By-Tor

Thanks man.

I'm glad you liked the review. It really is even better looking watch "in the flesh".

Good morning friends!

I'll start the week with my Aquaracer. The best looking sports chronograph ever made (imho).

Very cool idea. Where did you get the Hydronaut dial?

That is now a complete fantasy watch, but personally I wouldn't mind. Who would ever know?

@Mentalist: Sorry for the late reply.

I got my ETA Noobmariner from a fellow member, Falco. I don't remember where he got it originally. My watch had new hands with better lume. The rehaut on the ETA version was a bit shallower... otherwise it was the excact same watch. I don't have it any longer though.

Excellent Sub replica.

Amazing shots Jiro. Thanks for sharing... and I'm glad you enjoy your Broad Arrow.

Welcome man!

Jiro is a good guy, has excellent taste in watches... and he takes nice photos.

That's very nice comparison Steph. Thanks man.

I also like the solid middle link bracelets on TW Best and MBW, although technically they're not as accurate. On the other hand Noobmariner bracelet has excellent satin finish.

So, by-tor, one that silix offers right now is different than yours?

How's the bracelet different from yours?

Man...almost pulled trigger on silix's smp.....maybe I should wait....hmmm

I have no idea... sorry man. I don't go to dealers' websites at all. I don't even know the URL to Silix. Perhaps you could post a pic of their SMP?

@predfan: Very nice mods you have done to your Sub. I love it.

That's really cool man. Which color is your favorite?

@mezz: I agree that 5 would be the ideal amount of watches. But I simply can't narrow it to 5. I own reps that I just can't sell... they are so nice. And it often goes in cycles... my old Bond Seamaster can sit in its box for 3-4 weeks straight... but then I suddenly feel like wearing it again. Like today... it always feels like a new watch after a while.

I'm not much of a collector, either... but (imho) the Link Chrono, UPO and ETA SFSO are all collectors items for sure. Personally, I'd rather have "ultimate version" of the 42mm Planet Ocean, but that's just me.

Thanks Pix.

chrgod added an overview of the Monaco "Sixty-Nine". There's newer and more accurate version out, but I haven't found any decent pictures of the rep. Ruby did have one for sale, but her sales pics were very poor quality (full of reflections and noise)... so I'm looking for better shots of this model:

http://replica-watch.info/forum/viewtopic....ighlight=monaco

When did the SMP chrono come out?

I would have to go for my railmaster but i dont know when that came out.

me too

I wrote this review in November 16th, 2006. Mine is from the first batch, with correct ETA datewheel. I guess it came out in October... or early November 2006.

http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showtopic=15282

UPO came out in December, 2006.

Thank you gentlemen, the pleasure was all mine.

And once again: If someone wants to submit reviews for this guide, please do so. I'm not a hardcore TAG expert, I have mostly relied on other people's reviews and information.

I'm wearing the classic agent watch today.

Nanuq you lucky bastard!

Once again great thread idea Mezz,

I guess I'm not that much of a "brand person", either. But I have an obsession with certain models, such as the Rolex GMT Master. I sold all my previous ones and I'm now waiting for the "final" version of this watch from bklm. Something that I can keep for good, something that doesn't have small but annoying flaws that resulted me to sell my old reps.

While I have never fallen into the trap of "buying everything" I always wanted the best available rep version of the watches I love. But I will never pay $800 or $900 for ANY replica, that much is certain. That's just insane. I think $350 is pushing it already. I once paid about 550€ for my modded MBW and I don't think it was worth it. But that's just me.

The "mainstream" brands, Rolex, Omega, Breitling and TAG all interest me a lot... something about certain models just "do" it for me, it's impossible to explain. On the other hand IWC's rarely have the same effect, although I admire IWC... it's certainly an amazing watch brand, and I could imagine myself buying a IWC eventually. But not a PAM, never. You know how I feel about PAMs... I respect PAMs... very original and nice watches, but it's the same kind of respect that you have for very nice (but ugly) women. You can be good friends with them, but there simply can't be the "flame"...

