Steve Laughlin
3T WIS
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This is the first thing you see on U-Boats website:
BEWARE OF FRAUD!
DO NOT BUY ANY U-BOAT PRODUCTS OVER THE INTERNET! 99% OF WATCHES SOLD ON THE WEB ARE COUNTERFEIT. OTHERS ARE SECONDHAND WATCHES OR HAVE DUBIOUS ORIGINS.
U-BOAT PROTECTS CONSUMERS.
The genuine, new U-BOAT products are only available from retailers and shops authorised by U-BOAT. U-BOAT cannot be held liable for any “U-BOAT” marked product purchased over the Internet.
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You also see this wording on the websites of other brands that are being faked, but I think it also scares people and keeps them going to the authorized dealers and paying too much for the watch. I think there are a lot of good deals online for expensive brands, the U-Boat Classico I bought from Ashford.com was a great purchase and I believe would it would have cost much more in a retail shop. But this "Thousands of Feet" model comes from Ebay and required much more inspecting and questioning before and after the purchase. Especially since this watch is easily faked, there are lots of sites that sell the fakes, and the fakes are near perfect with the usual exception of the movement.
First let me start with the design of this watch because it is greatly misunderstood. This is not a dive watch, it is a pilot style, aviation gauge design. The wording "Thousands of Feet" refers to UP, not DOWN... as in Altitude, it is just a design element that reflects the wording seen on aircraft altimeters. This is a similar concept to the Bell & Ross BR01-92, but the case more closely resembles the shape of the aircraft instrument.
I have always been drawn to flying small aircraft, I have not taken the plunge into lessons yet but I know I will at some point in my life. I like to be around airports and aircraft and I enjoy going up with my neighbor who has his own plane. So I am also drawn to these aircraft gauge style watches and found this U-Boat on Ebay for a few hundred less than the going price on Ebay for a NIB. The watch came with the box and warranty card, but I know those can be faked as well and don't mean anything.
When I received the watch I inspected it closely and saw a piece of dust on the dial and the movement also was a bit dirty on one of the winding gears.
The good sign was that the movement decorating on the bridges are correct with the fish scale marks, and this is a Swiss ETA 6497-1 and not a Chinese clone movement.
I contacted the seller about the dust, dirt, and also the machining and brushed finish was a bit questionable. I feel this watch was used and is a 2009 model or earlier, but he claimed it was new and a 2010.
after a few emails and details he gave me about where he bought it (Netherlands) and that it is an older 2009 model, he offered me a partial refund for the flaws and I would keep it. I accepted, knowing that I could do the work myself to get it in the condition that I would be happy with.
I now believe it is an authentic U-BOAT, but may have... as the website says.... "DUBIOUS ORIGINS", those words make me laugh for some reason. Possibly it was just passed around and hard to sell because of the slight flaws, but I saw that these could easily be repaired and cleaned up.
Cleaned the movement, cleaned the dial, inspected the gaskets...
Put the case back together without the dial and movement for blasting, masked off the glass.
Blasted
Re-assembled
On the wrist... 50mm
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