Jump to content
Awk Ward

How long do these watches last?

Recommended Posts

Awk Ward

Hi,

I'm a complete noob, who just landed up in the rep world after getting utterly frustrated dealing with authorised dealers (of Rolex). At first glance, this seemed to be an irresistible proposition - owning my dream watch which I've lusted quite a lot for, at a fraction of it's price.. which for all practical purposes is indistinguishable from the genuine! I ordered a Noob Explorer1 the very first day I landed up in the rep time Reddit page.

Then I started reading.. and I see that one aspect is conspicuously missing in the discussions. Nobody seems to mention how long these watches last.

Is it because they are "cheap" compared to their genuine counterparts to bother about.. or because it's taken for granted that the reps only has a fraction of longevity of the gens.. or because newer and better models/versions appear time to time making the older ones obsolete? Or, finally, could it be because they're all generally running well without major issues.

As someone planning to invest heavily in reps, I dearly hope it's the latter. Could some seasoned buyers comment on the longevity of reps in general, from their past experience?

Many thanks

Edited by Awk Ward

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Devil

Mt oldest rep was from 15 years ago and still runs, never wear it though as it's a shitter...

These high end reps you should expect a good lifespan, really hard to say how long but I've been here a few years and bought a load and never had any problems

If you were to run into problems, as long as you can get a watchsmith that will work on reps they are fairly easy and cheap to fix.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
etj4588

I had a rep last 17 years.  But then I forgot to take it off when I went into the Atlantic ocean.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
PostMaster

My oldest rep is since 2009.. Think my TD back then sent me the original they bought from AD to copy lol. But it’s how you look after them too.

:) 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
SteveA

Got a Cheapie about ten years old still going strong,1 service in all that time

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Simonix

I sell them on after 6 months so who cares.....

 

hahaha.  
 

all jokes apart, I had some old reps I bought about 15 years ago. I gifted them to some friends last year, They still work fine. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
k3rm87

I recently found in storage an old Tag Heuer Aquaracer rep which was purchased on the street during a trip to Thailand in 1997. 

I picked it up out if the storage box and it started running, seems to work fine.

This is the cheaper end 21j movement also, it very much surprised me. 

 

If you take care of these watches, (especially the high end ones) I don't see why they couldn't last decades. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Flinnt

There’s also the option of buying reps with A2824/2836 and swapping in a genuine Swiss movement for a reasonable price. With services you can keep them running a lifetime. 
 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Simonix

Also, if you buy quite a few, then you can’t erase them all every day. Therefore they get less daily use, and last longer. 
 

same thing would go for a gen. wear it every day for 5 years vs once a fortnight for 5 years...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
SCShrek
1 hour ago, Simonix said:

I sell them on after 6 months so who cares.....

 

hahaha.  
 

 

You should see if Mary will just set a lease plan for you! :D

 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
deju

How longs a piece of string? 

Seriously it’s down to how you wear it and treat it, most these Chinese movements are alright now. 

you would have to service a gen anyways. Just replace the movement. 

if you are hashy as fuck then not that long. 
 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Mystery Shopper

@dave47 often posts watches in the weekly wrist check thread that are 10 years old as well.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Intresting

replica watches are hard put to be considered as "investments".   They scratch an itch, gives the buyer an idea of what it is to own a gen, or an ability to enjoy a watch that otherwise may be out of reach financially.  All which are laudable reasons.  But they rarely go up in value.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Awk Ward

Almost all the answers are very reassuring! Many thanks folks!  :)

The next task is to find a watchsmith to help out with servicing. How forthcoming they are about servicing a replica is yet to be seen.. :/

 

 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Simonix
1 hour ago, Awk Ward said:

 

The next task is to find a watchsmith to help out with servicing. How forthcoming they are about servicing a replica is yet to be seen.. :/

 

 

There are forum members that are also watch smiths, so this can solve some problems as well. You can find them in the trusted dealers/supporters section of this site.  

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Waspy

They can last as long as you want. Ultimately new Chinese movements (and Swiss ones) can be obtained and fitted.

It is worth your while finding a good watchmaker.

In which country are you located?

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Mystery Shopper
4 hours ago, Awk Ward said:

The next task is to find a watchsmith to help out with servicing. 

There are UK and US based watchsmiths here

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Theduke.williams

Hi, and welcome to this crazy world of rep watch collecting.

My first rep was a shitter quartz Tag Heuer that used to fog the glass if you did even a moderate work out - soon got rid of that.

