Fakes, what's the feeling?
Discussion
Stinkotanko said:
Buys a Panerai, can't afford £150.
God, I wish buying decent watches on credit was illegal.
If only it were as simplistic as that.God, I wish buying decent watches on credit was illegal.
Whilst buyers might see the ‘value’ in the watch, many may not feel the same about £400-500 productionised straps, and expensive simple buckles/deployants.
No-one bats an eye-lid when someone shows off their custom (looking exactly like the original) strap, regaling how it only cost £100-150.
blueg33 said:
If you have a Panerai and need a new strap just get a good quality strap and fit the Panerai buckle
Hahah tbh that's what I do, but I got a couple of straps made the other day and was thinking to put a buckle on each strap, to save a bit of messing.If I had gone to the Panerai boutique and been told £150 for a buckle I would probably have just paid for a couple, or man mathsed it into a discount on a submersible and saved money
I was thinking about putting a rubber strap on my seadweller and can't be arsed with removing the original clasp off the bracelet. So I have a replica deep sea which has the new design clasp so I may use that to put on the rubber strap.
This may be frowned apon, but I hate to think how much an original clasp is for a Rolex. I think a replacement bracelet for mine is £900
This may be frowned apon, but I hate to think how much an original clasp is for a Rolex. I think a replacement bracelet for mine is £900
PJ S said:
If only it were as simplistic as that.
Whilst buyers might see the ‘value’ in the watch, many may not feel the same about £400-500 productionised straps, and expensive simple buckles/deployants.
No-one bats an eye-lid when someone shows off their custom (looking exactly like the original) strap, regaling how it only cost £100-150.
I don't want to be drawn into the homage/fake debate, but do you not make a distinction between a buckle in the style of an original and a buckle pretending to be an original?Whilst buyers might see the ‘value’ in the watch, many may not feel the same about £400-500 productionised straps, and expensive simple buckles/deployants.
No-one bats an eye-lid when someone shows off their custom (looking exactly like the original) strap, regaling how it only cost £100-150.
For me, it's a sad symptom of the credit culture we live in, poor people buying watches they can't afford and cheapening the brand with fake accessories.
When it comes to fakes, I can be onboard as long as the quality is 2nd to none, I'm not ashamed to admit that I have both gens and fakes.
I have a genuine Rolex, Oris and Omega, I also have a replica Rolex, Breitling, Tag, Cartier and Patek.
But they aren't cheap fakes, all run quality Swiss ETA movements and are very 1:1 in the looks department, not one has ever been spotted as a fake, the best one was the Tag I have, I had a problem with the crown and gave it to a watchsmith I use for my others to repair, the next day I get a very sheepish and worried voice on the phone to tell me that he has bad news, the watch isn't genuine. I laughed and apologised for not telling him when I dropped it off(I didn't even think about it), but he remarked at how good it was, even at the point he had opened that back up he didn't know it was a fake, the only point he realised it was, was when a certain Tag part didn't fit.
I like the fakes as the daily watch, I'm not too fussed about scuffing them, yet I am almost proud to admit to people it's a fake if they ask, it's like the replica GT40's, Cobra's, 550's, etc, when even the more astute can't tell, it's quite an achievment.
I have a genuine Rolex, Oris and Omega, I also have a replica Rolex, Breitling, Tag, Cartier and Patek.
But they aren't cheap fakes, all run quality Swiss ETA movements and are very 1:1 in the looks department, not one has ever been spotted as a fake, the best one was the Tag I have, I had a problem with the crown and gave it to a watchsmith I use for my others to repair, the next day I get a very sheepish and worried voice on the phone to tell me that he has bad news, the watch isn't genuine. I laughed and apologised for not telling him when I dropped it off(I didn't even think about it), but he remarked at how good it was, even at the point he had opened that back up he didn't know it was a fake, the only point he realised it was, was when a certain Tag part didn't fit.
I like the fakes as the daily watch, I'm not too fussed about scuffing them, yet I am almost proud to admit to people it's a fake if they ask, it's like the replica GT40's, Cobra's, 550's, etc, when even the more astute can't tell, it's quite an achievment.
Stinkotanko said:
I don't want to be drawn into the homage/fake debate, but do you not make a distinction between a buckle in the style of an original and a buckle pretending to be an original?
For me, it's a sad symptom of the credit culture we live in, poor people buying watches they can't afford and cheapening the brand with fake accessories.
for meFor me, it's a sad symptom of the credit culture we live in, poor people buying watches they can't afford and cheapening the brand with fake accessories.
buckle in the style of, same spec as, is simply just that. It's a pattern part, not OEM but an aftermarket alternative = HOMAGE
buckle 'pretending' to be original with OEM branding, but made by a third party = FAKE
As to people that add fake accessories cheapening the brand?
That has nothing to do with being poor and buying on credit. These people simply do not see the value in the OEM part (let's face it some are ridiculous PAM simple buckle £150). But they still want the complete 'look' so buy fake.
Personally I wouldn't do such a thing and have recently changed the strap on my PAM for a better quality yet less expensive one. To 'complete' the look I ordered a pattern part buckle which was fine. Then my OCD kicked in and swapped it over with the PAM original from the original strap, job done!
watch manufacturers do seem to bend you over when it comes to straps and bracelets, the prices have no realistic justification, it's just because they can, if you look at the price of some watches and then replacement straps it doesn't work out, I don't get why people put fake straps on either, if you want an aftermarket strap buy one just don't make it look like the original.
