What are your thoughts on homage watches?

I have no problem , whatsoever, with homages.

Fakes are another story.

I think the homage hate is mostly a putiry test for a particular subculture of watch collecting. Like any other hobby, beyond the overarching interest in watches, there are smaller subcultures that and only interested in particular types, brands, etc.. 

One particular subculture is the "design originality" group, who insist any homage is an abomination. I'm not part of that group, but I can see where they are coming from. 

I believe they have their place. I own a couple for different reasons. I bought a couple Paganis to see if the size and style fit me (since I’m nowhere near an Omega AD). I also have a BB58 homage that I wear when I don’t want to risk losing or damaging my real BB58. I have a couple Submariner homages too, just because I like them. 
I wouldn’t say homages truly scratch the itch of the real thing for me, but they have their place. 
I personally want nothing to do with fakes though. 

I don't mind building/modding your own homage. But I don't care for straight homages, depending on how much of a copy it is.

I think it's a big turn-off when someone steal the whole design of someone else. Design is arguably the most important part of a watch, so why would I buy something that's stolen. 

Homages for old, out of production models are different. 

And there are ways to make a tasteful homage that's not a "homage". But people do their own thing and that's fine 😊

I don't mind them. I've owned a few, even built a Panerai replica years ago using a Molnija pocket watch. There's only so much design language that can go into a space the size of a half dollar, or smaller, so naturally, "toes may be stepped on" when it comes to designing a watch. 

For how much I love my Lorier, it looks like several watches from several different angles. I don't really think homages are taking from the higher end market, if I'm wrong I'll admit it. 

Fakes though, yes. 

Homages are half-assed. I prefer fakes. 

I bought an ugly gold Rolex homage to get the perfect look for an obnoxious themed costume … but wouldn’t wear it under normal circumstances 

What is a homage really?

Let's take Panerai for example (feeling the hate coming now from the Paneristi)...

I would argue everything produced by Panerai since the acquisition by Richemont are effectively homage watches. The only thing these watches share with the original Panerai watches is the design and the name on the dial. Richemont let go all of the workers in Florence, Italy and had the watches produced in their existing factories.

It's like a great tribute band...none of the original members, none of the original instruments, not based in the country of origin, and essentially none of the original mojo that made the brand what it originally was.

Modern Panerais are homages to the real original Panerais. If you want a real Panerai from the makers of the original, then I would suggest purchasing an Anonimo (what Panerai became after the acquisition).

I'll go further (just to get more hate from the Rolex fan boys/girls)...the Submariner is the ultimate homage watch...not watch that is homaged...but the first homage watch...when Rolex copied Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms...check the history...Rolex was a fast follower, but Blancpain's FF existed before Rolex produced its Submariner. They took all of the key design cues that had been developed by Blancpain in conjunction with the French military, copied them and put them into the Submariner. The reason the Submariner did not have a uni-directional bezel was that is was already patented and Rolex could not copy that feature.

I would also argue that the Daytona is a homage to the original 1957 Speedmaster which was originally a racing watch (not a moon watch). If you look at the original Speedmaster, you will see how Rolex copied the design cues to create the Daytona.

So long story short...homages have been produced for a very long time by some of the biggest names in the business. 

Anyone who gets on their high horse about homages is just really ignorant because they likely are wearing one on their wrist as they look down on other homages of their homage watch.

And yes I own homage watches...why not? I don't own them because I can't afford the "real thing"...but nothing wrong with that if that is your financial situation...I own them because they are fun and usually there is something about them just different enough from the various references they draw inspiration from that makes them their own design.

I generally do not purchase dead on copy homages as that really doesn't interest me, but again nothing wrong with owning them if you like them. There are loads of Seiko fans out there who own Seiko's homages to some of the famous designs.

'nuff said!

Mel's on a roll.

One improvement that I would like to see at WatchCrunch is some form of content moderation where the "Homage" question is only allowed to be asked once every 30 days. It would keep some of us from cutting and pasting our old rants. (@Max get on that.)

What we must sound like at times...😂

I am not into homages as they tend to copy the watches 1to1

Mmmm not always. One company that I think does homages tastefully is Christopher Ward though I don't own any. They take cues from watches like the seamaster for their dive watch and add some of their input.

I guess it depends on how you define homage tho...

There are some CW watches I really like and feel refreshed and then there is a explorer 2 homage which just bores me :)

Homage is a wide blanket under which a lot of stuff can be found, starting with 1:1 copies of new watches that are sold by the original brands through those that are re-creations of out of production models that are basically abandonware and up to watches that use only some design elements.

I don't have a problem with other people buying homage watches because I'm a great believer in minding my own business. For myself, I only buy the watches in the last categories and avoid blatant copies of new watches.

Ah that won't do. One must not allow oneself get bored... idle mind, devil's workshop etc

In fairness to CW I think they did change the hands on the explorer 2 homage... and, even more pertinent is that said explorer 2 is itself an homage to 1950s glycine airman. Bezel pretty much lifted right off the glycine. Furthermore seiko produced a watch with a similar bezel before rolex.

I often find it funny how people have been conditioned to see rolex homages everywhere when in truth very little original design has actually come out of rolex.