MY TAKE on watch sites...

Well, having had a forum for just over a year now, I can tell you this, it is VERY interesting.

For what it is worth, I am going to give you MY TAKE on various sites. Feel free to reply in any manner you wish...

Watchuseek - obviously the largest watch site around, MANY topics, great sales forum, watches of all types. HIGHLY sponsored which seems to limit REAL feedback on the sponsored brands...

Watchgeeks - let's just call it what it is, a BILLBOARD for Invicta. There are a lot of nice PEOPLE there but it's a haven for the new collector who unfortunately was flipping through channels, saw some watches and bought into the HYPE. Take away value pays and most of its members have 75% few watches...

Watchfreeks - I used to call it WATCHGEEKS LITE but it seems to have evolved into more than that. It seems to be a middle ground for those who still like there TV BRANDS but have also ventured out and are learning that there are A LOT more watches out there.

Watchlords - Jim Skelton and Invicta bash-fest...

BDWF - I haven't been there for a while. I think it was a great site that let sponsorship and making money off of them get in the way of simply enjoying watches

DWC - I really like the site, lot of nice guys, good watch talk, good fun. I do kind of see a PILE ON MENTALITY there, but not in a bad way. I have noticed that a certain brand will get some focus and a lot of people will start buying that brand. Again, that is not bad, just an observation. Outside of WUS for its salesforum, DWC is where I go if I am not here...

XMT - Tough to comment on your own site. I think we are still in a state of flux and growing here. We are not a BRAND concentric site, we are not a STYLE concentric site, which could be seen as an identity crisis, I'm not sure. As this is my first site of ANY type, I am still learning as I go...

Lately I have been thinking A LOT about Polimalaka's take on this hobby. Enjoy it, but don't let it dominate your life. Post when you want to, buy a watch YOU REALLY LIKE, and enjoy the other parts of your life just as much...or more. After all, all these machines do is tell us what time it is...

Now, let's hear from you guys...

Looks like you've nailed it.

astute.....

TZ - For those who have a lot of money, know it, and flaunt it with a serious attitude problem. They won't even let their members edit their own posts???

TZ-UK - Not your US TZ at ALL. Open free discussions without moderation. A few blowhards with attitude but its mostly worth it IMHO. LOTS of brands that you really don't see outside TZ or Purists too.

Purists - Snobs, pure and simple.

Watch Talk World - Has great people but is very slow of late.

The Seiko & Citizen Watch Forum - http://www.thewatchsite.com/ - Great place if you want to talk about Japanese Watches. Not much other discussion, not that they are opposed to it but its just not something that happens there much. GREAT resources and links on all things Japanese Watch related.

TimeKeeper Forum - New Zealand and Beyond - A nice smaller place with some good folks.

Watch Talk Forums - Run by a know-it-all with a serious attitude problem IMHO. If it ain't a Rolex it aint S**t basically.

The Watch Forum - A UK site that is sponsored by RLT Watches. Nice folks but a bit of a different slant on things - fairly UK centric.

Big Watch Forum - Their own intro says it all IMHO. "Welcome to BWF ...where awesome, humongous watches are discussed, ridiculed and most of all, deeply loved! :-) Nothing has been more controversial than BIG watches these days and this forum will aim to generate lively and fun discussion of these wonderful oversized monstrosities. At BWF, BIGGER is definitely BETTER...PERMAGNUS PRAESTO!"

The Military Watch Resource is exactly what it says - if its a military watch or a wannabe military watch you'll find lots of passionate opinions here.

Friends of Oris - If you want to know the skinny on anything Oris Watch related, these are your people!

Don't really know a ton about some of these sites ! Have visited Watchuseek
often over the years as a guest, mostly to look at the watch manufacturer
section, and learn about all of the different companies that exist. Haven't
visited WG as a guest in somewhere around a year, so can't add anything
there. Watchfreeks and DWC sound COOL, because they have some of the
same GREAT people that are at XMT, who just plain ENJOY this hobby !
With Watchlords, I know there are some VERY intelligent members that are
there ! Haven't visited BDWF for a long time, but know they were or are
one of the BIGGER watch forums. The ones Doc is adding like TZ, and TZ-UK
are pretty new to me ! I think I basically go to them when you guys post a
link for something, but other than that, sounds interesting ! Purists, I
probably visit to basically find out some new information about a new watch
coming out. WTW is one that I haven't visited in a while either, but they
seem cool too ! The Seiko & Citizen forum sounds good as well, and have
visited there a few times over the last year. Haven't honestly been to the
rest like Timekeeper, Watch Talk Forums, The Watch Forum, or Big Watch
forum that I can remember, but all of these sound interesting !..Thanks !!!
..I'm lucky to be here at XMT imho ! It's been close to a year or so, since
I have been here. Can't express how GREAT it's been !!! ..Fantastic people,
discussions, entertainment, and of course fun ! I think that's always been
one of the most important factors, having FUN ! Along with ENJOYING
a GREAT hobby with friends !

