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srh_pres 3T WIS 
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You may be familiar with the somewhat unique watch brand, Bathys Hawaii. It is a startup watch company run out of Kauai, Hawaii and was strategically linked with the Dive Forum on WUS. Since it's startup, Bathys had sold their watches through an online store accessible from their website, with discounts to the forum members. Bathys just announced on that same dive forum that pushed it to its qualified success, that it will no longer sell its watches online. If you want a new Bathys, you will have to find a retail store that carries it; which is currently only two (one in Hawaii and one in the UK). The reason for the change? Bathys indicated that if they kept selling their watches online, they would run out of the currently planned productions before the 'holiday season'; in other words, the online business would starve the shot at retail sales. This announcement has garnered overwhelmingly negative responses in the thread; what's your opinion? You can read more here: http://forums.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?p=427224#post427224 |
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oagaspar Site Founder 
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Good for them....maybe now I can sell my Bathys :D too many WIS on the forums have wised up to the hidden truths that they only have SW200's and no eta's as so eluded to on their website...btw if biz is so good why can't they increase production :P |
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canadajo 3T WIS 
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wow ....I never have been impressed with a Batheys watch .... little bang for the buck in my humble opinion .....good for them |
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KenC Admin 
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To me, Bathy's has always been a semi-unethical operation and a POS "Fashion watch"....but I will worry about the poor "King & Queen of Bathy's". Where - oh- where will they get free watches now?  |
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IW 3T WIS 
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I say the reason is that they will up-price and try to up-brand themselves. Many brands won't associate with Internet sales, and thumb their noses at the net. If you are only availabe at retailers, then there's a certain 'air' about you. Maybe that's why John didn't answer one of my 3 emails from last year about wanting to become an online retailer. Wish he would of told me that instead of ignoring me! Marc |
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Skipdawg 3T WIS 
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:cool: ;) LOL no biggy to me. Never had the desire to add one to the collection. :D |
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Boots 3T WIS 
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I have two Bathys Automatics, a PVD Black and a PVD UV. The Bathys is, with the exception of the "pygmy" crown, a pretty nice watch. I bought/traded for both of them previously loved for a price several hundred dollars under the old website price of $800, which recently became $895. I was able to do so because both watches had been listed for a long, long time without takers. What struck me most about the comentary on WUS was the moaning and groaning about the lack of availibility of Bathys watches and how they would be so hard to acquire through the two extant retailers. I listed the black auto yesterday for what I had paid for it with the addition of a brand new Hirsch Moblie strap on it. As you know, this is a $55-$60 strap even when discounted. You, of course, have guessed it. Not a single inquiry. Not a single low-ball offer. 36 hours later, the other three watches I listed have been mailed to their new owners, and the black PVD auto has gone back into the watch box. The whole crew over at WUS is alternately crying about the having to work harder and to pay more to get a Bathys, and crowing over the idea that their watches could be worth more on the sales forums, but yet the first owners and I can't get a nibble on a 90-95% watch priced $200 and now $300 (and still on warranty) below the internet price. The only demand seems to be from that one forum. Sorry about the length, but I had to vent a bit, and when I've done it on the various WUS forums, it invariably leads to acrimonious, berating e-mails. |
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Tony Duronio 3T WIS 
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Boots wrote:
Boots, The whole furvor over Bathys was created by the hype on WUS and the King and Queen over there that I am sure have a $$ stake in the company. Bathy's will fail miserably IMHO at the new price point...evident by your above comments. John ...from Bathy's is just another in a chain of "users" over there. It's sad to see that Ernie has no clue how he is being played. He just recently fell for the Nauticfish BS and will be carrying there line. Again JMHO:) |
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Paxman 3T WIS 
