• Tired of adverts on RWI? - Subscribe by clicking HERE and PMing Trailboss for instructions and they will magically go away!

When is a Replica not a Replica ???

UKASIA

Getting To Know The Place
13/9/09
31
0
0
Having recently bought two Hublot Replicas and Borrowed 2 more for evaluation I am wondering some points .

When we/I/you buy a replica, what is it we are buying ?

Is it the exact clone of the original so that we can wear it and fool others ?

Is it that we like the watch so much we want one but resent paying too much for it ?

Is it that we admire the way its made or marvel at the fact we have bought a clone ?

Is its all of the above in some way ?

My answer is all of the above in some way but not one by itself , now I pose a question for the forum .

When is it not really a replica but a fine watch in its own right ? When is it only the name it shares and the design shape ?

I ask these questions for one simple reason, both of the Hublot watches I have bought are very nice watches, the ones I looked at were not my type but again very nice watches . All of them were wrong in some area but very close just not perfect, but all were wrong in detail not build quality.

I have as a result noted one thing that has amazed me in the last few weeks the quality of new stock is getting so close that we have to question what the difference is .

My example is the Hublot big bang all ceramic Black hole it in fact has a very fine Chinese copy movement that is correct in every detail ( I really don't like these movements but they are getting better very fast ) in fact the rotor is actually a tungsten frame the bearing of the rotor is amazing and quiet the decoration is every bit as good as the original and it keeps about +3 secs a day .

The case is all ceramic and I mean all ceramic, the bezel the top and bottom and the end pieces. The center is stainless steel the the back has a sapphire window with a SS PVD coated and engraved surround. The rubber band has a vanilla scent ( as the original )and a PVD clasp that is find in finish and construction .

In fact it is a very very nicely made watch .

I want everyone that reads this to give me their thoughts that if this did not say Hublot on the face, would we buy it for 700 USD (as that was the cost) ?

I further ask this,its detail of replica is in fact wrong Hublot don't make and have not made such a watch, the end pieces of the the case are ceramic Hublot use PVD steel the bezal is polished and looks great and is ceramic, the original is brushed matt ceramic the band should be grooved this one is flat black but in my opinion is better .

In essence I bought a very very nice watch that is not a replica as it was never made by Hublot but it is the same shape and the has the same name on the face .

But is it a replica or just a very nice watch ? Either way I really like the watch and in some weird way I kind of like the originality , the quality fools everyone even a local dealer but the design is not Hublots so isn't it about time we asked what it is we like ?

Would I have bought this watch with another name on the face ... YES I WOULD .. After all is cost 700 USD not 28000 so isn't it about time someone started selling such watches that after all are not in any kind of copyright infringement.

Would we buy them ? I for one would love a feedback on this after all the quality that plagued the replica market has moved so far now this question must be asked as surely a new brand would flourish in such a way if it were to launch .

Comments out of interest only .,
 

takashi

Legendary Member
4/4/06
11,500
11
0
This is again no news. The Hublot has been highlighted for quite some time as one of the pinnacle of replica watch making business.

You may wish to search my article on v1 and v2 Black Magic comparison.

There are at least 3 factories making this piece and I assume your 700USD price tag comes from the first factory. Anyway, 700USD is le cartel's price (search this also, if you don't know what is le cartel). Elsewhere, it will cost 100-200USD less. And this is for full ceramic version. The model that you mentioned costs half price.
 

fakemaster

Mythical Poster
31/5/07
9,185
75
0
It seems what you are asking somewhere in all that is whether a rep watch if not labeled as a rep could stand on it's own. If it runs and is built well of course. But the reason people buy them is the label.
 

CBR

Banned member, the goat does not approve
Banned
2/7/07
635
0
0
Jesus, even Hublot was commenting on the great quality of replicas last year... Its a watch that is very well replicated, I just dont like them. Ive had several, and gotten rid of all of them.
I buy a watch because of its design and mechanical factors. I dont care what the name on the dial is IF I like the watch.
 

Anopsis

I'm Pretty Popular
5/8/09
2,899
1
38
It seems what you are asking somewhere in all that is whether a rep watch if not labeled as a rep could stand on it's own.

I'll repeat one of my favorite conversations with an anti-rep friend of mine.

He: "But wouldn't you rather have a real watch?"

Me: "This IS a real watch; it tells time and everything!"

My personal litmus test is "Do I smile when I look at my wrist?" If the answer is yes then to me it's not a "rep" of anything - it's just a nice watch that makes me happy. :)
 

jimmyj

Getting To Know The Place
3/10/09
85
0
0
I bought my first rep because I have enough real watches to wear, and change out daily. I realized that spending $6300 dollars to by another Rolex just because it has a different dial is a waste of money! When I hope the rep will be close and keep good time for 1/10 of the cost I hope. just my opinion
 

Drulee

Renowned Member
7/5/09
648
0
0
A replica is not a replica when it is not a replicate of an existing design. In which case it would not be referred to as a replica in the first place. Which is why I say that the so called "homage" is still a replica.
 

747

Renowned Member
30/3/09
820
11
18
I'm begining to think that this guy is just a stirrer. Why because he posts and then never engages again until his next post.

