What percentage of Rep collectors do you think go on to purchase the genuine article?

[Roger1166]

What percentage of rep watch collectors do you think go on to purchase the genuine article?

 

[Mr. Doug]

::: raising hand :::

My trick was always to purchase the rep of what I wanted, tell my wife about it, and then replace it later with a gen after I knew I liked it. Wife thought it was cheap, so when I replaced it, she never knew the real price. (Maybe that’s why she’s my ex-wife now?)

I can’t tell you how many times I bought a rep...had it for less than a week...and then sold it here because I didn’t like how it looked on my wrist.

90% of my collection is gen now, but I still tinker with reps from time to time.


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[Roger1166]

::: raising hand :::

My trick was always to purchase the rep of what I wanted, tell my wife about it, and then replace it later with a gen after I knew I liked it. Wife thought it was cheap, so when I replaced it, she never knew the real price. (Maybe that’s why she’s my ex-wife now?)

I can’t tell you how many times I bought a rep...had it for less than a week...and then sold it here because I didn’t like how it looked on my wrist.

90% of my collection is gen now, but I still tinker with reps from time to time.


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Thank you for replying. You, sir, are a very smart man

I am also VERY interested to hear about your GEN collection, I find it especially fascinating when people have a hybrid collection of genuine and replica watches in their collection.

I am specifically interested in how you purchased your GEN watches (ie: did you buy them used? did you buy them new? Did you have a price range? Any lucky breaks you care to talk about, etc??

 

[gilrob]

5% to 10%.

 

[Mr. Doug]

I’ve got about 16 watches right now. 3 are reps because I like them and all, but not enough to warrant buying the gen. Reps these days are so good that 99% of the public has no clue. If I’m going to a party where there are a lot of watch guys, reps stay home.

I’ll also say I learned more about gen watches from forums like this than the gen forums. TRF is full of great info but you have to hunt for it. If I’ve got a question about a dial variation, guys here are all over it.


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[Roger1166]

I’ve got about 16 watches right now. 3 are reps because I like them and all, but not enough to warrant buying the gen. Reps these days are so good that 99% of the public has no clue. If I’m going to a party where there are a lot of watch guys, reps stay home.

I’ll also say I learned more about gen watches from forums like this than the gen forums. TRF is full of great info but you have to hunt for it. If I’ve got a question about a dial variation, guys here are all over it.


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Thank you, Doug! I am planning on having some reps, some gens and some FRANKEN WATCHES. It's a little soon but I've already got my eye on a used Gen...

 

[Roger1166]

5% to 10%.

Some day maybe when you get a chance I'd love to see some pictures of your collection!!

 

[Nanook65]

I have had about 60 watches over the past 4yrs. About 1/3 or 20ish were gens and 2/3rds or 40ish reps. I currently have 14 watches and roughly 1/2 are reps and 1/2 gens. Most of my gens have been either Seiko Divers or other mid range gens like Longines Legend Diver, Sinn U1, Sinn 104 etc. I usually go with the gen only if no rep is available. I have bought, and mostly sold, several microbrand watches like Helson, Borealis, Crepas, Helm etc.

I have never once bought a rep and then purchased the Gen. I would, and have done the opposite though. Reps are so good now it seems foolish to tie up the money in a gen.

 

[thorne]

I had 6 reps that I liked so much I bought the gen: PAM 111, Rolex Bluesy, Sub, YM, Deepsea, GMT2C.

Great way to wear a watch for a few months straight, and see if you really bond with it. If you don’t, you can always flip it here and not lose much, compared to the relatively massive hits you’d take if you did that with gens.

We on here are not the ‘I’ll just buy one good watch and wear the hell out of it all my life’ type anyway.

 

[Seamaster3459]

Great thread! My process is very similar to the first replier. I got into reps to “try” a watch and then buy the gen if I loved it. My collection is mostly gen (around 6 watches) and a few reps that aren’t worth buying in general (NWBIG) - (5167A etc). For me, reps are a way to experience watches I don’t want to sink a lot of money into, are thinking about buying, or I believe aren’t worth market price. If I adore the watch, I usually buy gen unless the rep is phenomenal. My gens are watches I plan to keep forever. Many reps these days are just impossible to spot. Wild times.

 

[Seamaster3459]

Also should add that I truly agree that I’ve learned more here than ever on a gen forum. Great people here. Very kind (usually) and such knowledge! Probably why reps are so good

 

[p0pperini]

You, sir, are a very smart man

I’d say that’s debatable.

I have to say that I flip-flop wildly on whether or not to replace a part of my rep collection with a gen Rolex Sub. It’s the only prestige watch I consider, and I could afford one, and my heart says I want one... but then my head kicks in and tells me that 8+ grand is a stupid lump of money to spend on one watch, and that if I owned it I’d be too precious about it and it wouldn’t get worn.

So, my gen collection continues to be of watches that cost the same as reps.