Good points all of you guys. I consider XMT my home forum. Alan has been a straight up guy from day one so there is a bit of an allegiance to him personally. Everyone here is cool in my book. Only two problems. 1. Too many guys named Mark. That’s my name stop trying to be cool like me. 2. Tom (aka Pacifichrono) needs to send me at least three of his watches.



Just the sites I visit or have visited.



DWC – Cool guys and the rumble room. Nice place.



WUS – Too big to really love.



TZ – Wow… Not being able to edit a post or even discuss fakes is about as wacky as taffy.



BDWF – Uh… Was cool at one time but profit got in the way of watches. Boo hiss. When I signed up here and posted about their profit motives, Bonsai Richard (aka Dick) banned me. SWEET! Just miss some of the guys over there.



WatchGeeks – Never really let the place bother me. Couldn’t let it. It is what it is…



Haven’t really visited many others.



About what A-man said with regard to real life. I found myself letting watches dominate my waking thoughts. YUCK. Turing off the intarwebz is such a cool way to live. Besides that, having more sex instead of watch caused my wife to get all preggers and stuff. You HAVE to love that.

PoliMalaka wrote:

Everyone here is cool in my book. Only two problems. 1. Too many guys named Mark. That’s my name stop trying to be cool like me.

Hah, ha, ha. I know. I was 28 years old before I ever met another guy named Marc now every other guy on the Watch Forums and every little kid in the Supermarket is named Marc and I swear I dont know any of their Mothers.

I guess something about the name and watches just naturally go together. I think I asked about it at one time on one of the Forums but didnt get much response. You may have been there, Poli. BTW, to be really cool you have to spell it like I do, Marc.

Funny how each of the Forums seems to have its own character. I guess birds of a feather really do flock together.

What do you mean there are other watch sites???


My take is about the same as yours Alan. The one thing that makes XMT and DWC stand apart is their discussion of other forums and links to other forums. Seriously, if a forum is affraid of someone going to another forum through a link or mention...that says a lot in my book!!



BTW - Regarding the all of the Marc/k's on this forum...

Marc =
Mark =

andrema wrote:

BTW - Regarding the all of the Marc/k's on this forum...

Marc =
Mark =

Amen, brutha.

Guilty, I guess.

PoliMalaka wrote:

andrema wrote:

BTW - Regarding the all of the Marc/k's on this forum...

Marc =
Mark =

Amen, brutha.

You got that right-I think.

I don't care for the direction most of the bigger watch sites have gone.

WUS is like one big gay infommercial. The mods are "yes men" and the rules change too much from forum to forum. That place has so much potential, but frankly has gotten too big to ever be cool again. That and Ernie sucks.

TZ is the absolute worst. That place sucks all the fun out of the hobby. The mods are the absolute worst, and the software is horrible.

Watchlords is very different, but can be entertaining. I don't know jack about Jim Skelton or Watchgeeks, but the bashing they do at Watchlords can be entertaining. I guess if I had ever been dumb enough to buy a bunch of ugly, cheap, TV watches I'd be a little pissed too, once I came to my senses.

TZ UK - too British. I can't follow it.

Watchfreeks - not my cuppa. None of the watches posted there appeal to me.

Watch Talk Forums - bwaaahaaaahaaaaa

3T - 10 or 12 guys posting daily wrist shots of forum sponsored watches.

Watchuneed - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The Rolex Forums - the reason people who don't own Rolex hate Rolex

DWC - I spend 90% of my time there and it's about the safest place to make a sale, purchase, or trade. A good bunch of guys and gals that will tell it like it is.

XMT - DWC lite. A little more refined and less raunchy, but the same good group of members.

Good input guys all around!

I'm on forums from Breitling source to XMT and visit them all for different reasons but the top three for me are. and in alphabetical order!

DWC- classic watches, gangs of knowledge and really good people that treat
everybody the same!

WL's- quite an edge, alot of old friends from WG's days that just want people
to see there is two sides to every story and JS and invicta/shopnbc are
capable of alot of shit! Some of the newer members that just got off the kool aid
have alot to say and fell cheated just like we all did at one time or another! The main
members were all friends of ours from more than a few places and we let that all slip
away!

XMT- Good group of friends, decided to focus on the good things of the watch
world and most are happy with the direction alan has taken!

