Usil Posted April 19, 2008 Report Share Posted April 19, 2008 Ah, the good old days - just two years ago. I miss them too. $350.00 is about my upper limit today too and I only buy about 10% of what I used to get in past years. Hear that dealers - 10% of what I used to pay out to you. My last good purchase was the Breitling Heritage for $250.00 fom Silix for which I put a German Milinese bracelet on it and I have worn it every day for the past 4 months. Came home this week from traveling and finally decided it was time for a change. Checked out the watch box to see what I would change over too. Nice to have a selection but my collection has not changed much in two years. Why - today's prices! Usil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir-Lancelot Posted April 19, 2008 Report Share Posted April 19, 2008 I agree with you Usil. I buy much less than I did in the past. Maybe our dealers would rather make it all on 1 watch. They need some compitition, they are spolied ass rotten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadweller4000 Posted April 19, 2008 Report Share Posted April 19, 2008 I just made a deal on a gen 7750 ETA for under 400 usd. Though I recently invested close to 800usd into one rep to mod it. For what it's worth... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave123 Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 Why pay $800 for an ugly rep when you can get a genuine handwind tourbillon with power reserve for $500? Who paid $800 for one of your reps?.... Have not bought a rep worth wearing (to me anyway) for under $300,if its well done,its worth the money... Compared to the gen,its a very small amount in most cases... The good HBB reps are a bargain...imo...to each his own on the wallet issue.... Its almost like complaining about gas prices,we are paying it anyway,why whine about it.....to expensive?...move on.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchmeister Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 I draw no conclusions from absolute prices like $xxx is a silly price. But I also think about reps the same way I think about gens. Would I want to own and wear that particular watch irrespective of price. Than I decide whether I can afford or am willing to pay for the gen and how good mechanically and aesthetically the rep is relative to the gen (i.e. relative cost). And on the rep I factor in all the other costs (service or movement swap, aesthetic mods, etc.) I will require to bring the watch to a personally acceptable level of similarity to the gen. What has disappeared is the ability to buy them as novelty items as we used to be able to do. And by the way the better reps (DW, MBW, etc.) were always significantly more expensive than the norm. And irrespective of the price gouging which I, of course, dislike I am glad the 3 high end factories do make high quality reps. If there is that much profit in the business rep manufacturing is not rocket science and other factories will spring up. So my answer factoring in weakness in the currency and improvements in the aesthetics is that there are not sill prices - just silly watches. And we have to get over the old days of buying everything and then figuring it out. I think you will find that most folks who have been buying for years still buy but fewer and more carefully. To this day I am still working on my first $600 + honpo reps and getting great enjoyment out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadtorrent Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 Inflation will raise prices too remember...and ETA reducing supply. Not that this is quite accurate, but when you're feeling bad about how much reps are costing...just think back to your Newbie days when you were just about to order from somebody on Replica Center...then you will realize they are still cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 There are still MANY very good reps available in the $100 price category. Some are every bit as good as the more expensive ones. chrgod's guide is excellent resource, especially for the new members. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vric Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 (edited) Why pay $800 for an ugly rep when you can get a genuine handwind tourbillon with power reserve for $500? This is my next purchase (damn you! I had forgotten about it) Btw don't forget that our dealer are selling ILLEGAL STUFF. I think it's normal they makes money (lot of) by selling rep, or the risk wouldn't worth it. I don't excuse the price increase lately, but I do understand a dealer can't only make $40 out a replica and then offer a replacement if the package get lost, the movement is broken or the "OMG there is a scratch on my hour hand, replace the whole thing please" issues. Are the dealers making $500 on the HBB ? if so, they shame on them, but shame on us that buy it too. Now, where to buy my Tourbillon watch ? Edited April 20, 2008 by vric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chronus Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 Btw don't forget that our dealer are selling ILLEGAL STUFF. I think it's normal they makes money (lot of) by selling rep, or the risk wouldn't worth it. I don't excuse the price increase lately, but I do understand a dealer can't only make $40 out a replica and then offer a replacement if the package get lost, the movement is broken or the "OMG there is a scratch on my hour hand, replace the whole thing please" issues. Are the dealers making $500 on the HBB ? if so, they shame on them, but shame on us that buy it too. How about charge a premium that gets returned if there is no customs problems? eg. pay extra refundable $100 that is returned if customs seize the watch... if not, then the money is returned or put towards your next purchase, choice of the customer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotoman Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 Why pay $800 for an ugly rep when you can get a genuine handwind tourbillon with power reserve for $500? AMEN!