Please explain ... why the overwhelming preponderance of Rollies & Pams ?

[kgbAgent]

Hi Peeps

I am not attempting to be provocative here but I am curious why most of the interest & popularity (both here & RG) seems to be focused on Pam's & Rollies. I admit my tenure here is short but they both appear to be the most popular reps & this surprises me.

Much as I admire the history, design & style of Rolex I would never never ever buy one either rep or gen. There are plenty I have fallen in love with over the years but I have one major issue with em. Every time I see a Rolly I suspect it's a rep. Ask anyone who has been to SE Asia & they have all been offered a Rolex. Even if I owned a gen most ppl here in OZ would assume it was a *copy* --- I know I do.

Pams are different - they are large, plain & utalitarian. I have owned a cupple of reps but I tired of them fast. They have their own style & some models are pretty cool but most are dull as dishwater.

Tags fit in the same category as Rolex - I assume most are reps when I see em on a wrist.

As I stated ... I ain't trolling here I am genuinely curious ... look 4wd to your comments

[Demsey]

Personally, I wear Rolex because my Dad and Col. Yeager did. Do.

Why anyone would want to wear a 'hamburger on a strap' as an Italian military timepiece as a daily beater replica is beyond me. I would however SCUBA dive with a gen 127 Luminor. Oh yeah.

[dluddy]

Well for one, they are the most repp'd brands

I can't speak for RG cause I don't spend as much time there but here there is a genuine love for Vintage here at RWG

Vintage Rollies are by far the most talked about topic here and the bulk of the community Rollie interest.

There is no denying the history of PAM's and their relation to diving - just read up on it - it is fascinating stuff...Yeager worthy Dems

I happen to like Panerai - the Brand, the Style and the design. They are fun to build, parts are readily available (even Gen parts - just ask Beano ) and there are a lot of options (Ti, PVD, SS polished, Brushed - straps....)

I don't like Bling....some do - it is all personal preference - beauty in the eye of the beholder

I think the HBB is hideous - others covet it

[jmarin.72]

Hi Peeps

I am not attempting to be provocative here but I am curious why most of the interest & popularity (both here & RG) seems to be focused on Pam's & Rollies. I admit my tenure here is short but they both appear to be the most popular reps & this surprises me.

Much as I admire the history, design & style of Rolex I would never never ever buy one either rep or gen. There are plenty I have fallen in love with over the years but I have one major issue with em. Every time I see a Rolly I suspect it's a rep. Ask anyone who has been to SE Asia & they have all been offered a Rolex. Even if I owned a gen most ppl here in OZ would assume it was a *copy* --- I know I do.

Pams are different - they are large, plain & utalitarian. I have owned a cupple of reps but I tired of them fast. They have their own style & some models are pretty cool but most are dull as dishwater.

Tags fit in the same category as Rolex - I assume most are reps when I see em on a wrist.

As I stated ... I ain't trolling here I am genuinely curious ... look 4wd to your comments

Well i usually tend to give the owner of the watch the benefit of the doubt...i never assume,not a good attitude.

Besides i really don't care if ppl around me assuming that i am wearing a rep or a gen.

I wear watches cause i like them,reps or gens.Its my casual wear along with my nikes and

my lee jeans...

And yes...i do like the design of my SSD and my SUB and the way they feel on my wrist.

I also like the Navis,great looking watches(i got a Datora and a Navitimer on their way for an AR treatment from Chief,through Rocketman...)

and a Blackbird(heavy and goodlooking!!!)

Although i have two PAMs,i find them bulky and heavy for daily beaters.

So in my list Rollies are No1 and Breits are No2...PAMs come last...

Cheers

John

[jkerouac]

Some brands always have more cachet than others, no matter what category you talk about. Rolex has great history and marketing, and some very classic styles. Panerai also has an interesting, unique history, unique look, and the marketing "hook" of scarcity (ADs can rarely keep Pams in stock).

Having said that, there are a lot of great brands and mdoels once you get beyond the big names, just as there is a lot of great music when you get beyond the top-selling hits.

Hell, I don't even know hardly any top 20 tunes of the last 20 years and frankly I don't care. The musical gems that I discover and add to my collection rarely make the charts.... and in my opinion that's the way it should be.

[Dave123]

Hi Peeps

I am not attempting to be provocative here but I am curious why most of the interest & popularity (both here & RG) seems to be focused on Pam's & Rollies. I admit my tenure here is short but they both appear to be the most popular reps & this surprises me.

Don't know what you are seeing man,RG should be called 'Breitlinggeek'

Very popular brand as well here now compared to past years,these guys are slowly coming around....

Edited February 26, 2009 by Dave123

[RLudlowe]

To be honest, I got into reps because Rolex is always talking about how excellent the fakes are and how to spot them - and I figured if Rolex is so worried about them they must be pretty good -

It was a while before I realized anyone repped other watches. Now Hublot is doing the same thing on their website.

The rep industry owes a lot to Rolex.

They talk about fakes so much people ask if my gen submariner is fake all the time - in fact, I get asked that about my gen sub more than my rep GMT IIc!

[freddy333]

I wear what I like.

