Rep scene aint the same no more

[Pannyforme]

for introduction, I have been a member at RWI and repgeek since 2008

way back then i feel the rep scene was quite different than today
from noob factory to h-fac to v6 and now clean, ARF etc etc
id say we used to have more choices than we have now

gone are the days where new panerais were released every month
obsecure brands were repped such as chairrol and paul picot

post covid and post apple watch era
all we have no is overpriced (shall i say) rolexes, omegas, patek and AP
sure quality have improved significantly

but back then the most expensive reps were the v6.65 hublots

anyway i miss those days where we have more choices to go by
anybody share the same opinion and what are youre thoughts ?

 

[Reaps]

There's lots of rep variety but they're just not popular. You can find them if you look around.
It reflects the gen scene now. The quality for price now is insane. And there's also loads of budget options that would crush old replicas. Just have to hunt. You can get a 500 dollar full fuctioning stable chronograph now.

 

[Jossé]

Wow, did you really have more to choose from back in the days? I feel like new factories and new watches are popping up every single day and I’m struggling to limit my spending! CNY has been a welcome break from new releases For the very best factories, the selection might be somewhat "limited," but if you move further down the list, the choices are endless.

I agree that things are getting more expensive, but the global economy has also changed a lot since 2008, much of it is likely due to natural price increases, in addition to heavy investments in clone movements.

The quality of today's replicas is 100% worth it in my eyes. $400–$500 for a no-date Sub from Clean or VSF blows my mind every day of the week, value is crazy!

 

[mclarendude]

Hm. Fair point.

But, the rep market was also not as big as it is now and it currently mirrors the Gen market demand. Back then, they would rep anything they could get their hands on and would do it for a short time span.

Back in those days, you'd get so much variety of reps: good enough Speedmasters (Broad Arrows), Bond SMP'S and Chronos, Chopard Mille Miglias, JLC Navy Seals... The list goes on. They didn't care about what the market dictated, they just repped whatever they got.

Back then, the market was a decimal point of what it is now. It has become something that caters to maybe tenfold of what it was. Specially now when we live in a world full of vanity and people wanting to fake a status in life. I'm thankful that in RWI, that remains a minute minority.

But, this is the pendulum of progress. It's good, but it's not the golden days.

 

[mclarendude]

CHRIST, looking at my old emails, a 16710 with a2836 was $250 shipped in 2013

A V5 Omega Planet Ocean was $188 with an Asian Clone.

My God.

 

[APjumbo]

Just when I thought rep prices were getting too high Marvellous replica is selling VSF omegas for 255
Panerai can be found for 350ish in some places

We have thin clone Daytonas and thin fly back AP chronos

No real need to upgrade crystals, no delaminating AR coatings, moments that can take gen date wheels instead of overlays

I want to agree with the OP, I do wish they would rep different companies. But for example they made a Breguet Marine a month or two ago and I haven’t seen anyone buy one.
Since then I’ve probably bought two Rolex, a breitling , an AP, Tudor but no Breguet marine
So I can’t really complain, I’m buying the same big brands and not putting my money where my mouth is.

 

[Jossé]

Specially now when we live in a world full of vanity and people wanting to fake a status in life. I'm thankful that in RWI, that remains a minute minority.

100% this.

Were buyers just as critical of what they bought back then? I feel like the chase for "1:1" replicas is killing many of the factories that produce the less in-demand watches. They produce watches that are 80–90% accurate, but in today's market, that's not good enough and they are dying out. Sad, really. We're too spoiled today

CHRIST, looking at my old emails, a 16710 with a2836 was $250 shipped in 2013

That's like $350 in today's money. Today, you can get a BP 16710 for around $350, but the question is, how does it compare to the one you bought in 2013? If the quality is somewhat similar, the price increase really isn’t that bad. Of course, on the higher end, like Clean, the prices can't be compared. But I assume a 16710 from 2013 doesn’t measure up to a GMT from Clean?

 

[JayBee0815]

CHRIST, looking at my old emails, a 16710 with a2836 was $250 shipped in 2013

Hmmm. 250 USD were 1.600 Yuan in 2013. Today a basic 16710 with A2836 costs 1.550 Yuan at a Non-TD ... of course without shipping costs. Thats not such a big difference ;-)
But of course, you pay significantly higher prices for the high-end models with clone movements from, for example, Clean. But they simply didn't exist in 2013, so you can't compare them.

