Rep vs Gen

rockets97 · 05-21-2010, 02:06 PM

What is ratio cost that one should consider to go with the gen instead of rep?
Exp: I just bought the sub for almost $300 and I am happy with that consider the new gen around 6,5k (about 22x more), now I want the Tag Link Automatic Chrono and the ratio between the gen and the rep is less than 10X. I know that is personal reference but I just want to see what the board think.
Thanks.

alvinado · 05-21-2010, 02:12 PM

it doesn't matter and does not translate into real terms, if you like it, just buy it.

thats my opinion, you can hear from others!!

drivesick · 05-21-2010, 02:42 PM

Really depends on how you look at it. I agree with Alvinado that if you like it just get it. Especially at $300 for a watch. The ratios don't really matter in my opinion. I mean a lot of us will modify the reps and put in well over $1k in to the rep when it's done. Some of the PAM's are at only 1/5 of the gen value. Does that stop most of us, probably not. That's still 5 watches compared to just 1. What I personally look at is long term value. I personally been buying reps cause it's fun and they do hold their value just like the gen counterparts. Keep in mind that if you purchase a rep tag for $300 and want to sell it in a few months. You will probably get back 80% + of your money to get something else. You can't say the same for a lot of the gens...

Just my 2 cents.

reeder139 · 05-21-2010, 02:48 PM

Ratio between the two is irrelevant in my opinion. Find a rep you like and get it as cheap as possible, just like you would with a gen.

polaris · 05-21-2010, 03:13 PM

I like to keep the ratio no greater than 1/10, including mods.
Once [the ratio is less] than 1/10, well then it is not much more of a stretch to purchasing a second hand gen or even a discounted new. Well, thats how I see it.

So I tend to gravitate to Hublot, AP et. al. Where the 1/10 ratio is no problem and I can justify[delude] to myself that $500 in mods alone is a bargain.

That said, choose the watch you love. When it's on your wrist the last thing you're thinking about is how much it costs, rather how much you love it.. and how fully awesome you look with it on.. you macho hunk you

jmd33 · 05-21-2010, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by polaris

I like to keep the ratio no greater than 1/10, including mods.
Once it is more than 1/10, well then it is not much more of a stretch to purchasing a second hand gen or even a discounted new. Well, thats how I see it.

So I tend to gravitate to Hublot, AP et. al. Where the 1/10 ratio is no problem and I can justify[delude] to myself that $500 in mods alone is a bargain.

That said, choose the watch you love. When it's on your wrist the last thing you're thinking about is how much it costs, rather how much you love it.. and how fully awesome you look with it on.. you macho hunk you

I'm right there too

rooster133 · 05-22-2010, 12:34 AM

Interesting question... I agree with most here that it doesn't really matter. You just buy what you like. However, when the ratio tends to be low, and the used price level is also low (e.g., you're looking at a $150 rep of a watch that you can by a used gen for say $700) then I see no point in getting the rep, as the gen is not only marginally more expensive but also rather cheap. An example would be the Omega SMP... If you really like that watch and you do have some disposable income to throw at it, why buy the rep when a used gen is so affordable?

guru · 05-22-2010, 01:08 AM

as all said, it doesn't matter but when I look at all the watches I got I would say, it is about factor 10 to 20

saltyturtle · 05-22-2010, 02:50 AM

I've always bought & owned GEN watches as a rule, and only ever had one (still got it in my 'man drawer') 'fake' watch, a Rolex Explorer my parents bought me for about $50-60 in Thailand years ago when on holiday.

I think my dissapointment with that watch put me off 'replicas' since the watch looked fantastic quality structurally, but had the timekeeping prowess of let's say, a sundial?

The 'coolness' of appearing to be wearing a high end Rolex was always marred by the embarrasment of people asking the time only to be faced with me looking bemused at my wrist to see the hand stuck at some jaunty angle.

Further usage progressed the watches' degradation to the point where one has to flex the crown thingy at a weird angle just to move the hands.

I recently started watch hunting on some 'luxury brands' (Omega/Rolex/TAG) and ended up looking at some moody copies. LUCKILY I stumbled across this forum, and saved myself buying another piece of junk, sold using GEN photos (as I now believe a lot of these shadier companies do!)

The thing that struck me is how expensive these 'replicas' are, when one could buy a very decent and servicable Seiko/Citizen/Rotary etc etc from a recognised dealer, with a warranty, for the same or a lot less, they no longer appeared the cheapo bargains that would last five minutes but be a bit of fun fooling your mates before it broke, and testing out your poker face when quizzed on it's authenticity.

