Fakes all over
So this morning I come across this story from LA channel 5 where they reference a Watchfinder study regarding the market for fake watches. This really makes me think twice about purchasing a luxury watch unless I'm buying directly from an AD or a exclusive Boutique eventhough the price may be higher. It's also curious that most are being purchased in NYC, LA and Chicago. I guess we can blame two things for this the crime rate so people rather lose a super fake than a real Patek or we can blame the cost of living and people just go for this fakes. I have even seen people wearing fake MR.G's and other high end G-Shocks. At those prices I just don't understand why they don't go for the dozens of highly reputable Swiss and Japanese brands. Why not a Hammy, Nivada, Seiko, Bulova or something along those lines or supporting local companies like Islander, Vaer or Lorier, I mean I'd go for the Timex Galli S2 before opting for a fake luxury dress watch. What do you guys think of this trends 🤔 just curious.
Navy Veteran, Drummer, Father of 3. Lover of watches and good Bourbon.
There are so many good independents and other large companies making great watches. There are people who will always try to put “prestige” on their wrist to impress.
I support the fake market. Not with my dollars yet, but in spirit. I'm not some weirdo that cares about watch guts or precision. I want a blingy Rolex!
Could have fooled me ...
The uptick in fakes is directly proportional to the uptick in posers.
💯
I Look at it this way, buying fake goods means you are indeed fake,
The only person you are fooling is yourself
Save up and buy the real thing, or buy something genuine in your price point, I would give someone far more respect for a dude wearing an original casio than a fake rolex
The dark side of fakes is when well made copies are sold as genuine for high prices to naive buyers.
I am fond of russian and soviet horology. There are looooooooots of fakes. so much that i am stopping to buy them.
I just avoid anything hyped or trendy. That includes certain G-Shocks and Casios. I prefer the hunt for something unusual and vintage.
Fake watches are just buying an image at a low cost, simple as, they are not hobbyists or watch fanciers, they are posers.
Shouldn't we include Skmei, San Martin and Pagani in this classification? They're nothing but branded fakes anyway...
Fake watches are just buying an image at a low cost, simple as, they are not hobbyists or watch fanciers, they are posers.
*Wannabe posers
Fakes / counterfeits suck. Homages are fine. Semi-counterfeit "joke fakes" are fine. ("Relax It's Not What You Think" dials.)
Me personally, I wear my Casio Duro Pepsi with pride. Casio is GOD TIER. 😎
I support the fake market. Not with my dollars yet, but in spirit. I'm not some weirdo that cares about watch guts or precision. I want a blingy Rolex!
But...you aren't buying a blingy Rolex..you are buying a blingy Chinese POS..Just saying
Not eveybody buys a homage to flex. Hard as it may be for some of the snobs here to belive. Some of us just like the look. People here sesm to think homage = Rolex/Patek clone. A lot of the more humble dive/tool watches are homaged every day. Most normal people think any dive watch with a bezel is a Rolex.
The reality of it is that many watch brands copy designs or is an homage to older designs from other brands. There are many well known brands that make watches that look exactly alike. I don’t get the hate for homages. They have a place in horology just like the Rolex, Pateks, and APs etc.
Id rather spend a little more than take a chance on something sketchy. I think a lot of it is clout chasing. People see celebrities on tv and social media and want to imagine themselves in such "luxury". Fake it until you make it they say. Unfortunately one of the easiest ways to replicate or participate in that lifestyle is appearance: fake watches, fake bags, fake whatever...
Get an homage and be looked down upon by both the fakers and the high rollers 😆 I for one love my Paganis/Addies/Merkurs as much as my Seikos and Bulovas.
Merkurs have some really cool stuff the Pierre Paulin jumping hour and that salmon dial are really nice and I wouldn't mind rocking one
Merkurs have some really cool stuff the Pierre Paulin jumping hour and that salmon dial are really nice and I wouldn't mind rocking one
I agree. I have a Merkur salmon dial with beads of rice bracelet that is just beautiful! I've been looking at a blue/turquoise Pierre Paulin with small seconds subdial for a while now.
Not eveybody buys a homage to flex. Hard as it may be for some of the snobs here to belive. Some of us just like the look. People here sesm to think homage = Rolex/Patek clone. A lot of the more humble dive/tool watches are homaged every day. Most normal people think any dive watch with a bezel is a Rolex.
I said Fakes note homages, a homage watch is a watch of its own making, it might be in the spirit of, I am talking out and out fakes. I respect homage buyers, it’s the Chinese super clones of Rolex’s and Pateks that I have distain for. Ultimately they damage the market, especially if they end up in the grey market as the “real” thing.
Shouldn't we include Skmei, San Martin and Pagani in this classification? They're nothing but branded fakes anyway...
I Disagree here, San Martin et Al, make homages, so not quite the same. Anyone on casual inspection would see this isn't a big brand watch. Also they are surprisingly well made, so represent excellent value.
