The Rep vs. Gen MIndset

[NoNations]

^ This. Wearing a Rolex, fake or otherwise in such an area is dumb.

This is why rich people from less safe or poorer countries move to first world countries. What is the point of having money if you can't spend it?

 

[mui.richard]

...You can't always live in fear.
But consciously or subconsciously people are more likely to put up a fight for something of higher value.
...

True as that maybe, I'd still give up whatever of value if my life were at stake without blinking. How would anyone value anything material over one's life?

And no I don't live in dear at all, that's why most if my gens are banged up as much as my reps.

Sent from my Mi MIX 2S using Tapatalk

 

[ndema]

Have 7 gens (ALS, Rolex, IWC) and 2 reps (116610LV and 116519LN).

Reason for getting the reps is purely for aesthetics/fun. I can enjoy 90% of the watch at 1-2% of the cost. Sure, it's not 100% and at the end of the day, it's still a fake watch...but hey, life shouldn't be taken so seriously all the time; have a bit of fun!

On a side note: the quality of reps have gotten amazing!

 

[DSSDBrooklyn]

Im a total newbie here. As I posted in another thread, I just ordered my 2nd rep- a Speedmaster "moonwatch." Did it all without asking one lame question on the forum, and I used every resource posted here. I applaud all of you. I also have a rather nicely-made Seamaster Planet Ocean rep. I guess I'm "A Speedmaster Guy." After a year lurking here, I find it interesting that nobody ever references why anybody would buy a rep and not the genuine article?

There are many reasons why we buy reps, but my basic opinion is that a watch is a tool; a method by which we tell time. As society has progressed, wearing a watch has also become a personalized statement; your watch says what you like, what your style is, how you look at life. Although the younger generations today (really anything post baby-boomers) don't view watches like this, there are still a few individuals in that group who DO love watches and horology. Celebrity watch lovers like John Mayer have brought a whole new group of watch fans into the fold- a subject for another day.

The problem is that all watches do not cost the same. So you can't truly express your style using genuine watches. There are plenty of folks who love Submariners but can't afford a $10,000 price (or more). Enter the rep world. It allows a watch "fan" with average means to wear the watch he or she really likes without the high cost. Ethics aside, it is the bottom line. If all watches did cost the same, a lot more people would wear Rolex's or Speedmasters.

Wearing a rep is not 100% the same as wearing a gen. But it's darned close. So here is my mathematical expression of the rep mindset:

95% satisfaction = (price of gen) x .05
thus 95% satisfaction can be had for 5% of the price of the original

------- so ------
100% satisfaction = (price of gen) x 1.00
Thus full satisfaction requires full price

------ which means that ------
5% satisfaction = (price of gen) x .95
5% is the tiny amount of additional satisfaction you feel when owning the real thing. It comes at 95% of the price of the genuine watch

So each person must decide whether that 5% satisfaction is worth the extra cost.

"Satisfaction" is fleeting but here I think it means the inside feeling you get while wearing a particular watch. It's the fun of having people notice it, or the simple pleasure of wearing a timepiece with a design that moves you; that causes an emotional reaction in you. It's like those replica Shelby Cobras. They cost $250,000 and yet they are fake; legal, but still not the real thing. And I bet their owners don't care that they're not driving the ACTUAL, hand-hammered, aluminum-body Shelby Cobra from 1969.

I love a rep because I can lose it, smash it, and dent it while enjoying what it feels like to wear the real thing since it is nearly identical to the original.These Chinese watches are actually pretty decent (let's be honest and say they are comparable to a $50 watch in any department store). People (who are NOT watch forum members) often remark and say, "Hey that's a cool Omega..." and I just smile. Remember that the only people who know a rep from a gen, are the folks on this forum. And even then, only the specialists in YOUR watch type would know. I wouldn't know a rep BREITLING from a gen, even up close.

And that is why I often chuckle at the folks here arguing over a 1mm spacing on a sub-dial, or a font where the "i" is dotted .025mm too high, or when the thickness of the watch is 2mm more than the gen. These differences - in the big picture- seem meaningless. Sure, they would make the rep even closer to the original, but since nobody knows anyway, who really cares? I don't know, it seems minor, though if that's your thing, more power to you. My Speedy reps are not exact; not even close. But Ive yet to find somebody who could tell, and I don't even think about the differences myself. I just look down and see that glorious Speedy dial, think of those space missions, and just smile.

And THAT's my feeling about reps. I'd love to hear YOUR opinions.

Not to play devils advocate, but i disagree with OP. The mindset of the rep watch owner truly boils down to the sole intention of what it was bought for narrowed down to two main categories:
(1) An individual who owns 1 or more gen and rep watches vs. a sole collection consisting of reps.
(2) An individual who identifies their watch as genuine to strangers, friends and or family vs. those who clearly state their rep status.

