Why buy gens?

[Karbon74]

I posted ONE add.... ONE. and you blasted at me and banned me instead of reaching out and advise what's wrong with my add. I would have complied immediately, if asked ...

I robbed ONE bank... ONE and you arrested me and put me in jail instead of reaching out and advise what's wrong with my money collection. I would have complied immediately, if asked...

 

[Granater123]

I purchased a few reps, and now that I think about it, none of them survived without major surgery.

Rolex VSF needed a cannon pinion change (minutes slowing behind ) , Chopard mille miglia gts had a broken chronograph cam, and Breitling Chronomat 42 ( on mywrist now) had all sorts of problems with the movement (escape wheel, reversing wheel locked up, etc) and I ended up buying a movement of ebay for 110 bucks and replaced it completely. so yeah, I also learned watch repair by buying reps I am now servicing all my watches, including the gens.

Beauty with the gens, is ; you can always send them to the manufacturer for a full revamp.
Cheers

Ooohhh so you don’t talk very highly about reps it sounds like from the start. But with some tweaking they’re ok?

This is a bit of a tough question that I'm sure many people have to mull over for quite some time. First and foremost my suggestion is being cognizant of the nuances of each rep, and understand that differences in brand, model and the rep factory you're getting the rep from play a large part not just in the movement under the hood, but also the look. Different factories product minutely different iterations of the 'same watch' from one another, and even over time the same factory may slightly improve the look (take Clean's GMT Master II BLNR V2 that CTime posted about within the last week).

Movement of course plays a large role in what you choose. The more money you spend on a 'closer' clone movement, the closer the overall feel is to a gen article but depending on what you're going for, there still may not be that perfect 1:1 you may be looking for. Nice example, again, being for the GMT Master II's and the newly release DD3285 movement. Prior to this release I believe (may be wrong) but we were relying on 3125 movements, just with 3285 markings instead. This is for a terribly popular watch and a movement that I think was released 5 years ago. Depending on the brand and the age of the model you're after, there may be an even bigger difference between current top-end rep movement and gen movements.

Tangentially related to this is your other question about repairs. From my understanding there is a growing number of decent to excellent watch-smiths/watch repair services for the rep community/market. I am not too knowledgeable on this at the moment, but there is some genuine hope to be had that if your watch breaks down you can get it repaired by someone with the required knowledge, skills, and willingness. Movement accuracy to source material and whether a given rep movement can house gen parts is also something to consider, if you fancy that. I can't speak to how expensive it is to repair these reps, but having dealt with having to repair my own gen articles, I'd like to think here too the rep market is relatively cheaper than repairing gen. Maybe not always as easily sourced, I'm unsure. But the market is there, and it seems as if savvy watch-smiths have picked up on that.

So.. in short, read up on the particular rep you're after, compare different factories and movements if applicable. Be aware that repairing isn't impossible, but don't fool yourself into thinking that a rep (that are not as meticulously put together as gen) will give out at the same time as a gen and need some servicing at similar intervals.

Depending on your situation, it may be worth it to buy a 'superfranken' or something from this forum, that features a lot of high quality gen parts, has recently been taken care of and serviced by a previously loving owner. Or perhaps by yourself a "run-of-the-mill" rep from a TD and find a willing and skilled smith to get it proofed, cleaned, make sure it's starting off its life on your wrist on the right foot.

In my opinion the major draw to gen articles at this point is appreciation (resale value), and ease of repairs (don't have to look high and low for a rep repair artist). You don't have to try as hard to get it serviced, and if you're into tried and true models of steel Rolex, it'll be worth more on your wrist in 5-10 years than it is today. If you're going for the look, similar feel, and don't mind a bit of extra research and work on your part, you can get a rep for 1/10th of the cost or more. Depending, of course.

Really appreciate the reply sir!
Yes the franken has caught my eye the only thing is that each gen part no matter how small brings the price up significantly so even if it’s 1/10 it might be off an original price of 15 000$.

But I will one day get me a rep of something cool that won’t make me look like a con artist. Rolex everyone in my friend circle know about and it’s to much of a status symbol. But they’re the ones that are the best replicated it sounds like…

Will maybe hold off and see if some new movements pop up. Otherwise replacing a movement with a simple one off eBay might be an idea.

 

[restandrelaxation]

Ooohhh so you don’t talk very highly about reps it sounds like from the start. But with some tweaking they’re ok?


Really appreciate the reply sir!
Yes the franken has caught my eye the only thing is that each gen part no matter how small brings the price up significantly so even if it’s 1/10 it might be off an original price of 15 000$.

But I will one day get me a rep of something cool that won’t make me look like a con artist. Rolex everyone in my friend circle know about and it’s to much of a status symbol. But they’re the ones that are the best replicated it sounds like…

Will maybe hold off and see if some new movements pop up. Otherwise replacing a movement with a simple one off eBay might be an idea.

Definitely not only Rolex.
There is a list here on our forum of watches that are considered to be 'NWBIG' not worth buying in gen because the rep is so good.

I'll see if I can find it and link you in.....

