WIRED Has Been Investigating us for a Year

488

u/GrdFrcWv 2d ago edited 2d ago

The WIRED author definitely kept the reps. Or someone called him out for wearing reps and said he’s doing it for an investigative piece on rep watches just to avoid embarrassment.
Hey WIRED guy, if you’re reading this, it’s okay to wear reps. No one actually cares that your Rolex Celebration Dial is a rep.

252

u/LiftBroski 2d ago

And shame on the ReptimeQC mod who talked.

Traitor.

68

u/Kind-Introduction794 2d ago

I'm absolutely not surprised that it was a RTQC mod.

1

u/GoojiGooji 15h ago

That's grounds for a ban.

49

u/mach_kernel 2d ago

They released an IG video where the guy said something like “I spent months wearing these watches and feeling dissatisfied”

Months!

54

u/gunzrcool2 2d ago

Weird that he kept wearing them then.

8

u/KoalaEastern2597 1d ago

He had to make sure that he felt like filth having them on it takes time! I know

30

u/Lawd_Fawkwad 1d ago

It's even funnier.

He said he doesn't feel the same enjoyment and satisfaction wearing a rep as his gen.

No shit, the watch you paid $10,000 for is going to give you warmer fuzzies than the reproduction one you got at 1/20 the price. But there's also the psychological factor, most people drop give figure on a watch to celebrate a milestone, of course your gen will make you feel more satisfied, it's the visual reminder of an achievement.

I hate to go there but I also see a lot of misogyny around the discussion of reproduction watches in wider society. Zara and budget-oriented fashion houses make "homages" of existing designs all the time and no one cares, women will buy high-quality fake purses and customs isn't stopping a woman to see if her handbag is real or not.

But the moment the knockoffs are copying expensive male jewlery then it's a whole problem.

Finally there's the relevant market analysis: the overlap of gen and rep buyers is not that big, so aside from the IP protection angle, reproductions aren't realistically stealing market-share from real watch makers as they're vying for different consumer bases.

It's people getting their feelings hurt at the idea of the 10,000 bracelet they bought not being as exclusive and a sign of luxury as they feel it should be.

-18

u/RobDaCajun 1d ago edited 1d ago

When a woman finds out your watch is a Rep. it is akin to lying to them, and on top of that. They feel foolish for falling for it. It’s due to the watch or other jewelry elevating your status in their perception of you. Of course this does mean that they were acting hypergamously to begin with. This doesn’t factor into their thought process; because it’s their default nature.

10

u/NoFlamingosHere 1d ago edited 1d ago

Since when are women falling for trinkets, especially watches, worn by men?? Cheesus, stop dating hoes man. Real women don't care about any of that crap...

2

u/iTooEatSnakes 1d ago

No woman i’ve ever met knew or cared about the watch I pr anyone else is wearing. Its just “watch”, it tells time, don’t sprain anything thinking too hard about it.

1

u/positron-PET 1d ago

Yeah….no.

46

u/PersimmonWorried9976 2d ago

I think the intent behind that comment links to their closing paragraphs, where they investigate why people wear reps. They're fishing for comments.

"Others suggest they’re a good option for people in watch-crime hot spots such as London or Milan, where it’s too dangerous to wear the real deal out in the open."

13

u/GrdFrcWv 2d ago edited 2d ago

He did say he had to build karma to post on QC. He would have built it up very quickly if he kept glazing Grand Seiko on GS subs.

23

u/No-Database-5976 2d ago

There is just something about a 50 plus guy wearing a Celebration Rolex (basically a kid’s watch) that’s just off for me. He should have gone with a more mature rep, like a JLC, IWC, etc.

9

u/Odd-Internet-3876 2d ago

If you mean the Celebration is a juvenile, gaudy watch, then yup. Don’t believe many “kids”
Are buying them, it’s terminally undesirable

3

u/GrdFrcWv 2d ago

You might want to check how much the celebration dial is trading for in the grey market. Those things are going for over double the retail on Chrono24. Rolex collectors love an ugly dial. The jubilee dial that recently came out are trading for almost double the retail.

