Oh hell yeah, the dial is amazing, everyone knows my photography (if ya can call it that) is shit
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Rep scene aint the same no more
- Thread starter Pannyforme
- Start date
Oh hell yeah, the dial is amazing, everyone knows my photography (if ya can call it that) is shit
These 2 F1's came from TheOneWatches Steve, def NWBIG, swiss movement and fully working including 10'ths etc, SLR McLaren and Gulf Edition.
I do love Motorsport orientated watches as well as all the others.
I do love Motorsport orientated watches as well as all the others.
This was a fun read for me. Other than picking up a few pieces here and there, I haven't really paid much attention for at least a decade.
We had some good reps back in the day, even SOME of the more obscure brands were pretty darn good. Yes, we also had some crap, but it was typically priced accordingly(Like $35 dollar non ceramic 21j sub's - which were actually decent, lol). I've been hanging around again for a couple weeks and the biggest improvement I see is the clone movements for proper subdial function. Its funny, I actually sold an old 7750 daytona in the sales section today for $75 bucks.
I've never been one to look at them with a microscope. As I said to a friend of mine who I have sourced watches for, "If you valet park your fancy car at the Palm, and someone wearing a "real one" notices that yours is slightly different, he'll probably think HE got ripped off before he thinks yours is "fake", nobody really looks that closely anyway, not to mention that "real" watch models subtly change at least every year anyway, and most importantly WHO CARES?"
I do miss being able to easily get some of the more obscure brands, there are fewer, but still some around.
oh, and rolex pearls have improved A LOT, lol
edit - otherwise this forum is very much(even shockingly) similar to what I remember 10+ years ago!
We had some good reps back in the day, even SOME of the more obscure brands were pretty darn good. Yes, we also had some crap, but it was typically priced accordingly(Like $35 dollar non ceramic 21j sub's - which were actually decent, lol). I've been hanging around again for a couple weeks and the biggest improvement I see is the clone movements for proper subdial function. Its funny, I actually sold an old 7750 daytona in the sales section today for $75 bucks.
I've never been one to look at them with a microscope. As I said to a friend of mine who I have sourced watches for, "If you valet park your fancy car at the Palm, and someone wearing a "real one" notices that yours is slightly different, he'll probably think HE got ripped off before he thinks yours is "fake", nobody really looks that closely anyway, not to mention that "real" watch models subtly change at least every year anyway, and most importantly WHO CARES?"
I do miss being able to easily get some of the more obscure brands, there are fewer, but still some around.
oh, and rolex pearls have improved A LOT, lol
edit - otherwise this forum is very much(even shockingly) similar to what I remember 10+ years ago!
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Two things I've noticed recently : M2M watches are sitting a long time unless they're discounted. Probably also a reflection of the shrinking buying power available to customers now.
And to reinforce further points of people here, my experience has been that anything that isn't Rolex is a PITA to move and has to be discounted to move. While Rolex moves easy.
Sub $300 watches sell easier.
My TUR Tourbillion which was bought for over $600 had to be sold at $380 to get interest, even though it's a rare full tourbillion model.
So it lends some credentials : the rep market, or at least 'Western TDS' cater to the taste of western replica enjoyers, which is mainly just AP, Rolex, Patek. Everything else is in a tier below where it's harder to source and sell unless it's super rare.
And to reinforce further points of people here, my experience has been that anything that isn't Rolex is a PITA to move and has to be discounted to move. While Rolex moves easy.
Sub $300 watches sell easier.
My TUR Tourbillion which was bought for over $600 had to be sold at $380 to get interest, even though it's a rare full tourbillion model.
So it lends some credentials : the rep market, or at least 'Western TDS' cater to the taste of western replica enjoyers, which is mainly just AP, Rolex, Patek. Everything else is in a tier below where it's harder to source and sell unless it's super rare.
This! The demand is extremely focused on very few models and brands. And even in this section the demand is focused on the "top factories". Try to sell a EWF Rolex and you have to drop the price too. And this counts not only M2M but also the sales of the TDs.
If you look at the QC-Channel from Elliot/Andiot: Rolex, Rolex, Rolex, Rolex, [...] some Omegas, some APs, Pateks and Cartiers. And thatĀ“s it. I have nĀ“t count but I think at least 90% of his sales are Rolex.
ThatĀ“s what the market wants. I think, we - the "hardcore aficionados" - are only a very small part of the international market. Seems most Reps are sold to people, who have maybe one to three Reps, and these are all RolexĀ“ ;-)
Joking aside though, I wish I had one to three reps, but this hobby & ultimately the price point means I can enjoy exploring the many
I very much enjoy M2M as you never know what'll come up, what'll catch your eye & thinking back alot have been impulse buys, right place/right time.
Have I seen some price drops necessary for certain brands/models, yup, but then we have CWC where market prices prevail (Post a TC or a rare pam/AP, or God forbid a ploppy or ALS, boom, good luck to your inbox), so all depends how much of a hurry you are to sell, because it just takes one buyer in the right circumstances to seal the deal.
Normally for me, geographic constraints factor heavily into my decision. And with the current uncertainty/volatility to the west, I suspect M2M stateside will be hopping for a bit. Similar to when Brexit hit. If it's one things that's sure to disrupt this hobby, temporarily, its customs.
