# Anyone know about Stauer watches?



## MichaelPedersen

I'm new here and have been looking for a thread about these. I think they're chinese but don't know for sure. They have some nice designs but I'm most interested in the magificat power reserve. If anyone knows anything about these and can tell me anything I'd appreciate it. I'm going to order one next week probably, but if I shouldn't please let me know. Thanks!


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## Guest

If you´ll use the search function (above, black balk) typing just Stauer you´ll be lead to a lot of Stauer related posts ;-)


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## MichaelPedersen

Thanks trying that now


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## MichaelPedersen

Oh well, not too happy with what i've read so far. Looks like it's hit and miss with them but I still think I might try one. Wish they would just be honest and dispense with all the Heritage bit. I'm not afraid to try a chinese watch, I bought and Armitron Automatic and love it.


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## palang

MichaelPedersen said:


> Oh well, not too happy with what i've read so far. Looks like it's hit and miss with them but I still think I might try one. Wish they would just be honest and dispense with all the Heritage bit. I'm not afraid to try a chinese watch, I bought and Armitron Automatic and love it.


Made IN PRC


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## Jon30309

I bought one of these from a large newspaper ad that they run frequently featuring different watches. This one is supposed to be a replica of a watch designed many years ago by a famous watchmaker that would display, year, month, date, day and moon phase. The implication was that it would do this automatically. In fact year and month have to be set manually. The lettering on the subsidiary dials is so tiny if cannot be read by the naked eye. The moon phase dial is so dark I can't see it well enough to know if it's accurate or not. As for accuracy, Ha! I was intending to the check the accuracy of the watch by wearing in for a month and checking it against my LaCrosse radio controlled atomic watch. After two days it had gained seventeen seconds! Conclusion: these watches are pure and simple JUNK and I paid $239.00 for it. [email protected]#[email protected]#$#@


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## Pawl_Buster

Jon30309 said:


> I bought one of these from a large newspaper ad that they run frequently featuring different watches. This one is supposed to be a replica of a watch designed many years ago by a famous watchmaker that would display, year, month, date, day and moon phase. The implication was that it would do this automatically. In fact year and month have to be set manually. The lettering on the subsidiary dials is so tiny if cannot be read by the naked eye. The moon phase dial is so dark I can't see it well enough to know if it's accurate or not. As for accuracy, Ha!  I was intending to the check the accuracy of the watch by wearing in for a month and checking it against my LaCrosse radio controlled atomic watch. After two days it had gained seventeen seconds! Conclusion: these watches are pure and simple JUNK and I paid $239.00 for it. [email protected]#[email protected]#$#@


You definitely overpaid; but 17 seconds in two days is within spec for any entry level mechanical and most mid range movements costing up to $1000 or more.

As for the other attributes; if it is a replica and most are true to the original, then the original was probably hard to read and use as well.

BTW...'replica' refers to an out and out fake while homage would be the correct term for a watch with Stauer, Alpha, AeroMatic or other brand on it which mimics some well known brand


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## Chascomm

Alpha-Getty said:


> You definitely overpaid; but 17 seconds in two days is within spec for any entry level mechanical and most mid range movements costing up to $1000 or more.


I agree; 17 seconds in 2 days (8.5sec/24hrs |>) is about as good as you could expect from most non-COSC Swiss mechanicals.



> As for the other attributes; if it is a replica and most are true to the original, then the original was probably hard to read and use as well.


Sadly the story is completely bogus. The fact that both Steinhausen and Staur trot out the same story but with the names changed, and apply it to a watch of identical design should be a warning. Here's another company with their nose in the same feed-trough:
http://www.wmswitzerland.com/en/catalog.asp
WM "of Switzerland" :-x

Note that these guys actually change the story to correctly attibute the first automatic wristwatch to John Harwood, rather than some fictitious Swiss guy. Now Google John Harwood and tell me whether you think this Stauer/Steinhausen/WM watch is a reissue of the world's first auto wristwatch :roll:

In fact the design - in terms of size, shape, detailing, fonts and function - is entirely contemporary ... and made by Dixmont Guangzhou watch company.


