reps longevity

[sEVENDEM]

Hi there, beginners and seasoned connoisseurs of reps and gens;
I’m kinda newbie in the rep field and as far as I observe, the opinions differ a lot from one extreme to another regarding the quality of the rep watches. After my deep research, I could conclude that reps are reliable only if buying them from trusted and secure stores, considering plenty of criteria and aspects. But there is another issue concerning me and I can hardly find some reliable info about it: replica watch longevity. All forums seem to avoid talking about this topic. Is it because there is nothing special to mention, as they last as gens do? Or, is there something that everyone knows but doesn’t talk about it because of their reduced lifespan? Is it taken for granted that watch imitations have a reduced lifespan because they are…imitations? Or maybe, they behave as all watches do, without any special concern?


So, those who have reps for a long time, could you please bring some light to the matter? I’ve interacted with a couple of reps but it was only during the previous half a year, so can’t make objective conclusions on longevity. Planning to buy some items and would be grateful to know all the risks. Thanks a million

 

[Nobbing]

My officemate has a 10-year-old rep and still operates smoothly. Of course, he doesn’t wear it now since 0 years ago reps were kinda sh*itty, sorry the point is that its movement is still functional, only that the physical condition is already worn off completely. Modern reps are made of pretty resistant and reliable material so, hypothetically, there shouldn’t be problems in the long run. If your plans are for the long run, opt for high end reps

 

[fishwoddy12]

3 months ago I came across an old version of TAG HEUER in storage. It’s an Aquaracer that I bought back in 1998 when visiting Thailand. Not the best quality for a rep since I purchased it from a street boutique and reps weren’t much promising at those times. I got it out of the box, canned the battery for curiosity and it began running normally. Not the freshest look of course, but the functionality seems to be fine.

If u take care of them appropriately, don’t see why these shouldn’t serve long. Even being reps, they are not made by random amateurs, but by people with skills and knowledge

 

[igivente]

If your main goal is longevity and u aren’t sure that they’re gonna last reliably, there is always the alternative to interchange the rep A2824/2836 with a gen Swiss movement. Further on, you just maintain and service the rep as recommended and you can be sure that it’s gonna last forever. If you go for this scenario, focus on A2824/2836 movements while buying your reps


This should be your plan B actually. But first, try to keep the rep with its initial movement and see how long it serves you. It’s not excluded that you won’t need to interchange it with a gen

 

[TropiKanCHO]

The question is ambiguous, really
It depends on so many factors
And why would you make so much difference between a rep and gen, thinking that reps are so poorly qualitative? If you treat a rep the same way you treat a gen, it will serve you like gen. If you treat your gen awfully and don’t take care of it, how would you expect a rep to last longer?
With regular service and maintenance reps are ok and can serve for years to come. Also, it depends on how frequently you wear a rep. if u have many, you switch them every other day and they get less daily use, lasting longer, respectively.
There are reps costing about $1000. Do u really think they are worthless? They serve exactly as a gen watch with no problems. After all, even gens can break, stop functioning, make errors in time precision, etc… stop thinking that gens are so perfect in comparison with reps… I know reps that have been serviced far more infrequent than gens… buy your watch and simply enjoy it. No one is excluded from a potential watch break, be it a rep or a gen

 

[VioletteLonGoRIA]

can't take pride in having had many reps in my life but dont really think they run out of condition at a higher rate than gens… how many watches are sold underground or at the corner of the street and God knows who makes them and how, and run pretty decently for years and years. if opting for a mechanism that is more or less reliable, what problems might there be, other than with regular watches?!

 

[randomWATCHlover]

care and quality. these two aspects will help u prolong the lifespan of your reps. All watches should be serviced regularly, cleaned and maintained the inner mechanism. high-quality reps are no inferior than some gens. so no need to worry here. can't say the same about cheap reps.

@VioletteLonGoRIA said that even the most unpopular pieces can serve long. Yes and No. these might serve long technically, but if the material is of poor quality, their initial look ill become a trash within a couple of months, so don't see them as the best investment on the long run. I would not worry about high quality reps. the cheap ones though, do have the potential to loose their attractiveness over time. and what's the point in having a functional rep is it looks sh*tty?!

 

[howdyREP]

if owning a quality watch, be it a rep or a gen, it can serve long, for decades. I. bought a rep Omega from a buddy I met in Chicago that he was having for 8 years. Imagine, he had it for 8, and I have it for already two years... 10 years and the rep still works well. Can't say it looks fresh and brand-new of course, but with a little service and polish, can freely wear it daily. Changed battery regularly and cleaned it by my6 self a couple of times. after all, it's like a Russian roulette... even a gen can break within a year...one never knows...

 

[chunkeymonkey]

If u seek reps for longevity, then the high-quality should be your first priority. Swiss clones from trusted sources. No one can promise boy everlasting longevity, but at least these are less likely to break in the long run… and don’t stick to the idea that these are fake… gens can also be trashy

 

[ondOntra]

@sEVENDEM do u own gen watches? how long did they serve u? some could have served longer, and others could have run out of condition within a couple of years due to movement gone down or aesthetic issues. THE SAME is available with reps. some last longer others shorter. u won't know it until u buy it. just enjoy the process

 

[LIgHtere]

I dont spend much on reps, so cant really say that premium quality is my first priority. however, I can say that from all the cheap reps I have ever owned, about 5% of them caused me headaches. and believe me I had plenty of them. the rest of them functioned well. only I was and still service them and maintain them clean. change battery on time, wind those that need to be winded on time and trying to be careful with them as required. owning reps serving me for more than 10 years. truth is that all that didn't work well were bought from the street boutiques in Asia during holidays. those tho served and still served well were all bought from trusted stores. even Chinese mechanisms run well

