Have a friend who brought back a rep sub-date from Qingdao and was seriously impressed by how authentic it looked. Don't know how accurate it is, and I don't think I would take it in the water, but it definitely looked like the real thing (except that the cyclops might have been slightly crooked).

Anyway, stumbled into this site yesterday and was blown away by how developed the replica market is. Frankly, it depressed me a little bit because I assumed that Rolex, Richard Mille, AP, and Panerai were the big targets for replicas. However, browsing TD websites has revealed that even obscure and lower priced brands are knocked-off. This has left me conflicted.

1. The gen watch will undoubtedly have a more stringent quality control on aesthetics
2. The gen watch will also perform to a higher level (water resistance, COSC, etc.)
3. The gen watch is a real investment
4. Will I ever truly need the performance of the gen watch? Or is a rep good enough for my lifestyle?
5. NEVER buy a luxury watch on E-bay or Craigslist. I swear I will only buy new from an AD if I go that route.

Currently have a nice collection of Seiko (Prospex, Coutura, Presage). Next watch will be a Tudor Pelagos (black)… maybe a rep. (sigh)