The Top 10 Lies about Replica Watches

[yamahatwin]

Awesome post for newbies, although can't say that I've ever seen any reps advertised as "swiss made" lol.

 

[boxermachine]

Big lie- the rep you gave your wife - she never know the difference

 

[Benji2000]

we always have a wrong idea of the replica when we don't know this environment

 

[nycevan]

Very resourceful post . Appreciate OP for putting it together

 

[UptonDowntown]

I’ve been into watches for going on 30 years but only dabbling in replicas here and there for the past 2 or 3. Am I wrong to feel like this list is almost completely outdated at this point? I would think that buyers are a lot more savvy and educated than they were in 2008.

Was there a TD system or QC process back when this was written? Because it doesn't read like it. And I’ve never heard of “graded” replicas, or anyone being under the impression that replicas came from anywhere other than Asia. Were these common practices and misconceptions in decades past? Also payment methods are much more sophisticated now than the list seems to acknowledge.

I don’t know. This post and the first few pages of comments were an interesting read from the perspective of looking back in time nearly 16 years, but I don’t think it provides much particularly useful advice in 2023.

 

[CA Buster]

This is very informative, specially for me, a Noob.
I'm concerned about Lie#6 because almost all of the Daytonas that i like
made by C, QF and Noob being sold by our TD's are advertised to be made of 904L Grade steel.
They are not?

 

[ducxmira]

Thank you for sharing this insightful piece on replica watches!

 

[pepe888]

Agree

 

[Claudiomex]

Never really posted this list here, but this was the 2nd replica watch board I found, so here it is. Whatever good it can do.



Most of us arrived here with minds polluted by scam sites and scam "review" sites: all peddlers of lies and deception.

In an effort to help cleanse the noobs' minds of this filth, I propose the following 10 common and devious lies and misconceptions
about replica watches, and the business of manufacturing and selling replica watches.


Lie #1: The best replica watches are made in Switzerland, followed closely by Italy.

-- This is the biggest lie of all. All replica watches are made somewhere in Asia, mostly China. Saying that replicas are made in Switzerland or Italy is a lie intended to extract more money from the ignorant.


Lie #2: Replica watches are graded according to quality. C (or whatever) is the lowest and AAA+++ (or whatever) is the highest.

-- Who decides what is "C" and what is "A"? The "International Replica Watch Governing Board"? Pure nonsense designed, again, to get more of your dollars.


Lie #3: The movements in "Swiss made" replicas are identical to the genuine watch movements. 27 jewel movements are the best.

-- (See Lie #1 for "Swiss made".) Far from the truth. Very few replica watch movements come from anywhere but China and any watchman can immediately tell it's not genuine. There are no Asian 27 jewels movements in replica watches; only 25, 21, or 17. (Some newer replicas are powered by an ETA 7753, which does have 27J.)


Lie #4: The best replicas are 99% true to the genuine and will even fool an Authorized Dealer (AD).

-- Not true. While some may be close (picking a number is impossible) to the genuine, all replicas are flawed. Do you really think you can spend $200 or less and get a watch that's 99% identical to a $4,000-20,000 watch? As for fooling ADs, maybe. Common clerks are easily fooled, but seasoned ADs, upon close inspection, will know it's a replica.


Lie #5: The gold on "Swiss grade" replicas is much higher than on other replicas. The crown, bezel, and mid links are solid gold and the full-gold replicas are 5-wrapped (or 6-wrapped, or whatever).

-- While a few models have been shown to have solid gold mid links (Rolex replicas), the rest of the watch is gold plated or double or triple wrapped gold. ("Search" for threads on how this is done.)


Lie #6: The best Rolex replicas are made with 904L grade steel.

-- Big fat lie. Good replicas are made with 316L quality steel. Rolex is one of the few companies that use 904L steel and it costs 3 times as much as 316L. Replicas are not made with 440 steel, either.


Lie #7: Buying a replica watch is risky, but not if you use sellers from "Replica Review" sites.

