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The Top 10 Lies of Replica Watches

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keishakornbread

Is there a listing of these acronyms?  I've been lurking and reading since joining a few days and Can't always figure them out.

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Glaude
9 hours ago, keishakornbread said:

Is there a listing of these acronyms?  I've been lurking and reading since joining a few days and Can't always figure them out.

Just saw you figured it out, for other asking :

 

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jackmac
On 31/08/2009 at 22:44, schauble said:

Noob here. Thanks for the info!!

Dido 

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E36drift

Good info

"Noober"

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Falcon28

Thanks Allergydoc. I am a complete noobie. 

I was never into watches but recently been seen ads on yahoo India for Swiss brands for something like 200 dollars. This made me curious.

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bigo18

new to this great post thanks 

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Lbisto

Thanks for the info

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Evans
On 20/11/2008 at 19:16, AllergyDoc said:

Many arrive here with minds polluted by scam sites and scam "review" sites: all peddlers of lies and deception.

In an effort to help cleanse the noobs' minds of this filth, I propose the following 10 common and devious lies and misconceptions

about replica watches, and the business of manufacturing and selling replica watches.

Lie #1: The best replica watches are made in Switzerland, followed closely by Italy.

-- This is the biggest lie of all. All replica watches are made somewhere in Asia, mostly China. Saying that replicas are made in Switzerland or Italy is a lie intended to extract more money from the ignorant

Lie #2: Replica watches are graded according to quality. C (or whatever) is the lowest and AAA+++ (or whatever) is the highest.

-- Who decides what is "C" and what is "A"? The "International Replica Watch Governing Board"? Pure nonsense designed, again, to get more of your dollars.

Lie #3: The movements in "Swiss made" replicas are identical to the genuine watch movements. 27 jewel movements are the best.

-- (See Lie #1 for "Swiss made".) Far from the truth. Very few replica watch movements come from anywhere but China and any watchman can immediately tell it's not genuine. There are no Asian 27 jewels movements in replica watches; only 25, 21, or 17. (Some newer replicas are powered by an ETA 7753, which does have 27J.)

Lie #4: The best replicas are 99% true to the genuine and will even fool an Authorized Dealer (AD).

-- Not true. While some may be close (picking a number is impossible) to the genuine, all replicas are flawed. Do you really think you can spend $200 or less and get a watch that's 99% identical to a $4,000-20,000 watch? As for fooling ADs, maybe. Common clerks are easily fooled, but seasoned ADs, upon close inspection, will know it's a replica.

Lie #5: The gold on "Swiss grade" replicas is much higher than on other replicas. The crown, bezel, and mid links are solid gold and the full-gold replicas are 5-wrapped (or 6-wrapped, or whatever).

-- While a few models have been shown to have solid gold mid links (Rolex replicas), the rest of the watch is gold plated or double or triple wrapped gold. ("Search" for threads on how this is done.)

Lie #6: The best Rolex replicas are made with 904L grade steel.

-- Big fat lie. Good replicas are made with 316L quality steel. Rolex is the one of the few companies that use 904L steel and it costs 3 times as much as 316L. Replicas are not made with 440 steel, either. (admin edit 2017: 904L now used in a limited range of Rolex reps from ARF - caution advised)

Lie #7: Buying a replica watch is risky, but not if you use sellers from "Replica Review" sites.

-- What most people don't know is the "review" sites are owned and operated by the people who run the sites they recommend--it's very incestuous. These "review" sites are clever and it's easy to get taken in by their lies.

Lie #8: You can tell you're getting a good watch after a thorough examination of the web site.

-- Please. If you think everything displayed on the web is true, you deserve to be fleeced. Scam sites lie about everything, from the quality of their goods to their pledge to make sure every customer is happy. Many even post pictures of genuine watches, (Look for pictures where the watch hands are set at "10:10." Pictures of genuine watches seen in advertisements are always set to "10:10.") but send you junk.

Lie #9: Picking a good seller will always result in getting a good watch, one I won't have trouble with.

-- We wish. Quality control in replica watch factories is hit-and-miss, but mostly shoddy. One batch may be great while the next produces watches that are DOA. (Remember, making replica watches is illegal, even in China. Replica watch "factories" are usually small operations that can be easily moved or hidden from prying authorities.) What is true, though, is a good dealer will want to protect his/her reputation and will fix whatever is wrong.

Lie #10: Paying by OD is the best way to get the cheapest price. Plus, I can examine my watch before paying the courier to make sure I get what I paid for.

-- A really dumb thing to do and a huge red flag that you're dealing with a true scammer. They want cash because they know you'll scream foul to your credit card company the moment you see the junk you just paid $1,000 for.

One final point. Remember, replica watches are counterfeit goods. While it is not illegal to purchase or possess replica watches in most countries, it is illegal to sell them. Keep this in mind when using PayPal or communicating with credit card companies.

Thanks for the info!

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Sigg

Noted. Thank you

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Retrouk
On 20/11/2008 at 20:16, AllergyDoc said:

Many arrive here with minds polluted by scam sites and scam "review" sites: all peddlers of lies and deception.