Then to compound my disbelief, I see a lot of you good people actually 'mod' your watches, spending a small fortune 'doing them up'.

I have to admit, I lean towards the 'well just pay a little bit more and buy the GEN watch, why not...?' camp in this instance, after all wasn't it Keith Richards from the Stones who immortally stated "you can't polish a turd!"

I do think that a LOT of GEN watches are way, way overpriced, trading on reputation rather than innovation or quality, and I hear Rolexes are diabolical timekeepers generally, but I suppose we're missing the point scrutinising function over form.

After all, in a sensible world we'd all live on a diet of potatoes, drive a diesel Toyota and wear a £15 Casio, until it broke, ten years on, where we'd replace it with another £15 Casio, and drive home from the shop in our diesel Toyota to eat some more lovely potatoes!

I've yet to own one of these latest, rather pricey but fine looking REPS but I'm sorely tempted, since it's a snub to the snobbery & pomposity of the LUXURY WATCH MARKET.

Have you ever been into one of these high end high street jewelers and been impertinent enough to actually LOOK at a watch you probably can't afford?

My God, the snotty, crow like, middle aged, judgemental shopworkers suddenly adopt a very superior tone 'a la Pretty Woman' and sarcastically ask if you 'need any help, at all?' Basically scaring you off, despite the fact I could be wearing a watch (for example my gen TAG or gen Citizen Autozilla worth more than these deadbeats earn in a week!

So if you can get 'almost the same thing' i.e. quality movement (which is after all the most important element of a watch IMO) for a fraction of the price, without feeding the rip-off culture of paying for the name, then all the better for you!

I read yesterday that Rolexes, although well respected as good quality Swiss watches for many decades, ONLY became the revered masterpieces they are today after the 'yuppies' started flocking to the dealers in the 80's boom time. The demand became so high amongst our stripey-shirted friends on Wall St, and The City that they shot up in price, leaping from £800ish to over £2000 in just a few years.

So there we have it, we're all impressionable fools who will pay over the odds to wear a name, a label, a motif, as if that badge elevates us to the status of ' a success at life'.

Of course we all know wearing a 'real' Rolex does not increase your appeal to the opposite sex, make people in the street feel humbled in the presence of you, the demi-god, or guarantee you are sitting on huge gold reserves. In reality in modern age cultures, it normally singles you out as being a bit of a prat, a poseur, the sort of person who wears leopard print thongs and owns a jaccuzzi.

Somehow, this doesn't stop me wanting one, and I believe in treating one's self to the best watch they can afford/justify. After all a true gentleman should only wear one piece of jewelery apart from a solitary ring, his wristwatch.

Much as I'd like to be one of those cheapo-joes who merrily wear their £15 Casio digitals day in - day out for years, not giving so much as a hoot what anyone thinks, I can't, I like a nice looking watch.

So to conclude my ramblings..I'd say the price break between gen/rep is a matter of personal choice, but just remember the words of the leather-faced Rolling Stone, and take heed of the saga of teenage 'car tuners' who manage to take a perfectly good hatchback worth about £1000, spend roughly £3-4000 on 'customising' it, and turn it into a garish dogs dinner worth about £200.

Anyone still reading this.....?

jiddy · 05-22-2010, 09:03 AM

As above posters, 10-20

Think after a while your "lowest standard" tends to get pretty high when it comes down to what you want in a watch.
So I think the x 10 factor is in the low end and x20 factor where most of my reps are.

Even my cheapest rep would if it were real, cost twice as much as my GEN Breitling did new.
So getting all my rep watches as gens would at this point be around 140000usd+ and thats only 6 watches or so

Aint going to happen so to speak, but silly happy with my super nice reps.

I like the phrase "Good enough".

05-21-2010, 02:06 PM	#1
rockets97 Who has the Best Sub? Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 12	Rep vs Gen What is ratio cost that one should consider to go with the gen instead of rep? Exp: I just bought the sub for almost $300 and I am happy with that consider the new gen around 6,5k (about 22x more), now I want the Tag Link Automatic Chrono and the ratio between the gen and the rep is less than 10X. I know that is personal reference but I just want to see what the board think. Thanks.

