dieselpower Posted September 15, 2012 Report Share Posted September 15, 2012 I'd just like to let everyone here know that I bought a 30x loupe from ebay and it cost me about £2.50. It has transformed my watch appreciation life. Previously I was reading threads and looking at my watches with the naked eye and thinking - mine's ok, don't know what they're talking about, but holy smoke, when you look at your watch through a loupe a whole new world is opened up to you. Some good, some bad. For example dial printing is a POS when you look through a loupe. On the other side of the coin I have managed to confirm that a bracelet that was sold to me as gen is in fact what it should be. I would never have positively known that were it not for being able to check out fine details with the loupe. So, some you win some you lose but overall for a tiny amount of money I think it is the first thing any rep builder/appreciator/buyer should purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miagi Posted September 15, 2012 Report Share Posted September 15, 2012 got me interested. and now i bought one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieselpower Posted September 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2012 Be prepared for a shock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick James Posted September 16, 2012 Report Share Posted September 16, 2012 (edited) Be prepared for a shock. Yep. I have some gen watches and it's shocking what the difference in dial printing quality between quality swiss and a rep is like under magnification. The swiss is perfect, crisp, the rep with its fuzzy edges is shocking under the loupe. When you start handling a lot of watches, gen and rep, you'll start to see the difference in the small details with your eyes too. Thats why I'm always very confused by people that tell stories (not necessarily here) of a jeweler or pawnshop thinking a rep is real. Unless its a very good franken, they'd have to be absolutely blind to think an off the shelf rep is real. Edited September 16, 2012 by Rick James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panerai153 Posted September 16, 2012 Report Share Posted September 16, 2012 Using a high power loupe may be the way the customs guys could be catching reps coming through customs. It would only take a rudimentary amount of training to teach folks to recognize the differences in a Rolex dial and a Rolex rep dial. Even if it were a different model Rolex, say a Seadweller rep, but customs has 16610 as and example. One look would be all it takes. Enough tell under 30X to confiscate it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davylloyd Posted September 16, 2012 Report Share Posted September 16, 2012 For what they cost, I'd say get a range of loupes in different magnifications. I use a 2.5, a 5, a 10, and a 20. All good for different work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtiis Posted September 16, 2012 Report Share Posted September 16, 2012 This is precisely why I REFUSE to buy a loupe. I got a redwood box FULL of GENS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazed7 Posted September 16, 2012 Report Share Posted September 16, 2012 This is precisely why I REFUSE to buy a loupe. I got a redwood box FULL of GENS! yeah loupes can be dangerous... once you see that flaw it cannot be unseen... it'll haunt you and could destroy your appreciation for that (gen) watch as you obbess about that tiny speck of dust naked to the eye, or that hour marker's rough edge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andcaneron Posted September 17, 2012 Report Share Posted September 17, 2012 (edited) For me getting a loupe would be like opening Pandoras box. I would rather not find all the miniscule imperfections that otherwise I could not see. I think I will leave that ªboxª closed. Edited September 17, 2012 by andcaneron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mt666tm Posted September 19, 2012 Report Share Posted September 19, 2012 Any flaw that takes a loupe to see is nothing to worry about. Everyone should have one! It will show you why a gen is 30k and the rep is 300 bucks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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