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I am just going for Arm Extensions and will continue to complain to Stores about the cooking instructions on food packaging getting smaller and smaller

Hahaha Fayz, Sorry dude, got a bit confused. Well my optician used to liken my eyes to rugby balls!

shafique wrote:Fayz - you're a wealth of knowledge man!

Given your ocular credentials - do you know whether it would be possible/worthwhile getting my plastic lenses repaired (the AR coating is all micro-scratched up now and I read that this coating could be disolved off and redone).

The specs I have are rimless, hingeless titanium, so I could just get new lenses too... but I have asked an optician yet, and this thread came along..

Cheers,
Shafique

There are people that will offer to remove and reapply an AR coating, don't do this it never works correctly. As plastic is a porous material the coating is absorbed into the plastic and is not evenly distributed, it will not be fully removed. This also goes with people who ask to buffer out scratches, this cannot be done correctly as the curvature of the lenses, index of the material, combined with the thickness are what gives you your prescription.

If you like the frames get new lenses, I’m not sure what costs are in the UK but Dubai is cheaper than Canada if you shop around, also remember your new Dubai motto everything is negotiable, you need to haggle hard especially if they smell you are new to the region.

Thanks Fayz - I'll just get some new lenses for the frame. I have a spare pair that I can wear whilst it's being made up.

I'm learning to haggle hard now - I got a discount out of Plug-Ins when i bought a fridge, tv, cooker and microwave off them recently - despite the assertion on 3 previous occasions that they won't give discounts. It was hard going with them and at one stage I took the discount they offered me on the TV (Liban - I bought the new Samsung 40" tv - 300dhs off) and walked out saying I would buy everything else from Carrefoure.

They rang me barely 2 mins later, asked me back and gave me 300dhs off the rest of the goods ...

It also helps if you are not actually interested in the goods either... I was offered a nice fake rolex for under 100dhs last week and 2 cartiers (his and hers) and a wallet for 210dhs... I actually only wanted to get a wallet and only bought that.. but it does make you wonder how much it must cost to manufacture these watches... probably around 60dhs!! Amazing..

cheers,
Shafique

Shaf, you should have told me you're going to plug-ins. I get good discounts at the Al Ghurair one

And those watches cost less than 60dhs to make too

Hahahah, Shaf so you discovered Karama i take it? XRW is right they are way less than AED 60, the same watches that they sell here for AED 150ish I saw in Shanghai for US 7 and that included tourist tax, do the math, they are making a killing.

The only problem with your haggling technique is you ended up with a Samsung

Karama, Gold Souk - but actually this last one for 110 was in the Al Ain centre on one of the stalls on the ground floor (just along from the Thai House - which has excellent food btw).

XR- do'h! - I didn't know I was going to buy from Plug ins - the washing machine, fridge etc were the same prices in Carrefour etc, I managed to get a discount off the Samsung TV in Eros (I got 250 off) and then went to Plug Ins who beat it by 50.

And for the watches - $7 = 22dhs, wow!

I bought a fake Patek Phillipe off e-bay for about $30 when I was in the UK and thought that was cheap (it was shipped from China). It was a great watch until it stopped working .. and proved my wife's point that it's not worth spending the dosh on these chronographs because only one person noticed that I was wearing an expensive watch in the 6 months I wore it (and even then, i told him it was fake). I'm back to my trusty Longines, quartz movement, now.. and the yen to have an expensive bauble on my wrist has passed.

Fayz - they tried to sell me a plasma, but I'm happy with the samsung LCD I've got - it had better specs than the Sony Bravia 40" and started at 1000 dhs cheaper. The contrast is 5000:1 which is as good as plasmas and even my wife likes it (which says a lot, trust me).

Anyway - you were selling one of these for a friend not so long ago..(it was a previous model though).. and said it was good...

$7 wow!

Cheers,
Shafique

All this talk about fake watches

I do often wonder why people buy such things. When someone like myself see these things and actually knows the difference between real and fake, i wonder what message they are trying to send out to peeps like myself

"hey look i can afford a 25k dhm watch" or "dohhhhhhhhh i wear cheap nasty shit"

shafique wrote:
Fayz - they tried to sell me a plasma, but I'm happy with the samsung LCD I've got - it had better specs than the Sony Bravia 40" and started at 1000 dhs cheaper. The contrast is 5000:1 which is as good as plasmas and even my wife likes it (which says a lot, trust me).

I got mine from Eros. They are the Samsung distributers here.

I have the same exact LCD that you got. Its an awesome TV. You will love it Shaf!!!

arniegang wrote:All this talk about fake watches

I do often wonder why people buy such things. When someone like myself see these things and actually knows the difference between real and fake, i wonder what message they are trying to send out to peeps like myself

"hey look i can afford a 25k dhm watch" or "dohhhhhhhhh i wear cheap nasty shit"

I agree somewhat with your logic Arnie and although I don't condone buying fakes I believe people buy things cause they think its nice and may not be able to fork out 25k for the original item. I think its called living within one's means.

I agree X to an extent. but as i actually wear the real thing and there are many others that do, it does result in sending out the wrong message.

In trying to impress the right people, IMHO it actually sends out the opposite message, ie "hey look at me i cant afford the real thing so i bought this cheap piece of crap instead, how cool am i NOT"

If worn to impress the taxi driver or bag packing assistant at spinneys i can see their point. But in a professional environment or socially it has the opposite effect.

I mean lets be honest, i have a few Rolex's, and it take me 2 nanoseconds to know the difference between a fake and the real thing. When they make a fake with the "perfect sweep second hand", i will take back everything i say.