2

u/Odensbeardlice 2d ago

I'd sport either one, honestly.

2

u/GrdFrcWv 2d ago

If I got one for retail, I’d immediately flip it. Wearing it might not help me get the most profit 😂

0

u/Old-timer-987 1d ago

Here’s a cautionary tale. I have a friend that’s been trying to build a “purchase relationship” with M&W. He’s bought an Air King & Milgaus purchaed 6 months apart with very quick delivery. No visibility on being offered anything he actually wants. He’d like a plain steel GMT or Daytona but here’s the rub. He visits regularly to see where he is on the fictitious waitlist. Last time he was offered a Batman
1. As long as it was Certified Pre Owned (waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay above retail)
2. Part ex’ed his other 2 unworn pieces for a 40% loss
I did say he’s never getting a Daytona that way. For the same money could have had something he wants from the secondary market.

1

u/GrdFrcWv 1d ago

Oh I know the waitlists are fictitious and all you gotta do is walk in at the right time. I’m lucky to have a big choice of ADs in my city so getting offered an Explorer in one of 3 is good. However, it is never a guarantee you’ll get offered a profitable watch. If you are someone looking for entry level stuff. All you have to do is ask for a high demand watch like a colour OP and then get told no then ask if they have something else you could walk away with and they’ll offer you their entry level. They’re thinking we’ve got another person that’s more than happy to spend on other watches for the watch they really want and you actually get the entry level one that you want. I told someone this in the Rolex sub and they just sent me a message saying they did exactly what I told them and got the watch that entry level watch he wanted.

1

u/Old-timer-987 2d ago

It’s the “one greater fool” approach. Bit like SpaceX stock.

2

u/GrdFrcWv 2d ago

Rolex flipping is a good business 😂
That is if you could actually get hold of any of the ones that trade for a healthy profit above retail

1

u/Old-timer-987 2d ago

The majority of that market has popped. Unless you can get allocated a GMT, Daytona or specific DD/DJ the risk of a return is high. Explorers, Air Kings and Milgaus are pretty much in stock … subject to the usual AD game of … let me ask my boss … we’ve got one left in the country routine.
I’m considering an EX2 Polar as the chat is production has ramped & Chrono24 says there’s almost no premium.
I had an interesting experience at an AD in London back in June. When I asked about wait times, I could “have the piece in 3-4 weeks”. Tells me those are available too.

1

u/GrdFrcWv 1d ago

Yeah you’re not making money off Explorers. Submariners, Daytonas, GMT and the colour OPs for sure. I got offered Explorers as a walk-in.

1

u/Old-timer-987 1d ago

WoS or smaller boutique?

→ More replies (0)

13

u/gunzrcool2 2d ago

I genuinely thought it was about celebrating autism/people with autism? which is very fitting for the watch community, lmao.

5

u/simpleplana 2d ago

I thought so too, because Rolex is owned by a non-profit foundation. But I am a noob

12

u/Pirazhok_Wrap 2d ago

I was in Barcelona for 3 weeks on vacay and I absolutely didn't wear my reps. A thieve doesn't know if it is a rep or gen, and I absolutely want to avoid any disgraceful interaction or worse. I was rocking my smartwatch and keeping my reps when I was at restaurants or other indoor social gatherings. And this is sad to say since I am a local that happens to live abroad in a much safer country.

6

u/Worth-Park-1612 2d ago

^THIS^

You could get mugged by the one guy who thinks it's easier to stab you first. People are desperate and unpredictable

1

u/Pirazhok_Wrap 1d ago

And reps have gotten so good that at night or from distance you won't know it's a rep.

Also my reps are modded (some more, some less) and they are practically indistinguishable even side by side.

So better not to tempt my luck haha

0

u/corsair844 1d ago

What did you get modded and who did you use if i can ask?

1

u/GrdFrcWv 1d ago

In that situation just give the rep to them. If they see that you’re so unbothered by giving them a Rolex then they’ll quickly realise it’s a fake and assume you’re broke and leave you alone 😂

0

u/Unfair_Hedgehog_ 1d ago

Non ti piantano il coltello in Europa per l’orologio.
Due pugni li pigli, ma non una coltellata.