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## Highwood

A colleague of mine has 3 Stauers.
There are very good, inexpensive, Chinese made watches. They can be fragile; he dropped one on the carpet and the hands fell off. Another stopped working and a watchmaker told him it wasn't worth the $$ to fix, so just "get another one". He did.

Just know what you're buying. They aren't Swiss!


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## therapy

Hi, my advice is don't touch them with a barge pole. I bought one of the "Graves" models in May 2009 and since then the company has replaced the watch five times as they keep giving up the ghost on average I think they seem to last about four months. Yes they look nice but are of really inferior quality. I understand that the movement is made in China on mass. Thankfully they agreed to give me my money back last week.


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## pyjujiop

Jon30309 said:


> As for accuracy, Ha! I was intending to the check the accuracy of the watch by wearing in for a month and checking it against my LaCrosse radio controlled atomic watch. After two days it had gained seventeen seconds! Conclusion: these watches are pure and simple JUNK and I paid $239.00 for it. [email protected]#[email protected]#$#@


 Stauer watches aren't very good, but not because of that. A gain of 8.5sec/day is perfectly acceptable for an affordable mechanical watch out of the box. Most of them, after they've been work for a while, will settle in and be more accurate, but if +8.5/day isn't accurate enough for you, you'll need to stick to higher-end mechanicals or quartz.


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## ghosthunter242

if it is within your budget i am sure it is just fine. my dad explained the ...dash-o-matic over the phone and i was worried he wasted his money. not only did he buy one for himself, he sent me one. with great trepedation i opened the package as my wife looked on. i scoffed at the nice outer box, then slid out the inner box. to my utter amazement was a beautiful piece of machinery. granted it was $99.99 out of soldier of fortune or something, who cares?!

i work with doctors who stopped to look at it. all the coach snob ladies in the office loved it. my wife who hates anything i might remotely like..liked it. is it accurate? i don't know and honestly if it is within 5 minutes a day i am good. but i am sure it is much better than that.

is the quality that of a $4,999.99 or a $168,000.99 watch most certainly not. but if this breaks, i can fiddle with it and not have to worry about taking a second mortgage to fix my watch. a complaint about the watch and this goes with the other 'automatics' is the hand winding bit...it feels too zippy, like i'm stripping the gears. i have an old man's elgin fugly gold auto that does the same thing...
the other complaint i do have is the case covers 85% or so of the dial.. it is brushed stainless(definite grain) scratches VERY easy. i hit a door striker and gouged a nice line in it. i could polish it, but it would lose the obviously disliked stauer name. undecided on keeping damaged, antiquing, or polishing the bejeezus out of it any way i win. i like mine. period.
but, then again that was my 1st watch as an adult(36) plus i have NEVER owned a panerai, (crap, i do own a rolex), umm....nevermind. i like my stauer.

better to regret something you can afford now.


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## mrbill

I own several Stauer watches . I also own several very expensive swiss made watches. I have had two (2) of them REPAIRED ... the $2400 chronograph at least 4 times. The last problem (still not 'fixed') was the failure of a spring under one of the pushers. My watch maker has been waiting for the replacement for OVER ONE YEAR!!! I'm not kidding. On the other hand...I have NEVER had to have a Stauer repaired. I have paid from ~ $100 to $250 for watches with the Stauer name and feel they were as advertised and have no regrets.

Additionally (from Staur) one can purchase high priced (and hopefully dependable) swiss made watches. I have a Chase DeJur I bought from Stauer. It is one of their SAC Chronographs with a piece of a real B-52 under the glass on the back. COOL! I LOVE IT!!! It is swiss made (I think) and has had to be adjusted (very good service).

Bottom Line: I like my Sauers and feel they are worth what you pay for as much as any other watch presently available. Nothing is built like things were in the past. I would be willing to bet 80% of the typically purchased products today I made outright (or have parts) made in China.

