Is the demand for high priced reps declining?

Some mine, some not, but I've noticed that some really nice, high priced reps are sitting around longer than I would have expected before.

There's a TC Submariner in mint condition on another forum that has sat there for over a day. I can't believe people haven't jumped all over it for $650.

It got me wondering if the demand for these super modded reps is declining. Not to mention, he out of the box quality for reps in the $250ish range now (notably the newer PAM's) is really impressive.

Thoughts?

I think you're right. It took ages to get my Franken 4th Gen PO sold. A year ago this would have sold in 5 minutes...
You almost never get back what you put into your supermodded or frankened rep. Not even close. But building is the fun, so why bother... ;)

I think you hit part of the nail right on the head. For $250 you can get a damn good rep, as compared to a year or two ago. They've come a long way, for the most part.

Secondly, the economy is still bad so I have a feeling that - when given the option to buy a practical 1:1 PAM for 200-250 USD vs a $900 XYZ franken, practicality wins out.

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Originally Posted by sixers_610

Some mine, some not, but I've noticed that some really nice, high priced reps are sitting around longer than I would have expected before.

There's a TC Submariner in mint condition on another forum that has sat there for over a day. I can't believe people haven't jumped all over it for $650.

It got me wondering if the demand for these super modded reps is declining. Not to mention, he out of the box quality for reps in the $250ish range now (notably the newer PAM's) is really impressive.

Thoughts?

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I agree,

I remember a year ago a decent PAM 111 would run you 1k+ easy.
Now you can get a PAM111 for $250 that's 99% to gen.
That's crazy good if you ask me, especially the new NOOB N version. The only tell might be the crystal and Incabloc.

I think people are saving their money hoping for that Version 2 or Ultimate Version that is going to blow frankens away.

That's funny Sixers, I was thinking the exact same thing the other day, and I agree completely with the other guys above too. I'll put it more simplistically - it's a buyers market at the moment, imho.

As others have said I think the issue is the quality of the new out of the box reps is so high right now people aren't willing to pay for highly modded watches that are a couple of years old. Especially when the quality difference is not very perceptible for the average person. There are some execptions such as BK and Sead modded watches can still command a premium but it takes the right buyer which is likely why they seem to take longer to sell.

No doubt high quality, high dollar Pams are a tough sell with the $250 reps being as good as they are.

With all the catch and releasing I do, I guess I have to be more careful about what I buy and what I could expect to get when I do sell it.

You are the catch & release rep king!

F*ck yea I am!


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Uh.. if anything prices have been going up...

The prices now between new and used is like $20, whereas before it was significant drop.. the catch and release BS is a fairly new invention.

theres a lot more heavily modded stuff for sale recently too, so i assume it must be selling.. many week sales threads were not so uncommon before (especially with high priced frankens), maybe your patience and the way the internet and this forum have cahnges have just altered your perception.

but yea, rep prices have been going up, more modded stuff available, less discount for used...

I wonder what a JF case goes for these days.. obviously theyre worthless since the new ones are so good... I'll take anyones JF cases and palp crowns.. just out of nostalgia :D toss in some lello DWs, call it a day..

like.. the new fishes.. they're like.. $350? wtfbbq?

@chibiunko - wtf? a year ago there was that one guy whose movements were still 10x better than any pam 6497 movement on any of the 250 dollar new ones, and even then, they were instantly recognizable as rep. the price was only because of small manufactoring... a year ago, 1k woulda bought you some frankenness.. and even should today.d you're comparing apples with socks.

People may be wanting more, but the higher priced reps are not selling at the same premium. It's clear from this thread that others agree.

There is BK v3 with gen insert and crystal right now for $1100, that people are barely giving a second glance. That tells me all I need to know.

Maybe I am of the "new school" of thought with regard to rep pricing, I try to avoid paying more than $100-$120 for a rep.

$1,000: UNTHINKABLE. I'd rather pay $5k for the real deal, than a significant chunk of that for Made in Whoknows dust-filled timebomb.

I'm sure others have different opinions too, but the market shows I'm not the only rep buyer who thinks like this.

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Originally Posted by GloStiX

Maybe I am of the "new school" of thought with regard to rep pricing, I try to avoid paying more than $100-$120 for a rep.

$1,000: UNTHINKABLE. I'd rather pay $5k for the real deal, than a significant chunk of that for Made in Whoknows dust-filled timebomb.

I'm sure others have different opinions too, but the market shows I'm not the only rep buyer who thinks like this.

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Eh, I don't know about all this. The difference in quality between the ~$100-150 reps and the ~$250-300 reps is pretty significant. And with something like a $1000 BK, you're not getting a "dust filled time bomb." You're usually getting a piece with some gen and some aftermarket parts, assembled by an enthusiast with a (possibly serviced) swiss movement, and actually really good QC. I wouldn't pay $1000 for a rep in most instances, probably any, but as far as functionality and reliability is concerned a modded out BK is probably pretty close to a gen.

Yeah most people are likely going to go with a $100-250 rep, especially first timers. It really is the sane thing to do if you're just getting into the game. I still have a real hard time wrapping my head around a $1000 rep.

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Originally Posted by 45acp

Eh, I don't know about all this. The difference in quality between the ~$100-150 reps and the ~$250-300 reps is pretty significant. And with something like a $1000 BK, you're not getting a "dust filled time bomb." You're usually getting a piece with some gen and some aftermarket parts, assembled by an enthusiast with a (possibly serviced) swiss movement, and actually really good QC. I wouldn't pay $1000 for a rep in most instances, probably any, but as far as functionality and reliability is concerned a modded out BK is probably pretty close to a gen.

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I agree that $250 is a different rep. For some rolex watches, an ETA movement is more than just an upgrade in movement from the 21J. Definitely some better parts in other areas..

Most Def!
Thats why nothing is showing up in the classifieds anywhere.
Nothing new worth getting anyway... I mean NOTHING!

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Originally Posted by Breitfuture

Most Def!
Thats why nothing is showing up in the classifieds anywhere.
Nothing new worth getting anyway... I mean NOTHING!

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:lol:

For what it's worth, I think that most people would prefer to have three decent reps over one franken one that costs the same as three.

Also, when the really desireable higher priced pieces come up, they do sell. For example, watches such as Jackjo SSD's and more recently Sneed's gen construction GMT Master II. These sell and are high priced.

Some weeks ago there was a noob gmt for sale..It took some days before it was sold...

I am done with expensive reps...
Will keep buying regular Pams but will try to buy more gens...

I do think that the better reps are making it more difficult to sell medium level frankens. The great stuff blows out though. I put two pieces up in the last week with no negotiability and they were gone within a few hours. But they were truly unique in the big scheme of things and relatively reasonably priced.

You never get your money back. This applies to modded cars and rep watches ...

However, I sold my VAC 5004 BP with HkTan Gator a couple of weeks ago in hours and had 5 people waiting in line if the deal falls through. You need to have the right Franken and price it right to move quickly. Mine was maybe a little bit too "cheap" based on the interest. Good for the new owner that has a nice rep now!

It is like cars. You never get back what you put in for mods.