Fake Rolex, Justified ?

[sneijder]

Before you shoot me down, bear with me.

RemaL appeared on another thread asking about a Sinn UX, and I jokingly linked to the Bonhams auction recently that was hawking one of these :



A military issued Sub at around 30k IIRC.

Then someone on the 'Bell and Ross snide' thread mentioned a couple of hooky watch sites and I went looking and found they did a knock off of the above. Now I will happily wear a 'homage' if it's a sterile dial or a close to the knuckle Seiko similar styled piece or somesuch. I would never be such a shallow twonk that I'd flash a non kosher Rolex around.

However I'd love a knock off of this as it's such an iconic thing. I don't mix with people who know a sausage about watches, although I guess they would know a Rolex if they saw it. I would happily explain it's a fake as I could never afford the real thing. Or should I just get one and wear it in the house. I know what the real answer is, I can't afford the real thing so I shouldn't wing it, *sigh*

[911DM]

Some interesting info here http://diving-watch.org/MILSUB-MILITARY-ISSUE-ROLE...

I find it odd that the military issued Rolex and Omega watches, but I guess if they were the best tools at the time the why not!

I quite like the look of that - maybe knowing the provenance adds a lot to it.

As to whether you buy and wear a 'fake', well, that's up to you...

[sneijder]

Thanks for that link !

Just to be clear, it's the Broadsword one I'm prattling on about, Not the Mercedes hands.

[immigrant]

What about the Orange product? Looks good to me aside from the London Underground logo.

http://www.orangewatchcompany.com/milsub/index.php

[sneijder]

That's a good find, I was pretty sure the snide I found had the Seagull movement at a cheaper price, went to double check and the website's died a death. Apparently it moves around a bit but that's just too much messing around for my liking

[fergus]

immigrant said:

What about the Orange product? Looks good to me aside from the London Underground logo.

http://www.orangewatchcompany.com/milsub/index.php

Does that not bode the question, if they are able to make a good bracelet, source a good movement, why rolex are able to charge 500% of their (segul based movement) price?

(Most) Rolex movements are nothing special. Indeed having been shown inside my Explorer II during a service, I was stunned to see how poor it was - after being shown an omega by way of comparison (I wasn't comparing mine with a JLC or other higher end piece).

[Motorrad]

It's possible to buy an excellent fake of that particular piece and other historic Rolex watches. Far better than I've seen linked to on here BTW. Fakes with genuine, well regulated ETA movements, custom dials with better quality finishing, correct custom crown guards, proper O rings and 100M waterproofing for between $300 and $500 US.

The question is are you willing to support organised crime and steal someone else's intellectual property? If so you're no doubt the kind of person who will also purchase stolen goods and has a similar low level of morals throughout all your life.

I'm not which is why I concentrate on purchasing and enjoying genuine pieces.

Personally I think Pistonheads should forbid any discussion of counterfeit merchandise, these threads come up all too often for my liking.

Edited by Motorrad on Friday 20th November 21:40

[sneijder]

Motorrad said:

It's possible to buy an excellent fake of that particular piece and other historic Rolex watches. Far better than I've seen linked to on here BTW. Fakes with genuine, well regulated ETA movements, custom dials with better quality finishing, correct custom crown guards, proper O rings and 100M waterproofing for between $300 and $500 US.

The question is are you willing to support organised crime and steal someone else's intellectual property? If so you're no doubt the kind of person who will also purchase stolen goods and has a similar low level of morals throughout all your life.

I'm not which is why I concentrate on purchasing and enjoying genuine pieces.

Personally I think Pistonheads should forbid any discussion of counterfeit merchandise, these threads come up all too often for my liking.

Edited by Motorrad on Friday 20th November 21:40

I guess you didn't read the original post properly before you dove onto your keyboard, but thanks for the input. For someone who's keen not to finance Nazi counterfeiters you seem to know an awful lot about the subject.

This was my best bit :

'has a similar low level of morals throughout all your life'.

For what it's worth, as previously mentioned, the website (that was never linked to) hops around all over the place so I won't be bothering risking it.

[Motorrad]

I wasn't actually making my comments directly to you, after all you're merely talking about buying one, I was just commenting on the general fake trade. It's a shame you took it that way.

