Rolex-Alike

[oldhippy]

Here is my contribution to fake watches and what should happen to them.  

[svorkoetter]

I've seen this picture, or ones like it, many times, but they never show the "after" photo. :-)

[digginstony]

There is no need to spend thousands of pounds to enjoy a fine watch. Many cost just tens and are lovely. I do not see how a watch lover can "enjoy" wearing a counterfeit piece made to deceive and project an inflated image of oneself. Ok for a prank at most.

You've raised a couple of good points here. Firstly the reason you give for somebody buying a fake Rolex is probably just as good for somebody buying an original. I believe the vast majority of purchasers have no appreciation of a fine watch but it's the socially acceptable thing to do. So they can all sit round the table sipping their pink gin admiring their Rolex or patek. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

The watch in question isn't a serious fake, not with spelling mistake and at 15 euros! There are serious counterfeiters out there that produce fine quality fakes and ask serious money for them. On the concept that as the prospective purchaser,the more you pay, the less likely you are to accept it's fake.

Oldhippy gave good advice on previous thread that if your paying a lot of money, buy one with paperwork. Unfortunately the serious counterfeiters will have fake paperwork and guarantee cards produced with their watches. The only real way to be sure of purchase is to send the watch to the original manufacturer's for assessment,if possible.

But why or how could a watch lover wear a non original watch?

I will try to answer this from my own perspective. I have an original 1980s omega dress watch but I really liked the omega 1538. Yes I probably could of bought an original (wife would not be happy,but never mind) But at the price I would have to pay would I be happy wearing it. What if it rains and the watch leaks! What if I knock the watch against a wall or something! I have six springer spaniels,what if they eat it,stupid dogs!

So I made something up which pretty much resembles a 1538 at a fraction of the cost and I wear this daily without loosing sleep over it.

The money I spent producing this watch. Yes I could of bought a very nice Seiko or something like that but then I wouldn't of had the fun of putting my own watch together.

But generally I agree with jdm's comments.

If I wanted a Rolex submariner and didn't have the cash I'd probably go for the Orient Mako

Tony

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[atimegoneby]

18 hours ago, anilv said:

will probably start right up with a fresh battery...

Funnily enough....

Actually apart from pretending to be something it's not it's ok for what it is,

comparable quality to those found in department stores for around £20-30 and there's always scope to repaint the dial.

[RyMoeller]

On July 3, 2016 at 3:01 PM, atimegoneby said:

Evening all,

I just thought I'd add this to an old thread, the fake Rolex I bought in Spain for 10 Euros in 2014 has only recently stopped !

I left it until it stopped before I opened it up, here's what I found.... 

Words fail me.

[Alastair]

Hmm....

 

Way I look at it is this.

Its not unheard of for the gentry to buy expensive jewellery etc, have them copied and store at the bank the original genuine articles, and wear the fakes......

Providing that the Fake/Replica 'Folex or Fomega' ISNT sold as the real article or used to deceive a buyer, then who really cares. Who is losing out? Over-Bloated up-themselves Swiss Cos!--and they ain't losing really, some may even consider it free advertising, the Folex owner eventually buying a gen watch.....

I care about this just as much as the Swiss do about supplying Non Authorised Dealers with their parts!! They are NOT loyal to any of you watch-repairers, so since learning of this issue I personally have NO loyalty to any of 'em, since Ive seen this sort of restrictive practice all before in a different profession.

I personally do have a rep/fake Rolex Milgauss. For what it is, its actually quite good, The automatic movement is a bit crap (DG 2813) but the presentation-parts, case dial etc are very good. I wear it and don't really care if it gets scratched or dingedtrashed. Timekeeping is within 10 secs per day on average Not bad for Cheapo Chinese Crap!...

There are Fakes and then there are the Super-Clone Fakes, some costing a surprising amount of dosh, but with quality to match, even the movements aint bad either!....

[jdm]

4 minutes ago, Alastair said:

Way I look at it is this...