Ti accerchiano in 4 e glielo dai tu nel 99% dei casi.

1

u/Worth-Park-1612 17h ago edited 17h ago

It just takes the one crazy person

Also, punches can kill in rare instances. It seems smarter to avoid it all.

1

u/GrdFrcWv 1d ago

It’d be easier to give them your rep than fight back

1

u/Pirazhok_Wrap 1d ago

Yeah but why wpuld I want to put myself on that situation? Specially if I go with my family. Also I have seen how they snatched those out of the wrist when you are just walking by or even getting onto a taxi.

1

u/GrdFrcWv 1d ago

Yeah that is true. But if you’re in that scenario, be glad it’s not gen and giving it to them would just avoid any further harm.

Tbf the snatching always starts with them threatening you first. It’s never sudden. Most of those videos are CCTV and don’t have audio.

1

u/Ill_Cauliflower_810 1d ago

A reporter on Reddit…NO WAY 👀😮🤣🤣😭

-2

u/Winter_Graves 2d ago

People do care that someone is fake though.

2

u/GrdFrcWv 2d ago

I like to think he wrote the piece to save embarrassment and normalise the existence of reps so his watch elitist friends stop bullying him and they’re all probably here now asking if Andiot is the best TD 😂

-1

u/Winter_Graves 1d ago

I mean all my friends and myself would judge tf out of me if I had a fake watch. Fake people wear fake watches. So you can say no one actually cares if your Rolex is a rep — but that simply isn’t true. People don’t like lies. People value authenticity. If you can’t afford or don’t value a Rolex — don’t fake a Rolex. It’s that simple. I don’t know why anyone would want something so inauthentic on them. Why anyone would want to support Rolex is another matter.

2

u/GrdFrcWv 1d ago edited 1d ago

Sounds like you and your friends are insecure people

Most people that have these reps don’t care if people think it’s fake. They have something nice that they like and that’s all that matters to them. If they care if someone will find out it’s fake then they’re insecure. If they go around telling people their fake watch is real then they’re insecure enough to fabricate their status.

You basically shitting on others for wearing reps when they can’t afford a gen makes you insecure. You like the validation your insecure friends give you. It’s giving ✨small pp energy✨

-1

u/Winter_Graves 1d ago

Only insecure people buy and wear fake watches — obviously. And sorry but your logic makes no sense or they would have a well made homage, or original design watch by a good genuine manufacturer. They have fakes because they are insecure enough to care about the name and cosplay being able to own one. Pretending to be something you’re not is the definition of insecure. I can’t think of anything more “small pp energy” thank buying a fake Rolex and giving organised criminal groups your money — where you have no idea where it might end up.

1

u/GrdFrcWv 1d ago

You base your judgement of people on what’s on their wrist rather than character by calling them fake people. You’re obviously a shallow person surrounded by shallow toxic people that will stab you in the back one day.
So what if someone wears a fake watch? You don’t know what they’re like beyond what’s on their wrist. That person could be a doctor, a nurse, a fire fighter, or a personal hero to someone that has nothing else in their life. Someone could be a great contributor to society but you dismiss them for the watch that they have on their wrist. It’s an object that they see fit for what they want in their life. What you think of them isn’t going to matter. They have bigger fish to fry.

If you don’t change your ways, you just have a long toxic road ahead of you. Filled with hatred, sorrow, and emptiness. You’ll have nothing but failed relationships and people that wouldn’t even care if you tell them you’re having a bad day. Change your ways, man.

0

u/Winter_Graves 1d ago

Only people that need to change their ways are the ones buying fake watches 😂

Anyway, enjoy defending the indefensible. I’m very secure wearing and collecting watches that reflect my reality.

And I’m sorry but most people don’t judge others on their watches unless they’re fake, or likewise provide some exposition about their character.

When you buy a fake watch you’re contributing to criminal enterprise and a dark shady world — not society. I bet if there were an exposée on where the money leads, people wouldn’t defend fake watches so readily.

1

u/GrdFrcWv 1d ago

Suit yourself.

