My Rolex-

[Rednine11]

This one is 825 bucks.

http://www.replicaco.com/prdtls.asp?productid=365&jsid=divExpCollAsst-2-1-7

[Erakad]

I'm actually pretty happy with my $50 replica, right weight, looks real, keeps time.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by cbush

Of course if that was true, there would be less vitriol about people having fakes.

I think the comes from the questionable intent/purpose of owning a counterfeit anything (not just a Rolex), especially if/when trying to pass it off as the real thing. If you like the "style" of something why not buy a nice "homage" (like the Rolex-style Invictas) instead of an outright counterfeit?

If you buy (or especially sell) a counterfeit item with the intent of passing it off as the real thing, it speaks to your (lack of) character. Not to mention when doing so, you are likely contributing to organized crime on some level.

What about early 70 Ts made to look like Carrera's or RSs. Is that bad too? They sure seem popular, and no one derides them as fakes.

That is a bad comparison IMO. I would not call them "fakes". That is what I would call an "homage", "clone", or "tribute" car. There is no trademark/patent infringement going on. A true "fake" or counterfeit Carrera/RS would have altered serial numbers/VIN//title/etc. to pass it off as the real deal. There have been a few of those, including specimens that were caught at auction. However, I'm pretty sure "fake" 911 RS's are not the multi-billion dollar industry that counterfeit Rolexes/handbags/shoes/etc. are.

That said, people who put "turbo" badges on their non-turbo 911's are likely the same lot who wear fake Rolexes.

[javadog]

Some observations found on the web...

Why do people buy fakes and what does it say about them?

"Through years of studing fakes and talking with people about them, we have never heard any good justification for buying or wearing them... only excuses why some people believe they deserve the perception of owning 'luxury' products without having to go to the effort and expense to buy the real things.

Curiously, people who buy fakes seem to have a contradicting thought process. They act like it is 'only a name' when they choose a counterfeit product with a premium brand name on it. Counterfeit buyers seem to be ignorant of or ignore the real merits that make the genuine item far more valuable than the fakes--they just consider one watch to be about the same as any other.

But they obviously consider the luxury name brand important enough that they are willing to accept items of highly dubious quality and origin just to get that brand name on them. So we have yet to find how to interpret people's willingness to pay for counterfeit versions of 'the name'--especially when they have contempt for or ignorance of why the name is valuable--as anything other than wanting to cheaply impress themself and others.

Here's what buying and wearing fake/counterfeit watches really says about the wearer:

1.Poor Grasp of Value - Replicas are made to sell by looking like something far more valuable than they are. They are seldom made for quality, carry no warranty, are made from cheap parts and are usually not worth repairing. They are basically overpriced disposable products, so are a poor value for your money.
2.Lack of Integrity - Those that choose cheap replicas to try to impress others that they have a real luxury watch are using falsehoods to represent themselves. So that makes people wonder what else about how you represent yourself is false.
3.Weak Ethics - Choosing replica watches shows the world that you are willing to support unethical and illegal businesses--not giving a care about the ethics and legalities involved if they get in the way of getting something that you want cheaply.
4.Gullible - Especially where someone unknowingly buys a fake, they show themselves to be easily deceived and someone that throws caution to the winds trying to get a super deal on an expensive item.
5.Isolated - Certainly there are no clubs for owners of fakes. No comraderie among fellow owners. No sharing of tips, tricks and performance issues. No assistance with operation, warranty or repair issues. Fake buyers are on their own with nobody to care, nobody to help and nobody to compliment or encourage them--except for the occasional person you might encounter that doesn't know enough about watches to realize you are trying to 'impress' them with a cheap counterfeit."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Rick Lee]

I wish my wife would buy fake Louis Vuitton and Prada handbags instead of the real thing. God, I wish.

This thread is why I wear Sinn watches. No one but real watch nuts recognizes them and no one would bother to make fake ones.

[vash]

i hate the fakes. it screams Poseur to me. i cant buy seat time in a ferrari, i am not going to build one out of a fiero to make me seem rich..

taking a counterfeit watch to an official rolex seller is a slap in the face. these people dedictate themselves to the real deal. designers, watchmakers..etc, build a stylish watch, and to simply have some thief stamp one out of a timex? not cool.

but normy, you sound like you got a good one..you should wear it proudly.

[Noah930]

Oh, but Rick: products list

[vash]

i had to get a watched cleaned and tuned up. all this time, i was told that some unscrupulous watch shop had switched out the bracelet and substituted some fake one. it worried me. i picked the local shop i wanted to use, and called ahead. i told him i was unsure of the bracelet's real story. i imagined him showing me the door. it all turned out well, when he said the bracelet was legit. phew! i dont know why my stepdad thought it was bogus. never asked him.

[HHI944]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I wish my wife would buy fake Louis Vuitton and Prada handbags instead of the real thing. God, I wish.

This thread is why I wear Sinn watches. No one but real watch nuts recognizes them and no one would bother to make fake ones.