 

[PeperoNNi]

" Is it taken for granted that watch imitations have a reduced lifespan because they are…imitations?"...
why would u think so?)) like in any other industry, there is reliable quality and poor quality) with watches happen the same... quality watches will behave better form technical and for cosmetic point of view, be they reps or gens... it's n to only about watches, it's about YOU also, who will service them (or not) as required

 

[fishwoddy12]

The question is ambiguous, really
It depends on so many factors
And why would you make so much difference between a rep and gen, thinking that reps are so poorly qualitative? If you treat a rep the same way you treat a gen, it will serve you like gen. If you treat your gen awfully and don’t take care of it, how would you expect a rep to last longer?
With regular service and maintenance reps are ok and can serve for years to come. Also, it depends on how frequently you wear a rep. if u have many, you switch them every other day and they get less daily use, lasting longer, respectively.
There are reps costing about $1000. Do u really think they are worthless? They serve exactly as a gen watch with no problems. After all, even gens can break, stop functioning, make errors in time precision, etc… stop thinking that gens are so perfect in comparison with reps… I know reps that have been serviced far more infrequent than gens… buy your watch and simply enjoy it. No one is excluded from a potential watch break, be it a rep or a gen

agree with all of that...
When u talk about rep lifespan, it’s just 5 percent luck and the rest is how u care about it. The luck is to come across a trusted dealer who can sell u indeed a good watch, even if it is Chinese, it still can work long. Chinese movements can be tricky. Some are good some are trash, because of the poor quality control in the system. Just to feel better, take reps from sources that are less likely to have issues. Statistically, it’s about swiss reps from TRUSTED SOURCES. No need to mention that u have to service them as required since previous users have told u that a thousand times. For the rest, just have fun from the process

 

[diaboliquerye]

partially agree with all that's suggested here...
I had a Swiss clone Rolex a couple of years ago and it began showing wear-off signs within 1,5 years. It worked well, have nothing to complain bout. But, within 2 years, it was impossible to look at because of the worn-off aspect. The steel lost the luster, the sapphire wouldn’t look so transparent anymore. And I took it to the service several times to clean and polish it. The effect lasted around 2 months and it returned to its pre-service condition.

Another Japanese Seamaster in my collection still looks pretty “fresh” and can say that never took it to the service. I clean and maintain it by myself. Both come in 904 stainless steel and can’t explain the WHYs.

If you launch into this hobby, just get prepared for any possible outcome. And just don’t judge only by one single piece. You have to buy different models from different suppliers to find the “great” one that u never know who can provide it to you.


I do agree with the “enjoy the process”. Some will last longer, others shorter. Don’t dramatize and simply get rid of those who no longer keep up, preserving only those that match your expectations

 

[STERYBOL]

I know people having swiss clones lasting 1 year and people owning Japanese reps serving them 7-9 years )))

Even the latest iPhone can run into issues with the dynamics or camera, even though the OP might run perfectly. Get the point? Those who told u to ”enjoy the process” told u correctly

 

[EasyPeasY57299]

I know people having swiss clones lasting 1 year and people owning Japanese reps serving them 7-9 years )))

Even the latest iPhone can run into issues with the dynamics or camera, even though the OP might run perfectly. Get the point? Those who told u to ”enjoy the process” told u correctly

the "Swiss" are actually "Asian" believe me )))
All are asian actually... u never know what your are getting. Some manufacturers are responsible and follow some basic quay standards, some are not. You won't know until you buy some. My recommendation is to not focus on most expensive reps, as these cant warranty u quality. You can have a couple of medium-priced reps (for your inner sake). but, what's important is to have them from different sellers. In such a way, you can test them.

 

[hiFUProstry]

Take some reps from different stores, see how they behave in time. The one that behaves better suggests that the dealer offers better reps and then you buy again from him until you have the number of reps you want…



The question about longevity is kinda funny to me how can u know exactly?))) if I told you “10 years” would you believe me?))) no one can say it precisely, so you have to look at the average lifespan. To my experience and all that I know about reps, their average lifespan is about 20 years (referring to quartz, specifically). And I have to mention that the movement is still functioning g after 20 yrs as well, only that the aesthetic condition is not “fresh“ to wear the watch daily

 

[CoVriGoooU]

had a Panerai quartz rep that I gifted to my wife. runs for 7 years with 1 battery change. my wife is prudent to it and no severe signs of wear and tear are visible on the rep, she maintains it wisely. spent for the rep about $200 7 years ago

 

[platoonshrek]

had a Panerai quartz rep that I gifted to my wife. runs for 7 years with 1 battery change. my wife is prudent to it and no severe signs of wear and tear are visible on the rep, she maintains it wisely. spent for the rep about $200 7 years ago

same here, had and still have a quartz Heuer rep. 6th year

 

[staYingPosiTIve!!!]

don't tink u have to worry much about it. no dealer will ever tell you the exact longevity period of reps. neither will authorised dealers with gens. All of them give estimations 3/5/7 yrs.

I know for sure that cheap reps can serve long enough from a technical perspective. but their cosmetics begin suffering a lot within 1 year, especially those plated with red/yellow gold. avoid them, if u want a long-term rep. opt for the stainless still with no additional gold coating.
cheers

personally, one of my reps is an Omega, serving me for 7 years. regular serviced. looks good, works good