mezzanine

This sucks. I don't think I can in good conscience get the watch. And I'm not sure there's another watch I want nearly as much- so now I feel like I'm in an unfortunate position. On one level I'm surprised that the Tag gets recommended around here, given that this is obviously a significant issue. I feel that might be misleading to noobs like myself. It's disappointing to 'discover' that the watch you wanted has serious questions about reliability. I'll stop complaining now....I'm just disappointed.

Maybe nice is a relative term, when most of the replica sales are for Rolex watches. You can get a used lesser model of a gen of the same brand with the type of mid-range watches we're talking about in this thread. You disagree that the value of investing $500-600 in a rep of a mid-range watch like the Tag is not in some ways questionable?

Yup, it's a crappy dilemma for sure. The annoying thing for me, is that this is the watch I want. I thought I could just shift my attention to a different watch that had been under consideration for me at an earlier point in my hunting process- but really, there is no true second candidate, it's more like the Tag is 1a, 1b, and then down the list a fair distance is a Pam or an Omega PO....more just because they're available with decent movements. Let me know what you ultimately decide. I like the Pams, but I'm weary of how they'll fit on my smaller wrist. A pam for me would ideally be a 'second rep', in terms of once I've begun with the more conventional style Tag, I could see myself wanting to get a Pam- but not really before I've had the chance to get a watch that still fits my noobie preconception of what a watch should look like...y'know what I mean? It's funny you mentioned the quartz option. I emailed a dealer that sells the quartz version as well, and they said that the quartz version is poorer, beyond just the fact it has a cheaper movement. So that kinda diffused that possible way of resolving it. Plus, the quartz version isn't available with the blue dial, from what I've been able to find atleast. I wonder how much worse the quartz version really is? I could afford to get both the Tag and a 111 Pam if I was to go that route. One thing that I think is probably critical in this hobby, is keeping things in perspective. Yes, I could just get the Tag, and get the movement replaced with an ETA- but then IMO I'm into a cost range where it doesn't really make sense to me from a value standpoint. You can get a nice genuine on Ebay or one of the gen sites for $500-600 bucks. That's what has me thinking that if I'm going to get the Tag, I'm going to just buy it and take a chance. You read such contradictory stuff about the reliability issue.

It sounds like we're asking some of the same questions. I'm not sure about the cost of replacing the movement, or getting it serviced/fixed, but the conclusion I've reached in either case, is that the relative cost of either of those actions would be in the neighbourhood of $200, making either courses of action kinda dumb in the context of the price of the watch itself. Meaning you'd be better off to just buy a new watch, if the fixing/replacing of the movement is going to run you 75% of the original price of the watch. Maybe it would be worth it, if you consider that AFTER you replace the movement, you'd have a more reliable watch....but just think, at that point, you'd have around $500 bucks I'd have to imagine invested in the watch, and depending on what kind of deals you could find, that's getting to be around 40% of the cost of a genuine. You see why this is not as simple, once you place it into context? If I could get it serviced initially for $50 bones, I would do that. Unfortunately, for servicing, it costs upwards of $120. It seems to me that the most sensible course of action is to roll the dice and hope that the watch works. The risk in that is a little bothersome to me, being that I can anticipate the reaction I would have if I was to have my watch break down in the first few weeks. Also, what is especially confusing is to read a post like robertk's above, mentioning how he has had no problems with the 7750 movement, and then to go and read someone else's experience, and they've had two or three of these movements fail on them (even of the new 7750), and equate purchasing a watch with that movement as tantamount to throwing your money away. I'm a broke-ass student, and throwing my money away is not something I can afford to do. This would be so much easier if I didn't really want the Tag. When I sought out the community initially, before becoming inundated with the mass of information available, and the degree of variety of options, my original reason for searching out the best in replica watches was to get a Tag. The one thought I've had is to see if I can search out, locally (hamilton, ontario), a watchmaker who could service the movement on the cheap. I've read that there ARE some watchmakers that will do it for less money, but I wonder if you get what you pay for....and then there's the issue of "will they service a rep" or are they familiar with this specfic movement, etc...if you're going to a hole in the wall type place that would be the kind of place that would give you a deal.

