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Buying replica watches?

hobo

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I have never owned a fake watch and I am committed to not buying/wearing fake clothing.

That said, I have been searching around on the internet for watches and have come across some watches that cost more $ than I would ever even imagine spending on a watch. I have also searched around and read on styleforum about watches and imitation watches.

It seems that many people say that this is a style don't, and other people say it doesn't matter.

First off, as far as I'm concerned, in the circles that I run in, nobody will recognize that a watch I am wearing is a watch that costs tens of thousands of dollars, much less that it is an imitation of such a creation. I just want it to look good and I like the look of some of the very high end watches, but don’t care and will never bring myself to dump that kind of cash on one.

Assuming that I only care that it looks good, is made well, and tells time, will it matter if I buy and use a replica watch?

When I say "made well", I don't mean "are the movements or quartz a work of art" because I don't care at all about that as long as it keeps time correctly and doesn’t appear to be poorly made or obviously low quality. When I say "made well", I mean "at least as good as the Seikos and Citizens I own," or "not a piece of crap that will fall apart".

If I decide that I would like to buy a/some replica watch(es), what should I look out for, and where will I be able to find the best quality and most accurate items? I hear that there are some amazingly good copies out there. Also, for the prices that these run for, I expect and would like to purchase a decently made product that I will be able to wear, instead of being disappointed with the quality and having to throw it away immediately. I would probably be making a purchase through the internet (as I imagine I would have a hard time finding this kind of thing at a brick and mortar).
 

skalogre

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Here is the thing; if you want a certain "look" you don't have to go for a fake. Many of teh well known designs, such as many Omega & Rolex, were designs that either they themselves copied from others or other legitimate manufacturers adapted to their stuff.
Avoid replicas. For one, you never know what you are getting. There is also something, well, "off" about getting a watch that says, say, Rolex on it when it is not. If you really want some watches that look like known designs, go for stuff like what is sold by Alpha. Most of the movements are decent ones (some even have the SeaGull ST19 column wheel chrono - a rarity nowadays - which is actually very good), a Miyota movment or a Chinese copy of the old 175... plus they have a warranty and they are inexpensive.
There are also sellers on eBay like Military Watches Mall that have decent watches that look like Military Dive watches that are inexpensive and well put together, without the CWC costs...
Or look at the Invicta divers, or the Seiko Monsters (excellent watches, btw although I don't own one).

I am sure others here can also point you in the right direction, there are also places like http://www.pmwf.com, and http://www.watchuseek.com with lots fo good info...
 

sygyzy

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There's a difference between replica and "inspired."

There are only a handful of classic watch designs so it's no surprise that they get copied alot. It's not a big deal but like skalogre says, go for the look rather than a fake.
 

acidboy

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I dont understand when did "fake rip-offs" became "replica watches". They are what they are- counterfeits.

There are a lot of good watches out there dictated by your budget. Even the "Seikos and Citizens" have watches that are highly raved by WIS. And another thing: even if you think that the circle you're in won't recognize an expensive watch, I don't think it would be far off for them to realize the disparity between your income and the price of an expensive Swiss watch. Besides, wearing a fake is all about fooling yourself.
 

hobo

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Originally Posted by acidicboy
I dont understand when did "fake rip-offs" became "replica watches". They are what they are- counterfeits.

There are a lot of good watches out there dictated by your budget. Even the "Seikos and Citizens" have watches that are highly raved by WIS. And another thing: even if you think that the circle you're in won't recognize an expensive watch, I don't think it would be far off for them to realize the disparity between your income and the price of an expensive Swiss watch. Besides, wearing a fake is all about fooling yourself.

Well, when I was looking for counterfeit fake rip-offs on the internet, I found a lot of sites calling them replicas.