I always purchase bulky sports watches. Mainly because I'm tall and big and wear sporty clothes most of the time... those kind of watches simply suit for me the best. There are certain watches that I really, really admire... like the AP Royal Oak chrono, VC Overseas and some Pateks and Breguets, but I don't want to buy such reps because pricing of the gens is so much overboard for a normal person. I only buy reps that I could realistically purchase as gens... steel Rolex, TAG, Breitling, Omegas...

I'm also a HUGE fan of Zenith Flyback Rainbow and Ebel 1911 BTR. Those two watches again fall into the same category with my other purchases: rather bulky and colorful sports watches. Too bad there are no reps of these.

I'm extremely happy with my "core collection". At the moment I only have 6 watches!!! I think I'll aim at 8 or 9, max. Best quality, and regular wear for all of them. I've never wanted to collect things that I don't use. This is the exact reason why I divorced my first wife in 2001.

One note on the Golf watch: The genuine is Titanium, while all the reps seems to be Stainless Steel.

Thanks man. I made the first edit.

Another watch whuch can be mentioned is the Monaco Sixty-Nine, a very special watch, with reversible lcd/analog display. The replica of this one is neat.

Could you (or someone) make a small description for the Monaco Sixty-Nine rep and PM it to me... so I can add it here? It'd be appreciated.

As usual...

Pinned...

TT

PS: @J - you may want to repost in your personal section as well...

Thanks M. Appreciated (again) my friend.

I rather keep these general brand guides in the brand specific subforums only, because they're not reviews in the traditional sense... and definitely serve the members best here. And besides, it's a pain in the [censored] to always update them all (in multiple places) when I make changes and add new information.

Now we only need Pugs to finish the IWC Guide... and someone to make a Panerai buyer's guide.

Thanks all.

Another brilliant guide, thank you for the effort. It is only when you read through such a guide, it becomes apparent how many good replica's of each brand we are blessed with now!

Yeah, I agree. I was quite surprised myself... when I parsed this thing together.

The funny thing is... you can buy many fairly accurate TAG reps for around $100. Those quartz versions are surprisingly good. Of course some members would never buy a quartz (gen or rep), but I felt the "budget" ones were important to add here as well. Cheap and quartz doesn't necessarily mean inaccurate (at least not when it's about TAG reps).

FIRST: PLEASE DON'T PM ME AND ASK ME TO FIND OR RECOMMEND A WATCH (OR DEALER) FOR YOU. I DID THIS GUIDE SO YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF! Don't hesitate to reply this thread and ask questions and give suggestions. There are lots of knowledgeable people in the forums who can help. I don't get paid for this, it's just a hobby... and I certainly don't have time to be every newbie's personal watch consult. So please don't take it personally when your PM gets ignored.

Also keep in mind that all these descriptions always refer to one particular replica version. Only the best individual replicas of each model are listed here and it's your job to find out which dealer has the best one. Typical ignorant question sounds like this: "Is Joshuas Aquaracer better than Kings?" There are no such things as "Joshua's Aquaracer", these watches always come from different factories and all dealers (usually) get the exact same ones from the exact same sources. And if you can't find a particular replica model listed here, you can be sure it's not worth purchasing. THANK YOU FOR READING THIS AND UNDERSTANDING!

Also note that you have to be a member (and logged in) at RWG.cc and RepGeeks to be able to read all the member reviews.

I finished the Omega Guide 2005, Breitling Guide (with the help of other members) 2006, so I guess 2007 is a perfect year to release a TAG Heuer replica buyer's guide. There's bigger demand for this now, because the factories have concentrated on TAG more, and released some amazing replications.

The first version of this Guide was something I parsed together during the slow office days. I hope it helps (especially the new) members again to figure out what they like... and what are potentially good purchases.

If I have forgotten to add an important or essential review of some specific watch, please let me know and I'll add it. Specific watch reviews are linked to RWG.cc. Readers of Repgeek and RWI have to be members of RWG.cc (and logged in there) in order to view them.

Please note that availability of some of the TAG replicas is limited, and not all dealers carry them. Once again I don't endorse any dealers so you have to find out yourself which dealer(s) sell the specific versions.

Special thanks to all community members for their reviews and pictorials. Also special thanks to TTK, Keyhole, Ruby and Perfect Clones for some reference pictures.

