This was posted 7 years 27 days ago, and might be an out-dated deal.

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30% off JDRT Watches - e.g. Original Collection $104 (from $150)

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30% off JDRT Watches - e.g. Original Collection $104 (from $150)
Go to Deal
Mr BoMBAStiG on 04/12/2017 - 15:24 jdrt.com (497 clicks)
Last edited 04/12/2017 - 16:37
JDRTCHRISTMAS17

I first mentioned JDRT on OzB here over a year ago and didn't want to post a deal until I had confirmed quality; now I can.

I now own 2 watches from their Original Collection (proof) and absolutely love them; the new matte black and silver look very tempting though. Clean, simple, minimal and stylish. I have about 10 bands that I swap out when I feel like it, more on this later.

JDRT's story is basically a couple of guys from Sydney building watches that they are happy with. I had a battery issue 3 months into owning one of the watches and got a call from Rhys (the RT in the company name) a day after I sent an email. He was in the US and called me on my mobile to promise everything was going to be done to get it sorted, and it was. Bloody legend.

Personally I am not a huge fan of the silicon bands but wear them every now and then because they are unique. I also get all my NATO bands from ozstraps as they are cheaper and better quality (my opinion); get the 20mm size for perfect compatibility.

Anyway, long story short: these are watches I like, even without a sale they are good value, I have worn them 24/7 for over a year, people compliment me all the time on them, they are Australian owned and assembled and their customer service is next level.

Fashion & Apparel Watch

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  • WatchNerd on 04/12/2017 - 15:35
    +5

    they are Australian owned and made

    Can you clarify what is actually made in Australia, or maybe you mean assembled in Australia?

    • Mr BoMBAStiG on 04/12/2017 - 15:40

      Yeah I questioned this too. I will modify my post to reflect their wording…

      we assemble and test everything right here in Bondi Beach, Australia.

      Australian Made requires:

      The product has undergone its last substantial transformation in Australia.

      However I don't know the level of "assembly" that goes on here.

      • caprimulgus on 04/12/2017 - 15:53
        +5

        My guess is the watch is made entirely in China, and the straps are ordered separately and attached to the watches in Australia in order to claim that they are "assembled in Australia". Standard marketing fluff.

        • PJC on 04/12/2017 - 19:56

          Agreed, that is what the Maverick Banks rep tried recently.

      • WatchNerd on 04/12/2017 - 15:54
        +5

        Assembled in Australia - could mean they put the straps on here for all we know.

        It's great that you have found a watch that you are happy with, but I couldn't say this was a bargain.

        For this kind of money you can buy a something from a watch making brand like Seiko (Orient) Citizen & Casio.
        There have been lots of watch posts lately around this price that have received high votes.

        • Mr BoMBAStiG on 04/12/2017 - 16:33
          +1

          Yes, went through many of your posts (back when you were 28degrees) as well as many of Cultural Dispatches posts when I was looking to buy a watch and settled on JDRT as it ticked more of my boxes.

          For what it's worth, the watch comes in a box without the strap on it.

          I'll flick them an email and see if they want to come and clarify.

        • [Deactivated] on 04/12/2017 - 18:45
          +3

          I love you WatchNerd

          you are like the Watchdog (pun not intended) for watches on here

        • Changskies on 05/12/2017 - 09:52
          +2

          2nd this. little more, you can get orient bambino watches, spend more and get swiss movements.

          i strongly recommend bambino if you never had automatics.
          few notable orients:
          bambino ~180
          moonphase~ 400

          if you want swiss movements, you could try tissot or victorinox for entry. tissot ~400+ for automatic Victorinox ~450+

        • sky blu on 05/12/2017 - 10:02
          +1

          @Changskies: Are you sure Orient Bambino are better? These JDRT timepieces have sapphire though!

          (wink at PJC)

        • PJC on 05/12/2017 - 10:15
          +1

          @sky blu: Sapphire Crystal is definitely a plus factor here - there really is nothing better.

