Was wondering what people's opinions were regarding quality of the top tier reps compared to microbrands like Helios and Zelos?
-
Tired of adverts on RWI? - Subscribe by clicking HERE and PMing Trailboss for instructions and they will magically go away!
reps vs microbrands
- Thread starter Open
- Start date
The Helios and Zelos have real QC, probably better lume and real water resistance
so for those 2 example I would say microbrand
But obviously it depends on what your comparing against
so for those 2 example I would say microbrand
But obviously it depends on what your comparing against
I have owned a mix of gen, rep and micro brand. I have or have had at least a dozen of each over the past 2 yrs or so ranging from $170 merkur Tuna up to Sinn U1 and a whole lot of reps and micro brand divers in between.
If you are just going for the best spec bang for buck a well known micro brand is going to be hard to beat. Many of these watches can be had for $300-$500 & will come with ETA, Miyota or Seiko movements & have features that a lot of much more expensive watches won't have like ceramic bezel inserts and applied indices. Helm is probably the brand that comes to mind as the best micro bang for the buck. Others worth mentioning are Borealis, Helson, NTH, Scurfa & Obris Morgan
I have had both the Halios puck and the seaforth. Halios watches are really nice, but they are a bit more expensive ($700ish) so I wouldn't say it is among the best bang for buck. There are others that are a bit more expensive like Halios, but are also very well made and rival MUCH more expensive Gens. Brands I world put in this category would be Halios, Helson, Crepas, Aevig & Magrette.
As for reps:
They have gotten much better in the last 5 yrs, but no one is buying reps for the specs. We buy then because they say Rolex, Omega or Breitling or whatever on the dial. I would put the specs off most reps ($300-$500) at the level of approaching the level of the cheapest auto gens or the cheaper good micros.
Gens:
There are some really great gens for the money. There are others too, but the Brand that I am the most familiar with is Seiko & the Seiko divers. The skx007, Turtle, Monster, Tuna, Sumo, 62Mas, Baby Tuna are all Divers that can be had in the $200-$1000 range and all offer excellent value at their prospective price points. If you compare the quality of a $400 Seiko and a $400 rep I would choose the Seiko for quality every time. Then again a Seiko will always say Seiko on the dial and a rep can say Rolex, Omega, Breitling or whatever on the dial
If you are just going for the best spec bang for buck a well known micro brand is going to be hard to beat. Many of these watches can be had for $300-$500 & will come with ETA, Miyota or Seiko movements & have features that a lot of much more expensive watches won't have like ceramic bezel inserts and applied indices. Helm is probably the brand that comes to mind as the best micro bang for the buck. Others worth mentioning are Borealis, Helson, NTH, Scurfa & Obris Morgan
I have had both the Halios puck and the seaforth. Halios watches are really nice, but they are a bit more expensive ($700ish) so I wouldn't say it is among the best bang for buck. There are others that are a bit more expensive like Halios, but are also very well made and rival MUCH more expensive Gens. Brands I world put in this category would be Halios, Helson, Crepas, Aevig & Magrette.
As for reps:
They have gotten much better in the last 5 yrs, but no one is buying reps for the specs. We buy then because they say Rolex, Omega or Breitling or whatever on the dial. I would put the specs off most reps ($300-$500) at the level of approaching the level of the cheapest auto gens or the cheaper good micros.
Gens:
There are some really great gens for the money. There are others too, but the Brand that I am the most familiar with is Seiko & the Seiko divers. The skx007, Turtle, Monster, Tuna, Sumo, 62Mas, Baby Tuna are all Divers that can be had in the $200-$1000 range and all offer excellent value at their prospective price points. If you compare the quality of a $400 Seiko and a $400 rep I would choose the Seiko for quality every time. Then again a Seiko will always say Seiko on the dial and a rep can say Rolex, Omega, Breitling or whatever on the dial
Depends on what you want. If you want it to say Rolex, and are able to manage any quality issues, or have a watchsmith who can help, then a high end rep from a maker like ARF or noob will be solid and can be a compelling option. The reps I've bought are on par with the quality of a microbrand. I haven't had a disappointment yet, and I've had 40+ reps pass through my hands. I look at it this way, it's alot easier to resell a noob Rolex rep then most microbrand gens and you'll loose less. I bought a Raymond Weil a few years back and ended up taking almost $500 hit reselling it after I got bored with it, and it took me six months to sell it.
I agree with everything here too. You can occasionally do better with a micro on resale but that is the exception. Most of the time if you buy a new rep and a new micro at the same time and then go and try and resell both at the same time you will lose less both percentage wise and actual $ wise on the rep. From this perspective reps are a better deal.
The microbrand space has really exploded with Kickstarter and Indiegogo as avenues to get unique models built. There are certain aspects where the average microbrand is a better buy, but they still have the same issues as most reps, namely: noisy movements, crappy straps, cheap/poorly designed buckles/clasps, and poor crystals. I will also say that most microbrands are merely homages and don't add to your collection in a meaningful way. As for resales, rep users tend to be more ravenous buyers. Microbrands on the used market seem to take a bigger hit ...
- 20/9/16
- 3,037
- 476
- 83
as with reps and gens, it varies widely. Some micros have great quality, and great value, some has one or the other, and some have neither but have a good enough design to still do well.
the thing the micros tend to all have over the reps though, is if they advertise a swiss eta movement, you are getting a new eta vs an old refurb.
the thing the micros tend to all have over the reps though, is if they advertise a swiss eta movement, you are getting a new eta vs an old refurb.
I have to agree with you. I own a watch from a microbrand with swiss eta, but the quality and the finish on the case cannot be compared with the latest ARFs for exaple.
- 20/9/16
- 3,037
- 476
- 83
you have to remember the arfs are mimicing 8-9k watches in terms of finishing, so the finishing needs to be close to that.
also, and not necessarily directed at you, but not all watches are trying to be a rolex in terms of finishing. Ive seen people say the brushing is bad on micros, but they are comparing a fine brush like on a rolex to a coarse brush, or a super polished vs a light polish, etc. Unless the grain is all out of wack or there are various imperfections, the finish quality isnt really something to compare across watches.
Been trying out some microbrands and there prices are from 100 - 2000 USD, there are some really great watches out there and also some really bad ones, think that many are using kickstarter and this fuzz around microbrands to flush the market with low quality watchess
- 16/2/16
- 1,794
- 921
- 113
Technically this is a beast ( True CuSn8 case, Eta inside, 2000m and 70000 A/m for the anti magnetic resistance ).
For reference, a Bronzo has a water resistance of 300m and the Milgauss of 80000 A/m. But i'm not sure the value will be the same in 10 years
.
For reference, a Bronzo has a water resistance of 300m and the Milgauss of 80000 A/m. But i'm not sure the value will be the same in 10 years
.
So i guess to summarize, the high quality reps are prioritizing better finishing but the microbrands are using better movements?
The Rod
I'm Pretty Popular
- 15/10/17
- 2,058
- 829
- 113
I'd say high end micros have better specs in general (better movements, better lume, better WR, better bracelets/straps etc.) and some have finish on par if not better than high end reps. Only thing high end reps are better across the board is resale value. If you want a good watch and don't care about the brand buy a good micro.
And many are worse than that ... Microbrands, like reps, have many levels of distinction ...
My ginault kicks the crap put of my previous TC's. I know that's blasphemy but true haha