# Buying a new Steinhart: Direct, or Gnomon?



## ProjectQuattro (Jun 2, 2016)

Hi all, long time lurker and first time poster here.

I've been a member for a while, and a lurker for even longer, but I think this is my first time posting so please bear with the noob question.

*I'm looking to get a Steinhart OVM in the next month or so, and I'd be interested in everyone's thoughts about going direct to Steinhart vs. Gnomon, which seems to be the closest we have to a US distributor.* Steinhart seems to be slightly ($20-$30 net) cheaper after taxes and import duties, but more of a PITA and the OVM 2.0 they have apparently has a 15% lighter dial than the OVM 2.5 that Gnomon claims to have. I'd have a slight preference for the darker dial, and obviously cheaper is always better, but I'm wondering more generally if there are any significant reasons to go with one method or the other.

Details on my current watch collection are below, if interested. I need to fill the "nice but not insanely expensive" hole in my collection. I have the high-end and lower end covered, but I need to fill the "versatile mid-tier high quality automatic" slot and the OVM checks all my boxes since it can be worn on the bracelet or a NATO strap for various use cases. A trip to Europe prompts my buying one, since I'll need a watch that will work equally well in a high-end restaurant and casually exploring without being heinously expensive if lost or stolen.

Thanks for any help or input!

Details on what I currently have:

At the top end, a Breitling SuperOcean Heritage 42 with an Ocean Classic bracelet that I got last year after dreaming about owning a Breitling forever. I'm in love with it, and I'm never planning on letting it go since it was my first high-end watch.









Following that, a Speedmaster-inspired Guess quartz watch that my girlfriend got me for our first Christmas together. After 7+ years of dating, obviously a lot of sentimental value here. I have it on a Filson leather strap from Shinola, which is excellent quality and highly recommended.









My daily use beater is an Invicta 8926OB, which has served me well thus far. I'll keep it around after the Steinhart for more casual/abusive use.








And lastly I have a black Swatch that she got me as a gift when she was in Argentina early in our relationship. It's great for biking/gym or other casual and abusive use.








And by way of introduction, my other expensive hobby is my car, which is currently a B8.5 A4 6MT Sport with quite a few mods; I'm active on Audizine with the same username if anyone else is on both forums.








Thanks again for the any advice or input!


----------



## Watch your wristwatch (Jul 14, 2015)

I just purchased an OVR directly from Steinhart last week. I placed the order on Monday morning and received my order in Missouri Thursday morning; now that's fast shipping coming from Germany... 
Honestly that's the first time I've ordered direct from a manufacturer before so from the get go I'm impressed. If you order from Gnomon you do get an additional 6 months warranty if that's a big deal for you or not. So options: 6 month warranty, darker dial, more expensive 2-3 weeks shipping w/Gnomon vs less expensive and faster shipping w/Steinhart. 
Good luck, hope this helps a little. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk


----------



## yankeexpress (Apr 7, 2013)

Just got a new watch (a Squale) from Gnomon in under 4 days from clicking "buy" to gettting to my door in rural New England. 
And no duty charged.

If they have the OVM 2.5 in stock, should get to you in Greenwich a day sooner. I used to live on North Street.


----------



## twintop (Nov 16, 2012)

If you prefer the slightly darker dial, go for it and buy from Gnomon. I've heard nothing but great reviews about their shipping speed and customer service.
These days Steinhart is equally fast and also have great customer service. I've personally bought 5 watches direct from Steinhart and all were delivered flawless.


----------



## Suijin (May 28, 2017)

Last week I ordered an OVM from Gnomen, thinking that they were the US distributor, lol. Realized they were not after a couple of days. Delivery through DHL to the US was pegged at a week, but DHL showed up when I was not at home after three days and attempted delivery. Rescheduled for next week. So Gnomen has stock and delivery will be quick. I also noticed, after the fact, that they extend the manufacturer warranty by 180 days, FWIW, so that's nice.

This is my first post as well. I had the watch bug years ago. Used to wear an Omega Speedmaster on a leather band as my daily watch. Even bought a Rolex Red Sub, and had both for a few years. Ended up selling them as my passion for them ebbed. Looking at prices of used Red Subs these days I'm kicking myself pretty hard for not having held onto it. It's would have more than doubled in value, probably more.

I live and work on a sailboat now and my daily watch is a Seiko SKX173. It's literally been around the world, been diving in the Galapagos, Caribbean, all over, down to 60 feet. It's been crusted with salt, drenched with diesel oil, and banged around more than I can estimate. I've damn near used it as a hammer at times. I've worn through four of the stock rubber bracelets, and yet the watch, save for a couple of light scratches on the crystal, looks brand new. I'm really not sure how I managed that as I was never careful with it. It's bizarre.

