My gens are either solid gold or not repped properly. Everything else, reps until I find one I love too much.
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Why buy gens?
- Thread starter OcarinaOfTime
- Start date
Tony-Soprano
Ducks 🦆 | Traveler 🌍 |Frankens ⌚
Fortunately haven't needed service bought it with a fresh service so not there yet but I also don't take any of my gens to the AD I have my own watchmaker do the work for me because I am impatient and would not wait 3 months lol. Sorry to hear you're going through that mess! Now getting a Rolex... yeah if the AD get their heads out their ass lol. I do have a 16234 though and same deal send it to my watchmaker would hate for Rolex to change out my parts!
Tony-Soprano
Ducks 🦆 | Traveler 🌍 |Frankens ⌚
100% This if we are looking at price point and quality Rep over homage for sure!
Tony-Soprano
Ducks 🦆 | Traveler 🌍 |Frankens ⌚
Yeah that's a bummer! Have you attempted to source the part yourself secondhand and be like HERE fix it lol
Nope, I was just told it was an hour wheel that they ordered. The shop is an hour and a half away so it’s inconvenient to go back and forth to
Tony-Soprano
Ducks 🦆 | Traveler 🌍 |Frankens ⌚
Oh yeah def not worth the hassle! Where in FL is it assume you may not be in Miami if not things would be easier, northern FL?
The shop is in Central FL. If I were in Miami maybe it would’ve been easier
Bankshee10
UndefeatedCAYO
I believe some people buy genuine watches because they need this feeling of having something « real » on their wrist … I know a lot of people who, could not accept the fact of having a fake watch as they would, by deduction, feel « fake ». On the other side, there are some people, like most of the members of this forum who can totally overpass this feeling and can feel the same way / confidence when wearing a fake compared to a genuine watch…
I believe that it is not a matter of quality, but more a matter of what do people think of themselves when wearing a fake watch.
NB : A lot of people will also not buy fake watches because they believe in the operation of marketing that the « big brands » are doing which consists of promoting the true watches by saying that the fake watches will finance terrorism / drug market and some customers will not want to participate in, what seems to their eyes, to be an help to these people.
dynastydoc
I like meteorite....
I got a gen explorer II for graduation from my parents and spent many years not wearing it because it felt too expensive and precious for my young self. Now i wear it without much of a thought, maybe the people around me are wealthier so it normalized it. I honestly don’t love the look and would probably sell it and buy something else if it wasn’t a gift from my parents. Also having had the experience of the feel of gen I guess I’m not feeling like I’m missing something.
I recently got into the rep game and honestly it’s a lot of fun. For one, I don’t worry nearly as much about wearing a sub 1k rep. Also I’ve dreamed about having a meteorite Rolex since I was a child but would never be able to spend 50-100k on a watch. So buying a rep(even if meteorite reps aren’t that close to gen) gives me somewhat of the experience that I would never be able to have anyway. I like the look of watches and every time I look at that meteorite dial I’m in awe.
I recently got into the rep game and honestly it’s a lot of fun. For one, I don’t worry nearly as much about wearing a sub 1k rep. Also I’ve dreamed about having a meteorite Rolex since I was a child but would never be able to spend 50-100k on a watch. So buying a rep(even if meteorite reps aren’t that close to gen) gives me somewhat of the experience that I would never be able to have anyway. I like the look of watches and every time I look at that meteorite dial I’m in awe.
A Galbee would use a top grade ETA movement of some sort., depending on size of the watch. Really shouldn't be hard to source a hour wheel for any decent watchsmith and definitely not limited to Cartier for supply. Now, if you were talking about some their new stuff or serious haute horlogerie pieces, it would be a different matter of course
- 25/9/22
- 5,212
- 14,268
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If it's under warranty -> send to authorized retailer or brand to repair, literally no reason not to use the warranty
If not -> certified watch maker (cheaper) unless it's a piece with broken parts that can only be sourced by the brand
If I am to believe all the shop is telling me , they are in the process of repairing under warranty with official parts from Cartier. It’s unfortunate this place is the only shop around with a Cartier account I’m getting older and older by the minute waiting for them. I sure hope after all of this, the watch doesn’t have to go back for a third time. Ugh.
redj0hn
Getting To Know The Place
- 26/5/24
- 92
- 17
- 8
I've never owned a Rep before, but I finally pulled the trigger on two and would like to share my motivation and thought process of both a Rep and a Gen.
