How do replicas compare to real genuine watches that cost the same?

[Cloud]

I have been looking for a genuine watch in the $400 range when I stumbled upon this site after wondering where all these excellent replica watches were coming from. I already own a few watches in the $200 range from Orient and I was just wondering, do these replicas feel like a $300-400 watch? Do they feel like they are worth more? Less maybe? Or is it just the name brand that comes with it that is worth the price?

I just want to try and figure out what my next purchase should be. One of my biggest things about buying a watch is the feel. I need my watch to feel really solid and well made if I am going to spend a few hundred on it. So what do you think? Do these compare well to a watch in the same price range from an actual brand? How much would you pay for your replica if it said some random brand on the dial and not the luxury names?

One last question, why do you choose replicas over genuine watches in the same price range? I know some of these questions overlap so answer them however you would like, thanks for your time.

 

[trailboss99]

Depends on the rep mate. Most do feel very good as most are made on the same machinery as the real thing. If you hold a gen Panerai and the rep in your hands (for example) the feel is identical. Where some fall down is the bracelet and especially leather straps which are usually not that great.

If you want solid consider a Sea Dweller Deep Sea or a Plo Prof, both are very big chunks of steel indeed.

 

[Cloud]

Depends on the rep mate. Most do feel very good as most are made on the same machinery as the real thing. If you hold a gen Panerai and the rep in your hands (for example) the feel is identical. Where some fall down is the bracelet and especially leather straps which are usually not that great.

If you want solid consider a Sea Dweller Deep Sea or a Plo Prof, both are very big chunks of steel indeed.

So basically they are the same thing except for the bracelets? How bad are the bracelets on them? Something you would expect on a really cheap watch or just not quite up to par as the gen?

Also I have been noticing a lot of people recommending Noob reps, is this just the general consensus as the best brand? Thanks for the help.

 

[Jong]

Get a Tudor black bay. You won't know the difference.

 

[trailboss99]

So basically they are the same thing except for the bracelets? How bad are the bracelets on them? Something you would expect on a really cheap watch or just not quite up to par as the gen?

Also I have been noticing a lot of people recommending Noob reps, is this just the general consensus as the best brand? Thanks for the help.

Whoa there, I didn't say they were the same thing, I said they feel the same, difference.

Most bracelets are now pretty good, some are perfect (the above mentioned Black Bay for example) and a few are crap. With straps it's not that great still but a quality strap can be had for well under 100 bucks so no biggie there.

There is no "best" brand mate, it depends on the rep in question.

You are just going to have buy a couple and find out for yourself mate, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

 

[silverclaw]

I have both gen and rep panerai, and in my opinion, rep panerai are good enough. The crown guard assemblies and cases generally feel exactly the same in construction and quality, but the screw in crowns on reps suck, as always. One of the things I can comment on is that the bezel rotation isn't as good as gen, except for the 243 and 187.

Also, Rolex is definitely better built as gens. Crown screw threads, bezel rotation- all better on gen.

Can't comment too much on other watches, never owned an AP, Omega, etc. as gen.

 

[kilowattore]

Depending on the rep, you can get at least the same quality of 300-400 usd gen, often better.
Case construction and finish has been amazing in most of the reps I own, even the cheapest. Designs of course are way better since they are copies of luxury watches.

What the reps are lacking compared to those gens is quality control and aftersales guarantee. Let's say the reps are often more "problematic" than gens in the same price range, both can have flaws or issues, but the difference is if you have a gen you just bring it to the AD and get it fixed for free, if you have a rep either you send the watch back (if it is defective on delivery) or you fix it at your own cost (if it is fixable).
The above is said generally speaking, of course some reps are better built than others, for example there is a great history of well built Panerais with manual winding movement.

I don't mean to scare you though, my experience is quite conforting: I bought 30-40 reps in the last year and only 2-3 had some minor issues. None were unfixable and none had to be sent back to China. All are working fine so far (knock on wood )

 

[smokiedabong]

Depends on the rep and depends on the gen. Some reps are truly crappy but the good ones (ex. BB, CrPO, 3777, SO, Pam) easily match similar priced gens and surpass some of them. My BB makes some of the Orients I had look like canal street junk, the build, materials and bracelet construction is so much better on the rep. Now, if you compare a rep to a good $400 Citizen or let's say a Seiko Prospex, a rep will never, ever match it.

 

[nofitstate]

I'd say that all of my reps which are +$300 are an easy match in feel, fit and finish of my gen Omega Seamaster, which cost a damn sight more!

This is coming from someone who is a time served engineer and now runs an engineering workshop making low volume and prototype parts for the automotive and motorsport industries. I and the guys I work with are amazed at how well these reps are made knowing what it takes to cut metal and get such great lines and finishes with repeatable accuracy.

The only thing that I've found that can be problem is the QC process when these watches are made what ever their cost. So always make sure you spend time reviewing the QC pics your dealer sends you.

 

[tommy_boy]

I'd say that all of my reps which are +$300 are an easy match in feel, fit and finish of my gen Omega Seamaster, which cost a damn sight more!

I have to say that my experience with Omega gens and reps is exactly the opposite. Machining a case is just part of the process of making a watch, after all.

The rep bracelets are particularly poor in construction, tolerance control is nonexistent, engraving is shallow and ragged--the whole product. The dials are variable in the quality of replication, the features such as crown dimensions and HEV placement are inaccurate, etc. Add weak lume and dodgy movements, and what is left is merely a rep. One that my watchmaker won't touch if it needs service.

If you want a watch, spend $500 for a Helson (as one example of a boutique diver) and get a much better product. But it doesn't look like a luxury diver, granted.

Just my $0.02 USD as always.