I recently ordered a $1600 plus LENOVO computer. They informed me is will be shipped from China (in response to my request to estimate shiping time). Do I care? I guess I have a choice...don't buy a new computer.


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## cottontop

I have two Stauers and both work great. No problems.
cottontop


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## flitz40

I own several Stauer watches myself. The graves watch I've had for years and it still ticking. I read that Steinhausen and Stauer use the same story? Hogwash! Unfortunately I've come to the conclusion that Stauer is a victim of fake reviews. Steinhausen claims they have been around since 1923 which is a lie. Stauer doesnt claim that. They tribute vintage watches. The graves watch is a tribute of a 1933 Patek Phillipe. Listen I am not saying a Stauer compares to a high end Swiss watch mechanically but then again a stauer watch is only $99.


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## lezama

Highwood said:


> A colleague of mine has 3 Stauers.
> There are very good, inexpensive, Chinese made watches. They can be fragile; he dropped one on the carpet and the hands fell off. Another stopped working and a watchmaker told him it wasn't worth the $$ to fix, so just "get another one". He did.
> 
> Just know what you're buying. They aren't Swiss!


I had one (automatic) for about six months. It was very pretty and "Swiss looking" and got a lot of attention from friends. I went in the pool with it, no swimming, just lying on an air mattress, and it got a water bubble. You know once that happens you can kiss an inexpensive watch good by!!! So if you buy one, KEEP IT AWAY from water. Otherwise it ran well for the time I had it.


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## Chascomm

> ...You know once that happens you can kiss an inexpensive watch good by!!!...


It's probably worth mentioning that a bubble of water inside the case will be equally lethal to an expensive watch. ;-)


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## Thrax

And an expensive watch is probably equally prone if it's not a diver.


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## James Haury

It is a replica of nothing watches in the 20's and 30's were small like a ladies watch today.This one would be a monster for that era.


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## Chascomm

flitz40 said:


> I own several Stauer watches myself. The graves watch I've had for years and it still ticking. I read that Steinhausen and Stauer use the same story? Hogwash! Unfortunately I've come to the conclusion that Stauer is a victim of fake reviews. Steinhausen claims they have been around since 1923 which is a lie. Stauer doesnt claim that. They tribute vintage watches. The graves watch is a tribute of a 1933 Patek Phillipe. Listen I am not saying a Stauer compares to a high end Swiss watch mechanically but then again a stauer watch is only $99.


It is worth pointing out that in the years since this thread was started, Stauer have changed their advertising spiel. While they have not claimed great antiquity for themselves (like Steinhausen) they have often claimed to be remaking authentic homages to supposedly famous watches. Specifically with the 'Graves' watch their advertising copy was for a while effectively identical to the corresponding model from Steinhausen.

These days they tend to describe their products as 'inspired by' some event or some historical watch. They don't use the word 'Swiss' as liberally as the used to but (last time I looked) they still describe several of their watches as "driven by a self-winding design, inspired by a 1923 patent" which actually simply means that they are self-winding.

Here's a sample your entertainment and deconstruction:

_"In 1770 a Swiss watchmaker created a legendary movement. He built the first watch with an automatic mechanical drive. The innovative movement required no batteries and never needed to be manually wound. His invention changed the face of time forever. More 150 years later, someone did it again. Now it's our turn.

It could be said that the Stauer Midnight Meisterzeit was born on the battlefields of Europe. During the fierce combat of World War I, a British serviceman and watchmaker had a revelation. He found that opening a watch case to manually wind it left the delicate mechanics vulnerable to dust and moisture. After the war, he developed the very first self-winding, self-contained wristwatch. Building on the historic designs of a Swiss genius, he transformed the way the world kept time.

