Which would you choose????

[sishac]

Hi everyone, I've got a philosophical question for you tonight....would you buy a rep of a watch that in real life you would NEVER be able to afford?

Please note that you could afford the rep, and it would be a good rep too, but its a VERY collectible watch and you know that you would never buy a genuine one....but it would be the same as driving a Cobra kit car....very few people would/could actually drive a real 427 Shelby Cobra on a daily basis (note I said very few people...I have had the pleasure of meeting someone who actually does drive a real 1967 Shelby Cobra daily during the summer.)

Would it feel too bizarre wearing a rep of a terrilby expensive watch?

Thanks

 

[sgv]

All depends upon your mentality.

Do you genuinely like the design of the watch, and want it...but can't afford it? Then, sure. When people question it...you say, "Man...what a beautiful watch. I couldn't afford it, however I *love* the design...so I picked up this rep."

Or...would you try to pass it off as real? Any chance you get...you wear it into your local shot and a beer joint, and flash it off?

Obviously there are MANY steps in between. If someone says, "Hey...nice watch." You can reply with, "Thanks!" You don't have to gush out about your watch.

If you like the watch, buy it. That's what this rep hobby is about. Some people use it to wear a watch they can't afford. Some buy a rep to see if they'll like the gen. Others, just are watch whores and need everything that ticks on their hand.

sv

 

[sishac]

Good point

Thanks.....I think I'm a watch whore...is that bad though???

 

[brtelec]

It is interesting that you would use the analogy of kit cars. I have been involved with kit cars for many years and more recently with rep watches. I don't know anyone in the kit car hobby that has tried to pass off their car as original nor do I try to convince anyone that my watch is real. If no one asks I do not feel compelled to say. I have never had a replica car personally, I have a Dragonmotorcars series I. But I would think nothing of driving a Cobra replica and I would think nothing of wearing a rep of a $25000- watch. Let them think what they want.

 

[sishac]

Hi, That is a very good point...I used to be heavily into the Mustang scene (I had a 66 Mustang coupe, and now I have a 65 Mustang convertible) and people were always trying to pass off a non-GT car as a GT car. There are ways that a judge can tell 99.9% of the time. Maybe with kit cars, especially Cobras, the kit car market is so well established (even Carroll Shelby builds a kit car these days!!) that it is just part of automotive history.

Well thank you for your comments...I'm one step closer to this beautiful watch decision.

Tom

 

[FETA1]

Hi everyone, I've got a philosophical question for you tonight....would you buy a rep of a watch that in real life you would NEVER be able to afford?

Please note that you could afford the rep, and it would be a good rep too, but its a VERY collectible watch and you know that you would never buy a genuine one....but it would be the same as driving a Cobra kit car....very few people would/could actually drive a real 427 Shelby Cobra on a daily basis (note I said very few people...I have had the pleasure of meeting someone who actually does drive a real 1967 Shelby Cobra daily during the summer.)

Would it feel too bizarre wearing a rep of a terrilby expensive watch?

Thanks

I think the watch has to fit your life style. If someone is wearing a Rolex Daytona rep for example and driving a Ford and living in a small aparement... chances are people will laigh when they see a $20,000.00 watch on your wrist.... my girlfriend's dad is lucky enough to own an original 427 Cobra (he actually has a huge classic and modern car collection)... of course he wears a yellow gold daydate president with diamond hour markers.

Also... I guess it depends if you try and pass the watch off as real...

 

[hooligan]

FETA, please re-size your avatar. :shock:

 

[FETA1]

FETA, please re-size your avatar. :shock:

my bad... i thought it auto re-sized 8)

 

[sishac]

Good Point

Feta, some very good points. Personally I've always felt that it takes a special kind of person to drive/own a vintage car. (or almost anything vintage)..someone who realizes that sometimes things go wrong that you can't do anyting about and also who realizes that you sometimes sacrifice comfort for style (no matter what people say, unless they are modified, most classic cars drive like trucks compared to today's cars!!)

I guess what they say is true...attitued is everything...if you feel confident enough you can pull it off as long as you aren't stupid (that millionaire nextdoor who drives the Ford and lives in an apartment isn't going to wear bling anyway...but they may have a vintage watch that they've had for years, before it was vintage!!)

Thanks for the comments...by the way, I'd love to hear more about the cars!!!

 

[lexxdiamondz]

it all depends if you've gott the swagger.

 

[reprep]

If you are wearing a watch that is WAAAY outside of your economic status, it just SCREAMS fake. I saw a salesman at a Simms discount clothes store my wife frequents wearing a Vacheron Constantin minute repeater (about $40K+ in gen). He was wearing cheap shoes/suit....just looked like a complete joke.

