Reps or Gens - Reasoning

[Johng1122]

Hello all,

I am new here but wanted to have a basic discussion and tell a little of my story and get everyone's own opinions. Here goes,

So, I'm 31 worked my ass off my whole life so of course we want the finer things and watches are on of them. Well, only jewelry I wear actually. Now, a little background I have a few gens of different brands. Gen milgauss was my first and really only watch above 5k. I have my TAG, 3 Movado and a Junghans that I received from someone. I also still have my ESQ that I bought for $300 or so back in HS and it was my first one that I truly earned myself. And my breitling that got stolen years ago - insert sad face.

Now, I love love love watches. I am in awe by some of them. I found myself inside a watch shop recently and was considering purchasing a DJ 41 blue bc I fell in love with it. This was right before I joined here. Then I started seeing how good some of your reps and Frankens are and I can't stop thinking of how I can get so much more for that amount of money. Now here's my train of thought,

I was willing to spend $9500 on a watch but there are reps now that are SOOO close to originals (minor flaws) for $400. So, I've never been the guy that wore all the fanciest stuff but watches I always have had a decent piece on my wrist. So I see the reasoning not to buy them all over the place and people say "what if someone inspects it when You're out?"
1. I'm sorry I'm not letting someone inspect anything of mine that I don't know and even if it someone I know they most likely won't.
2. I truly don't care what someone else that I don't know thinks about me and if the person I am with thinks badly then screw em.
3. If someone called me out at let's say a restaurant like "that's fake" I am not the type to get upset like oh no I got caught being a fake. I am not trying to be something I am not I am just a fan of a certain watch so if I can't afford the actual gen version should I never be allowed to have a close second without being criticized?

For example the watches I love most are a tad bit out of my price range and by tad bit I mean a lot! Daydate ice blue is close to $50k? Sky dweller is reasonable for around $15k but still a lot and Daytona SS w white dial oh and plus the DJ 41 in blue w jubilee. Now even if I could afford the gens I mean I would have to have hit the powerball before I ever spent $50k on a watch that I'll wear once a month if that. (I wear my gen about that often)

What do you guys think? PS sorry for the long post and if there's been a discussion already

[DaleM]

No. 2 close thread

[Johng1122]

No. 2 close thread

?

[Johng1122]

why waste your hard earned cash on an emotional purchase which the manufacturers laugh to the bank with?

Exactly, don't get me wrong if I had 20 plus million in the bank I could understand maybe spending 50k on a gen. But that's a steep amount. I just think about how much I can do around my house. Swimming pool or watch in march? Lol

[Chegespresso]

For real,

Everyone needs to watch the Georges Kern (ex IWC CEO) lecture he gave to marketing students:

YouTube

He basically tells them all, the luxury watch industry is a scam and they sell dreams and don't really do much more as the watches are so cheap to manufacture. Must watch!

[Johng1122]

For real,

Everyone needs to watch the Georges Kern (ex IWC CEO) lecture he gave to marketing students:

YouTube

He basically tells them all, the luxury watch industry is a scam and they sell dreams and don't really do much more as the watches are so cheap to manufacture. Must watch!

Intertesting I'll have to take a look. Thanks for the info.

[breitlingwatch]

Exactly, don't get me wrong if I had 20 plus million in the bank I could understand maybe spending 50k on a gen. But that's a steep amount. I just think about how much I can do around my house. Swimming pool or watch in march? Lol

People with way more money still buy reps. There are rep threads on all the Ferrari forums. They usually have a mix of both. Nobody is questioning if your watch is gen if youre getting out of a Ferrari

[Johng1122]

People with way more money still buy reps. There are rep threads on all the Ferrari forums. They usually have a mix of both. Nobody is questioning if your watch is gen if youre getting out of a Ferrari

Very true lol. But, regardless I would never walk up to a random person and ask hey let me analyze your watch to see if it's real.

[Flattop]

For real,

Everyone needs to watch the Georges Kern (ex IWC CEO) lecture he gave to marketing students:

YouTube

He basically tells them all, the luxury watch industry is a scam and they sell dreams and don't really do much more as the watches are so cheap to manufacture. Must watch!

LOL!!! Yes, people think Rolex is a watch maker, I think they are really a marketing company...

[daytonadragon]

People with way more money still buy reps. There are rep threads on all the Ferrari forums. They usually have a mix of both. Nobody is questioning if your watch is gen if youre getting out of a Ferrari

I have never seen a rep Ferrari.

Can you post pictures and web links for rep Ferrari's?

[breitlingwatch]

I have never seen a rep Ferrari.

Can you post pictures and web links for rep Ferrari's?

I can't tell if youre joking or not but I was talking about Ferrari owners buying rep watches. But if youre referring to rep Ferraris here you go...

Could be your next rep



- - - Updated - - -

Very true lol. But, regardless I would never walk up to a random person and ask hey let me analyze your watch to see if it's real.

Exactly and they know this. If youre wearing a gen day date but are dressed like a bum and getting out of a 92 Camry people are going to assume its fake anyway.

[daytonadragon]

I can't tell if youre joking or not but I was talking about Ferrari owners buying rep watches. But if youre referring to rep Ferraris here you go...

Could be your next rep



- - - Updated - - -



Exactly and they know this. If youre wearing a gen day date but are dressed like a bum and getting out of a 92 Camry people are going to assume its fake anyway.

I interpreted your post to mean rep Ferrari's.

[breitlingwatch]

I interpreted your post to mean rep Ferrari's.

