Does a rep lead you to purchase gen?

[TeeJay]

TeeJay -- You should consider an Invicta or any of the dozens of other Rolex look-alike brands, which are built to much higher quality standards than any commercially-made rep, give you the look and feel of a Rolex (sans the Rolex name, since that is not important to you) and all for about the same cost as a good rep. You even get a real manufacturer's warranty, which comes without any of the legal and QC hassles of a rep.

Now, this is the funny thing. While I have no objections buying a rep of a particular marque, I don't like 'Clone Brands'. Reps aren't trying to be something different to what they're supposed to be (if that makes sense ) where brands like Invicta simply take the existing design, alter a minute detail, and then slap their own logo on, as if they actually designed the whole thing themselves. At least reps are (well, within 'tollerance for rep accuracy') true to what they are copies of, and are branded as the originals, rather than the factory slapping their own logo on. The name (Rolex/Omega/Panerai) is not important to me in terms of 'flashing a brand-name', but, in terms of visual accuracy, that's what the original has on the dial, so that's what I want mine to say on the dial. It's not a case of 'brand worship', just a case of wanting the most accurate to the original at the most reasonable cost. If that makes any sense to anyone but me

[TeeJay]

I can smell the difference between Pepsi and Coke and, when being tested (double-blind - they were French) in the office had to hold my nose to show I was actually tasting the difference before declaring Pepsi as the vile brew that it was. I could tell 100% of the time and prefer Coke every time.

The problem with broad strokes describing RWGers and TZers is that some of us are them and some of them are us. We're everywhere and so are they.

Oh, Irn Bru in a glass bottle is the finest of all the fizzy drinks, just in case it was in any doubt.

I guess it's just a matter of personal preference. Something worth tracking down if you can find it, is a concoction called Fentiman's Curiosity Cola (in a glass bottle) It's pretty expensive, and, quite different to either Coke or Pepsi, but it is a nice drink

That's very true, I guess the difference is we aren't ashamed of our gens, but they're ashamed of their reps I wonder if they cry when they look at their collections and find their gaze lingering on the rep

You're spot on there, for some reason glass bottles make a huge difference to the taste of a drink

[anton]

Speak for yourself there, Anton... I collect reps because I object to the price tag of gens. I like how certain watches look, but am not prepared to pay the price tag, so instead, I want the closest to that appearance for the most reasonable price. I do not, however, wear 'high end' watches to impress people or convey a certain image, I do so for the reason I decide to put on jeans or a pink shirt: Because I like the way they look. If people want to assume that my watches are genuine, then that's their assumption. If someone was to ask me, I would never claim that a rep was a gen. Infact, the closest I would come to claiming a watch to be anything other than a rep, would be one which I customized or built myself, as I did with The Patient:

Not everyone on the forum buys reps just to pretend they have the real thing.

I know; some of us are exceptions to the rule. The ones I speak of in my example, are (and I'm sure you know of them) the ones who probably don't subscribe to the threads and think a "canal st. special" looks just like "the real thing".

But I have a question for you: Since you say that you object to the price tag of the gens, but like the look; let's say you erased all the brand names off all the dials of your reps. Wou you still have the same emotional value to them as you do the ones you own now? Would you still wear them proudly?

Oh and BTW, 100 posts to this thread! I didn't think a thread I started would have an active response!

Thank you, all your opinions are valuable and told me a bit about how people all over the world view their watches.

[TeeJay]

I know; some of us are exceptions to the rule. The ones I speak of in my example, are (and I'm sure you know of them) the ones who probably don't subscribe to the threads and think a "canal st. special" looks just like "the real thing".

But I have a question for you: Since you say that you object to the price tag of the gens, but like the look; let's say you erased all the brand names off all the dials of your reps. Wou you still have the same emotional value to them as you do the ones you own now? Would you still wear them proudly?

Oh and BTW, 100 posts to this thread! I didn't think a thread I started would have an active response!

Thank you, all your opinions are valuable and told me a bit about how people all over the world view their watches.

I have to admit, I would actually love to track down a really nasty Canal St Special, just so it could go in my collection

Interesting question, and one that has a double-layered answer.

If I was to erase all brandings off all the reps which I own, then yes, they would still have the same emotional value (some were gifts, one was the first 'expensive watch' I bought, some are ones which I've customized) and I would wear them with equal pride in their emotional value to me. But. I would consider them to be less accurate reproductions for being 'non-branded'. It wouldn't bother me enough not to wear them, and as mentioned, it wouldn't affect my emotional bond to them, but I can't say that I wouldn't notice at all if they were non-branded. As a side note, I actually rather like 'sterile watches' as issued to forces personel, and plan on aquiring an American Mark II for my collection (even if it never gets worn) simply because I like its 'sterility'