- Ciò che la maggior parte delle persone non sa è che i siti di "recensione" sono di proprietà e gestiti dalle persone che gestiscono i siti che consigliano: è molto incestuoso. Questi siti di "recensione" sono intelligenti ed è facile farsi ingannare dalle loro bugie.


Bugia n. 8: puoi dire che stai ricevendo un buon orologio dopo un esame approfondito del sito web.

-- Per favore. Se pensi che tutto quello che viene mostrato sul web sia vero, meriti di essere derubato. I siti truffa mentono su tutto, dalla qualità dei loro prodotti all'impegno di assicurarsi che ogni cliente sia felice. Molti pubblicano addirittura foto di orologi autentici (cerca immagini in cui le lancette dell'orologio sono impostate su "10:10". Le immagini di orologi autentici viste nelle pubblicità sono sempre impostate su "10:10") ma ti inviano spazzatura.


Bugia n. 9: Scegliere un buon venditore porterà sempre a ottenere un buon orologio, con il quale non avrò problemi.

-- Noi speriamo. Il controllo di qualità nelle fabbriche di orologi replica è incostante, ma per lo più scadente. Un lotto può essere eccezionale mentre il successivo produce orologi DOA. (Ricordate, produrre orologi replica è illegale, anche in Cina. Le "fabbriche" di orologi replica sono solitamente piccole operazioni che possono essere facilmente spostate o nascoste alle autorità indiscrete.) Ciò che è vero, però, è che un buon rivenditore vorrà proteggere il suo/ la sua reputazione e risolverà tutto ciò che è sbagliato.


Bugia n. 10: pagare in contrassegno è il modo migliore per ottenere il prezzo più basso. Inoltre, posso esaminare il mio orologio prima di pagare il corriere per essere sicuro di ricevere ciò per cui ho pagato.

-- Una cosa davvero stupida da fare e un enorme segnale d'allarme che hai a che fare con un vero truffatore. Vogliono contanti perché sanno che urleresti alla compagnia della tua carta di credito nel momento in cui vedrai la spazzatura per cui hai appena pagato $ 1.000.


Un ultimo punto. Ricorda, gli orologi replica sono beni contraffatti. Sebbene non sia illegale acquistare o possedere orologi replica nella maggior parte dei paesi, è illegale venderli. Tienilo presente quando usi PayPal o comunichi con le società di carte di credito.

Thank you. I’m a beginner and I needed of this text.

 

[Majorero]

Very educational, great truths.

 

[Dave2302]

I don’t know. This post and the first few pages of comments were an interesting read from the perspective of looking back in time nearly 16 years, but I don’t think it provides much particularly useful advice in 2023.

I hear what you are saying, and it does seem to apply to some Posts from way way back, but IMHO not the "Top Ten Lies" original post

I can only speak from my own experience though

I was buying and selling many reps back in the 2000's then family reasons and loss of some good contacts due to them getting busted I stopped dabbling.
Fast Forward to November 2023, and most of my decent reps from way back had died, got lost or seriously busted up, and i got back into the hobby just for personal purchasing.

As you correctly say, a helluva lot has changed since then, and although I am rapidly learning and buying, I am far from an expert, a long way off, so take this with a pinch of salt ................

I have just re read the basic 10 in the OP, and my findings and research these days would suggest that it can still be considered correct info.

What I will say is that aesthetically, even the circa £100 - £150 reps have dramatically improved to the point that many of the more popular Reps like Submariners etc cannot be easily identified by a naked eye visual, more so when on the wearers wrist.

HTH,

 

[M3AJOR]

Good read , thanks for the advice

 

[clooney666]

Very good compilation

 

[Jordans7]

This was a good read thank you

 

[aggiefarmer]

Informative. Thanks

 

[Marclnd]

Great read. I have learnt all this by being on this forum and talking to other members. Good to see all the points listed.

 

[Thavisionary]

The wiki was great for info, this has been a good read

 

[sim24]

Very helpful, thanks.

 

[aaronglass]

Excellent points here, we can get caught up in cognitive dissassociation very easily with this stuff.

 

[TimeRaga]

Super informative. Thanks. This thread is still interesting even after 15+ years.