faonmyea Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 i'm getting tired of this rep game. at first it was interesting and fun to buy reps, reading stuff about them, but not so much anymore. i have a couple watches that just gather dust. anyone else starting to feel this way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadog13 Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 i am still mad about it...just čove watches and collecting them...either reps...either gens.... if you have any pams that are gathering dust...please send them to me.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealphabeta Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Hmmmm what a bizarre post. If your bored sell your watches to someone who isnt and then find a new hobby? Generally i'd make the assumption that people aren't bored else they wouldnt be here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faonmyea Posted May 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Generally i'd make the assumption that people aren't bored else they wouldnt be here! well maybe there's still some spark left that keeps me coming back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris5264 Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 I wouldn't ever say I'm exclusively into reps, I am just into very cool watches and don't want to pay a lot. I still haven't found another watch around 200 (usd) that competes with the overall quality of reps. With that said, I have found that my attraction to watches often reflects my overall mood. The only time I'm not into watches is when I'm not into anything. Maybe its just a tempory thing...Have a drink and check out the new panerai movement... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willith Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 I'm just into watches, though I have around 90% genuine. Reps are fun to get and try a "test drive" on something your not sure if you'll like or not. When I first saw 44mm Panerai I thought it was too big, boy was I wrong. Now, I have or had many in the last couple of years. I have only 2 reps right now (only 1 wearable right now). I do enjoy watches and reading about them, I guess that's why you can see me on a lot of different boards reading and talking about them. Like was said above if you're tired of your watches upgrade your membership and sell them or just give them away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Tracy Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Hmm,.. Maybe your collection is tired... Do you mind telling us what's in your watch box ? I also chime in that if you love watches in general, unless you're a billionaire, replicas are a fun way to explore the world of mechanical time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarks Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 I am about done with reps too. I have a few gens but none were PAMs. Ever since I got a couple of PAMs, my attention has been focused on PAMs and nothing else. The thing about reps is problems, about half of them had been giving me problems. Too much headaches taking care of them. I am so addicted to PAMs reps that I hate the fact that they are not up to standard. Well, at least I got to try on a few PAMs for a while before deciding which gen to get. So off I went and splurged a huge amount on a monster panerai. Receiving that special edition box with the watch in it was amazing and literally swept me off my feet. The thrill of receiving a gen PAM is nothing compared to receiving a rep. The feeling of knowing the type of movement calibre in the gen is effin' overwhelming. I will still buy reps, only swiss tho and if I really like it that much, I'll prob get a gen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tag Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 I kind of feel the same. Reps is an illusion : the illusion that you can get luxury watches for a fraction of their price. Luxury is perfection and glamour. But what you get is far from being perfect and glamorous... I wanted to believe that it is very hard to distinguish between a good rep & a gen. After reading some serious reports here, it seems still not to hard to spot the fake. And serious rep owners often report 50% of failures. In some sense, it's like buying a second hand gen : I wouldn't like it either, unless it is almost new. I think rep producers should replace the mechanical movement by a quartz and focus on the case & design. Reps would look better, be cheaper and more reliable. It make sense to have a mechanical movement in a gen but not in a rep. If you know rep dealers selling quartz yatchmaster or PO please let me know... So now the question is : is it worth buying reps to choose the gen you really like? Or is it enough visiting several chops to try different gens before buying? Still hesitating between getting 1 gen or a bunch of reps, which will fail sooner or later and which I'll never consider as jewels... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Manny Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 As we all know there is a wide range in rep quality. I think if you buy a second rate rep with a crappy movement then you will get a much higher failure rate and likely lower overall quality. On the other hand if you are willing to spend extra on a rep with a great movement and great overall quality you will be surprised by your experience. I own over a dozen gens in addition to around 20 high-end reps. In my experience I have had more issues with my gens then with my reps (although I have had the gens longer). I say you just look at them as watches. You get what you pay for. Case in point: $5000 gen PAM = Great quality, good movement and excellent quality control. $500 rep PAM = Good quality, good movement and inconsistent quality control. $4500 buys you a lot of watches, upgrades or shares of a equity investment. You decide which makes you happier. If you are bored with reps then you are likely buying crappy reps or are bored with