But it has never been accurate. It used to lose almost five minutes a week, and when you're offshore and don't have the luxury of cell towers and internet to set your watch you need something accurate. I have kept a surrealistically accurate Timex Ironman in the drawer, which I also pull out when paint or caustic chemicals are involved in an activity, and used that to keep the SKX honest each week. But it's good to have an automatic watch that you keep wound, so I started looking for something more accurate. Was very close to pulling the trigger on a more expensive Seiko when I saw the OVM and that was it, had to have it.

Oh, and I ended up opening up the 173's back and giving the regulator a nudge. It's now, on average given how I use the watch, gaining about five seconds a day. I can live with that. But I'm still not gonna send the OVM back.


----------



## Suijin (May 28, 2017)

Oh, I think ordering direct is about $5 cheaper based on the day I did the euro calculation. It probably fluctuates based on the exchange rate as Gnomen is in USD.


----------



## kelt (May 17, 2013)

Suijin said:


> Oh, I think ordering direct is about $5 cheaper based on the day I did the euro calculation. It probably fluctuates based on the exchange rate as Gnomen is in USD.


Steinhart's prices in Euro are listed with VAT included, an OVM listed at €380 will cost only €320+ €25 shipping to the USA, while through Gnomon it will cost US$450 shipped or €403 at 1US$=0,9€ rate.

By buying direct from Steinhart you save US$ 58.

The extra 180 days warranty from Gnomon is not covered by Steinhart.


----------



## ProjectQuattro (Jun 2, 2016)

Thanks everyone for their replies! It looks like both places are about equally good, and it comes down to minor cost differences and the different dial color.



kelt said:


> Steinhart's prices in Euro are listed with VAT included, an OVM listed at €380 will cost only €320+ €25 shipping to the USA, while through Gnomon it will cost US$450 shipped or €403 at 1US$=0,9€ rate.
> 
> By buying direct from Steinhart you save US$ 58.
> 
> The extra 180 days warranty from Gnomon is not covered by Steinhart.


This is what I had worked out also, but I think when shipping to the US there's a $40-50USD import duty that the buyer also has to pay a few weeks after delivery... does anyone know if this is still the case? I've seen it referenced a few times throughout my research.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## twintop (Nov 16, 2012)

Last I read items under 800$ don't have to pay any import duties in the US.


----------



## Fridaysniper (Sep 18, 2016)

I've ordered direct from Steinhart on 3 separate occasions. Every time it's been fast and mostly trouble free. My only gripe is that for some reason Steinhart specify that FedEx have to do a weekday delivery, and every time I forget to tell them that I would prefer a weekend delivery. On all 3 occasions though the FedEx delivery guy called and I asked him to throw it through the cat flap so I don't need to reschedule delivery. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## lvt (Sep 15, 2009)

Unless Gnomon or other dealers actually spend some time to check all the watches they received from Steinhart to make sure the watches are flawless, I prefer to order directly from Steinhart.

Sent from my LG-H630 using Tapatalk


----------



## kelt (May 17, 2013)

I mixed € and US$ in my price comparison:

Gnomon is 450 US$ shipped
Steinhart is 385 US$ shipped (345€), you save 16% by buying direct from Steinhart!


----------



## lvt (Sep 15, 2009)

kelt said:


> I mixed € and US$ in my price comparison:
> 
> Gnomon is 450 US$ shipped
> Steinhart is 385 US$ shipped (345€), you save 16% by buying direct from Steinhart!


That does make sense.

Sent from my LG-H630 using Tapatalk


----------



## GZee88 (Mar 2, 2017)

The US Dollar/Euro conversion rate changes daily, if not hourly. Currently the rate is *$1.12* for 1 Euro...
When I bought my Steins months back, the conversion was $1.06 USD... so for example, a 350 Euro Watch then, was $370... today at $1.12, it would be about $390... a $20 spread. 
The way you pay (ex. Visa) will make the conversion and usually charge a 3% fee for the conversion to $USD...
So you may want to factor all this conversion into your Gnomon vs Stein decision.
Both of my purchases were direct and had zero problems and had the watch(s) in about one week from placing the order... and the $s were in my favor (then).


----------



## ProjectQuattro (Jun 2, 2016)

GZee88 said:


> The US Dollar/Euro conversion rate changes daily, if not hourly. Currently the rate is *$1.12* for 1 Euro...
> When I bought my Steins months back, the conversion was $1.06 USD... so for example, a 350 Euro Watch then, was $370... today at $1.12, it would be about $390... a $20 spread.
> The way you pay (ex. Visa) will make the conversion and usually charge a 3% fee for the conversion to $USD...
> So you may want to factor all this conversion into your Gnomon vs Stein decision.
> Both of my purchases were direct and had zero problems and had the watch(s) in about one week from placing the order... and the $s were in my favor (then).


