Now you live in SG you have easy access to all the knock off Asian stuff
It simply depends on what you define as "quality". For me is it having something either made, so it is unique, or franly exclusive, so I do not see it 20 times in Zurich - for others could quality mean the weight of Gold chain they get per 100 bucks... why do I actually try to explain somebody the concept of quality who likes US cars?
Seriously: the week before I left did I try to get a replacement strap for a Swiss watch in Zurich: "Uh, oh, Blancpain.. no we need to order that... about four weeks!" Here they simply have it on stock. I never understood who volunteerily brings their money to Bahnhofstrasse. It is not just expensive and bad service... it just isn't fun.
Versus somebody who had a dark blue, manual Audi with cloth seats.
I guess it has something to do with lack of other places to go? Not everyone is able to travel around for his shopping, ya know?
But seriously: Ever been to a Christ shop? It really is a supermarket for mass market jewelry. Clueless staff that just as well could sell meat at Coop.
It is the single one shop in Switzerland that has a service so bad that even I wrote a complaint letter the one and only time I was their customer. I got the battery of a quartz watch which I bought there previously exchanged. Something that takes five minutes in Germany or anywhere else, but in Zurich, you need to leave it at the shop and they will inform you by post (!) when it is ready. Never got the letter, so I asked per telephone if my watch is ready for pick up. Their employee who apparently cannot use a mute button talked loudly in the shop to his colleague and called me an idiot (!) while I could hear him... As an aswer to my complain did I get a five CHF voucher to be used exclusively for watch servicing exclusively at the same shop and was valid for a year (how often do you exchange the batteries on your watch?)... and a standard letter which made it more clear that complains go to the trashcan than to the manager of said employees.
I bring my money elsewhere and yes, I rather wear either a Swatch or a high end watch. I do not understand what a 800 CHF watch is good for.
You will see loads of CH numbers as far over the border as Metzingen on any weekend. And if we talk about jewelry you can probably even pay the trip to other EU cities on the price difference... or buy online. Last time I bought jewelry I got it made from bluenile.com. Beats street prices here by far, so I am sure it beats Zurich by 50%.
He will probably exchange batteries for the rest of his life insulting customers and not having the slightest clue how he should be doing his job. So in essence a bit like some of the IT guys on this forum.
And what about this until 70% (Herbst Aktion) promo? Would you rely or is defective units?