Us Poor Folk

[r11co]

I've come to the realisation that I simply can't get away with wearing reps of £2k+ watches, at least not in the company of anyone who knows me in any way more than passing.

I'm not a tramp/bum by any means, but my car/house/clothes/job do not shout 'masses of disposable income'. It came home to me when a good friend turned up at the pub recently with a very nice and simple genuine TAG Heuer Link that he'd managed to purchase for a third of retail price thanks to a voucher loyalty scheme that decided to triple the value of his points. His watch is plain and understated, but it's real!

I felt comfortable with the rep Oris TT1 I wore most of last year (but sadly broke by dropping it on a tiled floor) and can just about get away with my favourite Omegas as long as I restrict myself to one or two (rather than the half-dozen I'd like...)

The point I am waffling around is - what is a really convincing and good value rep of a quality but not quite astronomically premium price watch? The new TAG link chronographs with 7750 are catching my eye and I gather King is selling them at a great price.

(PS. I know that some used or grey-market gens can be snagged for hundreds rather than thousands, but I'd end up leaving it in the box as I'd be too frightened I'd damage it....)

[jonthebhoy]

Just what I was thinking Rico...............so I went and bought this classy little number from a Mr. Robert Nesbitt (you may have heard of him).........we met in a quaint little Scottish Pub......The Saracens Head:

JTB

[ryaku]

I've come to the realisation that I simply can't get away with wearing reps of £2k+ watches, at least not in the company of anyone who knows me in any way more than passing.

I'm not a tramp/bum by any means, but my car/house/clothes/job do not shout 'masses of disposable income'. It came home to me when a good friend turned up at the pub recently with a very nice and simple genuine TAG Heuer Link that he'd managed to purchase for a third of retail price thanks to a voucher loyalty scheme that decided to triple the value of his points. His watch is plain and understated, but it's real!

I felt comfortable with the rep Oris TT1 I wore most of last year (but sadly broke by dropping it on a tiled floor) and can just about get away with my favourite Omegas as long as I restrict myself to one or two (rather than the half-dozen I'd like...)

The point I am waffling around is - what is a really convincing and good value rep of a quality but not quite astronomically premium price watch? The new TAG link chronographs with 7750 are catching my eye and I gather King is selling them at a great price.

I couldn't agree more.

That's why i'm looking only at "2000-3000$ genuines" replicas, i wouldn't be comfortable wearing a 15000$ daytona.

I discard most rolex watches for that reason.

(PS. I know that some used or grey-market gens can be snagged for hundreds rather than thousands, but I'd end up leaving it in the box as I'd be too frightened I'd damage it....)

Same here and i couldn't enjoy em. Better get some replicas for reasonable prices.

No doubt my opinion would be different if i had huge budget to spend in watches.

[r11co]

I went and bought this classy little number from a Mr. Robert Nesbitt (you may have heard of him).........we met in a quaint little Scottish Pub......The Saracens Head:

But I'll bet Rab C. told you it was a genuine gold plated Swiss Cheese timepiece and said he'd let you have it for your next three Giro cheques...

[jonthebhoy]

Mary-Doll bought it for him oan the anniversary of their very first podger behind the Locarno Club wherein he wooed her with a few Peruvian Brandies and the promise of a pudding supper on the way home.

JTB

PS - I'm giving myself a warning for crapping in your otherwise interesting and worthwhile thread.

[Viennawatch]

I've come to the realisation that I simply can't get away with wearing reps of £2k+ watches, at least not in the company of anyone who knows me in any way more than passing.

I'm not a tramp/bum by any means, but my car/house/clothes/job do not shout 'masses of disposable income'. It came home to me when a good friend turned up at the pub recently with a very nice and simple genuine TAG Heuer Link that he'd managed to purchase for a third of retail price thanks to a voucher loyalty scheme that decided to triple the value of his points. His watch is plain and understated, but it's real!

I felt comfortable with the rep Oris TT1 I wore most of last year (but sadly broke by dropping it on a tiled floor) and can just about get away with my favourite Omegas as long as I restrict myself to one or two (rather than the half-dozen I'd like...)

The point I am waffling around is - what is a really convincing and good value rep of a quality but not quite astronomically premium price watch? The new TAG link chronographs with 7750 are catching my eye and I gather King is selling them at a great price.

(PS. I know that some used or grey-market gens can be snagged for hundreds rather than thousands, but I'd end up leaving it in the box as I'd be too frightened I'd damage it....)

Unless of course you are still young enough to look as if you were spoiled by your 'rich' dad! haha I still got a year or two and then I have to start looking for a better paid job!

[Indyclmbr]

My wife and I just had this discussion. I have chosen reps of the gens we could afford, the Explorer, EXP II, the Panerai 063. I also have a vintage sub from the noble Nanuq. Now the plans are to mod them. Although I find myself attracted to several new watches on a regular basis, I have restrained myself well. We could afford the three gens and the vintage is something that can be explained away as passed down. Beyond that, I'd be stretching believability.

I wouldn't rule a rollie Sub or Explorer out as they are very attainable gens. Your choice of Omega and Tag is good too.

Good luck with your quest.

Climb on.

[Estaban]

I feel the same way as most of you. I've owned gen watches and have a gen Piaget Polo in 18k in the safe from my grandfather (don't really like the watch at all) but have gravitated to "reasonable" reps. I'm a school counselor/administrator in an elite private school and most of the parents I deal with wear serious watches. A Sub/SMP/SD wouldn't be too over the top for me. A RO, VC, YM, or Daytona would be a bit too over the top. I've had many parents inquire about my Pams. They love them.

