http://www.timezone.com/library/tzints/tzints0014
History changes with time..... He forgot the part where his grandmother "invented the Russian Diver".
A few excerpts...............
RP: And your price point is what?
EL: At around $110 and $115. I've seen them on Ashford for $99 on special. We have them on network TV for $189.
RP: Has the TV been very good for you?
EL: Yes, it's been very good. Good advertising and keeping the price up. We don't control our dealers as to how much they can discount. But, if we see anybody selling at an inflated price point, we will stop them.
RP: Do you publish a suggested retail price?
EL: We let the market find its own price point.
RP: Doesn't your catalog have prices listed?
EL: Yes, we have retail prices printed and we use them. Most of our dealers use them as a base for discount. We're a discounted line. They will sell them at 30%, 40% or 50% off everyday.
RP: How would you describe a typical retail store that carries your line?
EL: They are owner operated and have three locations. They usually carry ten different watch brands and we'll be their brand that they can at least make some money on. Better profit and better volume. When you're at our price range, there's a lot more buyers out there than for the more expensive watches, so you'll sell more volume. We are not competing with high end watches. Look, we can show you quality time pieces that we sell in Latin America. You wouldn't believe the prices that we sell them at. I'll show you now. It's a different brand of watches that we produce that we sell for $5 or $6.
RP: Where are you headquartered?
EL: In South Florida. But I travel often to Japan, and we also have offices in Hong Kong where we have some production for the low end. There's a lot of traveling. Two weeks out of the month, I'm out of the house.
RP: When you say you are quality, master watch makers, do you mean your company buys movement kits and you assemble them yourself? Or do you buy a finished products?
EL: We buy finished movements, but we actually make the components.
RP: Where is all this being done?
EL: Everything is made in Japan, the cases and the automatic movements.