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An outsider's perspective/love letter to RWI

newest dude on the forum

Some Guy
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17/8/20
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The EnGrave Yard
I'm very new to rep watches. I've been a watch enthusiast for a while and I ended up here the same way that I imagine most people have lately. Specifically, I saw a YouTube video in which they were lamenting/warning of the high quality of counterfeit watches. Rather than be alarmed or worried I thought "well damn, why the hell would I buy a genuine watch if these are every ounce the watch at a fraction of the cost?" So, I did some googling and found RWI. I didn't immediately join, I just kind of wanted to observe and see what it was all about. I quickly learned that the YouTube video was full of hyperbole and that there aren't any replicas that are *exactly* the same as the genuine watch, but they were still damn good. I was certainly intrigued. The community seemed a bit standoffish. I saw multiple people get roasted for asking questions that to a new guy seemed valid, but which I now realize are tired questions that don't really have a clear answer ("who has the best sub" etc). After reading a bit I realized that there were no easy answers and that the level of detail with which these watches were scrutinized was intense. I leaned heavily on the NWBIG list and tried to understand what made something NWBIG. That list is a fantastic resource for people not looking to kill themselves with the research.

I have 2 main observations as someone who is very new to this.
1. This hobby is not the same as the hobby of watch collecting
2. This community is fantastic and welcoming, contrary to my initial impression

1. The rep hobby is wildly interesting and very cool. It gets involved in detail that you never see in mainstream watch collecting. Never before had I seen people obsess over crownguards, lugs, SELs, dials, markers, printing, DWs, hands, alignments, clasps, crystals, bezels, etc. It is all deeply fascinating to watch the experts and casuals dissect the latest reps and weigh in on all of these different components and aspects. I'm amazed at the eye for detail that everyone has. Standard watch collecting goes "I really like the look of that watch, I'm going to buy it". The rep community scrutinizes and assesses every detail of the watch under a sensitive microscope (sometimes literally) and discusses with the forum. It's very cool to see. It seems like most of the fun of this hobby is the decision to buy. If something passes enough of your internal deal breakers and you are satisfied with it you then go through the process of sourcing from a TD (which is a whole other black market thrill). Unlike mainstream watch collecting there's also the multiple factories, iterations, and constant stream of new releases and refreshes to feed the community. There's a certain thrill of seeing the first pics of a new release, which is then followed by the thrill of the first QC photos, and finally the first pics of someone who has received the watch. It's all a lot of fun and something you don't get to experience outside of the rep community.

2. The level of community and camaraderie is truly refreshing. If you have an issue with an order, or a TD, or a M2M, or a repair, or a QC aberration, where do you go? The community. The community takes care of each other and helps each other out. I think this is unique for most hobbies, let alone one of such dubious legality (dubious is being kind, I know). The experts and mods on this board are fantastic. If I have a question I'm always greeted with help and enthusiastic replies. When I see someone else ask a question, even if it's something that doesn't apply to me, I always read all the responses, which sometimes leads me down a rabbit hole of other threads about this one specific issue. The wealth of knowledge and information contained in this forum is staggering and invaluable. The friendliness of *most* members and eagerness to help others, regardless of their tenure on the board, is special and refreshing.

I'm creating this thread because as someone who is still very fresh I don't have much to contribute, but I want to let everyone know how much I appreciate this forum and how much I am enjoying being a part of this hobby. You're all fantastic and I'm so grateful for this forum, the TDs, and everyone who takes the time to be patient with someone new like myself.
 
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