This is a very good point. Based on the last week I'm thinking I should do this sooner rather than later if I'm going to order direct... that exchange rate is trending unfavorably in recent months.


----------



## GZee88 (Mar 2, 2017)

_PQ_... The $USD has been weak and trending lower since the beginning of the year and is off about 7%... but it should 'bounce', but...
If you want the watch, get it... I wouldn't_ 'nickle-and-dime'_ for $20...
Besides, in a year you won't even remember what you paid for it!!!


----------



## Streetboss (Mar 5, 2011)

I have made a couple of Steinhart purchases in the past four months and I went direct on both of them. Shipping was lightning fast to the west coast of the U.S. and there were no duty charges because both watches were under $800.00 Gnomon has a pretty good reputation around here too. Either way will work for you.
Kevin


----------



## ProjectQuattro (Jun 2, 2016)

Thank you all for the help!
My wallet, however, is wincing right now...










Joining these forums is a massive mistake from a financial perspective; the Audi one was like sticking a vacuum directly into my bank account and I can see this might trend the same way...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## [email protected] (May 27, 2006)

I ordered direct, 5 days to NC, no import taxes


----------



## Lenix38 (Oct 28, 2016)

I have ordered from Gnomon just because they had the Ocean 500 in stock and Steinhart direct did not. I when i was about to pull the trigger I was concerned with the shipping delays that some folks on this forum had reported regarding Steinhart. 

Ordered on a Sunday afternoon EST, got the watch Thursday, and no other surprises. 

I ordered another watch from them, an Ocean 1 no issues. They also provide the buyer with a free nato strap. 

They keep you updated through out the whole process. Would order from them without hesitation.


----------



## ProjectQuattro (Jun 2, 2016)

I placed the order about 11am ET yesterday and haven't gotten anything except a status email, not that I expected it since it was the end of the business day CET when I ordered. Hopefully it'll be here next week!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## sticky (Apr 5, 2013)

I've ordered from both sources and delivery wise there's not a deal in them. I have found Gnomon to be more expensive than Steinhart though and it's always worth checking that your chosen supplier has the watch in stock.


----------



## khofman (Jun 5, 2017)

Any truth to Gnomon having a MK2.5 model with noticeably darker face with some grain to it? Curious because that might be a deciding factor to me


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Suijin (May 28, 2017)

khofman said:


> Any truth to Gnomon having a MK2.5 model with noticeably darker face with some grain to it? Curious because that might be a deciding factor to me
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Here's what I received from Gnomen last week. I don't have anything to compare it to, so I can't comment on the relative darkness of the face. Looking closely I also don't see any "grain". The surface appears uniform with no texture or perceptible gradient:









Personally I think the grey is very handsome but I understand why some would prefer the full black.


----------



## ProjectQuattro (Jun 2, 2016)

Ok so I ordered the O1V Thursday at about 5pm CEST, got an order confirmation but no further emails and or shipping notices. Everything I ordered was in stock. How long is their usual turnaround, or what day each week do they ship?

I don't think a few days or even a few weeks for processing is an issue, by any means.

I'm just looking forward to the watch and I guess I had extremely high expectations for delivery time based on everyone here getting them like 12 minutes after they press order.



khofman said:


> Any truth to Gnomon having a MK2.5 model with noticeably darker face with some grain to it? Curious because that might be a deciding factor to me


There's a thread on it, Gnomon sent a picture... its perceptibly different but probably not worth the price premium IMO.

https://www.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?t=3310458

EDIT: I guess I spoke too soon, it shipped this morning!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## sticky (Apr 5, 2013)

ProjectQuattro said:


> EDIT: I guess I spoke too soon, it shipped this morning!
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Nice one. Be sure to post pictures when it arrives.


----------



## ProjectQuattro (Jun 2, 2016)

It got here! I'm extremely pleased with it, especially on the Steinhart Milanese bracelet. Tough watch to photograph, though.










Apparently I really like 1960s-inspired dive watches on Milanese bracelets...










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## 191145 (Dec 25, 2016)

I purchased an Ocean 1 through Stienhart. The US dollar was strong at the time so it cost $380.00 USD. Including shipping. I had the eatch 3 days after the purchase. 
I did have a problem with the crown stem. I sent an email explaining the problem. They sent an email with shipping instructions. They paid for overnight shipping both ways. Communication with Stienhart was very good. Any question I had was answered within 24 hours. Once the watch was repaired I had it 48 hours later. They sent a repair sheet explaing parts changed, regulated and water pressure tested. 
The watch runs within 1 second fast per day. It runs better than my COSC timepieces. Breitling Super Avengern, Ulysse Nardin Maxi Marine and an Omega Seamaster).
If I were to buy another Stienhart and the exchange rate was favorable I would purchase through Stienhart.
Their customer service communication was excellent. The repairs were made and shipping was fast.


