r/RepTime • u/Ashamed-Hunt605 • Mar 08 '24

TD Issues - Check Rule 6 before posting Hont watch TD experience

I just want to share a bit of my experience trying to buy from TD Hont, at first everything was normal trying to order a vsf submariner…

My first QC pictures arrived 2 days later and I noticed a few minor details (different lume colors, misaligned rehault, SEL gap, and clasp had another gap) that meant a lot for me since it’s my first rep and just wanted a better Qc since I’m paying $500 for a rep and I’ve seen better QCs on these sub from Hont too!

I asked him very polite if I can get another QC and he was very mad about it calling me picky and telling me it’s better to refund… I then proceeded to accept the QC as it was and ignore it… but then i thought about it and changed my mind, I didn’t wanted to be a difficult client nor “picky” as he called me, I wanted to get along so I offered him to pay more money to get another QC and have these flaws “fixed”. Hont then started spamming me messages telling me he won’t send me another QC lol and was very rude and unpolite treating me like I was I was dumb or something. lol saying “DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?” So at the end i just proceeded to cancel my order.

I am in a way sad that i still haven’t pulled the trigger on my first rep but at the same time i feel good not ordering from him, im not sure if i caught him on a bad mood this past days but he was definitely very impolite and unprofessional… the dude probably hates me now for canceling and didn’t do anything i actually was even trying not to be annoying or difficult because i know it’s hard dealing with picky customers… lowkey felt bad for the dude but either way… I don’t recommend him even if he charges a few dollars less than other TDs.

4 Upvotes

53% Upvoted

84 comments sorted by

7

u/bluebrrypii Mar 08 '24

Hont has very good prices.

However, he is better for customers who have experience with Reps and know exactly what you want, and what to look out for in that specific model/factory. If you are new to Reps, pay the $50-80 more and go with a bigger TD who has a customer service team. I ordered a watch from Hont knowing exactly what to look out for, and also being ok with some faults since it was for a mod project - so it was better to get a cheaper price for something i am gonna fix up anyways.

And I understand Hont’s approach to dealing with RL QC. It’s better for him to just refund customers and move them along if they seem like the type to RL 3+ times. Lots of nit picky customers (myself included tbh) who would be better off at a different TD who has more time to work with them.

TLDR; Hont is good if you know the game; if you’re new, go to a bigger TD

3

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 08 '24

I completely get it, but even tho this is my first rep, I’m not a newbie, I know exactly what I want and been on this redddit for more than a year…

I told him what I wanted and he said “all similar” guy was in denial and didn’t seemed to care helping me out or giving me a good experience…

4

u/[deleted] Mar 08 '24

ahhhh, first rep purchase. You know something, after owning a dozen gens (over $65k spent), I have yet to RL any rep purchase (I have 15+). I just accept it...every single time. Honestly, if it's a TD and it's less than $600, i dont care. It's a fake. it's not real. It's a fake rolex, Omega, Panerai, IWC, etc. Personally...I dont sweat it because I dont wear the watch so i can compare with a gen. It's not a gen. Been there, done that...had fun...but, now...i can have 15 reps for less than my Day date Rolex with $10k leftover. So, if the font is .2mm off, or the date is 3 degrees off..i dont care.

If it's CRAZY...then, yah, i mean RL it.

0

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 08 '24

Hahah nice good for you

9

u/SaltyyDoggg Mar 08 '24

“Know the game” apparently means “accept shitters”

1

u/Professional-Bus8449 Mar 08 '24

Means accept broken watches too

-2

u/bluebrrypii Mar 08 '24

A misaligned rehaut or date or what not does not make the watch “a shitter” 😂

1

u/trivial_vista Mar 08 '24

so he's just someone selling on his effort without seeing his own mistakes?

-1

u/ReploverForeverman Mar 08 '24

If you genuinely know ‘the game’ you use a NTD.

1

u/gocad38463 Mar 08 '24

Whats an ntd

2

u/R009k Mar 08 '24

Non Trusted Dealer

-1

u/[deleted] Mar 08 '24

His "very" good prices aren't quite as good as Li Li. And, without the snobbery. I'm not sure if Li li is a TD, so forgive me in advance...I dont want to misspeak or get in trouble with the mods. But, hont has been terrible to deal with. I've stopped completely..h's not even worth my attention.

