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danzeman22

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Posts posted by danzeman22

  1. Apple Visionary Steve Jobs Dies At 56

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Jobs was certainly 1 of the world's greatest product marketers. With insanely great timing/luck, more drive than a starving bulldog & an artist's eye for re-branding (or theft, depending on whether you are reading this on an Apple product or not), Jobs was able to squeeze unimaginable profits out of Apple's rocky success.

    Requiescat in pace Steve. :notworthy:

    Lol theft? what did Jobs steal?

  5. To wear or not to wear

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Don't generalize my statements to indirectly support your case; Yes, I'd rather have a Super Rep at 1/10th the cost of the Gen, and send it off to a Community artisan for servicing, rather than a $900 "dip and swish" by apathetic minimum-wagers at a Rolex AD. This doesn't mean I am saying "gens are the same as reps". That would be an insane statement. There are brass monkey POS reps out there which stain your skin green and get freaky with your GF while you're at work. :yuk:Gen watch companies want my business? Fine, then don't insult me with pricing that has a lot more to do with marketing than substance, and then hand me over to your dealership network which supplies substandard services for king's ransom prices. This is the reason I only bring my car to a trusted local mechanic. Audi/Porsche dealership burned the interior with a cigarette and refused to acknowledge it. By not replacing a $300 piece of trimwork, they screwed themselves out of $15k in service business. This is the mentality you get from luxury sales and service. This is what needs to end if they want my money.

    I respect your opinion but from my older university days i think you value different sets of product attributes when searching for a product. You associate with the brand but don't want to pay the price as you don't perceive quality and value for money. That is fair enough and you are probably satisfying your basic needs (maslow= safety, physiological while still achieving your esteem needs)...

    Also was in no way twisting your words to support my case, simply stating the facts as you present them. To some 7 grand is not that much for a watch that will last 10 or 20 years and still have value at the end of that period. Gens hold their value and in some cases appreciate, a rep is still a rep no matter how "super" it is.

    Don't take me the wrong way but i have enjoyed reps and don't hold any grudges towards people who wear them.

    This post below is great and worthy of a +1

    Wow, some excellent feedback from both sides. Thanks everyone. I get the impression (and perhaps appropriately so) that most of the folks who own the gens are less apt to sport the reps publicly, and those of us who can only afford the reps (but fancy themselves into thinking them indistinguishable to 99% of people, me included), are perhaps more likely to wear them (albeit with sensible discretion).

    I bought an IWC rep this year, but only wore it publicly maybe 2-3 times before I sold it (apparently I agreed, it was trying to be something I'm not, it just never felt right, despite my admiration of the design/its beauty), whereas my rep Omega PO with rubber strap is worn daily (I really dont have any problems with this one, as I feel the gen is within my grasp but I'm perfectly happy with the rep). Personally I've never had anyone question one of my reps, so I'll not be labeled as one of the types to not admit as such if/when asked. No shame in explaining "its a custom watch, etc etc" especially if its an unbranded rep like the PAM I just bought. Its so true that most folks never notice or are indifferent.

    Personally I always notice watches, always have for some reason. Not in terms of making a socioeconomic evaluation of the people I come across (far from it), just a fan of watches is all. I make it a habit of complimenting people on their timepieces if I see something I admire (especially if its uncommon). People always love that. Not just the overpriced gens either. A buddy of mine bought a Suunto with all kinds data measuring capabilities, very cool. For the record I dont wear or sport any other jewelry and typically make it a point not to wear branded clothing. For some reason, I do love me a nice watch though.

    As for the moral implications/human rights issues, unfortunately I feel this applies to so many things we as consumers take for granted, beyond reps. Nonetheless a very important subject and obviously something I didnt consider when starting the topic, but I'm glad it was raised.

    I'm still trying to determine how or why I'm an idiot for paying cash for a used car. Its a really nice/great performing car with a solid motor, and had low mileage from single owner (I ended up paying about 60% less than what he paid retail). I absolutely love not having monthly payments, a real win/win to me. My home is my gold mine as far as tax breaks are concerned. But then again I'm a small fish in a big pond. In any case, wasnt my intention to dismiss or discredit the folks who do lease. To each his own.

    My guesstimated middle class percentages are clearly rejected. Point taken. Obviously definitions vary as to what qualifies, and everything is subjective. Wasnt my intention to make political implications aligned with the current administration. Whatever your definitions, the middle class is a large group, and I dont feel (being a member of this group) that our society is as class conscious as they may be in some EU nations. If I'm way off base here, fair enough.

    Fakemaster, thanks for making me laugh out loud, and Wombat247, great posts. All this great feedback hopefully only strengthens each of ours appreciation for this diverse forum and our shared passion for watches.

    (in terms of cars: i am talking from a purely business point of view(tax breaks, capital structure etc..), if it is a family car that you will keep cash is king and can lead to some great deals.The comment i made led to people playing the man and not the ball which is the issue of this conversation.)

  6. To wear or not to wear

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    .I put it to YOU, danzeman, that as someone who only buys Gen that YOU are the one fooling yourself that you have anything better than I.

    When did i claim i had anything better than you? That aside you are intimating a gen is no better than a rep!!!! Just like a replica ferrari is as good as the real deal, well at least the rep owner will tell you that.

    I have bought both gen and reps and am now more comfortable with just gens nothing more nothing less, personal preference. :) So if YOU deduce that i think i am better than you i think you need to have a major rethink.

  8. To wear or not to wear

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    When I mentioned box stores, I wasn't talking about taxes at all. I was talking about the labor used to build the stuff they sell. "Made in China" means they use the same atrocious labor practices to build the stuff you see in box stores as they use to build quality reps. Academically, nobody likes these practices yet they get all amnesiac when their currency is doing the talking.

