Why are replicas so overpriced?

[G]

I don't get it. Why do you all spend upwards of 100s of dollars on fake watches? Don't we all know that they are really worth maybe $50 at most, no matter what it is, i.e. ULTIMATE or 1:1 replica? They are all the same. If you look at some pictures around the web, you will see the insane shipments of replica watches (couldn't find the certain pic that amazed me, but I remember seeing giant spilled over crates of Rolex replicas). Everyone knows that a replica does not last long compared to a real watch, so what is the point of spending so much (no matter what is WRITTEN about the watch on the website). It is to my understanding that all of these replica watches come from the same Chinese factories that use cheap materials. If it is not real, why spend so much money on it?

No offense is meant in the above writings. I need reassurance, I am not saying don't buy reps.

 

[alvinado]

it depends, pieces like the ap roo seconds at 12 and the hublot full ceramic are worth the 400-600usd you pay for it, it is about the make and materials coupled wit the movement too.

 

[Anopsis]

I don't get it. Why do you all spend upwards of 100s of dollars on fake watches?

All my watches are real. Every single one keeps time just the same as any other watch.

Don't we all know that they are really worth maybe $50 at most, no matter what it is, i.e. ULTIMATE or 1:1 replica? They are all the same.

No, they are most definitely NOT all the same. I have multiple versions of the same model and I can tell you first hand there is a major difference in quality between some of these.

Everyone knows that a replica does not last long compared to a real watch

This is not necessarily true, and I believe it's improving all the time. There are people on this forum that have reps that have been running for 20 years. Ok, a gen may last 200 years but who is honestly gonna care? Most of us won't be around that long.

It is to my understanding that all of these replica watches come from the same Chinese factories that use cheap materials.

Factories, plural. This is one of the reasons why quality varies. Different factory, different quality product. It's almost like you're saying that Chinese factories can't make anything nice because they use cheap materials. Not really true, or fair for that matter.

No offense is meant in the above writings. I need reassurance, I am not saying don't buy reps.

None taken on my part. Friendly discourse is always welcomed.

 

[jack_bauer]

"Expensive" is relative. I don't mind paying $300 for a DSN Panerai that's 99% of the real deal at 5% of the cost. The Canal street junk is cheap Chinese factory stuff, but reps like the AP seconds at 12 line, the WM9 line, DSN, Sead PAMs, etc. are made from quality materials and you can see where your money goes when you compare a canal street rep with a high end rep with the gen.

If all else fails, vote with your wallet and you don't have to buy reps if you think they're expensive or overpriced. For me, it's money well spent.

I think a better question is why are GENs so expensive? $11k for a glorified 7753 in a Panerai chrono? Are you kidding me?

 

[G]

So why can't I find any watch that I want around the $100 mark? I am looking for a Rolex Daytona with a working chrono, a Sub w/ gold, or a GMT II. All of the watches on the websites of the trusted dealers such as Rolex and Panerai that I am looking for cost at least $200-$400, and there is definitely no way I could get the watch I want the most, the AP ROO, at a reasonable price. By the way, when buying a gold-plated watch, how can I assess the quality of the plating just by looking at the picture?

 

[CobraComander]

I have a Rolex Sub I bought in Korea in 1997 that still works and I paid $20 bucks for it.

 

[drivesick]

G, your statement doesn't make much sense. I'm not bashing what you're saying so please don't go crazy on me. You said that the reps are only worth $50 or so, so why do we spend hundreds on them. First off, value is what the consumer is willing to pay for the item. Simple supply and demand. There seems to be a demand even with what seems like an endless supply of the reps.

Let's also talk about value and pricing. There are a lot of gens that I personally don't think is worth the price they are selling for. A few examples would be the Gen Panerais that aren't made out of precious metals (Gold, platinum, etc.) just mostly steel/titanium and are selling for $4k to as much as $22k for the 127. Same goes for the gen Hublot BB which retail for $8k+ and use the same materials (Steel, ceramic, etc.)as the $500 -$700 reps do. The engine Hublot uses is a Swiss ETA 7750 which is about a $500 pc. Don't get me wrong, some of the gens do use gold, platinum, and diamonds which make them worth a lot more. That or you can at least justify the price because of the materials. You can't really make a rep Rolex day/date model close to a gen because of the gold or platinum. So maybe those are really worth the $15k + they command.

What I've personally found dealing with the gens and reps is the re-sale for the reps seem to hold up better than the gens. Yes it's on a different level of price, just talking percentages. I've sold gens for almost half of what I paid for them from an AD just in a couple years. I don't expect selling a rep for half of what I paid unless it's broken. This doesn't happen for all gens but most of them will fall in that category.

Anyway, whatever you decide. Welcome!

G, after seeing your last post. Seems like you want the best for nothing. I myself would love to buy something for 1/100 the price of an Aston Martin DBS. It needs to look 95% to the gen and still run. We both know it's never going to happen.

 

[deloreandmc]

there is one reason i buy reps

i could either buy a genuine audemars piguet EOD, $53,000 USD

or I could buy a rep, for about $108 with a quartz movement that will last as long as I need, why buy one that you wont be able to see where it ends up? you will be long gone by the time it dies

 

[DenfromNM]

I say if I'm paying a hundred and change for an homage piece, I might as well get a rep for the same price.