A lot of the reason I like Robert Graham sport and dress shirts. Clothing nuts recognize them, but it's not widely enough known a name to justify knocking it off...

[javadog]

Originally Posted by HHI944

A lot of the reason I like Robert Graham sport and dress shirts. Clothing nuts recognize them, but it's not widely enough known a name to justify knocking it off...

...and, for that kind of money, you realize that you could have your shirts custom made for you, right? They'd fit much better and I'd wager the fabrics would be nicer...

JR

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Noah930

Oh, but Rick: products list

Holy sheet. I can't believe it. However, to wear something like this that only true Sinn nuts would recognize screams out poseur.

The painted-on Ar capsule here is just insulting, it's so bad. Otherwise, it looks pretty good though. I'd have to hold it in my hand to see how the weight feels.

[Noah930]

However, to wear something like this that only true Sinn nuts would recognize screams out poseur.

Phew. Good thing I ran this by you before I bought a fake one off that website. (I wouldn't want to be a poseur.)

Supposedly (at least that's what the website claims) the fake/replica/homage/counterfeit/rip-off Sinns were designed by reverse-engineering real ones. So parts are interchangable with the real dealios. They cost $300-400 on that website, which is about 3-4 times what the lower-priced fake Rollies/Breitlings/TAGs/Panerais cost, so maybe they are made to a higher fake standard.

[Rick Lee]

I'm wearing the real one of these right now too and this fake is insultingly bad. The chronograph numbers are totally wrong. Has to be intentional, it's so bad, while the rest of it looks pretty close.

[Rick Lee]

Ok, here's a side-by-side comparison.

My real one.



Fake one.



Chrono numbers are like from a different watch. Nevermind the matte color of the real titanium vs. the shiny steel of the fake one. The main dial numbers are too thin on the fake one too. I'd spot this fake without my glasses on.

[Noah930]

The chrono functions may or may not really work on the fake.

I don't know who made the fake's innards, but whoever made it certainly didn't make the mechanism espressly for the proper Breitling watch face. So if the subdials actually work, there may be all sorts of jury-rigged connections powering them, which may explain why they're all jumbled up and don't match the real thing.

[Erakad]

I guess you just need to own one to know the difference. Took me a long time to pick out the numbers.

[djcdmv]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I wish my wife would buy fake Louis Vuitton and Prada handbags instead of the real thing. God, I wish.

+1... Some fake jewelry would be nice, too!

Though I just tell her that she can't complain when I spend $$$$ on the Porsche.

It's a win/win.

[Normy]

Originally Posted by Eric Coffey

I think the comes from the questionable intent/purpose of owning a counterfeit anything (not just a Rolex), especially if/when trying to pass it off as the real thing. If you like the "style" of something why not buy a nice "homage" (like the Rolex-style Invictas) instead of an outright counterfeit?

If you buy (or especially sell) a counterfeit item with the intent of passing it off as the real thing, it speaks to your (lack of) character. Not to mention when doing so, you are likely contributing to organized crime on some level.

That is a bad comparison IMO. I would not call them "fakes". That is what I would call an "homage", "clone", or "tribute" car. There is no trademark/patent infringement going on. A true "fake" or counterfeit Carrera/RS would have altered serial numbers/VIN//title/etc. to pass it off as the real deal. There have been a few of those, including specimens that were caught at auction. However, I'm pretty sure "fake" 911 RS's are not the multi-billion dollar industry that counterfeit Rolexes/handbags/shoes/etc. are.

That said, people who put "turbo" badges on their non-turbo 911's are likely the same lot who wear fake Rolexes.

All good points.

-Why do I own this watch? Simple: It is a good quality Casio automatic with a serious bling factor. I wear it once or twice per year, typically when I have to attend an event such as a wedding, or another important event. The same day I bought this watch, I also had a local Indian tailor make me a custom-fitted suit. The suit I received was equivalent to Saville row in London, at 10% the price! It cost me $250 US, but it makes me look like something right out of GQ magazine.

I got a great suit, and the poor Indian guys off of Nathan road put $250 in their pockets. That sounds suspiciously like "capitalism" to me!

That watch is little different. I cannot afford to spend $15,000 on a watch. I really cannot afford to spend 10% of that on a watch. Spending more than what a good Timex costs on a watch is ridiculous. The very best watches I have ever owned were these cheap plastic watches from Wal-Mart known as Aqua-tech. I had one of them for 8 years before the battery finally died! I'm not kidding. Spending money on a watch is stupid. But buying something that accents your look isn't stupid, even if spending $250 on a watch really kind of...is.

The long and short is that I don't buy products because I think I have something to prove- I have nothing to prove. I'm not wealthy, and that is why I own a fake Rolex [a very good one], and a 928S2 [another very good one]. Both products give me great value for their costs.

N!

That's called being "frugal"-

[Tishabet]

Since when do people quote a Rolex at $15k? I mean, yes, you can spend that much but the majority I see actually being worn are of the $5k msrp variety,

[javadog]

Originally Posted by Normy

That's called being "frugal"-

No, there's another word for it...

JR