  • nerdinary on 04/12/2017 - 15:46
    +3

    They're not Australian made. They use the standard Miyota movement which is made in China. It also says on their website - "Assembled And Shipped From Bondi Beach, Australia"

  • A3Australia on 04/12/2017 - 15:59
    +4

    These are 'fashion' watches.

    One would be much better off investing the $100 or more in a Citizen or Seiko.

    Edit:
    As I was typing this comment, WatchNerd has wisely said -
    "For this kind of money you can buy something from a watch making brand like Seiko (Orient) Citizen & Casio".

  • websterp on 04/12/2017 - 16:01
    +6

    You can buy similar watches from bangood and gearbest but without the price-tag. For me this looks like another MVMT wannabe brand following the same business model but trying to deceive customers with the "Aussie Made" label. Probably it meets the legal requirement to be "Australian Made" by putting mass produced Miyota movements(Japanse brand - Chinese made) inside Chinese made watch cases and attaching a Chinese made strap in Bondi but personally I would never take one of these as Aussie Made.

  • malouphix on 04/12/2017 - 17:03

    The watch cases themselves are made from a single block of 316L high grade stainless steel. This is to ensure every single watch is protected by an almost unbreakable casing.

    Internally we use a Japanese Citizen/Miyota quartz movement, powered by a high volumetric, energy dense silver oxide button battery.

    The watch face is hand crafted, with the indices applied individually and allowed to set before anything else is worked on.

    The hands require a little more delicacy which is why we use a diamond-edged cutter to ensure every hand is perfect.

    Naturally we use a sapphire crystal glass to protect the face, but also to offer an extremely high level of scratch resistance - more than what you’ll find on every high-end smartphone on the market.

    On top of this, every single JDRT watch is water-pressure tested, and is rated to 100M/330ft.

    ~~
    Wow! and the watches are so cheap, with all this quality!
    ~~

  • itevenhasawatermark on 04/12/2017 - 17:55
    +15

    Ah yes, obligatory: https://m.imgur.com/a/6CNO8

    • Mr BoMBAStiG on 04/12/2017 - 18:53
      +3

      Haha Jesus that is so accurate, now I look like a twat!

      • itevenhasawatermark on 04/12/2017 - 18:55

        No sweat, everyone starts off with a fashion watch, it's basically the gateway to world of watches ;)

        • Mr BoMBAStiG on 04/12/2017 - 18:57

          At least it stopped me wearing my Nixon!

        • WatchNerd on 04/12/2017 - 20:14

          @cymon:

          Watchuseek is a great website if you want to learn more about watches.

    • WatchNerd on 04/12/2017 - 19:19
      +1

      That's brilliant. Love it.

    • ilikeit on 04/12/2017 - 21:20
      +3

      Probably the all time highest post on r/Watches

  • AssociatedJDRT @ JDRT on 04/12/2017 - 19:25

    Hi all,

    Rhys Thomas here from JDRT. I'm going to attempt to reply to all the comments here, so bear with me :)

    Cheers,

    Rhys

    PS. Thank you to everyone here who has taken the time to critique, comment, like, dislike, suggest or merely view our website and watches. I really do appreciate it.

    • WatchNerd on 04/12/2017 - 19:36
      +2

      I'm going to attempt to reply to all the comments here, so bear with me :)

      It won't matter, this is not a bargain and that's all that matters on this awesome website.

  • PJC on 04/12/2017 - 20:38
    +1

    Excellent! Associated Rep will probably post a factory video because …

    … we assemble and test everything right here in Bondi Beach, Australia.

    … which is impressive because the workbenches resemble towels. I wonder if the tool referred to here …

    The hands require a little more delicacy which is why we use a diamond-edged cutter to ensure every hand is perfect.

    … is operated by an explorer or a traveller?

    • sky blu on 05/12/2017 - 10:46
      +1

      That page has "Our Story" LMAO

      Spot on

  • AssociatedJDRT @ JDRT on 04/12/2017 - 20:46
    +6

    As there were so many similar comments, I thought I'd summarise here:

    We are a fashion watch brand, founded in 2013.

