If you had the cash... is it really financially savy to buy reps as opposed to gens?

[Sxhawnn]

Just thinking out loud.  Say if you had a couple of grand laying around, is anyone really "saving" money buying reps as opposed to gens?

 

Seems like reps depreciate as much as gens in some instances (think of all the pams before the h fac/noob fac super clones), especially if your savy about the right gen model to purchase slightly used.

 

Just thinking out loud

[By-Tor]

Buy a new $20K gen full gold Rolex and you're lucky to get $6K back after 10 years.

Buy a gen (older) stainless steel GMT or Submariner now and you will always get your money back (esp. if you mercifully forget the inflation).

Buy a $300 rep now and trash it when it breaks after 10 years. Who cares... it's just $300.

 

That's basically what the rep game is about. Enjoy the forgeries of expensive brands for pocket money. Why would anyone stress about "losing value" for something that's so cheap in the first place?

[danielv2000]

Well said, By-Tor. Even the Frankens can be salvaged in whole or in part for a good chunk ofvthevoriginal investment. I have a few gens and I'm sure I could recoup my cost as I bought them used.

[jpz5142]

If you had thousands laying around...

You probably would need millions laying around to be able to buy gens with the same disregard some on the forums buy reps. Say you make 100k a year and say you buy 1-2k in reps a year you still at only 1-2% of your income. To be able to buy the same in gens as you did reps you'd probably need to make about 2 million. This presumes avg rep of $3-500 and translating to about $8k per gen for about 6 or so watches a year. Loosey goosey math but you see the point.

So, buy gens, buy reps have a mix of reps and gens. Just buy what you like and enjoy!

[panerai153]

I agree with By-Tor, you have to have enough savy, which comes from experience and lots of research, to know which ones to buy. There are tons of genuine watches out there that you would be hard pressed to get 60% of the purchase price after 6 months. Others you could at least break even on, and then there are those that appreciate rather than depreciate. Not all of those are vintage Rolex either. Sometimes it happens with lesser known brands as well. Case in point, small watch company in Pennsylvania, MKII, came out with a limited edition homage to the Rolex 6538. Only 300 were made. Price new, less than 1K, price now, around 12-18 months later, one that has not been worn, still in plastic, around 2K, worn but not abused, around 1.8K. I doubt that anyone would have anticipated the popularity, but when you have a limited number, and demand, the price goes up.

Personally, I enjoy my reps, I enjoy taking one to another level. When you spend a lot of time, researching, finding parts, getting one built, you have a connection to that watch, not like going to your local Mall jeweler and buying a new whatever.Not much different than going to the same Mall and buying a new suit, about the same amount of attachment. Having said that, if I were in a financial place to buy what I wanted, I would probably have only gens, not the Mall models, but sought out vintage watches that I could have a connection with.

[Ricardo L]

this question seems weird .. question to the orignal poster -- what do you see as the best strategy? .. can you give some #'s?

[martijnp]

Buy a new $20K gen full gold Rolex and you're lucky to get $6K back after 10 years.

Buy a gen (older) stainless steel GMT or Submariner now and you will always get your money back (esp. if you mercifully forget the inflation).

Buy a $300 rep now and trash it when it breaks after 10 years. Who cares... it's just $300.

 

That's basically what the rep game is about. Enjoy the forgeries of expensive brands for pocket money. Why would anyone stress about "losing value" for something that's so cheap in the first place?

Well said! 

[AndrewFuller]

I'd definitely go for the reps..man they are way cheaper than the gens..the thing is about looks these days not the host of features and the world's best quality..i'd rather buy  10 for $2000 and change everyday..that sounds way better idea..

