JoJo35 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Like many other members who have reached this point before me, I am now considering selling off my reps. These aren't just generic reps (like unmodded MBW's, which I have sold off already), but some very ultra frankens. Each of these reps were painstakingly researched, and put together by none other than the master with as many gen parts as possible. The reason I have come to this conclusion is: however hard one can try to create the perfect rep, it will always be just that, a rep! Like another member here who is a good friend of mine, I have reached the sad conclusion that I will never be satiated with a rep, no matter how close to gen it is. Worse yet, my "grail" watches continue to climb the food chain. Starting first with an OP 1030, then a underline OP 1560, then a 666, a 16800, a red 1680, an underline pcg 5513... Now I have my sights set on a 6263 and a floating cosmograph! (I almost wish I never found RWG 1!) I was just wondering how other members who may have surpassed this point dealt with it, and if they could offer some advice (Nanuq?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiker01 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Sell it to someone who could afford it (maybe me ) with option to buy back if he/she gets tired of it! If you don't really need the dough, keet it! They're amazingly well done! Especially the Red! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gplracer Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Sell it to someone who could afford it (maybe me ) with option to buy back if he/she gets tired of it! If you don't really need the dough, keet it! They're amazingly well done! Especially the Red! JoJo do you have your sights on a gen 6263? If so Wow! I say keep the reps until you can afford to sell them and replace them with a gen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magagne Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 "The reason I have come to this conclusion is: however hard one can try to create the perfect rep, it will always be just that, a rep!" I'll talk about my experiences. I'm not happier because I pocess a gen watch instead of the rep, I ran to the perfect gen to own, and I sell, and I buy, and sell, etc. . Rep or Gen, we are people here who search for the "perfect" watch to own, to get, to pocess, to love, to identify ourself to it. We like too much watches to be only with one watch or two, or three, it's a hobby, a passion, and we need to feel, touch, look all these watch arround us, sometime to MOD them. And the only vaccin against this, is to quit this hobby, and, find another one Gen is not the answer. A watch is a watch, gen or rep. The soul that we think that gen watch pocess, this "soul", it live only in our mind, it is not in the watch itself. I pocess gen, and I'm not happier because it's a gen, I hit a level that now I don't give too much "importance" to gen "spirit". I wear watch because it's fun, it's a hobby, it look good, and I can share this hobby and passion with others. I quit timezone because I find people there give TOO MUCH importance to there watches, battle Omega vs Rolex, a battle that never end. Here, I never saw that, we like watches, period. We don't try to defend ourself, our life style through brand name. I pocess a Gen Fortis, and, nobody around me know this brand, I certainly not wear this watch to flash a brand name. If I like Rolex, it's not because of the name, but because I like the style of the watch. To resume, keep your rep, you already put too much time in it and energy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gplracer Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 "The reason I have come to this conclusion is: however hard one can try to create the perfect rep, it will always be just that, a rep!" I'll talk about my experiences. I'm not happier because I pocess a gen watch instead of the rep, I ran to the perfect gen to own, and I sell, and I buy, and sell, etc. . Rep or Gen, we are people here who search for the "perfect" watch to own, to get, to pocess, to love, to identify ourself to it. We like too much watches to be only with one watch or two, or three, it's a hobby, a passion, and we need to feel, touch, look all these watch arround us, sometime to MOD them. And the only vaccin against this, is to quit this hobby, and, find another one Gen is not the answer. A watch is a watch, gen or rep. The soul that we think that gen watch pocess, this "soul", it live only in our mind, it is not in the watch itself. I pocess gen, and I'm not happier because it's a gen, I hit a level that now I don't give too much "importance" to gen "spirit". I wear watch because it's fun, it's a hobby, it look good, and I can share this hobby and passion with others. I quit timezone because I find people there give TOO MUCH importance to there watches, battle Omega vs Rolex, a battle that never end. Here, I never saw that, we like watches, period. We don't try to defend ourself, our life style through brand name. I pocess a Gen Fortis, and, nobody around me know this brand, I certainly not wear this watch to flash a brand name. If I like Rolex, it's not because of the name, but because I like the style of the watch. To resume, keep your rep, you already put too much time in it and energy. Well said Magagne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 I can understand the frustration with red 1680 because no matter how accurately you forge the case, bezel, pearl, bracelet, etc. it doesn't