Prices going up??

[MDK 0]

The prices of Reps now are why I don't own them anymore, I would rather wait a little longer and pick up a gen; $700 for a rep is barmy get a reasonable gen for that money.

[RUSH2112 11]

Why not try some watches from reg (narikaa)? Good quality and low priced.

[GenTLe 1,501]

Maybe (just maybe) also the TDs are noticing that the purchases are going down. There are a lot of discounts around (Trusty 15%, TSWatch with similar one and so on).

I hope they will going down further, in order to reduce their prices again.

 

Or that there will be more "wholesaler". Recently I got a watch from a wholesaler (which is a TD over RWI) that costed me 261US$ (shipped), and on the standard TD its price is 378$ (shipped). The watch was the same and only difference between the 2 prices are: 1) custom protection and 2) "guarantee" (which means that if it arrives DOA you need to send it back at your expenses, with all the risks this comes with).

Considering the wholesaler doesn't sell on loss, how much could that watch cost when got from the factory? 180$? That's 90% markup ok? ...

[tonyh7 235]

You can buy a Steinhart Ocean 1 sub homage for 380 euros, which is less than many Rolex sub reps. Sometimes a lot less. The Steinhart has a gen new Swiss ETA 2824 movement. If anything goes wrong the after sales are good and Steinhart meet any shipping charges. An expensive rep will look good but the quality is less certain, and the after sales pretty haphazard at best. It does look to me like the reps are getting a bit silly price wise. Personally my cut off is $300 us. Beyond that its gen prices and I'd like gen quality and after sales.

[KarmaToBurn 1,419]

I like to keep my rep purchases under $200 if possible. When I first started collecting most of the watches fell into that category. Unfortunately, cheap reps are now far and few between so I limit myself to special offers, crazy sales and low end gen sales these days. I guess it's for the best since I just purchased a house last Tuesday and I don't think I'll have much money for the next few months while I try to get the place furnished.

[Nhrob 0]

I think as the price for higher quality reps approaches the 400$ mark, the dealers will find orders declining. I know that if i am spending more than 400$, I'll probably try to buy a gen. There's a ton of high quality gens out there for 300-1000 USD price range. Especially in the 2nd hand market.

 

I defintely think that the rep market, given all it's foibles has to realize that for the serious hobbyist, there is a price line they'd be wise not to exceed. I think 400 bucks is that number.

 

Slow shipping (in some cases), poor guarantees, variable quality, cheap straps and bracelets, customs concerns, etc., etc. produce a limited ceiling on prices.

 

 

I just picked up a Seiko SARB065 and an SKX007, each for under 300 USD. Wonderful watches, both.

[BabaNJ 38]

This is the reason i am turning towards modding and gen watches. I bought more affordable gens since January then reps and eyeing a few more. I browsed some of td's and there were only very few reps left now under $200. I know some people gona cry saying i need to spend more $$ to get the best but another part of this hobby is buying many watches and it all adds up if you want to buy different watches. Now only if i was one watch guy i would shell out more $ but i like variety so if these reps keep going up like this i guess sub $200 gens would be my choice to keep adding to my collection.

Edited April 1, 2017 by Jaysembhi

[Kleen™ 45]

Yup. The days of 1-3 pcs per month is long gone for me. Actually, I haven't bought a new one in months...

[Lagger 160]

Ey, the old buy them both moto will be a thing off the past

[Stewart 0]

My first rep (Omega PO) cost me $145. Now I am saving $380 for my next purchase then am asked to pay $45 to ship it with no guarantee.

 

To me, I have to ask is there something in the same price range that I will like better.

 

At this point, with the reps getting as good as they are, they still represent a value to me as the options (gen) in the same price range do not bring me the same satisfaction but when they get over $500 I am going to "micro" brands.

 

Best benefit is I am not paying sales tax on them.

[GenTLe 1,501]

IT would be good to have the opinion of our TDs:

@aoobuy @LawrenceWatch @MReplica @Mary Watch @Perfect Clones @silix @Theonewatches @timesshopnet @trustytime @Fat Panda

anything to say on the topic?

