Anyone heard of chronext.co.uk?

[Warning to others]

I wanted to share my experience with this company as when I searched for them earlier this year I could find people asking what they were like and most responses and Trust pilot reviews were good so I took a chance.... Big mistake!

If this post helps prevent one person going through the hassle I did then I think it worth while.

On 23rd August 2015 I ordered a watch for my future husband, the watch was to be a gift on the morning of the wedding.

The Chronext website said that the watch was in stock and would be delivered within 7days. I read Trust pilot reviews and forum posts and saw plenty of people saying that they were happy with the service that they had received so I went ahead and placed the order.

From the 23rd of August I had to chase almost daily to get any information I was repeatedly promised delivery dates which where missed over and over again with no real explaination.

My wedding day came on 19th September and despite telling me in the lead up that the watch would be delivered it was not.

The watch finally arrived on the 16th October and as you can imagine I was completely floored to find that they had sent the wrong watch! I instantly repackaged the watch and emailed to request that the watch be collected and a refunded asap.

I was told that the watch would be collected on Monday 19th October between the hours of 15.00-18.00 it should have been no surprise to me that after waiting in the watch was not collected. After contacting them daily the watch was eventually collected on October 28th.

Once Chronext received the watch back I was told that the warranty card was missing and that they would not process my refund until it had been located. I confirmed that I had nothing from the box and that everything had been returned to the box the second I realised it was the incorrect item. They were not satisfied with my reply and even sent me a photograph of the warranty card with the watch before they sent it to me to prove that they had sent it. It took me a further nine days of daily emails and phone calls before they miraculously ‘found’ the warranty card that they were accusing me of loosing in there office!

The delay in itself would be infuriating enough, but adding in the wrong item being sent, lack of communication and the constant chasing required on my part I have to say simply the worst service I have ever experienced!!

[jamesmeier]

Had a great experience with them. Ordered a rolex watch, was delivered after 4 days. Even though they seem to be very busy in times of christmas was a smooth process. Can´t say anything bad about them.

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by jamesmeier

Had a great experience with them. Ordered a rolex watch, was delivered after 4 days. Even though they seem to be very busy in times of christmas was a smooth process. Can´t say anything bad about them.

Another one-poster with something good to say. How convenient.

[s30n9g]

Originally Posted by Warning to others

I wanted to share my experience with this company as when I searched for them earlier this year I could find people asking what they were like and most responses and Trust pilot reviews were good so I took a chance.... Big mistake!



If this post helps prevent one person going through the hassle I did then I think it worth while.



On 23rd August 2015 I ordered a watch for my future husband, the watch was to be a gift on the morning of the wedding.



The Chronext website said that the watch was in stock and would be delivered within 7days. I read Trust pilot reviews and forum posts and saw plenty of people saying that they were happy with the service that they had received so I went ahead and placed the order.



From the 23rd of August I had to chase almost daily to get any information I was repeatedly promised delivery dates which where missed over and over again with no real explaination.



My wedding day came on 19th September and despite telling me in the lead up that the watch would be delivered it was not.



The watch finally arrived on the 16th October and as you can imagine I was completely floored to find that they had sent the wrong watch! I instantly repackaged the watch and emailed to request that the watch be collected and a refunded asap.



I was told that the watch would be collected on Monday 19th October between the hours of 15.00-18.00 it should have been no surprise to me that after waiting in the watch was not collected. After contacting them daily the watch was eventually collected on October 28th.



Once Chronext received the watch back I was told that the warranty card was missing and that they would not process my refund until it had been located. I confirmed that I had nothing from the box and that everything had been returned to the box the second I realised it was the incorrect item. They were not satisfied with my reply and even sent me a photograph of the warranty card with the watch before they sent it to me to prove that they had sent it. It took me a further nine days of daily emails and phone calls before they miraculously ‘found’ the warranty card that they were accusing me of loosing in there office!



The delay in itself would be infuriating enough, but adding in the wrong item being sent, lack of communication and the constant chasing required on my part I have to say simply the worst service I have ever experienced!!

Another one-poster

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by s30n9g

Another one-poster

With a substantial story who is located where she says she is. Jamesmeier on the other hand, does a typical drive-by praise posting, claiming to be in London, but is actually in Germany...home of Chrononext.

[s30n9g]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

With a substantial story who is located where she says she is. Jamesmeier on the other hand, does a typical drive-by praise posting, claiming to be in London, but is actually in Germany...home of Chrononext.

Oh. I see.

[Mezz72]

the praises sound like BS to me and they are getting desperate.

[kaiserphoenix]

Chronext.

I would like to clarify the situation here. The company is not a fraud. I am not associated with the company professionally but I am a good friend of the CEO Philipp. The company is very new and is still a start up and so they are in many ways finding their feet.