matter because the dial just always kills it. The white one is very difficult to call out, if done correctly. For the other stuff... perhaps you have simply become "obsessed" and forgot that building/modding the watches (and wearing them) is nothing serious... it should be just simple fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchmeister Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 JoJo- I understand your point of view but have to say that mine changes over time. Life is a circle. I started with gens only for many years. Then reps only. Then gens. And finally my happy medium - frankens. The average one takes 1-2 years and is a labor of love. And I promise you the frankens get more adoring looks from me than any gen I currently own. By the way that Red Sub is stunning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMC8404 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 It has been some time since my last post here. I think because of the very thing that JoJo has brought up in this topic. He is correct in saying that a rep is just a rep, no mater how much it is modified and no mater how many gen parts it contains. For me it started when I purchased my first gen sub and then I found Steinhart. My Steinhart gets most of the wrist time now and the gen Rolex along with 7 or 8 rep watches spend the majority of time in the watch box. It is a sad thing. I remember how excited I was to find this website. I do however still appreciate the wealth of information that can be found here concerning watches. I seem to have found another addiction recently; Purchasing precious metals! God help me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve52 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Magagne the Prophet...... Well said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 I don't really get the "only the gen does it for me" thing. It's definitely true for certain watches (that you're very passionate about) but reps are still the only great (and economical) way to own all kinds of cool luxury watches (and different styles). RobbieG said it nicely "I love the new GMTIIc a lot for $250 but not for $6000) That's why I sold the gen." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 JoJo, I'm well down this same road, and only have one rep left. I've found the most satisfaction in my entire time here enjoying the reps community came when I gave the reps away. I sold a couple but the rest were all gifts. I found fun ways to do each one, and the joy the winners derived from winning a watch was worth far more to me than any price. Just my humble two cents, Nanuq Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazarini Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 I think i can speak on the matter... reason i say this is the collection link to my signature that explains where i came from and where i am today... IMHO its all about YOU and how u wear ure watches personally at one point i found myself with 15 reps but wearing only 3-4 of them. That did not work for me so i slimmed down to cca 5 highly modded/franken pieces... After some time of enjoying those i got my first Gen... as many said the difference between gen and high end franken are minimum still knowing im sporting the real deal gives me some reassurance. I am around people that wear real watches and i needed to constantly either admit to being reps or "bend" the truth. Finally no more... Reps are great do and no knocking them price/watch ratio is superb. In recent times i find myself owning 1 to 2 max at a time. I tend to buy them as a potential pre-gen purchase... and for the reason to wear them anywhere i would not consider wearing a gen... Whatever u decide decide on what works better for YOU and YOU only! Decision is even harder for u K. since ure pieces are not your regular modded pieces but state of the art frankens. Still outside the 3 walls (rwg,rg,rwi) they are more or less limited. Good luck with ure decision my dear friend i would not like to be in your shoes a tough choice to make. Kind regards Laz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pre V Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 I often find myself in this situation --- abeit sticky and always around the block, I tend to keep the feelings gained from genuines apart from reps. It's always been a toss and turn, and seperation of such feelings hasn't been easy. As I venture out in the world of gens, something just pulls me back into the sea of reps-frankens-hommages-projects.... There's no question about the real deal at all, but bearing in mind that the real deals do have their variation. One can debate the notion of genuines undergoing impeccable QCs and QAs while reps don't. It does sink in to our perception that " why don't we just get rid of our reps and clean-slate ourselves with genuines, after all, that genuine feeling surpasses the rep, a Rep will always be a Rep." --- maybe, definitely maybe..... But until I come to terms of the full satisfaction of genuines will supersede that of replicas, I will always remain in both spectrums. With the Submariner Red in question, will it be possible to acquire a project piece close to accuracy at a fraction of a price of a genuine? The answer lies in the existence of these forums where knowledge of the know-hows transpires the actual workings and achievements towards perfection. Let's face it. We all like to work on something that we can call our own. The process is intriguing and propels us to another, and the other..... but like everything else