Homages? End of A.K.A. My Top Ten Homage Watches

There's been a lot of talk about homages again recently (as if that topic ever goes away), but as I'm not a YouTuber or an influencer, I thought I'd put together a list of my top ten homage watches and an explanation for why they are "homages" not "clones", "clomages", "replicas", or "fakes".

I've also chosen the best value version of each of these designs (for there are many), because let's be honest here, it doesn't matter how much you pay for a homage because it's never going to be "the real thing". That will always be Coke, so deal with it.

1 - Addiesdive MY-H3 Quartz - Rolex Submariner 116610LV

Probably my most worn watch ever, this quartz "Hulk" is outstanding for a £20 watch. The lume is better than on watches costing thousands, and it's a convenient grab and go watch for any occasion. Black and blue versions are also available.

Why is it a homage? Rolex don't make a quartz version. Rolex also don't have a lumed bezel. The hands are slightly different, the dial doesn't say "Rolex" on it, the size and shape of the case is slightly different and even more slablike than a Tudor, and the bracelet is completely different with the pushbutton safety clasp with microadjusts being a "belt and braces" solution which is just much better despite not being pressed and not "milled" (as if that makes any difference).

2 - Pagani Design PD-1662 - Rolex GMT-Master II

Absolutely the most comfortable metal-braceleted watch that I own. This is the cheaper Pagani Design GMT with the Pearl automatic movement not the upgraded Seiko NH34 version, but there's not much in it really. Some people have had problems with the Pearl, but if you get a good one, there's nothing wrong with it at all, and it works as you would expect it to.

Why is it a homage? Just look at it. Seriously. The case is different, and it has a mineral glass back so you can see the Pearl movement in all of its glory. The bezel is 120-clicks unidirectional and not a 24 click bi-directional, and the handstack is in a different order to a Rolex. This is a £35 watch after all. It doesn't say "Rolex" on the dial, and it is in no way trying to fool anybody. Rotary also make GMTs which look and operate the same, as do a ton of other brands, and nobody ever really uses the GMT function anyway, so I don't get what all the fuss is about.

3 - Readeel F5-619 - Hamilton Khaki or Seiko 5 SNZG

The cheapest quartz field watch of any quality you can buy if you don't want to go the Soki route. I think this was around £10 at the time.

Why is it a homage? It looks a bit like a Seiko 5, but it's bigger, has a domed mineral glass, and it's a Miyota quartz. All field watches look the same anyway, and they probably all borrow their looks from Hamilton or the other wartime watches. Infantry, Lorus, and Timex have similar models.

4 - Casio MTD-1053D - Longines Hydroconquest

The smaller "Duro" with a 40mm diameter which looks a bit like a Longines and an Ice Watch. My most worn "out and about" watch.

Why is it a homage? It's quartz and Longines also make quartz, but it's not really the same thing at all. This is a god tier Casio and much better anyway. The bezel is completely different to a Longines, the hands are different, and the bracelet is the best Casio folded links bracelet that they've ever made, it's even finished and polished on the sides. You wouldn't see this and immediately think Longines either, because it looks like a ton of other dive watches too.

5 - Skmei 1412 - Casio F-91W/F-105W

My second most worn "GADA" albeit now on a nato strap in reality because I like it that way. Dirt cheap at £4 compared to the rip-off green Casio version at £30.

Why is it a homage? Same shape and look as a Casio obviously, but the backlight! Oh yes, the Skmei's EL backlight makes all the difference here because it's actually useful. The pins holding the strap on are more rudimentary than the Casio, but they do the same job. I'll concede that the metallic green on the green Casio looks slightly nicer than the matt green on the Skmei, but it's not £26 nicer. It also has a claimed 50m water resistance,. It says Skmei on the front and back to avoid any confusion at all.

6 - Pagani Design PD-1661 - Rolex Submariner 126610LV

I wanted a "Kermit" or a "Starbucks" so I didn't care about the brand because it's all about the colours. I think it was £45, but thereabouts anyway.

Why is it a homage? Apart from not saying Rolex on the dial, the hands are completely different. Look at the seconds hand. Not the same at all, is it? The text is different on the dial, there's an NH35A movement inside, and it only claims 100m water resistance. It's 1mm smaller than the Rolex, and the dial is a dark grey sunburst not black. It also has a display back, and the bracelet and clasp are different. It looks like a Rolex from across the room if you're blind as a bat.

