Has anyone had direct contact with a manufacturer? Do we know who they are?

[Wriggles 12]

Asking about the gaytona.

Asking about contacting the manufacturers

Asking about group buys

 

Starting off well anyway...

 

[RepGuy 108]

Asking about the gaytona.

Asking about contacting the manufacturers

Asking about group buys

 

Starting off well anyway...

 

"Yes, I would like to place an order for 100 of your gayest Gaytonas."

[Undinist 20]

Asking about the gaytona.

Asking about contacting the manufacturers

Asking about group buys

 

Starting off well anyway...

 

It's a fascinating subject...the luxury goods industry, the power of branding, the dominance of the Chinese and their attitude to Western IP. I have a background in marketing and PR and journalism, and I've wasted a lot of my own money on luxury goods with inflated values.

 

Has anyone read Gomorrah? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomorrah_(book) I recommend it. The film version is also superb. The book is all true, written by a journalist who went undercover. The film is lightly fictionalised. The book explains how the mafia have infiltrated the Italian clothing industry to such an extent that luxury branded clothes are made in mafia-controlled factories. In addition to making a short run of the most exclusive items they make an extra quota of fakes, with the same factory/staff/materials, with the same hologrammed security tags etc, so that the fakes are not just indistinguishable from the real thing, they ARE the real thing. And because they pay poverty wages and no taxes in a stolen factory, they can compete with Chinese manufacturers. Which is why some Italian companies still make clothes in Italy.

[RepGuy 108]

Asking about the gaytona.

Asking about contacting the manufacturers

Asking about group buys

 

Starting off well anyway...

 

It's a fascinating subject...the luxury goods industry, the power of branding, the dominance of the Chinese and their attitude to Western IP. I have a background in marketing and PR and journalism, and I've wasted a lot of my own money on luxury goods with inflated values.

 

Has anyone read Gomorrah? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomorrah_(book) I recommend it. The film version is also superb. The book is all true, written by a journalist who went undercover. The film is lightly fictionalised. The book explains how the mafia have infiltrated the Italian clothing industry to such an extent that luxury branded clothes are made in mafia-controlled factories. In addition to making a short run of the most exclusive items they make an extra quota of fakes, with the same factory/staff/materials, with the same hologrammed security tags etc, so that the fakes are not just indistinguishable from the real thing, they ARE the real thing. And because they pay poverty wages and no taxes in a stolen factory, they can compete with Chinese manufacturers. Which is why some Italian companies still make clothes in Italy.

 

While reps are good, and getting better, don't expect them to have the same feel/functionality as the real thing. I agree that genuine prices are inflated, but the thought that both reps and high end genuine variations are made in the same place is simply not true. You're in for a disappointing purchase if you expect a gen quality rep for 1/10 of the price.

[NCRich 13,743]

[RUSH2112 11]

I got a hand job from a dealer once.

[Undinist 20]

the thought that both reps and high end genuine variations are made in the same place is simply not true.

 

That would be a ludicrous thing to say, and I didn't say it. You're trying to wind me up again, aren't you?

[Genius 281]

FFS please stop posting that, I'm actually starting to like it

[NCRich 13,743]

FFS please stop posting that, I'm actually starting to like it

 

 

[RepGuy 108]

the thought that both reps and high end genuine variations are made in the same place is simply not true.

 

That would be a ludicrous thing to say, and I didn't say it. You're trying to wind me up again, aren't you?

 

No, I was responding to your post. The only things I wind up are my watches.

 

I took your comment about genuine goods being produced along side fakes to also include watches.

[black263 228]

I'm new here and was expecting there to be lots of talk about Alibaba and so on. But I searched and found almost no mentions. Are the manufacturers not listed there? Who are they anyway? Has anyone attempted a group buy? What would the minimum order be? Does anyone know the typical manufacturer's price of a good quality rep, the sort of thing the TDs sell for $350?

 

I bought a camera on Alibaba recently. I saw the one I wanted and the minimum order was 25 pieces. So I emailed the manufacturer to ask whether he could put me in touch with a reseller. I didn't really expect a reply to my email, but within a few minutes I was offered a good price on just 1 piece. They sent me an invoice on Paypal...job done. A reseller in Hong Kong on ebay was asking nearly four times the price.

I'm having great trouble making my mind up on your agenda. To put it another way, you're asking the end users of an illegal product if they can put you in touch with the producers. We have a number of dealers who act as middle men, but no-one here is going to give away the producer details even if we knew them.

 

So either you are trying to wind us up, or just fucking thick. I'd be grateful if you could cast some light on which one applies.

[Undinist 20]

I took your comment about genuine goods being produced along side fakes to also include watches.

 

Well, you do like to make assumptions.