in life, once we've owned or possess that finished product, we yearn for something more, be it genuine or another franken. The essence of greed lies in all of us, the wanting more, the needing more. Wristing my genuine SD at the moment (its been a long time ---almost 30 days), does empower me to a certain extent but 2 days from now, an MBW will most likely take over for another extended round of wrist time. What works for some doesn't neccessarily work for others --- individualism at work and play. If your decision is to clear off all your replicas, then it's yours and yours only to be made, for that lovin' feeling I can tell is starting to fade away like the leaves in an Autumn setting. It's all good for finally, your realization has devoured your love for reps ---- and your new love for gens I am sure will keep you comforted for a long time to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnBeever Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 I have reps and gens. I have gen seadweller and an oysterdate, and while I can afford to buy them I can’t afford to trash them. My rep is a modified mbw 5512 which I wear most of the day and takes all the abuse, the gens tend to get worn in the evening . The rep is reasonably cheep but very realistic as it only has labour and a few gen parts and I have had the satisfaction of building it myself. The gens are still mint and worth nearly double what I paid for the 2 years ago. A rep will always be a rep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star69 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 I don't really get the "only the gen does it for me" thing. It's definitely true for certain watches (that you're very passionate about) but reps are still the only great (and economical) way to own all kinds of cool luxury watches (and different styles). RobbieG said it nicely "I love the new GMTIIc a lot for $250 but not for $6000) That's why I sold the gen." ++1 exactly - show me one single gen that is worth the asked money and i get it cheers, Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobs1971 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 In the past I've bought, modded and sold several reps and now only 3 highly modded reps are left. I found out that no matter how much I mod a rep, I'll still be unsattisfied with the 1% of inaccuracy. So I bought some gens which make me feel better in this respect, altough it didn't give me the initial excitement that you have while waiting for your rep to come back from the watchmaker. However, I can't afford to buy the gens of all my favourite watches. Way too expensive and in most cases the intrinsic value of the gen doesn't justify the high price for me. So in the end I decided to save for one more gen - the nicest I can afford - and try to live with the flaws of the modded reps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noslen Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 I had a number of midrange gens and some neat reps - the reps got the most wrist time; so I sold my gens and put the money towards my mortgage. My wife now owns the only gen in our house, a great custom Rolex which she will treasure forever. I love watches "gen" or "fugezi" - at least with a rep if I trash a watch it's a few hundred $ down the drain and not thousands; I have other things to care about and don't care to have $10000 sitting on my wrist when I walk the dog Anyway if you do want to sell either of those watches pictured I'm sure you'll find man an eager buyer! Nos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justasgood Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 JoJo my friend, I hope to help you in your pursuit. I wish it was by buying your Frankens but I doubt that I could. My watchmaker will be back in town on Monday and your pursuit will be discussed I have been collecting watches for over 20 years and wish I had all my gens back. But I know myself well enough to know that my collection would never be a static one. So the Modding of reps helps me to take a more personal ownership of my watches....not to mention helping my budget Just don't ever forget your family here.....I know you won't. Enjoy your weekend and remember: They are only watches..........yeah, right kurt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmarin.72 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 "The reason I have come to this conclusion is: however hard one can try to create the perfect rep, it will always be just that, a rep!" I'll talk about my experiences. I'm not happier because I pocess a gen watch instead of the rep, I ran to the perfect gen to own, and I sell, and I buy, and sell, etc. . Rep or Gen, we are people here who search for the "perfect" watch to own, to get, to pocess, to love, to identify ourself to it. We like too much watches to be only with one watch or two, or three, it's a hobby, a passion, and we need to feel, touch, look all these watch arround us, sometime to MOD them. And the only vaccin against this, is to quit this hobby, and, find another one Gen is not the answer. A watch is a watch, gen or rep. The soul that we think that gen watch pocess, this "soul", it live only in our mind, it is not in the watch itself. I pocess gen, and I'm not happier because it's a gen, I hit a level that now I don't give too much "importance" to gen "spirit". I wear watch because it's fun, it's a hobby, it look good, and I can share this hobby and passion with others. I quit timezone because I find people there give TOO MUCH importance to there