I have a Rubber B on my Deepsea and much prefer it
I had this made and prefer it to anything Panerai make!
I have a Rubber B on my Deepsea and much prefer it
I had this made and prefer it to anything Panerai make!
£150 for a buckle!!! what is it, solid gold? £150 for something that cost £2 to make is such a level of utter contempt for customers that I would personally not think for more than a second about putting something else on it. Damn, if someone proudly showed me a new strap with a £150 stainless steel buckle on it I'd say, 'looks lovely', but I'd be thinking, 'you deserve to lose every penny you've got for being an idiot'.
I think that the prices charged by the OEMs are outrageous but I wouldn't go down the fake route. I have a number of IWC pilot-style straps, buckles and deployants for my Spitfire Chrono but they are aftermarket, non-branded items. It doesn't bother me that the original buckle has the IWC script yet the aftermarket ones don't. I can swap between styles and colours while maintaining the OEM look without a huge outlay.
For your Panerai, I would forget the fake buckle route and Google 'toshi straps'. You can get a hand-made, custom strap in your choice of leather, colour and buckle design. I've had/have a few and they're great. Why go for fake, when you can go bespoke? The owner of the site is a Panerai collector, also!
FWIW - I've just sold a 24mm Toshi with Pre-V style buckle on TZ-UK for £25
For your Panerai, I would forget the fake buckle route and Google 'toshi straps'. You can get a hand-made, custom strap in your choice of leather, colour and buckle design. I've had/have a few and they're great. Why go for fake, when you can go bespoke? The owner of the site is a Panerai collector, also!
FWIW - I've just sold a 24mm Toshi with Pre-V style buckle on TZ-UK for £25
nikaiyo2 said:
blueg33 said:
If you have a Panerai and need a new strap just get a good quality strap and fit the Panerai buckle
Hahah tbh that's what I do, but I got a couple of straps made the other day and was thinking to put a buckle on each strap, to save a bit of messing.If I had gone to the Panerai boutique and been told £150 for a buckle I would probably have just paid for a couple, or man mathsed it into a discount on a submersible and saved money
Spice_Weasel said:
Further to my note above, if it's just buckles, Toshi can supply or try here: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/TimePieceRepublic/Buckles...
Or here http://www.watchobsession.co.uk/collections/panera...And the prices are better
Marc p said:
When it comes to fakes, I can be onboard as long as the quality is 2nd to none, I'm not ashamed to admit that I have both gens and fakes..
The quality of a fake will never be second to none when copying the top end manufacturers.Marc p said:
I have a genuine Rolex, Oris and Omega, I also have a replica Rolex, Breitling, Tag, Cartier and Patek.
But they aren't cheap fakes, all run quality Swiss ETA movements and are very 1:1 in the looks department, not one has ever been spotted as a fake, the best one was the Tag I have, I had a problem with the crown and gave it to a watchsmith I use for my others to repair, the next day I get a very sheepish and worried voice on the phone to tell me that he has bad news, the watch isn't genuine. I laughed and apologised for not telling him when I dropped it off(I didn't even think about it), but he remarked at how good it was, even at the point he had opened that back up he didn't know it was a fake, the only point he realised it was, was when a certain Tag part didn't fit..
That speaks volumes about Tags and your watch smith in my opinion. Try taking your fake Patek in for a service to Patek and see how long it takes them to discover it's a fake.But they aren't cheap fakes, all run quality Swiss ETA movements and are very 1:1 in the looks department, not one has ever been spotted as a fake, the best one was the Tag I have, I had a problem with the crown and gave it to a watchsmith I use for my others to repair, the next day I get a very sheepish and worried voice on the phone to tell me that he has bad news, the watch isn't genuine. I laughed and apologised for not telling him when I dropped it off(I didn't even think about it), but he remarked at how good it was, even at the point he had opened that back up he didn't know it was a fake, the only point he realised it was, was when a certain Tag part didn't fit..
Why anyone would wish to own a fake that is based on something that can be copied so convincingly and presumably at a much lower price point baffles me.
Why on earth would anyone want a fake anything? All that screams is that you want to project an image of false wealth to others. Having an ice watch is all about knowing you have something well made, nice, and expensive on your wrist. How horrible must it be to make people think you have a Rolex, but in reality it's a £80 bit of s
t? How must that make you feel?
t? How must that make you feel? Stinkotanko said:
PJ S said:
If only it were as simplistic as that.
Whilst buyers might see the ‘value’ in the watch, many may not feel the same about £400-500 productionised straps, and expensive simple buckles/deployants.
No-one bats an eye-lid when someone shows off their custom (looking exactly like the original) strap, regaling how it only cost £100-150.
I don't want to be drawn into the homage/fake debate, but do you not make a distinction between a buckle in the style of an original and a buckle pretending to be an original?Whilst buyers might see the ‘value’ in the watch, many may not feel the same about £400-500 productionised straps, and expensive simple buckles/deployants.
No-one bats an eye-lid when someone shows off their custom (looking exactly like the original) strap, regaling how it only cost £100-150.
For me, it's a sad symptom of the credit culture we live in, poor people buying watches they can't afford and cheapening the brand with fake accessories.
Of course there will always be misers, who having stretched themselves for the watch, will look to maintain it at minimal cost where possible.
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