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Interesting move for a brand which has bigger aspirations than inspiration imho. It seems Bathys has lost their way and aspire to be a much sought after watch while not being very highly sought after or regarded for that matter. I know first hand John always wished to be regarded as a top of the line outfit from development, production and service standpoints but the latest turn seems like a despearate ploy to hype a brand which is fading after its inital bang. The original quartz models are imho their best offerings. I feel the autos have failed miserably, and I for one would not pay the asking price for a new one or even a fair price for a used one as I find them utterly uninspiring. I am certain they will continue to have a niche market but the foolishness regarding the less than forthright disclosure of which automatic movement you receive and this feeble attempt to make the extant watches desireable is laughable. To turn your back on the crew that made you what you are... or what you wish to be is just plain low. I'll make certain the stop into a retailer the next time I'm in Lihue!! Wonder how much of a discount they will offer??  |
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Boots 3T WIS
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I would imagine that the discount will be there, as counter space must be productive on a cost plus basis. The new two lines might sell at retail, but the bread and butter 100 fathoms line, IMHO, will have to be discounted if the retailer hopes to attract more than the occasional well-heeled tourist wanting an authentic Hawaiian watch. It be a real kick if we can order the 100 fathom at a cheaper price from the retailer than from John's site. After all, can they really expect to mark them up to over $1000 in order to discount them to his $895 internet price? As far as the SW200 movement goes, it would have been nice to admit it right out front as Mitch has with the LM-2, but I think we had better accept that it will become a standard movement in many watches as the ETA movements dry up and price up. Bill Yao has posted on his MkII blog that his Stingray shipments are backed up due to delays in getting the movements. I believe this will become more common, and more and more companies will turn to the SW200. |
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Gregger 3T WIS 
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never liked them...kinda looked like a timex to me...JMHO |
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floz00 3T WIS
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I agree, I have never felt that the Bathys line was innovative in any way. I have often wondered what people saw in this watch. It is very plain, and has nothing that I would say is "different"or "groundbreaking" in the watch world. I am pretty new to this game, however Bathys has never appealed to me. To each his or her own I guess, but I know I will never shell out $895 for a watch that looks like it can be bought at any old chain store. just my .02 cents and take it fr wha it is worth. However, I believe that the brand is getting away from its customer base in leaving the Internet going retail. Bad business move in my opinion... |
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Crue4 3T WIS 
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Sorry to state it so bluntly... but the Bathys models look like a $100 watch... nothing more... ok the Benthic maybe $125 since it does have a bezel...... Those folks paying $895 or $1200 for a Bathys... evidently have way more money than sense. Just my 2 cents. |
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IW 3T WIS
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to each his own; while many may agree with this, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder cat28.gif Crue4 wrote: Sorry to state it so bluntly... but the Bathys models look like a $100 watch... nothing more... ok the Benthic maybe $125 since it does have a bezel...... Those folks paying $895 or $1200 for a Bathys... evidently have way more money than sense. Just my 2 cents. |
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Foster 3T WIS 
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I'm going to have to agree with both of you on that one. Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, but I have always thought the Bathys folks have a bit less watch on their hands than they think they do. |
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oagaspar Site Founder
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Foster wrote: Hey Foster...I bought one from the secondary market to take a look at all the excitement.....and I have to agree that not only do the Bathy's people have a bit less watch than they think they do....now I do too!!!:D:D I can't even bring myself to sell it here,so I wear it as my beater...an expensive beatercoyote2.gif I'm going to have to agree with both of you on that one. |
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Foster 3T WIS
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You may have just hit on thier new advertising campaign! "Hawaiian Beater Excellence" smile8.gif |
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oagaspar Site Founder
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Foster wrote: I'm a "Cryin' Hawaiian" with my new Bathy's Beater!  You may have just hit on thier new advertising campaign! |
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Boots 3T WIS
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Hey, I said to myself this morning, "What the Hell, let me post the black PVD one last time before I make it my PVD Beater." Just got an offer: $450 for an $895 watch still on warranty. Boy, the secondary market is going to jump now that Bathys is an exclusive watch. |
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sleddog218 3T WIS
