# Grovana Temptation



## steve54 (Feb 14, 2008)

Hi there,

I'm a newbie, and have been reading some posts about Grovana watches. I'm at the point of almost buying a Grovana coral reef and would like any advice you can give! You could say that i have a beginners collection; a seiko quartz divers watch, a Tissot chronograph (quartz & at the cheaper end), 2 dress watches; a seiko kinetic and a citizen eco-drive.

A friend of mine suggested that the Grovana coral might be a very good buy in regard to it's swiss movement v it's price and I do like the look of the red bezel edition. Can anyone offer strong advise positive or negative please. I see the list price is around Â£340, but looking on ebay, 'Watchintime' are offering the one that i'm thinking about buying at Â£240, should i be cautious about this deal?

Thanks and i'll keep you posted.

Steve


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## PaulBoy (Dec 2, 2007)

steve54 said:


> Hi there,
> 
> I'm a newbie, and have been reading some posts about Grovana watches. I'm at the point of almost buying a Grovana coral reef and would like any advice you can give! You could say that i have a beginners collection; a seiko quartz divers watch, a Tissot chronograph (quartz & at the cheaper end), 2 dress watches; a seiko kinetic and a citizen eco-drive.
> 
> ...


Steve - If you poke around here for buying advice you will always see people saying "buy the seller" so if the place / person (cant access Â£bay at work) that is selling the watch checks out then buy from them - I presume you know our host RLT sells this brand? Without comparing the price I would say that if there isn't too much difference I'd buy from Roy because if things go wrong with the watch you are guaranteed to be looked after by him whereas the Â£bay seller might not even exist in a week / month / year whatever - Just my opinion of course ... Paul


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## steve54 (Feb 14, 2008)

Thanks Paul, I didn't know, how do i contact Roy?


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

http://www.rltwatches.co.uk/acatalog/Grovana.html

Roy lists them at Â£295.

click the "contact us" button top right on the page I've linked to or email [email protected]


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## Robert (Jul 26, 2006)

Could you be tempted by the RLT36?

Occasionally come up in Sales Corner


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## dougal74 (Oct 5, 2006)

Robert said:


> Could you be tempted by the RLT36?
> 
> Occasionally come up in Sales Corner


Or you might be tempted by my used Coral Reef in the Sales section!

I am very impressed with Grovana. Quality is higher than O&W. It is heavy and large and was ideal for my old desk diving duties. Have been shopping whilst in Singapore and other than the Tissot Seastar 1000 nothing matches it around Â£300 (mine is only half the price). I now travel most weeks and need something smaller/lighter with a GMT function. Let me know if you would like to know something specific about the Coral Reef.

Cheers, Adam


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## DaveP (Jan 26, 2008)

I have the green bezel corel reef, and its really nice, would recommend it. If you pm me I can also suggest another supplier!!!


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## dougal74 (Oct 5, 2006)

potz said:


> So which GMT watches are you looking at?
> 
> I've been considering one after having been stupid enough to sell my GMT-Master II. Under consideration are the Omega Seamaster GMT and the Rollie of course (16710), both being true GMTs, and the Sinn 856 UTC.


Well potz, that has been complicated by the fact that I have fallen in love with the new Speedmaster Co-Axial GMT which I saw in Singapore. It is not possible to have a watch that does everything but...










this pretty much covers it apart from the thorny issue of the price of course!


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## SIB (Sep 9, 2007)

That Omega is a lovely looking watch. Is it a "real" GMT or is it the GMT hand that is quickset?


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## cookie520 (Jan 7, 2008)

Much as I love my Seamaster GMT...aren't we a bit off track now


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## cookie520 (Jan 7, 2008)

potz said:


> cookie520 said:
> 
> 
> > Much as I love my Seamaster GMT...aren't we a bit off track now
> ...


To be honest Potz I think Steve54 is sorted with his Grovana now  ..I'm curious to know what a real GMT is as opposed to a moving hand type...but I'll start a new thread


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## cookie520 (Jan 7, 2008)

potz said:


> With a "real" GMT you can move the normal 12-hr hand without interfering with the 24-hr hand in hourly or even half hourly steps. Also the watch does not stop (ie. it doesn't hack) and thus its accuracy is unimpaired by setting the time to a different time zone. With the GMT-Master II the date moves accordingly and can even be set backwards. The bi-directional bezel allows you to temporarily set or read off a third time zone.
> 
> Usually the 24-hr hand is set to either your home time or GMT.


