Crossed the border to neighbor city Johor Bahru today for a shopping spree with my wife. Thought I could fancy myself with a nice cheap rep while my wife shopped for rep leather goods. Here's a short review on another hunt for a good cheap rep watch.
(Now don't get too exited too soon...)
We headed directly to the 'Fake City' in town right after crossing the Malaysian border... Holiday Plaza. (It's nicknamed as such since most of the attractions in the building are the fakes). Other than fake branded leather products and rep watches, there are also pirated DVDs, games and computer softwares.
While my wife was busy looking at handbags, I scouted off looking for shops with rep watches. Most fake handbag shops had a row or two of display glass racks full of rep watches at the side or right in front of the shop.
(Yes, they actually display these rep so openly you won't think they're selling reps until you see the brand of watches they have).
Most were cheap knockoffs, with dials quite off or second hands of automatic models ticking away like quartz. After a round of scouting around the building, I came about this shop at unit LG 62 with a good range of models displayed.
There were rollies and pannies and all other brands, with an assortment of different grades. Though I may be quite a noob with reps, I have learnt (from RWI) quite a number of spots I should check for how good a rep is.
Best grades range I saw were USD 300 pannies and USD200 SS rollies. I asked the guys at the shop if I could take some picture of these watches but got politely declined. I took some mental notes, instead, of some pros and cons of Pam reps.
Pros -
There's very little or no recessed cannon pinion.
PAM 111 and PAM 005 are heavy.
Engraves on movements (believed to be CN) are clean.
Cons -
Leather strap is not very good quality.
Font isn't quite right (compared to the Davidsen 005 I had on my wrist)
PAM 117 seems too light, even for a titanium watch.
Most have no swan neck regulator. SN models goes for above USD300.
I'm not finished listing the pros/cons, but I think I've had enough to determine if I'd buy one or not. In fact, the one con that turned me off were the fact that the crystals are not saphire. On the glass mineral crsytals, there's no AR coating even. WHAT??!? $300 and no saphire?
The guy attended to me asked me about the panner on my wrist and checked the crystal with a handheld meter.
"It's saphire, alright." he said. OF COURSE! What else could it be when it's from Davidsen.
Having heard about the mineral crystals and the price they're offering, I asked why so expensive. The answer is that these reps are manufactured and brought in from Korea, thus the higher prices. Does this guy know anything about reps? Why hasn't they brought in from China, which would be so much cheaper for the same grade?
Nothing more to comment to him, I simply thanked him and left.
So this hunt is a failure. There is no good rep for good value.
Not wanting to disappoint myself, I got myself a knockoff LV waller for $12. I'd post a pic of it soon when I have one.
(Now don't get too exited too soon...)
We headed directly to the 'Fake City' in town right after crossing the Malaysian border... Holiday Plaza. (It's nicknamed as such since most of the attractions in the building are the fakes). Other than fake branded leather products and rep watches, there are also pirated DVDs, games and computer softwares.
While my wife was busy looking at handbags, I scouted off looking for shops with rep watches. Most fake handbag shops had a row or two of display glass racks full of rep watches at the side or right in front of the shop.
(Yes, they actually display these rep so openly you won't think they're selling reps until you see the brand of watches they have).
Most were cheap knockoffs, with dials quite off or second hands of automatic models ticking away like quartz. After a round of scouting around the building, I came about this shop at unit LG 62 with a good range of models displayed.
There were rollies and pannies and all other brands, with an assortment of different grades. Though I may be quite a noob with reps, I have learnt (from RWI) quite a number of spots I should check for how good a rep is.
Best grades range I saw were USD 300 pannies and USD200 SS rollies. I asked the guys at the shop if I could take some picture of these watches but got politely declined. I took some mental notes, instead, of some pros and cons of Pam reps.
Pros -
There's very little or no recessed cannon pinion.
PAM 111 and PAM 005 are heavy.
Engraves on movements (believed to be CN) are clean.
Cons -
Leather strap is not very good quality.
Font isn't quite right (compared to the Davidsen 005 I had on my wrist)
PAM 117 seems too light, even for a titanium watch.
Most have no swan neck regulator. SN models goes for above USD300.
I'm not finished listing the pros/cons, but I think I've had enough to determine if I'd buy one or not. In fact, the one con that turned me off were the fact that the crystals are not saphire. On the glass mineral crsytals, there's no AR coating even. WHAT??!? $300 and no saphire?
The guy attended to me asked me about the panner on my wrist and checked the crystal with a handheld meter.
"It's saphire, alright." he said. OF COURSE! What else could it be when it's from Davidsen.
Having heard about the mineral crystals and the price they're offering, I asked why so expensive. The answer is that these reps are manufactured and brought in from Korea, thus the higher prices. Does this guy know anything about reps? Why hasn't they brought in from China, which would be so much cheaper for the same grade?
Nothing more to comment to him, I simply thanked him and left.
So this hunt is a failure. There is no good rep for good value.
Not wanting to disappoint myself, I got myself a knockoff LV waller for $12. I'd post a pic of it soon when I have one.
)