    Big box store selling chinese products i get that. So when a big box store e.g. walmart, kmart etc.... they pay taxes, which in turn benefit the community in which they are sold, so the money is flowing in a positive direction. Unlike the counterfeit market which has 70 to 80 percent flowing into cartels which operate in people smuggling, black mail, sweat shops, drug trafficking etc.... Drawing parallels to an illegal sweat shop and say a vietnamese nike production facility of today is well i guess pulling the long bow yet again.

  9. To wear or not to wear

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    The same is true of almost everything you buy from Walmart, Kmart, Home Depot, Target, Lowes and every other "box" store. How about buying a car off a 3 year lease? Most of the depreciation happens in the first year anyway. The last Jeep I bought was off a 3 year lease and I sold it for $6k less than I paid for it 4 years later. I only sold it because it was a 6 cylinder and lacked the power I need. My other car is a 94 Jeep. I paid $7k for it 11 years ago. It's still running strong and I have no plans to get rid of it. My other car is a 2005 Suburban for which I paid 66% of the list price and I intend to keep it at least another 10 years. My other other car is a '79 Alfa Romeo for which I paid $3k 15 years ago. After 10 years, an owned car is fully depreciated and a properly maintained car will last twice that long. This might not be an option for you if your car is necessary to for the maintenance of your self esteem. Personally, I don't give a rat's ass what car people drive and don't give a rat's ass about people who care what I drive. I've always said that the people who are impressed by material objects are not worth impressing in the first place.I don't know about your math but I know about mine. You can make all the arguments you want but leasing ANY Benz is a waste of money. If you can afford it, great, but don't insult our intelligence by asserting that there's any economy in leasing a car- let alone a Benz. The truth is that leasing a car for 3 years costs as much out of pocket as owning a car for 6 (assuming a 38% tax bracket and intelligent financing of the purchased car). When you lease a car, you are personally paying for the first year of depreciation. I'm not going to run around calling other people "idiots" simply because they have different buying choices than I do, but you really think about what you say before you lip off. Fortunately for me and the entertainment of all who read my posts, I don't instill any such restrictions on what I say.Of course, it's always possible that you don't know what the hell you're talking about most of the time anyway.

    I live in Australia, and we pay considerably different tax rates to wherever you are from. So lets just shut that discussion down.

    Big box stores pay taxes, taxes which go back into the community i would say thats a big difference between the cartels which load up the rep world :)

    • Like 1

  10. To wear or not to wear

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Interesting perspective, but, it does rather rely on the end buyer only buying rep goods for the associated prestige value, rather than simply an appreciation for the form aesthetically. I can certainly understand the moral point you raise as well, in the same way that I can understand why some people choose to be vegetarians or vegans, but, I don't feel strongly enough about that issue to actually abstain myself. Certainly not when so many premium products are made under less than ideal conditions anyway (sneakers, for example)Wearing a rep does not automatically mean that the person is doing so to 'pretend to be someone they're not', and I wouldn't label someone accordingly, in fact, I'd think less about the person who bought the genuine item, and thought that the ability to do so actually meant something, or made them a better person, than I would about the person who buys a rep. That said, I would look very unfavorably on someone who bought a rep and tried to pass it off as genuine, if asked politely about it.One thing's for sure, I'd take the members of this forum, over the snobs of gen forums any day :)

    TeeJay we meet again :)

    I agree about the moral issues, it was just an eye opener for me and something i had never really associated with the rep watch industry ( kids losing arms etc... pulled at my heart strings i guess)

    That is why i never wore the reps out of the house, i didnt want questions etc... I think a large portion of people with reps would pass them off and are using them as quasi status symbols or status builders.

    Each to their own and i still will enjoy reading the rep forums etc...

  11. To wear or not to wear

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    well, cartels and their sinister activities are beyond the scope of what the OP wanted to hear about, imho, but I wont stop wearing reps because of that. There are lots of other goods that have less than noble backgrounds to them. I wear all my reps in public and don't mind people sneaking a peek at them, or even commenting on them.

    Each to their own. It is one of my reasons for not wearing them and subsequently selling them :)

  12. To wear or not to wear

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Hey,

    Interesting topic and i will have a go at replying quickly...

    I never wear my reps in public only have them to look at and play with, now i am selling out of reps all together and sticking with my gen rollies. Why you might ask? well my views on this have changed recently after reading a few articles and becoming a bit more informed.

    I also recently read about cartel involvement in the manufacture of replica handbags, shoes and watches and the human rights issues that go along with them. Children forced to work, mothers, daughters and older people forced to work for little pay and punishment. The rep industry supports some of the most violent and ruthless criminals in the world and all for what? so we can feel a bit better about ourselves wearing a "faux" rolex or whatever the brand? It is plain selfish and a movement i do not want to be part of anymore.

    So if you can't afford a 10 or 20 grand watch buy what you can afford and don't pretend to be someone your not, you are only selling out yourself.

    On a second note, i have a leased cls63 amg, doesn't mean i can't afford it but for tax purposes it works out better :) Idiots buy cars outright (unless its a collector e.g. rolls royce).... Most heavily depreciating items known to man.

  15. IWC BP5004 on HKTAN

    in The IWC Area

    Posted

    Hey,

    Sweet watch love the hktan similar to my 5002 that i am selling.

    The thing with the working PR is there is no mod to fix the sunken date wheel problem. It is hit and miss but the non functional PR is more accurate than its working PR brother. Both good reps none the less.

    You made some great investments in this to take it from a $160 rep to nearly gen :) good work and it looks great again

    Also no rep is ever better than a gen, the gen is a gen for a reason and their is a reason why they are copied :)

    Dan

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