.The eternal question: is it worth buying a replica watch? I never get tired of repeating countless times: yes, it’s worth it, whenever you know how to make the right choice. Being in love with the sophisticated style of luxury timepieces, I bought plenty of models of replica watches. I can’t say that all of them was a successful purchase. Obviously, I also went through less pleasant experiences, as every replica watch hobbyist probably did.
However, the beautiful part of things is that I learned how to differentiate a worthy imitation from a less worthy one. The replica watch industry is like any other: there are various quality thresholds. There are different replica watch manufacturers. Therefore, each of them builds their business according to their own vision and philosophy.
Some prioritize quality, even if they know that not all watch lovers are ready to pay around $1,000 for an imitation. Others prioritize quantity. This means that they produce a large volume of replica watches to cover the demand. Still, they leave a lot of room for aesthetic and technical improvements.
With that said, not all replica watches are perfect and not all of them are mediocre. In this post, I will share my own insights on how to make the right choice. Also, I will teach you about what you need to pay attention to. By the way, I want to tell you that it is not necessary to spend a bunch of money to find a superb imitation. All you really need is patience, more than money.
This is my little secret that I have been following for more than 10 years since I have been buying replica watches from the most reputable brands. And the beautiful part is that since I learned this lesson, almost all my replica watches are actually a perfect deal. A deal that combines superb quality with an advantageous price. Want to know how I got there? Just follow my lead!
What Makes A Replica Watch Worthy?
What does a good replica watch mean to you? This question is very important. You have to start by defining your own vision of a good replica watch. For example, I consider a fake watch that keeps the authentic concept to be a good imitation. I can’t stand it when replica factories introduce their own design visions, radically changing the concept of the authentic model.
I remember when I ordered a replica Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600 back in 2008. The model fascinated me so bad! But as much as I loved the design of the authentic watch, I was disappointed by the imitation. Replica factories assigned rectangular hour makers instead of round ones. The bezel had a smooth edge instead of a fluttered one. The Mercedes hour hand looked completely different from what it should be. In a word, my Sea-Dweller looks like a completely different watch than it was supposed to look.
What I want to say here is that I can accept many flaws in precision, water resistance, or whatever you want, but not the design. So the first thing I think about when I buy an imitation is that it must faithfully preserve the authentic design. The more identical the imitation looks compared to the original watch, the more likely I am to buy it.
You decide which is your ideal replica watch model. For some, technical functioning is a priority. For others – water resistance. Others, on the contrary, prefer the low price even with the sacrifice of lower quality. And there is nothing to blame. Everyone has the right to choose their watch according to their own preferences. What matters is to define from the start the criteria that matter to you. This will bring you one step closer to the right model that meets your expectations.
Who Is Going To Wear The Replica Watch?
Any watch, whether genuine or imitation, must match the personality of the wearer. Just like that, the watch will fit into the context and be a harmonious extension of the owner. If you buy a replica watch for a loved one, take into account his/her style, preferences, lifestyle, hobbies, and everything that defines them.
If you have the imitation for yourself, think about who will wear it. The adventurer in you or the formal in you? Or maybe the romantic, or the athlete in you? Or, maybe you just need a universal accessory for daily needs, which will again help you narrow down your options.
Below, I have added a list of imitations depending on the style that might help you. By the way, I’m the lucky one who has them all in his collection and I’m proud to have found them in superb quality and they’ve been serving me for more than 2 years already.
- Sports replica watches: Zenith Defy and Breitling Navitimer
- Fashion replica watch: Hermes Galop. This was my gift to my wife;
- Business/Formal replica watches: Patek Philippe Calatrava. By the way, even if I am in a business environment, no one has ever questioned the authenticity of my watch, even if it is a fake. I hope my partners don’t read this post;
- Adventurer’s replica watch: Hublot Orlinski. Though, I’m not sure if it is still available in the industry. Consider yourself lucky if you find it available at a dealer;
- Minimalist replica watch: IWC Portofino;
When deciding on the style, don’t forget to pay attention to the watch strap. Personally, I opt for stainless steel 316 or 904 l. They withstand well in various conditions. As for leather bands, I also love them, but I recommend making sure that you are dealing with quality leather. If you are not sure about its quality, a stainless steel bracelet is a safer zone with replica watches.
Set The Budget For The Replica Watch!