Thanks Potz - not tried to set my date backwards but it is the hour hand that moves - and I never knew it but my bezel is bi-directional too


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## ENY55V (Mar 17, 2006)

PaulBoy said:


> steve54 said:
> 
> 
> > Hi there,
> ...


Well, it is actually not rocket science but Watchintime on eBay is the same Watchintime.com (since 1989) web site which is posted on the Internet and shows up again with Chrono24.com (since 2003).

I have never come across an O&W watch hence I cannot personally make any comments on this brand but - ONLY TODAY - I have come across a Momentum Aquamatic II watch which is made by St. Moritz (a Canadian company).

I saw the watch and a few points have been explained to me against the Grovana Corel Reef.

Points, which I checked with a couple of resellers.

The Grovana case is made out of single press steel - hence the bottom hedges are sharp and not well finished.

The crown on the Grovana watch is really flimsy comparing to the Momentum.

The Momentum has a glass back to show the automatic movements which looks very good and well finished (ETA 2824)

The dot at twelve on the Grovana watch is glued in (see this point in other forums) and it comes off easily - I have found out about this problems from a Grovana supplier too. The dot on the Momentum is drilled in, filled and covered with glass.

Logo on crown and steel strap is NOT always there on the Grovana model (showing bad production quality control).

ROY is a top guy on many aspects and any problems regarding warranty issues will be dealt by him professionally. Having said that comments read somewhere else also mention that there is no longer a UK warranty for these watches and problems will have to be dealt by the Swiss on a very long and boring basis.


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## ENY55V (Mar 17, 2006)

I don't want to upset anyone and Watchintime chances to achieve a sale on eBay - but the Grovana Corel Reef can be found on some sites at around Â£115 - while a Polish site gives out the trade price at around Â£80 for the Corel Reef and Â£150 for the Revue-Thommen Airspeed which is part of the same group.


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

You want to talk price and go for best price do it then! You may be really surprised in what you get.

I have been away and just noticed this thread. I did a review on this watch and did not post it here since Roy is a dealer and I did not have all the facts. Through conversations with the Grovana Division Manager and a good German friend I find out there are Grovana made for ebay and Grovana made for other markets I have my facts totally straight on this no errors,

I recommend buy from RLT Roy at the site here and no where else. You buy from ebay you may get an SW200 or you may get a true ETA 2824-2 there is no guarantee. Roy is fair and will stand by his wares and support you either way regardless a true honorable man Roy is here. Now I am not saying the Sellita is not good but its not up to par with the ETA and parts are not interchangeable. I have seen the SW200 with ETA markings now and not sure if its being done after or by Sellita I don't know that fact

While I did get my money back on my Grovana and I have bought many Revue Thommen from that ebayer it was painful despite its good outcome and a follow up purchase of about $800 from me.

Sometimes you see a better price and there is something more behind it. Nope buy from us here someone who is smaller maybe but gives a damn about ppl









After all that I really do recommend a Grovana or honestly an M1 or M5 from here.

Anyway if its allowed and may be borderline I will give you a link to my review of what ebay will give you for your Grovana, not a knock against that German seller not his fault yet still he is not totally truthful in his ads.

Buyer beware if it seems too good or cheap to be possible and seems wrong then usually it is. Buy by seller, not by best price you take a chance.

Support Mr Roy here









Link to my review on fleabay Grovana pieces, mods or Roy no offence feel free to beat on me

/http://forums.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?t=94266


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## unlcky alf (Nov 19, 2006)

Thanks for posting that James, very interesting reading. I imagine that swap would slip by the vast majority of people, myself included. I'll admit to never opening up a watch unless there's already a problem with it, or it's an old piece which I'm not relying on to be water resistant.

You seem to have been well treated by the other dealer, but I find it very dissapointing that he hasn't ammended his advertising.


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## w.h.s (Mar 1, 2008)

I looked at the grovana as a poormans sub for a while along with o&w and sandoz, in the end i decided i'd rather something more original and went for a mkii, i still might get a sandoz sub though around Â£150 eta2824 drilled lugs saphire cyclops or a no name eta2836 lv look a like, though i'm still not happy with a sub styled watch unless its domed accrylic with sword hands and a milsub dial but thats just me. It took me 3 years of searching the web and i went from wanting the o&w no date sub to the grovana ,then the rayhk , onto the skx007 then to wanting the precista 14 , on to the mkii mmt , after the prs18 and finally decided to buy the mkii stingray with which i am quite happy. Be prepared for your taste to change or the urge to sell it as soon as it arrives.


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