[Kleen™ 45]

Antyhing over $400 for a rep (all included) is just silly money imo...I have bought a few ones over the $500 mark, but have always regretted it afterwards, when I could have gotten a more interesting gen for the same money, eg. a(nother) Seiko...

[Thelittleprince 2]

Antyhing over $400 for a rep (all included) is just silly money imo...I have bought a few ones over the $500 mark, but have always regretted it afterwards, when I could have gotten a more interesting gen for the same money, eg. a(nother) Seiko...

 

I agree, only time i didn't regret was the A Lange Tourby! Anything else other than tourbillon is absolute stupidity.

[Ieyasu1 0]

You guys are lucky being in this hobby earlier. The only time I was able to grab a watch is when I saw a discounted one, but even then it was still quite a big of change. It was already half the price of a Steinhart.

 

The others I'm interested in is just too much for me to bite the bullet. I am tempted to try the wholesaler as well, I hope they are trustworthy and would still send quality and not rejects.

[GenTLe 1,501]

I am tempted to try the wholesaler as well, I hope they are trustworthy and would still send quality and not rejects.

 

They aren't. I got quite a few from them and they are absolutely fine.

[Ieyasu1 0]

I am tempted to try the wholesaler as well, I hope they are trustworthy and would still send quality and not rejects.

 

They aren't. I got quite a few from them and they are absolutely fine.

 

Thank you. I am tempted to purchase one, to give as a gift actually. The person knows it's a rep, but I wanted her to have a really nice one to try before I'm able to afford the gen.

Edited April 1, 2017 by Ieyasu1

[atl504 0]

I noticed this too.

[AJB2 0]

I got Andrew @ TrustyTime's mail out yesterday. Some of his new releases are coming out at $298 so below the $300 price break. Couple that with his $15 per watch discount & he seems to be offering some pretty good deals at present.

 

Maybe he read this thread???

[RussP 22,191]

Are we getting to the point where we will be buying from DH gate to try out the watch before splashing out on a real rep?

 

 

What real rep?

[funkylemon 0]

Its market driven prices, right? The question becomes 'what is a fair price for a rep with quality as close to gen as possible'? if the rep is 95% accurate, and the real one is $8000, what will the market demand the price should be?

[black263 228]

Are we getting to the point where we will be buying from DH gate to try out the watch before splashing out on a real rep?

 

 

What real rep?

Real rep is any from a TD. They sell the guaranteed, 1:1 AAAA++++ genuine real reps.

[Kahunaa 0]

I would find this to be the likely culprit

Also, I feel they see a lot of people are sending watches out for modding and adjustments. Some will almost pay the price of the watch for a mod. I'm sure TD's see this trend and realize they are loosing out and can charge more due to people willing to spend money on a hobby.

[Xpletiv 16]

But they're willing to spend more if price dictates.

The lower prices makes it able to allocate money for modding, etc.

Higher prices tend to cut down on "upgrades", "bling", etc.

Most bang for your money.

[cpa5oh 0]

If I could know that the reps were good timepieces regardless of style (i.e. well put together and long lived - which if it's doable in a sub $200 gen should be doable in a high end replica), I'd be happy to pay 10% of the cost of a gen that cost $3-$5k. I think the quality/care has to be up to justify the higher prices. Seems like it might be there with some makers, others not so much. Maybe the board users should start holding the td's and factories more to account for quality now with the higher prices rather than dismiss quality issues to say "well if you want quality you should've bought the gen". Just my opinion.

[black263 228]

If I could know that the reps were good timepieces regardless of style (i.e. well put together and long lived - which if it's doable in a sub $200 gen should be doable in a high end replica), I'd be happy to pay 10% of the cost of a gen that cost $3-$5k. I think the quality/care has to be up to justify the higher prices. Seems like it might be there with some makers, others not so much. Maybe the board users should start holding the td's and factories more to account for quality now with the higher prices rather than dismiss quality issues to say "well if you want quality you should've bought the gen". Just my opinion.

It would be doable in a high end replica if the manufacture wasn't a criminal activity. It would be great to have proper factories, with clean rooms, and all the trappings of the gen manufacturers. Sadly, that's not how the makers work. So we can never expect the same level of standardisation, cleanliness and quality control.