Wear what your comfortable wearing, but remember that 036 or Fiddy your wearing might be a bit too much for a less than six figure income.

Edited June 6, 2006 by Estaban

[cornerstone]

I have just seen the future.....some comedian will one day pick this as my retirement watch

As for 'pulling off' nice watches, I've never come across anyone who knew what a Lange was. The day I do I'm in deep shite!!

[crystalcranium]

My wife and I do pretty well money wise but wearing a Vacheron or a Patek that go for $60-100K as a gen seems silly. I don't want to look like a rich pretentious total ass, just an ass with a nice watch. I stick to afordable Rolex, Omega, Breitling etc and nothing in gold.

[supermanx]

The other problem is when you buy 4-5 reasonable reps in one month

I've been using the exuse that I've been trading watches that have been collecting dust. Plus it helps that im that guy people would not have a hard time believing just dropped 5k on a "stupid watch".

[crystalcranium]

The other problem is when you buy 4-5 reasonable reps in one month

I've been using the exuse that I've been trading watches that have been collecting dust. Plus it helps that im that guy people would not have a hard time believing just dropped 5k on a "stupid watch".

Isn't that response amazing? To me, a watch is a piece of jewelry first and a time reference second. Far fewer would look at someone's 2 karat engagement ring and say "What a stupid ring". When I got my first Rolex, a good friend of mine noticed it and showed me the piece of crap on his wrist and said "Rolex!!!! You idiot,...! Timex!" My wife often scoffs at classic expensive genuines as being too big, or too busy or the dreaded "It looks just like a Timex!" No dear, it's the Timex that's trying to look like this watch. I have another friend that shows me his LCD time display cell phone whenever he notices my expensive wrist candy and says, "What the hell do you need that expensive piece of crap for, this is all you need to tell time". They just dont get it and I don't get why they are so offended.

[Indyclmbr]

@crystalcranium: You're right. That's how I got my wife on board with my reps. I said "you like diamonds, I like watches. I don't wear any other jewelry, no diamond pendant, no diamond ring, no diamong tennis bracelet, no diamond earrings." Once she saw them as jewelry, she understood my interest. Then she asked if cameras were jewelry too. I pretended I didn't hear her.

Climb on.

[shimside11]

Let me approach this from an entirely different mindset. You can take it or leave it...

Start buying whatever you fancy. Reps of 5k to 500k watches. Tell everybody that you collect reps. Not the cheap ones, mind you, but the latest state of the art counterfeits. This whole area of interest is really less than ten years old. When you get a very well made swiss 7750 Daytona, tell them what you've got, pass it around, and be the envy of your peers. It's a very clever thing to be into for a couple of reasons. First, it's a bit underground and subversive. Not everybody can source top quality replicas, and you can get the best. If you're otherwise fairly conventional, this will introduce a small amount of danger into your life. Second, sticking it to the staid, overpriced, self-important Swiss companies with no apologies. Gives you a bit of the iconoclast flavour.

Now, I know this is like a large woman coming to grips with her weight, just forget the stigma, be proud of it, dress to it, and get a confident and sexy attitude. There are some damn sexy big girls out there, most with confident, in-your-face attitudes.

Not everybody can pull it off. If everyone you know is wearing an expensive gen, you've got to play the "rep as real" game, which is great fun in itself - just a whole different set of rules. But if you have the advantage of a sane, middle class peer group, as most of us do, give this a try.

If you're up to the challenge, post the results. Should make for some interesting discussion.

[Guest HeWhoIsLikeGod]

@ Shimside

I find alot of people are impressed by the quality of my rep and if they search for reps online they will be amazed at the prices on the scam site and either way they will think you have a really expensive watch.

[shimside11]

@ Shimside

I find alot of people are impressed by the quality of my rep and if they search for reps online they will be amazed at the prices on the scam site and either way they will think you have a really expensive watch.

Expensive enough to be impressed, but not expensive enough to think that you're a fool. You really can't lose with nice reps

[Chronus]

shimside: interesting take... i thought that too. Revel in your rep-collecting

Or, if you want to pass it off as genuine (and many do, even me with some of them!) it depends what kind of person you are. I got a few genuine watches and blew all my money on them.

I also had an idea for a frankenwatch R*l*x two tone silver serti sub, and had emailed around links to a bunch of friends with a list of most of the parts I was thinking of getting. It would have cost $1-2000 to do, and without the genuine movement. Now when they see my MBW Sub Serti, no questions are asked if it's genuine.

Only a few know I have reps actually. One guy who is a close friend, and another I told my PAM029 is a rep. Hard to judge what he thinks. I know one guy who has a genuine mid-size Omega SMP given to him as an engagement gift, but I have more expensive Omegas, so no one asks.

r11co - I am in a worse position than you when it comes to job etc. I have no house of my own. Luckily I don't rent but will probably get kicked out soon enough! I have no car, all the money earmarked for that 2nd hand Mercedes went into watches from the start of the year. I work in the public sector in finance, and am probably the lowest paid in the department despite my job being in financial systems management ... need to get me a proper job! And the way I dress is usually combats, soccer jersey and trainers (even at work!), and I have long hair tied back in a pony tail... so make of that what you will

[Guest avitt]

I think that wearing vintage pieced helps keep things plausible. The same people who might have a hard time believing that you spent $15,000 on a new Daytona, may actually buy that you were the undeserving recipient of an inherited $25,000 6263.