Let’s make it clear: there are $100 and $3000 replica watches. Obviously, they differ in quality. You can’t expect a 100$ fake to be as good as a 3K one, just like it happens with authentic watches. Respectively, when you set a budget of $100, try to look at things realistically and not have expectations of a 3K imitation.
In affordable replica watches’ defense, I must mention that not all 2-3K imitations are worth the price. Some dealers inflate the prices artificially even if their real value is about $800. Either way, stay aware of the quality of the watches and choose a budget that is neither too cheap nor too expensive. It is in this niche that you can find the best replica watches that meet quality, aesthetics, and the right price.
Once you have set the price, the criteria, and the type of replica watch, you narrow down your options. My recommendation is to run away from watches cheaper than $100 because the quality cannot fit into such a cheap price range in most cases. According to my experience, the nicest imitations I had from the perspective of quality and aesthetics were around $300-400.
A good example of this is my Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre fake watch. I paid $450 for it and it seemed expensive at first. But now that it has served me for 3 years and it still looks and works flawlessly, I realize that I made the right choice.
Get To Know The Watch Movements And Materials
This is probably the hardest, but also the most important aspect. It is not enough that a replica watch just looks good. You want it to work well and not let you down in the first months. I know you’re not an expert in watch materials, but you have to make an effort to know what you’re getting. This will help you avoid disappointing purchases and will give you leverage to ask for a refund if you are not satisfied with the quality of the imitation.
At this stage, you need to talk to the dealer who sells you the replica watch. Do not rely on the pictures on the website; these are all attractive. But they do not always correspond to reality. Your job is to get in direct touch with the seller and bombard him with questions. You don’t have to be a great horologist to have a constructive discussion with him. It is enough to learn more about materials such as stainless steel 316 or 904, the type of dial between mineral or sapphire crystal, the mechanism between Chinese/Japanese (Japanese ones are more reliable, by the way), how you can repair the watch in case something goes wrong if the dealer accepts refunds, etc…
So it’s about basic questions by which you defend yourself as a buyer. Once you receive information about materials, movements, etc… you can easily google it to see what others say about them. Thus, you will be able to estimate the quality level of the watch you are about to buy and most importantly, if it is worth the money.
Request Details About the Year of Release of the Replica Watch
I assume that you have never thought of doing this, but I will immediately explain why it is so important. Replica factories constantly release various models of fake watches. Some watch models are released hundreds of times because there is a high demand on the market. The thing is that factories add improvements in almost every release. So, technically, each release is better than the previous one. However, there are cases when the changes are not quite so good. Let me give you an example.
In 2020, one of the factories launched the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 210.22.42.20.01.002 model. Customer reviews talked about small flaws in the movement because of which, the watch simply stopped at every fixed hour. In 2021, the same factory changed the movement on a Swiss ETA8800, which solved all the issues. The model, in the end, enjoyed a fruitful success.
One of my friends had decided to get such an imitation, hearing from several friends that it is a good model. He ordered it, paid for it, and received it, only that he received the version from 2020 which still had problems related to functionality. Whose fault is it for a poorly functional watch? Of my friend that he did not specify this detail with the dealer? Or the dealer’s, because he shipped what he had in stock?
It is difficult to find justice in this situation. The point is that we, as customers, must be very explicit about what we expect from our dealers. After all, dealers sell what they have available in stock. Their job is to sell until the last unit. And if we want something specific, we have to clearly explain what exactly and establish rules with the dealer on what to do if we do not receive what we asked for. Get the point?
Some factories still have in-stock models that were launched a few years ago and which for some reason did not sell. It is not excluded that they will deliver you the old one rather than one from the new release because simply, they want to get rid of their stock. So, be careful when buying a replica watch and ask for the latest one. This is how you increase the probability of getting a nicely assembled replica watch with full functionality.
Probably the year of release will not tell you much. But at least you can google it to find out what other buyers of this watch from the same year of production say.
Bottom Line
I hope that these pieces of advice will be of help to you. At least they helped me. They will certainly help you minimize the risks and avoid buying what you will regret later. Replica watches are a nice and funny hobby. With a pretty reasonable budget, you can get superb timepieces that no one will say are fake. What matters is to buy wisely. If you encounter difficulties in finding quality replica watches at a reasonable price, feel free to contact AAAReplica. The assistants will guide you and make the buying process easier without worrying about quality. In addition, you have a wide variety of products for every style and preference. Welcome to AAAReplica- the place where replica watches are in their best version!