I hear what you say but in the end the issue is about deceiving, faking or not.

The semi-industrial Chinese hooligans that have the money and connections to produce superclones are just exploiting the Western (end developing countries) desire to appear who we are not, in a materialistic society that has long lost the real values of original creativity and engineering. 

In today market you can buy cheap watches which are better than the original (an already cheap Seiko diver in this case), without being a 2 bits imposteour http://forums.watchuseek.com/f74/deep-blues-new-seiko-skx007-look-like-3413122.html

Don't you want to teach an unspoken lesson on your wrist doing like that?

 

 

[Alastair]

Nah--Too much like a rip-off of a Sub for my liking, my wrist would miss the Hum it usually gets from an Accutron or ESA Omega, the Folex I use when there's a risk of possible damage--Like at work!

Recycling centres can get a bit hairy for a timid tuning-fork!

[Alastair]

Hmm--You know? It seems OK for a Co--in this case, 'Deep-Blue' (Whoever They are!) to clearly Rip off the Rolex Submariner, but so long as it doesnt say 'Rolex' on it--Its OK...?

Personally I cant see the difference! Cheap Chinese ripoff or Cheap (add country of your choice) ripoff.....

[jdm]

14 minutes ago, Alastair said:

Hmm--You know? It seems OK for a Co--in this case, 'Deep-Blue' (Whoever They are!) to clearly Rip off the Rolex Submariner, but so long as it doesnt say 'Rolex' on it--Its OK...?

Personally I cant see the difference! Cheap Chinese ripoff or Cheap (add country of your choice) ripoff.....

If no counterfeit logo or branding the watch is legal and legit, both by law and common sense.. Then it's up to you to decide what you want to wear and which statement you want to give, assuming there is someone around able to understand what is what and not looking at Pokemon Go instead.

[Joeydwatchmaker]

Whenever I would get a fake in a estate sale or box lot i make good use of such a beautiful watch. I use that high quality watch to sight in my competition ruger 22 at 50 yards. It does a nice job smashing that "sapphire" crystal. Normally when I'm doing that I will be wearing my authentic submariner for funs sake.

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[Joeydwatchmaker]

I agree with Jdm there are so many nice watches you can get within anyone's budget that are beautiful and collectible. On this forum I've seen people show their watch of the day or a new purchase and it may only be a $50 BULOVA or a $40 seiko and when they show it off everyone on this forum has something good to say about it, weather it be the looks or the quality of the movement, I think that is what watch collecting is all about, the hunt and the capture. I'm proud to have a collection ranging from Rolex presidents and one-of-a-kind pocket watches down to a Timex electronic mystery dial that I love and wear all the time and get numerous complements on.

In summary, save up, buy the best you can, enjoy , and share with the group.

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[ro63rto]

Hmm--You know? It seems OK for a Co--in this case, 'Deep-Blue' (Whoever They are!) to clearly Rip off the Rolex Submariner, but so long as it doesnt say 'Rolex' on it--Its OK...?

Personally I cant see the difference! Cheap Chinese ripoff or Cheap (add country of your choice) ripoff.....

I see Deep Blue have also started ripping off Seiko Diver designs too.

Must be running out of ideas.

[noirrac1j]

47 minutes ago, Joeydwatchmaker said:

I agree with Jdm there are so many nice watches you can get within anyone's budget that are beautiful and collectible. On this forum I've seen people show their watch of the day or a new purchase and it may only be a $50 BULOVA or a $40 seiko and when they show it off everyone on this forum has something good to say about it, weather it be the looks or the quality of the movement, I think that is what watch collecting is all about, the hunt and the capture. I'm proud to have a collection ranging from Rolex presidents and one-of-a-kind pocket watches down to a Timex electronic mystery dial that I love and wear all the time and get numerous complements on.

In summary, save up, buy the best you can, enjoy , and share with the group.

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That's right JoeyD!