    We use a Miyota movement and they are made in China (but shipped from Japan - we're unsure whether there is any final assembly done there, so for all intents and purposes it's Chinese). Our stainless steel case is also made in China. The dial and indices are created in China (these are hand punched brass dials with coloured lacquer applied). Our sapphire crystal is Swiss Made (sourced from Switzerland in bulk, and shipped from Japan). Our leather straps (yet to be released) are made in Australia (Jervis Bay) and Spain (Ubrique). Our silicone straps are made in Melbourne. Our NATO and Canvas straps are made in China. Each of these are made in separate factories. We originally used a single factory with our first line of watches to make and assemble everything, but decided sourcing better quality materials from individual factories was better in the long run for us (costs) and better for the customer (quality).

    One of the most important design aspects of our watches, is that the lug is welded. There is no spring bar. Hence our straps are a single piece of material and you simply need to slide in and out to change.

    Now in terms of assembly, here's what we do:

    1. Glue sapphire crystal to watch casing
    2. Attach movement to dial, and attach hands
    3. Screw in caseback with rubber gasket
    4. Test water resistance using a Bergeon Wet Tester (10ATM)
    5. Not that it means all that much, but every buckle is connected to each strap by hand.

    We are NOT Australian Made. As much as we'd like to have this on our brand, the cost to do this would be prohibitive (and the fine we'd be slapped with would be enormous, and justified). We are slowly getting more and more Australian suppliers to work with us, and we are experimenting with 3D printing, but for now the majority of our watch materials come from overseas. We do assemble as much as we possibly can. Eventually we will be Australian Made, but I suspect this will take another 5 years before we can afford to buy our own stainless steel lathe.

    I appreciate that many people think of us as MVMT imitations, but when we started MVMT didn't exist (from memory they popped up on Kickstarter while we were in the middle of our first production). Daniel Wellington was still relatively unknown, and David Bowie was still alive.

    In terms of whether you believe we are a bargain or not, really depends on your taste in watches and your style. @WatchNerd, I personally understand where you're coming from. I used to collect watches (at it's peak, my collection numbered 48 different watches). Alas, I now own a watch brand with my own name on it, so those are just gathering dust. So in terms of whether people see JDRT as a bargain versus Seiko, Citizen and Casio (as you would know, each of these brands variously split their production between China, Malaysia and Japan), really depends on their taste. I have no choice but to agree with you though, that if you are a watch collector and love the history and heritage of a watch brand then JDRT simply doesn't have it, and will never be a bargain, even if we sold our watches for $1. Maybe in 50 years time, but not now.

    Finally, we are not a big company. In fact, it's literally run out of home. So it excites me when anyone comments on our watches and brand, whether it's positive or negative. So thank you, and I will continue to answer any questions you all have. Don't hold back either - happy to keep the conversation going.

    Cheers,

    Rhys

    • [Deactivated] on 04/12/2017 - 21:05
      +4

      Unless i've missed something, that's a pretty comprehensive response.
      Thanks for taking the questions seriously and good luck trying to get it all made here.

      My view is as long as the market is informed, then the market works, whoever buys them.

      Disclosure: I once manufactured a plumb-bob using a lathe. It happened in Australia.

      • AssociatedJDRT @ JDRT on 04/12/2017 - 21:15

        Thank you AngryChicken!

        Have to admit that I needed to Google what a plumb bob is :)

      • Mr BoMBAStiG on 04/12/2017 - 21:18
        +1

        Thanks for weighing in. All the best in growing your company, I'll keep recommending you when someone likes my watch.

      • PJC on 04/12/2017 - 21:27

        Did you self-assemble the string and where was your plumb-bob factory proudly situated?