TAG Aquaracer Chronograph Day-Date Asian 7750

Incredible replication. Besides the day/datewheel, (which is always more or less crooked on the Asian 7750) it's almost impossible to find a flaw from this rep. The paint on the caseback markings is a bit darker on the replica. If you're really, really obsessive it can be "lightened" easily with an abrasive compound. In my opinion this replica surpasses even the Link Chronograph in accuracy and feel. Amazingly beautiful watch, and definitely one of my all-time favorites.

My review of the TAG Aquaracer Chronograph is HERE.

My comparison between genuine and replica Aquaracer Chronograph is HERE.

How close is the rep? World Traveller put it side-by-side with the gen HERE.

TAG Link Automatic Chronograph Asian 7750

This watch was among the first "Super Reps". Its accuracy was quite shocking when it was released August, 2006. It's not perfect though, the datewheel should be ETA-type, and the rep uses standard Asian 7750 date. Also, the 3' hour marker is a bit misaligned (barely detectable though). The bracelet quality and finish are remarkably good, and even the original resizing method has been copied flawlessly.

There's also a quartz (fantasy) version of the Link Chronograph, which is very inaccurate but according to member reports it's rather nicely built. There's also a neat (but again highly inaccurate) quartz replication of the TAG flagship model, Link Calibre 36 chronograph.

MEMBER REVIEWS:

My TAG Link Chronograph review covers the whole Link replica compilation, and has a PDF instruction file for bracelet resizing. You can view it HERE.

Read how the Link compares against another "Super Chrono replication", the Omega Seamaster Chronograph HERE.

Maxim reviews his "brushed bezel" version HERE.

TAG Carrera Automatic Chronograph Asian 7750

This watch comes in various dial colors and combinations. The special models are the sporty "Racing" with black rubber strap and red stopwatch hand, and the dressy two-tone version. This watch comes from the same factory as the Link and Aquaracer Chrono. The replication is excellent, even the glass transparent caseback looks relatively close to the genuine article.

Here's Colinmgzt's observations of the replica:

"Bracelet is classy, there is a small difference in the spacing between the centre links. Otherwise perfect, including clasp and quality of engraving. Case, horns, pushers and crown are all identical. Besides the datefont being a bit off of the genuine ETA wheel, the main difference is the 6 and 12 sub dial chapter rings, they are wider than on the gen, initially I thought it was because of the silver on black making them look larger but they are larger."

MEMBER REVIEWS:

Colinmgzt made excellent gen vs. rep comparison of the Carrera Chronograph. You can view his review HERE.

TAG Mercedes SLR Quartz

A new Super-rep? Well, it certainly looks that way. The new 7750-powered "seconds at '3" SRL has a double AR-coating and all the good stuff from the gen. Looks like the rep is very accurate, but I'm still waiting for a full review of this watch.

MEMBER REVIEWS:

Takashi made a great review of the SRL. Read his impressions HERE.

TAG Link Automatic ETA

Excellent replication. Unfortunately the Link Automatic never got the attention it deserves, because the release of this rep was hugely overshadowed by the Link Chrono. Chrgod thinks the non-chrono might be even better replica of the two. I gotta admit the rep is excellent. Actually the genuine Link should come with polished bezel, and it's brushed on (at least most) replicas. This is an easy fix though, you only need some abrasive metal polishing paste if it bothers you.

MEMBER REVIEWS:

Chrgod reviews his magnificent ETA Link HERE.

TAG "Tiger Woods" Professional Golf Watch

Here are Keyhole's observations of the rep:

"The Tiger Woods Tag Heuer Golf Watch has finally been repped properly. Previous versions have left us wanting a more accurate replica, and this time around the replica makers have left me satisfied. The dial is properly reproduced to represent the dimples of a golf ball. These are highly pronounced and give the dial a personality not found on other watches.

The Tiger Woods Tag Heuer Golf Watch is a great value for the price. It can generally be found for between $110-$130. For a little bit more you can even receive a box set that includes a Tag Heuer hang tag, circular zipped box, warranty card and papers. If you are an avid golfer or just a fan of the sport, I highly recommend picking one up!"

Please note: The genuine watch is made of titanium, and all the replicas are brushed stainless steel, which gives the case a bit different appearance.

MEMBER REVIEWS:

Read the whole review by Keyhole HERE.