Our Midnight Meisterzeit has been painstakingly handcrafted to meet the demanding standards of vintage watch collectors. We engineered this classic with millions worth of precise, Swiss-built machinery. Every interior dial has been carefully engineered to replicate the "complications" of the earliest multifunction watches. Interior dials display day and month and a date window sits at the 6 o'clock position. The 27-ruby-jewel movement utilizes a self-winding mechanism inspired by the British soldier's 1923 patent."_


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## Chascomm

Comparing the 'Graves' watches:

hand-winding pocket-watch by Patek Phillipe









self-winding wristwatch by Stauer









_"...we believe that a classic like this should be available to true watch aficionados, so Stauer replicated the *exact* Graves design in the limited edition Stauer Graves '33 Wristwatch."_ :roll:


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## Monacolover

Yep, stay away from Stauer watches(they don't even deserve the title of timepiece). They are made in China. They use fancy ads in Sunday paper inserts to make you think think you're getting this great watch for a song. In some of their watches they say Swiss made quartz movement. Understand something about this. These are often Ronda movements. They are incorrectly labeled. They should be labeled 'Swiss parts' movement. They are Swiss parts movements assembled in China. Ronda movements are some of the worst movements. I had a Bulova dress watch with a Ronda 5 jewel Swiss quartz movement. Had to send it back three times. They finally just credited me for what I paid for the watch. I came to the conclusion it was not a true Swiss made movement, but a Swiss parts Ronda movement. Stauer uses Chinese automatic movements. Also bad movements. They stop, are highly inaccurate, just plain cheap. if you want a good entry level to mid grade automatic, Invictas are good little watches, using the venerable 21 jewel Miyota 8215 movement. This is a unidirectional winding, non hacking movement with a +20/- 20 accuracy per day. It is used in Invicta's 8926 pro diver. Good little watch. Looks like the RSM. Heavy, solid ss case. I put mine on a Di-Modell Rallye strap(I prefer leather). The Seiko 5 automatic is an exemplary watch in many styles from dress to diver.. Powered by Seiko's legendary 7S26A 21 jewel movement. This is the movement in my Seiko Orange Monster. It is a freaking workhorse. Highly accurate. One drawback, You cannot manually wind it. So you can see, there are way better, stylish watches at reasonable prices that will last you a very long time. So don't give Stauer the time of day, lol.


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## Monacolover

mrbill said:


> I own several Stauer watches . I also own several very expensive swiss made watches. I have had two (2) of them REPAIRED ... the $2400 chronograph at least 4 times. The last problem (still not 'fixed') was the failure of a spring under one of the pushers. My watch maker has been waiting for the replacement for OVER ONE YEAR!!! I'm not kidding. On the other hand...I have NEVER had to have a Stauer repaired. I have paid from ~ $100 to $250 for watches with the Stauer name and feel they were as advertised and have no regrets.
> 
> Additionally (from Staur) one can purchase high priced (and hopefully dependable) swiss made watches. I have a Chase DeJur I bought from Stauer. It is one of their SAC Chronographs with a piece of a real B-52 under the glass on the back. COOL! I LOVE IT!!! It is swiss made (I think) and has had to be adjusted (very good service).
> 
> Bottom Line: I like my Sauers and feel they are worth what you pay for as much as any other watch presently available. Nothing is built like things were in the past. I would be willing to bet 80% of the typically purchased products today I made outright (or have parts) made in China.
> 
> I recently ordered a $1600 plus LENOVO computer. They informed me is will be shipped from China (in response to my request to estimate shiping time). Do I care? I guess I have a choice...don't buy a new computer.


You need a new watchmaker.


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## Pawl_Buster

Monacolover said:


