Value of fake watches
Alright this might be a long one, so I apologise in advance.
While riding around on my motorcycle in Mumbai and stoping at red light, it is not uncommon to spark a conversation with the person next to you on the adjacent bike. As a 'watch guy / enthusiast ' i generally look at what watch people are wearing it's just an observation I like to do now.
One such incident happened a few days ago where while waiting at a red light a guy stoped his bike next to mine and i noticed he was wearing a shiny AP Royal Oak skeleton. Now not to judgemental but I knew it was a fake considering the guy was riding a scooter like most of us do here and spending ( $ 120938.22 I got the price from chrono24 but you get the idea ) on a watch is not something a large majority of the population would do especially here.
So I sparked a conversation with him saying
" Nice watch "
He said " thank you, it's a first copy "
" Where you got it from ? " I asked.
" Churchgate, i got it for ₹5000 ( $60) " he said.
" Looks good, can I take a picture of it"
" Sure"
This is the picture I took.
I had a chuckle after we moved ahead as light went green not gonna lie, but he seemed happy reciving a compliment on his watch, and $60 is a good amount of money here, not too much but not the kind of money people would spend without good consideration.
We in the watch community often stress about how watches must be original and factory spec, and yes i get it, people shouldn't buy fakes it's not good for their or the companies image at large, it's like trying to become something more than you are right now. I do not encourage buying fake watches.
But after thinking about it, there are a lot of people out there who can't afford watches like Rolex, AP, JLC, omega or any of the big watch brands. It's so far out of our range that it sounds stupid to spend that kinda money on a watch instead of buying a house in Mumbai and fakes do enable people to enjoy a watch they liked if they can accept it and know what it is.
$120938.22 concerted from INR to USD
After seeing the smile on the guys face it made me question myself a little bit,
Who among us is a real watch enthusiast ?
" Me? Who is going by the specs or history or the brand and opinions and suggestions of others or this guy? Who bought what he liked and wears it. "
There is a conflict of thoughts here, how sentiments loving a fake watch overpowers the honesty of buying an original watch.
I personally wont enjoy fake watches. I can't be happy with it. But for people who are ok with it, might find this route probably more happier
What are your thoughts/ opnions about this?
Freashly bitten by the watch bug. So with the budget of a broke student I start this journey to stay broke but with good watches with me.
Fake watches are just wrong, but not many people can afford a very expensive watch. If someone knowingly buys a fake then I suppose its their decision. Where it becomes an issue is that some of the copies I have seen on YouTube can be very difficult to tell against the real thing, and criminals who sell them as genuine are below contempt. Imagine paying say $4000 for a Rolex and you go to get it serviced and the AD tells you its a fake. I would never buy a fake, if it was me then I would prefer to buy a direct copy of a watch on AliExpress, at least they are "honest" fakes as it were. The guy on the motorbike was straight up telling you it was a 1st copy and seemed happy, so your point is valid.
Fake watches are just wrong, but not many people can afford a very expensive watch. If someone knowingly buys a fake then I suppose its their decision. Where it becomes an issue is that some of the copies I have seen on YouTube can be very difficult to tell against the real thing, and criminals who sell them as genuine are below contempt. Imagine paying say $4000 for a Rolex and you go to get it serviced and the AD tells you its a fake. I would never buy a fake, if it was me then I would prefer to buy a direct copy of a watch on AliExpress, at least they are "honest" fakes as it were. The guy on the motorbike was straight up telling you it was a 1st copy and seemed happy, so your point is valid.
Yea right. That's what I felt, if someone is genuinely happy, who are we to just dismiss it off.
I heard a story on hodinkee where a guy who is a watch collector, but his most loved possession is his father's fake Rolex which he got from china. His father wore it everyday so i guess the sentimtal value is more than the real Rolex.