Good "Non-replica" watches?

[iKst]

Hi guys,

like most of you I love watches too. I have some gens but since you could easily spend 100k for a nice collection I am looking for cheap alternatives for everyday use. Ive seen some reps and the quality on some is really good. But I don't really want a rep this time.

Are there any chinese made watches with decent movement and good built quality that are not direct replicas of known brands? It can be a no name watch, but it has to look and feel good.

[hiker01]

Welcome to RWG! But I think you're on the wrong site! Here's a few GENs that won't break your checkbook, but I like:

http://www.jorggray.com/ourcollection.html

http://www.archimede-uhren.de/EN/Deckwatch.htm

http://www.specialopswatch.com/?gclid=CNfB1cm1gqUCFaVM5QodImquNg

Just to name a few!

[ChipSlap]

What are you looking for? Dress? Dive? Pilot?

[PeteM]

What are you looking for? Dress? Dive? Pilot?

Good questions, help narrow it down mate. As I could list a rake of decent watches as could most of us.

[Nanuq]

Of course he's looking for a dive watch. Isn't everyone?

Allow me to introduce you to the lovely world of vintage divers. Let names like "Doxa", "Certina", "Yema", "Eterna", "Enicar", "Roamer", etc. just rooollllll off your tongue.

Here's a LeJour (Yema) Superman, $150 on Ebay.

[maxman]

Seiko makes some really nice enexpensive auto divers,the lume(lumibrite) Is also excellent. Take a look at "Seiko Monster" for the money, hard to beat.

[mastrmindalliance]

I'll add Getat's Homages to this list.

Link

[panerai153]

Nanug is correct. If you're looking for a dive watch, there are tons of really nice vintage and "Semi-Vintage" watches on Ebay. Almost all have good quality ETA movements, ansd are excellent for everyday beaters.

search vintage dive watch and see what you find.

[kuli]

Seiko makes some really nice enexpensive auto divers,the lume(lumibrite) Is also excellent. Take a look at "Seiko Monster" for the money, hard to beat.

+1

[kbh]

I could easily have started collecting vintage Seikos. There are lots of them around at very reasonable prices. Another group of vintages that are quite reasonable are the old Omegas, although they are mostly rather small. Doxas are great but getting too expensive.

[ChipSlap]

+1

+1 more

I have a couple of Seiko divers (Orange Monster and SKX009) that I like a lot. I don't think you can find better value/$ than the Seikos.

[tomhorn]

I would look at Hamilton and Accutron. Great value for the $$$. Also love the Seiko Monsters if you are looking for a dive watch.

[turnipz]

Search for a site called watch doddy.

Its sort of a deal-a-day compilation site. Invicta isnt the highest quality though and some may not be so great so get a review first.

[mastrmindalliance]

Search for a site called watch doddy.

Its sort of a deal-a-day compilation site. Invicta isnt the highest quality though and some may not be so great so get a review first.

Wow, I can't believe they want $999RRP for that black invicta quartz. The sale price of 150 seems much more like it.

[ChipSlap]

I would look at Hamilton and Accutron. Great value for the $$. Also love the Seiko Monsters if you are looking for a dive watch.

+1 for Hamilton. I found mine on ebay for $400. It was a jewelry store display model, and has stayed within COSC standards for 2.5 years now.

[turnipz]

Wow, I can't believe they want $999RRP for that black invicta quartz. The sale price of 150 seems much more like it.

Oh. maybe its a shoddy site, it was a link on the other rwg forum under a sticky.

[maxman]

Oh. maybe its a shoddy site, it was a link on the other rwg forum under a sticky.

Invicta Is notorious for there silly "MSRP"....nonsense

[turnipz]

I am looking for a watch with a rolex 1680 case, anyone know something like that?

[TeeJay]

I am looking for a watch with a rolex 1680 case, anyone know something like that?

How about buying a rep 1680, then installing your own dial and hands for a custom look?

[turnipz]

The 1680 cases seem to have a problem being only 70-90mm instead of 60.

[Major_Error]

I would have tried to find a chinese from Tao International. http://store.taowatch.us/. It is easy and reliable to shop from EBay; stores.ebay.com/uswatchshop. I have bought a skeleton watch, but they have cooler "everyday use" watches too.

8-)

[totalwise]

I'm finding reps too much of a burden, there's always some "faults" with the watches, most typically the blue AR, or movementment breakdowns from 7750s or poor timekeeping in general.

Or lack of water resistance etc.

I'm going to start selling some of my reps, and I've already ordered a seiko orange monster and a mech bracelet from the states.

Hopefully I'll just like the orange monster straight out of the case, and won't have any nagging thoughts about imprefections that flare up after a few months or weeks of owning the watch.

Also if I do go down the mod route, and get a sapphire cyrstal installed on the orange monster, and get the chief AR on it, I wouldn't have to worry about customs and other crap. I won't have to worry about visiting Italy or Switzerland wearing my seiko etc.

[chris5264]

great,,now I'm going to miss a football game researching LeJour/yema superman...

[Smab]

Good morning to you all.

May I suggest the German/Swiss brand Steinhart, or the US version Debaufré?

Seems like very good build quality, and most of the models have sapphire with double AR on the inside, ETA movements, waterproofing from 300-2000 Meters on several models etc. Some of the models are homage designs of well known swiss brands, but the diver models Triton looks real sweat, and has also very good lume (Superluminova), even multicolored lume on some models and lume on the Bezel inlay as well. Pricing from 300-800EUR.