7 - Invicta Pro Diver 26970 - Rolex Submariner 16610

Probably the most controversial of all the "homages" in that there was a time when Invicta's automatic version was a lot closer in looks to the available Rolex Submariner. This one, however, is quartz. As a quartz, it's slimmer and more comfortable than the automatic NH35A-powered versions (which I also have), and it's a 200m diver.

Why is it a homage? It says "Invicta" all over it. Literally. The dial, the case, the caseback, the clasp, the seconds hand, the links on the bracelet... everything has Invicta on it. Plus it's quartz, the lume is terrible, the cyclops does nothing, and it's got mineral glass. It's still the same size as the 16610, and has the same bracelet (albeit with polished centre links) with the old-fashioned pressed end links and clasp, and so it wears the same, but it's absolutely not the same at all.

8- Sekonda 1575 - Breitling Navitimer 1

Discontinued and sold as a "Clearance" item from Argos for £14.99, I got it because the other Sekonda "Navitimer" I own is too hard to read with all the clutter of subdials and useless sliderules. It's a decent Summer watch with a microscopic date complication and a nice "faux leather" strap.

Why is it a homage? Well, despite looking very much like the Breitling, it's very purple rather than blue, the "sliderule" bezel does nothing, and it's quartz. Back in the day, about 6 years ago, I'm not sure if Breitling got a new owner or a new CEO, but they had the bright (no pun intended) idea to make a 38mm "reduced" Navitimer to attract the younger market. It didn't really catch on, but they are still available. Sekonda have made several "homage" versions of Breitlings over the years with different functions, and it was a logical step for their Hong Kong factory to leave off the chronograph (or the poorer selling day-date subdials) to make a simpler and more legible version to use up parts. There's no mistaking this for a real Breitling because it says Sekonda on it and the sun-ray dial is way too purple.

9 - Eaglemoss 1970's United States Army - Hamilton Khaki Field

This came "free" with the first issue of Eaglemoss' "Military Watch Collection" magazine which always came with a replica watch attached so it wasn't free at all. It's my most worn "military" watch although it's now on an army green nato strap rather than the horrible 2-piece rough nylon thing it came with.

Why is it a homage? Well, it's 40mm and bigger than the issued 36mm ones, has no branding at all on the front, and it's quartz... but... yeah, so were the real ones, I suppose. It's got a Seiko A33 movement inside which is different, the lume is on the hands and the numbers (but the latter is an afterthought), the seconds hand is different, and the case is very roughly brushed (but stainless steel). It's actually the best of all the Eaglemoss watches which got worse in quality as the magazine continued. Timex have been copying this design ad nauseum too. You wouldn't mistake it for a real one because of the weight and shiny hands.

10 - Steeldive SD1970 - Seiko 6105-8110 "Willard"

The best value "Willard" homage ever made. Much cheaper than the £8000 or so that scalpers want for the real one, and more in the spirit of the original than the (also ridiculously expensive) official Seiko re-imaginings. It's still only £60 if you look in the right places or wait for a sale.

Why is it a homage? The lume! OMG, the lume! Brighter than a torch and ideal for snipers to pick you off no matter how deep in the jungle you are. The case shape is slightly different, the bracelet is great but far too heavy (I have FKM straps on the way to see if I'll wear it more), and it's got an NH35A inside. The text on the dial says Steeldive not Seiko even so. The screwdown crown is different to the "lock" version, and the hands are slightly cheaper looking. It's got a similar shape (albeit not an exact match) to the real one, but the Rdunae version takes it even further by being 1:1 and comes with a chocolate bar resin strap to complete the look for those who want a "replica" instead. 200m of claimed water resistance makes this superior to the original, as does the movement and lume for those who want to use it as a real diver and not a wading through swamps watch.

And there you have it. These are "homages". They are true homages, not anything else. They also don't take "design cues" from other brands to "homage" them in that sense of the word either. To me, there's nothing worse than something like a Christopher Ward C63 Sealander which looks the same as a Rolex Polar Explorer 2 from across the road but then you see everything is different apart from the colours.

As controversial as it may be, when I buy a homage, I want it to look mostly the same as what it homages, otherwise there's really no point to it at all. I know it's not the "real thing" and so does everyone else, but if I wanted the real thing, I'd buy that instead. That's not the point of homages. The fun in collecting them is all to do with how close a cheaper watch can get to the original while actually being not the same thing at all.

It's not to fool anyone, to "settle", or to be a placeholder. It's frugal, "bang for your buck", and it probably annoys those who spend (and ultimately waste) the equivalent of what a house costs in some places on virtually obsolete accessories which are more akin to jewellery than useful tools.