        • [Deactivated] on 04/12/2017 - 21:46
          +1

          All that happened deep into last century, so it's all a bit of a haze, but i no longer have it not that i ever needed it…

  • PJC on 04/12/2017 - 21:06
    +1

    Associated Rep, this …

    Now in terms of assembly, here's what we do:

    Glue sapphire crystal to watch casing
Attach movement to dial, and attach hands
Screw in caseback with rubber gasket
Test water resistance using a Bergeon Wet Tester (10ATM)
Not that it means all that much, but every buckle is connected to each strap by hand.

    … is not that …

    The hands require a little more delicacy which is why we use a diamond-edged cutter to ensure every hand is perfect.

    … on account of the fact attaching hands is not assembling hands.

    • AssociatedJDRT @ JDRT on 04/12/2017 - 21:13
      +2

      Hi PJC,

      Completely fair observation and more an issue with the copy on our website. Thank you for pointing this out. The truth is that we do use a specialised diamond edged cutter to create the watch hands, with the important word being "we" in this case. We sourced a specialised factory in China who own one of these and contracted them to make our watch hands. As with all our suppliers, we have visited this factory, inspected it and have operated the machinery (with guidance) ourselves. I'll update the wording to more accurately reflect this.

      Cheers,

      Rhys

  • [Deactivated] on 04/12/2017 - 21:17

    While i'm not really into fashion watches, do many get tested to 10 ATM?
    I keep seeing very expensive watches that can't handle more than a splash, so if these can then at least that's a positive.

    • AssociatedJDRT @ JDRT on 04/12/2017 - 21:29

      No, most are tested to 3ATM or 5ATM, and the majority will use Hardened Mineral Glass, rather than Sapphire Crystal.

  • AssociatedJDRT @ JDRT on 04/12/2017 - 21:43
    +1

    Cymon, thank you very much for notifying me of this forum and for your kind comments. Proud to have you as a customer, and always happy to continue servicing your JDRT watches.

    Question for the brains trust here:

    We use a silver oxide button cell battery to power our watches, and they have a life of around 2-3 years. They cost about $1-2 each, and its easy to replace one. SO, my question is, do you think customers would pay us the cost to replace their watch batteries when they run out? We would organise a letter to be sent that contains a small prepaid pouch that the customer could then return the watch in. We'd replace the battery, and mail it back. Total cost for shipping and battery would be around $15. Or just as easy to take it to a Mister Minit…?

    • PJC on 04/12/2017 - 22:29
      +2

      Mister Minit (or the equivalent at Maitland) charges $20 but I change my own nowadays and many other Members are also particularly cost-conscious.

      At your price level many customers would be reluctant to involve Australia Post. For uniqueness, consider including with each sold watch an appropriate tool, clear instructions and the next 2 batteries. No other company does that, and it may enhance customer perception of value and product longevity.

      • AssociatedJDRT @ JDRT on 05/12/2017 - 07:45

        Great idea and thank you for the feedback! I'll have a look and see how this might be done.

    • Mr BoMBAStiG on 05/12/2017 - 09:45
      +1

      I get PJC's initiative to DIY but the last thing I would want is condensation inside my watch because I didn't reseal the watch properly. Clearly I don't know a lot about watches so I'm ignorant as to how easy/hard a battery change is when it comes to keeping the watch waterproof.

      • PJC on 05/12/2017 - 09:59

        Hence the inclusion of clear instructions to avoid tampering with what I'm assuming is a rubber ring, and an appropriate tool to ensure closure. How did you learn of this discount code please?

        • Mr BoMBAStiG on 05/12/2017 - 11:01
          +1

          Marketing email, I can screenshot it if you think there is collusion.

        • PJC on 05/12/2017 - 11:43
          +1

          @cymon: They sent you a discount code more than a year after you purchased your second watch which you described as …

          Check out JDRT if you want an Australian alternative.

          … which isn't quite so Australian …

          We are NOT Australian Made.

          … as elaborated by the White Knight who appeared when this post's reception became frosty. How could such coincidences be collusion?

        • Mr BoMBAStiG on 05/12/2017 - 12:52

          @PJC:
          They prob sent it to a fair few other people too. Not sure if sarcastic but I've been accused of sock puppeting for businesses in the past and I have a personal issue, that I mostly keep to myself, with custom created coupon codes on OzB. Email.