 

[seanf]

I guess I don't agree with the premise of the question. As we're all pretty much watch nerds, I think we sometimes have a tendency to forget that that overwhelming majority of people (a) don't know anything about watches; (b) don't care; and (c) don't know how much watches cost. You take the average guy on the street, and he'll know about Rolex, he'll know it's expensive, but probably won't know how much a Daytona costs. Assuming you've got someonw who does know how much a Rolex costs, it's VERY unlikely they'd know anything about the more expensive brands. How many people do you know that have ever even heard of Vacheron Constantin, AP, Ulysse Nardin, etc. So, under my view, you get the watch you like. I love the VC Overseas, but I couldn't afford the gen. But as no one will have any idea what it is, why should I let that bother me?

 

[Grahamdunn]

I guess I don't agree with the premise of the question. As we're all pretty much watch nerds, I think we sometimes have a tendency to forget that that overwhelming majority of people (a) don't know anything about watches; (b) don't care; and (c) don't know how much watches cost. You take the average guy on the street, and he'll know about Rolex, he'll know it's expensive, but probably won't know how much a Daytona costs. Assuming you've got someonw who does know how much a Rolex costs, it's VERY unlikely they'd know anything about the more expensive brands. How many people do you know that have ever even heard of Vacheron Constantin, AP, Ulysse Nardin, etc. So, under my view, you get the watch you like. I love the VC Overseas, but I couldn't afford the gen. But as no one will have any idea what it is, why should I let that bother me?

Seanf and reprep:

Both of you made good points, so I guess the question is in what environment you wear your watches and what kind of crowd you run with.

If you wear the super expensive watch to work, there are other factors to consider as well -- what is the your profession , and can getting called out and caught with a rep hurt you professionally?

If you are a Simms salesman, the worst effect of getting spotted with a $40K watch is someone having a laugh. But if you are a professional to whom people trust their money, businesses or their life, then getting caught with a fake could have serious career implications.

Goven my profession, I would never ever knowingly wear or own a super-expensive REP. I try to limit my collection to reps of GENs that I could afford in theory...


Grahamdunn

 

[sgv]

Graham...you make some very good points. (Also...you're a good reference to have, in legal terms! hahaha...)

This goes into the whole, "Judging a book by its cover" issue.

I would say that there are many more millionaires who dress like bums, than have great fashion sense and a wonderful wardrobe.

You never can tell why someone buys a watch. They may look at it on a street corner, and thought it looked pretty cool. So they bought it off the little card table for $50. They may have no idea that it was a $40K watch. It looked nice, so they picked it up. This is exactly the premise of the first question. We like watches because they look awesome, and we appreciate their design and the time put into them.

We like reps, because a majority of the people in the world are not dropping $50K on a watch.

On the other hand...who's to say that someone wasn't out in Vegas and had the miracle slot pull and won a million dollars? What do they do? Buy the first flashiest thing they see.

That's why the Ferrari dealership in Wynn outsells all the other dealerships combined. There are so many jackpot-rich people that have a regular life and want something flashy.

We can't criticize someone for wearing a rep. We can only do it, if we are 100% guaranteed it's a rep and they are trying to pass it off as a gen.

sv

 

[Grahamdunn]

sgv,

Thanks, and thants for subtly pointing out that I put too much personal info in my post -- can lose my law license for thsi stuff...post edited)

Dont get me wrong, I am not "laughing" at people with expensive watches who look like they cant afford them. I know quie a few multi-millionaires that look like compelte slobs.

I was talking about the risk, for professionals, of wearing a watch they can't possibly afford to work -- their bosses / coworkers know or guess what they make and likely know if they ever won a jackpot....

Grahamdunn

Graham...you make some very good points. (Also...you're a good reference to have, in legal terms! hahaha...)

This goes into the whole, "Judging a book by its cover" issue.

I would say that there are many more millionaires who dress like bums, than have great fashion sense and a wonderful wardrobe.

You never can tell why someone buys a watch. They may look at it on a street corner, and thought it looked pretty cool. So they bought it off the little card table for $50. They may have no idea that it was a $40K watch. It looked nice, so they picked it up. This is exactly the premise of the first question. We like watches because they look awesome, and we appreciate their design and the time put into them.

We like reps, because a majority of the people in the world are not dropping $50K on a watch.

On the other hand...who's to say that someone wasn't out in Vegas and had the miracle slot pull and won a million dollars? What do they do? Buy the first flashiest thing they see.

That's why the Ferrari dealership in Wynn outsells all the other dealerships combined. There are so many jackpot-rich people that have a regular life and want something flashy.

We can't criticize someone for wearing a rep. We can only do it, if we are 100% guaranteed it's a rep and they are trying to pass it off as a gen.

sv