How are people not embarrassed to wear rep watches?
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Noah
Student, from the southeast. Love anything Seiko, Seiko mods, Casio, Tissot, and Islander watch. Working every day toward my grail of a white-dial 36mm Datejust on a jubilee bracelet!
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I don't understand either why anyone would sink so low as to wear a branded fake, but they do. Fake wearers always have a way to rationalize it and there's no way to tell them otherwise.
There are plenty of homages to scratch the itch without wearing a branded fake.
Yes, it's shameful. Noone going to believe that you have a real Patek yet still drive a twenty year Toyota Camry. Not that I have anything against the Camry.
Theres no stopping you getting a vintage omega or Girard perregaux, if you really want a brand. These can be bought at a small budget.
So they should be ashamed for not spending more? How can one not be ashamed to think this way?
And screw intellectual property. If it is a design that wasn't birthed decades ago, that might be a point worth considering, but these are generally warmed over designs of like half a century ago.
I don't understand either why anyone would sink so low as to wear a branded fake, but they do. Fake wearers always have a way to rationalize it and there's no way to tell them otherwise.
There are plenty of homages to scratch the itch without wearing a branded fake.
Agree!
So they should be ashamed for not spending more? How can one not be ashamed to think this way?
And screw intellectual property. If it is a design that wasn't birthed decades ago, that might be a point worth considering, but these are generally warmed over designs of like half a century ago.
Homages exist for a reason. If you want to wear a fake Submariner while driving a 1994 Grand Marquis, that’s your prerogative.
Many years ago, when I was a poor college student I bought one for a few hundred, and must’ve wore it for 15 minutes because I was so embarrassed 😂literally threw it in the garbage and the watch shattered like an egg.
I vowed never to put a single cent into that industry again and saved for years to get the real deal. And whenever I remember that time I just bust out laughing because I could’ve bought a nice Seiko instead, and still had it. To be young and dumb
So they should be ashamed for not spending more? How can one not be ashamed to think this way?
And screw intellectual property. If it is a design that wasn't birthed decades ago, that might be a point worth considering, but these are generally warmed over designs of like half a century ago.
I think what he means is that the people buying these are pretending to others that they have a real Rolex etc, when they don’t and are perpetuating an industry that is essentially stealing. Behind Cohiba cigars, Rolexes are the most faked/replica item in the world.
In my opinion, those illegitimate companies should use their obviously skills into making their own brand and watches.
Many years ago, when I was a poor college student I bought one for a few hundred, and must’ve wore it for 15 minutes because I was so embarrassed 😂literally threw it in the garbage and the watch shattered like an egg.
I vowed never to put a single cent into that industry again and saved for years to get the real deal. And whenever I remember that time I just bust out laughing because I could’ve bought a nice Seiko instead, and still had it. To be young and dumb
I can imagine the embarrassment. There are probably very few college students rocking a rawlecks.
Homages exist for a reason. If you want to wear a fake Submariner while driving a 1994 Grand Marquis, that’s your prerogative.
Remember when the first Lexus was dismissed as a Mercedes knockoff?
Am I to be more impressed if someone driving a 1994 Grand Marquis has a real Rolex? Which is more shameful and why?
Remember when the first Lexus was dismissed as a Mercedes knockoff?
Am I to be more impressed if someone driving a 1994 Grand Marquis has a real Rolex? Which is more shameful and why?
I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make. If you’re driving a 1994 Mercury (which is amazing in and of itself) and wearing a REAL submariner, then I have to question your priorities. If you’re driving a 1994 Mercury and are wearing a fake submariner, that just makes me sad.
I have a collection of knockoff Patek Phillippes. If I bought them all as originals it would cost so much I could buy a small South American country. So no, I don't feel embarrassed around normal people who know nothing about watches.
If I'm around watch people I'll wear my Casios or Timexes though.
I have a collection of knockoff Patek Phillippes. If I bought them all as originals it would cost so much I could buy a small South American country. So no, I don't feel embarrassed around normal people who know nothing about watches.
If I'm around watch people I'll wear my Casios or Timexes though.
What is the compulsion to wear a fake Patek, though? Why is that something you’d want to do?
The sort of people that wear fake watches are the sort of people who think they’ve somehow gamed the system; that they’re smarter or shrewder than the suckers that paid all that money for the original.
It’s not my place to judge whether they’re right or not.
There's been a fair few times I've cringed when I see the 17 year old waiter in the restaurant wearing a 2 tone "submariner" 😬
Love this post 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I just think it's funny that the Chinese can replicate an expensive Swiss watch - and do a damn good job of it - for 1/20th of the price. 😂 And people wonder why replicas sell? 🤔
The last time I checked, there was a small salary difference between a proper trained Swiss matchmaker and a Chinese sweatshop employee. And we are not even talking about the cost of product development.