 

[G]

Without any information known about the watch, how much would you guys believe this watch to be worth? http://s242.photobucket.com/albums/ff194/hontwatch/Rolex/?action=view&current=DSC01518.jpg
I don't know what the movement is or anything, I don't even know if the 24 hour hand works, although I am assuming it does.
By the way, I know how much it costs, I just want to see what others think it is worth.

 

[fakemaster]

Ahh another one of these tired old threads.

So why can't I find any watch that I want around the $100 mark? I am looking for a Rolex Daytona with a working chrono,

Good luck with that.

 

[jwortho]

You need to read a lot about what goes into gens and reps then make your choice. A rep with a swiss ETA or even an A7750 that is serviced is an excellent investment for a fashion statement / timepiece. I own gens and reps with equal enjoyment. My DW 6265 V72 is as perfect a rep of a $27,000 1982 vintage Daytona as they get and I get to wear a true classic for $2500 ( and it is in better shape than most gens). The guts of many reps is the same - albeit unbranded - as the gen. $50 won't get you sh!t, but $300 will get a quality mechanical watch if selected well. And just for the record I have a franken Rolex Explorer 2 that is amazing, AND with servicing cost less than the AD service charge to maintain my gen Yachtmaster.

A well made, well selected, and well maintained rep is a much better value than most gens. And I will bet you a pile of money that you couldn't tell the difference between half of the reps sold here and the equivalent gen without loupes and the case open.

Welcome to a great hobby.

 

[Vert]

It's all relative and based on the quality of the rep. Value is indicated by supply vs demand. Since the reps we like are more or less considered status symbols (IMHO) and often wearable art it makes sense for the factories to maximize their profit on these watches by selling at a price point the market will bare. If a quality Roo wouldn't sell for $400 on up the price would come down just as the market would dictate but as you can see a good Roo has no trouble selling often for more than twice that. Much like a $700 iPhone, sure you can buy a phone for less but the market on Apple phones keeps the demand for them up just like a quality rep. You're setting yourself up for a bad experience if you don't do your homework before buying a rep. Everything you would ever want to know is located here. This site contains information that is the equivalent of a masters degree in reps. You should do more research and then decide if this is the right thing for you.

Vert

 

[acharria]

What a great answers you can find in this thread...
Long ones like Anopsis and short ones like deloreandmc...
Anyway, i think the OP needs to read a lot more about this hobbie...
Good luck.

 

[COLDI]

I wouldnt buy a full god watch. It will fade and then REALLY look fake...not a good idea

 

[tommy_boy]

Hont's Explorer is worth whatever the market will bear.

Really, do some more research and buy a rep from one of our dealers.

Watches are just too personal for any of our opinions to matter anyone other than he who states his opinion.

And that is my opinion.

 

[If you see Kay]

if you think replicas are so overpriced, wait till you spend money on a Gen. then you can say: "Why are gens so overpriced?"

$200, $300, and even upwards to the $400 price isn't all that expensive, when compared to gen prices.

Come by and visit Vancouver. Then you can say, why are sht box houses so overpriced?

 

[seanf]

G, I understand (I think) where you're coming from. Prior to finding this forum, I would imagine your primary experience with reps was probably with cheap junk, or what we call "Canal Street quality" (after a street in New York City that is infamous for selling junk reps. And if you were to go out on the streets of New York, or LA, or Chicago and find a shady looking dude selling "Rolexes" out of a trench coat, that's likely what you'd still find.

But a lot of the stuff you'll see on the trusted dealers' websites is a completely different caliber of product. It would be like comparing a 1917 bi-plane with a brand new Lear jet. The difference can really be that pronounced.

I'll give you an example. One of the more popular reps is the Hublot Big Bang, or HBB. When the HBB rep first came out, they were hugely expensive because some of the materials--primarily the bezel, I think--were defacto Hublot parts. Hublot learned, the hard way, that if you outsource manufacturing of certain components to China, then there is a pretty good chance those exact same components will end up in reps.

The other thing to bear in mind is the movement. If you get an ETA or (more likely) an ETA clone, understand that you are, in essence, buying more or less the same movement that is in the gen watch. That's not always the case, and it depends on the watch manufacturer, but for years, ETA supplied ALL movements to about 60% to 70% of the entire high end watch companies. That is in the process of changing this year, but since most of the ETA movement are out of patent now, several Chinese companies (notably Sollita) have come out with movements that are virtually identical to ETAs.

So what I'm saying, albeit in a long winded way, is that you need to adjust your expectations for reps. If you pay $50 for a rep, you'll get a rep that is worth about $50 (or less). If you pay more, you'll generally get more.

 

[seank]

@G These questions are a bit contradictory. You're asking why we pay so much for reps then ask why the one you want is so expensive. If the one you want is 250.00 to 300.00 and you can't find the one you want for a 100.00 you buy the one you want for 300.00 if you can afford it.

I will say that after winning an ebay bid for a Citizen Pro Master Carbon for 195.00 paying 300.00 bucks for a rep is difficult but if I had the dough I'd still have 17 pieces.




Sean K

 

[alvinado]

Without any information known about the watch, how much would you guys believe this watch to be worth?
I don't know what the movement is or anything, I don't even know if the 24 hour hand works, although I am assuming it does.
By the way, I know how much it costs, I just want to see what others think it is worth.

we will not know what it is worth until we know the movement inside.

An asian 21j version of this watch (the gold gmt)-(100-140)
Clone Eta 180-240
Swiss eta 240-300

and bud seriously the answers are all over the board, take your time to read. You cannot say there is no infomation, information is all over the board.