Reply With QuoteGiles, nice bloke. Was a collector then went over to the Darkside.
This guy seems to have been doing some trading on twitter recently but has just fired up a website which is quite nicely put together with the usual atmospheric shots of the collection.
They have a nice coke GMT which I particularly like but I'm baffled why it's not a trit dial, I thought all the "Sophia Lorens" were tritium.
Here is the link to their site http://oakleighwatches.co.uk
Has anyone encountered this dealer at all, he seems to have some admirers on twitter
Last edited by Ashtons99; 14th April 2014 at 22:23.
Giles, nice bloke. Was a collector then went over to the Darkside.
I've been following him on twitter for a while. I spoke to him about buying one of his panerai watches a couple of weeks ago. Seem to really know his stuff.
Not had any dealings but from the outset looks promising, website is very well presented and put together and looks as though the owner is known as a previous collector so could be interesting to keep an eye on.
Prices are reasonable too IMO.
Unless I'm missing it there is no indication of an address (apart from a vague reference to an office in Norwich), and only a mobile number. Usually that would persuade
me to buy elsewhere...
If he is a collector turned dealer then its highly possible he is working out of his home, in this instance he probably doesnt want to advertise his address to every tom, dick or harry (especially if the watches are kept there too). I'm sure that if you gave him a call he'd probably give an address you could view the watches at if you were interested.Originally Posted by Ares
In most instances I prefer a bricks and mortar place I can visit to view watches but I guess there are always some exceptions, do your due dilligence and homework beforehand.
Can anyone shed any light on the GMT he has. It is listed as a 1987 model 16760 "Sophia Loren" am I missing something as it is a luminova dial which as far as I know wasn't produced until 1997 ish. I am unable to find a 16760 without a Tritium dial. I've asked him the question and he says it's one of the last ones so has lum. I'm puzzled
The 1949 ref 5500 Air King can’t be right either - that ref didn’t appear until well into the ‘50s. I think.
Judging by the GMT 16760 dial he firmly remains there!
It has to be a re-dial....
It's just a later service dial, quite ccommonly done, Rolex try to get your watch back looking as new, that means swapping out those nasty brown hands and dials unless you specifically ask them not to...
Cheers..
Jase
Yes agreed - but don't you think that should be pointed out in the description?
Thing is - he seems to have incorporated a company and off the top of my head, it's a legal requirement to have an address (which might not be his home address) and the reg number of the company on the website.
The Terms and Conditions page includes his registered address and company number:
Our registered details are:
The Royal
25 Bank Plain
Norwich
NR2 4SF
Telephone +44 (0) 7414 521721
Registered in England No. 8857178
I've asked Giles about the watch. He seems a really pleasant guy but just tells me it's a "late" model. I've pointed out that the Swiss made wasn't around til 2000 but he just quotes 3 or 4 more the same for sale on the net. I don't think he is that clued up on the product as he has never offered the explanation that it could be a re dial
Apologies for raising this from the dead, I'm thinking of buying a watch on their web site.
Since this thread was started in April has anyone bought from Giles at all?
Thanks
I was searching google for feedback on this company and this is the only thread that discussed them, it seems, so I thought I'd try resurrecting it as well. Anyone else have any experiences they can share?
No direct experience but...there is a very nice Bremont Solo Cr priced up well presented.....
I ended up buying from Giles, top bloke to deal with.
Thought I best add my experience after asking for other peoples.
I must have been dealing with a different Giles. There was a watch that I was very keen on so I began talks and asked some questions. I haven't heard from him since Saturday when he assured me more pictures would be sent on Sunday and he went on to ignore an email chasing him up earlier this week. This morning the watch was marked as sold. Some communication would have been nice. One I'll avoid in future I guess. I wonder if I scared him off by asking about the company's returns policy last week; other companies I've looked at include the consumer contracts regulations in their T+C's for online sales so the lack of it on his site made me raise an eyebrow. Just "buying the seller".
