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blueoysterboy

Where is your gen/rep decision point?

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blueoysterboy

I'm thinking seriously about purchasing a ~$450 rep.   I firmly believe at this price point, and working through a TD, the watch I will receive will be an excellent timepiece.   However, I also know that at that price point I can buy a very nice gen from one of a number manufacturers (Seiko, Tissot come to mind).   One of the factors that influences my decision process is my view that the quality process, in general, for gens is more robust than rep factories and, if I have an issue, resolution will be smoother with a gen.  I was wondering if there is a price point where you think about a gen purchase rather than a rep, or do you just by what you want regardless of the manufacturer?

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MetalMickey

Never spend more than you can afford to throw away on a rep, that's my rule. 

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Wriggles

Anything above 300usd needs to be something I really really want otherwise I don't bite. It's at the point now where I'm buying  gen and rarely any reps 

When I got in this game you could get a really top rep for the low 200's but prices have gone so high I just don't think it's a good value proposition considering the various risks

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MOT

The premise for this question is flawed.  Apologies OP but i am in an argumentative, bolshy mood! 

What is the $450 dollar rep you are considering?  If Gen equivalent is "luxury" then your question takes on a different choice.  If you love the seiko or tissot, then get it?

If your question is about purely will I have more confidence and After sales malarkey, then Gen all the way???  Although I would argue that its just as easy to get a Chinese special serviced if its one of the more popular/robusrt movements.....

I have banged this drum.  I have wrangled with the merits etc...  Now I dont give a shit.  That is not a throw away comment.  I honestly could not give a shit.  I cannot afford several Gens.  One for me would never be enough, I look at this as playing, fun, hobby sport.  It is so subjective.  You buy what YOU like, not him, her, them, YOU.  If that is a Seiko, great, if that is Rolex, great, if that is a Casio, great.  Who gives a shit?  No one else.  This is all about appreciation of the craft and design.  I would rather spend 6 grand on a cruise around some exotic location than tell the time (with a sumptuous GMT on my wrist).  For someone else its different.  You gotta live now Fuckers, NOW.  Get it, love it, if it breaks fix it.  Bored, get another one, then repeat.  Bollocks to tomorrow, may not come!

Bottom Line,  from what I have seen with decent Reps I would be fucking mad (which is a given) to pay 6, 7, 8 grand for a timepiece that cost 10 - 20 percent of that to produce.  Plus I will tire of it and my tastes may change.  If it was a question of if I was only ever to get one watch at 450 and that was it - i would get a Seiko or The Casio LTD Edition Square or a.................  just saying.

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Alan32

IMHO I think it all depends on the watch I have a Longines master calendar rep that cost $378 dollars ( I got 3 for 2 from sillex ,so slightly less) and I have a Seiko perpetual calendar for £135 ($170)

Both are beautiful watches and both equal as far as I'm concerned ( I'm not adverse to quartz)  but I also have a Patek Annual calendar that I paid $428 for, and although  its a beautiful watch it just doesn't suit

me and I will be selling in the new year

Conversely I could have bought a great rep submariner for @ $300 but instead have bought a Chris Benz "Deep" diver for £435 ( $550)

 

So I think it's more about loving the watch and buying the version you can afford 

 

 

 

PS the Photos are from Picr.me  can anyone help me get them in the right aspect ratiogElHI.jpgxBpZh.jpg

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quacks

Anything below $1000 is always a bit of a toss up for me. 

Anything pass that point however.... especially if they are NWBIG

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Glaude

I'm with MOT on that question.

I don't oppose gen and rep, I just look at the watch I like, look at the price, and ask myself if I like the watch enough to spend the money asked. If not I wait for an opportunity in M2M and if it never happens, so be it.
I don't think about the gen as something I'll be able to have repaired or at a better quality from the start. There are enough option today to get rep repaired or replace so that it's not my primary concern when buying.