 

Anyway, here's a big, reputable company offering a Patek 5204 rep on Alibaba. Amazing openness. No attempt to hide the logo. $15-20 each. min order 200. https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/HIGH-QUALITY-MULTIFUNCTION-QUARTZ-WATCH-FOR_1784268860.html?spm=a2700.details.maylikehoz.13.380afb5q4zcMM

[Mr Stubbs 0]

See NCRich's posts above.

 

Edit: Hell, if you could get 200 of us to agree on ANYTHING, maybe we could have *gasp* an RWG club WATCH!

[Genius 281]

I took your comment about genuine goods being produced along side fakes to also include watches.

 

Well, you do like to make assumptions.

 

Anyway, here's a big, reputable company offering a Patek 5204 rep on Alibaba. Amazing openness. No attempt to hide the logo. $15-20 each. min order 200. https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/HIGH-QUALITY-MULTIFUNCTION-QUARTZ-WATCH-FOR_1784268860.html?spm=a2700.details.maylikehoz.13.380afb5q4zcMM

And one piece is about $25-30 shipped from dhgate

 

Like u said cheap fun on cheap shit like that but not worth the risk to most of is on the higher end fakes

[Undinist 20]

I'm new here and was expecting there to be lots of talk about Alibaba and so on. But I searched and found almost no mentions. Are the manufacturers not listed there? Who are they anyway? Has anyone attempted a group buy? What would the minimum order be? Does anyone know the typical manufacturer's price of a good quality rep, the sort of thing the TDs sell for $350?

 

I bought a camera on Alibaba recently. I saw the one I wanted and the minimum order was 25 pieces. So I emailed the manufacturer to ask whether he could put me in touch with a reseller. I didn't really expect a reply to my email, but within a few minutes I was offered a good price on just 1 piece. They sent me an invoice on Paypal...job done. A reseller in Hong Kong on ebay was asking nearly four times the price.

I'm having great trouble making my mind up on your agenda. To put it another way, you're asking the end users of an illegal product if they can put you in touch with the producers. We have a number of dealers who act as middle men, but no-one here is going to give away the producer details even if we knew them.

 

So either you are trying to wind us up, or just fucking thick. I'd be grateful if you could cast some light on which one applies.

Oh grow up. Don't act as if buying a rep watch is as shady as buying drugs or a gun. It's illegal to sell the product in this country, but not to buy it or own it. You're supposed to know that. In China IP is copied flagrantly by everyone, including the government. Look at the vast production of copied pharmaceuticals and software! You ought to know that too, but I suppose you don't read intelligent newspapers, do you?

[RepGuy 108]

I took your comment about genuine goods being produced along side fakes to also include watches.

 

Well, you do like to make assumptions.

 

Anyway, here's a big, reputable company offering a Patek 5204 rep on Alibaba. Amazing openness. No attempt to hide the logo. $15-20 each. min order 200. https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/HIGH-QUALITY-MULTIFUNCTION-QUARTZ-WATCH-FOR_1784268860.html?spm=a2700.details.maylikehoz.13.380afb5q4zcMM

 

While I may have made an assumption, it's clear that one of two things are happening here:

 

1. You are trying to piggy-back off of the information/members here in an attempt to secure yourself a factory contact to wholesale yourself. This is clear, as you continually point out how you are looking for "group buys" and other large watch buys. Your last example you make shows you are also looking into large purchases of the same model of watch... I wonder why that would be. Do you really think the Trusted Dealers here would make anyone aware of the rep factory contacts and lose out on business, as well as risk much more (Its no surprise that these factories aren't run by the most upstanding people) by telling strangers on the internet how to get in contact with people running a multi million dollar illegal operation.

 

2. You're really this naive and don't get the hint from all of the members in this thread.

 

Personally, I think number 1 is the reality here, and I don't need a degree in journalism to figure that out.

[Genius 281]

I took your comment about genuine goods being produced along side fakes to also include watches.

 

Well, you do like to make assumptions.

 

Anyway, here's a big, reputable company offering a Patek 5204 rep on Alibaba. Amazing openness. No attempt to hide the logo. $15-20 each. min order 200. https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/HIGH-QUALITY-MULTIFUNCTION-QUARTZ-WATCH-FOR_1784268860.html?spm=a2700.details.maylikehoz.13.380afb5q4zcMM

 

While I may have made an assumption, it's clear that one of two things are happening here:

 

1. You are trying to piggy-back off of the information/members here in an attempt to secure yourself a factory contact to wholesale yourself. This is clear, as you continually point out how you are looking for "group buys" and other large watch buys. Your last example you make shows you are also looking into large purchases of the same model of watch... I wonder why that would be. Do you really think the Trusted Dealers here would make anyone aware of the rep factory contacts and lose out on business, as well as risk much more (Its no surprise that these factories aren't run by the most upstanding people) by telling strangers on the internet how to get in contact with people running a multi million dollar illegal operation.

