TeeJay

TeeJay,

I was going to ask that question (or do a lot of reading) as to how folks answer when people ask "is it fake" I like your answer and it was exactly what I was thinking to say. It is rude to ask that question, and if necessary I would have no reservations about saying its a rep.

Thanks for that.

No problem. In previous discussions on the topic of what to say if called out, there have been all kinds of responses, from immediately saying it's a rep (the second someone asks what it is) to all kinds of elaborate stories about winning big on the craps tables. As mentioned above, honesty is something very important to me. However, privacy, or, more importantly, my privacy is even more important to me. If I choose to share something with someone, then fine, but with some situations, I just feel that the person does not have the right to the information they are asking. (If that is indeed what they are asking ) For example. Someone notices the watch on my wrist, and says "What's that?" (other than obviously being a watch ) As far as I'm concerned, it's a Panerai. That's what it says on the dial, caseback, clasp sections etc. It might be a rep Panerai rather than a gen Panerai, but, that is not what the person was asking... If someone was wearing a gen watch, they would not say "It's a genuine Panerai.", that would just come across as arrogant. So, in the same vein, I don't see why I should automatically tag 'rep' onto the watch, just because someone has asked what it is. If someone knows the tells, they will know it's a rep. If they don't know, chances are they don't care, so why use the label of rep... Now, if someone were to ask if it was real or not, then nine times out of ten, I would explain that it was a rep, but also explain the origins of contemporary reps and gens... That would be if the person was genuinely interested in watches, and asking about the watch out of genuine interest. If it was someone trying to be obnoxious, then I would likely ignore the question, or reply "What does it matter?" or "That's none of your business..." Yes, they would be correct, it is a rep, but, if they're only trying to call me out to be an ass (which has never happened) then why dignify their behaviour with the response they want? If they want to assume it's a rep, that's up to them. Equally, if someone was to ask "Is it a fake?" after we'd had the discussions about brand history etc, then I would immediately say that it was, because I would know that they were genuinely interested in the answer, rather than just trying to put me down

Ah to hell with coming clean - it's not like any person would care one way or another, they have a million more important things to give a shit about. I think some of the other posts have misread that this is your fiance's family, rather than a mate's.

Just introduce him to some of your other reps.

And interestingly, folk know my watches are reps - but I don't tell them the price. And it's not because I think they'll be impressed by the 'savings', it's because I know they'll think I'm a total retard for spending that much on a fake watch.

Okay, you can all get back to your Dr Phil love-in now...

I read that the OP mentioned that this man has another daughter, who happens to be single. I'm no mathmegician, but even I can do that math

I'm just curious,

Did it stop at you telling him it was around 3K? Did you go any further. If so, you might have passed the point....naw....on further consideration telling him that you paid a few grand is totally different from saying "Yeah, it's real." You could probably explain "It's real TO ME" later on, but how you will explain a three thousand dollar lie....

The next time watches come up, say "I just wanted to impress you" or something like that. Because you didn't just say "it's real" you told a lie with a dollar amount.

Now I see why the admonition to buy the gen makes sense. (It didn't make sense to me before, I apologize for not reading well).

BUYING THE GEN WILL FIX THE $3,000 LIE.

This is what I was meaning myself. It would be one thing to say "Yeah, they retail for $3000..." and then conveniently change the subject to last week's game, quite another to say "Yeah, I got it from *insert swanky AD of choice here* and paid in cash..." I have once had a similar conversation with someone about PAMs. They had asked if it (my 104) was very expensive. I said "They can be, but I got this very cheap online..." To anyone, that should set the *IT'S A FAKE* alarm ringing, but, they can either choose to let that alarm ring un-noticed, and continue with the conversation about the brand, (which was what we were ultimately discussing) rather than the watch itself, or, they can then go down the "Is that a fake?" route, which, in itself, is a very rude question to ask someone. As it was, we just continued the discussion about the history of the brand, and the "Is it real?" question never arose. If they had outright asked, I would have told them it was a rep, as I have several people.

