Here's the thing... all rep enthusiast obviously love (and buy, or aspire to buy) gen watches. We get every bit as much satisfaction from the gens as they do. But we also get the satisfaction of, not only owning, but also modding our reps.
I draw a parallel with cars: Not everyone can own a ferrari, and if you do save up and buy a ferrari 355, you're probably not going to modify it. But that doesn't stop you from owning, and more importantly, modding cheaper cars like skylines, sti's, lancer evo's etc etc. Modifying is infinitely more interesting than the one-upmanship that inherently goes with gen-only ownership.
The snooty gen-only brigade are missing out on a whole other side to watches... the nitty gritty of how they work and are put together; The nuances between and among different movements etc.
The best thing (imo) about the rep scene is that you really learn about watches. Anyone who can afford a similar amount of gens as the average rep enthusiast owns reps, probably wont have the inclination to pore over every little detail about the workings of the watch, and so the elitist mentality is able to come to the fore.
At the end of the day, they're the ones who are missing out.