----------



## Sarbie (Oct 1, 2017)

Suijin said:


> Last week I ordered an OVM from Gnomen, thinking that they were the US distributor, lol. Realized they were not after a couple of days. Delivery through DHL to the US was pegged at a week, but DHL showed up when I was not at home after three days and attempted delivery. Rescheduled for next week. So Gnomen has stock and delivery will be quick. I also noticed, after the fact, that they extend the manufacturer warranty by 180 days, FWIW, so that's nice.
> 
> This is my first post as well. I had the watch bug years ago. Used to wear an Omega Speedmaster on a leather band as my daily watch. Even bought a Rolex Red Sub, and had both for a few years. Ended up selling them as my passion for them ebbed. Looking at prices of used Red Subs these days I'm kicking myself pretty hard for not having held onto it. It's would have more than doubled in value, probably more.
> 
> ...


in the great tradition of hological necromancy i say this post is heroic!


----------



## Skyjuice (Sep 7, 2018)

I ordered mine direct from Steinhart. Processing, packaging is good as gold. Received it in about 1 week time.


----------



## Akimbo (Feb 14, 2018)

Never ordered from Steinhart direct but have reached out with a few questions about ordering and some questions about a specific watch. Out of 4 emails I only got 1 back, in pretty poor English. So I dont have experience buying per se, but, the customer service is not so great from the few people reviews I read. I have purchased from Gnomon and it was fast, quick, and responded to my emails right away. I would go with Gnomon.


----------



## cortman (Sep 20, 2018)

Placed an order for an Ocean Black 42mm last Saturday from Steinhart, after more research decided to change to a 39mm. Emailed them asking for a change order, waited a day and emailed again, got a reply the next day saying the change order was no problem and they would ship it out the next day. They did so and it's currently in the mail. No problems with them from me so far. I am extremely excited to get this watch. I'm very much a beginning watch enthusiast, and I love the design of the Ocean One, and the fact that it's actually high quality and not a cheap imitator.


----------



## Earthjade (Jan 5, 2018)

I've done from Gnomon and Steinhart.
Delivery time for both is quick.
The real question is the after service if something goes wrong. I have experience with Steinhart after service - they took the watch back on their dime (their standard procedure) to repair it but they botched my repair. You can insist on a replacement watch but you have to fight for it. That's what eventually happened with me.

With Gnomon, I ordered on a Friday and got my watch on the Monday with a complimentary NATO strap I never asked for. No idea how good their after service is but you get an extended warranty card from them and a few guys on this forum have dealt with them on faulty goods and they seem to be OK at replacements.


----------



## cfracing (Feb 21, 2015)

I'm waiting for the Ocean Vintage Military 39 to be back in stock. Since it is a Gnomon exclusive I guess I have no choice.


----------



## Captainruss (Apr 3, 2012)

Week before last I ordered direct from steinhart a coke bezel GMT on a Wednesday morning east coast time. Arrived Friday afternoon south of Boston by fedex. Of course I missed them for the signature but was able to pick it up that night at the fedex distribution center a coupe towns over. Exchange rate worked out in my favor nicely. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## RonaldUlyssesSwanson (Apr 18, 2017)

After my latest experience, I can honestly say I'll never buy direct thru Steinhart ever again but would HAPPILY order thru Gnomon again. Well worth the extra $$$. I've very nervous about the durability of this 2893 movement though...


----------



## basso4735 (Aug 21, 2018)

Ordered from Gnomon yesterday and it will be in NJ on Friday!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Rob-Red (Oct 20, 2015)

I've ordered 2 pieces direct from Steinhart without issues. They arrived fast and in perfect condition. Like others have noted the communication is a bit tough with translation but not a deal breaker.


----------



## NegNoodles (Jun 22, 2015)

What about for US buyers? is there a difference between buying from either?


----------



## slorollin (Dec 9, 2016)

North Carolina here. I have never ordered from Steinhart, but generally I hear good things.
I have had 4 transactions with Gnomon and all went smoothly and quickly. They usually throw in a little swag too, such as an extra NATO strap or a cleaning cloth. They accept PayPal. Shipping from Singapore via DHL is very fast. They have earned my future business for sure.
Pro tip: They are 12 hours ahead of US EST. If you order around 9:00pm EST it's the start of the work day there. Your watch will be shipped out almost immediately in my experience. It's very gratifying to get that tracking info to go all OCD on right away.


----------

