Tufina Watches

Got an inquiry for the Watch Crunch community. My wife ran across the watch in the picture and is interested in adding it to her collection (well, in me adding it to her collection ๐Ÿ˜‚). I don't know anything about the brand, Tufina. Their website claims they have a heritage going back to 1872, but all the watches on their site really evoke AliExpress in my mind. They also claim their movements are built in Germany, but their average MSRP seems to be between $300 and $400. I am thinking this is another brand that went under and then resurrected under different ownership, similar to Invicta. However, my wife really likes the watch so I wanted to see if anyone has any information, either positive or negative, about Turfina.

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ยท

Good read here. ย Looks like the resurrected German clock maker likely owned and certainly made in China. Most advertising is Instagram and Facebook ads. Treat like any other fashion watch, that is it is over priced, but if you can get it for $100 because she likes the looks, then youโ€™re not out a ton of money.ย 

Edit. A number of threads out there. Looks like most of their service comes through Chinese translators via Albanian IPs. Good rule of thumb, never buy sponsored Instagram/FB ads of a brand youโ€™ve never heard of.

ยท

I wouldn't spend that much for a totally unknown brand. Best to find a good one if you want to be sure that it's well finished and long lasting. Or just spend less. I bet there are a hundred similar watches for under 30 bucks on ali

ยท

I don't know anything about the watch I'm afraid, but I guess it depends on how badly the wife wants it.ย 

Is she bothered about it keeping amazing time or lasting long enough to pass down to the children? If the answer is no, and if she said "OMG that watch is all I need to make my life complete!!!" with eyes like...

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..... then just buy the watch....ย 

ยท
DeeperBlue

I don't know anything about the watch I'm afraid, but I guess it depends on how badly the wife wants it.ย 

Is she bothered about it keeping amazing time or lasting long enough to pass down to the children? If the answer is no, and if she said "OMG that watch is all I need to make my life complete!!!" with eyes like...

Image

..... then just buy the watch....ย 

She really likes the design but is very frugal. She is the one who asked me to find out if it was too good to be true. She has two Starking skeleton watches she loves, but told me she would be mad if I spent over $300 on what is essentially an AliExpress watch. ๐Ÿ˜

ยท
LumegaudAnar

She really likes the design but is very frugal. She is the one who asked me to find out if it was too good to be true. She has two Starking skeleton watches she loves, but told me she would be mad if I spent over $300 on what is essentially an AliExpress watch. ๐Ÿ˜

Smart lady.

In that case I'd do as @AllTheWatches suggested and just view it as a fashion watch, don't expect a great deal from movement or finishing and view more as jewelry. ๐Ÿ‘

I can see why she likes it. The blue version is very prettyย 

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Some of their men's watches seem to wander close to Invicta territory

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ยท
DeeperBlue

Smart lady.

In that case I'd do as @AllTheWatches suggested and just view it as a fashion watch, don't expect a great deal from movement or finishing and view more as jewelry. ๐Ÿ‘

I can see why she likes it. The blue version is very prettyย 

Image

Some of their men's watches seem to wander close to Invicta territory

Image

Yes, she does like the look of it, but she has already located an acceptable substitute on AliExpress. ๐Ÿคฃ As soon as I told her it was probably a Chinese movement, she went to the website and started looking.

ยท
LumegaudAnar

Yes, she does like the look of it, but she has already located an acceptable substitute on AliExpress. ๐Ÿคฃ As soon as I told her it was probably a Chinese movement, she went to the website and started looking.

I was going to say, knowing it is made in Hangzhou. I guarantee the same factory kicks them out under a different label for a fraction of the cost.

ยท

Maybe through out a question to our honorable @AlbertaTime . If there is good Chinese manufactures focusing on, or at least put some effort in, making watches โ€suitable for ladiesโ€ he will know.

ยท

Looks like a Ali rebrand, aka mushroom brand. If she likes the style, search AliExpress. That is NOT a $200 watch. More like $30

https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/tufina-an-interesting-conversation-and-verdict.4767459/

ยท
biglove

Looks like a Ali rebrand, aka mushroom brand. If she likes the style, search AliExpress. That is NOT a $200 watch. More like $30

https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/tufina-an-interesting-conversation-and-verdict.4767459/

The butterfly skeleton watch she found on AliExpress was a $30 quartz watch. It was slightly different, but not $330 different!๐Ÿ˜…

ยท
YourIntruder

Maybe through out a question to our honorable @AlbertaTime . If there is good Chinese manufactures focusing on, or at least put some effort in, making watches โ€suitable for ladiesโ€ he will know.

The answer is kinda twofold.ย 

Yes, there are a number of brands that make good watches for women, from Sea-Gull, Beijing, Rossini, Fiyta and Shanghai through a huge number of affordable to mid-market brands to Koncise and others that make incredible pieces--in the mid-five figures and above.

That was part one. The other part is that even those brands that make some attempt to work in the men's market in the west seem to pay almost zero attention to the women's market. ย The domestic market is huge, and the womens' market in China (so far as I can see) is still largely addressed in department and specialty stores. So it's very hard to access the best range of what I'd recommend from the west.

Some are available, though, like here:

http://www.fiyta.com/product/woman/ย 

https://sea-gull.aliexpress.com/store/group/Seagull-Women-s-Watch/5117082_518323249.html?spm=a2g0o.store_pc_promotion.pcShopHead_252279287.1_7

I wish I could be more helpful.

ยท
AlbertaTime

The answer is kinda twofold.ย 

Yes, there are a number of brands that make good watches for women, from Sea-Gull, Beijing, Rossini, Fiyta and Shanghai through a huge number of affordable to mid-market brands to Koncise and others that make incredible pieces--in the mid-five figures and above.

That was part one. The other part is that even those brands that make some attempt to work in the men's market in the west seem to pay almost zero attention to the women's market. ย The domestic market is huge, and the womens' market in China (so far as I can see) is still largely addressed in department and specialty stores. So it's very hard to access the best range of what I'd recommend from the west.

Some are available, though, like here:

http://www.fiyta.com/product/woman/ย 

https://sea-gull.aliexpress.com/store/group/Seagull-Women-s-Watch/5117082_518323249.html?spm=a2g0o.store_pc_promotion.pcShopHead_252279287.1_7

I wish I could be more helpful.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge.