Homage Watches...

[marcosgt]

I think the word you were looking for was 'vaguely'.

M.

[mikeveal]

Try squinting. Or stepping back four paces from the monitor, covering one eye and squinting.

But yeah, I agree it is a vague resemblance, I did that was deliberately. At what point does something stop being a homage and start being an original design? Or a design inspired by...

The law says 10% change I believe, if you're not going to fall foul of copyright. But to me it's all a bit subjective.

Homages that don't carry the logo of the watch they're aping are fine by me. But as soon as the logo goes on, or a similar one, then that's a fake (I once saw a fake Rado for sale on a sunny holiday island. The logo was "Radio" which made me laugh.)

Both the homage and the fake are piggy backing on the design and marketing of the original. Both have similar implications for the original manufacturer. But the wearer of the Homage is honest enough to say "I like this style, - couldn't afford/ didn't want to spend that much on / wasn't even aware of - the original, so I bought this."

The wearer of the fake has a different mentality. They clearly want the original, but can't or won't afford one. They had a choice between a fake or an homage, they chose the fake. They know that they're wearing a fake. So the only explanation for their choice is that they want other people to think the watch is genuine. Disingenuous watch, disingenuous wearer.



Please don't think I'm being elitist or snobbish when I say "couldn't or wouldn't afford." There are plenty of things in this world that I would like to be able to afford, but simply can't and plenty of things that I could afford but won't (because I'm a tight arse). And that includes a great many watches.

[AlexC1981]

My despicable pair. The Rodina is excellent actually. I wear it quite a lot. I rarely wear the Militare as it is aping such an easily recognisable watch. The Rodina is a bit more obscure.

[marcosgt]

I've got a Marina Militare (or whatever it says...) and I wear it now and then.

I thought I'd try the Panerai look and when I did I decided I quite liked it but not enough to spend £3k on one.

I don't feel self-conscious or a fraud for wearing it, it is what it is; a 'lookalike' of pretty low quality relative to the real thing (cost me £55, so what can you expect). If some watch snob wants to think I'm sad wannabe for wearing it, so be it, life's too short to worry about that.

That said, I wouldn't buy one with Panerai or Rolex or anything else on that wasn't from those makers. I don't like fakes, but I can live with a 'lookalike'.

Your mileage may vary.

I guess you could argue my Steinhart Ocean Black is a lookalike too (but I don't think Rolex ever made a DLC Submariner) and some would level the same accusation at a couple of CWs I have, but once you start down that path, most watches owe SOMETHING (often a LOT) to another design that came before...

M

[SVS]

I'd agree that the Ocean Black is its own design, not a homage.

[Barreti]

I have a Marina Militaire Destro in titanium.
I was wearing it today and passed it across to my bosses who were each wearing a top end brand new Rolex.
Both were reasonably impressed and I did tell them it wasn't genuine and cost me less than £100
I have 3 Rolex myself, but still like to wear the MM if I want something a bit different. But I wouldn't part with the big bucks for a genuine one because I have such little wrists and it's a bit too big.

Edited by Barreti on Wednesday 9th September 22:49

[CAPP0]

lostkiwi said:

CAPP0 said:

lostkiwi said:

You won't find a new one as they were a limited edition and sold out pretty quick.
Ebay or watch sites are your best bet but its unlikely you'll see any change out of £300.

Thanks - eBay search set up There's one in the US but I think it's a "real" bronze one and I'd really like a brass one. Slim chance I guess.

They were all brass - it was a manufacturing error.
Magrette did offer folks the option to send it back for a bronze replacement case but very very few people took up the offer. You'd almost be sure its brass - if in doubt ask the seller.

Well, I conversed with the seller of the one in the US (the only one I can find for sale at all) and struck a deal with him, but when I went to pay, he asked for direct Paypal payment outside eBay, to avoid fees. So, there are alarm bells instantly. I do have family living in the same state as him and he said it was perfectly OK for them to go and buy it from him direct then sell it to me, but it turns out that not only are they further away than I thought, but also about to go on holiday, so that option is out.

I can't decide whether to take a punt on sending the money or not. He does have ebay feedback of nearly 5000, all at 100%, so he must be doing something right! Losing it wouldn't see me on the streets but I'd be mightily peed off! I guess my only other option is to pay full price, or at least to pay the fees and do it through the correct channels, not sure what % that would add.

[RichB]

mikeveal said:

I have no problem with Homages. I don't have one, but my wife has one of these:

Which you have to admit, looks suspiciously like one of these:

Other than the case, the bracelet and one having a date I can see where you're coming from, they're both stainless steel.

[sparkyhx]

lostkiwi said:

I wear a Magrette Regattare Bronze - very similar to a Panerai in case style but made from Brass (were supposed to be Bronze but the case maker messed up the order and supplied the wrong material).

Lovely to wear and being brass develops a lovely patina over time. Quite understated as a result.

Not my image but this is it:

thats more of an original Anonimo homage

[alolympic]

I have recently bought a Heuer WS2111 which is Inspired by some classic Heuer designs from the 60's. It is a homage I guess, but one that for me, feels okay. You see the principle in so many different product designs, like furniture, fashion, cars even, I think it's okay.