Why I considered buying a fake watch?
- Alvin
- 1 day ago
- 9 min read
Hello watch fam, hello 2026 and belated happy new year to all y'all still stopping by for a look into my world of watches. My apologies (actually sorry not sorry) for the lack of posts and presence, I just haven't been feeling very watchy, timey or horological-ly. Maybe the tide is turning though, as I consider selling a few pieces to create a more sensible collection and upcoming travel forces me to think differently about watch wearing.
I will venture to tropical climes soon and secondly must think of sweaty strap syndrome. But firstly, in the unrelenting heat I will attend (if all goes to plan) a 5 star wedding followed by some site-seeing. Exciting. I want to flex, but inviting trouble is something I try to actively avoid. Considering safety and security in foreign lands is important for all, and so for this watch bro, this time to shine might have to be compromised. I can take the Maison Celadon, a Seiko or Nomos and feel good about myself (although a Seiko SARB might be a bit too precious), there is a lingering, forbidden question and curiosity. And this is why I was considering a replica, just a thought or two, and some reddit-ing or three.
WHAT THE FAKE ARE YOU ON ABOUT?
And so, I return with bang, with a blasphemous and inflammatory post which will incite guffaws and gasps of the horror-logical sort. I have been with those of you who might react this way... until recent contemplations that made me look into it a bit more. Previously I have heard justifications of the purchase of counterfeit goods from three camps;
1) Price - luxury watches and overly expensive - we can't afford them so why not (fair).
2) Security - there's a chance of being robbed wearing a luxury piece but I wouldn't be too bothered if a fake got stolen (you might still get stabbed for it though).
3) Style - I want to see if it suits me (hmmm really).
And of course there is often a number four, I was on holiday and the guy on the beach or the bridge made me an offer I couldn't refuse. And if you want to go all out, you could take an anti-consumerism, anti-materialist and anti-capitalist stance and say, who gives a shit if a Company X doesn't make money from me and buy a replica out of spite (watch out for that poor spelling though).
It's all about the Miliary Spec... (imgs: Rush on RWI)
It's not military, it's miliary - meaning: (of a disease) accompanied by a rash with lesions resembling millet seed, i.e., miliary tuberculosis. A most fortuitous misspelling. And the subdial you think is power reserve that shows 'Low' - that is actually the replica quality dial or the owners level of effs given. At least it's not a sticker.
Let's get serious for a minute, let's remind ourselves why fake/counterfeits/replica goods are illegal and bad before we continue. Counterfeits are the devil, here a six reasons given by mygemma.com (a resale luxury platform that I'd never heard of before researching this question);
Liable to be confiscated
Poor quality and craftsmanship
Short lifespan
Poor investment
Damages the luxury watch industry
Damages your own reputation
All the above relate to the criminal perspective, and the whole ordeal is rightly framed as wrong and negative. The basic scenario is that the buyer believes they are buying a legit item and are charged the same price for a sub-standard. This harms everyone and is wrong from every angle. There is a weird distinction here for many buyers so let's play devils advocate.
As we (you & I) are academics and scholars, oh and devils avocados, let's have a bash at bashing the above list, from a personal viewpoint not a resellers etc. Ok, so, they'll only be confiscated if you're caught with them(1), quality is much better than it used to be/often great which reflects on lifespan(3), these aren't bought for reselling(4), and it doesn't damage the watch industry (5) as it's not usually the same customers that buy the replicas. And I don't care what anyone thinks of me (6), also I get a superclone so they won't know the difference. Boom, give me the kudos without the kick in the wallet.
SO WHY ARE YOU CONSIDERING IT?
Considered that? Now consider this. I want to wear my Cartier Ronde to this wedding, it's a sexy statement piece that will look as great with a birthday suit, or Versace shirt, as it will with a tuxedo. And it literally just dawned on me that cufflinks can scratch watches, damn it all - I'll have to think about that one. Anyway, what to do, wear my watch to the wedding, which is in a hotel on a beach and reasonably secure, then not wear it for mooching around. Or find a replica for a £100-£200 that I don't mind wearing all over the place, allowing me to feel more like myself and the flexitarian that I can sometimes be. But will I feel like myself knowing that I have leveraged and laundered my reputation as a watch bro to fool everyone into thinking I'm wearing a real luxury piece. Or would I just tell them and deal with it. As I write this I realise this isn't the kind of thing that I'd likely do, but never say never.
The Real Deal - Cartier Ronde Croisere de Cartier
During my browsering of the interwebs I came across a Cartier clone, and a decent, feasible one at that. It is a Santos, though I want a Tank and it is a nice watch, a bit big though as I figured the smaller the better for the skinny wrist and when trying to avoid scrutiny. Saying that it appears to be of good quality - appears being the operative word. This brings me to my first issue. Let's clarify that it's a secondary concern, as the primary would be the moral incongruity with buying a fake. The secondary concern is that you can't trust that the photo will be the actual watch, there is no recourse. You can't complain to the marketplace/platform about buying a poor quality, not as advertised fake watch.
