what is a rep really worth?

[northcountryboy1976 0]

So I was wondering, as I sometimes do, what is a rep really worth?

 

Take a decent rep at $250 - $350 with a swiss eta movement, best version v4, v5 or v99. Ultimate blah blah. How do these watches really compare to a $300 non rep watch with a similar movement, sourced from a reputable maker.

 

Plenty watch companies out there will give you a decent watch, automatic movement, decent guarantee (lifetime in some cases!) real quality control etc for $300 or less in many cases.

 

So in the case of a rep what are we actually paying for? because it's illegal? If suddenly it became legal to manufacture reps would the price drop?

 

Are the quality of watches $300 or are we paying for the "service", apparently if cocaine was made legal it would be worth the price of coffee!

 

 

I keep hearing people saying "it's a rep, if you get a few years out it then thats good, if you want the real thing then spend $3k, $5k $10k etc". Surely the same wouldn't be said if you went to a jewellery shop and bought a $300 watch and it packed in, or stems snapped, CGs fell off, crystals popped etc

 

Are people happy to pay $300 and know there is a chance the watch will have problems just because it looks like a $3000 watch?

 

 

So, the question really is, how good is a rep? Does luck play a big part? are you lucky to get a good one or unlucky to get a bad one?

[Balad1 0]

Yes you can buy a better quality gen for much less than an ultimate rep..

 

But it won't be called Rolex, Panerai, etc..

 

Hence the dilemma.

 

 

[northcountryboy1976 0]

so if in theory reps were legal, based on the qualty we get what would they be worth? $100 watches maybe?

[BaggyPants 0]

I don't know. I was looking at some gen quartz watches in a jewellers window today, all in the £400+ ($600+) bracket. Names like Boss, Armani etc. I can honestly say that the quality was no better than a $200 rep, in fact my £70 Sub looks better made, and they were all tickers, not automatics. You can bet your life they had $20 movements in them.

[ron76 0]

Didn't bother to read you're post, but I ordered a SOSF so yeah

 

 

Ron

 

[northcountryboy1976 0]

yeah the Boss armani stuff is crap, only paying because its a designer brand. I was thinking more about stuff like Rotary, for £300 you get swiss made auto mvt, swiss made watch, lifetime guarantee etc

 

http://www.rotarywatches.com/en/the-rotary-collection/les-originales-watches/gb90101-20

 

If that is what £300 in the legal watch world gets you then reps must, in all reality be worth £100 tops?

[northcountryboy1976 0]

Didn't bother to read you're post, but I ordered a SOSF so yeah

 

 

Ron

 

 

so yeah what?

[ron76 0]

Didn't bother to read you're post, but I ordered a SOSF so yeah

 

 

Ron

 

 

so yeah what?

What?

 

 

Ron

 

[ron76 0]

This is not the FFZ is it ? Pretty wasted now so dunno.. What?

 

 

Ron

 

[BaggyPants 0]

The good reps will last as long as a gen, provided you care for them and have them serviced. My part-time boss has a £20,000 Breitling that doesn't run right. It loses about ten minutes each day. He is always asking the time and setting it. The problem is that he can't be arsed to get it serviced. It's a far nicer watch than any of my reps, but they keep time better. The £70 Submariner gains a second or two a day and it's almost two years old

[houndoggie 58]

Reps are the best watches available in their price range.

[northcountryboy1976 0]

what does a ETA mvt used in rep sub cost? are they new one they put in reps or used?

[Novum 0]

Reps are the best watches available in their price range.

 

Seriously?

[jeffrx 0]

On a similar note, I'd be curious to know about how much the TDs make on a typical purchase. The definitely deserve to make money and I'm not complaining at all, it's just a question out of curiosity. If I had to guess, I'd say if we order a $250 watch, they make $50-100, but I really have no clue.

 

I think just based on the fact that reps are not waterproof and you can get waterproof gens for a couple hundred, that should be an indication of which watch is better.

[James. 4]

lol how many gens running swiss ETA for $300 are there?

 

You pay for the look, the design with reps. Most low level gens look like shit, otherwise we'd all wear those.

[Novum 0]

lol how many gens running swiss ETA for $300 are there?

 

You pay for the look, the design with reps. Most low level gens look like shit, otherwise we'd all wear those.

 

I'd say most of us pay for the name on the dial. Otherwise we'd wear Hommages

[houndoggie 58]

lol how many gens running swiss ETA for $300 are there?

 

You pay for the look, the design with reps. Most low level gens look like shit, otherwise we'd all wear those.

 

I'd say most of us pay for the name on the dial. Otherwise we'd wear Hommages

 

True of gens.

[gB. 0]

Reps are the best watches available in their price range.

 

Seriously?

 

I would say this is the case some of the time for certain reps, but is not universally true.

[LightGeek 25]

In my opinion, the only thing the gen in this price range has is some sort of guarantee of water resistance (at least out of the gate).

[arancini 0]

IMO, a Rep. is worth whatever you can sell it for.

 

That old line, a good or service is only worth what the buyer is willing to pay.

[Balad1 0]

For $300-$400 you can buy a better quality Seiko, Orient, Deep Blue and they are head and shoulders above the majority of ultimate reps.

 

Considering quality, fit, finish, WR, accuracy and reliability.

 

PS: I'm not saying there aren't some fine ultimates but in my opinion, quality is too hit and miss.

[wat44 0]

They're not worth a pinch of duck shit. They are just fun!

[halcyon 0]

Gen watches are very fine grained, well Quality Controled, use good materials.

When we buy gen watches, we paid for not only design of the watch but for such a quality.

Of cource, they are expensive.

 

I know SEIKO, TIMEX, EDOX, etc... make good watch around $300 - $400.

I sometimes buy their watches. Quality is very very good for that price. Silky brecelet, clean hands, good printing, etc...

 

So, it's up to you to buy rep or not.

For me, only few reps are worth buying. I'll buy used gen watch, if I pay more than $300.

[honeybear 0]

You can get a nice quality Steinhart MilSub homage for about $400, with a Swiss ETA 2824-2 movement, that is water resistant to 300M, domed AR coated sapphire crystal, and a 2 year warranty.

 

 

So, to me, we're definitely paying for the design and cachet of wearing a Rolex/AP/Patek/Panerai/etc. when we buy replicas.

[Mazz 62]

Honestly I haven't bought a rep in ages it's all Seiko or other gen brands for me these days same price as some reps and head and shoulders above them