Hey Rep fellows,
The following two threads:
http://forum.replica-watch.info/vb/...5-Sub-C-Review-and-Some-Gen-Comparisons/page2
http://forum.replica-watch.info/vb/showthread.php/246464-Yacht-Master-Rep-Dials-vs-GEN-Dials-(Addon)
have convinced me of something I have been slowly but surely realising the more weeks and weeks I read through to depths of rep forums for hours and hours on the end, as this is a subject I have found to be so fascinating! I didn’t know the factories actually posses a secret art and know-how as well as trade secrets that NO ONE besides them can truly reproduce, as much as they try.
Also it sheds light on the so called perfect reps or super reps. This just confirms what I have been suspecting more anymore you really can't have an identical rep unless you use genuine parts on a great midcase and a great rep movement or swiss ETA movement. That means you WILL spend a lot of cash, not the full price but a least 30-35% and can go up to 85% or more of the full price for the real thing.
The issue is not with the talented modders but with the mediocre chinese factories that produce all the base reps to mod or franken.
I also now am up to the point that I consider you CAN get an identical rep to the genuine but not without expending between 1500-2000 usd as opposed to 4000-11,000 so it's still a good deal, but you will not do it with out of the box $400 reps or even niche products like super reps from TC/BK of $600-$700, nut you have to start with those and then frank build up to the level of gen-nes you wish, to $1200, $1500, $2000, $2500, etc.
When I started this journey, two months ago, I did it because its the second time I have owned a Genuine watch and gotten mugged out of it! I decided to look into the rep option. I just thought the rep technology by now, was so advanced that out of the box reps or even modded reps were going to be almost identical to the genuine watches, or almost like what you could get when using genuine parts over factory produced reps! Now I can CLEARLY see this will NEVER be achieved no matter how many versions NOOB or whatever factory get out, because the Chinese factories don't give a crap for perfect results, or maybe they simply CANNOT replicate it to a true 100% level. Maybe this is cause they have to hide, and use cheap labor.
Just look at BK and TC, they are talented people with passion for what they do and have been probably doing this for years on the end, and yet according to recent comparisons and what anyone can see, their super reps when throughly analysed though the loupe, and compared to the genuines, they are FAR from being 100%. and this just shows the status quo and that it CANNOT be done! otherwise why would n't they do it? not because they don't want to..the REAL factories must have the upper hand, they must posses superior technology, and technical knowledge, art and the know-how that will probably NEVER be completely replicated, otherwise there would be a lot of of factories doing the same and Rolex wouldn’t be able to charge from $4000 to whatever 20, 50 grand or more for a watch!
Chinese factories they just want to get rich by providing some mediocre so-so good reps. And professional commercial modders also are getting money as they have found a niche of rep enthusiasts that want to get more gen-like reps but don’t want to pay for genuine parts, or they have the HOPE that the modded super rep looks just like the original.
But this will never be done, because as more and more experienced users say: the factories get one thing improved on the next V- version and then regress in another!! and this has happened over many years. this show a tendency and the truth: you need genuine parts! how many? as much as you care to spend and as much as you want to close the gap for gen-nes.
This is what I'm sure now: to get an 30% identical rep you WILL have to shed about 15-20% of the price you'll pay for the genuine deal and this will be spent on a great case, great movement and GENUINE pieces franken sized onto that base. To get a somewhat 50% identical rep, you'll spend probably 25-3'% of the full price in gen parts, and so on and on.
It all boils down to how much you really want it and what your expectations are ! what are the reasons for using a rep?
If you want the pleasure of wearing / using almost the real thing because to your naked eye, your illusion and to the majority of untrained persons it will appear correct then get a modded super rep or a plain good base out of the box rep. If you want to be able to compare a rep side by side with a gen and HIDE the fact it's not a rep, then you need genuine parts. Hoew good should it get? it all depends on what you want to do or show with it! If the watch is to be opened then you either get a genuine movement or you're done. In that last case you will have spent maybe 85%-90% of the cost of a gen from an AD.
How far to take it ? Maybe a great case as a base, great rep hands, a gen dial, gen bezel / insert, gen crown/tube, gen crystal, great AR/relume, a great rep DWO and the last a gen bracelet/clasp. That would put you maybe at 55-65% the cost of a real one, you'll just need the case back and the real movement! and that would put you in the genuine watch price, so near of it! So I respect it all depends on the reasons you chose a rep and not a genuine. I think no one Should spend over 55-60 % of the cost of the gen.
Otherwise better save more time for the gen, unless you do it for the joy of putting it together as sometimes it seems the hobby doesn't make economic sense as most hobbies!
I hope experts and experienced users can chime in and share their opinions on my writing.
thank you.
