Are replicas simply renamed watches?

[gran]

Are replicas simply renamed watches?

Many relicas appear to be just renamed $35 watches....or is it more to it that that?

Here are some examples and I think it should be easy to spot what watches they are mimicing...

[gran]

Sea-Gull, Homage Watches, and Fakes

Due to the enormous number of inexpensive mechanical movements produced by Sea-Gull, it is no surprise that Asian replica watch factories often use Sea-Gull's to power their fakes. However, it has recently come to light on the Watchuseek Forums that at least one Sea-Gull branded watch (Sea-Gull Power Reserve) is plainly a copy of the JLC Master Reserve de Marche. While opinions about "homage" watches vary widely, particularly where Asian makers & brands are concerned, the leCoultre inspiration for this watch is totally undeniable. However... many Chinese watchmakers make homage pieces like this one. Most of those same watchmakers sell their stock wholesale, unbranded, to third parties for them to modify, re-brand and sell.

So just how much is Sea-Gull complicit in the replica watch industry? What we are not able to determine in this instance is: though this watch is branded SEA-GULL and undoubtedly features a Sea-Gull movement, is it cased by Sea-Gull or by a subcontractor? In either case, are replica JLC's branded with the JLC logo and markings during initial production or post-production by a replica house? I'm not sure if we will ever be able to determine the answers to these questions.

The lack of transparency in the production operations of Chinese watchmakers (and Chinese manufacturing at large), coupled with the fact that 'copyright' is only a recent concept (and even more recent law) in China, means that intellectual property questions like these will continue to be wrestled with for some time into the future.

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[alt.watch.obsessive]

I think it's the other way 'round.