dennis3506 Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 I know the Alphas aren't reps but "look-alikes", but I wondered how a $70 Alpha compares in quality to a $120 Omega SMP lite (plus shipping). Has anyone owned both? It appears as a nooby that with most reps you pays your money and takes your chances, no comebacks, but at least with an Alpha you do get a 12 month warranty. I guess my question is, is it worth spending an extra $100 or more just to have that Omega logo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterOfPuppets Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 well without "that omega logo" its just another watch, not a replica u could never pull it off as a gen, people would say its just a cheap immitation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis3506 Posted March 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 well without "that omega logo" its just another watch, not a replica u could never pull it off as a gen, people would say its just a cheap immitation You mean as opposed to a "genuine" cheap imitation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highoeyazmuhudee Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 most of the alphas are of similar quality of the reps. but in general are more on par with street quality rep cases and bracelets IMO. buy a cheap rep and chances are they share parts you'd find in an alpha, and well you'll lose the look of the added (HeV) crown. Alphas are alright, I own two, but i find reps more satisfying and more professional looking. An alpha looks like a cheap knock off with out the branding complete with crooked markers laser etched bracelet print and plastic movement holder. I would personally pay the $100 more for the rep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 You mean as opposed to a "genuine" cheap imitation? Ultimately, 'yes'. A rep of an Omega will have all the brandings and markings, and if you wanted to try and pass it off as genuine, then as long as someone didn't know the details of the watch, or believed that you could afford the gen Omega, then they would probably believe it to be a genuine Omega. With an Alpha, although it might be a cloned brand, rather than a facsimile of the original, someone seeing it would likely think that the owner wanted an Omega, couldn't afford the real thing, so got the closest equivalent which they could afford. Most people don't realize the quality of reps available today. They expect incorrect spellings, ticking movements, and half-rubbed off chrome plating. Show someone a decent quality rep, and unless they know any tells for that watch, chances are they will accept it as genuine. I don't think that anyone would be convinced that a clone watch (like Alpha) is a quality budget alternative to the original watch, but rather a 'poor mans wannabe watch'. Okay, so people think the same thing about people who wear reps, but at least with a rep, they need to find out if it actually is a rep or not, after all, the brandings are all there With an Alpha, they'll know that it isn't At the end of the day, it's up to you Wear what you want, wear it for your own reasons, and wear it because you want to wear it. Don't by an Alpha just because it is a more 'legitimate' cloning of an Omega, as a rep will probably give you much more pleasure. (in the back of your mind, you will always think of an Alpha "But the dial doesn't say... It doesn't have..." all the things which a rep will cover) Personally, I look at rep watches the same way as I look at an excellent forgery of a painting: It might not have been made/painted by SomeGuy, but it was still made by SomeOtherGuy, it still took time and effort, and that effort goes into replicating the details as closely as possible. Clones are nothing more than ripping off the design, changing enough details not to get sued, and slapping their own name on it. That's not creativity, that's plagiarism. A rep might be a forgery, but at least they're true to 'the spirit of the original' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakemaster Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis3506 Posted March 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 Ultimately, 'yes'. A rep of an Omega will have all the brandings and markings, and if you wanted to try and pass it off as genuine, then as long as someone didn't know the details of the watch, or believed that you could afford the gen Omega, then they would probably believe it to be a genuine Omega. With an Alpha, although it might be a cloned brand, rather than a facsimile of the original, someone seeing it would likely think that the owner wanted an Omega, couldn't afford the real thing, so got the closest equivalent which they could afford. Most people don't realize the quality of reps available today. They expect incorrect spellings, ticking movements, and half-rubbed off chrome plating. Show someone a decent quality rep, and unless they know any tells for that watch, chances are they will accept it as genuine. I don't think that anyone would be convinced that a clone watch (like Alpha) is a quality budget alternative to the original watch, but rather a 'poor mans wannabe watch'. Okay, so people think the same thing about people who wear reps, but at least with a rep, they need to find out if it actually is a rep or not, after all, the brandings are all there With an Alpha, they'll know that it isn't At the end of the day, it's up to you Wear what you want, wear it for your own reasons, and wear it because you want to wear it. Don't by an Alpha just because it is a more 'legitimate' cloning of an Omega, as a rep