Watches in Shanghai

Having been to several of those shops (and having purchased watches at several), the quality really is significantly lower. You are saying $50, so lets say 300?. That isn't going to get a good watch at those shops. look at where the stem enters the case, typically it will have no sealing at all (there are exceptions). The movements will be a lower grade.

There are exceptions; however, based on experience, the TD's here are generally better in quality and very close on price. As long as you are in China, watch station (a TD here) provides a very good price. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy hitting the back street shops too; but don't expect great deals. I feel I get better deals from the Grand Mosque district in Xian; but I am there less often.

last year i bought a couple watches from guangzhou market.
the quality is not bad, you have to dig well though, but in general it won't be a great quality like the ones you get here, that's for sure.
but it's fun to go there and spend sometime, you never know what you can find.

To be frank OP you got conned. You paid $40 more for it than I'd want to. But that's also the inexperience talking
There's novelty in buying this stuff from shady back alley shops but that's.just nasty. I don't even know what Gen it's trying to Rep but the crown and pushers are nasty. The movement is very poorly finished and looks like the cheap A21J with minimal decoration to me.

It's ok though you're in the right place do your research and check.the TDs there are super reps as low as 200 nulls on the m2m section