Do I wish I was around way back when when some of the 'rare' ones were produced, of course, but sightly contradictory to this, have also said many times in different conversations, that alot of fun is the thrill of the hunt .
Imagine how boring this hobby would be if you could come in, pick from a catalogue on day 1 and have everything ya wanted delivered on day 2. Nah, gimme the hunt any day.
It also seems the expectations are set alot higher now. The demands of buyers could appear unreasonable at times, but am sure the TDs have factored an 'annoying' margin into their pricing model
Anyway, that's just a few random thoughts, on a very interesting thread, but at the end of the day I'm still a noob (I'm only here since 2021)
I always enjoy reading comments from those with a /0x in their join dates, they're the veterans
The hunt is most certainly as much or more fun than the reward.
Well said.
I love the M2M impulse buys as well
Sometimes it ends up being something you werenāt planning to get, but once on wrist is much better than expected
The glashutte SeaQ comes to mind
Didnāt like it in photos
Mclarendude posted one for a price too good to turn down
Now Iāve got two
Definitely owe that guy a beer or two
Well said.
I love the M2M impulse buys as well
Sometimes it ends up being something you werenāt planning to get, but once on wrist is much better than expected
The glashutte SeaQ comes to mind
Didnāt like it in photos
Mclarendude posted one for a price too good to turn down
Now Iāve got two
Definitely owe that guy a beer or two
I can help you with that! You have my address ... you can thank me later, it's always nice to help a friend in need.
But for now my fascination with shiny things means I'm investigating the new AP chrono & trying to mentally balance the 'want' versus.....I was gonna say 'need', but lol, who the hell needs more than 1 watch
Who needs even 1 watch ?
Just think of it as jewelry. I can have any number of jewelryā¦or so said the wife
I now say the same to her when she sees the dozens of brown grey parcels inbound and outbound
I can see she is fuming but holding it in
I love it
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Thx, now I don't think I want a new Panda anymore...
And the number of DeepSeas amazes me.
watchinator
Getting To Know The Place
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who the hell needs more than 1 watch
Me Me Me Me Me, however I want, rather than need
I mean, who the hell needs 17 cars, that was my maximum around 20 years ago now.
And around the world, IIRC the biggest car collection is the Sultan of Brunai, at around 7000 cars worth billions.
We are down to 5 cars now lol, although one is now sold and being picked up next week. I did only buy it to sell on at a profit.
According to our accountant just the annual maintenance, road tax and MOT's makes interesting reading
Iāve tried the whole āone watchā thing a few times. Gen, rep, smart watch. Failed every time
Might be great to post on Reddit 30 years from now saying ālook at this filthy beat up thing I wore for 30 straight years !ā But how boring is that!
Might be great to post on Reddit 30 years from now saying ālook at this filthy beat up thing I wore for 30 straight years !ā But how boring is that!
100%
Most people I know IRL, have 1 or 2 watches if any. If they say "I can't find my watch, have you seen it?", you don't have to respond with "Which one?" - even the friends who I've gotten reps for. They get their Rolex or Omega and that's it. It's not a hobby for them. If the second hand doesn't "tick" it's perfect.
The psychological profile of the person who does the following is most certainly NOT normal and likely NOT the majority of the market:
-Has more than 10 watches of any kind (current collection, not in a drawer somewhere)
-Has more than 100 posts on a watch forum
-Can name more than 10 Watch brands
-Knows what kind of movement is in each of their watches and what a tourbillon is.
-Has more than 5 REP watches
-Has More than 100 posts on a REP forum
-Can tell what "factory" a rep watch was made in by looking at it
I'm guessing most here have a similar diagnosis, lol
Due to my "condition" I hyper fixate on a hobby for a while, lose interest, hyper-fixate on something else for a while, repeat, and eventually end up back fixated on the original. I'm currently recovering from a racecar addiction, or it's just cold outside IDK yet.
For me, I said this back in the day and it's still true as far as reps go. I also like the chase, it's a guilty pleasure of getting something 99.9% off. (like the $323,500 VC tourbillon I bought last week for $380 bucks delivered). There are probably less than 5 people in the world who both own a real one and know how much it cost. I'm guessing the Saudi Prince wearing the genuine article didn't even pick it out himself, his stylist just got it to go with his Dubai attire, and a typical person doesn't know VC from any of the 1000's of "exotic sounding"(Fillipo Lorreti, Gianello, Christian Van Sant) junk brands.
Don't feel bad, "Micro Brand" watch people are almost worse!
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but most casual buyers want bang for their buck. If they're paying $500/600 for a rep, they want others to believe it's a a$10,000 Rolex, rather than a Tag or Breiting at half the price.
I mean yea If your whole reason to wear a rep is to fake flex of course.
A lot of us just enjoy the quality and variety. Iām not looking to fool anyone just wanna enjoy these things without putting a dent in my finances. Thatās what the Super Bowl bets are for.
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Yeah completely agree, just making the point that market forces dictate the factories will build what's in demand, and most casual buyers are clamouring from a shiny rolex. I'd love to see more older Omegas or Tags but why would they bother if there's little demand.