The preponderance of Rolex watches here is due to the preponderance of Rolex watches everywhere. Rolex outsells every other luxury watch brand by wide margins & has done so for decades. In addition, Rolex is 1 of the most recognized icons on the planet. Even people living in rainforests, having little contact with the modern world, often know the name & what it stands for.

That said, I have to wonder why you would even have to ask such a question?

[jmarin.72]

I wear what I like.

The preponderance of Rolex watches here is due to the preponderance of Rolex watches everywhere. Rolex outsells every other luxury watch brand by wide margins & has done so for decades. In addition, Rolex is 1 of the most recognized icons on the planet. Even people living in rainforests, having little contact with the modern world, often know the name & what it stands for.

That said, I have to wonder why you would even have to ask such a question?

plain and simple

[Toadtorrent]

Like others have said...Rolex is one of the most recognized luxury brands in the world. One of only a few watch makers who actually make the top 100 list of most recognized brands...so for that reason alone there is no surprise that Rolex would top the list of reps.

Read the 3rd page of this thread with By-Tor's summary:

Top Brands

Panerai is popular because of mainstream popularization of the watches by people like Sylvestor Stallone, Bill Clinton and others who made the brand stand out.

There are a few PAMs I think are interesting...but for the most part, I'm staggered by their popularity as their designs really don't vary much.

I wear Rolex and Omegas as those are what I was raised on/with.

Why anyone would want to wear a 'hamburger on a strap' as an Italian military timepiece as a daily beater replica is beyond me.

Love this quote!! Nice one Demsey.

[Ronin]

.... Even if I owned a gen most ppl here in OZ would assume it was a *copy* --- I know I do.

You know what they say, when you assume it makes an a$$ out of U and me. (well not me, personally)

It all depends where you live. I live on a pretty good side of town in a major metropolitan city. The rep/gen ratio tips in favor of gen's.

It has been stated here many times, if you are under 21 or young, and get out of your Fast and Furious Honda Civic wearing a Sub or Benltley, then yeah, good chance you are a poser wearing a rep.

-Ronin

[el niche]

Lucky for me then I am 35 and drive an Audi Q7!!! I think i get away with my SOSF....not that it matters either way

[By-Tor]

Once again: Plain preowned stainless Rolexes are not even expensive... they're low middle range watches at best. Anyone, even that particular "Honda Civic owner" could purchase a second hand $2500 steel Sub with ease.

I mean, how poor you must be... to think that $2.5K is a lot of money for something that you really love? Maybe if you're a 17-year old student flipping burgers at gas station...

[Ronin]

I mean, how poor you must be... to think that $2.5K is a lot of money for something that you really love? Maybe if you're a 17-year old student flipping burgers at gas station...

Good point. That is about the same amount of money for an Apple Laptop (Macbook Pro) these days. Plenty of those in just about every coffee shop.

-Ronin

[Toadtorrent]

Good point. That is about the same amount of money for an Apple Laptop (Macbook Pro) these days. Plenty of those in just about every coffee shop.

A good comparison. As to the Fast and Furious Honda Civic...if it was really a car tricked REALLY out like those ones...then what you're wearing is likely gen considering that those cars generally have about $100K in hardware inside them. However...I know most are just early year crap jobs with Sparco seats, "Euro Sounding" cheap mufflers and a whole pile of Benbo, Mugen Power, etc stickers with no muscle under the hood.

[By-Tor]

And not all people care about cars... me included. I drive an expensive car but only because it's a company car. I would never invest money on a car... if I had to (and if was a must for the job), I'd probably drive just that Honda Civic. I simply don't care about cars... and driving some "tuned up" Batmobile sports car would be a major embarrassment for me.

But hey... ask again when I'm 60 and I can't get it up anymore...

Ok... just joking of course. Some people love cars & get kicks out these... nothing wrong with that, but I'm not one of them.

[Toadtorrent]

I simply don't care about cars... and driving some "tuned up" Batmobile sports car would be a major embarrassment for me.

To be honest...I'm not a car person at all. I drive a family car and tote around kids who are spilling food, drink and their insides all over the thing...why would I spend money on one? My car gets drivin probably 3 days a week...and even then, not that much so I don't invest anything in them.

I just laugh at the folks who spend more on the non-performance parts of their cars going for the "look" instead of either spending money where it matters or even on performance driving lessons (I think of the heavily cambered low profile wheels which actually adversely affect performance), and pants baggier than the 5 point harness would normally allow.

I agree...if you love the look of the tricked out car more than the higher performing car...more power to you.

Now this:

But hey... ask again when I'm 60 and I can't get it up anymore...

...is going HERE.

[By-Tor]

Those old family cars that have been tuned to "cool rally/sports cars" with ridiculous wings and huge tires are the worst.

Nothing wrong with classic sports cars though. I'd love to have the original Audi Quattro from the 80's... now THAT is a car that has some style and dignity.

Though I wouldn't mind owning a Porsche 928 and BMW 850i, either. Or a classic '65 Mustang. I'm driving a '06 Mercedes E Kompressor. While it's a very good car, it has ZERO "feeling" and "spirit". Everything is sterile and boring.