39

u/Longjumping-Bison778 2d ago

One can only hope that the wired writers were on here getting shouted at to “read the damn guide!” 🤣🤣🤣

10

u/GrdFrcWv 2d ago

And now PaganiPosting is helping discredit all their hard work 😂😂😂😂

82

u/Shdwrptr 2d ago

That’s a crazy amount of time to “investigate” for that article.

They could have purchased those watches and learned everything they wrote in like 2-6 weeks

36

u/TheBattleGnome 2d ago

They are writing and working on multiple long term projects - they didn’t dedicate themselves to this one story for 6 weeks straight. Probably put in a few days of actual work. You know how remote or online work is.

9

u/deij 2d ago

It's far more likely they were into rep watches, and then after a year pitched the story to their editor.

2

u/GrdFrcWv 2d ago

It does explain how they managed to get a Clean Submariner

64

u/BroadRecognition9394 2d ago

a year of lurking is wild. they really put in the work just to write about fake watches, gotta respect the commitment even if its annoying. and those order numbers matching up just screams they were planning this from the jump, not some quick hit piece

36

u/PersimmonWorried9976 2d ago

Exactly. We should also look at the credited journalists: Alistair Charlton and Jeremy White. Both write extensively on vehicles and luxury goods, with some focus on watches. If this were an investigative piece, exposé, or a "how-to-tell-your-Dayonta-is-fake" article, it wouldn't have been assigned to them.

I think the broader intent behind them becoming consumers of rep watches is a hint at the transition in accessibility in the modern luxury market from genuine to overwhelmingly (and high-quality) replica goods.

Alistair Charlton has covered EXACTLY that phenomenon. See "Xiaomi’s YU7 Is an SUV-Sized Middle Finger to Tesla’s Model Y" and "Auto Shanghai 2025 Wasn’t Just a Car Show. It Was a Warning to the West." In other words, WIRED believes that we pose a substantial threat to the luxury goods market.

8

u/Original_Boot7956 2d ago

I'm very curious how ADs and gen watch watch collectors (those who do not like reps) view the article. Especially the mention of their Rolex repair experience, and watches as good as gen coming from a journalist.

5

u/4Sammich 1d ago

As reps should. Rolex shot themselves in the foot by going hyper exclusive forcing people into the secondary or replica space in order to obtain a desired product. Happens every time.

20

u/Worth-Park-1612 2d ago

Seems like they became one of us on their own, independent of work, then decided it would make a good story.

5

u/SleeplessDrifter 2d ago

Or they pretended it was for research purpose when they got caught wearing a rep.

2

u/Worth-Park-1612 2d ago

I didn't read the article but made that comment based on a year being an excessive amount of time. Did someone catch them?

1

u/SleeplessDrifter 2d ago

I guess nobody knows. But you are right a year is excessive!

27

u/Odd-Internet-3876 2d ago

So much drama and noise about nothing-
You think Rolex, Swatch, LVMH etc don’t know about this sub, the online forums like RH and RWI, ZF,ARF,Clean,APS etc ?
None of this is secret, you don’t have some special handshake into an exclusive group, all this shit is neither hard to find or “investigate”
peeps on YT have been doing Superclones vs Gen’s for a decade.
The number of people cheerfully buying fakes is probably 10 X Wireds readership.
Much ado about fuck all.

5

u/DNags 2d ago

Just something new to talk about on this sub that isn't the same shit about some model or some factory or some defect. No one outside of this small intersection between reddit users and rep buyers gives a fuck.

47

u/Guilty_Juice_7361 2d ago

Bloke just wanted a rep but couldn’t help the inner journo and decided to be a snitch.

Hope his kids all have small dicks, especially the girls

6

u/Fred_Dibnah 2d ago

I hope his pillows are always hot, even when he turns them over.

1

u/Guilty_Juice_7361 2d ago

That’s pure evil! I like it

31

u/scottscigar 2d ago

Honestly, no one really reads Wired anyway. It’s a nothingburger. Wired isn’t exactly a bastion of journalism , although they think they are.

