I started in 2009 when I wanted an everyday mechanical watch to wear in all occasions. Set up a budget of around 300€ and started looking. I always liked watches but from a very amateur point of view (low end watches mostly but always amazed at the fact that I could have a nice gadget on my wrist).
Knowing where to look I started checking some stores but I soon realised that the looks and designs of watches at that level weren't satisfactory, especially compared to the designs of the higher end ones. It's like comparing a Fabia with a DB7. I mean, there's a reason behind the extra zeros in the price and certainly the best designers don't end up designing Skodas.
So I realised I wanted something that looked like these high end watches, and saw some homages. But they were really shy in terms of not blatantly copying the original, which is something I never understood (when Squale or Steinhart add changes to the design to be able to say "hey, this our interpretation of the iconic Submariner", I mean, you're a copy, at least copy it well!).
The only option was to get a replica! And got myself a very nice Railmaster. It was my daily beater for almost ten years.
Many years later, with a better job and very juicy bonuses coming I decided I would buy myself a nice Rolex. Some kind of self recognition or something. I thought that before dumping some serious money I would first decide well which one I wanted to settle with, and suddenly remembered about that forum, about the Chinese 1:1 replicas and such. So I came back and did some research, which ended up with me buying several reps: a Datejust, an Explorer, a Submariner and a GMT.
After wearing them for a couple of months I decided the Sub had it all (date, sporty but formal, good lume, and water resistant), so it was decided. Submariner it is. The first setback was to find out about Rolex's nefarious tactics with the steel sports models: not a single sub in all London, unless you go 2nd hand.
I thought "it is what it is" and went to a well known 2nd hand store (Austin Kaye, for all Londoners) and looked at their shop. They had one! And I had an epiphany right there. I looked at my Sub (v6s with Spongebob modded insert), looked at the one in the window. Looked at mine again. Remembered how nice the Datejust felt last weekend having a drink by the river. Looked at the gen Sub. Thought about perhaps trying on a Nautilus for summer... And it stroke me. I saw the light, with total clarity.
I realised I was not willing to spend my well earned money in a chunk of steel made by some Swiss elitist snob that tells time with less precision than my phone and put that money towards a house deposit we were saving for. Bought a brand new 2 bedroom apartment and started collecting replicas instead.
Edit: I bought a gen Tudor Black Bay 36, though. I couldn't resist the Ad experience. That champagne, guys...