Edit to add:

[CONSENSUAL LIST] Super Reps NWBIGs

I decided to create a list with two categories. NWBIGs and Super Rep NWBIGs. Many people talk about AAA+ or 1:1 out there. I, and maybe a lot of people here, believed, long time ago, that this actually meant something. I was a newbie in this exciting world of Replicas. I also noticed that...

forum.replica-watch.info

 

[Thatwatchguy]

I posted ONE add.... ONE. and you blasted at me and banned me instead of reaching out and advise what's wrong with my add. I would have complied immediately, if asked ...

I think your anger at me is misplaced, I’m not the staff member who put you on that status or even a mod.

 

[MagicJ]

I think your anger at me is misplaced, I’m not the staff member who put you on that status or even a mod.

 

[g00n]

I think your anger at me is misplaced, I’m not the staff member who put you on that status or even a mod.

 

[meloEU]

It is a great way to test out the look of the rep before you go on the hunt for the gen.

 

[Jxwatch1]

Sometimes the thrill of the build is more satisfying…looking searching building and personalizing…vs the thrill of the grey market/dealer hunt.

Conversely, other times, the thrill and feeling of being lucky to get retail price vs a getting a rep is better.

 

[RSboom123]

It's simply a case of likes vs economics. I like watches, I like a variety of watches. Different days I want to wear different watches. With reps I can afford a wide array of makes and models, with gens I "might" be able to afford one watch and more than likely it would be used. So all snobishness aside it's about what each individual likes and wants.

 

[KermitTheFrog]

This week I’m buying a Bell & Ross BR03-94 Golden Heritage. It’s affordable (about €3900), and I have the feeling that brand might go up in price, judging by their new line of BR05, which is more expensive already. Also think the golden heritage model could be a future classic, styling-wise

 

[6246jacko]

I agree with you regarding the fact not many people probably know where to find or how to buy the best reps. However, having owned a couple of the best reps out there they serve a great purpose and are fantastic for many reasons.

However, taking the investment debate to one side a lot of people buy gens to signify certain things. This doesn't have to have any significance to others but for example upon the birth of a child or a certain life event. Every time they wear the watch or look at the watch its a reminder of that important time. Obviously this is only one of many reasons and does not apply to everyone, if we were all the same the world would be a boring place!

 

[Torque124]

Ooohhh so you don’t talk very highly about reps it sounds like from the start. But with some tweaking they’re ok?

Yep; as I said, some are very very nice. I managed to fix my Breitling Chronomat B01 42 replica (from 2 chinese movements I made one good working) , and it became one of my favorite watches. Not because it is the nicest, but because I put it together myself, and managed to adjust it to -4 +10 seconds a day, *almost* Chronometre Certifie land

Some of the things said here are true; it's good to get a rep for cheaper before splashing for the real thing. Or just because you like it.
Just be aware that it might not be as reliable as the gen unless some work is done... In US, I recommend somalcanada for a rep watch repair if you dont' DYI.

I had a Chopard Mille Miglia GTS rep which broke down (chrono cam came loose, one of the screws snapped) and I fixed, , cleaned and oiled with Moebius synthetic oils. It became a truly working reliable watch (chrono included). I liked it so much that I sold the rep here and bought the genuine. (- that was before the hoards of angry dogs banned me - )

So I definitely like the reps too.
Good luck in your venture

 

[KermitTheFrog]

However, taking the investment debate to one side a lot of people buy gens to signify certain things.

As in my case .. for my 50th birthday

 

[MILO2023]

As far as I'm concerned, having a GEN satisfies me in the sense of having an object of art, manufactured by specialists with complications and made with rare and precious materials, and thus adhering to a history, recognising a know-how and 'offering oneself a legend.
A unique cult object, which comes at a high price, but that's the price of exclusivity.
And it becomes the object of your own history that you can pass on to your descendants.

However, this object, which you venerate, requires particular care and attention. This makes it very comfortable to use and own.
Given the financial sacrifice involved (even if you have money), the slightest scratch becomes a heartbreaker. And what about the stress of a burglary or assault?
So you put your GEN in your safe at the bank.
And you wear superb Rep's, some of them well made, robust and so beautiful , that they will satisfy you without risk, and you can also have several ... your wallet is happy (your wife too)....

 

[Karbon74]

For me, gens and reps are two different products altogether that fulfill different needs

 

[1016_idiot_savant]

Because the gens I like are built by elves in Swiss mountain villages. Unfortunately for me I’m allergic to elves, so I need to build them myself.

 

[MILO2023]

For me, gens and reps are two different products altogether that fulfill different needs

Agreed !
Both motivated by the same passion (at least I hope so ...)

 

[tkingjr]

I have both Gen's and Rep's but I enjoy the hunt for the best Rep more.

 

[MILO2023]

I have both Gen's and Rep's but I enjoy the hunt for the best Rep more.

Completely agree with that !! In fact it's a new passion for me! and I really enjoy it.....

 

[Karbon74]

Because the gens I like are built by elves in Swiss mountain villages. Unfortunately for me I’m allergic to elves, so I need to build them myself.

or you are an abandoned elf