Complaint Review: Stauer Watch Stauer Watch Company Stauer.com Stauer Watches - www.stauer.com Internet

Being someone with experience with Stauer Watches, I have to agree that it is touch and go when it comes to the Quality of their product. I purchased 2 different quartz watches that were very well made and durable, and I still wear them today. But having said that I have purchased a couple of others that although stylish, were very cheaply made. This is about their Automatic movements though. I purchased a Magnificat II 3 years ago and I found that, like a Seiko 5, you have to make sure it is fully wound by hand or by shaking it at least 50 times before use.

If this is done, while you may have to wear it or make sure it is wound every day, it should keep running during the night. True, they don't have a 40-hour power supply if fully wound like a Seiko 5, I wouldn't call them junk. It is a very beautiful watch that I will keep and if you shop wisely good watches can be found, but my advice is to unbox them if they are gifts and inspect them closely. Better yet, you can purchase a Seiko or Citizen or an Orient that is much better built and far more cost-effective. If you want value for your money buy a Timex or those other brands, stay away from Stauer. 

 Anyone who thinks they are buying fine horology from Stauer is in La La Land. Stauer makes some good looking watches and some Gosh Awful looking watches with mythical provenance. I have perhaps six Stauer watches, I do not need to leave my chair to confirm that, but they all function perfectly. From a dive watch to a front and back gold skeleton watch to a 50 hour power reserve watch, they all tell me the proper time, all the time. I have never needed service and if I did, would anticipate a positive experience. Stauer makes nice watches at a fair price for their complications and cosmetic value. If you wanted a Rolex...go buy a Rolex!! I can go,to the drugstore and buy an attractive Timex and be satisfied, no less than buying from Stauer from their catalogue. Do not ask a product to be what it never can be. My Mazda will never be a Porsche, and I wisely do not expect it to be. Do not like Stauer? Do not buy from them. Your venom reveals your nature, not your problems with the watch.

 They charge $200 + for their watches and tell you with or without a receipt you are out of luck.  No replacement or no repair (even if you are willing to pay for repair) a watch of that price should have better backing fron the company. The above rebuttel stated taht he had no issues sending his in.  SO if the window is 3 years his watch(s) must have broken frequently with-in that three year window or he too would have been out of luck and complaining.  My $45 timex has lasted longer and been repaired after 6 years of ownership.   Save your money -- find a company that stands behind thier product.

They don't have a single kinetic watch.  That is a registered trademark of Seiko and is a somewhat different mechanism from any other in the industry to boot (according to a horologist, that is).

They have Swiss dies.  You either don't have the literature or haven't been able to read it.  The glowing testimonials are generally done by those outside the company.  I personally have had no problem at all dealing with them--but use the Internet, not the phone.  The one truly expensive watch they have is remarkable.  I have one automatic (that's the proper term, incidentally) watch from them that is remarkably consistent in time-keeping for a mechanical.

The longest one can expect a luxury automatic to keep running without being worn (the usual way of keeping it wound other than) being on a watch-winder or simply manually wound is...36 hours.  See, for instance, Tissot advertisements (unless you consider Tissot and for that matter Rolex and Omega costume jewelry as well, and...they are!) particularly those which note the power reserve which notes a max of...about 36 hours.

In short you're not particularly educated about automatic watches, their terminology, watches in general, nor where and how the Stauer watches are made, which means you haven't even read their own interior ads carefully.  And incidentally, many of their products aren't shipped directly from their main facility because...they aren't made there.

Their jewelry is all costume jewelry.  That means "fake".  That means "not made to withstand close inspection".  And the prices are somewhat relative to value, although their $149 automatics are mostly a good value, now that they've gotten out of their singular basically oblong body design for all their watches.

Final note, that Stauer automatic is more accurate than a thousand dollar "Lawrence's"--25 jewel one-of-a-kind.  And by the way; yes, the rubies are artificial as a general rule.  Yes, it has a sapphire crystal and a screw-down crown.  It's as accurate as its Tissot cousin, although not quite as accurate as the Omega.  Shall I go on?

GCC

Ignore the ridiculous babble of the neanderthal that made this complaint!

Seriously?! You complain about a 'Mechanical' watch not working like a kinetic watch?!?!?! Do you even know what you are talking about???!!! You CLEARLY stated that it was mechanical; Wind-Up, then complained that it didn't work like a kinetic watch!!!! DUH!!!

A mechanical watch Needs To Be Wound Up To Continue Working, MORON!!! Of course it stopped after a short period: YOU DIDN'T WIND IT UP!!! You are probably pathetically inept at working a simple watch, as it stopped so soon! TRY WINDING IT UP MORE DUFUS!!!

Also, you just jump from mechanical to "consider their kinetic." Isn't that misleading? Aren't you jumping subjects rapidly, deliberately causing your readers to improperly interpret your statement! You speak of a non kinetic model as a defective kinetic model, then just jump to describing a kinetic model. Why the mislead? Why the deception?

And you claim that they mislead consumers by saying their watches are Swiss made?! READ YOU ILLITERATE MONKEY!!! They Bought Swiss machinery to make their watches! They have never claimed that their watches are Swiss made!!! They are made with the same Equipment, IDIOT!!!

So, you were Obviously too STUPID to see that, on the bottom plate of your skeleton watch, it is clearly engraved "Made In China!!!"

I owned one of their skeleton watches. It worked Great! Winding it up, as mechanical watches Require, made it run for Several Days (a Week, sometimes more!).

