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How Much Is Too Much For A Rep?


solicitor

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Okay.

So, the $100K question is: How much is too much for an "off the shelf", non-modded Rep watch?

Whether it contains an Asian or Swiss movement, what is your spending limit for a REP? At what point does it no longer make sense to buy a Rep?

For me, I cannot imagine paying more than USD$600.00 for a Rep. You can get some good BNIB Gens from an AD starting at that price point (discounted below retail, of course!).

What do y'all think?

.

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No limit. But I have what I call the rep to gen ratio. Original movement 95% accurate rep can be as much as 15% of gen price - so paying $600 for a 2892 Power Reserve or $700 for a 7753 Daylight does not bother me if they are well made. Otherwise $300-400 for better aesthetic reps and $100 for everything else. :)

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Because I look at these as mainly a fun hobby and the watches as novelties I am not winning to drop real cash on them (for the most part). For gens I am much more willing to spend large cash.

So for fakes I spend in the hundreds, gens no set limit. I think the most espensive fake I have bought it probably in the $500- $600 rane, but more realsitic to me is $350-ish.

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Because I look at these as mainly a fun hobby and the watches as novelties I am not winning to drop real cash on them (for the most part). For gens I am much more willing to spend large cash.

So for fakes I spend in the hundreds, gens no set limit. I think the most espensive fake I have bought it probably in the $500- $600 rane, but more realsitic to me is $350-ish.

Try using the spellcheck button from time to time. B)

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Indenial-

15% for original movement rep based on the notion that the movement is the engine and you can work with a good engine. Additional money spent on proper servicing and sealing and aesthetic upgrades will not go out the window because the watch dies. Besides 6 reasonably solid reps (all are sent to Ziggy for proper servicing) seems like a reasonable trade-off. When I spend upwards of $300-400 for Asian movement it just so happens that it is usually less than 10% of the value of a gen. If I really like the watch, the aesthetics are good and the gen is ETA based I will consider upgrading the movement to ETA and then it tends to fall well within my 15% limit for upper end reps. I have given up on cheaper reps. They just never get any wrist time. The fallacy with my logic is that I end up with 20 reps and could have bought 2-3 gens. :lol: But where is the fun in that? The other interesting question is how much do you really spend on this habit. I suspect you would find a fair number of people are spending anywhere from $5,000 - $10,000 per year or more. ;)

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270$ for a standard swiss movement rep.

250$ + cost of movement for a high end original movement rep (swiss ETA 7750, 7753, 2892-a2, 2893)

Asian movement based reps, are a nogo for me, I consider them as disposable watches with a life expectancy of about 1 to 4 months max. As a matter of fact I have only bought 1 asian movement based rep in the past 2 years I have been into reps, a Davidsen 195 with an asia 6497-2. Sold the watch within a week.

I not as bothered with high prices for solid movement reps, for a 15th of the price you can own a watch that movement wise is on par with the gen (use the same movement) and with a few mods can maybe approach 60-70 percent of the finish and accuracy of the gen.

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Because I look at these as mainly a fun hobby and the watches as novelties I am not winning to drop real cash on them (for the most part). For gens I am much more willing to spend large cash.

So for fakes I spend in the hundreds, gens no set limit. I think the most espensive fake I have bought it probably in the $500- $600 rane, but more realsitic to me is $350-ish.

Agreed, $325 with shipping is as high as I would go. I thought at one time, buying a center post Seagull tourbillon replica Breguet for $2000+ might be something I could justify but my thinking now is that the list of genuines in that price range just makes too much sense. Oris Artillier Chrono, Moon Watch...I could go on and on. A high fidelity chrono replica with an asian 7750 for $300 is still a good buy. I cant do the $700+ ETA 7750 reps when there's a Tissot T-Lord or an Accutron Gemini chrono with a real company standing behind it available in that price range.

....but I dont see myself ever being able to afford a genuine tourbi so some day.....maybe.....

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There is really no answer to that, it depends on a combination of what watch it is, how much you really want it, what movement it has, etc.

There are watches that you would not spend more then $200 on because of asian movement, suddenly next month you are spending $400+ on a different model with the same asian movt. cause you really want that model.

I said to myself that I would never buy a rep with asian movement. Then 1950 Flyback comes out and since I was crazy about the design I ended up buying it, had it serviced and it has been running fine for past 8 months or so.

I think there is a limit. I must agree with everything that Kruzer said.

I think I'd spend as high as $600-$700 on a rep if it meets certain conditions.

1. It has to be a model I really, really want but it is too expensive to get a genuine one, meaning $6000+ price range. Although I can afford it I don't think I'd be willing to buy watches in that price range no matter how much I like them

2. It has to have swiss movt.

3. It has to be 1:1 with no flaws.

I can think of one good example I'm waiting for, the IWC Auqatimer Cousteau. I'd pay $600+ for a rep with Swiss 7750 as long as it has no flaws and it is 1:1, then get it serviced and be happy knowing I have a model that I really wanted but I was not willing to spend over $6K on a genuine one.

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Off the shelf? Dunno... I'd go as high as $4k for the right "off-the-shelf" watch; I have one very particular piece in mind, but it's a true 1:1 with genuine Rolex 1575 movement, etc. (it's genuine counterpart is selling in the $12k - $14k range as of current).

Then again, my perception on the subject is a bit skewed having built my collection of frankens...

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>>>1. It has to be a model I really, really want but it is too expensive to get a genuine one, meaning $6000+ price range. Although I can afford it I don't think I'd be willing to buy watches in that price range no matter how much I like them

2. It has to have swiss movt.

3. It has to be 1:1 with no flaws.

<<<

1. They you CAN'T afford them. I don't buy the idea that someone would just never spend over X ammount on princaple or something. You can afford it or you can't. If you have to think about it or wonder if it is a wise way to spend your money or anything else then you CANNOT afford it. Simply having the money does NOT mean you can afford something.

2. OK, lots of fakes have Swiss movements but see other threads for the confusion on this, it is quite likely that any particular "Swiss" movement has never actually been to Switzerland.

3. Then you will NEVER buy a fake because NONE and I mean NONE are flawless 1:1 watches. There simply is not such thing, a perfect 1:1 flawless watch is called a genuine.

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I think for some of us the limit is imposed for the dealers, who aren't able to offer pieces for what we could pay the amount we are ready to pay. For instance I paid around 3k for a 16520 daytona similar to Randy's but finally the watch was wich some flaws and was returned to the dealer, anyway I'm ready to pay this amount again for a 16520. On the other side I consider 300 too much for a pam111 or planet ocean but 600 aprox right price for the MBW AP ROO.

The ceiling depends of the watch.

Just my 0,02€

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