05-21-2010, 02:12 PM	#2
alvinado The Bear Mod Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Singapore Posts: 5,764	it doesn't matter and does not translate into real terms, if you like it, just buy it. thats my opinion, you can hear from others!! __________________ I think I have the compulsive disorder for watches... Check this out! 1) Singaporean, Malaysian or people living in SEA say hi!!! 2) HOW TO LUME A SANDWICH DIAL!! 3) GET YOUR LUME HERE!

05-21-2010, 02:42 PM	#3
drivesick Darkness Becomes Me Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 213	Really depends on how you look at it. I agree with Alvinado that if you like it just get it. Especially at $300 for a watch. The ratios don't really matter in my opinion. I mean a lot of us will modify the reps and put in well over $1k in to the rep when it's done. Some of the PAM's are at only 1/5 of the gen value. Does that stop most of us, probably not. That's still 5 watches compared to just 1. What I personally look at is long term value. I personally been buying reps cause it's fun and they do hold their value just like the gen counterparts. Keep in mind that if you purchase a rep tag for $300 and want to sell it in a few months. You will probably get back 80% + of your money to get something else. You can't say the same for a lot of the gens... Just my 2 cents. __________________ Reps: PAM 111H - Swisss 6497, Done up by Vac Breitling BCE - V3 stock graphite Rolex Masterpiece - Stock Rolex BK WM9 Yachtmaster - Gen crystal HBB V1 SS/CF/Ceramic Bezel High Beat - TX Crystal, 2 Geek DW, V2 Rotor, Micro Regulator on Rubber. Gens: Rolex SS Datejust Black MOP Rolex TT Datejust White Dial Breitling Cockpit MOP Burberry (No idea on the model. Wife got it for me years ago) Gucci (No idea on the model. Wife got it for me years ago) G-Shock baby! Wanted (CONUS): HBB V1 Full Ceramic All Black - Highbeat

05-21-2010, 02:48 PM	#4
reeder139 MG Enthusiast Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: UK Posts: 406	Ratio between the two is irrelevant in my opinion. Find a rep you like and get it as cheap as possible, just like you would with a gen. __________________ Where the magic happens.

05-21-2010, 03:13 PM	#5
polaris Dark Overlord Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 410	I like to keep the ratio no greater than 1/10, including mods. Once [the ratio is less] than 1/10, well then it is not much more of a stretch to purchasing a second hand gen or even a discounted new. Well, thats how I see it. So I tend to gravitate to Hublot, AP et. al. Where the 1/10 ratio is no problem and I can justify[delude] to myself that $500 in mods alone is a bargain. That said, choose the watch you love. When it's on your wrist the last thing you're thinking about is how much it costs, rather how much you love it.. and how fully awesome you look with it on.. you macho hunk you Last edited by polaris; 05-22-2010 at 03:01 AM. Reason: edit for clarity

05-22-2010, 12:34 AM	#7
rooster133 Armed and feathered Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Replica Watch Forum Posts: 5,361 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 3	Interesting question... I agree with most here that it doesn't really matter. You just buy what you like. However, when the ratio tends to be low, and the used price level is also low (e.g., you're looking at a $150 rep of a watch that you can by a used gen for say $700) then I see no point in getting the rep, as the gen is not only marginally more expensive but also rather cheap. An example would be the Omega SMP... If you really like that watch and you do have some disposable income to throw at it, why buy the rep when a used gen is so affordable?

05-22-2010, 01:08 AM	#8
guru Administrator Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: 45 minutes north of Schaffhausen Posts: 7,230 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 4	as all said, it doesn't matter but when I look at all the watches I got I would say, it is about factor 10 to 20 __________________

