Where's Your Head At?: I'm Calling You Out

I've got 2 grand into this one. Why? Actually I just enjoyed the sourcing of the parts and having it built. A gen watch like this will set you back 7-8 grand, and you can't tell the difference on the wrist. As good as it is, it's still not a gen, and that bugs me. I'm probably going to sell it and save for a gen just because there's no substitute for the real thing.

http://img.tapatalk.com/a69350bd-6a53-8278.jpg

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Originally Posted by Posh

And when I say fractional, I would posit no more than 10% (or a little less) of your income should go to these "toys." A friend of my fiance does some investing for a new member of the Ravens, I believe, and his contract is only worth about $1.5 million a year, if I recall correctly. He bought a little over $315,000 worth of jewelry. Now, I have no idea how his money is allocated or anything but that's already over 21% of his income in just baubles alone. :eek: He couldn't really talk the guy out of it either.

This hobby could really have saved him some money because replicas for many things are really that good. But he's REALLY wanting to keep up appearances. :p

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I've been surprised how my interest in this hobby has evolved. I too work in the financial industry with UHNW clients which is further compounded by living in Miami. My first rep was a Franken V1 HBB which I used as an experiment to see what types of reactions I would get from clients. Surprisingly, the rep opened up new conversation topics that my gen Rolex never did.

I began experimenting with different brands, Panerai, AP, etc and it's amazing (at least in Miami) how much it resonated. I've now become a timepiece enthusiast slowly teaching myself how to work/repair/mod my collection.

And the best part of all, the money for the gens I could have purchased has now fully funded the college account for my little girl :woot:

Thank you RepGeek community!

Okay Posh, here's something different which may appease your need to know. I think I may have nailed it but maybe I'm way off. I'll try to keep it short as I tend to 'get into stuff' a bit much sometimes. :)

People are pleasure seekers; we like what we like and seek it out in as many different ways/forms as there are people. Some ways are very simple - a walk through the park to small the smells, hear the birds, feel the sun on your face. Some are not so simple, like discovering new cures for disease. Whatever it is, the act of doing something brings pleasure.

Art is yet one of the many ways people find pleasure. To experience something that touches ones sense like nothing else - it 'speaks' to you - is very pleasurable. A person would necessarily seek out that same experience repeatedly over time to recreate those pleasurable feelings (get your minds out of the gutter, guys!) :) Say a person likes Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night, for example. Seeing that it's not possible to see the real one as we'd like, we buy a replica of the painting to enjoy at home at our leisure.

Now, does one buy a painting that's fashioned after/in the style of the real one but is noticeably off? Probably not. Does one contract a painter to paint one that's close - an homage - but again, isn't as impressionable as the real painting? Again, probably not, as neither of those elicits the same pleasure response as the gen. One goes out and buys a replica - a copy that looks exactly like the real thing!

Hence, the desire to own a (replica) watch that's exactly like the genuine article which brings pleasure to ones eye. I understand that a one-of-kind classic painting isn't the same as a watch but the concept is the same - a person seeks to satisfy their need for pleasure brought on by that particular form (a wrist watch).

The closer the copy is to the real thing, the greater the pleasure. I invite the poster who suggested that people who wear reps are 'trying to fool someone' and to 'get over it' to consider that there's more to it than that for at least some of us who choose to own very exact copies of haute horology time pieces. Are there people out there looking to fool people? Yes. Is that the sole/main reason everyone buys reps (and then attempts to modify them to be as close to the real thing as possible)? No.

I wear both. I enjoy both. I do, however, tend to only buy reps that closely approximate the real thing. It's all very personal - how we choose to enjoy what we enjoy. We do all seek pleasure, however.

Cheers,
Tom

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Originally Posted by repitup

Okay Posh, here's something different which may appease your need to know. I think I may have nailed it but maybe I'm way off. I'll try to keep it short as I tend to 'get into stuff' a bit much sometimes. :)

People are pleasure seekers; we like what we like and seek it out in as many different ways/forms as there are people. Some ways are very simple - a walk through the park to small the smells, hear the birds, feel the sun on your face. Some are not so simple, like discovering new cures for disease. Whatever it is, the act of doing something brings pleasure.

