Are counterfeit watches getting better?

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

FWIW:

A good fake can be up to $1,000 USD but you can also get a real Swiss made watch for the same money.

And why support the Chinese and their fake knock offs?
- There are way more fakes sold than the real thing. That's incredible if you think about it.

Best swiss watches under $1000 video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d24KVT4SGqM

[Rick Lee]

I belong to a few Rolex Facebook groups and those guys' ability to spot a fake is unreal. I can't figure it out even when they explain it. I was at an estate jewelry place a few weeks ago when a guy was checking out an old Pepsi GMT for sale there. They took the back off the watch for him to look it over while I was there. It was pretty cool.

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

LOL! Nostril has been ragging on me for quite some time. Never could figure out who he is. But with his latest response, I believe I have him pegged...I baited a hook and he bit...one of two people, and it doesn't really matter which of the 2 he is... I'll confess to having been guilty of pissing off the right people.

It carries over from the old 911S registry days...

Oh yeah? Well I think Sugarballz is actualy Franz.

[MartyDavy]

IMO, replicas offer similar aesthetics without the hefty price tag, making them accessible to folks like me who appreciate style but have a budget to stick to. Plus, with careful selection, you can find replicas that look and feel remarkably close to the originals.

[ALalalalong]

Hello. It's super interesting to see the evolution of counterfeit watches. I've heard some chatter about https://superclonerolex.io and their super clone Rolex watches, which are said to be incredibly close to the real thing. While authenticity is crucial for many, I can't help but appreciate the craftsmanship and affordability of well-made replicas. They offer a taste of luxury without the hefty price tag. But hey, it ultimately boils down to personal preference and individual priorities.

[Por_sha911]

I liked the look of Rolex but didn't want to spend the money so I bought this:

I don't care that it isn't a Rolex and I didn't buy it because I wanted to impress anyone. I bought it because I like it.

[Rick Lee]

I just sent a wire two hrs ago for a 2022 Rolex Pepsi GMT II. I hope I get a real one.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by ALalalalong

Hello. It's super interesting to see the evolution of counterfeit watches

What's super interesting is to see the lengths (and time) that spammers/bots are willing to put into forums these days.

[Rick Lee]

Depending on the brand, if you're active in those forums and FB groups, you're unlikely to fall for a scammer or fake watch. Each group has their trusted sellers, everyone knows them and they know the good buyers. For my last Rolex, I was trading a IWC plus cash. The seller is one of those trusted sellers. He said to just put a personal check for the difference in the box with the watch. The second it was delivered by FedEx, he overnighted the Rolex to me, hadn't even deposited my check first. Doing the same thing today with a different seller.

[HardDrive]

I have never understood the desire to buy a fake....anything. What are you saying about yourself?

[Brian 162]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I just sent a wire two hrs ago for a 2022 Rolex Pepsi GMT II. I hope I get a real one.

Nice watch, I bought a used Coca Cola Rolex last August.

[pavulon]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I have never understood the desire to buy a fake....anything. What are you saying about yourself?

It might be saying that I'd be ok with buying a 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor or a
2014 Triumph Bonneville T100 instead of an original.

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by pavulon

It might be saying that I'd be ok with buying a 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor or a
2014 Triumph Bonneville T100 instead of an original.

Huh? How is that the same? The current Royal Enfield company has a direct lineage to it founding. Its the oldest motorcycle company on earth. How far back to you go call it an 'original' Royal Enfield. I don't get it.

[pavulon]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Huh? How is that the same? The current Royal Enfield company has a direct lineage to it founding. Its the oldest motorcycle company on earth. How far back to you go call it an 'original' Royal Enfield. I don't get it.

Some people don’t want an original for good reasons.

I’d not want to worry about owning an original Cobra but would love a Kirkham or an ERA. I’d not want a Lotus 7 but would love a Caterham CSR. I can’t see myself buying a Rolex or a fake Rolex but I have a modern TAG Heuer Carrera which isn’t an OG Heuer. I’m fine with LS swapped Mazdas and rotaries in Datsuns. I don’t think any of that says anything about me other than (maybe) I accept things for what they are, don’t get spun up about sacred stuff and live within my means.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by varmint

So many parts being made in China. The fakes probably come from the same factory.

There's whole cities in China built to produce knock off watches. Sole industry.

These watches are so good, it often comes down to elemental analysis for trace metals in the alloys.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I have never understood the desire to buy a fake....anything. What are you saying about yourself?

Originally Posted by pavulon

It might be saying that I'd be ok with buying a 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor or a
2014 Triumph Bonneville T100 instead of an original.

Two VERY different things.

Buying a watch that looks like a Rolex and is even branded Rolex but was made in China, Mexico, Taiwan, Russia, whatever by whoever is not the same as buying a watch that's built and branded by the manufacturer of the same name whether that's the original manufacturer or the original closed down and someone else came in and bought the name/rights to produce the product, whether the new product is the same or updated (to make it better or cheaper or ...).

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I have never understood the desire to buy a fake....anything. What are you saying about yourself?

Possible answers:
-Some folks just can't afford the real thing but genuinely like the look and they do it for themselves.
-Some just don't want to spend outrageous amounts of money for a watch when they can get one that pleases them for a fraction of the cost. They consider the cost a stupid waste of money. They feel that those who 'need' to have expensive things are trying to impress others and they have no need for validation from anyone except themselves. (go research Warren Buffet).
-Some are posers. I knew someone who 'had it all': multi-million dollar house in a place where a nice home was $2-300K, expensive cars, the latest fashions. It was all financed and their net equity was zero. They were impressive but just as fake as knockoff watches (maybe more so).

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Arizona_928

There's whole cities in China built to produce knock off watches. Sole industry.

These watches are so good, it often comes down to elemental analysis for trace metals in the alloys.

I follow this stuff pretty closely on a few SM groups. You'd be amazed by how much they get right and then blow it all by getting something so wrong that's really so simple to get right. Just the font on the date wheel can give it away and you don't even need a loupe to catch that. And it's really hard to get the polish/finish right on the bracelet components. Some of the real high end stuff like Patek is so perfectly QC'ed from the factory, that anything less than absolute perfection is a dead giveaway.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

I liked the look of Rolex but didn't want to spend the money so I bought this:

I don't care that it isn't a Rolex and I didn't buy it because I wanted to impress anyone. I bought it because I like it.

But this isn't a counterfeit. This is an imitation. If Invicta put "Rolex" on the dial then it would be a counterfeit.

Many manufacturers make imitations of other manufacturers' goods, especially in the watch world where face, case, bracelet styles are often very similar, especially for watches with the look that you bought.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Possible answers:
-Some folks just can't afford the real thing but genuinely like the look and they do it for themselves.
-Some just don't want to spend outrageous amounts of money for a watch when they can get one that pleases them for a fraction of the cost. They consider the cost a stupid waste of money. They feel that those who 'need' to have expensive things are trying to impress others and they have no need for validation from anyone except themselves. (go research Warren Buffet).
-Some are posers. I knew someone who 'had it all': multi-million dollar house in a place where a nice home was $2-300K, expensive cars, the latest fashions. It was all financed and their net equity was zero. They were impressive but just as fake as knockoff watches (maybe more so).

So are you talking about $20 or $50 fake/counterfeit Rolexes or are you talking about folks that buy watches that look similar to a Rolex but are just a less expensive brand. Because those are two VERY different things.