The following two threads:
http://forum.replica-watch.info/vb/...5-Sub-C-Review-and-Some-Gen-Comparisons/page2
http://forum.replica-watch.info/vb/showthread.php/246464-Yacht-Master-Rep-Dials-vs-GEN-Dials-(Addon)
have convinced me of something I have been slowly but surely realising the more weeks and weeks I read through to depths of rep forums for hours and hours on the end, as this is a subject I have found to be so fascinating! I didn’t know the factories actually posses a secret art and know-how as well as trade secrets that NO ONE besides them can truly reproduce, as much as they try.
Also it sheds light on the so called perfect reps or super reps. This just confirms what I have been suspecting more anymore you really can't have an identical rep unless you use genuine parts on a great midcase and a great rep movement or swiss ETA movement. That means you WILL spend a lot of cash, not the full price but a least 30-35% and can go up to 85% or more of the full price for the real thing.
The issue is not with the talented modders but with the mediocre chinese factories that produce all the base reps to mod or franken.
I also now am up to the point that I consider you CAN get an identical rep to the genuine but not without expending between 1500-2000 usd as opposed to 4000-11,000 so it's still a good deal, but you will not do it with out of the box $400 reps or even niche products like super reps from TC/BK of $600-$700, nut you have to start with those and then frank build up to the level of gen-nes you wish, to $1200, $1500, $2000, $2500, etc.
When I started this journey, two months ago, I did it because its the second time I have owned a Genuine watch and gotten mugged out of it! I decided to look into the rep option. I just thought the rep technology by now, was so advanced that out of the box reps or even modded reps were going to be almost identical to the genuine watches, or almost like what you could get when using genuine parts over factory produced reps! Now I can CLEARLY see this will NEVER be achieved no matter how many versions NOOB or whatever factory get out, because the Chinese factories don't give a crap for perfect results, or maybe they simply CANNOT replicate it to a true 100% level. Maybe this is cause they have to hide, and use cheap labor.
Just look at BK and TC, they are talented people with passion for what they do and have been probably doing this for years on the end, and yet according to recent comparisons and what anyone can see, their super reps when throughly analysed though the loupe, and compared to the genuines, they are FAR from being 100%. and this just shows the status quo and that it CANNOT be done! otherwise why would n't they do it? not because they don't want to..the REAL factories must have the upper hand, they must posses superior technology, and technical knowledge, art and the know-how that will probably NEVER be completely replicated, otherwise there would be a lot of of factories doing the same and Rolex wouldn’t be able to charge from $4000 to whatever 20, 50 grand or more for a watch!
Chinese factories they just want to get rich by providing some mediocre so-so good reps. And professional commercial modders also are getting money as they have found a niche of rep enthusiasts that want to get more gen-like reps but don’t want to pay for genuine parts, or they have the HOPE that the modded super rep looks just like the original.
But this will never be done, because as more and more experienced users say: the factories get one thing improved on the next V- version and then regress in another!! and this has happened over many years. this show a tendency and the truth: you need genuine parts! how many? as much as you care to spend and as much as you want to close the gap for gen-nes.
This is what I'm sure now: to get an 30% identical rep you WILL have to shed about 15-20% of the price you'll pay for the genuine deal and this will be spent on a great case, great movement and GENUINE pieces franken sized onto that base. To get a somewhat 50% identical rep, you'll spend probably 25-3'% of the full price in gen parts, and so on and on.
It all boils down to how much you really want it and what your expectations are ! what are the reasons for using a rep?
If you want the pleasure of wearing / using almost the real thing because to your naked eye, your illusion and to the majority of untrained persons it will appear correct then get a modded super rep or a plain good base out of the box rep. If you want to be able to compare a rep side by side with a gen and HIDE the fact it's not a rep, then you need genuine parts. Hoew good should it get? it all depends on what you want to do or show with it! If the watch is to be opened then you either get a genuine movement or you're done. In that last case you will have spent maybe 85%-90% of the cost of a gen from an AD.
How far to take it ? Maybe a great case as a base, great rep hands, a gen dial, gen bezel / insert, gen crown/tube, gen crystal, great AR/relume, a great rep DWO and the last a gen bracelet/clasp. That would put you maybe at 55-65% the cost of a real one, you'll just need the case back and the real movement! and that would put you in the genuine watch price, so near of it! So I respect it all depends on the reasons you chose a rep and not a genuine. I think no one Should spend over 55-60 % of the cost of the gen.
Otherwise better save more time for the gen, unless you do it for the joy of putting it together as sometimes it seems the hobby doesn't make economic sense as most hobbies!
I hope experts and experienced users can chime in and share their opinions on my writing.
thank you.