[van_damme1988]

Gen is gen and always will be. Having thousands laying around, I would buy myself IWC 3174-38 and Rolex 116613LN sub and wear them like hell. Like By-Tor said, not all of the gens are worth buying. I think that any watch for more than 10k is not worth the price i.e. JLC Master Tourbillon may be nice way to waste 40-50k, but not for me. Having a rep on my wrist i do feel more comfotable when i wear it. I do not have to be affraid of cracking them somewhere, losing them or getting robbed. I just enjoy the gen feel of stylish timekeeper on my wrist, whilst others have no idea, it is just a rep. And as was stated before, for a price that you pay for servising one gen, you can have 2-4 super reps and enjoy the different styles.

[automatico]

My favorite watches are the genuine 1675 GMT and 1016...with the 5513 and 1680 a distant third and fourth.

If I was a 'rich guy', I would buy a genuine 1016.

Being the 'poor guy' that I am...I already have a genuine 1675 and will not pay today's 1016 prices.

No one makes an accurate replica 1016 that I know of but I could make a passable 1570 powered Frankenstein 1016 for $1500 or so and still be able to recover the $$ by selling the watch off a piece at a time as parts. Since I can do all the work myself, all I would have in it is the cost of the parts. I had one that looked pretty good but I sold it...16234 case, 2846 etc.

 

If I had a pile of $$, I would not blow it on an overpriced new genuine watch because most of them fall in value like a rock. It's like drinking expensive beer and whizzing off a cliff...into the wind.   

Cheap beer will do the job. 

[Sxhawnn]

this question seems weird .. question to the orignal poster -- what do you see as the best strategy? .. can you give some #'s?

 Don't really have a particular "strategy" thats best.  Just in a fortunate enough position now where I can afford gens if I wanted to.  I never really entertained the thought of spending 4-6k on something as unimportant (in the grand scheme of things) as a watch.  But then I just realized that I lost more money on a rep 112 then most TRF guys lose on pre-owned subs and more than most paneristis lose on pre-owned gen 112s.  Of course the key word here is "pre-owned" and not brand spanking new from and AD with tax and new watch markup included. 

 

So I've really just been rethinking the whole idea of purchasing more reps (especially because i'm picky and tend to go after frankens and higher priced reps that are prone to depreciation anyway). Not looking to start an argument, was just wondering if other people had the same thought. 

[CptTripps]

Great topic.

I buy gens where I can. (1675, 1680, 116400GV, 11610, PAM89, PAM98, 2220.80.00) and "Super Reps" where I just want to "Try" a watch. (PAM292J, PAM312) I've never lost money on either. (If you buy right.)

I BUILD "Super Frankens" when I can't justify the price of a full gen. (1655, PN-6263, 16520, 1016, AP-ROO-RC) Some cases. I spend about 50% the cost of a gen. (1655) Sometimes it's 20% (AP, 1016, PN-6263) Sometimes, it ends up 75% and I wish I'd bought the Gen. (16520)

So I guess the two aren't mutually exclusive. You CAN do/have both and not lose your shirt...if you buy/sell right.

[jamesfl]

Something many forget to consider in the equation, you can usually buy a quailty rep of the same watch in gen form for less than it will costs you to service the gen after 3 to 5 years!

[Ricardo L]

for myself today i own only reps (about 6) -- eventually i plan on having some gens.. maybe about 2 .. and up to 10 reps .. the variety that you can have with reps is too great .. 

 

not really worried about re-sale value 

 

i'd like to build some superfrankens (stuff like a 1680 and a vintage pam)

[darkdashing]

In my line of work, losing a watch or having someone try to take it is common so rep 90% of the time.  I have one or two gens around for special occasions however

[icoopernicus]

I have a good mix of both, I really enjoy the variety that I can have with my reps while I prefer the obviously improved quality of a Gen. I've had a few reps fail recently and it is starting to get frustrating but the total investment savings definitely outweighs the risk of buying reps for me. Even if I had the money, I would not be purchasing only Gen watches, the value in reps is just too hard to pass up and looking down at the nightstand trying to decide between a submariner, a planet ocean, a PAM or a Carrera is a novelty that I quite enjoy.