> Yep, stay away from Stauer watches(they don't even deserve the title of timepiece). They are made in China. They use fancy ads in Sunday paper inserts to make you think think you're getting this great watch for a song. In some of their watches they say Swiss made quartz movement. Understand something about this. These are often Ronda movements. They are incorrectly labeled. They should be labeled 'Swiss parts' movement. They are Swiss parts movements assembled in China. Ronda movements are some of the worst movements. I had a Bulova dress watch with a Ronda 5 jewel Swiss quartz movement. Had to send it back three times. They finally just credited me for what I paid for the watch. I came to the conclusion it was not a true Swiss made movement, but a Swiss parts Ronda movement. Stauer uses Chinese automatic movements. Also bad movements. They stop, are highly inaccurate, just plain cheap. if you want a good entry level to mid grade automatic, Invictas are good little watches, using the venerable 21 jewel Miyota 8215 movement. This is a unidirectional winding, non hacking movement with a +20/- 20 accuracy per day. It is used in Invicta's 8926 pro diver. Good little watch. Looks like the RSM. Heavy, solid ss case. I put mine on a Di-Modell Rallye strap(I prefer leather). The Seiko 5 automatic is an exemplary watch in many styles from dress to diver.. Powered by Seiko's legendary 7S26A 21 jewel movement. This is the movement in my Seiko Orange Monster. It is a freaking workhorse. Highly accurate. One drawback, You cannot manually wind it. So you can see, there are way better, stylish watches at reasonable prices that will last you a very long time. So don't give Stauer the time of day, lol.


Do some reading on what constitutes Swiss Made and Swiss Movt. You will find they can have up to 49% Chinese value and still qualify.
Stauer does use the cheapest of the cheap but that does not mean in any way that all Chinese movements or watchs are inferior to the Japanese, German or Swiss offerings.

As for Invicta; it has a tack record like Stauer when it comes to reliability and customer service :-(


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## Chascomm

Monacolover said:


> ...In some of their watches they say Swiss made quartz movement. Understand something about this. These are often Ronda movements. They are incorrectly labeled. They should be labeled 'Swiss parts' movement. They are Swiss parts movements assembled in China. Ronda movements are some of the worst movements. I had a Bulova dress watch with a Ronda 5 jewel Swiss quartz movement. Had to send it back three times. They finally just credited me for what I paid for the watch. I came to the conclusion it was not a true Swiss made movement, but a Swiss parts Ronda movement. ...


It should be pointed out here that Ronda Ltd manufacture many completely built up movements entirely in Switzerland as well as assembling other movements from Swiss parts in other countries. They do both. If the movement in your Bulova watch was marked 'Swiss' rather than 'Swiss Parts', then it was made entirely in Switzerland. If however it was marked both 'Ronda' and 'Swiss Parts' then it was probably assembled in Thailand.

I do agree that there are many better value alternatives to Stauer, however if Stauer's style is appealing to a prospective buyer then it is unlikely that they would find the 8926 or Monster at all attractive.

By the way Monacolover; welcome to the Chinese Mechanical Watches Forum


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## konstan

Well, I saw 'stauer' and I got excited, but it looks like the OP is from two years ago... Anyway - here is what I think about stauer: I think they are great looking watches but the quality is hit and miss. I own two and I love them... One of them, when arrived, had one of the small hands loose, just floating around in there. Since my expectations were already low, I opened it up, reattached the hand. And when the movement in it quits I intend to buy a replacement movement from o.frei website and replace it. I like the look of those stauers and have not been able to find anything similar.


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## Illyria

I have a Stauer watch, and I really like it. Most of these watches are rather inexpensive, so I don't expect much from them. I recommend you buy one if you really it.


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## R.J. Leyton

therapy said:


> Hi, my advice is don't touch them with a barge pole. I bought one of the "Graves" models in May 2009 and since then the company has replaced the watch five times as they keep giving up the ghost on average I think they seem to last about four months. Yes they look nice but are of really inferior quality. I understand that the movement is made in China on mass. Thankfully they agreed to give me my money back last week.


I own proof of what you say. I was given a "Dead Staurer Replica". I gave it to my watch tech, and he said the movement was not repairable. He suggested a new movement. I figured since he offered to guarantee the part and do the job for $65. It has run fine for the last couple of years. Now it looks fine and runs quite reliably. Nice watch for $65 bucks. I liked it so much I bought a Corso. The watch was slow, the face hadn't been properly finished with minute/second marks. Kind of hard to set like that. You can only do it at midnight and noon. I sent it back to Stauer. I miss it though. It was pretty.
-R.J. Leyton


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