[smc]

Brand recognition for most peeps I think. Then personal preference.

When I started out, I didn't like Rolex due to it's relative diminutive size - I liked big watches. Since then I've fallen in love with an Omega 2255.80 and now own the gen. After owning several large watches, I now like my watches on the slim side so that they fit under a shirtsleeve. I think Omega and Rolex have a long history designing watches that other companies replicate, The trusty old SSD is now on it's way to me to be used as a daily beater. I appreciate it for it's history and simplicity the same way some people appreciate PAMs for the same reasons.

Given all that, I still can't find myself wearing a PAM.

[TeeJay]

And not all people care about cars... me included. I drive an expensive car but only because it's a company car. I would never invest money on a car... if I had to (and if was a must for the job), I'd probably drive just that Honda Civic. I simply don't care about cars... and driving some "tuned up" Batmobile sports car would be a major embarrassment for me.

But hey... ask again when I'm 60 and I can't get it up anymore...

Ok... just joking of course. Some people love cars & get kicks out these... nothing wrong with that, but I'm not one of them.

I love that car

This is how much I think it's awesome...

Yes, I actually took the time to customize a car in a video game to be as close as possible to the real thing /

[Edit to add]

On topic:

That's a pretty impossible question to answer. One might as well ask why X Brand of car is popular, or why Z Brand of aftershave is popular...

One of those things which varies from person to person, so impossible to definitively answer for everyone as a whole...

[By-Tor]

Hey TJ, I don't even know what car that is. Maybe a Nissan Skyline? Excuse me, I'm a car idiot.

It was just the first one that came up when I put "tuned Japanese cars" on a Google search. Nothing wrong with the car itself but those "rally stripes" just aren't my cup of tea.

[Ronin]

I was an SCCA amateur race driver for many years, so I do like cars.

I also helped build some movie cars that were used in a Hollywood movie.

However, living in the city now, the only time I drive is when I leave the city to go skiiing. For that, my TDi 50mpg VW Golf does the trick. We got rid of my wifes BMW Z4 when we moved downtown. It sat around sucking up money for an extra parking space, and insurance.

My example above was probably a bad example.

-Ronin

[If you see Kay]

Nice car, but I don't really like the ironing board at the back, but that's jMHO.

As for Rollies, I've wanted one ever since high school. I know a lot of people who have gen Rolexes, and they are relatives. I ended up getting a rep Sub, not because I couldn't afford it, but because I'm not wanting to pay $5000 for a gen. (secondary market notwithstanding). I've got better places to park 5K.

I've always wanted an Omega as well, and the PO was a good fit. I like Pams now, but it was an acquired taste, much like beer in high school. I like beer now.

As for cars, I have to have a luxury car. (I have Lexus) My second (ie wife's) car can be an all around Honda or Toyota. (But I'm eyeing a Mercedes though. )

If I get called out on my Rollie, I don't really care. So far, only two people have seen my Rollie since I got it and they think it is real. I did not mention it was a rep, because they didn't ask for its authenticity. In fact, I didn't say one way or another; it just wasn't brought up.

Do people get typecasted as a repper or genner? I don't know, but it is easier for some (ie burger flippers vs executives). For me it would be hard to typecast me as one or the other.

[TeeJay]

Hey TJ, I don't even know what car that is. Maybe a Nissan Skyline? Excuse me, I'm a car idiot.

It was just the first one that came up when I put "tuned Japanese cars" on a Google search. Nothing wrong with the car itself but those "rally stripes" just aren't my cup of tea.

It was featured in the movie 2 Fast 2 Furious, and driven by Paul Walker, but it was only actually in the film for about 10 minutes at the beginning.

It looked much better in context

I was an SCCA amateur race driver for many years, so I do like cars.

I also helped build some movie cars that were used in a Hollywood movie.

However, living in the city now, the only time I drive is when I leave the city to go skiiing. For that, my TDi 50mpg VW Golf does the trick. We got rid of my wifes BMW Z4 when we moved downtown. It sat around sucking up money for an extra parking space, and insurance.

My example above was probably a bad example.

-Ronin

Awesome Are you sworn to secrecy about which ones?

[Roadrash]

Watches and cars have a lot in common. I have a Aston DB7 and my wife has a Maserati Cambio Spyder. Both of them spend 99% of their time sitting in the garage under felt covers while I drive a 5 year old Infiniti QX56 and she drives an 8 year old Audi TT. Why----because every time you take them out you have to clean and wash them--dirt--brake dust on the rims---splashes from puddles---bird crap. It is just not worth the effort now that the novelty has worn off. Other times we would prefer not to be seen in them. In reality I'm a cheap bastard--I refuse to pay retail for anything. I've found that it is more difficult to negotiate discounts on things like furniture, appliances, boats, etc. when the salesperson just saw you get out of a $150K car [gen] and looks at you wrist and sees a Rolex [rep or gen]. Sometimes life is simpler driving my truck and wearing my Uboat [most people think I won it at a Carnival] or a Pam [they have no idea what it is] or a VC [ which they can't pronounce, won't remember, and think I bought it on the Home Shopping Network].

Remember---for most people----PERCEPTION IS REALITY