I’ve been collecting replica watches for about two years now. I really appreciate the knowledgeable members of this board which have helped me make informed replica purchases. Thought I would share a few of my thoughts about our hobby, to see if most of you agree with me or not. Hopefully this will generate some useful discussion and some directions for our new members.
1) Buy the best replica you can afford. With few exceptions, you will not be happy with the less accurate rep if you know there is a “better†version out there. Those little differences which at first did not seem like a big deal will begin to eat away at you. Your new purchase will soon end up in the back of the watch box, never to be seen again. You will wish you had saved your $100-$150 and put it towards the $250-$300 version. The only exceptions to this rule are if you can save some dollars by purchasing an Asian movement instead of Swiss. Don’t expect that 21J to sweep as nicely as an ETA; however ETA “clones†aren’t distinguishable from their Swiss counterparts unless you crack the case. There is concern of long term reliability or replacement parts for Asian movements. My response; send it back to China and spend $20 on a new movement if something goes wrong.
2) Your high end Patek Philippe replica won’t fool anyone if you’re driving around a Ford Festiva, no matter how good the rep is. Nobody’s going to believe it’s the real deal if you can’t play the part. There are several replicas which remain priced within the realm of plausibility. A Planet Ocean or a Steelfish are at a very reasonable price point, an Audemars Piguet is not. That said, replica watches are about having fun and owning something which you may otherwise not be able to afford without selling your first born. Just make sure you don’t flaunt your $13K Pam if you can’t afford to pay your rent.
3) No faux chronos or movements which do not work like gen. There’s no bigger tell in my opinion. Automatic watches with quartz movements - shame on you. If you want a quartz replica, buy a replica of a watch which actually contains a quartz movement. B&R with fake screws on the back - looks like the replica factories have finally addressed this problem. There are simply too many good reps to be wasting your money on fantasy watches. I know some of you may disagree.
4) Don’t obsess about those minuscule flaws. We are ALL guilty of this. If I only had a dollar for every time I have heard, “the date font on the 2 isn’t quite right,†or the He valve needs to be moved ½ millimeter up, I wouldn’t have to buy replica watches. Rolex and Panerai fans are the worst offenders. I have you applaud you for your dedication to the “perfect replicaâ€, but as we all know, the best Sub is a real one.
5) When you can, do yourself a favor and check out the GEN. There are many members of replica boards who rave about how accurate a rep is, without ever laying hands on the real deal. There is only so much you can tell from a photo on a website. For example, I loved my SFSO before I checked out the Breitling boutique. The replica band is not up to par. The buckle has sharp edges, which do not exist on the gen. Looks right, just doesn’t feel right. I had to replace the band for a GEN band immediately. Same deal with my Cousteau. The rubber on the band doesn’t have the right feel to it. The bezel on the gen rotates as smooth as butter, while the replica does not. In both cases, we call these watches “super reps†yet they have significant flaws. Visually they are spot on, but you don’t notice the difference until you feel the real one. With that said, I do have many replicas which look and feel just like the gen; my favorites being the UPO, Aquaracer, BCE, Mont blanc and the Assioma.
6) Before you go out and buy a replica band, price out the GEN version first. In many cases, the real band may be reasonable. You will be much happier with the real one. No better way to mod your rep then to add a gen band. For example, the gen rubber band for my SFSO cost me $10 less than some our trusted dealers sell a replica band for. I have to laugh when I see people complain that they have purchased three rep bands for their UPO and still aren’t happy. You could have bought the real one and saved yourself a lot of time and possibly some cash. The same goes for replica watches in general. Quality replicas aren’t cheap, and in some cases the begin approach the price of the gen. You can buy a gen Steelfish or Baume & Mercier Riviera new for 2 grand, and somewhat less if you buy used. When you are spending close to $350 on a replica you begin to wonder if you shouldn’t just save up for the real deal.
7) I simply can’t understand why people by replicas with 7750 Swiss movements. Any replica with a Swiss 7750 is upwards of $800. There is something to be said for having a true Swiss movement, but in a replica? Your $800 can be better spent on a used gen. Worried about reliability? Buy two or three Asian versions!
8) Insanely expensive replicas – save your money. We have seen some replica models exceed $1000 for a watch with an Asian 7750?! Come on guys… There is no need for this. On the other hand, I am tired of hearing people complain on the cost of replicas. Replicas will be priced based on what the market will bear. If nobody buys Big Bangs at $1000 buck a pop, their price will come down. Somebody out there must be buying them. On the flip side, please show me any watch with a Swiss ETA which can be had for less than the price current replicas are going for. Buy your ETA reps while you still can!
9) Stop dissing the Asian 7750. There are many out there who worry or constantly comment on the reliability of the Asian 7750. The 28.8 beat rate 7750 is a good movement. I have had over a dozen 7750s and the only one which has caused me any problems is the old low beat 7750. (Those I would avoid the old version like a plague.)
10) Don’t fear customs. I can only speak for the US here, but I personally haven’t run into a single problem (knock on wood). Deal with one of the preferred dealers and they will make sure it gets to you, or in most cases they will send a new one free of charge.
11) Nobody’s going to call you out. First off, there are relatively few people out there who know anything whatsoever about watches. “A Rolex is real if the hand sweeps…†The few who do know a thing or two about watches probably don’t know that high quality replicas exist, especially of non-mainstream watch brands. The few remaining won’t be able to tell without a close inspection of the watch. Unless you’re wearing a canal street knock off, you’re probably safe. Goes without saying that you shouldn’t be wearing your rep to the AD. If anyone will be able to tell, it would be them. I personally like the fact that high end replica collecting still remains a relatively obscure hobby. No reason to bring additional attention to it.