You shoudn't have done it but you did. So now you should fess up. Is there a possibility that he will always be suspicious of you in the future? Of course as well he should be. You were capable of lying to him once you could lie to him again or worse to his daughter. That's life. If it happens you'll just have to deal with it.

That's very true. Honesty is something which I personally value above anything else, so for me to have been put in a situation where I could not be 100% honest, was an incredibly unpleasant one. There are, however, two things which ease my conscience: 1) I never actually lied to my inlaws, I was simply vague, even to the point of nearly contradicting what my wife had told them, without having to actually lie. 2) I suspect that they guessed the truth long ago, and have still accepted me into their family. They simply never raise the issue. As a Libra, dishonesty is sadly a personality trait which could come all too easily for me, so I strive to be as honest as possible. If it was down to me, I would have told them immediately upon meeting them, but, I did not want to throw away what has turned out to be a fantastic relationship, when I knew that I could avoid the issue without having to actually lie simply by shifting the conversation. Another factor which has to be considered, is that my wife is rather neurotic, and craves her parent's approval, and will still lie to them about silly things if she thinks it is what they want to hear, even when her mum calls her on them. (a bit like Carrie from Sex in the City) Does that make me distrust her? Well, let's just say that I know that in her heart, she is a good person, and generally very honest, but, I accept her neuroses have an effect on her behaviour. Paradoxically, she is incapable of keeping a secret (she will often say "Don't tell mum..." but then tell her herself), so I know that she would never lie about any truly serious issue.

Shorts and T-shirt and, ahem, riding a bus- would also be a major signs. Hey, was he wearing a pair of these?

Ciao, Arty

Funnily enough, they were fairly similar I admit, the signs were there, but I didn't want to judge the guy just on his clothes and mode of transport

Yes, it's obviously a 2D barcode, but what does it mean?

Now that, I have no idea on whatsoever, as I don't know how to read the information... At least I knew what it was

If I had to guess, I'd think it's either tracking info for something you've bought (a rep would make sense) or, it's some kind of personal information transposed into that format. That'd just be a guess though

If it was quartz it was definitely a replica..If it was an automatic than it would be a navi montbrilliant olympus - but it sounds like it was a replica

It was definitely a quartz movement, then, as the second hand was 'ticking'. I couldn't make out the sub-dial details, as I was wearing non-prescription sun-glasses, but I could see that the blur was definitely 'ticking' rather than sweeping It really did look like a very nice watch. The funny thing, was later on in the day, I saw someone wearing a watch which I initially thought was a MontBlanc TimeWalker, but they said they bought on holiday in Greece for 20 Euros Looking at that dial, it did have it's own branding, so it was clearly just a clone of the design, but again, looked like a very nice watch regardless of brandname

I can totally sympathize. When I first met my now wife, she lied to her parents about the way we met. I wasn't happy about this, and said I'd rather be honest with them, but, I got the "if you don't go along with it, you'll never see me again..." ultimatum, so, like a chump, I went along with her lie, but, only in a very vague way, and only by stretching the truth as much as possible. Now, four years later, I am as much a part of this family as I was my biological parents, and it does bug me that I haven't been entirely honest with my inlaws. But. I look at it this way. It is such a trivial detail, it does not alter who I am as a person, it does not make them think I am someone or something I am not, and, in all honesty, is not something which they ever need truly know. I admit, if they were to find out the truth, then they would no doubt be offended, wonder what else I might have lied about etc etc, but, it's not something they ever need know the truth about...

With regards your own situation, I totally sympathize, but would say to consider your future with this family, and what it is likely to be. Is this just a case that you are seeing a lot of them because of the wedding, and, in the future, this will likely become less, or, is there a real possibility that you could start dating (or even marry) the other daughter? If it's the former, then consider it a little white lie, which, if asked about in the future, you could admit to, but claim to have been caught off-guard and embarassed, and takethe hit to your credibility. If it's the latter, then I'd suggest saving for the gen, possibly coming up with a reason not to wear your rep for a while (sent back to the factory for adjustment, or something) go on from there, and vow never to lie about something to him again. Another thought... Does your friend (or your friend's fiance) know that the watch is a rep? Might they know that their father in law/dad collects reps, and mentioned to him that they have a friend who also collects reps, so might he have even known (or suspected) all along that it was a rep? If that is the case, the longer you continue with the lie, the more offended he would become...

