Rare and expensive watches in the media / on TV

[Smab]

Good evening and happy Saturday to all fellow members. This post is ment as a general questions to all, regarding what we have seen in the media, on tv and elsewhere, of rare and expensive watches, in particular if we are not sure wether they are true GENs or in fact reps:-) Who knows, even famous people can wear a rep! If they can afford the GEN, no one will ever ask the question anyway? Especially if they are after a very rare item, with long waiting lists for months and months (is it not years for particular Pateks?) I think most people never have the knowledge to see what is GEN or rep, if there are not very bad made items, or it is a Rolex on a person not likely to afford one.

I also think the small percentage of people like us, who is well familiar with reps, are maybe much more aware of what the flaws are, and have a much more observant eye to the detail so we are more likely to spot the rep in a setting were GEN would be most likely.

As an example, last night I saw the TV-show "The Voice" on Norwegian TV2. One of the judges, local celebrety Yosef from hiphop group MadCon, sported a truly spectacular piece - the Limited Edition Juan Pablo Montoya Rose Gold AP Royal Oak Offshore. He is a person who can afford it, but is he really a person so interested in watches, he would spend 60.000-80.000 USD buying one?

It was made only 500 pcs, and the retail price was about 47.000USD, but it is so rare and considered a collecors item, so they sell at almost double that, this one for 78.500USD:

http://forums.watchu...1-a-215883.html

On the other hand, the item is so rare, only 500 were made, so the chance of 1 of these showing up in the only AD store in Norway carrying AP, (Urmaker Bjerke) I regard as unlikely. Maybe he got it abroad. What can be the market for such a watch in Norway, where the general public look down on those more fortunate, and an unwritten law called "Janteloven", say that you should not think you are better than anyone else", and showing off ones wealth is regarded as rude or over-the-top posh. If you are wealthy, you should hide your wealth, shut your mouth, and pay your tax, which in Norway is from 30-50 % of income, depending on how much you make.

But the celebreties of the new generation, especially the ones in the music business and general entertainment, and maybe people with an exhibitionist mind, give the crap about this "jantelov", and do as they please.

It is not uncommon over here, newspapers writing about this and that person, spending a crazy amount of money, like buying a supersportscar worth 3 mill USD, or a Yacht at 150 mill USD. The rich people should rather sport a low profile, and send what they do not need to the tax department, and sending the rest to any good cause organisation, like "Save the Wolves" or "Save the specled frogs with yellow feet" - or similar type of narrow interest and political correct enviromental organisations.

God forbid, if you spend what is considered a two years salory for the averidge worker in Norway, on something so useless as a watch!

But noone looks at you as the weird fellow, if you spend the same amount of money on a sports car, spending half the year in the garage, since we cannot drive Ferrari's here in the wintertime.

"Oh, he is passionate about nice italian cars, and he can afford it, that is understandable - most of the male population would, if they had the money". But spending the dough on watches, that is a totally different thing