watches, battle Omega vs Rolex, a battle that never end. Here, I never saw that, we like watches, period. We don't try to defend ourself, our life style through brand name. I pocess a Gen Fortis, and, nobody around me know this brand, I certainly not wear this watch to flash a brand name. If I like Rolex, it's not because of the name, but because I like the style of the watch. To resume, keep your rep, you already put too much time in it and energy. My thoughts exactly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magagne Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 ...For the other stuff... perhaps you have simply become "obsessed" and forgot that building/modding the watches (and wearing them) is nothing serious... it should be just simple fun. Ho! well said BT, and that's the KEY to not be obsessed of anything, it's not only true for watches, but it's true for so many other stuff too! at the moment it's begin to be too seriously, and you freak it out for irrational stuff/details, or wanting a gen that imply to put all your eggs to aquire a gen watch, you are in a very dangerous zone and you start to sink. life need an equilibrium if you keep this in mind, you will be in a ZEN and safe zone, and free of all little devils and temptation that is around us. Stop, analyse yourself, and ask you, do I lost control? Am I obsossed? Can I live without all this? I will still happy if I on't have all this? Is it just a hobby and a FUN hobby, or it's a drug? if you try to justify yourself and convince you too much, you already answer your question. Don't forget, life need equilibrium... sorry I leave you here, I'll go to play outside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Personally, my horological journey started with gens... But only because I didn't know any better. It was when I was searching for ways to build a DateJust some many years ago that I stumbled across the old RWG and TRC, and the rest has been downhill from there For me, the fun in watches has been about building. The search and hunt for parts, the trial and error process of building to see what works and what doesn't and the 'hands on' aspect of building... That's what makes the hobby interesting to me. However, with vintage Rolex, you can more or less go down that same path. Parallel projects of restoring with original parts, be it to replace worn bits with those in better condition, to replace aftermarket or even newer RSC replacement parts or simply just finding that grail... It's a very similar hobby in that regard. Both are rewarding in their own right but it really depends on what you want out of it as there is no general wrong or right blanket answer for everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Considering buying up your reps... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Ex: two of my favs.... should I sell? Patience, Grasshopper. Good things come to those who wait. I certainly understand where you are coming from, but 1 of the beauties of frankens is that they can be upgraded, on a continual basis, as more & better parts come along. All you need is patience. You have come this far, so why bail now? And selling off most of a collection of wonderful frankens to fund a gen or 2 usually ends with a watch case filled with regrets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcoxxx1984 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 I would be interested in 1655 and 6263! Pm me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJo35 Posted June 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2009 A sincere thank you to each fellow member who took the time to write down their thoughts. I've given a lot of thought about the creations in my watch box, which included consideration of the total time and effort each took to research and put together. Each one of my frankens took considerable time on my part to properly research and purchase the parts; however, the real effort and talent came after that. Putting together and servicing a movement takes skill, but IMO still doesn't compare to the natural talent that is needed to duplicate the lume of a 30 or 40 year old gen tritium dial. Although a re-lumed watch dial may not be a Picasso, it is still very much a work of art, and IMO that certainly deserves respect. IMO, selling artwork like this is almost an insult to the artist because they obviously take so much skill and talent to creat. Therefore, these beautiful pieces will remain in my watchbox (while still being worn anywhere with confidence). Pre V, I think your comment surmises best how I feel. My continued quest for vintage rolex has brought me to the realm of gens. As I mentioned in my opening thread, my sights are set on a gen 6263, and perhaps a zenith floating cosmograph.. ..I'll post up after I finally decide What works for some doesn't neccessarily work for others --- individualism at work and play. If your decision is to clear off all your replicas, then it's yours and yours only to be made, for that lovin' feeling I can tell is starting to fade away like the leaves in an Autumn setting. It's all good for finally, your realization has devoured your love for reps ---- and your new love for gens I am sure will keep you comforted for a long time to come. Thanks again for everyone who posted up Kind Regards JJ PS... The lume job on my sub is better than any re-lume job I have ever seen on any gen forum. It's no wonder we call him the master! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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