YES you can pull it off! Wear it and enjoy it! 2 cents after many years of watch collecting…

[theflyingdutchman 0]

Hi there,

 

2 cents after many years of collecting reps and gens!

 

I had the pleasure to spend a full day this week, at a major high watch brand visiting there production, QC and marketing department, incl. a 2 hour watch maker course! And of course all expensive paid; cab, flights, meals… and great goody bag! One of the guys I met there was wearing a 250.000 watch and old jeans, polo shirt, leather jackets, biker boots! It all depends on what you want to spend your money on!

 

YES you can pull it off… any watch! Any price level! Wear and enjoy it!

 

+/- 90% of all people do not notice your watch, the rest might see but might not know the brand etc… you know the %-break down of the chances!

Nobody really cares…

 

It does not matter if is a rep PAM111, a Daytona, A FM Casablanca … or a VC Patrimony Tourbillion!

 

Wear it and enjoy it!

 

And if you are trying to fool somebody that it a gen, well most of the time you will; congratulations!

 

I you really bump into a knowledgeable watch guy enjoy the talk, enjoy the exchange!

 

A rep is a rep and gen is gen! Reps might look 99% like gens, but the feeling = in hand is different story! Sometimes they are close, sometimes less! The little details in hand give them away, sharp corners, poor straps, a rattle or the weight… do not be worried about a font sizes… Stop kidding yourself it is gen at 1% of the price! It is still a rep… even if it is a franken! It isn’t gen if it is not 100% gen!

 

Do not get me wrong! I LOVE my reps, the few I have left after more than 10 years of collecting …and sometimes I hate them, you surely understand me, “the game of”: waiting, the QC, our friends at customs, the post guy, the moment of opening the parcel… the first time wearing it, the hands falling off, the DOA… or it stops running after 2 hours, 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months, 2 years or just keeps on running and running!

 

We all have issues with our watches.. the longer you collect and buy, the more you will have! Lucky for us, quality has gotten much better… and prices have increased! And if you think they are too expensive, then don’t buy! Stop weaning about it! You have a choice! Vote with your money! It is a hobby, hobbies cost money…

 

And if somebody has an issue with your rep… tell them to FXXX OXX!

 

As long as we buy/sell our watches as reps and not sell as gens to scam somebody the damage is very limited. The brand layer I talked to during my trip, said their major issue now is the overall higher quality of the reps, as they are sold as gen, not the private rep collector who will not buy a gen anyway! He said the major work they have are reps bought as gens, by people getting scammed… at the same time he said, he wished people would use their commonsense (which is not common anyway)… if the price your buying at is to good to be true…. It ain’t!

 

I love RG and the other boards! There are some great guys here! Lots of knowledge! Lots of fun and many hours spent here!

 

So, THANKS everybody!

 

So, yes you can pull it off! Wear it and enjoy it!

 

CHEERS!

 

Dutchy

Edited February 14, 2015 by theflyingdutchman

[I have a watch problem 0]

Well said!

[porkman65 0]

Excellent post.....you've summed up what we were thinking I'm sure!

[simonbolivar 1]

Sounds like the opportunity of a lifetime! And agree on your perspective... I think you nailed it.

[jeffrsho 0]

So true!

[Martijn0007 3]

I fully agree...

 

But I think we need some pics of that 250k watch!

[theflyingdutchman 0]

I fully agree... But I think we need some pics of that 250k watch!

 

[hnic 1]

what brand did you visit?!

 

great story

couldnt agree more!

[kennycoder 97]

Is that a Portuguese? :o

[narikaa 129]

Most of these assumptions about who can and cannot wear what are merely spawned from small minded 'office cultures'

 

 

I recall when I spent a lot of time flying helicopters a guy who would perplex these fiscal measurers, he would turn up in his battered old car and boogie on out of the airfield in his helo worth more than his house car and everything else he owned. Good job he wasnt sporting a paltry diamond Rolex ......

 

 

 

 

he might get 'called out'

 

 

 

[nofitstate 27]

Well said!

 

Like it, wear it, enjoy it.

[porschespeedster 19]

I always tell watch people, I've owned a few nice gen vintage Rolexes...and the car I drove for years cost me $800 USD.

I literally did a small bit of work for someone once, and bought the car with cash!

I leave the country for months, years sometimes, and that little car stays on my property.

Every time I've returned, it's started right up! :)

 

I say this not to say just that I've driven a car regularly that sometimes cost 1/10 of the price of my watch, ( :) )

but also that almost no one noticed. ever. no one made the correlation. no one cares about your watch.

maybe your dad will or your GF or your kids do. and thats because they KNOW you like watches and want something to talk about with you.

In the end, its not that important.

 

Most people view watches like how I view that car...

as a functional object that performed a certain service for me.

It got me from A to B. Looks like most of the other cars on the road. Performed its function well.

That's why most people are OK with any old watch as long as it works.

 

Wear, (and drive, and eat, and shag ) what makes you happy, and what works for you.

cheers.

Edited February 15, 2015 by porschespeedster

[theflyingdutchman 0]

Is that a Portuguese? :o

 

IWC Grande Complications Perpetual Calendar RG... just the strap is 2500€ as stiched with RG gold thread!

 

what brand did you visit?!

 

great story

couldnt agree more!

 

IWC

Edited February 15, 2015 by theflyingdutchman

[Kopcap 0]

@ theflyingdutchman & porschespeedster :

 

great posts and great thinkings !

i'm going the same : choose (REP or GEN or both !), buy, wear and enjoy !

Nobody will really care what is your favorite brand name for a watch, they are just looking at the color/design/SS or Gold....

And i've never heard the question "is it a GEN ?", just because people don't think about REP when they look at your watch (or your clothes, car, home, phone, ...).

[myaz 3]

And if you are trying to fool somebody that it a gen, well most of the time you will; congratulations!

^ For some reason, I really really like that. Love it, Bravo, well said.

 

As far as (quote)"Reps might look 99% like gens, but the feeling = in hand is different story", that's a mental thing. Consider that if it was the other way around, no matter how hard gens try, they still won't feel exactly like the rep: maybe someone(s) out there prefers a rep that weighs more or less than a gen. To wit, Richard Mille watches are light and subconsciously, that may feel cheap to some. What about the dial spacing being a little closer or farther? That's a question of taste. Or perhaps that fantasy model? One of my all time faves is the PAM 288, question of taste again. They're not exactly, precisely, totally alike and you can tell....congratulations. You can thank RWG for that as well.

 

The usual disappointment story is that the less well made reps fail faster than the gens. It behooves us to learn to like the more reliable super reps, or accept the frailty of the others and deal with the occasional bad luck. Gens have their bad luck moments as well......If you are going to shell out for an exotic car, be prepared for the high costs of maintenance, easy to convince yourself when you're in love with that car, harder to accept when the honeymoon is over and the first bill comes in. Been there.

[porschespeedster 19]

NO MATTER HOW HARD GENS TRY, THEY STILL WON'T FEEL EXACTLY LIKE THE REP.

 

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

[black263 229]

My brother flies EasyJet, and rents a Fiat 500, to get him to his villa in Spain and his £750K boat. He's asked me to look out for a Breitling Bentley, to go with his Arnage. Doesn't want to spend the money on a gen. And usually, he is in jeans and sweat shirt, driving the company Vito white van with logos everywhere.

[RUSH2112 11]

NO MATTER HOW HARD GENS TRY, THEY STILL WON'T FEEL EXACTLY LIKE THE REP.

 

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

 

Depends on the piece. Some of this is in your head because you know it is or isn't