PaneraiFan315

Those are gorgeous pics. Thanks for sharing. It's been almost close to 100 in L.A. last few weeks. Could have used some snow...

Lol. Yeah, it's Deja vu. New person ask for advice on how to resolve an issue. 100% of the members say do not initiate PP dispute. What does new person do? Digs in and files PP dispute anyways. I know he hasn't yet, but I am betting he will. It's like watching the same movie over and over again.

You've asked for advise and you were given it. Please take it. Nothing personal and I could be wrong, but my observation is that you don't seem to be getting what everyone is telling you. Be patient and work with the dealers and moderators to resolve your issues. I know post-sales communication in this hobby sucks ass. Vendors seem more interested in getting your money (shocking I know) But you have to be patient. I am also frustrated by the slow communication after I pay for my item/service but it is what it is. In any other legal business you are in the right concerning your expectations, but this is an entirely different animal. You have to adjust your expectations and rely on other more experienced members on how to resolve issues such as this.

Hey Jkay, I am sure gasebah will speak for himself when he gets the chance, but I sort of see his point that it is unrealistic to completely disregard the attraction a certain brand provides. I don't quite buy the whole 'love for classical mechanical machines' when in fact the rep movements are nothing that resembles the in-house movements of the major brands. Or perhaps I have taken this out of context? I agree with you that people got into this hobby for many different reasons. My interest was first piqued by an Internet popup ad that showed a Panerai and I thought "ohhh... me likey"...

Agree that no one has said there are only a few stereotypes of rep owners in this thread. My comment wasn't meant to reject the hypothetical argument, it is just a BROAD and obvious statement that there are variety of people and personalties that is the rep population. I apologize if my earlier post wasn't clear. Concerning the hey-look-at-me D-bags, it doesn't matter to me what their motivations are on why they are such attention-seeking whores, they are annoying and need to be culled!

My thought is there isn't really one or two archtype of rep owners. Sure there are d-bags who buys replicas of prestigous brands to show off, but then what is the difference between a d-bag who buys gens for that same purpose? On the other end of the scale, there are people who likes watches and appreciate what the replicate represents; and at rep prices can acquire a lot more than they otherwise would with gens. As for myself, it is hard for me to justify why I like the rep watches the way I do. I can go on about a brand's history and pedigree and how much I admire that company's history and horological innovactions, until I stop and tell myself what I am wearing does not represent any of them since they are fake. I sometimes refer my reps as "toys" instead of Panerai, Omega and Franck Muller because they are not Pams, etc. The answer I come to is that I simply like my watches as they are aesthetically pleasing to me, not for the brand, history, etc because then I am only lying to myself. As an aside, I also realize 6 months into this hobby, I spent close to 3,000 in straps, mods and watches. At this rate I could have gotten a used genuine in another 6 months! As for the OP's original question, my guess is that rep owners dislike rep owners for the simple fact rep owners acquire something they know is not genuine. Fair or not, this implies a certain degree of dishonesty. One can view acquiring reps and passing them off as gens is another "short cut" in life. Owning genuine watches suggests the owner had reached certain achievements in life and the very existence of replicas cheapens that sense of accomplishment. Just sharing my simple view of the world...

-Concerning your questions about the water resistance of a rep, I think you should have them independently sealed and water tested if you are going to swim with them (cost should be around $40). One of the modders, PBDad may be able to help and he is in So Cal as well. I have used him and his products have met my expectations. -I think the customs issues other members are talking about are in the UK. I am not aware there is an issue in the states. I personally have not had any problems. My watches go into customs and released in about a day. My last two orders arrive in 5 days from approval of QC pictures to watch in hand. -The legal form you are referring to is pretty common occurence when replica sites are seized, and for most purposes should be disregarded. Others who are more knowledgeable may want to confirm or reject my statement. -"Noob" refers to one of the major factories in China that produces these replica watches. Until recently, it is considered the top one or the two of the major factories. The other is the "H factory". Noob seems to be experiencing some quality control issues recently if I am reading the feedbacks correctly. I personally think my PAM127 from Noob is incredibly good from a quality and finish perspective. -You should be in good hands with Andrew. Just send him an email asking if he will replace a watch in the event it got tagged by customs. He will probably respond in 15 minutes. I get the impression he has an army of clones answering emails all named "Andrew". All that said, the watch you are interested in is a brand I have zero knowledge in. You may want post your questions and concerns regarding that model in the Rolex forum where experts can chime in so you can have a good buying experience.

Just from my own research into the matter, it is not illegal to buy and own reps. Customs may be an issue, although there is theoretically a very remote chance of them seizing your reps. I purchased 5 so far and I don't even consider customs as an issue at this point. If your watch does get seized by customs, your TD will send you out another free. Although you may want to confirm that policy depending on the dealer. I have used Trusty and Toro and they are both great at getting the job done. If this is your first time, you may want to use Trusty since he has great customer service and his response time is unreal. Toro is a no-nonsense pro plus he has access to Noob stock. Btw- Andrew's site is http://ttw168.com/ Free feel to PM me for any add'l questions.

Looking forward to read about your first-hand impressions on this watch. Wasn't really attracted to Breitlings until recently...may hop on the Ling bandwagon with the Seawolf...

@Teejay and @Muttsta You guys, plus many others, make valid points that are well worded and are not difficult to follow. But Nils just...doesn't...get...it....and possibly never will. I do not see this ending well for our well-educated soon to be ex-member...

OP implied that he is an educated person earlier in this thread...His actions and thought process does not seem to be consistent with this claim...

Proper way = give me my money back and I will return the man purse...

Bottom line.

Did you file a PP dispute?

Whoa! Easy there LegendKiller... Not sure, but I think his "not man enough" response was tongue-in-cheek and was playing off your ladies wrist comment, which I also took as light hearted in nature.... I thought the OP was being ironic with the diamond watch, but if I am mistaken, I meant no offense...