I would love someone to do a gen vs rep test on a great quality rep with an average person that is no watch geek. I bet it will come close to a chance guess.
if anything, certainly in this test nobody will say one was shit because the upper case part was proportionately smaller than the lower case or anything like that.
instead of bashing all makers do, how about appreciating and being happy this even exists in the first place?
maybe something to think about, instead „this is shit, that is shit“.
Yes, we are in the hobby long enough to recognize that a rep will always be a rep with imperfections. The makers themselves should be responsible enough also to acknowledge this, instead of advertising their wares with words like "1:1", "replicated from gen" etc. All utter BS which leads to inflated expectations, false hope and ultimately, disappointment when the reps are dissected and reviewed on the forums. So on one end you get the factories trying to promote their watches as the best replicas on the planet, and on the other we have the experts who methodically take each claim down with their own research and observations.
I am grateful for this hobby, don't get me wrong. But let us also not forget that the very fundamental meaning of the word "replica", alludes to the fact that it is replicating an object. In this case, the object in question is the genuine watch. So there are absolute and subjective benchmarks to which the products from the makers are compared to. And the fact that many models have iterations like V2, V3-Vxx simply points to the fact that efforts exist in the game to improve the products better. The motivation of the improvements remain a moot point, but if the makers are to call their watches "custom novelties", all points of comparisons will cease.
As to how much flaws/tells one sees, this varies in individuals and honestly it does not matter if a non-watch geek or anyone else does not know. The fact is, it is up to the wearer to know and accept the tells.
You raise a good point ultimately: Everyone has the right to enjoy the hobby in his/her own capacity, and some do so in much greater depth and width than others. Many are just happy to buy a stock 15400 for example, strap it on and call it good, and others, not so. Feel free to ignore the dissensions because it is always subjective. You make your own judgement and enjoy your watch your own way and others will do the same. I understand your point, and it is a valid one for one end of the spectrum regarding member opinions.