 

[jsrrano]

I've wanted this particular rolex for about 5 years and worried about the money/value equation. In that time, the value went up $1500 or so LOL and now I'm getting married so there isn't a budget for it. I got a wild hair and thought I'd buy a nice rep and see how I like it. Maybe I'll throw it in a drawer and forget about it like I did my Seiko, maybe not, who knows. It'll be fun to see and I won't be nearly as worried as I would have with an $8000 watch.
That said, now I'm thinking of a Nautilus

 

[Jim.Kirk]

I don't think OP is trolling. I think the,'leak like a sieve' comment refers to the age old advice on the forums that you should assume a watch is not waterproof unless you have it tested. Which is totally fair comment imo.

actually that is correct. I e read post after post - and emails from my TD - to not count on water resistance and to verify it through a trusted watch repair shop. I’m not trolling, I’m just new to all this.

 

[MrBeasy]

This has been discussed many times but I just wanted to add that you can't distill the cost of a gen down to the parts and labour and point to that as a reason why many gens are "overpriced".

There is R&D and IP behind (most of) the designs along with distribution (ADs) and (Swiss priced) overheads like advertising that needs to be considered. Plus the gen brand name has some value given many independent watchsmiths won't work on reps. I'm not saying a 45k AP is worth 45k but it's also not worth 2-3k in just parts and labour costs.

Yes a rep might be worth no more than $500 but you have to remember that the factories are literally tearing down a precision machine, copying it and piggybacking off all the brand awareness that the gen brand has originated.

 

[SuperLory]

This has been discussed many times but I just wanted to add that you can't distill the cost of a gen down to the parts and labour and point to that as a reason why many gens are "overpriced".

There is R&D and IP behind (most of) the designs along with distribution (ADs) and (Swiss priced) overheads like advertising that needs to be considered. Plus the gen brand name has some value given many independent watchsmiths won't work on reps. I'm not saying a 45k AP is worth 45k but it's also not worth 2-3k in just parts and labour costs.

Yes a rep might be worth no more than $500 but you have to remember that the factories are literally tearing down a precision machine, copying it and piggybacking off all the brand awareness that the gen brand has originated.

Partially true.

Truth is they are veblen goods. The price is not linked to material, craftmanship, scarcity, r&d etc etc

 

[iceberg1459]

id like to express my objective views about this.

its not about satisfaction only. its about being real or fake regardless of quality. replica is also a term enthussiast use, for most people its fake.

1.avaliablity: most cant buy a high quality rep from an AD in the city
2.necessity: most gen owners are looking to buy an expensive watch. they dont need to cut costs for something imperfect and fake
3.shopping experience: the experience of walking into an AD and rewarding yourself with a fine piece of luxury is worth as much as the watch itself
4.perceived status symbol: is your status fake or real?
5.danger of being called out: especially by someone who has the same watch as gen. he might not be able to tell for sure, but you will be forced to lie or be creative for 4. reason stated above

 

[iceberg1459]

as for the costs, it can be very expensive to create a successful luxury brand from scratch whether its a watch or something else. huge markups are necessary just survive in market.
they reinvest their profits into R&D to develop new products, technologies, designs and marketing.

rep makers just copy the fruit of the tree. but its the tree that grows slowly and painfully that makes the fruit.

also its the tree that gives the fruit its character and value. you cant just copy that.

 

[The Rod]

I've wanted this particular rolex for about 5 years and worried about the money/value equation. In that time, the value went up $1500 or so LOL and now I'm getting married so there isn't a budget for it. I got a wild hair and thought I'd buy a nice rep and see how I like it. Maybe I'll throw it in a drawer and forget about it like I did my Seiko, maybe not, who knows. It'll be fun to see and I won't be nearly as worried as I would have with an $8000 watch.
That said, now I'm thinking of a Nautilus

The risk is that in a few years you'll have spent 8K$ on several reps instead of one gen

 

[GingerBubba]

The risk is that in a few years you'll have spent 8K$ on several reps instead of one gen

This is so true!!! $12k plus spent in my first year of Rep buying!! I am slowing down now thank God!!!! Damn scary hobby.

 

[C5000]

My status is fake, as represented by my watches. I don't believe in status, or that it should be sweated over. If I'm around douchebags, my watches are real. If I'm around people I respect and real watch collectors, my watches are fake. If luxury items bolster your ego and make you special/relevant, then you are insecure. I love to have nice things, quality and luxury, but I don't think it's a prudent use of money to spend the $100k to replace all my reps. Most of my reps pass as real, even when taken off the wrist.

Reps allow me to have more while spending less - something for nothing - cheating.