They recently opened a physical store 2 minute walk from Green Park station in London and at least in the UK they are getting good reviews.

http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...Chronext-co-uk

If anyone has any questions regarding the company please feel free to get in touch. I respect Philipp alot who is a young guy starting a company from scratch and would like to support him where possible.

The company is head quartered in Cologne in germany and they are doing their best to cope with the unprecedented levels of questions they are getting.

[Browns]

I don't think anyone has mentioned fraud, I was very happy with my watch it was more about the lack of communications.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by kaiserphoenix

Chronext.

I would like to clarify the situation here. The company is not a fraud. I am not associated with the company professionally but I am a good friend of the CEO Philipp. The company is very new and is still a start up and so they are in many ways finding their feet.

They recently opened a physical store 2 minute walk from Green Park station in London and at least in the UK they are getting good reviews.

http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...Chronext-co-uk

If anyone has any questions regarding the company please feel free to get in touch. I respect Philipp a lot who is a young guy starting a company from scratch and would like to support him where possible.

The company is head quartered in Cologne in germany and they are doing their best to cope with the unprecedented levels of questions they are getting.

Sorry, but I'm more interested in hearing from genuine customers than friends of the owner. I don't doubt that the company sells genuine watches, but so far their communications and customer service seem to be pretty dreadful.

[kaiserphoenix]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Sorry, but I'm more interested in hearing from genuine customers than friends of the owner. I don't doubt that the company sells genuine watches, but so far their communications and customer service seem to be pretty dreadful.

Yep I have sold an AP and bought a Rolex from them.

[Neil Harvey]

Hi, I am about to buy a watch from either Authenticwatches.com or Chronext.com. Has anyone got any experience dealing with these companies? I am based in the UK so was edging towards Chronext. Obviously authenticity is key but would also want to know if anyone has any comments on service.

I buying a new watch and also wondered how warranty is effected by buying outside the franchised dealer loop?

Thanks
Neil

[qhbl]

They seem to have pretty decent reviews on TZ-UK. What am I missing here?

[de66]

Too weird and too many "coincidences" of first time posters with too many positives.

I wouldnt do business with them no matter how honest they now wish to be.

VC companies are good at pushing and protecting their investments. Creating a hype and placing their companies or investments in the market place is what they do for a living. Time will tell if its a quick buck scheme or a solid entry into the world of watches.

It looks to me like the idea was to quickly try and establish themselves as a "serious" player. In our world reputation and honesty is everything. For me they got off on the wrong foot and I would advise to avoid (chronext).


If ever I was thinking of doing business with chronext I would wait another year and see if they are still around. Trust is a fragile thing in my book. And my chronext book stays closed. For now.

[lew07]

Wow I think I would rather pay more and have some peace of mind!!!!

[dysondiver]

now im confused , if this was an e bay deal every alarm bell in the country would be ringing , too many first posters in this line up .
simple advice , buy from a trusted seller.
and on that note , im out.

[s30n9g]

Originally Posted by de66

Too weird and too many "coincidences" of first time posters with too many positives.

I wouldnt do business with them no matter how honest they now wish to be.

VC companies are good at pushing and protecting their investments. Creating a hype and placing their companies or investments in the market place is what they do for a living. Time will tell if its a quick buck scheme or a solid entry into the world of watches.

It looks to me like the idea was to quickly try and establish themselves as a "serious" player. In our world reputation and honesty is everything. For me they got off on the wrong foot and I would advise to avoid (chronext).


If ever I was thinking of doing business with chronext I would wait another year and see if they are still around. Trust is a fragile thing in my book. And my chronext book stays closed. For now.

Interesting view on VC backed companies. I didn't know.

[Horationelson]

It's very interesting reading this thread, as I am currently undecided whether to buy through Chronext. I would like to get my wife for her birthday a Rolex that retails at approx £5k.

I first made a visit the the Chronext store (having seen their website) a couple of weeks ago. I was in the area, but went slightly out of my way to go there. I told the person in the store exactly what watch I was looking for (dial, strap, bezel etc). He then went over to an iPad, spent a couple of minutes playing around and said: "go home, have a look on our internet site, you'll probably find it on there". Not the most effective way to sell a watch...

I was in the area again on Thursday afternoon, so went into the store. The salesman spent a bit more time on his iPad searching on the website. He couldn't immediately see the watch on there (although I found it on there 5 minutes after leaving the store), but assured me he would be able to locate the model and would contact me either that day or the next day. I still haven't heard anything.

There is definitely money behind these guys - they have taken out adverts all over the tube with £100 off (current code is Tube2016 I believe...) and a showroom on Piccadilly (albeit it the slightly deserted/derelict end) isn't exactly cheap.

If I order with Chronext, and use the voucher, I would make a saving of £620, about 11.8%, which isn't bad.