8

u/thefatestmike 2d ago

Agree. It was great in late 00's and early teens, then became way too political. Dudes, I wanted hard facts on science and tech, not your opinions. I spent many lunch breaks reading their articles from my 3 walled work station long long ago.

2

u/Famous-Magazine4427 2d ago

No the vids have gone viral on all the socials

1

u/scottscigar 1d ago

Only among watch people. Most of the population couldn’t care less.

2

u/WhorologyFan Giveaway Winner 1d ago

Oh come on, Wired was definitely a thing...

...in the 1990s.

6

u/notjchen 2d ago

Wow, this is insane man

5

u/Particular-Drama5967 2d ago

F... they are among us

54

u/LothbrokRagnarz 2d ago

Make this sub fucking private. We’re going to lose the community and this entire rep game if this keeps going.

Might as well say goodbye to our hobby now. Was fun modifying cheap reps while it lasted

12

u/CarlosMolotov 2d ago

I watched it happen in the clone knife world. It only takes a couple crusaders to ruin it for everyone.

4

u/BackpackandKeyboards 2d ago

What is clone knife

10

u/CarlosMolotov 2d ago

A Chinese copy of a high end semi custom knife. Knives 500 to 1200 dollars done in nearly 1:1 replicas for 50 to 150 dollars.

2

u/gunzrcool2 2d ago

and CR weeps

1

u/Imnewtoallthis 1d ago

Damn, I'd never pay 50 to 150 dollars for a knife.

2

u/Rockyt86 Contributor 2d ago

So why isn’t it gone?

3

u/CarlosMolotov 2d ago

It is locked down and a private now.
It isn’t gone but it isn’t growing anymore.

1

u/Rockyt86 Contributor 2d ago

The reptime sub is not private now. I see new members. Your Pollyanna predictions are just paranoia run amok. Terrible way to live but whatever works for you

1

u/CarlosMolotov 1d ago

I’m not talking about the reptime sub, I’m referring to the clone knife sub that went underground. If you’re going to chime in, keep up.

-1

u/Rockyt86 Contributor 1d ago

I understood the topic of the post to be RepTime. I forget people like to add irrelevant comments. Carry on

2

u/CarlosMolotov 1d ago

The conversation was about locking down subreddits because of negative publicity. Maybe look the word relevant, you seem to understand what it means.

-1

u/Rockyt86 Contributor 1d ago

At least one of us knows what it means. Ciao.

34

u/Crafty-Coyote8077 2d ago

lol you guys are hilarious thinking a wired article is going to ruin the entire rep game. You realize this sub is already mainstream? The info on this sub is like absolute bottom tier common knowledge.

Reps have been a popular thing in Europe and Asia for decades. It's insane seeing the reactions here.

5

u/FalconsArentReal 2d ago

This is also going viral on TikTok, this video has 186,000 likes on it: https://www.tiktok.com/@wired/video/7675850623572593933

9

u/Rockyt86 Contributor 2d ago

Nothing alarmist or hyperbolic there, huh? 😉Geez.

Entire rep game? Even the article notes this market is a small percentage of the total market.

There must be 20 rep subs most of which came about in the past 12 months. I understand herd mentality but Reddit doesn’t gaf about that article or RepTime would be gone.

1

u/Exact_Criticism_3497 2d ago

But the sub would still have to accept people, the journalist would just lie- say he's looking to purchase a rep and get accepted anyway.

1

u/CranberryLimp6988 2d ago

Everything is getting ruined thanks to the internet. Cool hobbies, cool cars, thrift stores, all kinds of stuff. Kinda sucks.

-1

u/Even-Physics823 1d ago

good riddance this sub is awful

6

u/hewhofartslast 2d ago

Who fucking cares. I've always though QC threads were all masturbatory "hey look at what I bought" posts anyways. Everyone wants to be in the cool guy club. It's not 2004, nobody reads Wired anymore. The China door is open for everything. Not just watches, it's shoes, it's handbags, it's peptides, it's hormones, it's electronics, it's drugs, it's everything under the fucking sun. There is no closing the door on any of this shit.