Its not about the brand of the watch for me. It is the instrument itself, the mechanism of gears, springs, and plates and screws that come to life to measure passage of time. I have many watches considered cheap when released that are now very collectable (My array of Sicura watches come immediately to mind) and I also have a few vintage Omega chronometers, a couple of Bulova oceanographers and some others that are all endearing in some way or another. None are "masked" in an attempt to represent something else. Knock-offs are just that: cheap attempts to deceptively come across as items that have a mystique or aura of luxury, and so have no place in the realm of collectors.

 

JC

 

JC

[svorkoetter]

3 hours ago, Joeydwatchmaker said:

Whenever I would get a fake in a estate sale or box lot i make good use of such a beautiful watch. I use that high quality watch to sight in my competition ruger 22 at 50 yards. It does a nice job smashing that "sapphire" crystal. Normally when I'm doing that I will be wearing my authentic submariner for funs sake.

Just be sure you don't accidentally mix them up.

[Alastair]

Where there are mega-overpriced luxury items--There'll be fakes. Thats just the way of the world. I don't defend or condone this--Its just the way it is! What surprises me is the Huge amount of Snobbery concerning this in the Horological world. Even the cheapest and cruddiest Fake is still a Real Wristwatch.

For such like of Omega, Rolex and Breitling, what you're paying for is the Advertising, Sponsorship deals etc and all that to persuade you to buy the things in the first place!

Leaving heritage aside for a second think of this-

Gen Breitling Navitimer, Cost of Manufacture,assuming an ETA movement etc  Around £5-700, cost to buyer, £5,000+

Fake Breitling Navitimer (top of range superfake, A7750, Noob or JF etc) Cost of manufacture, Around £150-200. Cost to buyer, £3-400

True, the after-sales is good for Gen watches and non existent for the fakes, but reliability is probably much the same these days.

In the late 60's my father bought a gen Omega Speedmaster MkII, (Omega-861 if I remember right, with a flat glass crystal)-- Nice watch. It went back under guarantee twice as the timer functions caused it to stop. This was never completely resolved and it went for various services back to Omega and the dealer-network, Even returned to Switzerland once over the following 10 years or so.

He was without the thing for more time than he had it, the turn-around time was terrible! He got fed up trying to get it repaired, at Huge cost I may add, and just used it as a watch, never using the timing functions, as the best it would do is keep running but lose time badly.

It was eventually repaired it in the late 70's- early 80's when I did a full service to it myself at the age of just 15, where it ran perfectly for years, all with nothing more than basic tools cleaning-fluids and inexpensive watch-oil.-

-Thinking back now, I was a Crap watch-repairer, but sorted this out where Omega and its whole dealer repair network couldn't over 10 years!

Who is really doing the rip-off....

 

Edited July 26, 2016 by Alastair

[frenchie]

On 7/3/2016 at 6:01 PM, atimegoneby said:

Evening all,

I just thought I'd add this to an old thread, the fake Rolex I bought in Spain for 10 Euros in 2014 has only recently stopped !

I left it until it stopped before I opened it up, here's what I found.... 

I never thought it would have a real mechanical movement in it!!! not bad at all!!!

A battery powered mechanical movement that is...

And do I spot a genuine white plastic 7 tabs movement holder? Those a RARE (they are usually 6 tabs).

I hear you can use a pressure washer to clean up, put a new battery and it should start right up. That's what I heard anyways...

[jdm]

34 minutes ago, Alastair said:

Where there are mega-overpriced luxury items--There'll be fakes. Thats just the way of the world. I don't defend or condone this

You don't, but the story that follows about an Omega which had troubles has nothing to do with fakes ?!? And the money count that you made seems to justify the idea that "playing the system" is right just because the original is so expensive.

Once again, if you we're talking about generic Chinese watches, including the A7750 mentioned in another thread at $22, there would be no problem. No snobberish. It is when it comes to counterfeiting and fraud that people rightly gets irked,

 

 

Edited July 26, 2016 by jdm

[Alastair]

The Omega story is true, and just outlines the poor service some outfits have--When in fact it should be Superlative! Watch should have been turned around within 7 days and actually Repaired Properly--Something they failed to do over a 10 Year Period!

