.

People bought into the hype of the brand based on what was said on TV. Now that they gutted the prices, it makes it look like any other TV brand.

From their initial offerings to establish the "Brand". It's what they've done and what you've described but going from solid ETA Auto movements in descent cases with nice dials to quartz movements that are unspecified and all can reasonably be called a "step down" IMHO.

Didn't ShopNBC trot out a very proper fellow with an English accent (no, not Daniel Green) as a spokesman for Rotary to add credence to the brand on a couple of shows?

Rotary used to be considered a decent brand, I work on a buddy's quartz model and it was well made with an ETA movement. I don't like the junk they flooding the market with now.

I have purchased 1 Rotary watch as a gift for a co worker and they loved it. It seemed well made and a quality watch for the price I paid.

It's nearly the same damn thing as Potger Pietri, S.Coifman, etc. Fabricated history, intitial models with great movements, high prices, and a BS provenance. Later models with unknown movements, and low prices.

TVDinner wrote:

I have purchased 1 Rotary watch as a gift for a co worker and they loved it. It seemed well made and a quality watch for the price I paid.

That's a good point - for the price paid.

Wisconsin Proud wrote:

A step down from what? Just another brand with fancy packaging as far as I'm concerned.

Nobody heard of Rotary until Lior brought them to shop and the brand was propped up like it was the best watch around. "Very, very popular in Europe" it was said.

People bought into the hype of the brand based on what was said on TV. Now that they gutted the prices, it makes it look like any other TV brand.

Last I was in the UK i saw the brand at most nice Watch shops I went into...seems they were very present for sure. I own one MEchanical that is awesome, vintage movement etc...No COmplaints here