Where am I with this conundrum then? The guy seems legit, good feedback and communication - it's just very risky, £200 is £200 down the drain if it's not of decent quality. But what if it is as good as it looks? Would I be happy, would I wear it or would I have an allergic reaction when I came to my senses? Would I throw it further than I could trust it? I'm not sure to be honest, I can't be sure. I think I feel better about it considering I've paid my literal dues to many of these luxury watch brands but it still doesn't feel right. I am curious though. If one found the quality to be up to scratch, would it be a continued move away from the nonsensical luxury side of the market? It could simply motivate me to abandon the higher end of the market and any further replica's. The more I consider it, the more the idea of buying a fake to keep up appearances seems silly. Writing always helps me to analyse and investigate an idea. It's still tempting though. Maybe it's something I have to do on this journey... what do you think? Seriously though, despite my rationalising I don't think I could do it.
I would love a Cartier Tank Louis...I could kinda get one for £200!
I'm at a disadvantage, not only from the moral dilemma but being a silly watch person I will naturally be more concerned about the devilish details. Spacing, colour, shape, font, indices, crown, hands, shoulders, knees and toes. It's all important, but I also know full well that no-one will look twice at the watch I'm wearing.
WHAT IS A FAKE REPLICA?
I had a wonderfully good time looking a the "worst replica" and "worst fakes" found by the forever reliable netizens, replica watch fans (they very much exist) and redditers. Why the distinction, because a replica is trying to be a real watch, and a while fake might also fit into that category, you can whack a Rolex crown on the dial of any watch which makes it a fake (and counterfeit) and not a replica.
I found this poster put together by Luxury Bazaar (via Pinterest) which made me confused and dizzy when it stated;
"If you can see the watch's movement through the case back, it's a fake replica."
Wait so does that make it real...or so bad that's it not an actual replica, it's a fake replica - I guess a Rolex with a exhibition caseback would have been that until the new 1908, an absolutely beautiful watch. I'm being pedantic and facetious, a fake replica is the square root of a fake and the square of a replica. Or is a homage watch a fake replica because it's not claiming the brand just replicating the design, so it's not a replica proper, it's a fake replica. And there's yet another angle, I am so on it, bear with me - there are actually super clones that are very high quality replicas, and they have other replicas pretending to be them. So there you have it, a fake replica. I took myself down a silly path and made sense of nonsense, like rationalising buying a (real) Hublot or Bremont... My nonsense aside, there were real LOLs from me while discovering these watches and the comments. One of the gems was a "Rolex" that said quartz on the dial but was in fact an automatic, very humble, a classic. on the other side of it, there are some very convincing copies, and those are the ones that tempt for the wrong reasons - to deceive.
We have covered fake, counterfeit and replica, but what about unreal...
AN ASIDE STORY
I was an airport once, I forget where - it might have been in the Caribbean somewhere - and an older, white, American gent, refused to take off his Rolex to put in the x-ray tray. He was outraged at the suggestion, he raised his voice when challenged, "This is a Rolex" he cried, that's fair enough I guess if a little uncouth. He did get to keep it on though - it's a legit concern for the well-heeled, especially depending on where you're travelling. Have Rolexes magically disappeared in airport x-ray machines? It's possible, highly unlikely but stranger things have happened.
WHAT IF?
So many ifs, not enough buts. What if;
the site gets shut down / they just don't deliver it / the delivery is stopped in customs - money down the drain / the watch is poor quality and immediately identifiable as a fake / what if it isn't running accurately - would you take a fake to be fixed / what if it stops working / what if it falls apart / what if I wear it and someone clocks that it's fake / what if the Rolex logo falls off the dial / and so on and so forth!
But what if;
I buy one that isn't well known, then any issues will be less noticeable / what if it works and looks great / what if it's perfect, will I want more / what if I realise it's all nonsense, and I stop buying watches altogether / what if I buy real watches and everyone thinks they're fake because I bought one fake...!
These are all real concerns, though after doing a bit of research it makes me more curious about this side of the watch market. That doesn't mean I'm more likely to buy, but it's just much more organised and popular than I had previously imagined. The forum for Replica Watch Info, is established, vast and detailed. I want to buy a few just to have a look, to inspect, not to fussed about wearing them. Take care now, you know curiosity killed the watch bro's reputation.
DON'T COUNTERFEIT YOUR CHICKENS...
The more I think about it and assess the situation with a rationality often missing from the horological moments in my life - I realise I have a collection that will serve me just fine. If I choose not to travel with the more expensive prices then those mentioned above will be great. In addition the Tissot PRX and dressy Raymond Weil Toccata would hit the spot. I think I would snob out a bit and say no to a Chinese watch, it is an Indian wedding after all. I was a fool to even consider the fake replica. What was I thinking? I've been out of the game for a while, I was dazed and confused, but now I see the lume. Saying that, after buying my first Rolex and selling it, the heady buzz of luxury watches was lowered to a non-distinct distant whirring. But it kinda makes sense too, security and the removal of worry about my wrist candy whilst maintaining my so-wrist-ication (you know what I mean).
Should you buy a replica? You do you, as they say. Think about which of the above discussion points aligns with how you feel and do what you want. Actually, if what you want includes buying the unreal "Rolex" pictured above then I will have to draw the line and say, you better not do you - seek professional help.
The fact of the matter is though, if you know watches, you know that you can get plethora of fantastic legit watches at the sub £300 / $400, and at the base level what you should be considering is whether you want a watch for yourself or for others. It's a weird one, I get the various reasons why people do it, but I'm not sure it's for me. Also if I suddenly post a Patek Phillipe or a Audemars Piguet, you know what's up - I'll be sticking in the budget arena for a while, at least that's the plan for now. As always, I guess time will tell.
Yours Counterfeitingly,
Alvin
Links & Things
Replica Watch Info (RWI)
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