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Best Sub & Daytona Dealers in $300-$500 Range

ADG

Horology Curious
24/2/21
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I know this question has been asked many times, so I apologize in advance. I've read a bunch of threads, and candidly my head is spinning. So hopefully I can ask the question in a manner that allows for a relatively "direct" response.

First, I've never purchased a replica before. I own a real Datejust and Omega Speedmaster among other much less expensive watches (Citizens, Movado, etc). I've always wanted to own a Speedmaster and / or a Daytona but have never been in a position to cough up that much cash. And now that I'm in my senior years I'm certainly not going to spend that kind of money - hence my decision to look into replicas. And after years of surfing replica dealers I finally was lucky enough to find this forum and smart enough to join :).

So here's the question: Among what I'm certain are the many very fine trusted dealers listed on this site, are there 2 or 3 in particular I should be looking at for a decent Sub and a decent Daytona in the general price range of $300 - $500 each? Of course I'm more than happy to go below $300 if there is something that fits the bill, but not much above the $500 price point. I'm never going to try to sell it and pass it off as legit - this is simply for my enjoyment to wear every now and then. I mention this to point out that they don't have to be "perfect" in every way, though of course I'd like them to be as "real" looking as possible and work as well as one would expect a watch in that price range to work.

Once again I apologize for what I am well aware is a cliched question, but I would very much appreciate the assistance of any of the much more knowledgeable folks on this forum. Thanks very much in advance.
 

p0pperini

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Welcome to RWI, and all the best for your rep adventures.

The dealers don’t make the watches - they source them from the various factories. So, any TD should be able to get you any watch you want. You just need to decide which factory’s watch you want. I would recommend JTime, as Li is very easy to deal with and very helpful - and comms are done via WhatsApp.

VSF (VS Factory) is generally accepted to currently be making the best 6-digit Subs.

Noob Factory makes the best Daytona.
 

ADG

Horology Curious
24/2/21
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Thanks - and thanks.

Okay, now I'm a bit confused. I see jTime under Trusted Rep Dealers on this page: https://forum.replica-watch.info/forum/trusted-dealers. Are you saying they are simply reps for various manufacturers?
Assuming that's the case, where do I find the links for the manufacturers / factories (VS Factory, Noob Factory)? Or do I not need to visit factory links to see their merchandise.

And wile I appreciate the recommendation of Li, how do other TD's communicate? I'm very tech savvy, but of all the apps I use whatsapp has never been one of them. I'm not opposed to downloading and using it, just prefer something with which I'm already familiar given a choice.

Really sorry for the noob questions (no pun intended). Thanks again!
 

p0pperini

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I'm sorry - I was trying to be brief (as I was preparing the evening meal at the same time!) and so I didn't explain things very clearly.

A "rep" in this hobby is a replica watch, as opposed to a sales representative.

Trusted Dealers (TDs) sell watches supplied by various factories. The factories have no customer-facing presence, their products are sold solely through the online suppliers; dealers. Those that have a solid, honest reputation become Trusted Dealers on the rep sites.

You are expected to find out everything you want to know about which factories produce which reps, and which are best, by researching via the massive amount of information on the forums. This can be pretty daunting at the start - but it's worthwhile taking time to begin to understand all the jargon and opinions, as it'll inform you in making a final decision.

However, the two models you're looking into both have clear front runners right now. This always changes, as factories release newer, better versions. But the Sub C and Daytona are both currently available as excellent reps which most would agree are heading towards NWBIG (Not Worth Buying In Gen) status. As I said before these are:
  • The Submariners being produced by VSF
  • The Daytona being produced by Noob Factory (the fourth release, or v4)
So, if you contact Li at JTime and ask him for a VSF Sub or a Noob v4 Daytona, he'll let you know that he can get it, you'll pay him, he'll source it for you, send you QC photos to approve, and once you approve the pics, he'll send you the watch.
 

philwongnz

I'm Pretty Popular
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The "best" is subjective, the sky is the limit as you can franken with gen parts.

Instead of looking by price range find out which factory and version members thinks is the "best" out of the box by reading the forum. All reps have flaws and it depends what you want to settle with. Being more expensive doesn't mean is better than the one which might be slightly cheaper from another factory. Also versions within the same factory will differ, e.g they corrected part A in V2 but changed something on Part B which was correct from V1 but no longer in V2.

Simply apologise and state your questions are cliché doesn't mean is not cliché. I strongly recommend you read up about what you are looking for by using the search functions. Part of the fun is research and reading people's feedbacks and comments. Simply telling you which one is the best is ones opinion and judgement, but you should really exercise yours by doing your own research.

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 
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p0pperini

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Okay okay, I was just clearing up a misunderstanding about TDs in ADG’s second post; “Are you saying they are simply reps for various manufacturers?”

Honestly I don’t know... I make an effort to be helpful for once, rather than being my usual sarcastic, facetious self, and what do I get..?
 
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Spitfire63

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Welcome to the forum, going by the criteria in your original post, you might want to look at the ARF Daytona’s as a cheaper option to the noob, if your not bothered about the full functionality of the noob then the ARF is a great rep out of the box, I’ve got this one

https://www.intime05.co/rollie/5257...nd-bracelet-white-dial-a4130-super-clone.html

and when I showed it to a friend who has a gen submariner and daydate he wanted to buy it off me on the spot, which is a testament to the overall look and feel of the watch.
 
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p0pperini

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you might want to look at the ARF Daytona’s as a cheaper option to the noob
This is also a very good point. ARF Daytonas are excellent quality and considerably cheaper than the Noobs.

I'll add that my original advice was given with the aim of keeping things as simple as possible based on the OP's questions. We all know how, once you start to get into this hobby, it all gets way more complicated!
 

ADG

Horology Curious
24/2/21
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I'm sorry - I was trying to be brief (as I was preparing the evening meal at the same time!) and so I didn't explain things very clearly.
[/LIST] So, if you contact Li at JTime and ask him for a VSF Sub or a Noob v4 Daytona, he'll let you know that he can get it, you'll pay him, he'll source it for you, send you QC photos to approve, and once you approve the pics, he'll send you the watch.

Two more questions please - Is the reason we go through dealers because dealing directly with the manufacturer (VSF in this case) an iffy proposition for an individual buyer? And does the dealer mark up the watch or does he get a commission from the manufacturer?
 

ssouthall6

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Two more questions please - Is the reason we go through dealers because dealing directly with the manufacturer (VSF in this case) an iffy proposition for an individual buyer? And does the dealer mark up the watch or does he get a commission from the manufacturer?

The factories won't supply directly because it's an illegal trade that faces severe penalties. Even if we were in China, they wouldn't sell to us. If you went over to Colombia do you think the cartel would sell you a couple of kilos of coke? They only go through guys they trust.

The guys we buy from are trusted, verified middle-men who either buy from contacts at the respective factories or other intermediaries, which they sometimes have to because nitpickers like us demand QC and then reject watches in the basis of crooked markers zoomed in at 300x drawn on Microsoft paint. And yes, they mark the watch up according to the risk they take in their part in a process whereby they could potentially end up in jail, so they earn it trust me. Also - no point negotiating, they apply a pretty fair and commensurate markup across the board so you won't see major deviations from dealer to dealer.

Valid questions if you don't understand the mechanisms and don't be offended if my response seems a little coarse, it's not intentional just that sometimes we all forget the sacrifices the TD's are making in order that they have a viable business.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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tripdog

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If you went over to Colombia do you think the cartel would sell you a couple of kilos of coke?

Confirmed, that's a no - all that money wasted on plane tickets.