jpz5142 Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Despite the truth of this statement along with others I bet they sell like hotcakes! Of course, forum members are but a minority of the dealers customer base, many people would look at it as getting a $10,000 watch for only $500 and consider it a bargain! Who's to say that their wrong. I'm not that old of a member, but even I recall the price of reps being about $300 at the top end, and that was only a few years ago. I'm willing to get a nice homage or micro brand, most of the rep buyers won't since they aren't looking for a cool watch, they're looking for a "Rolex" to impress their friends or maintain an image that they cannot truly afford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markiemark Posted January 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Reps are getting more and more expensive. Soon I will receive a message from paypal saying my account has been sexually violated. I think in a year or two I'm done with reps and save up for some nice Sinn watches...! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomic_doug Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 The reps are getting more expensive, true. (The upcoming Reverso is rumored to be in the 300 dollar range despite being quartz. ) However, we're also partly to blame. For years, we've always said we're willing to pay a little more for a little extra. Well, now we're getting a lot of extra, but the cost is now entered the realm of some very nice pre-owned/vintage gens, while we play it off as, like JPZ said "Oh, well, it's 99% off something that's 99% there." ...but back on topic, the watch itself: This initial run of FFs will be 300 (due to the difficulty in making the domed sapphire bezel, which, again, is apparently a real chore even for Blancpain) and it will likely sell out very quickly so we can wait for the V2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike on a bike Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 If you like the look get a modded Seiko 55 fathom, bullet proof movement ,100meters water proof great seiko lum. ($300 to 350) http://www.ebay.com/itm/Seiko-5-Automatic-Diver-Sports-Watch-SNZH57-Black-Custom-FFF-Fifty-Five-Fathoms-/191044918735?pt=Wristwatches&hash=item2c7b2a1dcf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoever Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 (edited) Crap, that is a great hommage! where is my wallet? If only the hands weren't gold.... Edited January 21, 2014 by whoever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike on a bike Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 There are others............ PS guys lum: hands are Seiko so lumbrite their stuff = good, dial at least Rep quality I would think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike on a bike Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike on a bike Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Blue.............. Or milspec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 $500 is high, but it's a great looking watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abzack Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 I've been waiting for this to arrive, but at that price I think I'll stick with my vintage for now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomic_doug Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Nice No Rads, abzac. This thread has reminded me how much I've always wanted one of DSN's FFs, particularly now that he's got an Aqua Lung out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abzack Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Nice No Rads, abzac. This thread has reminded me how much I've always wanted one of DSN's FFs, particularly now that he's got an Aqua Lung out. Thanks Doug! It's one of my favorites. DSN is easy to deal with, except I prefer PayPal over Western Union. Does he have a new one out? hhmmmmm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoever Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Yeah, the vintage ones are still unbeaten!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asciwhite Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 This one ♥ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomic_doug Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Nice. This is the one for me: Little known story about the Blancpain Aqua Lung. Back when Fifty Fathoms were being made, they were considered actual dive tools, not just dive watches. (Even by today's standards, they are extremely prominent on the wrist) They weren't sold at watch retailers, they were sold at dive equipment shops and Blancpain would frequently re-badge the watch to the name of the store selling it. (like the Barakuda or Michanny versions). These stores also often had some input on the design itself. Aqua Lung was the name of the shop that Jacques-Yves Cousteau ran. (Rather, it was La Spirotechnique, but later changed to Aqua Lung after their most well-known product, the Aqua-Lung regulator) It was only later after "aqualung" became a genericized trademark that Blancpain seized upon it as a variant of the Fifty Fathoms when originally, it was just a plain ol' Fifty Fathoms sold by Aqua Lung. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abzack Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Very nice asci and doug! Thread just keeps getting better... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Great info about the Aqua Lung, Doug! Sadly, the history of the Fifty Fathoms isn't so well documented on the web. Heck, some decent websites dedicated to the watch have even disappeared in the last few years. While we're showing each other's pieces, here's my modded DSN: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomic_doug Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 (edited) beautiful LIP dial, LHOOQ. One of my favorites. FYI, the talk on RG now is that the new FF rep will be $800. Eight hundred US Dollars.... I think the Noob factory has finally started buying into their own hype. Edited January 22, 2014 by atomic_doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markiemark Posted January 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 beautiful LIP dial, LHOOQ. One of my favorites. FYI, the talk on RG now is that the new FF rep will be $800. Eight hundred US Dollars.... I think the Noob factory has finally started buying into their own hype. ARE YOU F#CKING KIDDING ME??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markiemark Posted January 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 ...and only 300 pieces (will be) made Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asciwhite Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Well then this one is off my list.. No way I am paying $800... Ill rather have a DSN vintage for $330 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abzack Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Well then this one is off my list.. No way I am paying $800... Ill rather have a DSN vintage for $330 I concur. Off the list...for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomic_doug Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 "for now" is right. Remember, though, this whole piece is really nothing special in terms of the construction save for the domed sapphire bezel. The reason rep makers prefer to make complex, expensive pieces is because they, themselves, get ripped off unless they can manage something they can control reasonably exclusively (like the ROO seconds@12 movement). This is why you never see highly desirable, yet relatively simple, pieces like the Patek Golden Ellipse get the rep treatment: the first maker buys a gen, destroys it in the process of repping it, spending tens of thousands of dollars. If it sells well, then another maker will buy the first maker's rep for a couple hundred bucks and start shortly cranking out his own versions without the significant initial investment. The end result is that the first maker has to completely recoup his initial investment within that short window where he is the only maker of a given rep. If this Fifty Fathoms is a homer (and no doubt it will be) then, like the APROO Diver, there will soon be a couple of different makers and a half dozen different versions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 the first maker buys a gen, destroys it in the process of repping it, spending tens of thousands of dollars. I just don't see why the process of replication is necessarily destructive. A purchased gen used as a model will be deconstructed to its component parts, sure. But afterward it can be rebuilt and sold on the genuine market. The domed sapphire bezel really does seem to be an expensive piece to make. Nearly all of the FF homage manufacturers use acrylic inserts (e.g. Mk II and Precista), flat sapphire inserts (Helson), or make the domed sapphire insert an extra-cost option (Corvus). I'd take an acrylic bezel for this rep if it would halve the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpz5142 Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 I just don't see why the process of replication is necessarily destructive. A purchased gen used as a model will be deconstructed to its component parts, sure. But afterward it can be rebuilt and sold on the genuine market. Go take a look at the Black Bay thread on RepGeek, you can see the condition that the Gen dial is in after the makers have "had their way with it". It's not destroyed but it is not in good condition... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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