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General guide to buying reps


Drizznay

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As I said in the guide to picking a dealer I did not write this but it was originated by Napoleon on the old RWG. It was a great post that I think we should have over here and of course if you feel something should be added by all means, add it! And I want to say thank you to Napoleon for writing this great post!

There is a saying amongst watch collectors, "buy the dealer, not the watch". In my opinion it applies to rep's just as much, if not more, than to genuine pieces. This is how I approach a purchase.

First: read through the dealer review section. Get a feel for a dealer who has got mostly good writeups. Notice how long shipping normally takes. Notice how quickly mails were answered. If other buyers were happy, you should not be dissapointed.

Second: When you've chosen your dealer(s), find the site where they keep images of the watches. PM them if you can't locate the site (check the trading section on TRW or post a request for info' to do this as the offers section here is now closed. ). Go look at the watches and choose one. Compare the images to a genuine (go to the manufacturer site or a genuine dealer site) to see how accurate your chosen watch is. Post to ask what others who have purchased think of it, ask their opinion of the accuracy if that is important to you, or the quality. Is the strap any good if it has one or will you need a replacement? Does it keep good time?

Third: Mail the dealer to ask the price, spec's of the piece (dimensions, case material, display or solid back, movement type, working subdials, what the subdials do etc) and any other details like will they tell you when it is shipped, do they give a tracking number, when can you use it, what is the web address for tracking? Ask what forms of payment they take, what to put in the fields if it's pp. How long does shipping take? What is their policy if a watch does not get delivered, how long you have to wait before it's considered lost in transit, what is the policy if customs seize it? What is their policy if it arrives faulty or damaged?

Is the mail answered quickly enough for you, are all the details answered fully and to your satisfaction? If you are happy go to step Four, if not go back to step One.

Fourth: Pay for your watch and relax. If you get a tracking number, it's usual to wait a couple of days before attempting to track the watch and don't expect the tracking to work perfectly, be up to date or accurate. It is often is a waste of time. If your watch has not arrived after the time you were told shipping should take, give it a few more days and then contact the dealer about it. I am sure if you've chosen well you will get lots of help from them.

Fifth: Your watch has arrived, it is all you expected and hopefully more. Sit and look at it, marvel at the thing, wear it all the time until your next purchase arrives.

Most of all, do not expect instant replies to mails, allow a couple of days and then resend. Always allow enough time for delivery (the hardest part but usually worth it). Remember, if a dealer has built up a good reputation for service and then acts out of character, there is usually a good reason. They do have to travel to collect new rep's occasionally, they do get ill now and then, they do get flooded with mails sometimes. If you are happy with everything, post a good dealer report. If you have a problem and if after all REASONABLE attempts to solve the problem, and after allowing a fair period to resolve it, you're still not happy, post the results. Please don't post that because a mail is not answered for a couple of days, a site down for a couple of days (they do get updated or move servers sometimes) you're going to stop a payment, report a dealer or worse.

In my experience and, I'm sure many other people here, if you use your sense and have some patience your efforts will be rewarded, your problems will be few and small and this forum will once again be a more rewarding and fun place to visit.

Things to know about rep's.

The better versions have an ETA movement where it can be used. It may or may not be Swiss but it will usually be reliable. Worth checking on, especially if it is a Rolex you are after.

Luminous dials. Seems to be a lottery how bright and how long they glow for. I would be happy to pay a bit extra for good luminous but as far as I know this is not something you can do. In my experience, don't expect miracles.

The Chrono's with a Nouveau Lemania copy seem to be fairly reliable.

The Chrono's with Asian 7750 movements are a bit of a lottery, you will probably be OK but don't expect 100% reliability. You may or may not get it.

Stainless cases are better at resisting wear than Gold plated ones. They may be called Gold fill but they are best reserved for occasional wear. Some of them are so nice it is worth having one just for best.

The straps supplied on rep's are not that good. Budget for a nice replacement.

Don't expect your rep' to be waterproof or even resistant. If it says 1000m it means keep it that far from water. You may be lucky and get a water resistant one, have it tested by a watchmaker before taking the plunge.

When you buy a rep', don't expect the real thing. In a lot of cases you will be suprised just how good your watch is, especially for what you paid, but not every time. The more research you do before buying, the more chance you have of being very happy.

For the most part, the less complicated the watch is, the more accurate a copy it will be. Some of the Chronographs are very good. The Calendars less so. For instance, where the genuine has a Moonphase, no rep' has this feature working at the moment. The subsiduiary seconds surrounding the Moonphase will usually be a 24 Hour dial and the Moonphase also, showing Day/ Night or SunMoon.

The cheaper Chrono' rep's will have Day/Date dials where the Chrono' subdials should be. Fully working Chrono's cost more. Research and questions will let you find out what works as it should and what doesn't on any rep' If you can't be bothered to do this research, prepare to be disappointed.

Some of the latest rep's have working power reserve subdials.

As has been said before there is no point in asking who has the best example of any watch, it will always be one of the dealers you didn't buy from.

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As I said in the guide to picking a dealer I did not write this but it was originated by Napoleon on the old RWG. It was a great post that I think we should have over here and of course if you feel something should be added by all means, add it! And I want to say thank you to Napoleon for writing this great post!

Drizznay. . .great post !!!! You just answered some questions that I had in a post that I just put up. As Drizznay told me before . . . ...Search 1st . HEH HEH. :whistling::thumbsupsmileyanim:

K, Drizznay, you gots me again. Hats off to you sir !!!!! :thumbsupsmileyanim:

convbmw

THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE

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