          Sure, save some bucks and give your money directly to AliExpress or Banggood but if something goes wrong, I'd rather have local support by some guys trying to make some coin by starting their own business in Australia.

        • AssociatedJDRT @ JDRT on 05/12/2017 - 14:50

          @cymon:

          We sent this code to all of our customers who have bought watches in the past. We find that we have really great customer loyalty, and people tend to buy our watches as gifts for their friends and family.

    • sky blu on 05/12/2017 - 11:25
      +4

      I do think the $15 idea is great though. Aside from this forum and watch enthusiasts/ collectors, that would be a value-added service at a reasonable cost not many individual watch brands offer. The cost of replacing a watch battery in Australia is exorbitant, and I personally dislike my local Mister Minit after they stuff up my custom key-cutting service.

      You can design a card that shows warranty details as well as such service with every purchase, and an info page on your website. The perception of value and convenience is the key here - so it's not JUST a battery change, it could be a "mini service" e.g. check seals, remove scratches (on non-sapphire models) etc. While you're at it, offer new straps at a discount. Set up a link to an online form (Google Forms is very easy), so the customer can fill in order number, address, payment details, what service/ options etc. and the record is there in the system. Customer receives prepaid pouch, puts watch in, pops in mail and feels taken care of. Easy peasy.

  • WatchNerd on 05/12/2017 - 11:43
    +2

    As a comparison if you like this minimal style, for a similar price you can get a 38mm Citizen Eco-Drive with Sapphire Glass, 100 metres & Citizen 5 year warranty -

    Citizen Eco-Drive AU1080-38E Black $155.00 shipped
    Citizen Eco-Drive AU1080-20A White $155.00 shipped

    As the Rep said - We use a silver oxide button cell battery to power our watches, and they have a life of around 2-3 years.

    The Citizen should easily last 5 times longer before needing a battery replacement.
    Reports from members in previous deals say that the rechargeable battery is still working in their older eco-drives after 10 to 15 years or more.

    • PJC on 05/12/2017 - 12:04
      +1

      Surely you refer to the …

      … high volumetric, energy dense silver oxide button battery

      … which powers the …

      … Japanese Citizen/Miyota quartz movement …

      … which …

      … are made in China … so for all intents and purposes it's Chinese.

      … is interesting because …

      … we assemble and test everything right here in Bondi Beach, Australia.

      … Bondi Beach is not at Park Parade.

      • AssociatedJDRT @ JDRT on 05/12/2017 - 14:40
        +1

        Hi PJC - we do test and assemble everything at Bondi Beach. Park Parade was the street where I used to live, but Google Maps is a bit slow when it comes to updating addresses. I needed to list an address down in order to validate a Google+ account that we created a while back, and I simply used my home address. I've since moved but Google seems to have a bit of trouble getting me my postcard (required in order to validate Google Maps address).

        Our public mailing address is PO Box 379, Bondi, NSW 2026. We chose this rather than the Bondi Beach PO simply because it was one fifth of the price per year to rent a PO Box.

        Separately, would love to hear your opinion on the semantics of how we should present where something is made? Miyota is a Japanese sub-brand of Citizen, with Japanese heritage, but they have the majority of their products made in China. Are they Japanese, or Chinese?

    • AssociatedJDRT @ JDRT on 05/12/2017 - 15:02

      Hi WatchNerd,

      I have one of these myself and loved wearing it. The battery is still working and I bought it about 6 years ago! Of course naturally the Citizen Eco-Drive will last longer, as it uses a rechargeable battery and is powered by artificial and natural light collected on the dial. Worthy point though, and could be a good idea to use this technology (if I'm able to license it) in the next batch of watches.

  • WatchNerd on 05/12/2017 - 11:56
    +2

    Also this should be highlighted in the description as it's a pretty major design feature that restricts you to only being able to use one piece straps on these watches.