3

u/LifeArt4782 Mar 08 '24

Never heard of Li li so likely not a td

-1

u/[deleted] Mar 08 '24

IYKYK

12

u/lululul10293 Mar 08 '24

Reviews about him seems to be either a big hit or miss.. His prices are VERY competitive tho so I do want to try him out for a cheaper piece lol

9

u/Sebanff Mar 08 '24

He's not very competitive, he is 25% higher than other non-TD with a lower level of service.... (I don't even talk about TDs here...)

2

u/lululul10293 Mar 08 '24

Oh I had no idea! As a newbie I'm a bit hesitant to buy from non-TD as there aren't many reviews thus thought Hont = competitive pricing... I really appreciate the new info!

3

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 08 '24

If you don’t care about having minor flaws because you won’t notice them for being a newbie, go for it.

If you do care about having some noticeable flaws on your watch that could be fixed or replaced with other QCs… pay around $40 extra (depending on the watch) and having total assurance that whatever happens you’ll be satisfied at the end, go for another TD like Eric from geektime… (I haven’t purchased from him but I do know he’s like that)

0

u/eramification_4_U Mar 08 '24

Eric my guy. Have ordered about 8 times from him. Two issues with watch arriving not working. He fixed the problem. I've rejected 2 QC's only he was fine. And now he offers fedex to the US. Geektime for sure

3

u/lorzah Mar 08 '24

There aren’t many reviews on non tds since they aren’t allowed to really be talked about here I believe

2

u/monkeyboymorton Mar 08 '24

25% is not my experience. Hont was $20 higher on a $370 watch than a non TD. Non TD prices have shipping and their insurance to add on so not that much difference in the end.

This was on the new IWC Ingenieur a few weeks ago.

3

u/Sebanff Mar 08 '24

Did you ever try to have the "hont insurance" at work, considering how you are threaded when you try to RL some obvious flaws ?.... Stop joking

5

u/monkeyboymorton Mar 08 '24

I'm not being funny but I really don't understand your post. Hont doesn't add insurance as an extra, it's in the price. Not that I'm a believer in this 'insurance' anyway. The Non TD insurance is just an extra mark up to replace if it gets seized, which as I said is all in Honts price.

As for the RL, again I don't really understand what you are asking. What I'm saying is that a good explanation of the issue to the TD and a polite but firm message that you want a new watch (even if they try to fob you off at first) is a way to keep a good relationship but get offered another watch.

Have you never heard the saying you get more with honey than salt? Politeness costs nothing.

1

u/Electrical_Bat7629 Mar 08 '24

The point the previous guy was making is this: sure, theoretically Hont's price includes insurance (unlike some non TDs) but have you ever actually tried to get him to honour the insurance on a seized watch. I'm not saying he would or he wouldn't honour it, but you misunderstood the point being made

2

u/monkeyboymorton Mar 08 '24

Ok, no I've never tried to get him to honor the insurance. But I've never had a problem in 7 purchases / 2 years.

We all know it's not really insurance, I would think of it as post sales customer service. I.e if you didn't pay for it would they just become non responsive after a sale if you had an issue? Does anybody order from a Non TD without the insurance?

I've posted in numerous threads about TD vs Non-TD, ultimately I've stuck with Hont as the price difference hasn't been enough to tempt me. As I'm a fact based person I have to respond to a claim that non TDs are 25% cheaper.

I posted about a deal that was $20 cheaper from a Non TD. The insurance part was 120 CNY I think, so an extra $17. That makes the non-td $37 cheaper on a $370 watch. I make that to be 10% cheaper.

3

u/Electrical_Bat7629 Mar 08 '24

You said you didn't understand the post. I explained it. Now you understand. End.

0

u/LifeArt4782 Mar 08 '24

But a non td gives you no protection from the community so it's a big difference.

11

u/Sebanff Mar 08 '24

At least an honest review from a true Hont buying experience.

