Ten Reasons to Reject the Idea of Buying a Replica Watch

[RobbieG]

Yes, we are very opposite for sure. Once I decide to get a watch I always keep it so resale is never a consideration, but the reps I always sell usually because of some little QC detail I just can't live with. Once my gen collection surpassed six or seven pieces or so I think I kind of buried myself by having the bar set so high. I'm having a hard time going backward so to speak and accepting the little QC annoyances and other issues like dealer stuff and models changing, version upgrdes, etc. Just so many unknowns. I think HK was just saying something similar in another thread. With the gens I know what I want and I get exactly that and quick and I never have any issues with them. I used to love fixing up reps and modding but I kind of just stopped enjoying all that and it started to frustrate me because no matter how much I spent I could never get exactly what I wanted. I think most of it is that I'm just getting spoiled by the quality and service on the gen side. I'm used to getting what I want on the first try with little effort except lifting the credit card. LOL. But seriously...I also think the quantity has a lot to do with it. Now that I'm buying a lot more watches it's like I'm constantly reminded of how good stuff can be as opposed to before when I would buy one gen watch every couple of years or something if that makes sense. I love reps and the culture and the population of watch nuts surrounding them and I always will, but it gets harder for me to buy the watches now because of all that stuff I mentioned. So now I just read and study and strangley enough, get gen ideas a lot from the rep world. I think I want to get a Skyland now thanks to this place. I never even heard of the watch until I heard about it here. RWG and reps sparked me to get a PO and a Fish and an Aquatimer that way too. This place is still hands down the best place to learn about sports watches in particular I think and to connect with WIS from that genre. I guess reps and the rep world deliver different rewards to each of us. As a side note though, I often say how much I for one am a champion of the industrial revolution going on in China specifically as it relates to watches and I think that what is being delivered these days quality wise for the price when compared to the gens is astounding. I choose to buy the gens instead, but that doesn't mean that I don't think these latest so-called Super Reps aren't a modern marvel for one second. I just need a little more than they can give me with respect to the finest details is all...

I guess im the opposite spectrum, I'm moving away from gens. Tired of taking huge loss on resale when buying from an AD, long service times, and a serious case of watch OCD. Example since I know your a Nardin fan, I've been looking at a maxi marine limited because I dont expect an excellent rep in the near future. Best AD price is in the neighborhood of 8k but in the last month there was one posted on tz for $5850.

Up until the last 6 months, I basically considered reps throw aways for when I got tired of a design I'd get rid of it and try the next. Before the Nardin, the last Gen I looked at purchasing was an AP ROO... Tried the gen 2 years ago and almost pulled the trigger, bought the rep a month ago wore it a week, and its sitting in the basement on my workbench. Then reading ThomasNG's AP repair bill plus extended wait made me glad I still have 17k to spend elsewhere.

[alienfromneptune]

I Love Watches.

I Love REPs and I Love Gens!

So Some Dumb Ass Talking trash about REPs Or GENs could bother me less!

Peace

[RobbieG]

Right on. I guess that sums it up. Nothin' but love all around...

I Love Watches.

I Love REPs and I Love Gens!

So Some Dumb Ass Talking trash about REPs Or GENs could bother me less!

Peace

[supermanx]

...Snip...

I think HK was just saying something similar in another thread. With the gens I know what I want and I get exactly that and quick and I never have any issues with them.

...Snip...

I choose to buy the gens instead, but that doesn't mean that I don't think these latest so-called Super Reps aren't a modern marvel for one second. I just need a little more than they can give me with respect to the finest details is all...

I've talked to HK about this a few times, and its the reason I added up until the last 6 months. Once the reps started hitting $500+ I dont consider them throw aways anymore and expect much more in the way of QC. The quality of watches hasn't improved, the visual representation has improved... For $600 I expect a watch that doesn't loose screws on the bezel, ect. Now $250 for a Skyland, there are very few gens will get you the same quality and even with 2 replacement movements your at > 5 years of life for about the cost of 1 service. Throw it away, sell it who cares.

I Love Watches.

I hear you... so much it drives my wife crazy.

[Fish]

This was a reply to this article just a little further down the page, and I think it sums it up nice and tidy;

This article is rather useless as it only repeats old prejudices.

- Replicas can be quality timepieces, they are availeable with good quality movements.

- The statement that a replica owners just wants to impress others by wearing an expensive looking watch is not even close to the truth.

- Calling a rep owner cheap for that reason is pretty arogant.

- Good quality reps can be had for the costs of a full service of an expensive gen, even with swiss ETA movements.

- You can easily find a good watchsmith who will service a rep.

- I won't expect the author of this text to be able to tell the rep even in a side-by-side comparison if it is a quality piece.

Sorry, this article was not worth the time to write it, just old prejudice, but no real info.

PS - No, this was not my response, I wish it was since I do agree with every word.

I confess that I could not resist to write some words, did not use my real name though. But thinking about it once more I have to agree that it is preferable to keep the masses clueless about this niche hobby. The article posted by JBond has some good questions in it, but then comes to the wrong flat conclusions once again.