 

[Winni1611]

I'v Not been a member of RWI at These times, but bought a lot of reps when beeing in asia.
These have been far from "genlike" but we bought them for and with fun. Today I often read the question: " will anyone realize its a rep ? " It seems the reason for buying reps has changed for a lot of people - if you Look at reddit it seems to be most of them .
It's a long time since I bought a rep. Mostly I build vintage watches, which gives me two times fun - building them and looking at something nice afterwords.
RWI has an outstanding modder, builder and vintage community and members with exeptional knowledge,
What makes it extraordinary and far above a forum only for most genlike reps.

 

[Pannyforme]

There's lots of rep variety but they're just not popular. You can find them if you look around.
It reflects the gen scene now. The quality for price now is insane. And there's also loads of budget options that would crush old replicas. Just have to hunt. You can get a 500 dollar full fuctioning stable chronograph now.

true way back then a sec at 6 chrono like a daytona, or IWC portuguese is a timebomb!

 

[Pannyforme]

Wow, did you really have more to choose from back in the days? I feel like new factories and new watches are popping up every single day and I’m struggling to limit my spending! CNY has been a welcome break from new releases For the very best factories, the selection might be somewhat "limited," but if you move further down the list, the choices are endless.

I agree that things are getting more expensive, but the global economy has also changed a lot since 2008, much of it is likely due to natural price increases, in addition to heavy investments in clone movements.

The quality of today's replicas is 100% worth it in my eyes. $400–$500 for a no-date Sub from Clean or VSF blows my mind every day of the week, value is crazy!

yup, just look up a thread on rare panerai reps. the options back then was huge

 

[strcgn]

I remember my first rep Noob Submariner (I don't remember which version but low, V4 maybe) from Darknet marketplace for about 300€, without any QC photos. Now it's so comfortable to buy reps and with QC process you can get best possible, so I love today's times.

 

[Pannyforme]

I remember my first rep Noob Submariner (I don't remember which version but low, V4 maybe) from Darknet marketplace for about 300€, without any QC photos. Now it's so comfortable to buy reps and with QC process you can get best possible, so I love today's times.

QC photos was still there back then

 

[DJ16013]

I kind of disagree. What has really changed compared to the past is the rep crowd. More accessibility means more people with wrong expectations, bad beahviour and quick bite approach... but expectations for a quality rep is changed in the veterans as well, either is highest quality or not worth it... there are people urging others to not buy the Tudor pelagos because the sunburst is not that visible (outrage!).

On the other hand variety at lower quality is there and it is more accessible than ever, by DHG or AliX... even the Maurice Lacroix Aikon is repped, go figure!! Also the possibility of builds and mods seems more accessible than ever (even though I am not in that scene), leading to new vintage or out-of-catalogue reps.

But yes, like you I have fond memories of the good old times, but I suspect that I miss more the yunger version of me rather than the Noob factory!!

 

[m5smg2]

The OP is bringing is us back It’s a nice reminder how this dark hobby blossomed. Yes we had choices then, and I think more choices now due to true clone movements And better then ever quality and consistency. I mean a 1:1 clone of a 4130, PAM P9000, and recently the impressive Flyback AP 4401. Back then, everything was ETA based — to the point of thicker, more xtra gear-driven 7750 to mimic Daytona seconds @6, and seconds at 12 ROO.

I thought you guys might enjoy this thread. I had posted it on the EyeCandy section by mistake. It belongs here actually:

Tribute to the fallen H factory

If you’ve been collecting reps as long as I, you’ll remember a humble factory from the 2000s called H maker. Unfortunately, they were raided around 2017 and never recovered. To honor them, I thought I’d share some of their contributions to our hobby so we can all appreciate their legacy. The...

forum.replica-watch.info

 

[Rx4Time]

I am of a split mind with this. Yes, I personally do miss a lot of the out of production models like the older Panerai, breitling, etc. This being said, it is far more pleasing for me to be able to buy a replica from a top tier factory for example , a VSF Panerai, and not have to throw $1,000 plus into it to eliminate all of the faults.

 

[Karbon74]

people wanting to fake a status in life

How disappointing
I was just on the verge of buying a RoyalOak and present myself as a billionaire entrepreneur

 

[Aquanautilus]

I was just on the verge of buying a RoyalOak and present myself as a billionaire entrepreneur

Well, you could still buy me a RoyalOak and present yourself as a billionaire philanthropist.

 

[Reaps]

How disappointing
I was just on the verge of buying a RoyalOak and present myself as a billionaire entrepreneur

 

[Aquanautilus]

I personally do miss a lot of the out of production models.

This for me.