So what would you say?

[andreww]

So I'm at a family gathering the other night. Its my brother-in-law's 50th, and his sister shows up with her new boyfriend. All I know is that this guy has been described to me as a "shady" kind of guy who "imports/exports" from China. So when he arrives I curiously look at his wrist, and my suspicions are confirmed. This guy isn't wearing a quality rep however, but a cheap "Rolex" two-tone, with the fake chronos with glued on hands and no pushers. Literally a $2 POS. Oh well, I ignore it as best I can. So after dinner I'm relaxing in the garden with a cigar, and my mother-in-law comes running out of the house with the two-tone abortion in her hands. Knowing I'm a watch geek she is anxious for my opinion of this beautiful Rolex. Being the type that doesn't like to call people out, I try to come up with something complimentary to say, BUT WHAT??? How can I risk my reputation by saying anything good about this thing? All I can say is "its a very very very cheap copy" and sheepishly hand it back. Turns out the guy paid $6 for it, as I discovered later when we chatted for a bit. But why would a grown man wear something like this? It was embarrassing for me, and surely, him.

[TwoTone]

It was embarrassing for me, and surely, him.

Apparently it wasn't for him...

TT

[b16a2]

Not alot you can say if it is a very bad replica. If it is a bad replica like that, I don't hink there is much else that can be said!

It's very hard when someone is wearing a blatant fake. I have a friend who wears a Breitling Bentley canal street special, I try not to look at it, because if I get caught I don't want to get into a discussion about Breitlings. Another friend of mine also wears an asian PO, maybe 3rd gen, and he passes it off as genuine, I just go along with it, as a close friend to me, I haven't the heart to call him out.

[KB]

My guess is that he just has no idea how bad it looks, there are many people out there who would put anything on there wrist as long as it says Rolex on the dial.

Ken

[fitmic]

my mother-in-law comes running out of the house with the two-tone abortion in her hands.

[Watchmeister]

You are nicer than I. I probably would have started laughing. Although the thought of your mother-in-law running out with the watch is somewhat more horrifying. I am glad it wasn't your mother.

[hambone]

When it comes to levels of class and taste, there are those who are sadly lacking. It sounds as though you were biased against this fellow from the start, so an introduction to "our world" of rep collecting was the second choice before telling him what you really thought. Nothing wrong with that at all.

[hyster]

Being the type that doesn't like to call people out, I try to come up with something complimentary to say, BUT WHAT??? How can I risk my reputation by saying anything good about this thing?

I would say "I have the same luck, I bought a painting and a table, a picasso and a chippendale, unfortunately piccaso built [censored] tables and chippendale couldn't paint to save his life"

Seriously mate,"Interesting watch" and a quiet, "you do realize its a fake", in a concerned tone when nobody is listening would do it.

Nightmare scenario though

[andreww]

Well I felt sorry in a way, because this guy was making his first family appearance. But on the other hand if I said anything like "nice piece", then I know that it will come back later that I don't know enough about watches to spot a $6 fake. On the other hand, if this guy has been sitting at the dinner table trying to pass this thing off as a gen, then I've just labled him as a fraud. It was a very difficult situation to say the least!

[jfreeman420]

It's a good thing he didn't try to pass it off as a gen. Keep in mind 90% of the population who buy fake watches buy them as a gag. It's sort of like a shady little piece of black market goods that give people a sense of danger. That same 90% of people would never dream of spending $300 or more on a fake watch. They would be more than content with a genuine seiko. We are in the great minority of the WIS.

[Admin]

It's a good thing he didn't try to pass it off as a gen. Keep in mind 90% of the population who buy fake watches buy them as a gag. It's sort of like a shady little piece of black market goods that give people a sense of danger. That same 90% of people would never dream of spending $300 or more on a fake watch. They would be more than content with a genuine seiko. We are in the great minority of the WIS.

Also, 90% of people have no idea there is a "high range" replica world out there and only have access to these kind of watches

[fotoman]

if it were me, i would have said - its very cool, - cool is a nice word that can mean anything, like, cool you got a POS that says rolex on it, nice work.

and then i would have said, i can show him some stuff that will blow his mind in the high end arena

[Willith]

Also, 90% of people have no idea there is a "high range" replica world out there and only have access to these kind of watches

There's an idea, maybe you can introduce him to this forum. If he has Chinese connections we may have another dealer.

[archibald]

Well, the way my family gatherings work, the watch and it's owner would have become the brunt of the day's vicious joke...probably the watch would be passed around all day with each wearer loudly saying in a Charles Emerson Winchester III voice, "And so I bought a new Roooooolex..." But then again my family is made up of a bunch of anti-taste rubes who think they're all comedians. So consider yourself lucky that you guys actually use tact with eachother.

If I were in an in-law situation, though, I would have said, "You know, I think you can get a lot better replica Rolexes than that for less than $100. Let mepoke around the web and I'll shoot you a link."

[Raijor]

I would say "I have the same luck, I bought a painting and a table, a picasso and a chippendale, unfortunately piccaso built [censored] tables and chippendale couldn't paint to save his life"

Seriously mate,"Interesting watch" and a quiet, "you do realize its a fake", in a concerned tone when nobody is listening would do it.

Nightmare scenario though

That is a brilliant way to handle a delicate situation - Cheers