# The Many Faces Of Rotary



## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

Not long ago, just before the shop moved out of Seaford in Sussex where there seemed to be a glut of shops selling jewellery and watches for such a small town, I was browsing inside and chatting to the owner, who was/is a stockist of Rotary watches. I was looking at the mechanical Rotary examples and something familiar caught my eye and hand about these watches - I realized that they were very similar to some cheaper Chinese watches that I had handled, in their thickness and style, with somewhat tacky looking skeleton movements. On asking the jeweller about this, he informed me that the cheaper mechanical watches produced by Rotary are indeed made in China, with the Rotary Swiss-made range being vastly more expensive.

In pursuing this matter a bit further I am a bit disappointed with Rotary for apparently being a British Company, still trading as though they were part of the Swiss watch industry, and having movements and perhaps complete watches made in China and Japan with insufficient warning that one is not purchasing a Swiss-made watch. To quote Wikipedia on the subject, ..."Rotary offers a range of timepieces manufactured in Switzerland together with a range of less expensive pieces made elsewhere usually with movements from Japan and China which are then assembled in Japan or China before being reimported to Switzerland and Marked as Swiss."

So what do fellow Forum members think of the Rotary Chinese mechanical watches? Indeed, what do fellow members think of Rotary as it operates today, with its seeming many faces and perhaps sleight of hand when it comes to its Swiss heritage? This jewellery shop also stocked Citizen watches, and I would feel happier about a buying a Citizen watch of the same price as a Rotary watch, partly because of the "honesty" of the brand.

Do tell me if I am being too "picky" about this, and before I leave this topic for you to muse upon, I must just say that I have many Chinese and Japanese watches in my collection, many with European names on them, and I have nothing against watches from any nation per se.


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## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

I am replying to myself - and to all members who follow this forum. Scrap my item here above. I realise that is quite a specialised forum and my piece on Rotary is not really relevant. My apologies.


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## Lampoc (Oct 31, 2010)

No need to apologise - it was a good question. It might have been better in the General Discussion part of the forum though?

I just don't think that many people who are "into" watches actually take much notice of Rotary. Personally I rate them alongside brands like Sekonda and Accurist. Large manufacturers making cheap and dull watches for the masses.

They are a bit cheeky with their "Established in Switzerland" on the bottom of every dial. True? Yes. Possibly misleading? Also yes!


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## Timez Own (Oct 19, 2013)

> In pursuing this matter a bit further I am a bit disappointed with Rotary for apparently being a British Company, still trading as though they were part of the Swiss watch industry, and having movements and perhaps complete watches made in China and Japan with insufficient warning that one is not purchasing a Swiss-made watch.
> 
> So what do fellow Forum members think of the Rotary Chinese mechanical watches? Indeed, what do fellow members think of Rotary as it operates today, with its seeming many faces and perhaps sleight of hand when it comes to its Swiss heritage? This jewellery shop also stocked Citizen watches, and I would feel happier about a buying a Citizen watch of the same price as a Rotary watch, partly because of the "honesty" of the brand.
> 
> Do tell me if I am being too "picky" about this, and before I leave this topic for you to muse upon, I must just say that I have many Chinese and Japanese watches in my collection, many with European names on them, and I have nothing against watches from any nation per se.


I didn't even know they were a British company now.

No, I dont think you are being too picky. Whilst not exactly lying, being misleading in this instance I think is dishonest intent. Any half intelligent person will know that many people will be fooled just by seeing the word 'swiss' on a watch so to go ahead and do it is at best a bit of a 5hit thing to do, even while technicaly not promising anything.

I agree there's nothing wrong with having chinese watches if you want, but not when its pretending to be something else.


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## Time Bomb (Dec 28, 2013)

Seems a decidly under hand trick. Rotary make me think of the horse meat scandal, in that many people would be happy to eat horse meat the anger is more at being tricked.


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## Timez Own (Oct 19, 2013)

Time Bomb said:


> Seems a decidly under hand trick. Rotary make me think of the horse meat scandal, in that many people would be happy to eat horse meat the anger is more at being tricked.


Spot on!


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