Why buy a Rep?
I've had my eye on buying a Rolex 116500LN with a white dial (a very popular Daytona) for over six years. In 2018, I was in Italy and visited a Rolex AD in Florence. I loved the watch; it looked great, felt great, and was about $12,000 USD. However, I didn't make the purchase and continued my vacation.
In late 2019, I came across the Panda again at a local AD in Aruba but still didn't pull the trigger. Less than a year later, COVID-19 rolled over the world, and something crazy happened in the Gen world, especially with the 116500LN. ADs everywhere no longer had the watch available, and grey market prices soared dramatically over retail. Despite my relationship with a local Rolex AD where I’ve bought two Submariners, I never received a call when an allocation came in.
Fast forward to 2024. My Subs get nice wrist time, but I still wanted a Panda. However, I couldn't justify spending 2.5x retail on the watch in good conscience. So, I ordered two Reps: a Panda and a black dial. I've done the QC on both and am now awaiting the shipping notice. Shout out to @CTime and @psychospike (ChazingTime), who both have made my entry into the Rep world a smooth experience so far, and I’m very excited to have two quality Reps in my collection.
I also want to thank the forums and members here for the amazing content!
Why buy a Gen
My wife likes purses and shoes; I like watches. The Gen versions of my favorite watches last a lifetime, and many hold their value and even appreciate! I feel comfortable that repairs and service are easier to handle than with a Rep. Additionally, there's a sense of satisfaction from working hard, saving my hard-earned money, and finally achieving the goal of acquiring a nice Gen. Owning a Gen is also about the pride of ownership and the joy of having a piece that represents a significant achievement and personal milestone.
Why buy a Rep?
I've had my eye on buying a Rolex 116500LN with a white dial (a very popular Daytona) for over six years. In 2018, I was in Italy and visited a Rolex AD in Florence. I loved the watch; it looked great, felt great, and was about $12,000 USD. However, I didn't make the purchase and continued my vacation.
In late 2019, I came across the Panda again at a local AD in Aruba but still didn't pull the trigger. Less than a year later, COVID-19 rolled over the world, and something crazy happened in the Gen world, especially with the 116500LN. ADs everywhere no longer had the watch available, and grey market prices soared dramatically over retail. Despite my relationship with a local Rolex AD where I’ve bought two Submariners, I never received a call when an allocation came in.
Fast forward to 2024. My Subs get nice wrist time, but I still wanted a Panda. However, I couldn't justify spending 2.5x retail on the watch in good conscience. So, I ordered two Reps: a Panda and a black dial. I've done the QC on both and am now awaiting the shipping notice. Shout out to @CTime and @psychospike (ChazingTime), who both have made my entry into the Rep world a smooth experience so far, and I’m very excited to have two quality Reps in my collection.
I also want to thank the forums and members here for the amazing content!
Why buy a Gen
My wife likes purses and shoes; I like watches. The Gen versions of my favorite watches last a lifetime, and many hold their value and even appreciate! I feel comfortable that repairs and service are easier to handle than with a Rep. Additionally, there's a sense of satisfaction from working hard, saving my hard-earned money, and finally achieving the goal of acquiring a nice Gen. Owning a Gen is also about the pride of ownership and the joy of having a piece that represents a significant achievement and personal milestone.
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Oldenbarnevelt
Getting To Know The Place
After buying my first (mediocre at best) rep I am convinced that for some watches it is just NWBIG. I feel zero difference in experience between my Gen and my Rep.
This is however mostly Rolex. There are several reasons to buy Rolex Rep.
1. Like I said, little to no difference in experience.
2. Rolex is the only brand with this level of quality reps.
3. Steel casebacks helps uphold the illusion. With a transparant caseback you can see the shitty rep movement (unless you Franken). This messes with my head and makes me enjoy the rep less.
4. The Rolex hype makes it impossible to buy Gen for a reasonable price. I'm on the hypetrain without breaking the bank.
5. No worries about damaging the watch.
6. I've always been a bang for buck kind of guy ( meaning I like quality for a reasonable price; no I won't bang you for a buck). Reps give me a 40000 euro experience for less than a 1000 euro.
Reasons to buy GEN
1. My blue Air King 14000 is not available in Rep. Franken would make it almost as costly as gen. Plus I love the quartz like accuracy of the movement. This is something that annoys me in my rep. It runs 15 seconds fast, which is to me is way too much.
