Watchlords

Never interrupt a good rant with facts.

Fired this off this morning to start some conversation with the company:

Good morning from the USA, Dievas Team. First let me state that I am a big fan of your watch line after having recently purchased a Vortex. After doing more online research of your company I became confused as to the actual roots and location. Luckily I belong to a few online watch forums and members have helped me out. I understand your main distribution center is located in Singapore, but I see you have others around the world, and Long Island Watch being the closest to me. My concern rose when I saw your Distribution Center locations, but my understanding was the Vortex is produced in Germany. I have verified this now after reading an Interview with Mr. Anders on the “aBlog to Read”. Link attached: http://www.ablogtoread.com/dievas-vortex-diver-watch/



My question is this. I understand that you are sourcing parts from around the world to gain a competitive edge in the market place which is understandable. How will we know which Models from the Dievas line are produced at which locations? Will you spell this out in your Marketing information with a new introduction or in the Technical Specifications? Example, you have just introduced the new Vortex Professional. (Excellent looking watch by the way, congratulations). Where is this Vortex Professional manufactured?



Micro Brands are popping up on every street around the world lately as you well know. Those that will stay in business will have a proven track record with enough disclosure for the WIS crowd to be comfortable. Unfortunately, there are many companies that have started up and are simply “Grocery List” Marketers. Pick from a list of already manufactured parts at dirt cheap prices in China and let someone In China, India, Korea, etc. assemble it. Some companies take is so far as to put Swiss Made on their dials at the 6 o’clock position when in fact upon investigation a tear down of these watches, we find they are not.



I look forward to your response and where the company is headed. Best of luck to the Dievas Team.



Sincerely,

Haagen Daz anyone?

Rabble-rouser

I love a good cut and paste

Well, it looks like Mr. Anders put my main questions to rest. Here is his response to me. BTW, I like a fast response like this.


Dear Jim,

Thank you for your interest in Dievas watches.

Our factory is in Germany and all our watches are made there.

Dievas Watch Company is owned by us. And we are located in Singapore. And that is where the watches will be distributed to.

We are not your normal micro brands who does a one off homage model in China.

We are serious in our design and manufacturing. And that is why we only produce original designs and invest heavily in technology.

And of course our marketing strategy. Ads and writeups can be found both in printed magazines and website alike.

You can also join us at:
Http://www.timetechtalk.com/view_forum.php?id=40

Meanwhile, please let us know if there is anything we can be of further assistance.

Sincerely
Anders T
Dievas Watch Company

A little bit of a contradiction from aBlogtoRead that Eddie sent me last night. I think the term "Made" and "assembled" are not synonomous. Ther Vortex may be 100% produced and assembled in Germany, but their other models may have parts from other countries and assembled in Germany. Note the word "All" in his sentence below.

"Actually the Vortex is all made in Germany, which is not the case for all Dievas watches."

Full article link here: http://www.ablogtoread.com/dievas-vortex-diver-watch/

Indeed... some of his models like the Aqualuna is clearly label Swiss Made as per their own website, some models omit the country of origin.
The Vortex specifically, seems to be an all German made model.

we only produce original designs and invest heavily in technology.

This dude Anders is full of shit, "we only produce original designs" what about the vintage model? Panerai rip-off

Dievas is similiar to Azimuth, Singapore owners but swiss/german made.Fricker does a lot of work for the global market.
Kemke (australian owner, Fricker Made, assembled in germany, hence Made in Germany on the dial)
Kobold ( Based in pittsburg, USA, Ex-Fricker Made, assembled in swiss, hence Made in swiss )
Aegir ( US owner, currently based in Australia, Fricker made, assembled in Swiss, hence Made in Swiss).
I guess one has to ask himself, Do u want a watch made with the best german/swiss parts but funded by foreign money or a watch made by 99% Asian parts with a german owner selling watches out of a mailbox.
As for the racial slur, i don't think there is a need for that here. :( If you are a watch lover and haven't been to spore or HK, well your missing out. Small island states but with big spending power and representation of all largest most prestigious watch brands u can imagine. Threads like this r all over the internet.
http://www.tz-uk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=76203&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=singapore
AS a matter of fact, Singapore is the 3rd richest country in the world/capita and they have 0 natural resources. You have to give them that much for ingenuity.

Interesting thread at TZ.

Is this a translation issue or a rare collectible or neither or both?