As is the case a lot these days, After they have your dosh, they couldn't really care less.

You buy a Genuine Watch--You should get a Genuine Service--in some cases as above--You Dont! so you can bang on all you like about quality etc, the cust-service Was crap, so whats the point of buying an expensive watch?  Might as well buy a Timex.

I hear that Omega Cust-service hasn't improved much over the years either, guess I'm not surprised....

[WileyDave]

I remember my first estate find, (in a bag of watches marked $25) a good looking faux-lex that immediately stated running when I shook it, my heart raced and I could barely keep my eyes on the road. When I got home, I examined it carefully, it had all the right marks and it was running strong.

The next day I took it to a local pro whom I had done business with years ago, within a couple minutes he handed it back to me and said it was fake, but a real good fake. I don't wear it, I keep it to remind me that even though I may think I know, there is always something that I don't know.

I don't hobnob with anyone who would know the difference anyway!

Fact remains; there would not be a market for knockoffs, if people wouldn't buy them.

[jdm]

1 hour ago, Alastair said:

The Omega story is true, and just outlines the poor service some outfits have--When in fact it should be Superlative! Watch should have been turned around within 7 days and actually Repaired Properly--Something they failed to do over a 10 Year Period!

As is the case a lot these days, After they have your dosh, they couldn't really care less.

You buy a Genuine Watch--You should get a Genuine Service--in some cases as above--You Dont! so you can bang on all you like about quality etc, the cust-service Was crap, so whats the point of buying an expensive watch?  Might as well buy a Timex.

I hear that Omega Cust-service hasn't improved much over the years either, guess I'm not surprised....

I don't doubt your story, the thing is that had it happens today or 40 years ago, it has very little relevance to subject of fake watches. It is more about accumulated resentment toward that rich company and their likes. Which of course -even if not positive feelings- you have the right to maintain, just don't assume that others will agree on that as a reason to always buy cheap or counterfeited.

Edited July 26, 2016 by jdm

[svorkoetter]

3 hours ago, jdm said:

Once again, if you we're talking about generic Chinese watches, including the A7750 mentioned in another thread at $22, there would be no problem. No snobberish. It is when it comes to counterfeiting and fraud that people rightly gets irked,

Agreed. Would you rather have a fake one of these (although the one pictured is real),

or a real one of these,

probably for about the same amount of money (around $350)?

[digginstony]

I don't think Rolex are going to loose any sleep over cheap 15 euro copies of their products. It's not likely they've lost any trade to their sales as a result. It's the more sophisticated copy retailing at high price which might concern them. But when a company produces a watch with somebody else's name on, it is dishonest and fraudulent when sold. Omega is more my thing and I have an original 1984 Seamaster which I adore and a fake 300m Seamaster which I made up myself and which I tend to wear daily where my original may get damaged. What I'm trying to say is when somebody buys a luxury watch, they are buying into a preconceived dream, possibly. Are luxury watches worth the money? Yes if it satisfies the buyer but from a technical or inferred longevity of life, due to superior quality:- No not a chance in hell ! Companies like Seiko can produce watches at a fraction of the price that are in no way inferior to any luxury brand watch.

Would I actually go out and buy a fake watch. The answer is NO. Not because it's fake but because I believe "Slave Labour" is used to produce these watches and it's the Bosses involved in crime that see the profit of such sales.

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[dadistic]

On 7/25/2016 at 6:09 PM, noirrac1j said:

That's right JoeyD!

Its not about the brand of the watch for me. It is the instrument itself, the mechanism of gears, springs, and plates and screws that come to life to measure passage of time.

JC

I was thinking the other day about changing my signature to something like "I don't care about brands, I care about watches" 

[jdm]

I was thinking the other day about changing my signature to something like "I don't care about brands, I care about watches" 

I think we are all good wih that, question is, are you OK with a fake watch?