No, watches that use the OEM logo and text on the dial are simply FAKES.
Skmei, San Martin and Pagani, who faithfully copy iconic designs and slap their logo on the dial are BRANDED FAKES.
Branded, but fakes nonetheless....
I see homages differently to fakes. Most homages are not 1 to 1 copies. But it gives the consumer the ability to get that look without shelling out $1000s of dollars I don't and may never have. I will never have the money for a Rolex but I can put a few hundred aside for San Martin or Pagani Design.
What about Blancpain 50 fathoms? It's been copied to death. How many companies make a skindiver in that style. Even the military issued copies to soldiers.
Let's be honest, only so many watch designs can be produced before you're out of ideas? How many companies make a submariner style watch? They change the dial a little, the hands, maybe polished instead of brushed. But in time companies always return to what sells. Unfortunately, that means fakes also.
I do not, I mean, do not agree with straight up fakes. But there's always people that don't realize or don't care that there other companies making great watches and look similar to the Sub or Daytona. They just want that name on the dial. Hell, there's fake that were never made. Fake Rolexs with a color or dial variant that were never produced. But the name sells them.
Get an homage and be looked down upon by both the fakers and the high rollers 😆 I for one love my Paganis/Addies/Merkurs as much as my Seikos and Bulovas.
Preach brother ✌🏾
None of it goes into the ground with you , a most important point that isn’t being nihilistic, “ Leave something worth leaving behind for your family and loved ones , not obligation and hassle or worse worthless shit .
I see homages differently to fakes. Most homages are not 1 to 1 copies. But it gives the consumer the ability to get that look without shelling out $1000s of dollars I don't and may never have. I will never have the money for a Rolex but I can put a few hundred aside for San Martin or Pagani Design.
What about Blancpain 50 fathoms? It's been copied to death. How many companies make a skindiver in that style. Even the military issued copies to soldiers.
Let's be honest, only so many watch designs can be produced before you're out of ideas? How many companies make a submariner style watch? They change the dial a little, the hands, maybe polished instead of brushed. But in time companies always return to what sells. Unfortunately, that means fakes also.
I do not, I mean, do not agree with straight up fakes. But there's always people that don't realize or don't care that there other companies making great watches and look similar to the Sub or Daytona. They just want that name on the dial. Hell, there's fake that were never made. Fake Rolexs with a color or dial variant that were never produced. But the name sells them.
True dat, the Submariner is an Homage for the Blancpain 50 Fathoms and the Daytona was released after the Zenith El Primero, so as with the Patek Golden Eagle which was inspired by Genta's UG White Shadow so its safe to say that there is homaging and copying in every level of the game
Fakes can be a gateway into horology. It has its pros and cons. Nonetheless, we can’t assume everyone can save thousands to buy the Rolex or Patek they like. Not to mention that those brands are almost unattainable nowadays at retail. While one can easily buy a homage or a cheap lookalike, it probably wouldn’t be the same feeling as wearing the fake. At the end of the day, wear the watch you love and don’t judge others for what they wear. My first watch was a fake Rolex from Chinatown in NYC and that watch led me down the horology rabbit hole and into watch collecting. Today I own many Gen (real) Rolex watches (Explorer, GMT Master II, DJ41) and one beloved custom built explorer 1016 space dweller that has fake parts.
You speak truth my friend. Hateful snobbery only hurts an already struggling industry.
I said Fakes note homages, a homage watch is a watch of its own making, it might be in the spirit of, I am talking out and out fakes. I respect homage buyers, it’s the Chinese super clones of Rolex’s and Pateks that I have distain for. Ultimately they damage the market, especially if they end up in the grey market as the “real” thing.
I agree, I'm just so used to the people here using it interchangeably.
Well I can’t comment for all, but watches will at some point all be rehashed or slightly modified clones of an original design. As long as you don’t say your Folex is a Rolex and try and pass it off as one, I don’t have an issue with it. I wear a Tudor Black Bay on a Jubilee, my brother a Rolex sub, they look very similar, but neither are calling themselves the other.
I have to admit, in the past I have obtained a couple of fakes but since becoming more a collector I find it difficult to even look at those old fakes in the bottom of my drawer. The appeal is no longer there knowing it was for show. The unfortunate part for some of us who would love a Rolex GMT Master or Daytona can only dream of owning one without debating putting your child through university or getting that Grail. I find myself these days trying to focus on a Grail within reason like Longines Hydroconquest that is luxury but, one day maybe able to obtain.. don't fall into the obsession folks of getting a fake .. you are only fooling yourself. Again just my opinion, if it's your thing.
A fake is a cheap way to keep up with the Jones's. And some of those fakes are very high quality, be it a fake Louis Vuitton handbag or a fake Rolex; certainly good enough to pass a casual/cursory inspection. Some good enough to fool an expert, all for a fraction of the cost of the real deal.
Give that, I'm sure some folks buy them not because they are fooling themselves - they know good and well it's not "real" - rather because they like fooling others!