wj94 Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 I am picking up a gen. Mont Blanc Timewalker Chrono this weekend and have been debating whether to keep that or try and set up a trade for a HBB Rose Gold/Ceramic rep. plus some cash.....what would you do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evildee Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 You go for the HBB, that is what you do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DemonSlayer Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 Definitely go for the gen. Why would you pay an insane price for the HBB with a ceramic bezel which is only worth about $100 in China (I bet it's even less) when you can own a genuine timepiece that actually has some value to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pix Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 If you don't have a particular love for gens, sell it and buy both reps for the price : both are very well replicated... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DemonSlayer Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 They may be well replicated but that shouldn't justify their crazy price tags. I bet there are sellers in China selling HBB's to the Chinese population at $100 or less, absolutely no way over $200. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pix Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 They may be well replicated but that shouldn't justify their crazy price tags. I bet there are sellers in China selling HBB's to the Chinese population at $100 or less, absolutely no way over $200. Sure, but... aren't the gens overpriced too... More seriously, I agree with you regarding the HBB pricing, but as you may know, there are more reasonnably priced versions, although that is not the point in this topic. I would reformulate my answer as follows : for the price of a gen, I prefer several good reps. Again, this is only my opinion, and I respect of course those who would choose the opposite way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b16a2 Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 I would keep the genuine. Mont Blanc is a good manufacturer. With these modded 7750 asian movements there is very little to guarantee longevity, it may stop working after 6 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DemonSlayer Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 Sure, but... aren't the gens overpriced too... More seriously, I agree with you regarding the HBB pricing, but as you may know, there are more reasonnably priced versions, although that is not the point in this topic. I would reformulate my answer as follows : for the price of a gen, I prefer several good reps. Again, this is only my opinion, and I respect of course those who would choose the opposite way. Oh I agree with you, gens are absolutely overpriced. I like reps too thats why I buy them BUT the HBB's are ridiculously overpriced that it's no longer a joke, they're rip-offs in my opinion but we do seem to have money-splashers here who aren't put off by the pricing. Maybe if they knew what they actually sell for in China, they might feel they overpaid.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inmotion Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 im a big fan of the timewalker, my vote is to go for the gen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b16a2 Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 Oh I agree with you, gens are absolutely overpriced. I like reps too thats why I buy them BUT the HBB's are ridiculously overpriced that it's no longer a joke, they're rip-offs in my opinion but we do seem to have money-splashers here who aren't put off by the pricing. Maybe if they knew what they actually sell for in China, they might feel they overpaid.. Couldn't agree more. Gens are overpriced, but you are paying for exclusivitiy (to a certain extent) and status. Whereas with a replica, all you own is a replica. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickey Padge Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 Genuine watch wins every time HBB replicas at $1100 are a dealers wet dream Although I suppose you would be helping put their kids through college Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omegaunit Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 Go for the gen! It will hold resale value and will last you many years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pix Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 If you like to change often, go for the reps : with the cash spent in 1 gen, you can have different watches for many years... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omni Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 If you have the financial means and love watches, go for a genuine. If you're in it for only for the style, definitely go for the replica. As said, you can have many reps. for the price of a gen. Genuine watches are priced like cars, the high-ends are all priced per their exclusivity pecking order since at those prices they are all made pretty much the same super-quality. The wannabe cars that emulate the luxury brands are priced per the styling, not necessarily for their mechanical qualities or components used. Not hard to guess which have resale value and which wind up in the junkyard as scrap. The HBB is a special animal, more so than the Panerai. An international fashion statement since 2005 when it got Grand Prix at Basel Watch Show. Before that they were a second tier luxury watch maker. When Carlo Crocco of Hublot hired Jean-Claude Biver as CEO, that's when the brand took off. Now Hublot is cashing in on it, so are the rep. makers. The gen is not worth the exorbitant ripoff price it commands if you compare to the caliber and history of JLC, Breguet, Patek, which is where they are putting their startup HBB pricing, but the replica was so well done, (probably because the watch was so easily copied), that the rep. makers are also riding on the latest craze and pricing in step with that thinking. As the HBB reps. proliferate since so many genuine and followup replica models are being produced, so will the replica HBB prices fall like the Panerai and Rolex replica prices did. Remember when we paid exorbitant prices for the first quasi-accurate Pannies, now that there are millions of Pannie reps that have gotten better, the price has fallen dramatically. To be early adopters always feels like you are being ripped off but its a personal decision. Look at the IPhone, $450 then $250 a few month later, the first guys were still happy to be the first ones to show off their new toy and status symbol. So goes the gen. and rep. HBBs is my prediction. A genuine is a genuine, a replica will never come close to a genuine. Put a genuine next to a replica any day and you will know the difference. For the HBB rep. (and to that extent the genuine) you are paying for being one of the first ones out with the "latest and the greatest" and paying for it. A couple of years down the road and your rep. will be worthless. Buy the MB, it is a great watch, although a Richmont Group market hype success, don't hold that against it and the price it commands for a "designer house brand" (Think Tiffany and Gucci). Mont Blanc is the only designer house brand watch that has had success in this area. They are still reasonable for a very good high-end swiss luxury watch and well made. I think it should keep some value in the future. Still bear in mind, its not an investment vehicle, its just a watch that will be worth something later down the road compared to an HBB rep. with a ceramic bezel. The ceramic bezel will be the most useful and valuable resale part of the replica in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pix Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 Excellent analysis, very objective ! For the gen, you should also consider the maintenance costs... Servicing being the main. For the rep, except some cases, that does not exist : for the price of servicing, you buy an other rep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted April 12, 2008 Report Share Posted April 12, 2008 I am picking up a gen. Mont Blanc Timewalker Chrono this weekend and have been debating whether to keep that or try and set up a trade for a HBB Rose Gold/Ceramic rep. plus some cash.....what would you do? Go for the Gen! 1 Gen is worth 10 reps imo. ive been thinking about getting 1 for a while.. cant seem to find a Rose Gold version that I want Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted April 12, 2008 Report Share Posted April 12, 2008 just to make the choice a little more difficult Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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