will probably give you much more pleasure. (in the back of your mind, you will always think of an Alpha "But the dial doesn't say... It doesn't have..." all the things which a rep will cover) Personally, I look at rep watches the same way as I look at an excellent forgery of a painting: It might not have been made/painted by SomeGuy, but it was still made by SomeOtherGuy, it still took time and effort, and that effort goes into replicating the details as closely as possible. Clones are nothing more than ripping off the design, changing enough details not to get sued, and slapping their own name on it. That's not creativity, that's plagiarism. A rep might be a forgery, but at least they're true to 'the spirit of the original' Well said, many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highoeyazmuhudee Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 (edited) in short. Buy the rep. pay the $100more. plus it'll give you a project to work on if you ever wanted to improve it with mods and show off your work here. Edited March 9, 2009 by highoeyazmuhudee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 Well said, many thanks. No problem, glad to be of help As mentioned above, a rep will also give you the opportunity to mod, which a clone might not. Just to clarify, I wasn't meaning above that someone should ever try to pass a rep off as a gen (that's just asking for trouble), what I was trying to illustrate, is that many reps are of sufficient quality to be able to 'fly below the radar' when out in public. If they're ever called out (which from reading folks' accounts, doesn't happen much) it's either a combination of insecurity/lack of manners on the part of the person doing the calling out, or the person wearing the watch not looking like they can afford it/too self-conscious of the watch. Other than that though, reps can 'fly below the radar'. People see the name, see it's spelled correctly, and just accept it as a watch. (unless it's a Rolex... All bets are off then, as everyone knows that Rolex = Fake ) A clone watch, on the other hand, will never be able to 'fly below the radar', as it will only ever come across as a 'watch that wants to be a .......' Hope that all made sense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterOfPuppets Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 i agree with teejay buying an alpha is like buying an mp3 player that says "iPop" with a picture of an orange on the back!! reps rule!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 Just to spin this in a slightly different direction, would an Alpha watch be worth buying as a movement donor (even if the rest of the watch was to be discarded)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterOfPuppets Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 Just to spin this in a slightly different direction, would an Alpha watch be worth buying as a movement donor (even if the rest of the watch was to be discarded)? good question.. but i think that an Alpha would cost as much as buying the movement on its own depends on what kind of movement it has that is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 good question.. but i think that an Alpha would cost as much as buying the movement on its own depends on what kind of movement it has that is That's what I was wondering... For example, Alpha do a clone of the Explorer II, and I wondered if it would be worth getting one to pull the movement for my GMTSub (doesn't hand-wind well, although it's rock-solid when left on my wrist to auto-wind) and then maybe use the case itself for another project... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highoeyazmuhudee Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 the gmt movement used is a typical 21 jeweled one (591HZ 35ZUAN), at least in mine, and was about $35 alacarte, which also broke 6months later. Maybe mine wasnt lubricated well, the crown didnt pull out very well and handwinding the first few times resulted in metal filings. NOT ALL alphas carry the same GMT movements (even within the same model), so you never really know what you might find inside. There are some Alphas that have genuine Miyota movements. If you can get an alpha for under $50 delivered it's probably worth it for the movement and parts alone. But personally I wouldnt bother, as the parts used overall aren't upto par IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 the gmt movement used is a typical 21 jeweled one (591HZ 35ZUAN), at least in mine, and was about $35 alacarte, which also broke 6months later. Maybe mine wasnt lubricated well, the crown didnt pull out very well and handwinding the first few times resulted in metal filings. NOT ALL alphas carry the same GMT movements (even within the same model), so you never really know what you might find inside. There are some Alphas that have genuine Miyota movements. If you can get an alpha for under $50 delivered it's probably worth it for the movement and parts alone. But personally I wouldnt bother, as the parts used overall aren't upto par IMO. That's very interesting to know I had wondered if the Alpha branding might have ensured some level of consistency in the quality of the movements/ their 'from the factory' condition... I had thought that if the movements were in servicable condition, then it might have been worth the extra cost, compared to a CQout 'disposeable donor', but, if there's that level of inconsistency, I think I'll stick with the CQout bargain bin for my parts donors Thanks for the input Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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