2. Watches in which the movement is a work of art (Lange, JLC) are a no-go. Unless they are repped to perfection, which in the case of Lange will never happen. Currently Lange is out of reach. If it wasn't, I would buy Gen and happily put it next to a REP submariner in my watchcase.
This is however mostly Rolex. There are several reasons to buy Rolex Rep.
1. Like I said, little to no difference in experience.
2. Rolex is the only brand with this level of quality reps.
3. Steel casebacks helps uphold the illusion. With a transparant caseback you can see the shitty rep movement (unless you Franken). This messes with my head and makes me enjoy the rep less.
4. The Rolex hype makes it impossible to buy Gen for a reasonable price. I'm on the hypetrain without breaking the bank.
5. No worries about damaging the watch.
6. I've always been a bang for buck kind of guy ( meaning I like quality for a reasonable price; no I won't bang you for a buck). Reps give me a 40000 euro experience for less than a 1000 euro.
Reasons to buy GEN
1. My blue Air King 14000 is not available in Rep. Franken would make it almost as costly as gen. Plus I love the quartz like accuracy of the movement. This is something that annoys me in my rep. It runs 15 seconds fast, which is to me is way too much.
2. Watches in which the movement is a work of art (Lange, JLC) are a no-go. Unless they are repped to perfection, which in the case of Lange will never happen. Currently Lange is out of reach. If it wasn't, I would buy Gen and happily put it next to a REP submariner in my watchcase.
This has always been the essence of buying gen watches to me since I’ve been able to afford them, and it’s also part of London wanker culture.
I bought an iteration of the gen DJ Rolex over which I had lusted since my teens to celebrate a career milestone… then I sold it, and came back here.
I very unintentionally found myself attending the final throes of a not major but certainly not irrelevant six figure deal in board shorts and a t shirt one day when a deal was brought forward unexpectedly a few years ago.
The counterparty and I started chatting first about our respective, very non-British accents, then got on to watches - he had an Omega, and I had a Sub, and like the then undiagnosed ADHD case I was, I chatted watches with him for quite a while, interspersed with what I was actually there to do work on with him. I left with the deal done. He didn’t ask if my Rolex was genuine, and I didn’t ask if his Omega was genuine, funnily enough.
The Rolexes, Pateks, APs, and similar tier luxury watches worn in inner London are the standard means of conveying to others one of two things…
One is nepotism - “my parents are intergenerational level well off, and I’m signalling this by wearing my luxury timepiece in tandem with a signet ring showing off my College of Arms scrivened family crest.”
The other one is the rite of passage - it evidences success and suffering (contextually speaking) - “I’ve done a high quantum, successful deal of some kind work-wise - and the extent to which my overstuffed London pay packet suffered is advertised to you by reference to the watch I’m wearing telling you how big that deal was”.
I got to London later than most in my career and I just liked Rolexes without understanding these dynamics… and while I blundered along for a few years semi oblivious to these signals, I certainly benefited from the swagger it gave me, and how others elected to interpret what they saw.
Benefit of hindsight being what it is, I am absolutely convinced that the TC sub on my wrist and how it and my conversation with the counterparty on that deal was interpreted played a major role in letting me get away with my board shorts and t shirt on that deal as a first point, and me getting things to final and bringing that paperwork back signed overall as a second point.
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Hi. I'm new at this - but enthusiastic none the less! So I'd like to ask this as a question please. Does this make sense?
When I'm traveling internationally I'll travel with one of my gens - mostly Breitling. I register the gen with customs before I leave. Why risk any delays or other issues with customs?
I'm picking up my first Rep to see if I really like the watch. If I do, and depending on how much then I can consider picking up the Gen and flipping the Rep.
Does this make sense?
When I'm traveling internationally I'll travel with one of my gens - mostly Breitling. I register the gen with customs before I leave. Why risk any delays or other issues with customs?
I'm picking up my first Rep to see if I really like the watch. If I do, and depending on how much then I can consider picking up the Gen and flipping the Rep.
Does this make sense?
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Oldenbarnevelt
Getting To Know The Place
Funny. I've worn an elegant blue Air King 14000 for over 18 months, no compliments or remarks what so ever.
I 've had my fake Sub - which everyone and their gran has - for like a week and two people have already complimented me on what a great watch I'm wearing.
Gives me Matrix vibes.
I 've had my fake Sub - which everyone and their gran has - for like a week and two people have already complimented me on what a great watch I'm wearing.
Gives me Matrix vibes.