[alterego]

My favorite watches are the genuine 1675 GMT and 1016...with the 5513 and 1680 a distant third and fourth.

If I was a 'rich guy', I would buy a genuine 1016.

Being the 'poor guy' that I am...I already have a genuine 1675 and will not pay today's 1016 prices.

No one makes an accurate replica 1016 that I know of but I could make a passable 1570 powered Frankenstein 1016 for $1500 or so and still be able to recover the $$ by selling the watch off a piece at a time as parts. Since I can do all the work myself, all I would have in it is the cost of the parts. I had one that looked pretty good but I sold it...16234 case, 2846 etc.

 

If I had a pile of $$, I would not blow it on an overpriced new genuine watch because most of them fall in value like a rock. It's like drinking expensive beer and whizzing off a cliff...into the wind.   

Cheap beer will do the job. 

 

Hi Automatico: What a coincidence. Those rollies are my favorites too. The GMT is a classic with more presence than the Sub, and it's less common. I always liked it and I was lucky to run nto one for which I paid a little more than one 2 K.  The 1016 is another story.  By far IMHO the most conspicuous of the Rolex family. The one I own I bought from a retiring jeweller that let me have it fo $ 1.500. The oscilating weight is cracked but this does not seem to affect its prformance as it runs like a deer. The dial was badlly damaged, so bouught an after market "for Rolex" edition from a dealer in the internet and the watch looks great. I have five gen watches and about 35 reps. And I cntinue buying them as it's the best way to feel the sensation of owning a things that's so close to the original.

[Sxhawnn]

LOL sometimes logic just doesn't win out.  Within just two days of starting this thread, I've invested close to 1600 in a DLC 3.5 Diver with a gen strap.  And now I hear grumblings of a v4 and this and that.

[Rolexman]

From an investment stand point genuines are always better. Not all gens off course but if you buy certain vintage pieces or limited editions you will have a solid investment and an almost guaranteed return of investment later on.

[Watchmeister]

Budget, brand orientation and number of watches you want in your daily rotation will be key determinants. It all starts there. If you want multiples of a a well-known brand like Rolex, IWC, Panerai, etc. $2-5,000 won't last too long. Goes a long way with reps though. More than once I elected to buy a rep, live with it to are sure it is a long term keeper and then bought the gen.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Mike on a bike]

If you are happy w/ three watches dress, diver, beater go gen if you love to collect watches love lots of different ones go Rep. (money issue aside)

[The Dude]

If you are happy w/ three watches dress, diver, beater go gen if you love to collect watches love lots of different ones go Rep. (money issue aside)

Funny you brought this up Mike because that's the exact idea I've been kicking around lately: sell all my reps and buy three gens, a dress, a daily and a diver. My wife says there's no way I'd be happy with just 3 watches...

Sent from my Lenovo A850 using Tapatalk 2

[Nightwatch]

From pictures and reviews alone You will never be sure it is exactly the watch You wanted to spend Your money on. Often deception follows. Reps are a good way to find out if Your grail is indeed Your grail.

Vintage gens are irreplaceable.

Expensive gens over 10k take away the freedom to use it (afraid of scratching it/ wetting it/ loosing it etc.)so they sit a safe.

In the long run those reps You use the most (over Years) and keep using may christalyse into the gens You really want.

[indywatchguy]

If you're a watch geek like most of us no way three watches will satisfy our addiction! If we're talking money I was just discussing this with the wife. Hypothetically if I were a million x2 I would buy a couple of gens that they don't make good reps of. However I'd never buy a gen Panerai because the reps are just to darn close to the gen and IMO they're just not worth the money.

[indywatchguy]

I'd definitely go for the reps..man they are way cheaper than the gens..the thing is about looks these days not the host of features and the world's best quality..i'd rather buy  10 for $2000 and change everyday..that sounds way better idea..

I agree! I luv coordinating my 15+ reps with my clothing, occasion, or season. It's fun and no worries! I own a few gens and feel that reps are so much more interesting.