    From the Reps comment here -

    One of the most important design aspects of our watches, is that the lug is welded. There is no spring bar. Hence our straps are a single piece of material and you simply need to slide in and out to change.

    • PJC on 05/12/2017 - 12:20

      Thus enforcing brand loyalty, which is of course good for the end-user.

    • AssociatedJDRT @ JDRT on 05/12/2017 - 14:32
      +1

      I understand the logic behind this statement, and agree with it. I had never thought of this as restrictive, and was a design feature intended to make it easy for our customers to change their straps. I don't expect that many of our customers have the patience that you WatchNerd, or I, have with using a tool to change a strap. Totally understand where you're coming from with this.

  • [Deactivated] on 05/12/2017 - 18:48
    +4

    I might make a couple of comments down here…

    1. We can always have debates as to whether something is a 'bargain' or not, but generally i'd like to encourage folk to post deals and then let the voting buttons do there work. The exception is when false statements are made, and i think the retailer has been pretty straight, and a couple of explicable early misconceptions by cymon have been corrected. I think that's perfectly fine.

    2. These watches seem reasonably good for fashion watches - the pricing isn't stratospheric, they're tested to 10 ATM and the lens is sapphire, and at least there's some limited Australian engagement. Better than a lot of crap i see around the place. And the second hands are red, as the Lord intended them to be.

    3. cymon has posted this, has been around for a while, and posted a range of clearly unassociated deals. Yes he's enthusiastic about these watches, as he's entitled to be, but there is his 'twat' comment (i had a chuckle with that one) and i think we can assume he's genuine given there is no clear evidence otherwise.

    4. I'd encourage folk not to post addresses that appear to be residential, even if they happen to be accessible online. Last thing i need is all my debtors showing up on my doorstep. Top tip: Balusu's on Bondi Road does some great Indian.

    5. While welded lugs will restrict your band choice, if all you're going to use is Nato straps then it doesn't really matter. There is the benefit of more secure holding not that i've had pins fail except on crap watches.

    6. I say all this being a big of fan of Eco Drives, though i think technically they might have a capacitor rather than a battery.

    7. In terms of all the marketing guff, sure, if everyone was like me the economy would mostly collapse tomorrow, with an associated boom in pizza joints. While i'd like to think i'm mostly impervious to spin, i at least recognise there is no shortage of fashion victims amongst us, and it's good to have their needs met if only to keep them out my way.

    8. I'm hungry, and Balusu's happens to be 10min away…

    Cheers.

    • Mr BoMBAStiG on 05/12/2017 - 19:17

      AngryChicken for PM.

      • [Deactivated] on 05/12/2017 - 19:34

        That's what i keep telling everyone, but if they can't distinguish between a debtor and a creditor then i'm not sure i'd vote for them.

    • PJC on 05/12/2017 - 21:18

      That wasn't a couple, that was eight. You're forgiven this time.

  • PJC on 05/12/2017 - 21:15
    +1

    Separately, would love to hear your opinion on the semantics of how we should present where something is made? Miyota is a Japanese sub-brand of Citizen, with Japanese heritage, but they have the majority of their products made in China. Are they Japanese, or Chinese?

    It is honest to say "we get our Citizen Miyota movements from Japan". Saying who made them is superfluous unless the truth increases perceived value, so don't open that can of worms. Exclude pictures of Samurai swords and white-coated Tokyo scientists and mentions of Japanese heritage because they are misleading.

    You will not make watch movements in Australia. Nor will Maverick Banks or The Sunday Co. or Palmera Apparel or Melbourne Watch Company or Bausele. Haigh & Hastings and Winston / W Time didn't either.

    I suggest photos of this …

    Now in terms of assembly, here's what we do:

    1. Glue sapphire crystal to watch casing
    2. Attach movement to dial, and attach hands
    3. Screw in caseback with rubber gasket
    4. Test water resistance using a Bergeon Wet Tester (10ATM)
    5. Not that it means all that much, but every buckle is connected to each strap by hand.

    … will inspire more customer confidence and sell more $200+ watches than your current 'About Us' page.

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