Art is yet one of the many ways people find pleasure. To experience something that touches ones sense like nothing else - it 'speaks' to you - is very pleasurable. A person would necessarily seek out that same experience repeatedly over time to recreate those pleasurable feelings (get your minds out of the gutter, guys!) :) Say a person likes Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night, for example. Seeing that it's not possible to see the real one as we'd like, we buy a replica of the painting to enjoy at home at our leisure.

Now, does one buy a painting that's fashioned after/in the style of the real one but is noticeably off? Probably not. Does one contract a painter to paint one that's close - an homage - but again, isn't as impressionable as the real painting? Again, probably not, as neither of those elicits the same pleasure response as the gen. One goes out and buys a replica - a copy that looks exactly like the real thing!

Hence, the desire to own a (replica) watch that's exactly like the genuine article which brings pleasure to ones eye. I understand that a one-of-kind classic painting isn't the same as a watch but the concept is the same - a person seeks to satisfy their need for pleasure brought on by that particular form (a wrist watch).

The closer the copy is to the real thing, the greater the pleasure. I invite the poster who suggested that people who wear reps are 'trying to fool someone' and to 'get over it' to consider that there's more to it than that for at least some of us who choose to own very exact copies of haute horology time pieces. Are there people out there looking to fool people? Yes. Is that the sole/main reason everyone buys reps (and then attempts to modify them to be as close to the real thing as possible)? No.

I wear both. I enjoy both. I do, however, tend to only buy reps that closely approximate the real thing. It's all very personal - how we choose to enjoy what we enjoy. We do all seek pleasure, however.

Cheers,
Tom

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Oh, this is interesting! I seriously had never considered this aspect of the whole buying fake lux goods thing. I am okay with a well-made fantasy bag (or watch in this case) but I can totally see someone else deriving joy from something that gets very close to the gen item, maybe only getting joy from the rep simply for that reason. Something that's 80% won't do for them. Thanks for enlightening me on this! :)

I do it because it's a hobby for me.

I enjoy the chase of putting together a watch that would be nearly impossible to call out, and because of that it's very rare for me to buy a rep that can't be easily modded with gen parts. I will occassionally pick up a rep that doesn't actually 'need' to be modded (like my Ebel 1911), but I rather prefer picking out the best base model rep to build from and then go out looking for parts to finish it off.

I won't rule out buying a great franken that's already complete, but as others have said, one of the advantages of DIY is that you can do it in stages. Instead of dropping a grand all at once, you can spread it out over time and still have something to wear while you are collecting the parts. It's also more rewarding to know it was your build and not someone else's.

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Originally Posted by repitup

Okay Posh, here's something different which may appease your need to know. I think I may have nailed it but maybe I'm way off. I'll try to keep it short as I tend to 'get into stuff' a bit much sometimes. :)

People are pleasure seekers; we like what we like and seek it out in as many different ways/forms as there are people. Some ways are very simple - a walk through the park to small the smells, hear the birds, feel the sun on your face. Some are not so simple, like discovering new cures for disease. Whatever it is, the act of doing something brings pleasure.

Art is yet one of the many ways people find pleasure. To experience something that touches ones sense like nothing else - it 'speaks' to you - is very pleasurable. A person would necessarily seek out that same experience repeatedly over time to recreate those pleasurable feelings (get your minds out of the gutter, guys!) :) Say a person likes Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night, for example. Seeing that it's not possible to see the real one as we'd like, we buy a replica of the painting to enjoy at home at our leisure.

Now, does one buy a painting that's fashioned after/in the style of the real one but is noticeably off? Probably not. Does one contract a painter to paint one that's close - an homage - but again, isn't as impressionable as the real painting? Again, probably not, as neither of those elicits the same pleasure response as the gen. One goes out and buys a replica - a copy that looks exactly like the real thing!

Hence, the desire to own a (replica) watch that's exactly like the genuine article which brings pleasure to ones eye. I understand that a one-of-kind classic painting isn't the same as a watch but the concept is the same - a person seeks to satisfy their need for pleasure brought on by that particular form (a wrist watch).

The closer the copy is to the real thing, the greater the pleasure. I invite the poster who suggested that people who wear reps are 'trying to fool someone' and to 'get over it' to consider that there's more to it than that for at least some of us who choose to own very exact copies of haute horology time pieces. Are there people out there looking to fool people? Yes. Is that the sole/main reason everyone buys reps (and then attempts to modify them to be as close to the real thing as possible)? No.

