Are low-to-mid price genuine watches a poor value?

[Pugwash]

Today some guy is going to walk into a jewelry store and plunk down $2800 for a PO and think he got a good deal. Any UPO owner knows he didn't.

You don't rate the Coaxial? There are no reps out there with a coaxial escapement and it's a true mechanical marvel.

[PAMman]

Personally, I can't honestly say I've seen a seiko w/ better fit and finish than the top 6 or 7 reps I own, but there may be many seiko's I don't know about that do surpass them. The jimmy comments are dead on accurate: I sunk 1165 into a PAM 03 w/ OEM crown, custon tube, and jimmy everything else. Granted, this is a rare bird but it keeps time as gen, is as durable and gen, excedes gen water resitance ratings, and is indistinguishable from the gen w/ serial # 1167, which for all we know is the one for sale for 7 grand on Paneristi as I type.

My takeaway is that not only is it far more satisfying to spend a bunch of time, effort and money on a top notch rep than driving to the mall to pick up a Jazzmaster, but also that it's possible to end up w/ a better watch, too.

Yes, creating a top-notch rep gives a real buzz. I have 2 with gen dials - one preA1 and one 3T dial. The preA has a gen case, tube, crown, CG, crystal, dial, tritium hands, all screws and clamps etc. Literally the only non-Panerai parts are the movement (CdG decorated ETA) and caseback. The 3'T' is all JF with the same decorated movement. These look, function and feel like gens.

[Sir Jon]

I am from Switzerland, so the prices are only Representative for Switzerland. But you can imagine that as much bigger the population is, as bigger the prices are... We have about 6 millions citizens and we are speaking only from the German part of Switzerland which has about 4 millions:

One second commercial on TV: 400$

(A regular spot has about 25 seconds, so one spot cost 10

Edited April 1, 2008 by Sir Jon