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Gregger wrote: never liked them...kinda looked like a timex to me...JMHO Same here. Never saw the appeal, other than strictly the scarcity. However, that's only interesting/valuable if other people want to buy them. |
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oagaspar Site Founder
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Am I missing something in the Bathy's thread at WUS?...where have all the Bathy's "Queens" and online schills gone  |
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srh_pres 3T WIS
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They are rather conspicuous by their absence... you would think they would come to John's defense... O.A. Gaspar wrote: Am I missing something in the Bathy's thread at WUS?...where have all the Bathy's "Queens" and online schills gone |
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Paxman 3T WIS
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O.A. Gaspar wrote: Am I missing something in the Bathy's thread at WUS?...where have all the Bathy's "Queens" and online schills gone I just read through the thread at WUS and there are some defenders of the faith, but the King and Queen are absent. I certainly hope they haven't done anything drastic in their depressive funk!! It seems pretty clear our members have a clear cut opinion on this debacle (in my mind), and strong opinions on the merchandise. Gotta love 3T!! |
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NANDO-FERDZ 3T WIS 
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Same here...No appeal at all...Sorry for those who owned this brandcoyote2.gif sleddog218 wrote: Gregger wrote:never liked them...kinda looked like a timex to me...JMHO |
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KenC Admin
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Even more sorry for those who got swindled by Bathy's into thinking they were at least getting an ETA movement and ending up with a crudely made Sellita! NANDO-FERDZ wrote: Same here...No appeal at all...Sorry for those who owned this brandcoyote2.gif |
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BERG 3T WIS 
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i got an offer to get sea anglers with sellitas , i am glad i refused , i trust more a miyota in reliability , i am sure miyota are working on something since ETA are hard to get , what do you think?. Berg |
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Skipdawg 3T WIS
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I have no actual experience with the Sellitas but I know many see these eta clones as that of a generic. And many folks just don't care for the generic. But then some do. :) I have several watches with the trusted and true Miyota movement. I can say that the accuracy and reliability is there and very solid. ;) |
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ntes10 3T WIS
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Skipdawg wrote: I have no actual experience with the Sellitas but I know many see these eta clones as that of a generic. And many folks just don't care for the generic. But then some do. :) Oris uses both Sellita and ETA movements in its watches, and I haven't seen anything about "quality issues" with the Selllitas. As far as John Patterson is concerned, he's trying to reposition his product in the marketplace. If he succeeds, more power to him. If he doesn't, the he took a gamble and lost. At least he can say he gave it a shot. Steve |
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KenC Admin
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ntes10 wrote: Skipdawg wrote:I have no actual experience with the Sellitas but I know many see these eta clones as that of a generic. And many folks just don't care for the generic. But then some do. :) There are quality issues with the Sellita, especially in the crown/winding stem. I am sure that eventually they will be squared away. As for John Patterson, jmo, but I don't think people are upset about what he did...just the way he went about it (ie: slamming the door with virtually no warning). Hopefully, his approach to his new customer will be a little more "open"! Having been in his position, I would venture to say that 1000 small customers is certainly better than 1 BIG customer...but then, it is his decision. |
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oagaspar Site Founder
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although Oris is using a Selitta(modified outside of Selitta) in the TT1 it is not the base movement that Bathy's uses,so the comparison is more like apples to oranges and there have been many issues as to hard winding and difficulty setting the date w/Bathy's SW200's :D:) What John is trying to do is reposition himself in the eta market come 2009 when production demands can be met and given the choice today if he could get eta's I think everyone knows which movement he or any one of us would choose in any watch not just Bathy's for the same $895.(Bathy's is overpriced imho even w/ the eta):? His website for some time was falsely advertising his watches having eta's when they in fact had Selittas ...that is just wrong however you spin it... ..imho stating you will get either a eta 2824-2 or SW200 on his current site is nothing more than a shell game as he can not get eta's....so based on this I have to concur that much of what he has said in the past and his subsequent closing the online store without notice is just bad bussiness :( |
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