Now for me to be complete i need all three and then about 5 more to see whats going on but i always try to live by the forums rules that im visiting whether i
agree with them or not! Just becasue we visit places some dont like it shouldnt have anything to do with the relationship you have with that person!

cali kid wrote:

I'm on forums from Breitling source to XMT and visit them all for different resons but the top three for me are. and in alphabetical order!

DWC- classic watches, gangs of knowledge and really good people that treat
everybody the same!

WL's- quite an edge, alot of old friends from WG's days that just want people
to see there is two sides to every story and JS and invicta/shopnbc are
capable of alot of shit!

XMT- Good group of friends, decided to focus on the good things of the watch
world and most are happy with the direction alan has taken!

Now for me to be complete i need all three and then about 5 more to see whats going on but i always try to live by the forums rules that im visiting whether i
agree with them or not! Just becasue we visit places some dont like it shouldnt have anything to do with the relationship you have with that person!

Well said!

One site that doesn't get mentioned much but is a great resource if their software didn't stink so much is PMWF. A lot like DWC in that a good core of peoplepost there. I just cant get past that "Phorum" software. They seem to love it though so I guess I shouldn't complain.

Well its a small watch forum world so commenting on all the different ones will and should be expected to be seen by all. I am a member of BDWF, WG, WUS, XMT, DWC and WL-in chronological order. No one forum does it all for me or I would'nt use the others. I probably spend a fairly equal amount of time at WL and XMT-current events could tip the scales either way. I also spend a fair amount of time at DWC and pop into BDWF fairly infrequently. I use WUS almost exclusively for the sales forum (have'nt sold any but buyin' stuff). Each forum has its own flavor and strengths and weaknesses. There's no point in me ranking them here. I think the barometer for me is, if I spend time there it has value to me. I won't say anything at one forum that I would have an issue defending at another. Anyone got a problem with that? Just kidding.

Try starting a thread like this anywhere but XMT or DWC!

WUS - great for searching about specific watches, movements, subjects; Sales Forum is my #2 spot to look at when thinking about a purchase (I always check DWC first) . Good WRUW threads but not what they used to be. I still swing by daily but don't spend a ton of time there.

3T - lala land of kool-aid drinkers and ego trips.

TZ - rarely post up there, and only go by on occasion to peek in the official Sinn forum and maybe the public or dive forum. Forum layout and software are pathetic.

XMT - I have enjoyed watching this place evolve and have also enjoyed the cross pollination of members with DWC. Good group of watch nutz, and open opinions. Many Kudos to Alan and the membership.

DWC - Home.

Another Marc here...LOL

Bottom line is this...

Go where YOU want to go if YOU enjoy it...

I hear claims that I went soft when I put an end to the endless, repetitive, heard many times over the years Invicta/JS/WG stories; if that is (your) opinion, you are entitled to have it and there are sites that foster those discussions ad nausem. No one will EVER be given grief here because they are a member somewhere else (well maybe a LITTLE teasing if you go to watchgeeks, LOL)...

If a NEW issue comes up, I am all for discussing it, RE: the DD movement issue, the copied Pelican cases, etc. ...

Again, XMT, large or small, will always be WATCH focused.

Thanks to EVERYONE that contributes here daily!

Hi all. Interesting thread. I thought I was familiar with a lotof watch sites, but there are a bunch listed I have yet to visit. I see what I'll be doing this weekend? LOL.

Anyhoo. I just wanted to say thanks for the kind words posted about SCWF. Thanks guys.

Isthmus wrote:

Hi all. Interesting thread. I thought I was familiar with a lotof watch sites, but there are a bunch listed I have yet to visit. I see what I'll be doing this weekend? LOL.

Anyhoo. I just wanted to say thanks for the kind words posted about SCWF. Thanks guys.

Just calling them as I see them. SCWF is a really great place for anyone interested in learning about Japanese watches. The reference materials there are top notch across the board and the depth is tremendous too.

Thanks for stopping in Isthmus and don't be such a stranger, eh!

Docrwm wrote:

Isthmus wrote:

Hi all. Interesting thread. I thought I was familiar with a lotof watch sites, but there are a bunch listed I have yet to visit. I see what I'll be doing this weekend? LOL.

Anyhoo. I just wanted to say thanks for the kind words posted about SCWF. Thanks guys.

Just calling them as I see them. SCWF is a really great place for anyone interested in learning about Japanese watches. The reference materials there are top notch across the board and the depth is tremendous too.

Thanks for stopping in Isthmus and don't be such a stranger, eh!

Definitely. I'll make it a point to stop by more frequently. Thanks fellas.