That counts for a lot. I'm not trying to spark a debate about the value of the pricing of servicing, I know that the amount of work and cost of equiptment correlates with the price- but if it was possible to get it done for $50, then it would seem more reasonable in the context of the actual cost of the watch. It's crazy to me that I've been obsessively thinking about this for like a week now, and I'm still not closer to a decision. I'll run a search on the forum, and the number of respected members who literally equate purchasing an Asian 7750 movement with throwing your money away is scary. And although I've read some threads where the new movement is said to be more reliable, I'll go and read another one that seems to say that it really isn't reliable enough. The only way to tip the odds seems to be servicing, but IMHO, the notion of spending close to 400 bucks on a Rep that's not some 'pet' project or modded Pam or something, seems a little foolish. I know many would disagree, but you can get a decent gen on Ebay for that price. We're talking about a Tag here. If I didn't think a Pam would look slightly foolish on my wrist, I probably would've waved the towel on the Link Chrono. What bugs me is that the Link is the watch I want...so my alternatives are somewhat disappointing to me in that light.

Right now my biggest question is whether to get the Tag serviced. I've been doing a lot of reading, trying to weigh the relative benefit of investing in the servicing prior to actually receiving the watch. It seems that the average cost for pre-servicing is in the realm of $150 dollars. I'm asking myself whether it makes sense to spend $150 bucks on a watch that costs 250 dollars to begin with. I'm asking myself whether or not I'm better off just taking my chances and then if I am unlucky, I simply accept it and buy a new watch. I really am irritated with the idea of spending 250 bucks on something that might not last 6 months, based on a lot of the anecdotal reports in the community. I'm on the fence as to whether I'm going to take a risk on the asian 7750, or if I'm going to go with a slightly cheaper and more reliable Pam. I like the Pam's, even if I think my wrist is probably a half inch too small to be able to wear one and have it look good.

Well, I've been continuing to research, and now my biggest concern is the movement in the Tag Chrono. I'm concerned about the asian 7750, and the reported frequency of problems arising in these watches. It seems as though the cost of getting the watch serviced and then the inevitable subsequent repairs is somewhat avoidable. Everyone seems to be saying how the new 7750 is more reliable than the previous version, but how long has the newer version even been out? I'm not sure there's even been enough time yet to properly evaluate whether the new movement is going to be more reliable. I'm reading stuff about how people have their watch for two weeks, and that's being deemed a success and reliable. I'm not really sure. I need a watch that is going to be reliable. I'm not necessarily talking quartz reliable, but I do have relatively high expectations. Anyone have suggestions about the best direction to go?

I've read some stuff about the potential issues with this movement. It's hard to get a feel for the realistic chance of early failure. There aren't likely to be any statistics to be able to get a perspective on the actual significance of the problem...and even if someone did a poll, the tendency is always that the people with the problematic movements are more inclined to 'vote'. Is the issue of the questionable reliability of the movement significant enough that I should re-think going with a Tag? That's the direction I'm leaning in, the Tag Link....I am basing this partly on my assumption that the average person is more familiar with Tag than Omega. If I didn't have such small wrists, I would probably be getting a Pam over either of the watches I've been giving consideration to. I took pause this afternoon, and started to wonder what the realistic difference is between the subjective size of a 44mm watch vs. 42mm one. I think that the leather strap on the Pams makes them look slightly smaller, in terms of their fit, too. I have been following the thread about wrist size, and how it relates to the ability to wear Pams, and after re-measuring my wrist, I'm actually closer to 6.7 inches. I'm more inclined to go with a watch like the Tag, and then see how that fits, and if I think I can pull something bigger off, maybe go with a pam in a year or so.

I would go with the pimp-style rolex if I thought that it was in any way believable, given my *ahem* limited financial means as a student. Also, I don't like the fact that everyone sees a rolex and assumes it's fake. What appeals to me about the more mid-range watches, is that it's more feasible to pass them off as genuine. If I was to be going with a rolex, it would be a Daytona.

You mentioned earlier that your Tag gets more attention than your PO, but what if the SMP is subbed into the equation? Does that command more attention than your tag? Keeping in mind, I'm not concerned so much about the impressions of the experts and afficianados on the board, in terms of being hobbyists who have a wide array of knowledge on all of these brands, but from the perspective of the lay person, who doesn't have the knowledge of the market or brand recognition that is seen here. I've been looking at the SMP, and it appears that it is a relatively new rep. It seems that there might be an issue with a bezel pearl that's slightly off center. The dial of the SMP looks slightly busier and less elegantly styled to me than the Tag dial, but that could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending. It all comes down to the question of which is the more expensive, more impressive looking watch for me...