 

2. You're really this naive and don't get the hint from all of the members in this thread.

 

Personally, I think number 1 is the reality here, and I don't need a degree in journalism to figure that out.

I think he just wants to get em cheaper

[RepGuy 108]

I took your comment about genuine goods being produced along side fakes to also include watches.

 

Well, you do like to make assumptions.

 

Anyway, here's a big, reputable company offering a Patek 5204 rep on Alibaba. Amazing openness. No attempt to hide the logo. $15-20 each. min order 200. https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/HIGH-QUALITY-MULTIFUNCTION-QUARTZ-WATCH-FOR_1784268860.html?spm=a2700.details.maylikehoz.13.380afb5q4zcMM

 

While I may have made an assumption, it's clear that one of two things are happening here:

 

1. You are trying to piggy-back off of the information/members here in an attempt to secure yourself a factory contact to wholesale yourself. This is clear, as you continually point out how you are looking for "group buys" and other large watch buys. Your last example you make shows you are also looking into large purchases of the same model of watch... I wonder why that would be. Do you really think the Trusted Dealers here would make anyone aware of the rep factory contacts and lose out on business, as well as risk much more (Its no surprise that these factories aren't run by the most upstanding people) by telling strangers on the internet how to get in contact with people running a multi million dollar illegal operation.

 

2. You're really this naive and don't get the hint from all of the members in this thread.

 

Personally, I think number 1 is the reality here, and I don't need a degree in journalism to figure that out.

I think he just wants to get em cheaper

 

Or that

[Undinist 20]

The thing which amazes me is not the stupidity of RepGuy's posts...although they are stupendously stupid. (Why would a new member start out by pissing everyone off and asking noob questions if he wanted to organise a group buy? Wouldn't it make more sense to be polite and act as if he had some relevant experience?)

 

No, the thing which amazes me is the apparent lack of curiosity in the forum generally. Here you all are, enjoying the fruits of the collision between Western luxury branding and Chinese business ethics, but you act as if I'm strange because I wonder where these watches come from or how much the factory charges. Come on, some of you must be curious about this. To me these details are fascinating. And I reckon it would be an exciting gamble to send a few quid to someone on Alibaba and wait to see what arrives in the post. I really enjoyed the gamble of buying the camera I mentioned before. Why not plunge in and experience this phenomenon to the full, while it lasts? It can't go on forever. Eventually the Chinese factory workers will want a Western wage and their government will want to conform to business ethics. One day you'll be telling your grandkids how you bought a rep of a £30,000 Rolex for £300. Maybe it will still be working and looking good! And it would be an even better story if you could say that you dealt direct with some random guy at a factory and paid only £30 when all the people on the forum were paying ten times as much.

[rawbaws 91]

Undinist

 

I think you will find, or at least it is my assumption that "manufacturers" such as NOOB et al are merely deal makers. They fund the original gen watch, then break it down for specs and design and send off parts orders.

 

They send specs to legitimate companies who make dials, hands, cases, ceramic inserts, movements etc and and cobble the pieces together in a dark basement somewhere. I seriously doubt that there are "rep watch manufacturers" who are manufacturing and piecing together the whole kit and kaboodle from one factory. Not even most swiss brands do this (besides Rolex)

 

So the answer to your question is that it would take a lot of organisation and trial and error sourcing various parts to your specification from various manufacturers and putting the watch together yourself.

 

As for locating the men behind the likes of Noob factory etc to source a watch direct. Good luck. If they wanted to sell to the public they would. They don't - for obvious reasons.

Edited July 19, 2017 by rawbaws

[RepGuy 108]

The thing which amazes me is not the stupidity of RepGuy's posts...although they are stupendously stupid. (Why would a new member start out by pissing everyone off and asking noob questions if he wanted to organise a group buy? Wouldn't it make more sense to be polite and act as if he had some relevant experience?)

 

No, the thing which amazes me is the apparent lack of curiosity in the forum generally. Here you all are, enjoying the fruits of the collision between Western luxury branding and Chinese business ethics, but you act as if I'm strange because I wonder where these watches come from or how much the factory charges. Come on, some of you must be curious about this. To me these details are fascinating. And I reckon it would be an exciting gamble to send a few quid to someone on Alibaba and wait to see what arrives in the post. I really enjoyed the gamble of buying the camera I mentioned before. Why not plunge in and experience this phenomenon to the full, while it lasts? It can't go on forever. Eventually the Chinese factory workers will want a Western wage and their government will want to conform to business ethics. One day you'll be telling your grandkids how you bought a rep of a £30,000 Rolex for £300. Maybe it will still be working and looking good! And it would be an even better story if you could say that you dealt direct with some random guy at a factory and paid only £30 when all the people on the forum were paying ten times as much.

