REP Serial and LE Numbers -- why, oh, why?

[Grahamdunn]

Hello All,

long-time lurker, new poster here.

Man, this board is addictive -- I check it 10 times a day!

Anyway, I have been collecting for a few months (16 watches thus far, most from Joshua and Andrew), and I wanted to ask the grizzled experts here about a REP issue that has really been bugging me.

I am talking about serial numbers and limited edition (LE) numbers "xxx/xxx". Of course, as we all know many of the GENs pictured on various sites and eBay have their serial and LE numbers blacked out for obvious reasons. The vast majority fo dealers have decent pics but not detailed enough to see caseback numbers so no problem there.

But why in the name of all that is holy, do our top shelf dealers who have wonderful photos for each watch, leave the serial and LE numbers open for all to see??

It seems to me that there is a MUCH more compelling reason to hide these numbers on pictures of REPs than on picturres of GENs. With the same serial and LE numbers showing up in pictures all over the place, no matter how good your REP looks and how many mods you get, anyone who has ever been to a site like Paneristi or one of the spot-the-rep sites will spot the fake the moment they see the caseback.

Its not too big of a deal for low- and many mid-level REP watches (they have so many other flaws that caseback numbers are the least of their problems). But the problem is much bigger for the super-reps.

I am even not concerned about the serial numbers as much as the LE numbers for REPs of limited watches. For example, my IWC Consteau Diver is consmetically fantastic and fooled ADs on three different occasions (unless they were all oscar winning actors). But any IWC owner who has ever been to a IWC fan site will spot mine as a rep in one second if he looks at the caseback with its 0368/2500 LE number plastered in pictures in every dealer's store (and then showing up in FAQs of many GEN-fan and rep-spotting sites)....

What do you guys think? I am I off my rocker here?


Grahamdunn

 

[Mike29983]

that bothers me too, especially if the wrong case number is on the caseback like on my Tag Heuer Carrera for example.
my model (Chrono with the white rings) should be CV2010 BA0786, but the caseback says CV2014 LY3487, which is definetly the red handed chrono. But as i seen it, every Carrera rep has this caseback, no matter what model

this is my watch, where CV2010 BA0786 should be engraved in... but it isnt

and this is the CV2014 FT6007, so the LY3487 on the Rep casebacks is fantasy, because it should be FT6007 with the rubber strap and
BA0786 with the SS Bracelet.

i understand that the rep makers cant build different serial numbers on casebacks, but the casenumber, which is the same on every watch should be correct on a 250 $ watch.

 

[vbarrett]

Relatedly, haven't you guys ever felt sorry for, say the gen owner of the Fiddy: the famous "E0117" serial number. Man, it must SUCK to be the owner of that, or any other rep watch with one's gen watch serial number on it. Imagine, you are out enourmous money, and still have people doubt you have the real thing, which you do!

Does that mean I'm going to smash my DSN Fiddy to smithereens because I'm feeling so guilty? Nah. I know why I bought it -- because I'm cheap.

But on every human level, I am really sorry for these people.

 

[Mike29983]

honestly i think that the owner of gen fiddy doesnt care about his serial beiing reped.
but my fiddy says the same

 

[sgv]

I would say that this is a measure to help people know it's a rep. It prevents fraud, and prevents people trying to pass the watch off.

Now, the guy with the real 117. It's obviously real...however, what the knowledge does is it raises eyebrows for potential buyers to make sure they aren't getting scammed.

Also...99% of the population out there doesn't give a flying fart about caseback numbers. So who cares?

The reps are mass produced...they aren't made individually, and inscribed with great detail. Cheap mass production allows for one mold to be made.

sv

 

[mattheis]

Its prob the CN factory that own them

 

[vbarrett]

honestly i think that the owner of gen fiddy doesnt care about his serial beiing reped.

Really? You wouldn't mind having the same serial number as hundreds of people who didn't pay 1/10th what you did for your genuine watch? Not to mention having people doubt you, unless you lug around papers, or similar, to GTGs? (Remember, it's rep watch owners that have the keener eye for gen details. Most gen owners haven't a clue).

How about reselling your watch?

It would me. I really feel for the person. But I'm keeping the watch, so it's crocodile tears I'm afraid.

but my fiddy says the same

Right, they all do.

 

[Grahamdunn]

Sgv,

I was actually whining not as much about the numbers being the same for all reps (with a few excpetions of custom, limited and mod pieces), but more about the fact that these identical numbers are plastered all over the sites of the top dealers for the whole world to see, when it would have been easy to block them out. (I know the flaw would be that you would not know how accurate those numbers look, but I think its worth it to to have such a sure "call-out tool" out there...

grahamdunn

I would say that this is a measure to help people know it's a rep. It prevents fraud, and prevents people trying to pass the watch off.

Now, the guy with the real 117. It's obviously real...however, what the knowledge does is it raises eyebrows for potential buyers to make sure they aren't getting scammed.

Also...99% of the population out there doesn't give a flying fart about caseback numbers. So who cares?

The reps are mass produced...they aren't made individually, and inscribed with great detail. Cheap mass production allows for one mold to be made.

sv

 

[Highflyingclive]

If you ever meet someone who holds the correct serial numbers in his head - you are dead in the water. He is an expert and will already know that your watch is a rep. He spotted that as soon as you walked in the door.

However, most gen collectors are not experts. We know the give-away signs - they don't.

This watch fooled a gen Rolex collector, who submitted me to a long and very boring description of his Rolex collection:

Yes - a $20 Chinese street-market watch. It wouldn't fool anybody here... but you guys know what to look for.

They don't.

That watch also fooled seven out of eight high-end watch retailers in Hong Kong. As I walked into each shop, I was painlfully aware that the guy behind the counter was looking at my wrist. Only one out of the eight raised an eyebrow...