And instead of gen Subs I have Frankens - which allow me to own 4 pieces for the price of one, that are near as dammit good as gen.


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[YellowFin]

What percentage of rep watch collectors do you think go on to purchase the genuine article?

Wrong question. I had a number of gens before I even found out about high quality reps...

 

[Mr. Doug]

And instead of gen Subs I have Frankens - which allow me to own 4 pieces for the price of one, that are near as dammit good as gen.

I'm in the same boat to a degree too.

For instance: I have 2 gen 1680s. One is bone stock, and pristine. I paid $3,800 for it several years ago and spent $1,200 at Rolex having it refurbished. It's now worth about $12,000. I also have another 1680 that I bought in pretty rough shape for $6,000 recently. (They pop up on eBay frequently.) I bought Phong's red-sub dial. Had the hands re-lumed to match the patina, and I faded the insert. Bought a gen crystal for it, and I spent about 2-3 weeks working on this kinks in the case. Put it all back together and I now have a REALLY nice Mk-1 1680. Everything on it is genuine but the dial, and that's a stunner of a watch. If it were 100% gen, it'd be a $20-30K watch. The only thing it doesn't have is a 2.1M serial number and a gen dial. I'll never sell it, and people never look at the serial number, so I have a grail watch and have less than $7K into it.

Lots of guys will spend $5-6K building up a 1680 to be "gen spec" or "super franken" when the reality is if you hunt long enough, you can usually find a deal on a gen that's about the same price.

I also have a 16610 I just bought last week for $5,500. I'm going to put my gen LV insert on it, and bingo....gen Kermit for under $6K. (Bought the insert for a TC sub 5-6y ago.)

Now, these were all things that I bought reps for years and years ago. Started with a cheap 1680 from Trusty and a TC sub. Graduated over time because I was seeing people build up absurdly nice 1680s and 16610s with all kinds of gen parts. I decided it wasn't much more $ to buy the genuine article and modify from there to be what I wanted. I guess that's what this place is all about. Making what you want with the money you have available.

 

[mrsullivan]

I think both worlds do get along pretty good, they are different philosophy. The gens have history, quality material, heritage and the "real deal" part (although this is very relative). The financial part is subjective, as the amounts of money spent are a matter of how you consider an investment is worth.
As such, you can get for 600€ either a Noob Daytona or a gen Hamilton or Tissot. In an other hand, some franken works go up to 5000 €, almost the price of the gen one. So finances are very subjective here.

Regarding reps, I found out about high ends not even a year ago, and to me it's more like a sport. I like the idea to get the best one of a specific model, enhance it with parts, mod it and franken it. It's exciting, and it allows a cheap try of specific models I could'nt afford to buy in such a reduced amount of time.
And on the good side, I actually learned more about watches with reps in a few months than wearing gens for years.

I love gens, but hell I think I love reps even more!

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[p0pperini]

For instance: I have 2 gen 1680s.

Nice one - you were lucky to be into this hobby before the prices went crazy!

I also have a 16610 I just bought last week for $5,500. I'm going to put my gen LV insert on it, and bingo....gen Kermit for under $6K.

I'm guessing it'll be a "sort of gen Kermit" though - as the gen Kermit has a maxi dial.

I love the sound of your Sub collection, it would be great to see some pics!

 

[thorne]

Nice one - you were lucky to be into this hobby before the prices went crazy!

I'm guessing it'll be a "sort of gen Kermit" though - as the gen Kermit has a maxi dial.

I love the sound of your Sub collection, it would be great to see some pics!

Would also need the LV hands as well.

 

[jc0515]

I can only speak for myself on this. I started collecting gens way before I really knew anything about reps. At first I started reps for fun, but moved on to use them to see if my attention span would last and I'd get the gen. At this point in my life I'm slowly turning over my reps for gens, but keeping some fun ones that I wouldn't buy at a gen price. Also, I won't give a number, but I have waaaaay too many gens...and reps. I know many in the community love to mod reps with some gen parts, so if they are going to invest in that, my thought would be that they are not intending to use it as a stepping stone for a gen. All that said, I think the percentage of the community that replaces reps with gens is low, even if my personal experience is high.

I think my perspective has changed also since my sons' are now getting into watches and look to me for gen advice.

 

[Fab87pz]

::: raising hand :::

My trick was always to purchase the rep of what I wanted, tell my wife about it, and then replace it later with a gen after I knew I liked it. Wife thought it was cheap, so when I replaced it, she never knew the real price. (Maybe that’s why she’s my ex-wife now?)

I can’t tell you how many times I bought a rep...had it for less than a week...and then sold it here because I didn’t like how it looked on my wrist.

90% of my collection is gen now, but I still tinker with reps from time to time.


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Ahah ah amazing strategy mate!

 

[RepPossessed]

As a former watch flipper and knowing many of the customers pretty well. Id say the percentage is less than 2%.