I don't know why people want all that ritzy stuff in the first place. I have a nice two-toned Citizen Ecodrive watch that works well and is high quality. For watches etc. you can still buy quality items in a reasonable price range.

I totally agree with you K. But on the other hand, there are those that wish to portray something they are not.

Swatch or Baby G...they are cheap, cheerful, work efficiently, waterproof, shockproof and there is generally a design in the range that suits the cool and trendy guy that I am! Not expensive enough to care too much about and cheap enough to ditch if you trash them.

Rolex schmolex all that Gucci stuff is crap...probably got a set of Casio innards anyway!

No flash, no bling...and I can always tell you the time if you ask nicely!



Knight

Dubai Knight wrote:Rolex schmolex all that Gucci stuff is crap...probably got a set of Casio innards anyway!

You obviously don't know ur watches DK

Arnie - the fakes are very good - the Patek Phillipe had a sweep second hand that moved in the same way as a real rolex, in fact that is the first thing I look at when I look at the fake rolexes on display.

I was on the verge of buying a Jaeger Le Coutre, as I couldn't justify a Patek Philippe when my concience said I really did not need the watch and it was really just ego and a sense of wanting to impress.

Mechanical watches are a thing of beauty and craftsmanship - but they aren't the best keepers of time. A cheap throw-away quartz watch is more accurate than the most expensive Rolex etc.

The interesting thing was that I have a real quartz movment swiss watch that I've had for about 10 years now. I replaced this with a chunky Patek Philippe fake that looked authentic to me and also the other person that recognised the watch.

In the time I was wearing the watch, I went to board meetings, ate at Gentlemen's clubs etc where others also were wearing expensive watches. No one took the blindest bit of notice of the watch. In the end I was just tired of the fact that it did not keep perfect time and was getting paranoid about checking whether it was keeping the right time.

I dusted off my old watch and haven't looked back since.

When I make my millions, I will then buy a nice watch - probably.

I'm just impressed with the workmanship on the fakes - the Patek Philippes have crystal backs showing the workings, and the engravings on the movements (as well as the 'jewels') are convincing to all but an horologists.

I have to say that I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to pens though - and it does make me a little mad to see all the fake Mont Blancs in the shops - but my Meisterstuck fountain pen is real and a pleasure to use - I've used it daily for about 15 years now, which makes it quite good value..

I fear the clip on glasses thread is getting a bit off track now..

Liban - the tv is gorgeous... It's also the biggest computer monitor I've seen!

Cheers,
Shafique

XRW-147 wrote:

Dubai Knight wrote:Rolex schmolex all that Gucci stuff is crap...probably got a set of Casio innards anyway!

You obviously don't know ur watches DK

Unfortunately I do. I have trashed hundreds over the years, some of them worth ,000's. The most reaction I got from people in this town about the watch I am wearing came from an emergency purchase on the beach road and cost 50Dhs.! Everyone thought it was something really nice just 'cos it looked blingy!

My best mate had a Rolex. Cost him £1,500 (many years ago now!) and I had a $25 fake picked up in Bangkok. Mine kept better time, was more shockproof and looked identical to his. He stopped wearing his years ago as it was never working. I still have my fake, and it still works fine!

Another solid one that is used by many pro divers these days is the Doxa.

Me, I currently wear one that has no brand name. Still keeps perfect time, has 12 and 24 hour face, compass (very clever!) waterproof, shockproof, glows in the dark and looks fab...cost £125! Had it for 10 years and only replaced batteries. Sound investment.



Knight

Easy buddy, sarcasm

Yeah mate appreciated...just hacked off sometimes with the 'watch zealots' who bang on about how good their bling is!



Knight

Understandable mate. My view on watches is the same with everything else - each to their own. I buy things to please myself and not those around me. Afterall, its my hard earned $ that I'm spending.

Dubai Knight wrote:Yeah mate appreciated...just hacked off sometimes with the 'watch zealots' who bang on about how good their bling is!



Knight

mine is better than yours na na nana nahhhhhhhhhhh

How old are you Arnie?

Old enough to live and enjoy life to the max

He just has trouble telling the time these days!!!



Knight

With so much bling glittering back from his wrist its not a wonder he's not already blind. I bet a diamond encrusted $ pendant is not far behind

I never understand buying fakes to be honest!

If you've got the cash buy the real thing. What's the point of being a wannabe sheep and following the crowd just to look cool.

Having said that many of the fakes around aren't truly fake at all, they're made by the same people who make the actual thing. My mate bought a knock-off watch and was a bit nervous about getting the battery changed in the UK, the watch guy had to look really hard to tell the difference between my friends and the real thing, it said it was so good, you really had to know what to look for.

Chocs, did u just flame urself?

No!

U question people's motives in buying fakes...

U criticized the objective of buying fakes...

Then u say u have bought fakes

In the UK the low-cost clothing shops are in fashion - eg PriMark - who basically copy latest designer clothes and sell them cheap. The quality is good and they are very popular now, with fashionistas buying from PriMark.

They copied a jacket (military style?) that was all the rage last summer - selling for only £15.

Also, in terms of clothes at least, designer doesn't always mean better quality. In tests performed on blue jeans, the ones from Asda selling for £4 came out best, beating Levis at 10x the cost.

Wearing 'fakes' is fashionable - well it is until fashions change again..

(There are also japanese stores that have all there goods un-branded - Muji I think they're called - and this no-brand is effectively another brand (they aren't the cheapest place to shop!). go figure?

Cheers,
Shafique