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NCRich

I was of the "no more than $200" class for a long time.  I have since broken every rule I set for myself in terms of pricing and other things.  I've spent upwards of $1500 for a very rare watch, and had several in the $6-800 range.  I don't see a problem with higher value as long as you are careful.  My $1500 watch will most likely never be for sale, but who knows?

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BadPickle
5 hours ago, quacks said:

Anything below $1000 is always a bit of a toss up for me. 

Anything pass that point however.... especially if they are NWBIG

That wins the “ridiculous post of the day”  had to double to check that it wasn’t that prick@AskGinger  and one of his advice posts. 

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GingerApple
9 minutes ago, pickledbeetroot said:

That wins the “ridiculous post of the day”  had to double to check that it wasn’t that prick@AskGinger  and one of his advice posts. 

I'm sure I've posted more ridiculous shit than that today. Perhaps you've just not read it yet?

Do you want some advice Pickle?

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cvp3

Every year I've gone up a little in my limit.  This year the limit hit $649 (the most I've ever spent). I just put my money in for the Zelos Skyraider pre-sale. They usually make 100 of each model. There are currently 9 left of this color-way. I have the Mako with anthrancite dial, the Great White with blue dial inbound and now this beauty. I honestly can't stop looking at the pictures. 

LINKY - > https://zeloswatches.com/collections/skyraider

B-Blue-Front-and-Back-_2018-11-29_-Zelos

Back-B-1-_2018-11-29_-Zelos-Elshan-Pilot

Lume-1-_2018-11-29_-Zelos-Elshan-Pilot-S

plane-_2018-12-12_-Zelos-Elshan-Pilot-Sk

Story and Specs:

A-1 'Skyraider'
The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was one of the last few propeller driven attack aircraft to enter service. It arrived late for World War 2 and during the start of the Jet era, yet it enjoyed one of the longest careers in the US Air Force. Despite being outclassed in speed and technology by the latest jetfighters, the Skyraider held its own with a heavy payload and agility. 
 
The Skyraider served in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and it proved invaluable in providing close air support and jets were unsuitable for. 
 
Zelos 'Skyraider'
We christened our latest flieger the 'Skyraider' as it was developed around the handwound ETA 6498 movement. Much like the aircraft, this ETA movement is an anachronism that has been use since the 1950s. The first flieger watches featured large and easily legible dials and hands. They were also powered by handwind movements and hence we set out to design a watch with these principles but with our own touch.
 
ETA 6498
The ETA 6497/6498-1 ( model number denotes difference in subdial position ) features a power reserve of 44 hours and 17 jewels, with a beat rate of 18800bph. It started out as a Unitas pocket watch movement, but it went on to be used in a variety of watches, most notably in Panerai pieces.
 
In this day and age of automatic movements and ultra accurate quartz, the handwound movement brings a level of involvement with your timepiece that's absent from the newer watches. 
 
With the rotor absent, the ETA 6498 movement is available in its full glory from the display back. We have decorated these movements with a circular Côtes de Genève engraving on the main plates, and an Anthracite PVD finish. The ratchet wheel has a 'turbine' engraving while the crown wheel features a circular pattern. All screws are blued for the final touch. Each and every movement has been engraved with the Zelos logo as well, and the non-skeleton versions are engraved '1 of 200' to denote the exclusivity of this series.
 
Dial and Case
The Skyraider features 3 different dials in either CUSN8 bronze or titanium. The 'Atmosphere Blue' dial is stamped with a turbine pattern and a blue color which gradients to black at the edges. This is meant to echo the blue sky which fades to black as seen from much higher altitudes.
 
The Meteorite dial is cut from an actual Muonionalusta meteorite which fell in Sweden around a million years ago. Each and every dial has a different pattern which makes your watch a one-of-a-kind timepiece.
 
The Skeleton version of the Skyraider is a beauty to behold. Bridges and components have been painstakingly cut out to reveal the inner workings of the movement. You will be able to see the beat of the escapement and pallet fork, its steady pulse is mesmerizing to watch. 
 
