Hey guys,

Any thoughts on replica watches?  Good, Bad, Ugly?


Thanks,
SK

They are fine if that's what you want and you know that is what is being sold to you.



The real problem and why I hate them is people sell them as the real thing. If the buyer isn't smart enough to know the difference and they think they just got a good deal on an expensive watch when it dies they blame the real watch company and tell all their friends not to buy X watches because they are junk.



Not only does the real watch company lose the initial sale their company is badmouthed by mr stupid and possibly lose more sales. Same thing happens with fake optics and AR parts.  



I don't really understand why anyone would want replica (fake) watches. It makes no sense to me because a person that knows watches can spot a fake easy so they aren't impressed and just laugh to themselves (or out loud as I often do). When a person that isn't in to watches sees the watch they aren't impressed either because they don't care. So why buy one, you can't even feel good about it yourself because you know it's just a fake of the real deal.

There is a difference between.
Fake, and homage / styled after

There are some good fakes out there.
That are very well build, with automatic movements in them
I like them for traveling. Especially over seas.  If you ever took, cab  or something and got into some kind of situation. I would rather give someone a folex (fake Rolex) than my wallet or passport.
Or if you have the real one in the safe, and want to get a fake that looks just like it, so use some times, I get it


But A fake watch for everyday use,
Would be like taking a Airsoft optics, to a carbine class just to try and look cool.

An expensive watch makes you a target. I don't wear my expensive watches in public
which begs the Q: Why own them at all? With fakes, there is no upside.

I have real Swiss V7750 and ETA movements in generic cases which look cheap which I wear
with nylon or canvas NATO or ZULU straps. Nobody looks twice at them except me.

I try to look homeless unless I have a meeting at work. Hack public perception for safety.

And fuck people's incorrect opinions.

I won't wear fakes, but I own plenty of homage watches.

Two different things.



 

Agreed, although many of the replicas are made in the same factory. Look at a lot of the Alpha and Parnis watches out there.

Still, I have zero issues with look-a-like watches that are not logoed as the original. I love the look, but not enough to spend money on the real thing. If asked, I always say its a homage made in China, nothing expensive. I wear it because I like the look, not to impress anyone. If someone thinks less of me, I really not care.

I totally agree with you.



I am not a watch snob and don't care very much for those that are. I don't care what anyone buys or wears on their wrist.





 

Replicas: meh. Tried a few yrs ago and found them to be very unsatisfying. Even they really good ones. And they have no resale value once you've come to realize they really are crap. And yes, I am a bit of a watch snob.





 

Don't be That Guy.

It's a matter of opinion whether "that guy" includes owners of "homages" in addition to outright fakes.  I lean towards "yes", even while owning a blatant Seiko ripoff of a Rolex and an orange faced citizen that wishes it was a Doxa.

Opinions are like assholes.

My Jiao Dragon wishes it was a Black Bay. Someday I'll have a BB, not anytime soon. Until then I'll wear something that looks quite similar with no shame.if it was branded as a Tudor, no way.

I love to laugh at the people who get butthurt because they worked so hard to buy X, and Y is styled to look like it at 5 percent of the cost, and that "devalues" their work.... I get drunk on their tears.

My Invicta 8926OB (Sub homage), Alpha Explorer (Rolex Explorer homage), and Jiao Dragon aren't the same quality, use mass produced movements, and lack the refinement. I know that, and not care. If anybody asks I tell them they are styled after whatever watch. I also don't care if somebody wears a copy of my Seamaster - Alpha makes a really amazing homage. The fact that somebody wears one doesn't devalue my Omega in my eyes. I think some folks are just too caught up in the status of a brand and use it to compensate for underlying insecurities. /shrug

And those are general statements, not directed at you WS.

FIL gave me and the wife a couple of "Rolex" pieces a few years ago.
I believe he thought we believed they were real. He presented them as such.
The movement was wrong and mine felt light.
I don't wear watches and don't even know where they are.
I looked them up and apparently they run $6-700.
What a waste.

A watch is far less of a visible target identifier than the absurdly-sized diamonds that are so trendy nowadays.

A few months ago I went with a friend to a gun shop I had never been to, he was looking for a AR15 so he "made" me go with him as a technical adviser.



They did have a good deals on Colt M4's with MagPul furniture for $990 so I told my friend to buy.



The owner of the shop and I were talking while my friend did the paper work. I noticed a Traser watch, (only watch in the place) in the display case so I asked the price which was full retail. So then he asked if I was into watches and I said yes.



Then he pulls up his sleeve and shows me this Breitling watch he is wearing. One quick look and I knew it was a fake, a really bad fake! I asked if he knew it was a fake. The look on his face made the trip worth it for me.



He then told me about buying it because he couldn't afford the real deal. Then the best part, he said he accidentally ordered two of the damn things and told me he could sell me the other one for the $125 he paid.



That's when things went south.



I asked him what he would think of someone selling fake optics like the real ones in his shop. How about when that fake fails and the person that owns it blames the real company because he thinks it's real. Then they won't buy a real one from him because they had a fake that failed. He just said he never thought of that, went in the back and we didn't see him again.



I don't care what other people wear, I only busted his nuts because of the way he flaunted that fake at me as if he was going to impress me with it. I guess he thought it was a good fake and it would fool me. He was wrong.



Fakes and homages are two different things IMO so don't get you homage butt in a hussy of this post.

just save up & buy a real one.

I had a fake Omega, I think it was $150 or so. looked damn exact to the real thing. Movement worked great, automatic with the timer thingy all worked just like the original... Wore it daily. Then after a couple months, it stopped working.

Yay Chinese movements.

Then I bought a cheap <$50 automatic and it still works and holds time perfect 3 years later.

My experience with "fakes"

I love them, as the above posters pointed out as long as you know what you are buying  they are great.  There are replicas out there thatwork beautifully and are so well made they take an expert to tell the difference.  It is a fun hobby and there are several websites out there that sellers of replica watches advertise and are rated by buyers on the overall quality of the product they sell.

For some folks that is not a realistic or responsible option. I don't support outright copies including logos, but if somebody wants to wear something that looks similar in styling that is a fraction of the cost, go for it.

For example, a young guy might be married, with a kid or two, a mortgage, and all the associated expenses. Maybe he can save up $6k over the course of a couple years and buy that Rolex Submariner that he really wants. Even if he gets to that point where he has saved the cash, is he really best served spending it on a watch? Or would saving for college, or a retirement fund be a better deal. Like I said I wouldn't encourage a Folex, but I'd recommend something much less like a Christoper Ward or a Steinhart, or even *gasp* an Invicta/Parnis/Alpha/Tiger Concepts. You still get the aesthetic styling you appreciate without breaking the bank.

My thoughts exactly.  I'd really like to buy a new Omega vintage-inspired Seamaster 300 and could technically "afford" it, but that would take up such a large proportion of my income that it would be silly IMO.

I think fakes are in poor taste, and personally, would never wear one, but consider homeages to be good to go, as they aren't copying logos and pretending to be something that they aren't.  Plus, supporting counterfeiters is a shitty thing to do.