 

Just because we don't agree doesn't mean there is a lack of intelligence. For example:

 

I reckon it would be an exciting gamble to send a few quid to someone on Alibaba and wait to see what arrives in the post.

 

As was mentioned before, many members do this, including myself, on DHGate. The thing about this is that the reps found on that site are of much lower quality, so while, yes, you can purchase a replica watch for $30, and many times for much less, the quality of that those reps will be inferior to those purchased from a Trusted Dealer (movement, case set, dial, sapphire crystal, ect.). It's not impossible to get the same quality reps as a Trusted Dealer, but it's pretty difficult being across the globe from the suppliers to do any quality control or checks before it is shipped. If you get a busted watch, there is no recourse when you do it on your own, but there is with the TD's. They are basically paid a premium for these services, as well as their relationships with the factories and suppliers that aren't normally available to a tourist or other outsider. The TD's can usually get better quality even within the same batch as others buy from (as in better aligned dial markers and the like).

 

So if you want to buy from Alibaba or DHGate, go for it... like I said, we even have a section dedicated to those purchases, but it is only accessible for VIP's, which you can purchase if you like. You seem to be more interested in getting a deal or lower price on the market average, which is fine, but be advised that this is not something simple, and many members here have been at it much longer than you would think, so taking their advice into consideration is a good idea.

[Wriggles 12]

The thing which amazes me is not the stupidity of RepGuy's posts...although they are stupendously stupid. (Why would a new member start out by pissing everyone off and asking noob questions if he wanted to organise a group buy? Wouldn't it make more sense to be polite and act as if he had some relevant experience?)

 

No, the thing which amazes me is the apparent lack of curiosity in the forum generally. Here you all are, enjoying the fruits of the collision between Western luxury branding and Chinese business ethics, but you act as if I'm strange because I wonder where these watches come from or how much the factory charges. Come on, some of you must be curious about this. To me these details are fascinating. And I reckon it would be an exciting gamble to send a few quid to someone on Alibaba and wait to see what arrives in the post. I really enjoyed the gamble of buying the camera I mentioned before. Why not plunge in and experience this phenomenon to the full, while it lasts? It can't go on forever. Eventually the Chinese factory workers will want a Western wage and their government will want to conform to business ethics. One day you'll be telling your grandkids how you bought a rep of a £30,000 Rolex for £300. Maybe it will still be working and looking good! And it would be an even better story if you could say that you dealt direct with some random guy at a factory and paid only £30 when all the people on the forum were paying ten times as much.

 

We get an astonishing amount of stupid coming here so it wouldn't be in the slightest bit odd that a new member would act like that. The extensive list of banned morons is a testament to that very fact

 

Also those here long enough have seen and heard pretty much every fantasists new brilliant idea to achieve something never achieved before, and know that there's many reasons said brilliant ideas have never been achieved before, you aren't the first wet behind the ears blow in to come in and think he can be a game changer and you won't be the last.

It always amazes me how newbies think somehow they know or can do better than the collective experience and knowledge of 80k+ members

[RUSH2112 11]

The thing which amazes me is not the stupidity of RepGuy's posts...although they are stupendously stupid. (Why would a new member start out by pissing everyone off and asking noob questions if he wanted to organise a group buy? Wouldn't it make more sense to be polite and act as if he had some relevant experience?)

 

No, the thing which amazes me is the apparent lack of curiosity in the forum generally. Here you all are, enjoying the fruits of the collision between Western luxury branding and Chinese business ethics, but you act as if I'm strange because I wonder where these watches come from or how much the factory charges. Come on, some of you must be curious about this. To me these details are fascinating. And I reckon it would be an exciting gamble to send a few quid to someone on Alibaba and wait to see what arrives in the post. I really enjoyed the gamble of buying the camera I mentioned before. Why not plunge in and experience this phenomenon to the full, while it lasts? It can't go on forever. Eventually the Chinese factory workers will want a Western wage and their government will want to conform to business ethics. One day you'll be telling your grandkids how you bought a rep of a £30,000 Rolex for £300. Maybe it will still be working and looking good! And it would be an even better story if you could say that you dealt direct with some random guy at a factory and paid only £30 when all the people on the forum were paying ten times as much.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/chinese-man-sentenced-death-counterfeit-currency-worth-us-141328195.html

[JohnCocktoastin 0]

Hmmm, let's see...

 

Undinist:

 

 

Then RWG vets:

 

Then Undinist:

[n18lld 656]

 

Might wear it...............if it was repped!