At the end of the day, you can only do as your conscience dictates, and, lie or tell the truth, after a while, such a minor issue will not permanantly ruin your credibility if uncovered. At the very worst, you could simply justify your collection as frugality, rather than spending crazy money on watches, which, a future in law might view as irresponsible, so potentionally not able to give financial security to their daughter... You'll work something out in the end

Yes, it is some type of fabric covering leather. It could be any of the above, but I do not know which.

Interesting indeed, thanks for the confirmation Bearing in mind the caliber of the watch, I'd suspect silk...

It could be the Raymond Weil, except that the chapter ring would still be visible in the photo. And it's interesting that it's either 12 O'clock exactly, or that watch has just one singular, short hand. There is writing at the 12 and 6 so its either a two-word name, or a one word name and logo.

Is this a snapshot from a movie? You can always find a better snap. If it's just a photo--oh well...

Ish. A TV Show. Doctor Who. I believe, Christopher Ecclestone was the only actor to portray the Doctor, who actually wore a wrist watch. Other incarnations have had pocket watches.

On topic, I'm wondering if it might've been customized with a larger crown, rather than being a completely purchased watch. I believe, that John Barrowman wears a Rolex Date-Just in his portrayal of Captain Jack Harkness (and often wears Rolexes when not 'in character') so maybe someone on the Doctor Who staff is a watch enthusiast

Don't look at it too long or you will start believing everything they say on Fox News.

My tinfoil hat is at the ready

Fantasy/Schmantasy. Not in this case. Here is a gen Master Reserve de Marche (my rep came with the same strap the gen is shown with, but the red Di-Modell's less formal look makes the watch more wearable with weekend wear)

That's a gorgeous watch, but it's the strap which has caught my eye. What material is it made from? The outside looks almost like a fabric like nylon/polyester/silk...

Quartz+Breitling+Moonphase=Rep

(Correct me if I'm wrong).

It must have been VERY, VERY, low grade too. Maybe he was wearing one of these fantasy jammies. Only the first one is likely to be quartz, the second is an ODD-O-matic.

It was kind of a fusion of those two designs. The case of the second watch, but with the moon phase positioned at the side of the case, rather than at '6' There was also some red printing around the top of the '6' sub-dial.

I've never been over keen on Breitlings, but, there was something about that one which appealed to me. If the markers had been luminous, I might've been tempted to track one down.

I did say "Nice Breitling..." in passing, but, as it was when the bus lurched, he might've thought I said "Nice driving..." as his reply was more in keeping to that, rather than "Thanks..." I didn't make a show of my 104, but I don't think he even noticed it under my sleeve.

Quartz moonphase would suggest a replica. There were some genuine Navitimers that had a moonphase, but they would have used the automatic movement.

That's pretty much what I was thinking, thanks for confirming my suspicions

That's the first B&R I've seen that has actually made me think "Hmmm, I wouldn't mind wearing that...." Awesome purchase

Lol. Lucifer might have to drag me kicking and screaming for a PAM...also, I'm afraid that they might be as addictive as people make them out to be, and I might be caught selling furniture to get my latest fix...

Brietling does have some interesting watches - I did look at the Blackbird (i think thats the name...) long and hard...

Freddy, I'm liking the two watches you mentioned, but the JLC is using a fantasy dial (I believe, as I've never seen those numerals on JLCs); the patek is something that is giving me food for thought though...I'm a huge fan of simplicity..

The Vacheron Constantin...love it. Absolutely love it. The only reason I'm not getting it is because I dont know enough about the movement and its reliability, and I hear that it has more fixes needed than the Ingy. I'm assuming theres a good reason that the guys here opt for the Ingy - or is it just familiarity?

Btw: I appreciate the feedback and advice from all of you. Makes a newbie's life MUCH easier...