However, everything in this thread and my limited interaction with the Company to date is just telling me no.

I'm not saying that there's anything untoward/fraudulent about their business... it's just rather amateur. And when spending thousands of £/$ on a watch, even at a discount to RRP, nobody wants to deal with an amateur. The staff member on Thursday actually explained how their business works - he said that many authorised Rolex resellers have to place minimum orders from Rolex to keep their authorisation, and can't always shift their stock. So people like Chronext act as a middleman buying up the unsold stock. They said that there's nothing illegal about it, saying that it is called the "grey market". I guess an ambiguity here then is what stock they actually have/own and don't. So when they say they can get a watch within x weeks (rather than days), query whether it's something they even have in their inventory. As a start up, I can't see how they can have a huge inventory which they actually own or sits on their balance sheet. Any money from the VC investors is more likely to have gone on adverts, rent in Piccadilly, internet site building etc. Buying from someone who doesn't necessarily have the stock is something which spooks me a little bit - it just means that the watch has to pass through more people and potentially has a greater risk of getting lost etc.

If I do decide to take the gamble, I will let people know my experiences.

PS I don't have (m)any other posts to my name because I only joined this forum recently with my wife's birthday approaching, and decided to do a little bit of research etc. No affiliation with Chronext or any other watch dealers.

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by Horationelson

It's very interesting reading this thread, as I am currently undecided whether to buy through Chronext. I would like to get my wife for her birthday a Rolex that retails at approx £5k.

I first made a visit the the Chronext store (having seen their website) a couple of weeks ago. I was in the area, but went slightly out of my way to go there. I told the person in the store exactly what watch I was looking for (dial, strap, bezel etc). He then went over to an iPad, spent a couple of minutes playing around and said: "go home, have a look on our internet site, you'll probably find it on there". Not the most effective way to sell a watch...

I was in the area again on Thursday afternoon, so went into the store. The salesman spent a bit more time on his iPad searching on the website. He couldn't immediately see the watch on there (although I found it on there 5 minutes after leaving the store), but assured me he would be able to locate the model and would contact me either that day or the next day. I still haven't heard anything.

There is definitely money behind these guys - they have taken out adverts all over the tube with £100 off (current code is Tube2016 I believe...) and a showroom on Piccadilly (albeit it the slightly deserted/derelict end) isn't exactly cheap.

If I order with Chronext, and use the voucher, I would make a saving of £620, about 11.8%, which isn't bad.

However, everything in this thread and my limited interaction with the Company to date is just telling me no.

I'm not saying that there's anything untoward/fraudulent about their business... it's just rather amateur. And when spending thousands of £/$ on a watch, even at a discount to RRP, nobody wants to deal with an amateur. The staff member on Thursday actually explained how their business works - he said that many authorised Rolex resellers have to place minimum orders from Rolex to keep their authorisation, and can't always shift their stock. So people like Chronext act as a middleman buying up the unsold stock. They said that there's nothing illegal about it, saying that it is called the "grey market". I guess an ambiguity here then is what stock they actually have/own and don't. So when they say they can get a watch within x weeks (rather than days), query whether it's something they even have in their inventory. As a start up, I can't see how they can have a huge inventory which they actually own or sits on their balance sheet. Any money from the VC investors is more likely to have gone on adverts, rent in Piccadilly, internet site building etc. Buying from someone who doesn't necessarily have the stock is something which spooks me a little bit - it just means that the watch has to pass through more people and potentially has a greater risk of getting lost etc.

If I do decide to take the gamble, I will let people know my experiences.

PS I don't have (m)any other posts to my name because I only joined this forum recently with my wife's birthday approaching, and decided to do a little bit of research etc. No affiliation with Chronext or any other watch dealers.

Thanks for the update/info

[xman]

Originally Posted by Horationelson

If I do decide to take the gamble, I will let people know my experiences.

A guy from work recommended me these guys - he got his Rolex from them not long ago. I also saw the tube poster and I think I would be using them soon to order a present for my dad next month.

I also found good recent reviews in the TK UK forum here - Do keep us informed

[mapalfa]

Just had a look at their website and thing that would worry me the most is the hand positions. They're all the same and I'm sure I've read that the fake watches sites do this too.

At the very least they're advertising watches that they don't have in stock yet, but somehow they've got photos of them that are taken identically to those they do have in stock. Not all of these are watches that they would have been able to get stock photos of, especially with the hands in a fixed position.

I'd be interested to visit their London shop, but the prices seem a tad high and I'd not risk an online purchase.

[s30n9g]

Not surprised about the prices, with stronger Euros and weaker sterling.

[Goldfish68]

Originally Posted by s30n9g

Not surprised about the prices, with stronger Euros and weaker sterling.

Euro is still weak.

It is because of the recent price increase in Europe.

