Fascinating Story about How They Used to Con Unsuspecting Watch Buyers in the 70s
So, I've been binge watching this one particular Youtube channel on blatant, cavalier selling of fake watches in Recto--one of the seedier parts of Old Manila. Recto is where you go to get all kinds of fakery, not just watches. You want a diploma from Harvard? You need government documents? Driver's license? This is where you go.
There's really no point in opening up a discussion on fake watches here I think. It's pretty one sided. Most--if not everyone--on WatchCrunch hate them and don't want to condone them.
I offer the above merely as background. What I really wanted to share to the community is this one story I picked up from one of the many videos where this sidewalk purveyor of fake watches had found some online notoriety. Apparently, thanks to his exposure on this Youtube Channel, people from all over--some living as far as 3 hours away--go to Recto looking for him specifically to buy his 50 USD Datejusts. He's a natural born salesman and loves sharing watch stories. This is the one that I thought was worth sharing here. I will paraphrase:
Back in the 70s, just as the quartz craze was starting to pick up steam, there were still many buyers who preferred automatic because, I don't know, he never mentioned why. So, taking advantage of the demand for automatic watches, sidewalk hustlers (including the man in the photo), would put a 25-cent coin inside the cases of manual wind watches so that would-be customers could feel (and even hear) the rattling of the coin, mistaking a manual wind for an automatic, and thus would have to pay more than the watch's worth.
The seller pointed out that they couldn't get away with something like that these days, of course. Instead, they just put Vostok movements in Rolex cases and call it a day.
I thought it was fascinating how many watch enthusiasts these days consider a noisy movement a turn-off whereas back in the day, at least in the Philippines, the noise was a testament of value.
I won't share the videos here. It's in Tagalog anyway so most of you won't understand it. Also, I'm not promoting channels that profit from fakery.
But I had to share that 70s story.
I've got a god-shaped hole in my life that I'm trying to fill in futility with watches.
I find it appropriate that the name of the place is called Recto. Cause of all the S that comes out of there. Thanks for sharing.
My family used to live out in India, (parents were teacher trainers) and my dad always used to buy watches, but also quite a few fake watches, some of them were brilliant weird things, often with some local coustom stuff done. He had quite a collection from these small sellers!
Hate fakes, love replicas.
If you want to motivate yourself to buy a Submariner but you make $17 an hour, an Invicta Pro Diver will get something on your wrist you can afford which reminds you of your dreams whenever you check the time.
At least he's more honest than those at Vincero!😉
I remember how many years ago during a trip to Thailand the GF was offered a "Rolex" in Bangkok and they gave her the option to add 10US$ and wait for 15 minutes to get it upgraded to a better crystal.
Miyota suffers from the penny noise a lot. Fakes come in tiers with quartz at the bottom then Chinese 2813 followed by NH35. Higher up is PT5000 and lastly 32xx Rolex clones. Same same ..but different. you buy! chop chop
The Miyota 8245 in my Maratac Mid Pilot has that rattle.
Hate fakes, love replicas.
If you want to motivate yourself to buy a Submariner but you make $17 an hour, an Invicta Pro Diver will get something on your wrist you can afford which reminds you of your dreams whenever you check the time.
True but for the same price you can get a fake Rolex/omega/IWC or tag with probably the same movement as the Invicta.
My family used to live out in India, (parents were teacher trainers) and my dad always used to buy watches, but also quite a few fake watches, some of them were brilliant weird things, often with some local coustom stuff done. He had quite a collection from these small sellers!
I want to visit India again just for a chance to get a Mumbai special. Last time I was in Delhi I wasn't a watch guy so I never thought of getting one back then. Don't know when I'll be visiting again though.
I remember how many years ago during a trip to Thailand the GF was offered a "Rolex" in Bangkok and they gave her the option to add 10US$ and wait for 15 minutes to get it upgraded to a better crystal.
Back in the mid-aughts when I worked in Makati, there would be the occasional grifter who would stop me on the street and flash a "Rolex" which he would then proceed to rub the crystal with a coin. I never got it. What was that about? I knew he was trying to sell me a watch. I always thought it stolen. Now I think maybe it's more fake than stolen and them rubbing the crystal against a coin is to show that it's sapphire.