[hooligan_G01]

Originally Posted by Z K

I think it's both good and bad. You can brag that you have a watch with an in house movement which costs more.

I don't really see anything wrong with an ETA movement - they make many different grades so the one in a Tudor is better than the ETA in a Tissot.

For true watch enthusiasts looking for innovation in mechanical watch movements - they look for the super long power reserve movements and things like Seiko Spring Drive to truly geek out. Just having "in house" movements doesn't mean anything.

Using in-house calibers is very much a barrier of entry to "real" luxury watches to many, many enthusiasts. Just pop into a Patek or A. Lange forum and you'll see what I mean.

As a Panerai fan, I heard the "they just use decorated ETAs, not worth the money" more times than I can count. Richemont didn't spend all that money to acquire Minerva just for kicks. They needed in-house movements for their long term plans for both Panerai and Montblanc.

[Captain Blood]

Can you still get the good fake watches on Canal st. on New York?

[JamesWWIII]

Originally Posted by hooligan_clt

Using in-house calibers is very much a barrier of entry to "real" luxury watches to many, many enthusiasts.

But Seiko and Citizen use in-house movements (some excellent ones in the case of Grand Seiko), and the barrier of entry isn't set all that high with those brands. Or are we only talking about European watchmakers and their special "Swiss Made" pixie dust? Even there, I believe Oris and Alpina/FC (among others) have reasonably priced pieces with in-house calibers.

[hooligan_G01]

Originally Posted by JamesWWIII

But Seiko and Citizen use in-house movements (some excellent ones in the case of Grand Seiko), and the barrier of entry isn't set all that high with those brands. Or are we only talking about European watchmakers and their special "Swiss Made" pixie dust? Even there, I believe Oris and Alpina/FC (among others) have reasonably priced pieces with in-house calibers.

Some of the Grand Seikos stack up against world class watches, without question, even without the perceived panache that the Swiss houses have.

The Seiko/Citizen movements will never be mentioned even against other "workhorse" in-house movements like the Rolex 3135, whether or not that is fair is for others to decide.

My point being that a lot of folks don't view Swiss luxury brands that don't use their own movements as the equal to others that use their own calibers, no matter how nice the rose gold case is or how finely that ETA movement was decorated by SOPROD.

Panerai owners view brands like Breitling as lesser. Rolex owners view brands like Panerai as lesser. AP and JLC owners view brands like Rolex as lesser. Patek and Vacheron owners view brands like AP and JLC as lesser.

It is a fairly pervasive opinion that you'll never be seen at a tier equal to Rolex or above if you're not using your own movements in the majority of your pieces. Panerai is aiming more for AP territory than Omega territory, you know?

Mind you this isn't MY opinion, but it is an opinion that is held by many watch lovers around the world.

[hooligan_G01]

Originally Posted by Real Dodger

Can you still get the good fake watches on Canal st. on New York?

Could you ever get good fakes there? I was under the impression that Canal St had always been the "quartz Rolex" class of replicas.

[hooligan_G01]

Originally Posted by JamesWWIII

But Seiko and Citizen use in-house movements (some excellent ones in the case of Grand Seiko), and the barrier of entry isn't set all that high with those brands. Or are we only talking about European watchmakers and their special "Swiss Made" pixie dust? Even there, I believe Oris and Alpina/FC (among others) have reasonably priced pieces with in-house calibers.

Also, I'm pretty sure all of Oris' movements are based off of ETA or Selitta eubaches that Oris then modifies/finishes.

[Captain Blood]

Originally Posted by hooligan_clt

Could you ever get good fakes there? I was under the impression that Canal St had always been the "quartz Rolex" class of replicas.

My rolex was of such high quality, it shared the gold coloring of the back of the watch with my wrist.

I learned that, as a waiter, wearing a real or fake rolex was a bad idea back in 1994. My tips went down 50% while wearing that thing.

[hooligan_G01]

Originally Posted by Real Dodger

My rolex was of such high quality, it shared the gold coloring of the back of the watch with my wrist.

I learned that, as a waiter, wearing a real or fake rolex was a bad idea back in 1994. My tips went down 50% while wearing that thing.

Ha! Yeah, I bet that was a bad choice on more than one front.

Sorry to hear it.

[JamesWWIII]

Originally Posted by hooligan_clt

Also, I'm pretty sure all of Oris' movements are based off of ETA or Selitta eubaches that Oris then modifies/finishes.