Well I got the Vortex and it is superb. I was able to get a Kobold ti band from a Canada seller who had a buyer wanting the head alone. Now I have this all Ti watch, keeps cosc time so far and I wear it constantly.
I have no doubt a watch I will keep forever
I got the early release, SN 65 so it is a Kobald case left over in my opinion.

tomsimac wrote:Well I got the Vortex and it is superb. I was able to get a Kobold ti band from a Canada seller who had a buyer wanting the head alone. Now I have this all Ti watch, keeps cosc time so far and I wear it constantly.
I have no doubt a watch I will keep forever
I got the early release, SN 65 so it is a Kobald case left over in my opinion.

Tom, throw up some pics of it with the new Kobold Ti bracelet on it. Bet it looks awesome.

Congrats, Tom. I love Fricker cases, I came very close to buying a Vortex and I BARELY missed a Subzilla.

Show us the PICS!

Here are some and a shot showing the band and how it fits perfectly
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yorbalinda/sets/72157630655519144/
Regardless of the comments by some, I pretty much know this watch is 100% German. Original series on Ti case and band is Koblad. Also slightly fast, about 4 seconds a day.

koimaster wrote:http://www.wristwatchreview.com/2008/06/19/dievas-watches-diverse-divers-watches/

They are in fact Asian made and an Asian company.

Alain, I believe the Vortex is built by Fricker in Germany and then shipped to Hong Kong to the company. When I purchased the original watch, I recall seeing a photo of the completed watches when they were delivered.

BigCheez wrote:Congrats, Tom. I love Fricker cases, I came very close to buying a Vortex and I BARELY missed a Subzilla.

Show us the PICS!

Just an FYI... Flicker does make some "economy" cases which are made in China. At the end of the day, though, who gives a shit? China is the #1 producer of machine tools, so chances are your Swiss, German, American, etc watch had its case made using a Chinese machine tool. In this day of CAD, a designer in Arkansas (as if) can send a design to Hong Kong electronically in a second. It all comes down to QC. Either I trust the watch while diving or I don't. Swiss, German, etc made on the dial isn't worth the cost of the ink.

Well in this particular watch, a limited run from left on the shelf Kobold
Run, it would be German. Nothing Asian about the case, band or movement. Nothing wrong with that andthe watch is as good as I have ever owned

Go to forums like Timezone.com or thepuristspro, 95% of the collectors there are Asian.

Ryeguy wrote:

BigCheez wrote:Congrats, Tom. I love Fricker cases, I came very close to buying a Vortex and I BARELY missed a Subzilla.

Show us the PICS!

Just an FYI... Flicker does make some "economy" cases which are made in China. At the end of the day, though, who gives a shit? China is the #1 producer of machine tools, so chances are your Swiss, German, American, etc watch had its case made using a Chinese machine tool. In this day of CAD, a designer in Arkansas (as if) can send a design to Hong Kong electronically in a second. It all comes down to QC. Either I trust the watch while diving or I don't. Swiss, German, etc made on the dial isn't worth the cost of the ink.

Correct on every count.

bedlam wrote:

Ryeguy wrote:

BigCheez wrote:Congrats, Tom. I love Fricker cases, I came very close to buying a Vortex and I BARELY missed a Subzilla.

Show us the PICS!

Just an FYI... Flicker does make some "economy" cases which are made in China. At the end of the day, though, who gives a shit? China is the #1 producer of machine tools, so chances are your Swiss, German, American, etc watch had its case made using a Chinese machine tool. In this day of CAD, a designer in Arkansas (as if) can send a design to Hong Kong electronically in a second. It all comes down to QC. Either I trust the watch while diving or I don't. Swiss, German, etc made on the dial isn't worth the cost of the ink.

Correct on every count.

Spoken like people that have never held, let alone owned a fine German or Swiss watch.

I own many, many products that were made in China and have had rigorous QC. Apple and virtually everbody's LCD/Plasma/LED panels for starters.

As for high-end watches, not for a while.

If ever.

Even Seagull itself admits it isn't there yet.

BigCheez wrote:Spoken like people that have never held, let alone owned a fine German or Swiss watch.

I own many, many products that were made in China and have had rigorous QC. Apple and virtually everbody's LCD/Plasma/LED panels for starters.

As for high-end watches, not for a while.

If ever.

You keep believing Cheez. Believing there are no Chinese made components on any of those nice German or Swiss watches requires magnitudes more faith than I could ever muster.

Sometimes it takes a combo to get things right.
I bought a Jaguar when Ford owned the company. Made in Coventry but had a Lincoln Continental engine V8 with the Jag headers. Sweetest most reliable car I own. Gone were the electrical problems and the V8 got better mileage than the V6
13 years old and still runs like new. Proper maintenance has been done of course.