Secondly, if nobody in my circles will recognize a $20k watch, they won't have the opportunity to realize the disparity between my income and an expensive watch. But it's not like I'd care even if somebody did recognize the watch - I would not hesitate to admit that it was an imitation.
 

visionology

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Someone showed me a link to a place that makes $1500 Rolex replicas that are exact in every way except that they use a Swiss ETA 25-jewel or Valjoux 31-jewel movement. They use real Sapphire crystals, solid 440 grade bracelet and case back, threaded links, and even use the same engraving and holograms. Pretty crazy the detail they go to for a replica. I'd like to see one for myself to compare it to the Canal St. knockoffs we had a good laugh at last month.
 

acidboy

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Originally Posted by hobo
Well, when I was looking for counterfeit fake rip-offs on the internet, I found a lot of sites calling them replicas.

Secondly, if nobody in my circles will recognize a $20k watch, they won't have the opportunity to realize the disparity between my income and an expensive watch. But it's not like I'd care even if somebody did recognize the watch - I would not hesitate to admit that it was an imitation.


Alrighty then. Wear them in good health, sir.
 

Toiletduck

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Last time my gf's cousin, who is a watch enthusiast, came to HK, he spotted 2 cashiers sporting real Panerais.
 

acidboy

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Originally Posted by Toiletduck
Last time my gf's cousin, who is a watch enthusiast, came to HK, he spotted 2 cashiers sporting real Panerais.

I believe Macau is a good trading source of pre-owned watches.
 

whacked

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Originally Posted by hobo
Secondly, if nobody in my circles will recognize a $20k watch, they won't have the opportunity to realize the disparity between my income and an expensive watch.
Then why would you want a counterfeit watch to begin with? 99% of the time, their quality isn't even close to that of your "Seikos and Citizens" (both of which make very nice timepieces, regardless of prices).
 

P3R3

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Replicas should be reserved for only the most vain individuals.
 

hobo

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Originally Posted by whacked
Then why would you want a counterfeit watch to begin with? 99% of the time, their quality isn't even close to that of your "Seikos and Citizens" (both of which make very nice timepieces, regardless of prices).
Your statement is based on the assumption that people only buy expensive things as status symbols to flash at other people and impress them. This is more a reflection of you and the reasons why you do things than anything else.

As I mentioned previously, I would have no reservation in confessing that my watch was a knockoff of a watch that costs tens of thousands of dollars. I simply am not going to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a watch.

If I were to do this, unlike you, I would be buying the watches because I like the style and design, not because I want to impress someone with how much it costs. And if I were to impress someone, I would hope it was because they thought it looked good. Or I could even impress them with how good a fake it is (assuming I would be able to find such a thing).

Furthermore, as you say, Seiko and Citizen both make good watches, and I'm satisfied with the quality of the timepieces I have, and if I were to purchase an imitation watch, I would want it to be of comparable quality. Having heard stories about how good the imitations are these days, I believe that this is possible. How would a person go about finding good quality imitations of watches that cost as much as cars?
 

LabelKing

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Originally Posted by acidicboy
I believe Macau is a good trading source of pre-owned watches.
You can get almost 60% off a retail price in Macau, at least in the pawn shops. I'm sure Artisan Fan would be quite pleased at the Rolex selections. The city even has a free-standing Rolex store which is relatively rare.
 

epa

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I saw a Longiness watch I really liked, but it was too expensive. Later, I found a Tissot watch with a similar design (so similar that it may have been "inspired" in the Longiness design), much cheaper. I got the Tissot one. I was happy with the price and with the design. It is a quarz watch, and I would prefer an automatic watch, but at present I do not want to spend a lot of money on watches.
However, I would not have bought a fake Longiness. It is not about the quality: faked watches are illegal, and you should not contribute to these illegal activities, IMO, in the same way as you should not buy a stolen watch.
 

Reggs

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Originally Posted by hobo

First off, as far as I'm concerned, in the circles that I run in, nobody will recognize that a watch I am wearing is a watch that costs tens of thousands of dollars, much less that it is an imitation of such a creation.


I think this is all that should matter. Buy a knock off and feel ok about it.
 

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