There are a few things you say which I disagree with, I think this one seems to be the most recurring in your argument.
You can take a bunch of homages - some are closer to the original than others, but the changes they have, are usually for the worse - both functionally and aesthetically. The flat lugs of a Steinhart for example, or the lack of shape precision/definition in your original example - that Pagani (and calling it an Explorer is beyond ridiculous). NTH look nice in their product renders, but the reality is that they lack precision and feel rather cheap.
What they also have in common is that the design is still stolen. The application of a crap-tier brand mark on its face does not atone for that original sin. If you're going to rip off a watch design, not ripping off the logo does not make it any more acceptable outside of a legal context. At least not to me.
Designers have a proclivity to try and bring people round to their way of thinking. It's part of a winning pitch. But a more important skill a designer should have is knowing when a client isn't on board with what they are trying to say or do. One thing we will probably both have been guilty of is that expression 'educate the client', which I personally hate and call my team out on whenever I hear it. My point is, don't try and bring people round to your way of thinking - because people are different and complex. Folks here are entitled to make of this place whatever they want and discover what works for them.
Just look at the closing copy of your OP -
"Please, polite conversation. I'm just pointing out facts."
(I fixed 3 typos in it for you - just that bit! For a creative director that's very bad!)
That you framed your view as 'fact' - and stuck to it - is where you went wrong, and got so many hackles up. You generally failed to engage with other viewpoints hiding behind the pretext that you were probably going to 'get flamed for it' anyway.
I'm Dyslexic and use Grammarly on my browser, but if I'm writing quickly I can miss stuff. A creative director is normally artist based, and I use copywriters and sub editors. well in the jobs I do, I'm also an artist (mainly digital) so see things differently, (brain wise, its why I can be very OCD) so the need to be great at writing isn't needed. I do come up with cover lines and headlines, but they are then subbed and worked on.
I agree with a lot of what people said back and even became friendly with a lot of the people on this thread, but I have to stick to my original 'fact' if you want a Rolex looking watch, then these cheap to expensive homages do the job, and this is the important bit, you can wear it around watch collectors with maybe a bit of scorn for homages. but if it was fake, with fake logo on, then its a no go.
no serious watch collector is going to take you seriously, maybe its snobbery or whatever, but I think guys that spend 10's of thousands of hard or not so hard earned money on their collection, will never see the love of the Rep game.
I buy loads as I've mentioned of reps, but I don't wear them out (maybe the shops) and normally is just to check them out, sometimes buying gens of them.
really not trying to be above anyone, just saying I hang around with a bunch of watch collectors and they have no time for fakes. I do and see how its a fun hobby.
But that Pagani is good value watch! really is. there's also a shit ton of great watches below £1k (NTH are very good, so not sure what experience you've had with them, I've had 4 models all with snowflake hands and the Seamster 300 homage) the Ginualt (TC) and my new Seiko 62mas redo are all better watches than most of the factory watches. and bit more expensive, but no more than a modded to make it look ok rep.
Anyway, let's agree to disagree.
Im waiting for Black bay 58 blue Rep.... now that's a more fun convo!