Taiji's excellent review can be found HERE.

TAG Link GMT ETA/Asian 21J

I'm not sure if all Link GMT's have the "200 meters" writing on the dial. The "serious" flaw on the "plain" version is the GMT hand "triangle", which is wrongly shaped. The bezel numbers seem to be thinner on the gen as well. The another Link GMT (with pushers) is also available in Asian 21J, which makes it very interesting "bargain" buy. According to reports the bracelet is the same high quality one that's used on the more expensive Link Chronograph.

Please note that the white dial version of the "pusher" GMT is a fantasy watch. No genuine white version exists.

MEMBER REVIEWS:

Timepiece wrote a great review of the Link ETA GMT HERE.

TAG Carrera & TAG Carrera "Twin Time"

The non-chronograph Carrera is TAG's "casual dress model", and it competes against the likes of Omega Aqua Terra and Rolex Explorer I. These are rather new replications. Both look quite accurate to my eye. But here comes the major BUMMER: The factories have made an utterly idiotic mistake again, the "Twin Time" version should have black datewheel (instead of white), and the standard version should have white date (instead of black). At least the current models should. On the reps the dateweels have been installed other way around.

The "Twin Time" version is a GMT watch, which uses the good old "faux" ETA 2836-2 GMT modification. My personal experiences of this "GMT hand below the hour hand" faux GMT have been excellent. Both of these reps come with gorgeous transparent glass back.

MEMBER REVIEWS:

No member reviews of this watch yet.

TAG Carrera Classic Chronograph, seconds at '3 Asian 7750

Here we have the "Tricompax" version of the Carrera. This is actually very good replication, but who in God's name mixes up the colors on the datewheels? Guess what, this one has the same idiotic issue as the Carrera Twin Time. Black version should have black datewheel, and the white one should have white. But apparently this is too complicated for the lobotomy patient who installs them into these watches.

Other than that, a brief comparison against the gen gave good results. Looks like a winner. Ziggy has given his ok to the seconds at '3 7750 modification as well.

MEMBER REVIEWS:

No member reviews of this watch yet.

TAG Monza Calibre 36 Asian 7750

The rep looks quite accurate, but the subdial spacing is off. The rep also has very nice glass transparent glass caseback (as per genuine). I'm looking for detailed description/review for this watch. If you can help, please do so.

MEMBER REVIEWS:

No member reviews of this watch yet.

TAG Grand Carrera

It's actually quite amazing that this kind of watch has been replicated. We couldn't have DREAMED about replica like this 3 years ago. All is possible due to seconds at '3 modification, which gets an "ok" from Ziggy. Actually the gen doesn't contain any new horological innovations (despite the "Grand" label). The gen uses a 2894 movement, and the Asian version probably has thicker case (because 7750 requires that). Other than that (and the usual misaligned date), the rep looks mighty good.

MEMBER REVIEWS:

Read Morlock's review of this great replica HERE.

TAG Carrera 2008

Nice looker. Too bad about the subdial rings, which (according to reports) aren't accurate. There's also some questions about the actual size of this watch. Gen is 43mm, but King says the rep is just 41mm, which leads us to believe that they just used the case of the standard/classic Carrera chrono. This hasn't been verified yet.

MEMBER REVIEWS:

Morlock reviews this watch here.

Onzenuub's great article is HERE.

TAG Carrera Calibre 1

First TAG rep to use the Asian Unitas movement. Very nice "budget buy" as the selling price is very reasonable. According to chrgod it's a nice big watch, with double AR. Crown seems a bit thicker on the rep, but it actually suits the design better. The red on the seconds hand also seems a bit rough.

MEMBER REVIEWS:

Mastrmindalliance reviews this replica HERE.

TAG Indy 500 Chronograph Quartz

Azerbyjam's observations of this rep: "Underneath the 1/10th second register, the ‘Tag Heuer Indy 500’ text is clear, but perhaps not as crisp as you’d expect to find on the gen. At a glance it’s perfectly legible, but close up it looks ever so slightly blurred. The Tag Heuer Logo underneath the 12 o’clock marker, also suffers from this very minor problem. On the Tag Heuer Indy 500, there’s a coating to the hour and minute hands as well as the markers (except 12 o’clock) and around the rehaut, next to the hour markers. It’s pretty weak and won’t last long, but it’s nice that the rep makers have gone to the trouble of adding it to the rehaut as well.