I know a fair bit more than most about the fake watch trade due to some work I did for a client which involved first hand experience of counterfeit watch vendors, factories and specialist internet retailers.

[sneijder]

No worries, fake adverts tend to get pulled straight away on here and folk who proudly admit they wear a fake tend to get pounced on sharpish on here.

I have to say though, I thought the link to sales funding nasties was a bit of an urban myth from the powers that be, from your experience is that true ? I'm not asking for specifics but if the monies really do go 'up the tree' to some dodgy activities that puts a whole different slant on it.

[AB]

IME Rolex 'fakes' are always distinguishable.

You'd always know you didnt have the real thing.

I couldnt bring myself to do it to be honest.

[andy_s]

How much are old Subs nowadays? Ones that maybe haven't been too cosseted and where the lume is a bit ancient - I'd happily sport a vintage. If you went and tracked down a replica (and looking at that Orange site I was very amused by their homepage tag-line of 'honest product') you'd know it was a replica - the only person you can't kid is yourself so you'd get none of that 'pride of ownership' (the elephant in the room). If you got an old sub you could even commit heresy and swap out the hands to some broadsword versions...

Or...there are other 'iconic' watches of that era that could be an interesting alternative, a Benarus Type A/B (ha!) or a Blancpain FF for example.

Motorrad - I've posted a reply to your post in 'website feedback'.

Edited by andy_s on Saturday 21st November 08:05

[Stuart]

Motorrad said:

Personally I think Pistonheads should forbid any discussion of counterfeit merchandise, these threads come up all too often for my liking.

Edited by Motorrad on Friday 20th November 21:40

I take your point, but we're not really in the business of overt censorship of whole discussion topics and, in my experience at least, whenever they come up there is always sufficient condemnation for it to leave any casual reader in no doubt as to what the forum thinks of fakes.

My personal view? I don't see the point of spending $500 on a fake, no matter how good it purports to be, when $500 buys you all manner of perfectly good, perfectly well made and perfectly individual watches that don't need to borrow the legacy of other brands to derive their value. A chap in my office wears a fake rolex and I can't help but respect him less for it - I'd be embarassed to have one on my wrist because I'd feel like I was trying to deceive anyone who looked at it. We wear brands like Rolex because we feel that they say something about us as individuals, after all.

[sneijder]

This is why I would want one, because James Bond had one (OK, so I now see his had the Mercedes hands)

I've never aspired to own a Rolex , I really don't think I fit into their demographic. If I did own a snide of the above I would never try to pass it off as the real thing, I would willingly explain what it was, as the proper thing is made of unobtainium.

What I wasn't asking was 'Oi, ladz were can I get a Fake Roleks so I look minted innit :P'

• I know James Bond wore Seiko digitals too, I'm hunting one down also.

[Fittster]

sneijder said:

This is why I would want one, because James Bond had one (OK, so I now see his had the Mercedes hands)

And that's the reason I'd never have one, I loath bond merchandising.

[Trommel]

sneijder said:

I like that picture because it's pretty clear that there are no red stripes in that strap.

[andy_s]

Fittster said:

sneijder said:

This is why I would want one, because James Bond had one (OK, so I now see his had the Mercedes hands)

And that's the reason I'd never have one, I loath bond merchandising.

That and the 18mm NATO on 20mm lugs. (Hasn't someone said that yet?)

Out of curiosity, was Rolex + Bond a commercial tie up in the same vein as Omega/Aston/BMW/Nokia etc? I had a feeling it was just because it was mentioned in the books?

[LukeBird]

^^ I have a feeling that is correct Andy, the book part.

Oh and fakes so nothing for me, I'm with Stuart in that you can buy a very nice original watch for similar money to a decent fake and I would (could!) not pass it off as real.

The only way I can ever see me buying one is to see how I get on with a particular watch prior to purchase.

[Nero601]

what is the 'cache' of a rolex ? , i have never understood why anyone would want one , nasty ostentatious objects , i would never soil my wrist with one

[Balmoral Green]

The model that the OP has posted up is nice enough, but as for your archetypal gold Rolex, I agree with the last poster.

Not that I could ever afford one anyway.

Anecdotally, years ago I was at a Bentley Drivers Club meet, and was talking to someone, apparently George Daniels had just referred to their Rolex as a 'tractor' on his wrist

Edited by Balmoral Green on Saturday 21st November 23:13