Swiss Superluminova is also generously applied across all models, with a mix of BGW9 and C3 lume to help with visibility in the dark. The thick lume application on the hands also improves visibility for the skeleton models, making time reading a breeze. 
 
Specifications
Case: 42.5mm and 13mm thick. 50mm Lug to Lug Length. CUSN8 bronze or GR5 Titanium
 
Water Resistance: 50m without screw down crown for easy winding
 
Movement: ETA 6498-1 Fully Decorated
 
Lume: Superluminova BGW9 and C3. Lumed Crown Logo
 
Power Reserve: 44 Hours
 
Package: Wooden Gift Box, Leather Travel Roll. 2 straps included: Horween Chromexcel Brown leather and Military Grey Canvas with Horween backing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lagger

Reps are reps, and will NEVER  be anything else, no matter what you do.

If you enjoy you your piece then fine, if you feel like a charlatan then don't wear reps.

A low end gen will always be that, but it is gen, it's all about self esteem, a high end gen WILL make you feel better about yourself, you wouldn't be here pretending otherwise.

I've had a great rep journey, but I'm slowly going all gen..............That's me though, but so fuck nobody cares I could wear a V7 sub the rest of my life and if I was unlucky be called out once or twice.

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TAG Heuer

The truth? Over the years I found out that a nice rep cost about 250/350 dollars. But for me i'm into vintage, so every rep I buy there is some modding to do, to make it more period correct. So the price of a rep can go sky high and sometimes a gen could be a good choice for me. Nothing to mod :D

@Glaude and @NCRich I have to agree with both of you. 

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Lagger
Just now, cvp3 said:

Every year I've gone up a little in my limit.  This year the limit hit $649 (the most I've ever spent). I just put my money in for the Zelos Skyraider pre-sale. They usually make 100 of each model. There are currently 9 left of this color-way. I have the Mako with anthrancite dial, the Great White with blue dial inbound and now this beauty. I honestly can't stop looking at the pictures. 

LINKY - > https://zeloswatches.com/collections/skyraider

B-Blue-Front-and-Back-_2018-11-29_-Zelos

Back-B-1-_2018-11-29_-Zelos-Elshan-Pilot

Lume-1-_2018-11-29_-Zelos-Elshan-Pilot-S

plane-_2018-12-12_-Zelos-Elshan-Pilot-Sk

Story and Specs:

A-1 'Skyraider'
The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was one of the last few propeller driven attack aircraft to enter service. It arrived late for World War 2 and during the start of the Jet era, yet it enjoyed one of the longest careers in the US Air Force. Despite being outclassed in speed and technology by the latest jetfighters, the Skyraider held its own with a heavy payload and agility. 
 
The Skyraider served in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and it proved invaluable in providing close air support and jets were unsuitable for. 
 
Zelos 'Skyraider'
We christened our latest flieger the 'Skyraider' as it was developed around the handwound ETA 6498 movement. Much like the aircraft, this ETA movement is an anachronism that has been use since the 1950s. The first flieger watches featured large and easily legible dials and hands. They were also powered by handwind movements and hence we set out to design a watch with these principles but with our own touch.
 
ETA 6498
The ETA 6497/6498-1 ( model number denotes difference in subdial position ) features a power reserve of 44 hours and 17 jewels, with a beat rate of 18800bph. It started out as a Unitas pocket watch movement, but it went on to be used in a variety of watches, most notably in Panerai pieces.
 
In this day and age of automatic movements and ultra accurate quartz, the handwound movement brings a level of involvement with your timepiece that's absent from the newer watches. 
 
With the rotor absent, the ETA 6498 movement is available in its full glory from the display back. We have decorated these movements with a circular Côtes de Genève engraving on the main plates, and an Anthracite PVD finish. The ratchet wheel has a 'turbine' engraving while the crown wheel features a circular pattern. All screws are blued for the final touch. Each and every movement has been engraved with the Zelos logo as well, and the non-skeleton versions are engraved '1 of 200' to denote the exclusivity of this series.
 