 

[nofitstate]

I have to say that my experience with Omega gens and reps is exactly the opposite. Machining a case is just part of the process of making a watch, after all.

The rep bracelets are particularly poor in construction, tolerance control is nonexistent, engraving is shallow and ragged--the whole product. The dials are variable in the quality of replication, the features such as crown dimensions and HEV placement are inaccurate, etc. Add weak lume and dodgy movements, and what is left is merely a rep. One that my watchmaker won't touch if it needs service.

If you want a watch, spend $500 for a Helson (as one example of a boutique diver) and get a much better product. But it doesn't look like a luxury diver, granted.

Just my $0.02 USD as always.

Have you had either a noob Pam 299o or Superocean Abyss 44? The bracelets and lume are amazingly well done.

 

[bradj]

For $100 you can't get a better watch than this.. Although there are some pretty damn good reps out there. I think the Superocean Abyss 44 is amazingly close to gen build and look.

 

[tommy_boy]

Have you had either a noob Pam 299o or Superocean Abyss 44? The bracelets and lume are amazingly well done.

No, not had either. I hope all the reps will come out with better bracelets. My comments above were directed at Omega reps, just to be clear.

Hell, I bought a Fortis recently, and its bracelet is now in a drawer. Really flimsy and very disappointing. So even gen bracelets can be a letdown.

The rep PAMs these days are quite good. The last two reps I bought are PAMs, come to think of it.

 

[Hyjynx]

@Cloud - I was once a big collector of "affordable" (a WUS term, not to be confused with "cheap") gen watches in the $400 - $1500 range. I still have well over 50 of them. Coming into reps, I had the same questions as you do now. I have close to 40 reps now and I don't think I'll ever buy another gen, unless I win the lottery.

If you keep your rep purchases to watches with prices no lower than $300, I believe given what you are used to from the gens that you are familiar with, you'll be pleasantly surprised and impressed. Most reps in the $399 and above range rival gens that cost several thousand dollars for build and quality. As long as you are not the sort of guy who goes pixel-peeping, macro-loco on gen vs rep comparison, you'll be just fine.

The Achilles heel of all reps are the Asian movements that power them. They are getting better, but can be hit or miss. As a beginner, I'll advise that you stay away from chronographs until you get a good feel of this hobby. Ultimately, you will want a few in your collection, and by all means get as many as catch your fancy, but make sure you read up on the dos and don'ts.

Hang on, this will be a helluva ride!

 

[d4m.test]

Outstanding and 100% matching considerations in this post, bringing it to the point in a variety of issues.

For a hefty feel imo the Audemars Piguet Diver, the Panerai Submersible 243 along with the Breitling Superocean Abyss 42 or 44 are outstanding and those easily "feel" as a $2000 watch and look much better as well. For looks it´s the Tudor Blackbay.

Main issue is the qc - while 100% exact machining and qc along with marketing and taxes makes gens overly expensive, in repworld You get served everything and always at the same price - be it the best or the worst sample out of a 1000 unit production run.

 

[Liamborghini]

I have to say that my experience with Omega gens and reps is exactly the opposite. Machining a case is just part of the process of making a watch, after all.

The rep bracelets are particularly poor in construction, tolerance control is nonexistent, engraving is shallow and ragged--the whole product. The dials are variable in the quality of replication, the features such as crown dimensions and HEV placement are inaccurate, etc. Add weak lume and dodgy movements, and what is left is merely a rep. One that my watchmaker won't touch if it needs service.

If you want a watch, spend $500 for a Helson (as one example of a boutique diver) and get a much better product. But it doesn't look like a luxury diver, granted.

Just my $0.02 USD as always.

I've never had any decent rep apart from a GMT2c and a Skyland... The Skyland wasn't gen feeling like due to the clasp construction... reps aren't good at building sideways clasp :lol:

Although apparently Tag reps (Aquaracer) are incredibly gen-like and so is the SMP300 ceramic... It all depends on model but most of them will feel like reps ..

If I want a nice gen I would look at Obris Morgan, a fantastic watch series at rep cash! (no I don't work for them, sadly )

 

[carlton]

You can try figure it out yourself, first go to a Panerai boutique or AD near you and for example try out a Pam 005. Try to remember the feeling of the watch in your hand, the design and every detail as much as possible or even take photo if you are allow to.

Then after that, go and find yourself a TD here, get from him a Noob V2 005, compare it with the memory or photos you have when you try the gen out and decide it yourself whether it is worth going the rep route or not.

If your conclusion is that they don't, then just sell it on M2M and then move on with your initial route.

 

[feloniousmonk]

I work with watches everyday, and I'm very impressed by the better reps.

 

[malkin]

I was looking at an old bul ova w guilloche dial I rarely wear. It's hands seem cleaner and better made than the hands on my black bay rep looking very close. That said I prefer wearing thecrep.

 

[cybee]

I have been looking for a genuine watch in the $400 range when I stumbled upon this site after wondering where all these excellent replica watches were coming from. I already own a few watches in the $200 range from Orient and I was just wondering, do these replicas feel like a $300-400 watch? Do they feel like they are worth more? Less maybe? Or is it just the name brand that comes with it that is worth the price?

As already mentioned, there are too many variables to generalize on questions like this. Based on a few of the watches I have had there are a handful that IMO feel the same or better than an Orient or similar watch in that price range. Some are even equal to or just as good in feel as the gen. Older examples that I own would be: Cartier Roadster, Seadweller, Superocean, Abyss, and I have a FM Casablanca that has an unreal bracelet on it. I will never part with these watches, they are too good. I don't choose reps over gens but combine them all for a well rounded collection. I never go to the beach without my Seiko on.

We are lucky because we get the best of both worlds while saving a boatload of money with reps we can take the backs off and pretend that we are watchmakers