In an effort to help cleanse the noobs' minds of this filth, I propose the following 10 common and devious lies and misconceptions

about replica watches, and the business of manufacturing and selling replica watches.

Lie #1: The best replica watches are made in Switzerland, followed closely by Italy.

-- This is the biggest lie of all. All replica watches are made somewhere in Asia, mostly China. Saying that replicas are made in Switzerland or Italy is a lie intended to extract more money from the ignorant

Lie #2: Replica watches are graded according to quality. C (or whatever) is the lowest and AAA+++ (or whatever) is the highest.

-- Who decides what is "C" and what is "A"? The "International Replica Watch Governing Board"? Pure nonsense designed, again, to get more of your dollars.

Lie #3: The movements in "Swiss made" replicas are identical to the genuine watch movements. 27 jewel movements are the best.

-- (See Lie #1 for "Swiss made".) Far from the truth. Very few replica watch movements come from anywhere but China and any watchman can immediately tell it's not genuine. There are no Asian 27 jewels movements in replica watches; only 25, 21, or 17. (Some newer replicas are powered by an ETA 7753, which does have 27J.)

Lie #4: The best replicas are 99% true to the genuine and will even fool an Authorized Dealer (AD).

-- Not true. While some may be close (picking a number is impossible) to the genuine, all replicas are flawed. Do you really think you can spend $200 or less and get a watch that's 99% identical to a $4,000-20,000 watch? As for fooling ADs, maybe. Common clerks are easily fooled, but seasoned ADs, upon close inspection, will know it's a replica.

Lie #5: The gold on "Swiss grade" replicas is much higher than on other replicas. The crown, bezel, and mid links are solid gold and the full-gold replicas are 5-wrapped (or 6-wrapped, or whatever).

-- While a few models have been shown to have solid gold mid links (Rolex replicas), the rest of the watch is gold plated or double or triple wrapped gold. ("Search" for threads on how this is done.)

Lie #6: The best Rolex replicas are made with 904L grade steel.

-- Big fat lie. Good replicas are made with 316L quality steel. Rolex is the one of the few companies that use 904L steel and it costs 3 times as much as 316L. Replicas are not made with 440 steel, either. (admin edit 2017: 904L now used in a limited range of Rolex reps from ARF - caution advised)

Lie #7: Buying a replica watch is risky, but not if you use sellers from "Replica Review" sites.

-- What most people don't know is the "review" sites are owned and operated by the people who run the sites they recommend--it's very incestuous. These "review" sites are clever and it's easy to get taken in by their lies.

Lie #8: You can tell you're getting a good watch after a thorough examination of the web site.

-- Please. If you think everything displayed on the web is true, you deserve to be fleeced. Scam sites lie about everything, from the quality of their goods to their pledge to make sure every customer is happy. Many even post pictures of genuine watches, (Look for pictures where the watch hands are set at "10:10." Pictures of genuine watches seen in advertisements are always set to "10:10.") but send you junk.

Lie #9: Picking a good seller will always result in getting a good watch, one I won't have trouble with.

-- We wish. Quality control in replica watch factories is hit-and-miss, but mostly shoddy. One batch may be great while the next produces watches that are DOA. (Remember, making replica watches is illegal, even in China. Replica watch "factories" are usually small operations that can be easily moved or hidden from prying authorities.) What is true, though, is a good dealer will want to protect his/her reputation and will fix whatever is wrong.

Lie #10: Paying by OD is the best way to get the cheapest price. Plus, I can examine my watch before paying the courier to make sure I get what I paid for.

-- A really dumb thing to do and a huge red flag that you're dealing with a true scammer. They want cash because they know you'll scream foul to your credit card company the moment you see the junk you just paid $1,000 for.

One final point. Remember, replica watches are counterfeit goods. While it is not illegal to purchase or possess replica watches in most countries, it is illegal to sell them. Keep this in mind when using PayPal or communicating with credit card companies.

Some very good points raised

Thanks for this as I found it very useful as a beginner in the field 

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joeshmoe

This is incredibly useful, thank you!

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watchbun

Noob here ! Great advice, thank you! 

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SwagimusPrime

Thank you so much for the info! i found it very insightful.

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c292c292

great info. definitely a total misconception that all replicas made in china

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Marow

thanks for putting this list together, there's a lot of good resources for us newbies.

 

teach me your ways, haha

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Spudgun
On 20 November 2008 at 19:16, AllergyDoc said:

Many arrive here with minds polluted by scam sites and scam "review" sites: all peddlers of lies and deception.

In an effort to help cleanse the noobs' minds of this filth, I propose the following 10 common and devious lies and misconceptions

about replica watches, and the business of manufacturing and selling replica watches.

Lie #1: The best replica watches are made in Switzerland, followed closely by Italy.

-- This is the biggest lie of all. All replica watches are made somewhere in Asia, mostly China. Saying that replicas are made in Switzerland or Italy is a lie intended to extract more money from the ignorant

Lie #2: Replica watches are graded according to quality. C (or whatever) is the lowest and AAA+++ (or whatever) is the highest.