This was true for 35 years, up until the Calibre 110 which Oris started manufacturing in 2014. Now they have five in-house movements based on the 110.

[insanecoder]

Great replicas will cost money.. higher quality higher cost higher price
High end thieves also know the difference.. gotta "watch" out for that

[ny325]

But a authentic Timex, Hamilton, or Tissot. Good watches, and affordable.

[Fritzer]

Replica Watch Info Forums is one that comes to mind. Never bought one but some of them look super convincing.

[ZerenDip]

Reddit.com/r/RepTime for watches
Reddit.com/r/FashionReps for clothing

I've bought a few things off the guides and info I found from RepTime (they tell you to go to Replica Watch info {RWI}) and most of the mid range priced stuff is good and I've seen people post reviews of the higher tier stuff and it's pretty good looking too

Originally Posted by Fritzer

Replica Watch Info Forums is one that comes to mind. Never bought one but some of them look super convincing.

RWI's definitely one of the most popular sources right now.

Expect to spend a decent chunk of change for a replica if you want a good quality one.

[Z K]

Usually the more popular the watch, the better reps there will be of it. Things like Rolex Submariners are copied ad nauseam so they have worked out the kinks with many revisions. They've even copied the movement and 904L steel in the new versions. Don't expect them to be cheap though.

[MrGatsby]

To generate enough wealth to afford a large collection of genuine watches, you have to be somewhat smart (with the rare exception of extreme luck *lottery winners, etc*).

To own such a collection brings a lot of pride. My very first Rolex was, at that point in my life, my greatest achievement. The FIRST thing I did was take out an insurance policy. The second thing I did, was buy a small safe which I hid behind a tie rack in my closet. Showing off my collection at home was of no concern to me, as I rarely walk my friends through my closet when they come over. I'd rather display my items when going out, and hide them for safe keeping when at home.

I do understand however that some collections deserve to be showcased, and perhaps my closet is not big (or high-end) enough to warrant a walk through.

So please help me understand why your "wealthy client" who must be quite smart, want's his other "wealthy friends" to walk through his closet and look at a bunch of replica watches? it makes no sense. The only time I would want to gallivant friends through my wardrobe is if I truly had a collection of genuine, show-worthy pieces.

If I were in his shoes, I'd simply beef up security, take the insurance claim, buy a new collection, and be damned sure to store those things out of sight and display them only when they are on my person.

The simpler explanation for all this is: you want a high end replica watch, you are worried about getting hate from forum members for saying so. Well, you'll get hate either way, (this is the forums after all), so simply be honest about your intentions and at least you'll get some respect for that.

Now that all that is out of the way, I do have a fair bit of experience in the watch world as I used to flip watches to support my ///M. I learned quite a bit about fakes and here's my .02 cents.

There's nothing wrong with a fake. A genuine watch is more about the personal achievement, a symbol of my hard work and success, rather than simply a fashion piece. To me, a watch goes way beyond the look. Its the heritage, the meaning, and the feeling I get when I wear it. To me, a fake doesn't fulfill those needs, it is not a symbol of success, or a representation of my hard work. To someone else it may give them all of those feelings of success. If you are the latter, go for it.

But be careful, as there are 3 main types of reps.

1) Cheap reps ~$50. These are made with quartz crystal, battery movements, and bare little resemblance to the genuine save for the name imprinted on the face. Stay away.

2) Mid tier ~150-200. These are also made with quartz crystal, Chinese drop-in automatic movements, and do look similar to gen from a far. Upon closer inspection you will notice many small difference in the details, and both quality of materials and QC of the watch itself.

3) High end ~400-700. These are the only reps I would advise to consider. Usually made with genuine sapphire crystal, ETA movements, and are very close to the genuine down the details and the movement itself. These are very good clones, and to the untrained eye, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference.

I would start on RepGeek and RWI forums. There's even a post called, "NWBIG", its a list of reps SO good, they are "not worth buying in genuine". Between these two forums, you'll find everything you are looking for.

I wish you the best in your search, and I would strongly suggest not posting the story of your wealthy boss on either of said forums.

[golfinz]

Buy something that isn't a fake/replica. There are some great options our there for $100-500. For example, the Steinhart and Berhnardt I have for sale are great watches for the money.