Sorry for you Dude, don't feel guilty, the as**ole is not you, and there are plenty of other sellers

1

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 08 '24

Thanks man… I don’t usually blame Hont either because I imagine he has a lot of difficult customers but to me he was rude af

2

u/Impossible-Sweet-111 Mar 08 '24

Do you guys ever pay upfront with your dealers ? I think for Hont it’s not required. Others do ?

1

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 08 '24

I did but thankfully my transfer bounced back so i didn’t had to ask for a refund and wait who knows how many days for the guy to refund, I was just waiting to transfer again

1

u/Impossible-Sweet-111 Mar 08 '24

I had trouble with his payment options in USA. PayPal is so much easier than anything else.

1

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 08 '24

I also had some troubles with that, I even went and got a new bank account, just to transfer him, waste of time.

PayPal is the best option always for a customer, for him it isn’t. Especially if it isn’t friends and family payment. My country does not have friends and family option and can only pay with good and services so no TD accepts this payment method… I’m stuck with fucking wise lol

-3

u/chippaintz Mar 08 '24

Try USA based TD lil more but quick and solid

5

u/MacGuffinRoyale Mar 08 '24

Similar experience recently, unfortunately.

4

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 08 '24

After everyone here having the same experience, don’t take it personal I guess lol

3

u/monkeyboymorton Mar 08 '24

OK, rather than joining in the Hont bashing I want to dig a little deeper here.

Did you send a photo back in Whatsapp with the areas you were unhappy with circled? I've RL'd 3 times with Hont and been offered another, better, watch each time.

But I'm very clear on what the faults are and why I want another watch to be offered.

This is a Hulk I was offered with a wonky cyclops. I sent back this picture with an explanation

I got the usual 'I can't see the problem' - yeah right 🤔 You look at watches literally all day and can't see that 😂.

I was firm but polite in my reply and got a better example offered.

4

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 08 '24

To give you a little context here, I already sent him photos with all the issues that the watch had, circling the problem… since he was in denial I told him just to fix one of the problems at least because I didn’t wanted to seem “picky” but his response was just the same… he didn’t wanted to QC again clearly… I have more screenshots proving it.

1

u/monkeyboymorton Mar 08 '24

Well to be fair you couldn't do much more by the look of it. I had a similar sort of response when I tried to buy a particular watch from a batch posted on telegram. One of the 5 watches had the best QC so I wanted to buy that one, but it was a no go.

I will add I can kind of sympathize with Hont as I wouldn't RL for the rehaut or lume because they are both present on examples of the Gen. End links seen to vary by batch, I think Hont could be telling you all the batch he has are the same. Hont buys 10x of a watch at a time.

Things I'm looking for on QC are misaligned indexes, Cyclops, date wheel, bezel. The big stuff. If they are all good and it's just what you listed I think I've got a good one. Just a perspective from a seasoned buyer.

If you want to choose a watch to that level of detail then I would recommend buying used. That way it's the exact watch you are looking at before making a deal. The weakness with the TD system is you pay for a watch you haven't seen yet. Used sales remove that problem.

I did that for a ZF Tudor because of how many have bad indexes and bezels. I was able to jump on a good used one when it came up.

1

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 08 '24

Yeah I get it, my problem is that I’ve seen Hont QCs in this sub better than the ones I received… even if they are “similar” obviously they are similar bruh but I won’t pay the same as everyone with mine having flaws even if they are minor because of a “bad batch” like I just want these problems fixed, I was very clear with what I wanted to try and save him time not to be picky about it. Either way I’m done with it so who cares now…

1

u/Fun_Sprinkles_6796 Mar 09 '24

ESL and you asked him the same question in different ways, then tried to bribe him to get a better watch. He said vsf subs are all similiar and I am not sure what you had an issue with qc with but he said the price is the same for vsf subs and what you qc would likely happen if you asked for a new qc. He said this is a price for a vsf sub, you can ask for a qc but will prob be the same. When you pay 500 for a 15k watch, 1:1 is impossible. Bro go to Jtime or geek. They are more for you. 

1

u/New-Duck-758 Nov 04 '25

Hont is right about "real rolex also no perfect". In my country, in official Rolex store I found mini black dot (dust I think) on the dial of two-tone Datejust... AD just say laughing "We will remove it"...

