I'll preface my comments below by stating a couple of facts: 1) I was tired and irritated anyway last night, so I apologize for being a bit crass in my post - however, the details of the post still stand as accurate. 2) I was not directly referring to anyone's behavior on this board; just a general trend I've seen from mainly new(er) members. Bonesey, contrary to what you believe, I have not "had it out with you" in any thread (including this one) and have no desire to. You're OK in my book. Now, on to my rebuttal.
The OP asked what people thought of the watch he linked. People gave honest answers
People come here for advice and in return they get exactly that.
The above two statements highlight my disagreement. The OP asked a specific question (which of the two he posted were closest to gen) and NO ONE (including me) actually answered his question until Fiddo did at POST #11.
When someone has a choice of A or B, telling them they should just buy C isn't really all that helpful.
However absolutely nothing will stop me from highlighting that it's not a great rep.
And absolutely nothing should. There is nothing wrong with informing someone that the watch they are looking at is generally considered to be sub-par, as long as it's handled in an appropriate manner.
If the OP only has a specific budget and at no point in the future is that going to increase then fair enough, he has to accept that the quality and accuracy is not going to be super.
The OP never said either way, so I work from the assumption that his offering of $60-$70 reps indicate a severely restricted budget.
If a person is limited for whatever reason to low-budget reps, telling them up front that they can't afford to play this game, and nothing they CAN afford will be anything but junk really sucks. No, this was not said in this thread, but the gist was borrowed from another.
Being responded to this way would've prevented me from ever buying my first rep, let alone become a fixture around here. :facepalm:
I used to have a job auditing calls at an inbound call center. I was a trainer and it was my job to review calls and educate the agent on how he could improve his performance. It was a support center, so no selling or anything, just tweaking the customer-service-interaction type of stuff. I admit that the time spent doing that has colored my view of 'helpful responses' to questions posted.
Had I been lucid enough when I initially posted last night, I would (should) have said to the OP:
Of the two you have presented, the second is slightly more accurate than the first. However, they are both poorly replicated, and much more accurate versions are available in a nearby price range ($100-$110). Take a look at PANS046 and PANS060 for example; they are decent-looking watches priced at $110. (I can't link, but they are in the high-quality watches section of his site).
VERY generally speaking, reps below $100 are of poor quality. In my opinion, watches that are decent to own and look at will start around the $110 mark. There are exceptions in both directions though. You can occasionally find good reps for less, and you can easily find poor(er) quality reps for higher prices. The key is to have patience, research, and ask many, many questions. Begin those questions by asking yourself what your intention is with the watch. Is it just for you to enjoy, something to make you smile when you look at your wrist? Or, are you trying to fool someone who knows the brand? This will dictate whether or not you can be happy with an entry-level rep.
Anyway, good luck to OP on finding your starter watch for what will be an income-consuming hobby. Sorry for hijacking your thread a bit, but in the end I hope it helps point you in the direction you wish (need) to go.
That cheapie rep was 158$ (including shipping) in the trash... I'd never bought it if I knew anything about reps or if someone had told me not to do it.....
I'm sorry you got burned on a poor rep for that much money. I recently bought a fiddy with a swan-neck movement for $135. The quality is as good as any of my higher-priced reps. Additionally, I just received a U-BOAT that was $99. Quality is decent, nothing spectacular for sure, but still OK. In that same order I received a Chanel Marine for a friend; it was the same price. It's a quartz, and in my personal opinion it's junk. I wouldn't have it, but my friend was happy with it.
The point is price alone doesn't dictate the quality of the rep. You have to research and make educated choices.
And when I (or other member) say stay away from cheap bad reps is not snobism.. is just a good advice IMHO. So i'm saying it again : Don't waste your money on bad reps.
It's very true that you shouldn't waste your money on BAD reps. It's just that cheap & bad are NOT always an inseparable pair. Not to mention the subjective nature of the term "cheap", as well as "bad". Some rep owners are highly opinionated and would tell you that a Pam without a swan neck movement is junk. I understand how important that is to some people, but it's not for everyone. This is where you can't just rely on someone saying "don't buy that - it's junk, because I say so". You have to read, read, read and decide what's important to you. Make educated decisions.
I'd never bought it if I knew anything about reps or if someone had told me not to do it.....
So, if I tell you not to buy a watch, you'll follow what I say blindly? Telling someone a watch is junk without explaining WHY you feel that way is useless and becomes nothing but unsubstantiated opinion.
We've always said patience was the watchword in this hobby, but I now believe that's incorrect. Education is paramount; you can take advice from other members, but:
At the end of the day it's your choice.
True, and even moreso:
In the end, pick the one you like.
Cheers,
Nop