I've taken a look at the Omega SMP chrono, and it's safe to say that it has displaced the PO in my debate over which watch I'm going to go with. So, this has now evolved into an SMP Chrono vs. Tag Link Chrono shootout, and I think the gap just closed in terms of the competition, as I was leaning more towards the Tag until I had a chance to look at the SMP. Hmmm....

Damned if the Panerai's haven't tempted me, also. The 111h through Trusty has been calling to me, and even though I think I would enjoy the watch, the case size is something of an issue. I'm guessing that if (when) I get another rep, it will be some sort of Panerai. My wrist is right on that borderline of wrist size, where I think it could look a little unnatural. If my forearms were bigger, I don't think I'd be as sensitive to the idea, but alas, they're not. I had no idea that Panerai's are the rage that they are amongst celebrities until I saw that thread recently with all the pics. I thought it was Sly and Arnold, and that was about it....not the case, I realize now.

Very reassuring information for me, Miguel. I've been concerned about this issue, and after doing a few searches on the other forum, I actually wasn't able to successfully piece together an idea of what to expect, as far as the customs issue. That is a big relief to hear.

Thanks for the quick responses. The Omega I'm talking about is, indeed, the 42.5mm version, and I should've specified that initially. The Tag is the blue dial non-senna version (most likely). I'd read a review of the 5th generation of the 42.5mm PO, and it seemed to be in the same quality ballpark as the 4th gen, but I'd defer to you guys as being much more knowledgable about the individual differences between the later gens of PO's. Also, I realize that to a large degree this type of decision is subjective, and therefore it's difficult to really say anything beyond "get which one you prefer", but that's the problem at this point, I've been waiting for an inclination to steer me in one direction or another, but have found myself torn between these two. I know there isn't going to be that one major factor that comes in and makes it an easy decision- but I'm hoping that those that have had a similar questioning thought process with regards to these two watches specifically, can let me know how their decision came about as far as what became the deciding factors. I'm tempted to make this a 'poll', but figured if I spelled out the specific criteria I'm weighing them on, that someone more knowledgable might be able to provide some reasons that I'm not aware of as a noob, as to why one is better for my needs...ie: the whole question of recognizability to the average person on the street...

Greetings to everyone here on the board, thanks for allowing me to become part of your community...I'm sure I'll resent you all within a few months when I've dropped a grand on reps...but for now I'm grateful to be here! I'm debating which of these to buy as my first rep. The Tag was my first impulse, but the lower price of the 5th generation of the Omega PO's, as well as the higher value of the genuine Omega, has me questioning that decision. I like the orange bezel of the Omega, but I think I like the overall style of the Tag more, and all the reviews of the Tag suggest that it is every bit as accurate and impressive a rep as the Omega. Unfortunately, the predictable solution to this would be to "just get both" but unfortunately my budget won't allow for that. I've got a smaller wrist, 6.80 inches, so I'm hesitant to consider something like a Panerai, even if it DOES tempt me because of the unique styling and the fact that it appears to be the "hot celebrity watch". Yes, I'm not above these types of plebeian considerations... Speaking of such considerations, which watch would be more distinguishable to a non-watch afficianado outside of the good people of the community? I've heard it mentioned that Tag has really done a good job with their marketing, and even though the Omega would be perceived to be a superior brand by the people in the know, the average person on the street would be more likely to identify the Tag as a quality timepiece before the Omega...is this correct? I want a rep that is not going to come across to the average person as a rep (read: no rolexes), but that would still be associated as a quality watch, with the understanding that the average person does not know what a breitling is (most likely) or a Panerai (although this seems to be changing). That's left me considering these two watches. Ideally, I'd just buy both, and then pick up a Panerai for good measure, but that doesn't look possible. If you could only have one, which one would it be? I'd like to have a watch that looks sophisticated and could be used for both casual and formal occasions. That pulls me more in the diretion of the Tag, but then the higher genuine value of the Omega, as well as the boldness of the orange sways me back again to the Omega...even if I think it looks more 'sporty' than sophisticated. If price is factored in, the Omega would win. Which is the more impressive looking watch? *edit: Oh- and yes, I'm a canadian buyer, and am very concerned about customs. I've tried to ask about the way around that on the watches-guide board, but haven't had much luck.