05-22-2010, 02:50 AM	#9
saltyturtle Who has the Best Sub? Join Date: May 2010 Location: UK Posts: 11	I've always bought & owned GEN watches as a rule, and only ever had one (still got it in my 'man drawer') 'fake' watch, a Rolex Explorer my parents bought me for about $50-60 in Thailand years ago when on holiday. I think my dissapointment with that watch put me off 'replicas' since the watch looked fantastic quality structurally, but had the timekeeping prowess of let's say, a sundial? The 'coolness' of appearing to be wearing a high end Rolex was always marred by the embarrasment of people asking the time only to be faced with me looking bemused at my wrist to see the hand stuck at some jaunty angle. Further usage progressed the watches' degradation to the point where one has to flex the crown thingy at a weird angle just to move the hands. I recently started watch hunting on some 'luxury brands' (Omega/Rolex/TAG) and ended up looking at some moody copies. LUCKILY I stumbled across this forum, and saved myself buying another piece of junk, sold using GEN photos (as I now believe a lot of these shadier companies do!) The thing that struck me is how expensive these 'replicas' are, when one could buy a very decent and servicable Seiko/Citizen/Rotary etc etc from a recognised dealer, with a warranty, for the same or a lot less, they no longer appeared the cheapo bargains that would last five minutes but be a bit of fun fooling your mates before it broke, and testing out your poker face when quizzed on it's authenticity. Then to compound my disbelief, I see a lot of you good people actually 'mod' your watches, spending a small fortune 'doing them up'. I have to admit, I lean towards the 'well just pay a little bit more and buy the GEN watch, why not...?' camp in this instance, after all wasn't it Keith Richards from the Stones who immortally stated "you can't polish a turd!" I do think that a LOT of GEN watches are way, way overpriced, trading on reputation rather than innovation or quality, and I hear Rolexes are diabolical timekeepers generally, but I suppose we're missing the point scrutinising function over form. After all, in a sensible world we'd all live on a diet of potatoes, drive a diesel Toyota and wear a £15 Casio, until it broke, ten years on, where we'd replace it with another £15 Casio, and drive home from the shop in our diesel Toyota to eat some more lovely potatoes! I've yet to own one of these latest, rather pricey but fine looking REPS but I'm sorely tempted, since it's a snub to the snobbery & pomposity of the LUXURY WATCH MARKET. Have you ever been into one of these high end high street jewelers and been impertinent enough to actually LOOK at a watch you probably can't afford? My God, the snotty, crow like, middle aged, judgemental shopworkers suddenly adopt a very superior tone 'a la Pretty Woman' and sarcastically ask if you 'need any help, at all?' Basically scaring you off, despite the fact I could be wearing a watch (for example my gen TAG or gen Citizen Autozilla worth more than these deadbeats earn in a week! So if you can get 'almost the same thing' i.e. quality movement (which is after all the most important element of a watch IMO) for a fraction of the price, without feeding the rip-off culture of paying for the name, then all the better for you! I read yesterday that Rolexes, although well respected as good quality Swiss watches for many decades, ONLY became the revered masterpieces they are today after the 'yuppies' started flocking to the dealers in the 80's boom time. The demand became so high amongst our stripey-shirted friends on Wall St, and The City that they shot up in price, leaping from £800ish to over £2000 in just a few years. So there we have it, we're all impressionable fools who will pay over the odds to wear a name, a label, a motif, as if that badge elevates us to the status of ' a success at life'. Of course we all know wearing a 'real' Rolex does not increase your appeal to the opposite sex, make people in the street feel humbled in the presence of you, the demi-god, or guarantee you are sitting on huge gold reserves. In reality in modern age cultures, it normally singles you out as being a bit of a prat, a poseur, the sort of person who wears leopard print thongs and owns a jaccuzzi. Somehow, this doesn't stop me wanting one, and I believe in treating one's self to the best watch they can afford/justify. After all a true gentleman should only wear one piece of jewelery apart from a solitary ring, his wristwatch. Much as I'd like to be one of those cheapo-joes who merrily wear their £15 Casio digitals day in - day out for years, not giving so much as a hoot what anyone thinks, I can't, I like a nice looking watch. So to conclude my ramblings..I'd say the price break between gen/rep is a matter of personal choice, but just remember the words of the leather-faced Rolling Stone, and take heed of the saga of teenage 'car tuners' who manage to take a perfectly good hatchback worth about £1000, spend roughly £3-4000 on 'customising' it, and turn it into a garish dogs dinner worth about £200. Anyone still reading this.....?

05-22-2010, 09:03 AM	#10
jiddy VIP MEMBER / SUPPORTER! Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: EU/ Sweden Posts: 993 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 2	As above posters, 10-20 Think after a while your "lowest standard" tends to get pretty high when it comes down to what you want in a watch. So I think the x 10 factor is in the low end and x20 factor where most of my reps are. Even my cheapest rep would if it were real, cost twice as much as my GEN Breitling did new. So getting all my rep watches as gens would at this point be around 140000usd+ and thats only 6 watches or so Aint going to happen so to speak, but silly happy with my super nice reps. I like the phrase "Good enough". __________________ If you found this post helpful, press the button. [ Insert Coin ] for more reps Last edited by jiddy; 05-22-2010 at 09:19 AM.