I wear both. I enjoy both. I do, however, tend to only buy reps that closely approximate the real thing. It's all very personal - how we choose to enjoy what we enjoy. We do all seek pleasure, however.

Cheers,
Tom

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+1

I also buy/create reps that are closest to gen so I don't get called out while enjoying them. That would be embarrassing...especially because I wouldn't lie about it. For me, I try to avoid being called out and embarrassed.

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Originally Posted by kbh

I love making reps as close to gen as possible. It's more of a game and, particularly with Rolexes, I don't see it as being a money losing hobby. There is a great resale market for either the completed watch or reselling the parts, such as bracelets, dials, cases, etc. In fact, I just bought another vintage Rolex bracelet off the Bay yesterday.

I'm not really a fan of the idea of spending thousands on a Yuki or Jewelry and Watch type build either, but to each his own.

I don't think for me, it's ever been so much to fool other people on the street as it is to impress forum members. I like the forums, forum members, and the fact that they appreciate a nice quality build. It's nice to get compliments from other watch enthusiasts, particularly collectors of reps. Plus, I don't think of the really good ones as reps. I think of them more as gens with some aftermarket parts.

In the real world, I learned long ago that almost no one ever pays any attention to what watch you're wearing.

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Its so true in the real world almost no one pays attention to what watch you are wearing!


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I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?pp5lvv

For everyone in this thread - please do watch this video:
http://www.ted.com/talks/paul_bloom_..._pleasure.html

I think it is exactly relevant to our hobby and this discussion

Excerpt = "Why do we like an original painting better than a forgery? Psychologist Paul Bloom argues that human beings are essentialists -- that our beliefs about the history of an object change how we experience it, not simply as an illusion, but as a deep feature of what pleasure (and pain) is."

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Originally Posted by Ruprekt

I've got 2 grand into this one. Why? Actually I just enjoyed the sourcing of the parts and having it built. A gen watch like this will set you back 7-8 grand, and you can't tell the difference on the wrist. As good as it is, it's still not a gen, and that bugs me. I'm probably going to sell it and save for a gen just because there's no substitute for the real thing.

http://img.tapatalk.com/a69350bd-6a53-8278.jpg

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I have a real one incoming soon, they're now high fives to low sixes. If you'd like some pointers as to sources, just pm me.

Men's watches are one of the only forms of jewelery that guys can wear. For me, it is about aesthetics and design. The most beautiful watches are costly. Being a fiscally concerned person, reps are irresitable. Who cares what others think. I don't. They can glob my knob if they are wondering about the authenticity of my time piece.

I'm glad in my world, 99% people couldn't tell a sub from a citizen. In fact I'd be a little embarrassed if someone asked me "OMG is that a rolex?" But then if they recognized it, then that says something about them and I wouldn't really be too embarrassed. Though I'm sure the money is nice, it must suck to be in circles where you feel pressure to own a $10K watch.

Aside from that if you own something don't you always want to make it better? Part of what sucked me into the rep world, were all these guys on here that didn't just want a nice watch, they were building them, they had become amateur watch makers, as part of the hobby. That's a hell of a lot cooler in my book than a rich guy who buys a $10K gen, but knows nothing about it.

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Originally Posted by Posh

Wouldn't it be easier (and less expensive) to make a sterile or homage watch? I imagine you could've honed your skills just as well on something like that. But you chose the Breitling brand or Omega to build a watch. Why is that?

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To me, it is about learning and making something better. However, I realized that I don't want to ever be called out, so I never wear my PAM 111 anymore. Instead I just bought a Getat Homage. The way I see it, if I can't afford to wear the real thing, then I shouldn't have a replica of the watch. That is why I got the homage. I just like the style of the watch. I do have a rep omega PO and a rep breitling skyland avenger, but those I could probably afford. But I do enjoy trying to fix watches, and because reps break more than homage watches, I spend more time fixing reps than homages. But I would wear either, doesn't really matter to me. But I do think that the high end reps are better than a homage. Even Seiko's had cheap wrapped linked bands and mineral crystals. At least high end reps give you sapphire crystal with AR, solid linked bands and solid end links, with a decent movement. In fact, my Omega PO has a 2824-2 movement in it that is +2 sec a day off. My gen Oris TT1 is +3 off!
T.