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vric Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 (edited) How about charge a premium that gets returned if there is no customs problems? eg. pay extra refundable $100 that is returned if customs seize the watch... if not, then the money is returned or put towards your next purchase, choice of the customer. Well the premium would be the price of the watch.. The only way they can makes that right now is for every 8 watch they send, only 1 need return. So everyone pay the extra for the one that will need it. If that extra is $40, then with every 7 that have no problem, he can pay for the damn watch that need to be replaced. (and if it's a killer HBB, then I hope the watch don't really cost him $800 or he is screwed) If you have a problem, wouldn't you be mad about the seller that dropshipped and never seen the watch? This wouldn't change sicne dealer would have even less responsibility. If it's broken, he don't loose any money. Even worst that now. Sellers have the right to make money and ask for an "insurance" that we need to pay for everyone. Problem isn't how everything works. It's just sad no dealer can actually show price and how they makes on a watch.. Seriously, I don't mind if they sell a watch $300 and they pay $120 for it. I'm happy up to that price range and if the service I get from them is good (fast shipping, minimal inspection and some "care" for few days/weeks after) But if a dealer takes the chance to explain us that with an example, then everyone will try to negotiate price and it would lost lot of money.. So every dealer STFU because of that. Btw, I remember few months ago, everyone what screaming about Josh and Andrew that were controlling the market and how evil they were.. What happened ? Now every dealers have increased their price (still lower than them) And anyway, as long as people are ready to buy, the price will go up.. If I list a penny on ebay and someone is buy it for a dollars, why wouldn't I list my next penny at $1 again ? Edited April 21, 2008 by vric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJo35 Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 lol, and you guys are complaining about rep watch prices? Haha, how's this for supply and demand: item # 120248650648 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Carl Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 AMEN!!! Phoband and By-Tor are on top of it as usual. I would just say to newcomers that a rep sub that you can buy today directly from Guanzhou for $29 plus shipping is better than most rep subs you could get a few years ago for three or four hundred dollars. My experience in buying a "better sub" from a well respected dealer here last year got me a good looking sub which gained 2-3 minutes a day, had the bezel fall off, and had parts of the dial come apart and completely stop up the works. I sent it back at my expense and it was largely fixed. That's how it works here. No complaints but I am back to the $29 dealer for a good experience with no unrealistic expectations. For SOME watches. For you noobs out there you have to start some where but you don't have to take a big risk to get an interesting and satisfying rep. Carl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnG Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 I know it has already been said, but the decline of the dollar has been very dramatic over the past five years. I am an American living in Spain and I have gotten HAMMERED. Don't many (or some) of the members of these forums (I am including RWG1, RWI and RG) go to China themselves? Wouldn't it be obvious if the "cartel" dealers were really ripping off their customers? Additionally I am about to order a watch from Ruby. She offers 6 mo. warranty and will replace any watch seized by customs. I ask myself if the factories guarantee the watches to the dealers or if there is a problem she has to eat the cost? If so, combined with eating the customs seizures, the cost we pay could be thought to include "insurance" against these risks... I find the prices reasonable but haven't been around long so I don't have bittersweet memories of another pricing structure... JohnG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GloStiX Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 I'm such a cheapass, I stick around $100. But for the price, you CAN get some decent reps. Let's not lie to ourselves, rep dealers are making a HUGE profit. I lived in China for four years, and I can't even guess how little it costs for them to manufacture a Submariner case and bracelet. Movement misrepresentation though, that's just horrible! We should quit kissing the asses of these "trusted dealers", start posting names. Who has been confirmed to have "accidentally mistyped" their movements? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emuozz Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 (edited) Movement misrepresentation though, that's just horrible! We should quit kissing the asses of these "trusted dealers", start posting names. Who has been confirmed to have "accidentally mistyped" their movements? I agree, maybe I’m a little paranoid but I’m not buying the whole "accidentally mistyped" movement or confusion of some dealers Edited April 21, 2008 by emuozz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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