watches in general. Either way, I hope you had a good time while the interest lasted. Enjoy the next chapter. Cheers, CM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hottoddy Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 (edited) The allure has also been fading for me. After a few grand (easily) on reps, I only wear 2-3 with any regularity. The other ten or so sit in the dying ebay watchwinder (and yes, I've traded about 6 or so over the years). Part of it is my profession. I have to be careful about sporting a rep, and what kind of message that imparts. This has lead me to steer clear of Rolex altogether. Apart from a few tempting reps over the past 6 months, I've simply grown tired of most of the offerings. Another reason is the demise of pp among many dealers. I'm sorry, but you're not getting me to send payment any other way. But the biggest part is my growing affection for genuines with ETAs for similar prices. There's dozens of fine brands regularly discussed on PMWF and the like. This is where I'm gravitating. I'm also going to saving more money and will likely make a few choice genuine purchases in the future (eg., Omega). That's not to say reps are off my list, but I'm much more selective. Edited May 21, 2006 by hottoddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cskent69 Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 I like reps - even with the little flaws (depends on the flaw). The problem is the failure rate. Why not simply have versions with actual ETA movements, etc that actually work. I know that alot of us like the thrill of the hunt - but we would all be better off if we knew what we were actually getting. Then we can simply work on the design issues. For instance, is there a way to do a group buy of the "new" 7750 that The Zigmeister has reviewed. That way we can all just swap out the crap ones that we have? :cc_confused: :cc_confused: I also have expensive Gens and cheap Gens. I with that other guy from PMWG. Have you all seen the new Citizen with the ecodrive connected to the mech watch. Really incredible. Design - a little iffy - but the tech is absolutely cool. No winding necessary but you still get the sweep. Course it is no Omega. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finepics Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Apart from the killer 187 and my PAM 24 all are Swiss movts, and the 2 former watches are an easy upgrade to swiss. I understand about having a gen and maybe one day I will but at the moment these will do for me. I have 14 altogether and it has got to the point where I don't know which one to wear sometimes!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ridnwind Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 I like vintages, so buying a quality WM rep is the only way to go! $15k+ for real and you have to worry about the dial, servicing, etc. Or Josh's PAM 2B,with identical real PAM movement and a real Panerai strap. Don't get discouraged, as quality reps are the way to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cskent69 Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Finepics - i guess this just means that I have to send more of my stuff to you for upgrades. ridnwind, Now you got me going again. Is Josh's PAM 2B on his website? I can not find it. Am I blind? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tag Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 As we all know there is a wide range in rep quality. I think if you buy a second rate rep with a crappy movement then you will get a much higher failure rate and likely lower overall quality. On the other hand if you are willing to spend extra on a rep with a great movement and great overall quality you will be surprised by your experience. I own over a dozen gens in addition to around 20 high-end reps. In my experience I have had more issues with my gens then with my reps (although I have had the gens longer). I say you just look at them as watches. You get what you pay for. Case in point: $5000 gen PAM = Great quality, good movement and excellent quality control. $500 rep PAM = Good quality, good movement and inconsistent quality control. $4500 buys you a lot of watches, upgrades or shares of a equity investment. You decide which makes you happier. If you are bored with reps then you are likely buying crappy reps or are bored with watches in general. Either way, I hope you had a good time while the interest lasted. Enjoy the next chapter. Cheers, CM Thanks for sharing your exp. But as you say, quality control in reps is inconsistent so... do you really get what you paid for? Instead of $500 wouldn't a rep cost you in average $1000, assuming a 50% defect rate? You seem to be happy of your rep acquisitions : can you recommend dealers? tag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ridnwind Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Finepics - i guess this just means that I have to send more of my stuff to you for upgrades. ridnwind, Now you got me going again. Is Josh's PAM 2B on his website? I can not find it. Am I blind? Here ya go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tag Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 The allure has also been fading for me. After a few grand (easily) on reps, I only wear 2-3 with any regularity. The other ten or so sit in the dying ebay watchwinder (and yes, I've traded about 6 or so over the years). Part of it is my profession. I have to be careful about sporting a rep, and what kind of message that imparts. This has lead me to steer clear of Rolex altogether. Apart from a few tempting reps over the past 6 months, I've simply grown tired of most of the offerings. Another reason is the demise of pp among many dealers. I'm sorry, but you're not getting me to send payment any other way. But the biggest part is my growing affection for genuines with ETAs for similar prices. There's dozens of fine brands regularly discussed on PMWF and the like. This is where I'm gravitating. I'm also going to saving more