When I first got into reps, via Rolex and Omega, I couldn't see the appeal of PAMs either. I even bought one which did absolutely nothing for me and I got rid of it (well, the power reserve was non-existant, so I sent it back to the dealer, but requested a totally different watch as replacement) However. It was like a nagging itch, and, I bought myself another 111h. And was hooked The first time I wore a 127 (aka the Fiddy) I thought it was too big, but, it soon became my favorite watch, and, until I took mine in for a movement service, it rarely left my wrist. My new favorite is the PAM 104. Smaller than the 127, and capable of taking the SS Bracelet, so much more versatile. It also has a date window, which, although I don't like adjusting them, is a handy feature at times... I'd say PAMs are an aquired tasted, but, once aquired, they've got you

With regards the Vacheron Constantin Overseas, likewise, I love it. Or rather, I love how it looks. I bought one, and it just left me cold. I never bonded with it at all, so I gave it to a friend after about a day's wear.

Welcome to the party, I'm sure you'll have a great time

Okay, so I sat next to a guy on the bus earlier, who was wearing a large watch, which had the Breitling logo and diagonal-link bracelet. The dial was a brushed silver color, had several sub dials (which I couldn't really make out) a moon-phase window, and a definite quartz movement. It was the movement which aroused my suspicions. Any ideas as to what model it could've been? Any ideas as to if it was a rep or a gen? The guy was probably in his late forties and wearing shorts and a t-shirt (but I know that's no real indicator) Thanks in advance

close.

Close? Dude, I was bang on Have a look at the pic, on this page. The little square thing... Looks remarkably like your avatar

It's a variation of bar-code technology

I'd love to see the source for this sort of reporting.ie. Smells like bovine scatology to me.

It was under open discussion on SuicideGirls.com's political forum at the time. A very left-wing group, if ever there was one.

PS

It's a new avatar. I think I'm way too geeky for this crowd if no-one's got it just yet.

Am I right in thinking it's a variant of 'tracking/identification' technology, which, in it's most common form, is seen and known as a bar-code?

I remember reading about how anti-war protests in San Francisco caused the deaths of people who were in ambulances which got stuck in traffic jams, before anyone in the warzone actually got killed. When this was put to the hippies, they claimed that they would never do anything like block an ambulance trying to get someone to a hospital... Completely oblivious to the fact that they wouldn't even see an ambulance when it's trapped in traffic several blocks away

I think it's a sad state of affairs when a SWAT team is needed to bring down a group of hippies, but, when they put their minds to it, they [hippies] can cause quite a bit of trouble. That said, they were probably just being typically elitist and uppity, and made the mistake of pissing off the wrong person with enough connections to get them taken down by the heavy mob. A bit like how David Cameron set the police on the hoodie who dared to point his fingers at him 'gun-style'

It's a new avatar. I think I'm way too geeky for this crowd if no-one's got it just yet.

Am I right in thinking it's a variant of 'tracking/identification' technology, which, in it's most common form, is seen and known as a bar-code?

haha yeah they beat you down faster then you can say AA SORRY.

sure believe that as much as you like., truth is the freedom ones had in the US is all over.

Indeed, all thanks to Dubya and the Patriot Act

Today, I was wearing my 113 on the Ferrari strap, with the ultimate in 'smart casual' Dark blue jeans, crisp white shirt, charcoal pinstripe jacket, and red Converse-esque plimsoles Not really smart, but really comfortable

Having got home, I'm wearing my 104 on nylon and velcro strap, with camo-print shorts and a white wifebeater

Going to a Cowboy and indian theme party tonight so i think the Fiddy will look good with Jeans Check shirt ect

I miss mine soo bad!!!

I've been wearing my 104 on Andy strap all week, but, knowing I'd be getting it wet today, I put it on it's factory SS bracelet, and this evening is too hot and sticky for a leather strap

Sounds awesome

If it's going to be a RWG project, how about using the logo from the RWG rings as the logo?

Sounds reasonable, and a good plan

Fancy Answer: I'm a freelance Art Consultant.

Simple Answer: I draw stuff for people

That's fantastic info, thanks for sharing