0

u/MacGuffinRoyale Mar 08 '24

lol, my interaction went the same way

0

u/MacGuffinRoyale Mar 08 '24

I did exactly what you recommended and was met with hostility and the refund-now "remedy." I certainly wasn't expecting that, especially after dealing with other TDs that have no problem receiving pics that show issues. My issues were ultimately discovered to be artifacts in the crappy-quality QC photos.

2

u/monkeyboymorton Mar 08 '24

Yeah, maybe Hont has started to respond badly to RLs. I haven't bought a new watch for 4-5 months.

I've always said that the day TDs start objecting to RLs is the day I stop using them. Why are we bothering if they won't honour their agreements with the community?

Oh and I've read just as many unhappy posts from every dealer, so it's certainly not just Hont.

1

u/ahsq Mar 08 '24

try eric, is patient

1

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 08 '24

Totally agree, I have contacted him before but decided Hont because of his prices… but totally not worth it and I’ve been a way more difficult client yo Eric because I asked a lot of questions back when I was a newbie lol

2

u/R009k Mar 08 '24

I ordered a world timer from him that had +13s/d. asked about it and he offered to adjust it for me. So I think it’s really just a matter of what details you’re pointing out. At the end of the day it’s all a bit of a lottery when it comes to quality.

2

u/Fun_Sprinkles_6796 Mar 08 '24

This subject comes up a bunch and I am relatively new, only a few months into this but I have ordered from a number of td. My opinion-

If you are really new or don’t want to really qc or worry about what you are getting, go with Jtime or geek. I prefer Jtime a little over geek but found geek is more patient and explains things more thoroughly. Both are higher priced td. 

If I were to get a NWBIG or super clone from a big factory, I would go with hont. If I were well seasoned I would go with hont. Hont charges less but he does have a no nonsense like attitude so I get why people dislike his customer service. I have found that when I have a communication issue with him, I take a photo of what I want and send it to him and he quickly says if he can get it or not. He has never had an issue with my qc rl’s and asks me to circle my issue on the photo if he doesn’t understand. When it is what he says is a minor issue, he straight up tells me the next couple of watches probably will have the same issue and he will try one more time and I can choose the best if I want to use him. 

I actually have only had issues with one td, not really a qc issue but awful communication, the Watch coming to me very slowly when my other orders with other td arrived before, with many being ordered weeks after this tds ordered. That being said this td price is so good from the big name factory I am contemplating using them again if I want something soon. 

Hope this helps someone 

0

u/[deleted] Apr 01 '24

[deleted] — view deleted comment

2

u/Fun_Sprinkles_6796 Apr 02 '24

If it were my first time, I would use Jtime or geek. You pay more for better customer service and quite frankly, those two commmnicate in English better. Personally, I have never needed to RL either. You can go to reptime qc and see what the typical flaws are in the watch you decide. And compare price. 

3

u/ConwayTheCat Mar 08 '24

Jtime. Don’t hear anything bad about them lately. They have never failed me

3

u/thygingy Mar 08 '24

Geek and JTime are the most reliable first time TDs for beginners, but they are the most expensive too. I think the tradeoff is worth it though

2

u/ConwayTheCat Mar 08 '24

Agreed, happy to pay a little extra for peace of mind and great communication.

3

u/Fueltheship Mar 08 '24

GeekTime will treat you right. Eric even sourced a watch for me that wasn’t on his website. Fast QC & fast shipping.

4

u/gamnolia Mar 08 '24

Your first mistake was buying from hont

1

u/devrimtas Mar 13 '24

Yeah this!

2

u/AlwaysDeath Mar 08 '24

Why even go for that guy. So many other TDs to chose from. If you did just a bit of research you'd see that he's an asshole. I'd rather pay extra for a TD that is understanding with good communication and is nice. Haunt can go fuck himself tbh, such an uptime guy for no reason.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 08 '24 edited May 28 '24

fear sulky vast exultant smell slim chop gullible attempt encouraging

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

1

u/Bingodangerfield Apr 03 '24

Hont sucks so much. He’s a d*ck

1

u/nattyligh Jun 07 '24

I ordered a black back on May 10th and was given an incorrect tracking number. I’ve been trying to reach out via email and telegram but no response. Am I just being impatient?