If you want to endorse and condone criminality, says something about you.
No, they should be ashamed for wearing a fake, a replica of which you cannot afford. THey only go the fake route to falsely impress those who can't spot a fake Rolex at 5 feet/2 meters.
But there is the crux of the biscuit. They are trying to falsely impress others. That is dishonesty. They lie about their status in life and that is generally considered to be a con man (or woman or trans or). You must not have a problem with con men.
It is a form of dishonesty. Period.
You do you but don’t call me a liar.
As I said you do whatever you like but don’t go around telling people what’s true about their lives and what isn’t. It’s none of your business
Have a nice life
Many years ago, when I was a poor college student I bought one for a few hundred, and must’ve wore it for 15 minutes because I was so embarrassed 😂literally threw it in the garbage and the watch shattered like an egg.
I vowed never to put a single cent into that industry again and saved for years to get the real deal. And whenever I remember that time I just bust out laughing because I could’ve bought a nice Seiko instead, and still had it. To be young and dumb
Right there’s just too many afforadable but high quality options to justify the money excuse.
But would you have brought the replica looked exactly the same but it didn't have the VC on it and maybe said Timex
Very possibly. The main reason I bought it is for that incredible blue dial and the distinctive bezel that no other watch offers
Dittos.
So what is the shame to be about? That it might keep slightly better or worse time? Cheating Rolex out of their excess shekels for having developed something back in the 1950's? I'd be more embarrassed of playing the AD game or paying four figures for a used mass-produced watch.
The real answer is because, barring really bad fakes, it's tricky if not impossible for the passerby to know. Hell, it's not certain for the owner to know in most cases.
So if two people buy a watch to impress others, wouldn't it be more embarrassing to spend more for this vanity?
Who buys a watch to impress people? I certainly do not.
The rolex has less depreciation I guess??:-)
Rolex watches have no depreciation for the most models.
A very spirited comment section! 🔥🔥🔥
1/20th of the price because they are not absorbing the cost associated with innovating, R&D, advertising, Warranty claims, etc, etc. As an example it took Grand Seiko 20 years and hundreds of prototypes to create the Spring Drive. When someone buys counterfeits they are simply thumbing their noses at that type of commitment to innovation. In my opinion, we take counterfeiting of products too lightly...
You make a valid point, and I don't deny that.
And going by that logic, it just shows you how much - or rather, how little - the watch is "worth" at face value. Of course, it only applies when comparing stainless steel watches or watches made of the same material. For example, assuming parts made of the same material and very similar quality (i.e., distinguishable only via magnification):
Rolex SS watch: $15,000
Chinese SS replica: $750
Rolex R&D, advertising, brand name premium: $14,250
Naturally those aren't hard numbers and could move a bit either way, but you get the idea.
Some buyers of the Chinese version would never buy a real Rolex - probably most - and wouldn't hurt Rolex's bottom line by doing so, since they aren't part of their target demo. And no one's going to think that someone driving a POS car, or any of the saggers you see walking around the city wearing a Rolex is wearing the real thing, and that's assuming anyone even notices. (Then again, those would be the people flashing it around, saying "look what I got.")
A small percentage of the Chinese replica buyers actually can afford the real Rolex based on their income but choose not to due to opportunity cost. Maybe they have three kids in college or are paying two mortgages or have an ex-wife. I get it.
Some would have both, and for valid reasons mentioned in this thread, such as traveling or keeping the original pristine for investment purposes and special occasions only. Totally understandable.
It's natural for people who buy the real thing to take umbrage at someone wearing a replica, it's human nature to do so. After all, when someone has worked hard enough to be in a position to buy a luxury item, they don't want the hoi polloi to be able to do so as well, even superficially, because it dilutes their specialness. Why they wouldn't rest on the idea that they indeed have the real thing and who cares what the others are doing eludes me.
And I find it hard to believe that people who would not normally care about any companies suddenly find huge altruistic tendencies for companies when this topic arises, defending innovation and investment, like it's been their M.O. this whole time.
Legality? Well it's legal to own and buy a replica. You just can't sell one as being authentic, that's definitely illegal. And as for it supporting human trafficking or some other activity, it would be interesting to see the proof rather than accusations and speculation, and if you've ever bought weed from any source other than a certified dispensary, did you ever think about where that money was going?
No, this all about feelings and perceptions, and every couple of months a new member here sounds the alarm and riles up the community, disturbing what is otherwise a calm and respectful place to be. Rinse and repeat.
Just my two cents. Maybe I'm wrong about all this, I'm a reasonable man.
I know some people who “invest” in watches (Submariner, Speedmaster etc) , keeps them at the bank and buy chinese high quality fakes in order to “enjoy” the originals … I do not understand that, I want a watch that I can wear and enjoy without any concerns .