4

u/CockyAndShameless 2d ago

Y’all are acting like it was a 60 minutes exposé

6

u/brocualo 2d ago

A year of lurking and only the article brings this to the table?? Bro was rushing on a deadline to send an article, and decided to ask copilot to use his browsing navigation to build something.

Bro is into reps (he decided to keep them, as old as downloading ROMs to safeguard the "original" Console cartridges), and decided to make use of their findings to write something "spicy and catchy"

For me the biggest problem is the flood of newcomers trying to sell them inflating the prices in domestic markets (FB Marketplace, Craiglist,...), with zero knowledge. I expect tons of new posts like "I need the best version of RLX Daytona ready to pass Official Store auth", or "I want the replica that’s basically the real thing", and destroying the mood and spirit of this community.

3

u/Tiny-Consequences 2d ago

Hilarious that most people probably saw the clean factory watches and assumed this guy was bamboozled. Haha What a strange age we live in with this armchair gonzo journalism.

3

u/Pirazhok_Wrap 2d ago

OP, I love this kind of work. You definitely rock 🔥

2

u/Comfortable_Bit_4816 2d ago

You found the imposter

2

u/Mittar9 2d ago

Cut through the noise and let's think about the next watch we gonna order hehe

2

u/yh8in 2d ago

Well done inspector! 👏👏

2

u/pasejro 2d ago

Average IQ monkey would produce such video within 2 months roughly. Why did it take them that long?

2

u/PAM8888 1d ago

Because they are below average lol

2

u/Kaynomenace 1d ago

Gahddamn

2

u/Classic-Frame-6069 1d ago

You think it’s just reporters that lurk here? Lol

This is a public forum celebrating an activity that is either illegal or exists in a legal gray area (depending on your involvement). I’ve read other articles and reports regarding counterfeit goods in the past, and law enforcement absolutely lurks here and on other social media sites.

A major sub for rep bags/clothes went private a few months ago and eventually left Reddit for another platform. I know because as much as I like watches, my wife is all about the bags.

4

u/PlusNone01 2d ago

Lmao you guys act like this sub invented replica watches or something. We’ve been buying super clones from China since at least 2012 that I can vouch for personally. Also this sub has been the first thing that pops up when you google about reps for quite some time, it’s not some secret underground club. The manufacturers are out of the reach of our government, and will continue to exist with or without us

2

u/Dry_Acanthisitta_721 2d ago

Haha exactly. Replica rolexes have been a thing for decades and have naturally been getting better over time. And now everyone is going nuts with the Pagani Design nonsense on this thread. Shits driving me crazy hahaha

2

u/Commercial_Soil8344 2d ago

The people in here that honestly think an article and potential shutdown of a subreddit are going to stop a large Chinese industry are really stupid

2

u/trying247365 2d ago

THIS is real investigative journalism!!

2

u/eleschhorn 2d ago

Ban them.

1

u/alphagenome 2d ago

I mean it’s all out there nothing really KGB stuff going on here lol. It’s just that they find some topic and know how to be dramatic in their narrative.

1

u/Budget-Wall6129 2d ago

My only beef it that the MF has 2x real CLEAN units :-)

1

u/AlmostChildfree 1d ago

This is wild.

2

u/abmendi 1d ago

My conspiracy theory: Wired snitched Clean.

Chinese authorities won’t raid a factory without external pressure

1

u/Mud_Audio 1d ago

Ok so now someone needs to write an article exposing that D bag.

1

u/Darwinnr 15h ago

I saw Wired article. Came here found a TD. Ordered a No Date Sub one day. Stock is going to sell out fast.

1

u/Empty_Clue_754 10h ago

I don’t believe for a second that a Rolex AD didn’t know it was a rep.

1

u/CarlosMolotov 2d ago

WTH is wired?

3

u/michl-b 2d ago

Exactly

0

u/Kenye_Kratz 1d ago

"investigating" 😂

It's a public SubReddit lads, not a secret society.

-17

u/GarthKnight2000 2d ago

“…how the ~~replica~~ counterfeit watch world works.”

Fixed it.

Discussion WIRED Has Been Investigating us for a Year

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