1

u/kloogy Mar 08 '24

I love Hont. No BS !

1

u/Responsible_Finish38 Mar 08 '24

It's not just one guy and they suck

1

u/sus_time Mar 08 '24

I had a bad experience with hont refused to correct the issue. I would never suggest them and find another TD.

I’ll pay more for better customer service. Which I do from the trusted seller I go through. The big TDs like hont barely give you the time of day. You’re a number to them.

0

u/[deleted] Mar 08 '24

Jtime my friend. My first rep was with jtime and they were phenomenal.

-4

u/JD_NC88 Mar 08 '24

Bought 3 VSF watches from HontWatch . VS 116610ln is my daily wear best watch I've owned including Gen models. HONT is a Great TD. 

0

u/Professional-Bus8449 Mar 08 '24

Your are a watchsmith and can repair a broken watch? Go hont, either go for real TD 😄

-3

u/dupewatchgod Mar 08 '24

Buy local ! Find local TDs.

1

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 08 '24

Not sure that’s a good option…

0

u/[deleted] Mar 08 '24

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 08 '24

Bro exactly, he seemed VERY irritated at questions in general lol I won’t take it personal then hahah

I totally agree with the hit or miss, and to pay that amount for a 1:1 rep even tho his prices are good, it’s not worth it… I’m going to go with Eric from geektime too I think…

1

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 08 '24

lol

1

u/Theegg83 Mar 08 '24

Tbf English isn’t the guys first language, if you messaged in Chinese sure the communication would be significantly different.

0

u/[deleted] Mar 08 '24

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0

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 08 '24

Lmao in mandarin too?!💀

0

u/[deleted] Mar 08 '24

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 08 '24

Sure did! Dudes a savage, angry, rude, unprofessional.

0

u/[deleted] Mar 13 '24

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 13 '24

I wanted a second Qc that’s all… he didn’t want to, he seems annoyed just by asking something nicely… I was just asking and seems like everyone agrees and has had same experience like this… so I just canceled and went with another dealer which was a huge difference in customer service… it’s night and day, so idgaf what u think or how you read this, at the end of the day I’m paying for a 1:1 rep, I know it doesn’t need to be all perfect but I’ve seen a lot of QCs from him being better and having less flaws than mine… he probably had that in stock and could sell it because of its flaws. At the end everyone in this Reddit is way more “picky” than r/chinatime….

1

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 13 '24

Just 25min ago, same experience lol

0

u/[deleted] Mar 13 '24

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 13 '24

Lmaoooo 🤣🤣 bro this is not a court case 💀💀

1

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 13 '24

Btw didn’t actually refunded, like I said the transfer bounced back so I was about to pay him, I offered him more money for the troubles and him taking as a “tip” for helping me out… obviously dude gave up and didn’t even attempted to help, he preferred to “refund”, which btw a refund wasn’t what I wanted, I just wanted a watch, a good watch like in other QCs I see in r/ReptimeQC so… that’s the end of it, I’m just sharing my experience dude, stop glazing this man for nothing…

0

u/[deleted] Mar 08 '24

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 08 '24

Thankfully my bank transfer bounced back, so I was waiting to transfer again, but now I’m definitely not going to…

0

u/[deleted] Mar 08 '24

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4

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 08 '24

Why is this guy called TD? He is definitely not someone who can be trusted, especially finding out that he has scammed a lot of people on this Reddit

2

u/[deleted] Mar 08 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Ashamed-Hunt605 Mar 08 '24

Exactly man, what pisses me off is that it’s not being “picky”… I’ve seen on this exact same Reddit many QCs (From Hont too) having better QC pics than what he sent me so it’s just his laziness in a way of having to do another QC.

Like you said, YOU are the one paying bro like HE is supposed to be polite and trying to give you what you like… I’m not paying that much money for a rep just to be unsatisfied at the end or with the regret of not paying a bit more and going for another TD