Another newbie joins the club!

[rolyolypoly]

Hey all, just wanted to introduce myself and get some clarity before I plunged headfirst into this world of reps.
I've been reading up and learning the lingo, and getting familiar with some of the different watches that I want to buy.

One thing I've read again and again is that "A rep looks great, works ok, and that's it". Meaning, I shouldn't expect the bells and whistles like being able to easily service the watch, having any guarantee of water resistance, or any expectation of longevity. The last one is the one I'm most hung up on. If my watch dies, what are my options? Does it become a paperweight? Spending ~$1000 every couple of years could end up becoming an expensive hobby.

Alternatively, would I be able to bring it to a watchsmith to revive it? This would bring the cost down to something that's actually reasonable for me. I know I don't want to bring it to any regular ol' watchsmith, but someone from the forums would probably work best. @dogwood I'm already looking forward to working with you haha

 

[Feefo]

Hi and welcome!
Nice to hear you've already spent some time learning rules and getting info for yourself, that's a great start.
Concerning your query, it's not that dramatic. If the rep craps out, in most cases you can simply change the movement. Some, as myself, prefer reps with eta clone movements because these can be swapped 1:1 wit ETA or Sellita movements. Or with cheaper Chinese clones like the one you buy it with. Most other movements are nowadays easy to source on the internet. There's a dedicated section for movements here:

Movements

In here you will find sections on the popular movements including service details. Got a movement question? Ask here!

forum.replica-watch.info

As for the service, here you can find advice on how to find a rep-friendly watchmaker in your area:

How To Find A Local Watchsmith

My signature line is too long, so I decided to just post this as a thread. To find a local watch smith, look in your local telephone directory for watch and/or clock repair. Most small watch smith shops will be mom-and-pop businesses and will have little or no presence on the net. Do NOT try...

forum.replica-watch.info

So the answer is no, you won't have to buy a new watch every second year because it breaks (actually, if you're lucky your Chinese movement will accompany you for a long time), you will have to buy a new watch every one or two months because soon you'll be hooked to repdom and won't be able to resist the twitch of having that rolex, too, and that omega, nice, not to speak about Tha patek philippe, you must have that...
Enjoy!

 

[rolyolypoly]

This is excellent information, thank you @Feefo !

My trigger finger is getting real antsy on a couple of watches, but before I do - is there a "best" time to make purchases? Like is there any time of year that I can expect sales? Black Friday is right around the corner...

 

[dogwood]

Hey all, just wanted to introduce myself and get some clarity before I plunged headfirst into this world of reps.
I've been reading up and learning the lingo, and getting familiar with some of the different watches that I want to buy.

One thing I've read again and again is that "A rep looks great, works ok, and that's it". Meaning, I shouldn't expect the bells and whistles like being able to easily service the watch, having any guarantee of water resistance, or any expectation of longevity. The last one is the one I'm most hung up on. If my watch dies, what are my options? Does it become a paperweight? Spending ~$1000 every couple of years could end up becoming an expensive hobby.

Alternatively, would I be able to bring it to a watchsmith to revive it? This would bring the cost down to something that's actually reasonable for me. I know I don't want to bring it to any regular ol' watchsmith, but someone from the forums would probably work best. @dogwood I'm already looking forward to working with you haha

Welcome to the rep family. Glad my posts have been useful. Ping me if you ever need help with a movement.

 

[Feefo]

Each TD has special offers going on almost constantly, but I'm not aware of special periods of time where there's more discount. But hey, I'm a noob myself, just some months more in the game than you.
In the contrary, there are periods where your orders will have a delay, typically Chinese new year is very slow in terms of TD response time and shipping time.
Then, the Chinese government decides from time to time to raid the factories, so all rep stakeholders will lie low and you won't get any info for some time.
Maybe some older members can chime in for the black friday/cyber week part of your question, I honestly don't know

 

[g00n]