There is actually a huge rep exotic car market that exists. Some don't look that bad from outside but obviously the performance will never be close

[Johng1122]

I can't tell if youre joking or not but I was talking about Ferrari owners buying rep watches. But if youre referring to rep Ferraris here you go...

Could be your next rep



- - - Updated - - -



Exactly and they know this. If youre wearing a gen day date but are dressed like a bum and getting out of a 92 Camry people are going to assume its fake anyway.

This is great! It looks like something in the fantasy factory (if anyone has seen that show) that they drive around in the warehouse lol

[movingshadow]

As the above have pretty much stated: It all boils down to: Can you pull it off. If you work at McDonald's people might think that gold rolex is fake, if you are a private banker at UBS they likely won't question it. If you drive an old honda civic and rock a 30k watch you might get called out, I'm 37 and drive a Jaguar and a BMW and wear watches in the 8-15k range so no one bats an eye.

Personally I could afford to buy a few gens, but I have much more fun with my 60+ watches, hunting down certain ones and never getting around to wearing them all. Also, I'd never pay the premium for something like a standard PAM (I have a 177 and a 111) because the good reps are basically on-par with the gen...

just my 0,02... :P

[movingshadow]

There is actually a huge rep exotic car market that exists. Some don't look that bad from outside but obviously the performance will never be close

and there are a few ferrari reps even I'd consider... like the Ferrari California Spyder (Ferris Bueller anyone?!)

122112.jpg
yup, it's a rep... although a 100k one...

[Johng1122]

As the above have pretty much stated: It all boils down to: Can you pull it off. If you work at McDonald's people might think that gold rolex is fake, if you are a private banker at UBS they likely won't question it. If you drive an old honda civic and rock a 30k watch you might get called out, I'm 37 and drive a Jaguar and a BMW and wear watches in the 8-15k ranke so no one bats an eye.

Personally I could afford to buy a few gens, but I have much more fun with my 60+ watches, hunting down certain ones and never getting around to wearing them all. Also, I'd never pay the premium for something like a standard PAM (I have a 177 and a 111) because the reps are basically on-par with the gen...

just my 0,02... :P

Of course. Like I said I am not trying to be something I am not and neither are most of the people here. It's more of an appreciation. For instance the daydate ice I will never have unless I hit the lotto but I would still love to have it. Same with some others that I would consider grails. I can get a gen but the thoughts were why get one when I can get 10 lol And still have a few bucks left.

[Daddyoftwo]

There is actually a huge rep exotic car market that exists. Some don't look that bad from outside but obviously the performance will never be close

Same difference between a hooker and my wife

[Johng1122]

Same difference between a hooker and my wife

Oh snapppp!!!!!

[daytonadragon]

I can't tell if youre joking or not but I was talking about Ferrari owners buying rep watches. But if youre referring to rep Ferraris here you go...

Could be your next rep



- - - Updated - - -



Exactly and they know this. If youre wearing a gen day date but are dressed like a bum and getting out of a 92 Camry people are going to assume its fake anyway.

That indeed looks like a rep Ferrari.

[breitlingwatch]

Same difference between a hooker and my wife

hahahahahahah

[breitlingwatch]

That indeed looks like a rep Ferrari.

they can get pretty good though

Ferrari California replica based on 2003 Mecedes Benz SL

[JMS1988]

they can get pretty good though

Ferrari California replica based on 2003 Mecedes Benz SL

As impressive as it is, it's completely senseless cost-wise. You'd have to budget $10k for a half-decent R230 Benz, then $22k for the external conversion kit, then $7.5k for the interior conversion which is necessary since it's a convertible and then spend even more actually putting it all together, plus the upkeep costs on the SL which, between the hydraulic ABC suspension and the extremely complicated SBC brakes (which BTW can be found on the hypercar SLR and the original W240 Maybach as well) won't be anywhere close to budget-friendly. You'd be looking at around $45.000 for the finished product. That's half the price of a genuine California and dangerously close to the price of a 360 Modena, for example.

[breitlingwatch]

As impressive as it is, it's completely senseless cost-wise. You'd have to budget $10k for a half-decent R230 Benz, then $22k for the external conversion kit, then $7.5k for the interior conversion which is necessary since it's a convertible and then spend even more actually putting it all together, plus the upkeep costs on the SL which, between the hydraulic ABC suspension and the extremely complicated SBC brakes (which BTW can be found on the hypercar SLR and the original W240 Maybach as well) won't be anywhere close to budget-friendly. You'd be looking at around $45.000 for the finished product. That's half the price of a genuine California and dangerously close to the price of a 360 Modena, for example.

Im all for rep watches but I would NEVER even consider a rep car. That is a whole different ballgame. I don't care if you budget 100k for it, you will never get close. If you want to go the route of rep car, id say get a smashed car from copart and start a little rebuild project. You'll learn a ton and in the end have the real deal if done right

[JMS1988]

Im all for rep watches but I would NEVER even consider a rep car. That is a whole different ballgame. I don't care if you budget 100k for it, you will never get close. If you want to go the route of rep car, id say get a smashed car from copart and start a little rebuild project. You'll learn a ton and in the end have the real deal if done right

Only cars that make sense in rep form are modern copies of vintage classics. Classics that are both rare and extremely valuable, i might add. Replicas of modern cars don't make sense for the most part. You can't get close and they get very expensive very fast. It's completely pointless when a genuine version can be had for not that much more.
I'd say replicas of things like Bugatti Chiron would make more sense, simply because you can't get a gen for less than $3M. If there would be a visually identical $100k replica of a Chiron with performance comparable to other $100k supercars, it would be a poser's dream. Hell, i'd want one myself.