UPDATE: 1/2/05
ok, I have been meaning to update this for a while.
As I wrote below, I took a chance on
Bluedial in 2004, becuase they had an amazing price on a watch i have been trying to replace for a while.
After getting it (within 2 days) and testing it in water, I believed that the watch was not water-resistant, and I complained (below) about the return policies.
Turns out that the watch was just not charged enough (which i should have known as a long-time fan of Eco-Drives), and that was my fault.
I have used it now for several months, and it is perfect. The price back then was $220, and i just checked now and it is back up to $310 (which I still believe to be a great bargain, they were underpriced before, which makes me even happier).
The strict return policies are intimidating, but in my opinion, they really do help to keep the prices lower for honest people who want a bargain.
Thus, I realize now that I had a GREAT experience with bluedial, and got a ridiculous price on a great watch.
If I ever get around to getting dice-certified, bluedial will be my first stop for some great dive watches.
I can’t promise you will have the same experience, so I can just tell you that I got a steal, and am extremely happy with bluedial.com.
Good luck.
ORIGINAL:25-Oct-04 12:36 PM
ok, I just got my citizen chronograph from Bluedial.com... it is a model that i believe is discontinued, but i owned a similar model before, and i was dying to get this one, especially at Bluedial’s prices... I bought it for $220 (no tax!!), and it is worth about $500 (what i paid many years ago for the similar version), but you are unlikely to find it at any retail outlet, and not from Citizen either... this is why i took a shot with a newer company that i found NO reviews on... well the watch came very quickly (free 2nd day shipping), and looked great... Now, when i get it, there is a list of things that you can’t do, or the return policy (which charges you restocking fees anyway) is voided, and you cant return.. you can’t wear it, take the ’’void seal’’ off the watch, and water damage voids any return (even though my watch is 100m WR)... there are some other rules too... now i dipped my watch in water to test the watch before i removed the ’’void seal’’, and when i checked later, the hands had stopped... i reset it, and it happened again... i believe now, that it was insufficiently charged (it is an eco-drive watch), and the water was not the factor in stopping the hands (i left it under light for 2 days, and then dipped it in water for hours, and it kept running)... however, if it had been defective (it still might be), i would have had to agree to pay all shipping fees, and it is not clear that breaking any of their ’’rules’’ voids the defective-product return policy... if i had told them i had worn it, removed the seal, or tested it in water, i don’t think they would have taken it back... if it continues to function well, i got a TREMENDOUS BARGAIN.. if not, i might be in trouble... they say it has a citizen 5-year warranty though, so i might be ok anyway.. in the end, if you see a watch you really like on the site (i.e. have tried on in real life, and know the exact model type), you could get a great bargain, like i think i have.... but don’t think about reutrning it unless you want to pay a lot more fees and shipping... and if it is defective, you are taking bigger risks... i will write another post in a few months if my watch keeps running perfectly (it really is a great watch)... ps- they are closely affiliated with wrist-zone.com... they have the same inventory at similar prices, so they are probably run by the same people.... not sure if that is shady or just good marketing pps- their strict return policies also do help keep the prices soo low, so it is understandable if they are just being cheap for the sake of margins, which is good...