If you buy the gens for the love to detail and craftsmanship that goes into them that is just a good and justified reason. If you buy the gens because you think that rep owners and rep watches are just cheap no one can help you (and why bother anyway?). Today there are reps that are of really great quality, fine craftsmanship and lots of nice detail work. Of course they are not 100% 1:1 but if we just think of them as fine watches some of them easily beat most gens in their price class. Even if they are not perfect copies of the gen they are fine watches in every way. And with some of the finest reps the gen manufacturers won

Edited August 8, 2008 by Fish

[JBond]

This article come from here: http://www.chronocentric.com/watches/counterfeit.shtml

(It's a very good adress for Omega watches)

[FxrAndy]

No NO NO, what he says is all correct, i for one have seen the light and i am binning all my rep in the BIN, where they belong!

Requests for my address on crisp 500euro notes only please

[Fish]

No NO NO, what he says is all correct, i for one have seen the light and i am binning all my rep in the BIN, where they belong!

I could help you out with a huge bin... I am so glad that you found out we

[USMC8404]

SLIGHTLY OFF TOPIC...

I was just thinking about it and realized something. There is a retail store here in the States called Harbor Freight Tools. They sell a wide variety of things there, most of which are made in China at less than half price of what you would pay at one of the big name retail stores. The quality of some of their tools is great and the quality of some of their tools is poor. I have found the same to be true in the "Name Brand" retail stores. What really opened my eyes was when I noticed that the same industrial tile saw at "Lowe's Home Improvement" was $400.00 more that the same saw at Harbor Freight. The only, and I do mean only differences were the color of the paint and the name on the sticker affixed to the body of the saw.

Face it guys, everything we purchase in the Western World these days is produced in China or India anyway. Quality has suffered in some cases, and in other cases it has improved. Bottom line, if you can have the same look, feel and function for a lesser price it only makes sense to buy it.

I have owned many reps, and a couple of gens. To be perfectly honest some of my rep collection is of higher quality and feel. By the way, I sold the gens to buy more reps.

[Fish]

SLIGHTLY OFF TOPIC...

I was just thinking about it and realized something. There is a retail store here in the States called Harbor Freight Tools. They sell a wide variety of things there, most of which are made in China at less than half price of what you would pay at one of the big name retail stores. The quality of some of their tools is great and the quality of some of their tools is poor. I have found the same to be true in the "Name Brand" retail stores. What really opened my eyes was when I noticed that the same industrial tile saw at "Lowe's Home Improvement" was $400.00 more that the same saw at Harbor Freight. The only, and I do mean only differences were the color of the paint and the name on the sticker affixed to the body of the saw.

Face it guys, everything we purchase in the Western World these days is produced in China or India anyway. Quality has suffered in some cases, and in other cases it has improved. Bottom line, if you can have the same look, feel and function for a lesser price it only makes sense to buy it.

I have owned many reps, and a couple of gens. To be perfectly honest some of my rep collection is of higher quality and feel. By the way, I sold the gens to buy more reps.

I don

Edited August 8, 2008 by Fish

[yaron]

This article come from here: http://www.chronocentric.com/watches/counterfeit.shtml

(It's a very good adress for Omega watches)

This bulshit article looked familiar, I read it previously. I think it's only propaganda for "gen noobs" to keep them away from the idea of buying a rep and try to convince them that all reps are bad quality and easily spotted. Such articles are not directed to RWG members. Probably the guy who wrote it does not believe in his own words. If it comes from the "gen industry" they probably know also about the "super reps" but due to good reasons prefer not give it much publicity so they keep the potential gen buyer in the "right track".

[RobbieG]

Agree 100%. There is no doubt that there are many, many reps which beat most gens on the quality to price ratio. The Swiss are more guilty than the Chinese at that. If a rep costs $100 to make and all links in the chain build to $300 the markup is only three times. Let's be generous and say the same watch as a gen costs say $300 to make due to higher labor costs. And yet the Swiss price it at $3000 - or $6000 - or $9000. So instead of 3x you are paying 10x, 20x, or 30x. Reps win the spread game handsdown. But for me I get so bent about the same little issues that HK speaks of that I buy the gens anyway. I would rather pay a price knowing the markup is ridiculous but also know that the product will be flawless, rather than pay WAY less for 99%. The 1% makes all the difference to me because every crooked cyclops, every missing screw, every loose bezel is a pain in the a*s that I have to pack up the watch and send to Rob or whoever to fix and then he calls and tells me something changed and he can't get the bezel off as it is glued...whatever. The point being that some people relish the process of getting a rep and modding all the little details and dealing with it until it is done. I just stopped loving the process. Not saying there is anything wrong with it. I buy gens now because I want what I want out of the box the first time and I'm willing to pay a huge premium for it. That doesn't mean I'm unaware that the premium is steep though. I guess I would rather get jacked with money than get jacked with unavoidable QC issues. I think that is always the choice when considering whether to buy a gen or rep. Now that should be in the article. Can live with little QC issues? Then buy a rep and save yourself a ton of dough. Can't? Water your money tree and buy a gen - or save up from buying many reps and modding them and buy one nice gen. I have been on both sides of the fence at different times for a lot of years and I highly recommend both! Reps and gens both rule because they are nice watches - and as we all know nice watches rule...

Today there are reps that are of really great quality, fine craftsmanship and lots of nice detail work. Of course they are not 100% 1:1 but if we just think of them as fine watches some of them easily beat most gens in their price class. Even if they are not perfect copies of the gen they are fine watches in every way. And with some of the finest reps the gen manufacturers won