Dial and Case
The Skyraider features 3 different dials in either CUSN8 bronze or titanium. The 'Atmosphere Blue' dial is stamped with a turbine pattern and a blue color which gradients to black at the edges. This is meant to echo the blue sky which fades to black as seen from much higher altitudes.
 
The Meteorite dial is cut from an actual Muonionalusta meteorite which fell in Sweden around a million years ago. Each and every dial has a different pattern which makes your watch a one-of-a-kind timepiece.
 
The Skeleton version of the Skyraider is a beauty to behold. Bridges and components have been painstakingly cut out to reveal the inner workings of the movement. You will be able to see the beat of the escapement and pallet fork, its steady pulse is mesmerizing to watch. 
 
Swiss Superluminova is also generously applied across all models, with a mix of BGW9 and C3 lume to help with visibility in the dark. The thick lume application on the hands also improves visibility for the skeleton models, making time reading a breeze. 
 
Specifications
Case: 42.5mm and 13mm thick. 50mm Lug to Lug Length. CUSN8 bronze or GR5 Titanium
 
Water Resistance: 50m without screw down crown for easy winding
 
Movement: ETA 6498-1 Fully Decorated
 
Lume: Superluminova BGW9 and C3. Lumed Crown Logo
 
Power Reserve: 44 Hours
 
Package: Wooden Gift Box, Leather Travel Roll. 2 straps included: Horween Chromexcel Brown leather and Military Grey Canvas with Horween backing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So is this your upper rep limit? This is a limited edition gen,would you spend  that on a rep...........I spent £390 on a rep....it won't happen again, the game is up really, priced out the market and rich kids toys at the minute

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BadPickle
17 minutes ago, AskGinger said:

I'm sure I've posted more ridiculous shit than that today. Perhaps you've just not read it yet?

Do you want some advice Pickle?

 

 

 

You can try,,, good or bad? 

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GingerApple
12 minutes ago, pickledbeetroot said:

 

 

 

You can try,,, good or bad? 

Bad please.

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MetalMickey
16 minutes ago, Lagger said:

So is this your upper rep limit? This is a limited edition gen,would you spend  that on a rep...........I spent £390 on a rep....it won't happen again, the game is up really, priced out the market and rich kids toys at the minute

For £390 you could pick up something really nice. A gen Hamilton or similar in the sales. Okay it won't have ”Rolex” or whatever on the dial but it'll have a warranty. And maybe even some resale value. 

But my point stands. Spend what you want on a toy watch : as long as you can afford to lose it. 

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simplemind

You're the only one who works for your money.  If you want a gen, by all means save a few quid or bucks a month and get what you want.  If a gen will make you happy with warranty/ piece of mind, etc .....go for it if a good rep from a TD does the same, go for it.  Whatever makes us feel fiizzy while were driving or walking, and decide to check the time, is what matters, legalities,  moralities, trademarks, intellectual properties aside. Its your money. 

But we all know the risks with a rep.

Its a rep.......even a a "good" one.

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cvp3

It's all relative. My $349 Hamilton Khaki Navy Diver, $12 HMT Oris franken-dial, $40 Vintage Timex Marlin and $425 Zelos Bronze Mako all make me smile for a completely different reason. I'm in awe of what I've seen some do to faux-age Rolex watches and I would probably be shocked to know what people have invested. Just like some who look at the $649 Zelos SkyRaider and shake their head. 

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julian2002

As a noob to the rep game my rep budget is probably under £150, I'm not going to get super clones for that money of course but I've had some minor success finding some decent reps on a budget. I'd maybe spend more on something outstanding and classic say a Sub or Deepsea (if I liked them) or if a decent rep GMT movement was made that allowed correct 'travel gmt' operation.

 

 

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Thommo82

I had a $250 limit on reps, then one day reps just stopped doing it for me and I simply wasn’t getting the same enjoyment I used too from them.

My gens got all the wrist time. All of it.

So I sold off all my reps to fund gen purchases. 

The gens I wanted were in the $1000 range, more than I wanted to spend on a watch, especially as I want multiple watches. 

