Not sure this has been discussed yet from this viewpoint. Noob here so it's possible but I did search.
My point is that value-for-money (VFM) is a subjective thing. Some want the perfect movement, some the dial, some the hands...all the while knowing there is no 'perfect'.
So it comes down to the individual combination of things. Of course there will be overlap and definitely none of us will color outside the lines. So we will never see "I want a perfect movement but the spelling of the brand can be wrong, I don't care".
But for me, my priorities fall in this order:
1. The geometry of the look. In other words, no misaligned indices, weird lug shape, whatever. I recently bought an $800 Seiko and at 6 o'clock time, the two hands don't make a perfectly straight line. That bothers me (yes I know Seiko is notorious for this sort of thing).
2. The feel. As I will be wearing it (and while I haven't tried on that many Gens, I might), I want it to feel like a Gen. So, weight, balance, comfort, etc.
3. The colors: A minor variance in lume color may not kill me as lighting conditions also affect such things, and it's not like I'm constantly comparing to Gens. Obviously, can't substitute Royal Blue for Navy but you know what I mean.
4. The mechanicals: Asian, Swiss, Transylvanian, I don't really care (or I don't think I do). Yes the Rep is likely to be of a Swiss brand but it's not like I (speaking for self) will be handing it to people and dare them to tell me if it's a Rep. Family and close friends will be told up front that it's a Rep. Anyone else I don't want them to handle my watches anyway, even if it's a Timex.
5. Price. Perhaps if I spent $2K it could be perfect, I don't know. But in the $500 +/- $100 range, of course there will be some compromises, hence the above. Maybe this criterion should be outside this list.
6. What did I miss? I know the above are broad brush strokes but I have neither the time nor the knowledge to get into the details right now - perhaps at a later date, I will.
Is there some level of agreement on what makes the perfect combo? Obviously, people buy Reps at $100 or less, and spend what, up to $1K? But I'm thinking of that high point of the opinion (vs factual) bell curve... where does it lie, price-wise? And what should one get in return for that money? Put another way, where is the VFM peak?
My point is that value-for-money (VFM) is a subjective thing. Some want the perfect movement, some the dial, some the hands...all the while knowing there is no 'perfect'.
So it comes down to the individual combination of things. Of course there will be overlap and definitely none of us will color outside the lines. So we will never see "I want a perfect movement but the spelling of the brand can be wrong, I don't care".
But for me, my priorities fall in this order:
1. The geometry of the look. In other words, no misaligned indices, weird lug shape, whatever. I recently bought an $800 Seiko and at 6 o'clock time, the two hands don't make a perfectly straight line. That bothers me (yes I know Seiko is notorious for this sort of thing).
2. The feel. As I will be wearing it (and while I haven't tried on that many Gens, I might), I want it to feel like a Gen. So, weight, balance, comfort, etc.
3. The colors: A minor variance in lume color may not kill me as lighting conditions also affect such things, and it's not like I'm constantly comparing to Gens. Obviously, can't substitute Royal Blue for Navy but you know what I mean.
4. The mechanicals: Asian, Swiss, Transylvanian, I don't really care (or I don't think I do). Yes the Rep is likely to be of a Swiss brand but it's not like I (speaking for self) will be handing it to people and dare them to tell me if it's a Rep. Family and close friends will be told up front that it's a Rep. Anyone else I don't want them to handle my watches anyway, even if it's a Timex.
5. Price. Perhaps if I spent $2K it could be perfect, I don't know. But in the $500 +/- $100 range, of course there will be some compromises, hence the above. Maybe this criterion should be outside this list.
6. What did I miss? I know the above are broad brush strokes but I have neither the time nor the knowledge to get into the details right now - perhaps at a later date, I will.
Is there some level of agreement on what makes the perfect combo? Obviously, people buy Reps at $100 or less, and spend what, up to $1K? But I'm thinking of that high point of the opinion (vs factual) bell curve... where does it lie, price-wise? And what should one get in return for that money? Put another way, where is the VFM peak?