-- Who decides what is "C" and what is "A"? The "International Replica Watch Governing Board"? Pure nonsense designed, again, to get more of your dollars.

Lie #3: The movements in "Swiss made" replicas are identical to the genuine watch movements. 27 jewel movements are the best.

-- (See Lie #1 for "Swiss made".) Far from the truth. Very few replica watch movements come from anywhere but China and any watchman can immediately tell it's not genuine. There are no Asian 27 jewels movements in replica watches; only 25, 21, or 17. (Some newer replicas are powered by an ETA 7753, which does have 27J.)

Lie #4: The best replicas are 99% true to the genuine and will even fool an Authorized Dealer (AD).

-- Not true. While some may be close (picking a number is impossible) to the genuine, all replicas are flawed. Do you really think you can spend $200 or less and get a watch that's 99% identical to a $4,000-20,000 watch? As for fooling ADs, maybe. Common clerks are easily fooled, but seasoned ADs, upon close inspection, will know it's a replica.

Lie #5: The gold on "Swiss grade" replicas is much higher than on other replicas. The crown, bezel, and mid links are solid gold and the full-gold replicas are 5-wrapped (or 6-wrapped, or whatever).

-- While a few models have been shown to have solid gold mid links (Rolex replicas), the rest of the watch is gold plated or double or triple wrapped gold. ("Search" for threads on how this is done.)

Lie #6: The best Rolex replicas are made with 904L grade steel.

-- Big fat lie. Good replicas are made with 316L quality steel. Rolex is the one of the few companies that use 904L steel and it costs 3 times as much as 316L. Replicas are not made with 440 steel, either. (admin edit 2017: 904L now used in a limited range of Rolex reps from ARF - caution advised)

Lie #7: Buying a replica watch is risky, but not if you use sellers from "Replica Review" sites.

-- What most people don't know is the "review" sites are owned and operated by the people who run the sites they recommend--it's very incestuous. These "review" sites are clever and it's easy to get taken in by their lies.

Lie #8: You can tell you're getting a good watch after a thorough examination of the web site.

-- Please. If you think everything displayed on the web is true, you deserve to be fleeced. Scam sites lie about everything, from the quality of their goods to their pledge to make sure every customer is happy. Many even post pictures of genuine watches, (Look for pictures where the watch hands are set at "10:10." Pictures of genuine watches seen in advertisements are always set to "10:10.") but send you junk.

Lie #9: Picking a good seller will always result in getting a good watch, one I won't have trouble with.

-- We wish. Quality control in replica watch factories is hit-and-miss, but mostly shoddy. One batch may be great while the next produces watches that are DOA. (Remember, making replica watches is illegal, even in China. Replica watch "factories" are usually small operations that can be easily moved or hidden from prying authorities.) What is true, though, is a good dealer will want to protect his/her reputation and will fix whatever is wrong.

Lie #10: Paying by OD is the best way to get the cheapest price. Plus, I can examine my watch before paying the courier to make sure I get what I paid for.

-- A really dumb thing to do and a huge red flag that you're dealing with a true scammer. They want cash because they know you'll scream foul to your credit card company the moment you see the junk you just paid $1,000 for.

One final point. Remember, replica watches are counterfeit goods. While it is not illegal to purchase or possess replica watches in most countries, it is illegal to sell them. Keep this in mind when using PayPal or communicating with credit card companies.

Thanks for the ten lies spot on. all noobs need to look at this 

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judas9r

Ha! Was just about to fall for most of these before i found you guys.

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goforgator
On 20/11/2008 at 16:15, AllergyDoc said:

In case any actual noobs ever stop by.

Noob here, thanks for the info!

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PandaChina

This detailed post really helped me a lot as a noob here,thanks for your contribution to this community.

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Wflinn

Great info thanks

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Wflinn

Great advice for noobs

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SecretAZNman007

Thank you for posting this.   

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Rolex2020
On 17/07/2011 at 13:43, Slim said:

 

Is this definitely true? Someone on another forum I inhabit claimed that US customs officers will subject you to a fine equivalent to the cost of the genuine item, then deny entry to the US in future until you pay up!

 

I'd also be interested to clarify the law in the UK. If UK customs find a (single) replica watch on its way to you from the Far East, I guess they're likely to confiscate it? Have I committed a crime by buying from one of our dealers, either in civil or criminal law?

Bit of a shit rule that isn’t it. it’s also near impossible to enforce.. I’ve had a few atches delivered now from china they tend to just label them parts 

Edited by Rolex2020
Not enough content

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Glaude
3 minutes ago, Rolex2020 said:

Bit of a shit rule that isn’t it. it’s also near impossible to enforce.. I’ve had a few atches delivered now from china they tend to just label them parts 

All customs rules are hard to enforce, due to the inherent nature of a custom control : random for the most part.
Prelimantory screening are done on all the packages, then there are two options : something weird shows up on the X-ray and they look at the declaration form, if it adds up with the x-ray image, it continues on his way or random control of packages, they pick a big cart full of packages and inspect them.

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