1) Buy the best replica you can afford. With few exceptions, you will not be happy with the less accurate rep if you know there is a “better†version out there. Those little differences which at first did not seem like a big deal will begin to eat away at you. Your new purchase will soon end up in the back of the watch box, never to be seen again. You will wish you had saved your $100-$150 and put it towards the $250-$300 version. The only exceptions to this rule are if you can save some dollars by purchasing an Asian movement instead of Swiss. Don’t expect that 21J to sweep as nicely as an ETA; however ETA “clones†aren’t distinguishable from their Swiss counterparts unless you crack the case. There is concern of long term reliability or replacement parts for Asian movements. My response; send it back to China and spend $20 on a new movement if something goes wrong.
2) Your high end Patek Philippe replica won’t fool anyone if you’re driving around a Ford Festiva, no matter how good the rep is. Nobody’s going to believe it’s the real deal if you can’t play the part. There are several replicas which remain priced within the realm of plausibility. A Planet Ocean or a Steelfish are at a very reasonable price point, an Audemars Piguet is not. That said, replica watches are about having fun and owning something which you may otherwise not be able to afford without selling your first born. Just make sure you don’t flaunt your $13K Pam if you can’t afford to pay your rent.
3) No faux chronos or movements which do not work like gen. There’s no bigger tell in my opinion. Automatic watches with quartz movements - shame on you. If you want a quartz replica, buy a replica of a watch which actually contains a quartz movement. B&R with fake screws on the back - looks like the replica factories have finally addressed this problem. There are simply too many good reps to be wasting your money on fantasy watches. I know some of you may disagree.
4) Don’t obsess about those minuscule flaws. We are ALL guilty of this. If I only had a dollar for every time I have heard, “the date font on the 2 isn’t quite right,†or the He valve needs to be moved ½ millimeter up, I wouldn’t have to buy replica watches. Rolex and Panerai fans are the worst offenders. I have you applaud you for your dedication to the “perfect replicaâ€, but as we all know, the best Sub is a real one.
5) When you can, do yourself a favor and check out the GEN. There are many members of replica boards who rave about how accurate a rep is, without ever laying hands on the real deal. There is only so much you can tell from a photo on a website. For example, I loved my SFSO before I checked out the Breitling boutique. The replica band is not up to par. The buckle has sharp edges, which do not exist on the gen. Looks right, just doesn’t feel right. I had to replace the band for a GEN band immediately. Same deal with my Cousteau. The rubber on the band doesn’t have the right feel to it. The bezel on the gen rotates as smooth as butter, while the replica does not. In both cases, we call these watches “super reps†yet they have significant flaws. Visually they are spot on, but you don’t notice the difference until you feel the real one. With that said, I do have many replicas which look and feel just like the gen; my favorites being the UPO, Aquaracer, BCE, Mont blanc and the Assioma.
6) Before you go out and buy a replica band, price out the GEN version first. In many cases, the real band may be reasonable. You will be much happier with the real one. No better way to mod your rep then to add a gen band. For example, the gen rubber band for my SFSO cost me $10 less than some our trusted dealers sell a replica band for. I have to laugh when I see people complain that they have purchased three rep bands for their UPO and still aren’t happy. You could have bought the real one and saved yourself a lot of time and possibly some cash. The same goes for replica watches in general. Quality replicas aren’t cheap, and in some cases the begin approach the price of the gen. You can buy a gen Steelfish or Baume & Mercier Riviera new for 2 grand, and somewhat less if you buy used. When you are spending close to $350 on a replica you begin to wonder if you shouldn’t just save up for the real deal.
7) I simply can’t understand why people by replicas with 7750 Swiss movements. Any replica with a Swiss 7750 is upwards of $800. There is something to be said for having a true Swiss movement, but in a replica? Your $800 can be better spent on a used gen. Worried about reliability? Buy two or three Asian versions!
8) Insanely expensive replicas – save your money. We have seen some replica models exceed $1000 for a watch with an Asian 7750?! Come on guys… There is no need for this. On the other hand, I am tired of hearing people complain on the cost of replicas. Replicas will be priced based on what the market will bear. If nobody buys Big Bangs at $1000 buck a pop, their price will come down. Somebody out there must be buying them. On the flip side, please show me any watch with a Swiss ETA which can be had for less than the price current replicas are going for. Buy your ETA reps while you still can!
9) Stop dissing the Asian 7750. There are many out there who worry or constantly comment on the reliability of the Asian 7750. The 28.8 beat rate 7750 is a good movement. I have had over a dozen 7750s and the only one which has caused me any problems is the old low beat 7750. (Those I would avoid the old version like a plague.)
10) Don’t fear customs. I can only speak for the US here, but I personally haven’t run into a single problem (knock on wood). Deal with one of the preferred dealers and they will make sure it gets to you, or in most cases they will send a new one free of charge.
11) Nobody’s going to call you out. First off, there are relatively few people out there who know anything whatsoever about watches. “A Rolex is real if the hand sweeps…†The few who do know a thing or two about watches probably don’t know that high quality replicas exist, especially of non-mainstream watch brands. The few remaining won’t be able to tell without a close inspection of the watch. Unless you’re wearing a canal street knock off, you’re probably safe. Goes without saying that you shouldn’t be wearing your rep to the AD. If anyone will be able to tell, it would be them. I personally like the fact that high end replica collecting still remains a relatively obscure hobby. No reason to bring additional attention to it.
I only joke as most of my posts are the informative, "it looks nice to me". Nice article.