Well I've just bought an SD from them and so far impressed with customer service and communication. Very fair pricing and generally very approachable and responsive. They still owe me a new crystal will arrive from Rolex in a couple of weeks and then I will return the watch to have it replaced. Not expecting any issues.
Had been following them on Twitter for a few months and certainly seems passionate about the world of watches and from some a long running tweet thread I read about returns they also seem to care about customer service.
Absolutely recommended. Bought a watch over the wkend from Giles and was a delight to deal with throughout. Responded instantly to queries and offered in my opinion fair part exchange prices. Very easy to deal with and made the process as straight forward as possible. Watch was just as described. Couldn't ask for any better and would have no hesitation in using again.
Hope no one minds this resurrection to get more recent experiences? I've seen the odd positive recommendation to them in threads when searching TZ, but I didn't think that would capture any negative experiences.
I bought a Tag Monaco from Giles. It was quite a rare model and Giles was only seller I could find with one. No issues and very nice, friendly chap to do business with.
One more thumbs up for Giles. Made an enquiry late one evening in Feb 2017 and got a reply pretty soon that night, ended up buying a 2500 PO off him.
After a week or so I noticed the omega ran quick, I mean really quick, so I contacted him and arranged for him to take a look at it. He advised it needed to go back to omega which he did and retuned it to me all spanking fresh with a nifty 2 year warranty a month to two later. Great transaction from my point of view, would recommend.
After a relatively long search for the right example, I recently bought a full set (he only deals in full sets) Rolex Explorer 114270 from Giles. I emailed first to ask a few questions and after a quick response we spoke on the phone prior to purchase.
The watch was exactly as described and could have literally just left the store, if it was 2003. Pleasant bloke to chat to and prices are extremely reasonable compared to WatchFinder et al.
The only sticking point I had was no paperwork for the Oakleigh 12-month warranty, and a couple of email enquiries met with silence. Then a response apologised and said it was in the post, but it never arrived. I was starting to get annoyed until I asked why he couldn't just email it over? But you were insisting it was posted, he said. Two minutes later I had the warranty. So a small communication break down was the only blip in an otherwise faultless purchase.
I keep checking back on his website because he has some lovely stuff for sale
Thanks for the comments, gave me a lot more confidence in dealing with Giles. I didn't go through with it in the end (got a great deal with Charles Fish which I shall post when it arrives!), but he was really responsive, friendly and helpful that I'd definitely recommend having a word.
Though now I've bought two watches since joining this damn forum the browsing will have to stop!!
Had several chats with Giles and always found him to be most helpful.
Just a bit of a bump on this... Is Giles / Oakleigh still recommended?
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I have bought from Giles twice and been pleased. I don't think his prices are outrageous. His descriptions are a bit generic, in fact take a look at the description of every Sub he has sold - almost identical!! He might have you believe that no watch has ever been polished. Photos are good and detailed though, so I judge his stock based on them rather than his descriptions. Nice chap.
I dealt with him. I was very happy. Part exed an IWC for a 16600 for a fair deal
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I also had a very positive experience with Giles. His prices used to be a bit cheaper than many other dealers but as he has established himself they are now on par.
I've bought a couple of watches from Oakleigh Watches. Prices are less competitive than they used to be and I did have a description-related issue with one of my purchases.
Giles seems like a decent guy but, as with any internet-based seller, proceed carefully and ask all necessary questions before you buy.
I personally found him to be a bit off when I enquired about a baby PloProf he was selling a little while back. Was clearly a WatchCo rebuild (that was fine by me) but he was insisting it was 100% original and got a bit shirty when I politely probed. I'd actually made the phone call to him with the intention of buying, but changed my mind based on the conversation.
Giles was great with me. Bought a GMT Master ii from him about 4 or so years ago.
Wasn’t aware of them (him). Looks like a decent chap and might get in touch soon - for those who have purchased already: are prices final or are discounts on advertised prices possible?
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