That watch took quite a beating, as I wore it on the job (laborious retail job), and it lasted a long time! Unfortunately, I broke the clasp (on the job), and it ended up on the shelf, pending a new band, but it stood the test of stress and time! It would keep time, accurately, for around a Week, before it needed to be wound up again.

Their watches may not be in the elite class of watches on the market, but you get a good watch for a good price! Yes, you get what you pay for, but you get good quality for a low price when you buy Stauer! Know what you pay for and don't complain when you get what you paid for.

WHY ARE YOU COMPLAINING WHEN YOU HAVE OWNED SEVERAL OF THEIR WATCHES???!!! 

OBVIOUSLY YOU ARE SATISFIED WITH THEIR WATCHES IF YOU HAVE OWNED SO MANY!!!!!!   You make no sense complaining! 

My son has a Stauer watch. I purchased it 8 years ago and he has not had any problems . I purchased a watch winder with it as he can set the watch in the winder each night for continueous movement. The phone order part of this company IS in the United States of America. These people work very hard to make sure your orders are correct and accurate many at the call centers have return customers Thank you STAUER/NEXT10/AssetMRKTNG

I have owned 2 Stauer watches.  They have all looked great, worked great and the price is right.  Waht is the beef with those that don't like them.  Maybe they wern't hugged enough as children.  This is a fine company and you get what you pay for.

Just a helpful note about "Kinetic" watches.  I don't believe Stauer makes them.  The branding of a watch as "Kinetic" was started by Seiko about 20 years ago or so.  The Seiko kinetic watches have a battery that is charged by the motion of your wrist which allows it to keep running for several days sometimes after taking it off.

I have never seen Stauer refer to any of their watches as "Kinetic", and don't believe they ever made the type of watch you were looking for.  If they have, there was probably very few of them.  They have however made hundreds of automatic watch models.  This is most likely what you purchased.  Automatic watches use the same mechanism to make it run, but they do not have a battery backup to keep it running very long after removing it.  Although this can technically be reffered to as kinetic, I highly doubt Stauer used that term.  Every watch you see on their website, catalogs or elsewhere, you will see them reffered to as "automatic".  If you disagree, I would like to see where your model of watch uses the term "Kinetic".

I think Stauer watches are great looking.  The cost of the watch goes into the styling of them.  You won't find a $50 watch from *mart that looks as good as these.  To style them the way they do while trying to fit all the components into a certain style is where the up to $200 price tag comes from.

I hope this makes some understand a few misconceptions out there.

I must disagree with the Stauer watch scam report I read here.

I have a Stauer watch that I paid just $59 for. I expected it to be a low quality watch but it is at least as good as my last watch, a much more expensive Casio.

Further, after owning it for over a year, the metal band broke. I am very tough on my watches. I called the company to see what a replacement would cost. They asked me a few questions about my watch and when I purchased it. They informed me that it was covered under their warranty. They sent me a new band and pins for free. I didn't even need to pay shipping.

I am always getting compliments on the watch from people because it looks like I spent a few hundred dollars on it. I love the way it looks, I love its accuracy and I love the fit. I wear it all the time. For work, for everyday use and even going to fancy dinner dances with my wife. I've gone swimming in it in fresh and salt water. I've done a 50 mile kayaking trip with it on my wrist. It is very durable and very much worth what I paid for it.

I don't understand what the major complaints are all about. Maybe the author had a bad experience. Maybe he just wants to get under someone's skin.

All I know for sure is that my watch has been accurate for the entire time I've owned it, it's endured everything I've put it through, it looks good and the company has stood behind their product all the way.

Stauer watches are costume jewelry and the company does not pretend that they are anything but.  I've known this all along.  There are other companies that have done the same for centuries.  Stauers are a bit expensive because they make the effort to copy watches in a quality manner giving a great appearance and that which work as advertised.  

I wear my Stauer on trips because I am sensible.  I would no more wear my Omega to the Venice Airport than a man in the moon for fear it would definitely be stolen by Bulgarian Gypsy kids.

  My Stauer operates quite nicely and does indeed have a two year warranties.  I find it no more dishonest or distasteful to wear a Stauer than my wife wearing her costume jewelry to a function.  

When I need to return something to someone I take all precautions and send it registered mail.  I also insure the item.  Neither of these moves is expensive.  I also send a copy of my receipt, the item in its original case and withe all extras.  If I need to I make a follow-up telephone call and/or an email.  there is no excuse for not protecting oneself.

 Further, yes, Stauer does post marginal or negative reviews.  All one needs to do is go on the "review" site of the particular watch and see them.  I am happy with Stauer and have no illusions about them.

 Lastly, one of the reasons why they seem "cheap" is because they are indeed made in China as they so state.  I defy anyone to find reasonably priced copies of some of the rare watch models they have at a lesser price.  So far, I've received one as a gift and I am delighted.  

Others will have to make their complaints and follow-ups on more substantive grounds.  Welcome to the real world of commerce.  You do get what you pay for and no more.  Please note that I will be buying a Stauer I like very much very soon and will have much fun wearing it for my friends.  If it is stolen I will relish the chagrin the thief has he or she tries to pawn it as something of prime value.

Wow! I've bought a dozen Stauer watches all working flawlessly... evein my kinetic is lasting 4 days in the drawer.
Catalog dialog is boring and time-consuming and not very entertaining.

My understanding is that Chinese watches are machined on equipment bought from Switzerland. What could go wrong?