[rootbeer7]

Originally Posted by mapalfa

Just had a look at their website and thing that would worry me the most is the hand positions. They're all the same and I'm sure I've read that the fake watches sites do this too.

At the very least they're advertising watches that they don't have in stock yet, but somehow they've got photos of them that are taken identically to those they do have in stock. Not all of these are watches that they would have been able to get stock photos of, especially with the hands in a fixed position.

I'd be interested to visit their London shop, but the prices seem a tad high and I'd not risk an online purchase.

10 past 10 is the standard photo position for watches as it tends to show off dial apparently

[TonyM1963]

I discovered this forum whilst checking out Chronext myself. Here's my experience:

I spotted a nice gold Daytona on their website. Emailed them with details of a Rolex I wanted to p/ex. Got a reply the next day, with a sensible p/ex offer subject, obviously, to Chronext checking the watch.

I visited their Piccadilly store which is a couple of blocks from where I work. I met two very nice people including, I think, the guy who heads the office. He examined the watch and papers very thoroughly, then declared that the watch needed to be sent to Cologne to be checked and verified (I thought he'd just done that!).

I explained that:

1. the guy who emailed me said nothing about the watch needing to go overseas to be checked, and;

2. No way was I going to hand over circa £8,000 worth of watch to a company I hadn't even heard of 72 hours ago, and walk out with nothing but a receipt acknowledging Chronext had it...

The guy seemed to understand my concerns, and showed me the Chronext score on trustedforums.com (50 posts, most favourable). He also referred to recent VC backing of the firm, and a large poster campaign on the underground (which is correct, they are advertising heavily). I pointed out they may be better off investing in someone who can do onsite valuations in London, rather than poster campaigns...

He called his boss in Germany, who insisted I had to hand the watch over without any form of security on my part. I can totally understand they need to check the watch thoroughly, but it's not THAT difficult to do onsite in London... I've bought/sold many watches via David Duggan / Armour Winston / Watch Club, and the process only takes a matter of minutes.

The whole experience didn't feel right, and I left with my steel Daytona and minus the gold Daytona I wanted. Real shame because it was a nice piece and sensibly priced.

I subsequently got a voicemail from their guy who responded to my original email enquiry. Number listed in Netherlands, but he didn't call back.

Interestingly, I emailed Thomas Freund (who posted on this thread as a senior Chronext staffer, giving his email address for anyone concerned about doing business with them) because I thought my experience might be helpful to him. I got an undeliverable "recipient does not exist" mail straight back (and I treble-checked I'd got his email address right).

Make what you will of all that. It's entirely possible these guys are trying to build out a legitimate business - if they are, I wish them well, but they were pretty chaotic to deal with.

Very interested to hear from anyone who actually has part exchanged watches with them in London?

[s30n9g]

Originally Posted by Goldfish68

Euro is still weak.



It is because of the recent price increase in Europe.

I don't doubt that there might have been a price increase in Europe but looking at the attached chart, euro looks much stronger against pounds compared to its value 3 months ago.
12% increase in value.
So in fact the price increase was probably 5% and the euro's currency value increase of 12%.

[Kellokonttori]

They bought a Glashutte Original from me about a month ago. Had no issues with them. To me it sounded like they had a buyer for this watch and sourced it for their customer. We agreed the price, they paid me and I shipped the watch once the money was on my company account. Can't say anything about how their trade in process or sales process work, though.

[TonyM1963]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm guessing you had dealt with them before if they paid prior to getting receipt of your watch?
I understand the need for caution on their part. I'm just stunned they expect anyone selling or p/exing a watch with them for the first time to be prepared to hand over their watch for 48 hours+ without any form of security.

[Kellokonttori]

I hadn't deal with them before, but I'm a pro dealer and they contacted me. Therefore payment first, then shipping.

As for checking your watch, I always give my customers a receipt of the watch and check up including reference and serial number. Then both sign the document and get own copies of it. The customer has proof that I have the watch, approximate value, confirmation that it's not paid yet and a time frame for the check up. Never any issues when handled like this.

[Aidanb]

After watching this thread for a while and weighing up my options, I took the plunge recently (4th March) and ordered a new Explorer II (White face) from CHRONEXT.

a. I paid for this by CC which gave me comfort knowing I was 'protected'.
b. I requested the watch be delivered to the London store so I could inspect the watch in person before taking it away.

I travelled from Dublin to London yesterday to pick up the watch. They made a slight adjustment to the 'clasp' (rather than the links) for me. It fits perfectly.

The Warranty Card is stamped by an AD in Lisbon.

The price was fantastic compared to the AD's in Ireland (even allowing for a return flight and a present for the wife ;-) )

Overall I had a positive experience dealing with CHRONEXT. Every email I sent to was promptly responded to.

Happy Newbie Rolex Owner.