The movement is a Swiss Eta quartz G10 711, 4 jewel. I know nothing about quartz movements, but I understand they’re pretty bullet proof and if the worse does happen, are cheap to service or replace. One of the nicest features though is the chronograph records to 1/10th of a second accuracy."

MEMBER REVIEWS:

Read the whole brilliant writeup of this model by Azerbyjam HERE.

TAG Link Ladies' quartz

There have been various very good quartz versions of the ladies' Link. Besides the standard Link, there have been "Ayrton Senna", "Tiger Woods", MOP dial/diamond and two-tone versions. The genuines use quartz movements as well, so the replications are technically faithful and accurate.

MEMBER REVIEWS:

My review and story of the rep TAG Link that I bought for my girlfriend is HERE.

P4GTR's MOP dial version is presented HERE.

TAG Formula-1 Quartz

Another very nice "budget rep". The genuine "Kimi Raikkonen / Lewis Hamilton" watch is quartz as well, which makes the replication technically accurate. The new rep looks quite amazing, and visually accurate as well. This would make a great beater watch for anyone.

MEMBER REVIEWS:

Amazing review by chrgod can be viewed HERE.

Morlock wrote another really nice review of the red version HERE.

TAG Aquaracer 500m Automatic

Thanks to ***b16a2*** for the overview.

Let's make it short and simple this time. Very nice replication.

Conclusion of flaws

Conclusion of flaws on front

Lack of AR

Some reports of misaligned logo’s (not all watches)

Conclusion of flaws on rear

Lack of perlage on movement

Smooth instead of toothed rotor bearing edge

MEMBER REVIEWS:

b16a2's amazing full review is HERE.

TAG Monaco Asian 21J / quartz

We constantly hear the question: "Why there's no great replica of this legendary watch?" The answer is that the Monaco uses an ETA 2894 movement, a movement that has seconds at 3. There's the new "seconds at '3" Asian Valjoux 7750 "hack", but I doubt it could be adapted for this watch.

So it looks like Monaco has the same problem as the another highly requested TAG, Autavia. There simply isn't a way to replicate it properly (with the current available rep movements). But there have been rather nice faux chrono 21J and quartz versions. Usually, I'd usually choose a working quartz stopwatch over faux 21J Asian. But Monaco is a bit special watch, and it doesn't visually resemble a typical, traditional sports chronograph. Simply for this reason I'd choose the the faux 21J for Monaco. I can imagine that the constantly running "stopwatch" hand wouldn't bother me on this watch. And besides, having a quartz-powered Monaco sounds just, well... rather silly. This just my personal recommendation between the two versions, nothing more.

MEMBER REVIEWS:

No member reviews of this watch yet.

Will be updated frequently.

Nice story Vic, thanks for sharing.

My first watch was an automatic Longines as well. A gift from my dad.

The best ones were out in late 2004. Ziggy and Bazz have one each. They were 007 limited edition models, and had a perfect case, good pearl, great bracelet. I arrived on the rep scene after they were all gone

Yeah, except that those watches had shitty movements. They were advertised as ETA, but were actually very bad Chinese copies. Very good copies visually though... I recall even Ziggy got fooled. Same shaky movement was used in those Aqua Terras with display backs.

The second best ones came out in February 2005. These had a slightly less accurate case (thicker, HEV placed lower than it should be), but a great dial, and great bracelet. Still the best bracelet on any rep i own.

Yep. This one. I agree about the bracelet... and I still love mine.

Yeah. I suffered from it a few times. "Panerais are fugly and I'll never, ever appreciate them ... *twang* ... Ooh, shiny 111h!"

I will never get that "snapped". Promise.

I think it may be Liverpool with Ryan Babel - he looks very dynamic coming off the bench.

In the national level there were a few "super subs". You're probably too young to remember Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, but he always tied the game for the Germans (the bastard). I guess Oliver Bierhoff was his successor (kinda).

Kamerun sensation Roger Milla (from Italy 1990 tournament) comes to mind as well. The player who reached his peak at the tender age of 38.