Then I found sellers on places like http://ashford.com/ that have great deals on the type of watches I was seeking at about 1/4 cost of retail. 

Also found some eBay sellers, such as

https://www.m.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?sid=watcheshalfprice&isRefine=true&_pgn=1

who also have great deals on offer.

So now I have avenues to get the type of gens I want at a price I’m happy to pay.

 

In the end, the advice already given in this thread, just to buy what YOU want and fuck what everyone else thinks is very sound. 

Only you know what’s going to make you happy, so only you should decide what to buy. 

It’s your journey, choose whichever path you desire. 

 

 

sent from my gen snob phone

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BadPickle
10 hours ago, metalmickey said:

For £390 you could pick up something really nice. A gen Hamilton or similar in the sales. Okay it won't have ”Rolex” or whatever on the dial but it'll have a warranty. And maybe even some resale value. 

 

 

:rofl:

what’s the point? what will it do that a rep Rolex V9 won’t?  Will it get you the respect you most certainly deserve?? NO it bloody well won’t!! but flash that coronet around at the bar/restaurant and people will know you’re a player... let’s not mince around with crappy low end gens which,, well, let’s face it,, no fucker had heard of anyway, shoot for the stars.... plus the more you tell people it’s the real McCoy, the more you’ll start believe it yourself, job done in my opinion. 

Lets not forget why we’re all here, too poor to buy a real watch, so this it the next best thing, if you wanna play the game properly you can get some of the thieves.. sorry modders here to add second handparts which have been thrown away by the real Rolex owners, these thieves will charge you retail for the broken stuff too, that way you can justify it to yourself. WIN WIN WIN!! 

R = REPLICA  :D that’s what it says above the door on your way in. 

 

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BadPickle
1 minute ago, Thommo82 said:

I had a $250 limit on reps, then one day reps just stopped doing it for me and I simply wasn’t getting the same enjoyment I used too from them.

My gens got all the wrist time. All of it.

So I sold off all my reps to fund gen purchases. 

The gens I wanted were in the $1000 range, more than I wanted to spend on a watch, especially as I want multiple watches. 

Then I found sellers on places like http://ashford.com/ that have great deals on the type of watches I was seeking at about 1/4 cost of retail. 

Also found some eBay sellers, such as

https://www.m.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?sid=watcheshalfprice&isRefine=true&_pgn=1

who also have great deals on offer.

So now I have avenues to get the type of gens I want at a price I’m happy to pay.

 

In the end, the advice already given in this thread, just to buy what YOU want and fuck what everyone else thinks is very sound. 

Only you know what’s going to make you happy, so only you should decide what to buy. 

It’s your journey, choose whichever path you desire. 

 

 

sent from my gen snob phone

See— all I read there is “I’m so poor I buy crap but i’m happy” 

Fucking loser :handjob: 

 

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Thommo82
8 minutes ago, pickledbeetroot said:

See— all I read there is “I’m so poor I buy crap but i’m happy” 

Fucking loser :handjob: 

 

You did say this though right.....?

15 minutes ago, pickledbeetroot said:

 

Lets not forget why we’re all here, too poor to buy a real watch

 

So brands like Hamilton, Certina and Bulova, which are my last three purchases are crap watches? 

Hmmmmm.......

I guarantee that absolutely nobody else here would agree with you, nobody.

Thing is Stew, I’m beyond you in every facet of life, but the main one you are lacking in is decency. 

I can be a dick for the sake of being a dick too, but I usually keep that for the real life where there are real consequences when dealing with people face to face. 

Unlike you, I prefer to take people on face to face, not through an Internet forum. 

Your pathetic little niggles at me will never get the response you desire.

 

 

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FoxWilde

Fox’s rule of thumb:

dont buy it unless you can buy it twice. I wouldn’t get a gen unless I can afford two of them. I have a few gen watches and pocket watches. Most are safe queens. With reps? It’s a toss up. I bought cheap reps and I bought expensive reps. I notice I prefer the expensive ones since they’re typically better in build quality. 

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