The next rep was a Reg Rolex Hulk with a 21j movement - cheap as chips, but good looking. This one is still working well after 9 years or so.

Admittedly I have a fair collection now (30 +) so this one may get worn mayby once every few months or so.

In general the Chinese manufacturers seem to get on top of QC fairly quickly. I would say that clone 2824/2836 movements are now pretty bulletproof, probably as reliable as genuine movements if serviced from new.

Early clone 7750 modified movements were known to be unreliable, though they have been improved with the inclusion of jewels in the modifications to reduce friction. More recent stories of woe seem to centre around the Rolex clone movements (3135 etc) with different factories having vastly different reliability reputations.

Stick around on this site, keep reading, and soon you will become a novice of the rep watch aficianado world. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
HAIRlab_DC

Welcome and, if you catch the accuracy-chase bug, be  prepared  to go down one of the deepest rabbit holes in the multiverse! My newest rep was made in 2010. IMO, there may be another durability consideration aside from the obvious movement concern. Back in the day, replacing ETA clones with the real deal was par for the course, but even my watches with Asian and/or jury-rigged (swiss/asian combos, modules added, moved subdials, etc.)  movements still run well, having been semi-regularly serviced. 

Believe it or not, it's the sub-par steel on those watches that has suffered the most. My guess is that factories used softer steel to keep tooling costs lower.  My old watchsmith once demoed polishing a gen PAM vs. one of my (then) super reps, and the difference  was very clear--definitely not 316 as advertised.  I've researched a bit since returning to collecting and, although Rolex reps seem to be made of the real deal 904L, it's unclear whether or not the reps of other brands have followed suit with "1:1" metal. Bottom line, a properly maintained rep movement will probably  last as long as your interest in the watch, but you may have to take a little extra care to avoid dings and scratches, find a competent re-brusher for brushed finished watches, and of course keep expectations in line with gold reps, which aside from some DLC (diamond like coating) examples are probably electroplated even when described as "wrapped."

For modding/servicing there are many watchsmiths (of varying skill) on the fora but finding a local smith with a rep-friendly or dont ask/don't tell policy is invaluable.

Edited by HAIRlab_DC

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
tony06200

My oldest rep is a 1999 myota quartz chrono Breitling chronomat. 

I have a low cost Pam with unknown chinese movt (paid 25€ for it in 2005).

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Gaz1a

Get a service. They should be fine for at least a few years… even longer with these clone movements!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Jnkay

I’ve had a few crap out on me within 6 months, and had the auto winding mechanism on one quality rep fail after a year or so of seldom wear.   The others, all eta and miyota clones are soldiering on with frequent wear.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
GenTLe
On 16/02/2021 at 21:59, Awk Ward said:

Then I started reading.. and I see that one aspect is conspicuously missing in the discussions. Nobody seems to mention how long these watches last.

Many thanks

Basically: reps well made could stand the proof of time BUT as like as the gen, they'll need maintenance. With the minus that while (allegedly) the gen comes well oiled and clean inside, the reps barely have some oil on the main gear train only, so the 1st time they require a service is in general much shorter than the gen. The following ones instead have around the same frequency.

Also reps have various movements, some are gen-like both aestetically and  functionlly (asian clones of Unitas and ETA and gen Miyota/Seiko), others are trickier and others are plain bad movements, so very much also depends on this...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
OneMoreRound

End of the day it’s a rep they can last 5mins to 15 years ive had a sub that i bought from RAG i. 2016 & it’s still like new. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Aramis2288

The way you can mitigate the immediate risk (besides getting the watch serviced of course), is to maintain a fairly big collection and wear your watches in a heavy rotation. This way you can prolong the lifespan of your reps by wearing each only once per a couple of days as opposed to wearing the same rep as your daily beater all year long.

I'm not claiming that if you were to wear a well-maintained rep daily it would break soon, but certainly, if a given watch runs e.g. 60 days a year instead of 365, you are reducing wear and tear.

One of the reasons I was never too concerned about the lifespan of my watches is exactly because of that - I have a mid-size collection of 10+ watches and I tend to pick up a different piece every couple of days.

 

On the other hand, my first 2 reps were bought on a Vietnamese market, without any QC check whatsoever. I used them as daily beaters for at least 3 years and I was not nearly as careful with them as I am about the top-tier reps I am buying now. They run like new till today without any issues whatsoever.

 

Edited by Aramis2288

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×