Hi everyone
I'm an American living and working in Norway. Right now I'm on a ship in the North Sea.
My first encounter with a replica was many years ago when a buddy of mine came home from vacation. It was ofcourse, a Rolex. Small, cheaply made and obviously a total fake. But still, it got my interest even if I didn't like the watch. More and more friends came home with these and all of them were Rolexes. I think that is why I shy away from Rolex, seems like most people automatically think they're fake even when they're genuine.
My next encounter was when another friend came home from the Far East with a real replica Breitling. He told me how they didnt try to sell it as genuine, took him to a visit to the factory where they made them and showing how each component was stamped like the original. I was sold. The watch had the look and feel of a machine, not a watch.
Then I was on a ship and we had port of call in NewYork. I was walking in Manhattan when this guy asked me if I wanted to by a genuine Rolex for $800. I answered no, its a fake! So he tried to convince me that it was the real deal by showing me other cheaply made copies and giving prices on them that went all the way down to $20. The $20 one was like the ones' my friends first brought home. So I convinced him that I knew that all of them were fake and started haggling the price of the $800 "genuine article" I think I was pushing for like $50 when the captain of the ship grabbed me away and put me in a taxi because we had to go. Damn! I wanted that watch! It looked and felt great and I didn't even care that it was a Rolex!
After that my wife and I were on vacation in Portugal when I arrainged with the bartender at the hotel to meet a guy that sells replica Breitlings. My wife (now ex) exlaimed that if I meet the guy, its over! " because you are so stupind and always get ripped off!" So.. no watch that time either.
So it was then I started looking on the internett. I don't know why but the interest just kind of faded away. Until a few weeks ago when an add came up on Facebook. So I started looking and looking. Got it in my head that I wanted an IWC. FOund all kinds of sites selling the reps, warnings not buy, to be aware of forums because they just support bogus dealers, etc etc. But then I read a review by Pugwash of the IWC Aquatimer. Gosh, that guy can write a review that makes you almost HAVE to have the watch! Look at the pics and read the description sold me. The article lead me to find this forum.
I joined and started reading through the threads, reviews etc... Really really cool what you guys are doing here!
So I'm FINALLY buying my first replica!! I don't care that its a replica, for me its almost better than getting an original...Can't wait to get home!!