money and will likely make a few choice genuine purchases in the future (eg., Omega). That's not to say reps are off my list, but I'm much more selective. What s PMWF ? What are your reasons of stearing clear of Rolex? Are there too much replicated? It is true that other genuine have a greater price/quality ratio than the overpraised Rolex. Omega for ex. is significantly cheaper, although it's comparable to Rolex on quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsons Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 (edited) I must be fortunate but all the toys that I have purchased have been absolutely trouble free. They are also excellent time pieces in their own right even compared to gens in the sub $1K category. I have been very selective in my acquisitions (vintage or at least no longer in production) and compared to most folks here, I have a tiny collection. Choose quality over quantity and stick with the proven ETA movements. The ETA movements can last a life time if properly cared for. Simplicity also equals reliability which is the reason I have not added a chrono to the collection. I see folks here ordering watches with unproven (or proven to be a hedache) movements which in large part, is the problem. The fun part is the hunt, the learning of mechanical watches & the arrival of the little packages. Three of my toys were a total PIA to source but well worth the effort. IMO, gens are just too easy to buy unless one is into vintage. The latter is where the fun is, IMO. Edited May 21, 2006 by Jetsons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
that_watch_guy Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 I find that I get tired of watches very quickly and end up buying and selling them all the time because I just can't make up my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewe Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Before collecting reps, I collected vintage gens. With the exception of a few collectible brands like Rolex, vintage gens can be gotten for about the same price as decent reps. However, I always budgeted in at least a cleaning to the cost of ownership. As wonderful as genuine mechanical movements are, they are mechanical and all will need service sooner or later. If you think you are tired of replicas which break or have poor QC check out the genuine watch boards and see all the owners of 5k watches who have problems, sometimes immediately. And to get serviced, you generally have to send your watch halfway around the world and be without it for a couple months or more. Panerai customer service is notorious. I recently purchased a genuine Sinn U1 for about 1k. It's wonderful. However, if it every needs servicing, I will have to send it to Germany and be without it for a long time. It's not like the AD is simply gonna replace the watch. We get better service from dealers such as Eddie Lee, than you'll get buying a gen. One of the keys to collecting any kind of watch is to develop a relationship with a good service person. That saves me a lot of grief. dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Tracy Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 I think it's natural that some people are still looking for their passion, and some have found it. Those that have tried it, and are saying,.. "hey, I tasted it, and it wasn't for me." I can accept that. I think however if you are going to leave something, which for the life of me.. I can't understand why, {If, you seriously love watches, that is..} It would be nice to hear some valid reasons, beyond bad luck. As you can see, there are, some eloquet posts in this thread, proving that between various combinations of choice, the mechanical reliability reason, does not have to be an issue for everyone, no more or less than with genuine. I have had great experiences with my watches including mechanically... though some of that is due to the fact that I am very easy on watches... and keep a large enough collection that allows me to rotate them, making wear & tear, a non-factor. I love chronographs, as well,.. and won't hesitate to buy an Asian, and I have had Zero major problems.. and I use the chronos baby.. use them well. Though I love watches in general.. Even if I were a multi-millionaire,.. I'm too practical, to pay exorbitant price tags for names... Performance Yes,.. but never for names.. So until someone figures out how to allow me to have any genuine watch I wanted, for under $700.. I'm staying right here.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faonmyea Posted May 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 on a side note, i've always hated fossil watches. i felt sory for everyone i ever saw wearing one. the best watch i ever had was a timex ironman triathalong with indiglo light. i had it all throughout my childhood. and to those who want to know what i have in the closet next to my unheard cd's: 196, 050, 3 daydate/datejust Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Tracy Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 on a side note, i've always hated fossil watches. i felt sory for everyone i ever saw wearing one. the best watch i ever had was a timex ironman triathalong with indiglo light. i had it all throughout my childhood. and to those who want to know what i have in the closet next to my unheard cd's: 196, 050, 3 daydate/datejust Closet Sale Closet Sale,.... Taking offers ? Why no Iwc ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craytonic Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 on a side note, i've always hated fossil watches. i felt sory for everyone i ever saw wearing one. the best watch i ever had was a timex ironman triathalong with indiglo light. i had it all throughout my childhood. Agree with you on both of these, I had a fossil in high school. Crappy quartz. Still have an ironman, wear it anytime I do anything involving sweat (yard work, gym, etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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