Maybe we should just ignore him from now on and he can play with his huge mac screen, his engineering software and his ergonomically designed mouse. He talks like an engineer "look how smart and intelligent I am. I have papers from uni to prove it. What? You want me to solve a real life problem? What do you mean it can't be done? My computer software says it can be so just do it. No I won't come and look at the issue. Thats not my job. My job is to sit here in front of my computer and design things, its your job to make them happen no matter how many laws of physics you have to break to do it!"
 

bblake

Getting To Know The Place
22/8/09
64
0
0
UKASIA - "so isn't it about time someone started selling such watches that after all are not in any kind of copyright infringement."

Am I missing something here? How is making a direct copy of a branded watch, not in breach of copyright?
 

Novesh

I'm Pretty Popular
5/5/06
2,291
0
0
I'd buy a watch because of the design...hell if INVICTA started to make watches that looked like pams I might migrate over since it would less of a hassle ;)
 

reeder139

Active Member
Supporter
14/4/09
427
6
18
Seems like he's saying that the replica watches being made are nearly as good as the real ones now so why would you pay 10 times as much for the real ones.

Perhaps if the replicators invented a nice new brand name, Changed designs sufficiently but not too much and increased the quality of the movements so they could genuinely be relied upon to last a while then this new brand could steal a lot of business from the prestige Swiss brands and not be in breach of intellectual property laws etc.

However, lets be honest, I think most people buy the Swiss brands for the kudos and some perhaps genuinely appreciate the engineering side of these watches. I know a few very well off people who literally buy a nice Swiss watch because it's expensive. simple as that. They know nothing about watches.

Those who buy for the kudos would not buy this new brand as it would not have it, plus for people who just want a nice looking watch with useful mechanical features, there are already many brands that build high quality watches with the similar/same movements used in way more expensive brands.
 

coop

OG member in the Lou
Supporter
Advisor
11/10/06
3,517
67
48
St. Louis
Maybe the gens are really being made by the rep makers and just get more attention to detail.
I have a friend who works for Kenwood in Japan, he travels to China from time to time for Kenwood. On one trip he visited the Ping golf club factory. Now keep in mind I know NOTHING about golf, but he was offered to buy a full set of clubs for pennies on the dollar. And was told that when the PING employees leave for the day another set of employees come in and continue production of the SAME clubs but with/or with out the PING logo depending on the buyer. So the reps are coming from the same factory as the gens. I have heard this is true with clothing as well and some of the leather goods.
I guess when you outsource to china there is a good chance of this happening. I wouldnt be surprised.
 

JellyJoe

Respected Member
28/9/09
4,098
23
38
Maybe the gens are really being made by the rep makers and just get more attention to detail.
I have a friend who works for Kenwood in Japan, he travels to China from time to time for Kenwood. On one trip he visited the Ping golf club factory. Now keep in mind I know NOTHING about golf, but he was offered to buy a full set of clubs for pennies on the dollar. And was told that when the PING employees leave for the day another set of employees come in and continue production of the SAME clubs but with/or with out the PING logo depending on the buyer. So the reps are coming from the same factory as the gens. I have heard this is true with clothing as well and some of the leather goods.
I guess when you outsource to china there is a good chance of this happening. I wouldnt be surprised.

+1
For some products like detergents that's far more than a rumour, so why not for virtually anything else?
Besides that would explain why these watch factories are tolerated, when we all know where they are and they are illegal in their countries too.
If a random guy tries to start a business in China with watch replicas he will get hooked up in no time.
 

coop

OG member in the Lou
Supporter
Advisor
11/10/06
3,517
67
48
St. Louis
Well, once again UKASIA has left after posting. Still no pics or good answers.
 

trailboss99

Head Honcho - Cat Herder
Staff member
Administrator
Certified
30/3/08
43,756
18,568
113
I have had a thery for ages that the case for the Discovery is made in the Ebel plant in CN.
I also have seen several rep MB wallets that I would swear are made in the MB factory, they are that good.

You never know . . .

Has anyone worked out WTF UKAISA's game is yet?


Col.
 

coop

OG member in the Lou
Supporter
Advisor
11/10/06
3,517
67
48
St. Louis
My wife buys a new purse like once a month at a local flea market. The most recent was a Versace. We were in a store at the mall and guess what? Theres her purse, for $950. She paid $35. And they looked like the SAME purse. The stitching was good on both, the leather was very nice on both. The only thing that I could really see different was the liner inside, on hers it seemed a bit thinner. Also, all the metal on hers is steel and the real one had gold.
 

takashi

Legendary Member
4/4/06
11,500
11
0
For leather goods (especially bags), I can vouch for coop. I have seen Mrs Guru's bag both from China and Thailand. They surely carry the quality that I would expect from the genuine products, except these come with much lower price tags.

In fashion industry, this is not strange and perhaps has been going on much longer than rep watches. Take for example in Indonesia, where many genuine fashion houses manufacture their products, many are sold under the label "factory rejects/stock lot for export only".
 

coop

OG member in the Lou
Supporter
Advisor
11/10/06
3,517
67
48
St. Louis
Her purse even had all the Versace tags on it when she got it.
 

cybee

Legendary Member
23/11/06
11,134
30
48
Another scintillating and eye-opening thread that has again stretched the envelope and pushed the boundaries of repdom.

The only criteria for me when it comes to reps is that I demand they come from China. If not I refuse to buy them : )