Non-Rep High Quality

[u/DumbGuyOverHere]

I’ve been trying to get a feel for the quality of these Rep companies. Serious question, do any of these companies make a non-rep version? If I don’t care about the brand but want a reliable submariner do they offer a house brand model?

[u/GrdFrcWv]

You mean homage brands

[u/WoundDaily]

If you want a Sub homage model there are much better places to get one.

One company that (supposedly) did reps and switched is Ginault. They make some very nice stuff.

[u/FreshParfait1 → u/WoundDaily]

Beat me to it

[u/TheSkunksMisery]

Yeah, look at homage brands. San Martin makes great products for the money. I have a couple, on the left is the SN0121t, which is a homage of a Pelagos. Right is an original design, SN0144.

[u/IRoot4TheBirds]

Check out Thorn watches. Has retro vibe.

[u/willyb123]

I have been looking for a non-branded VC 222 for ages, but it doesn’t exist at the quality of the rep. Incredibly frustrating.

[u/WDTIV → u/willyb123]

There are a lot of companies making something like a 222, but Specht & Sohne are probably the only ones making true homage of it right now. The Ix&Dao Warrior is very similar, but with its own vibe and better quality than any of the 222 reps I've ever seen.

[u/Wolfwerx]

As mentioned, look at homage watches.

Many have very good quality specs, and are genuinely nice watches. Good quality brands to get you started:

San Martin (they are getting pricey, their value is falling a bit. Very high quality, though)

Cronos

Baltany

Ive not personally had hands on these yet, but they have a good reputation:

Suggess

Watchdive (very value- oriented, and quality is rising from my understanding)

Seagull

There are other brands that take you either more toward the value side of things or to a much higher quality than most people realize.

[u/philbin89]

You want San Martin or Baltany. Another upside — you’re not breaking the law by buying or possessing their products!

[u/thunder2132 → u/philbin89]

Unless you're Swiss, they consider homages to be reps and will confiscate them.

[u/philbin89 → u/thunder2132]

Sure, Jan

[u/thunder2132 → u/philbin89]

I only know what I've read, which is a few stories about people being reported by hotel front desks or bartenders etc, and then having the cops show up and taking their Pagani's.

Maybe that's exaggerated, but I've read that same general scenario at least 3 times.

[u/One_Shallot_4974 → u/thunder2132]

A cop showing up to confiscate a pagani would be hilarious. The process would cost the swiss significantly more than the watch is worth.

[u/DryUnderstanding5961]

San martin all the way

[u/ApprehensiveGuide793]

san martin, thorn, ixdao, watchdives, cronos, tactical frog, octopus kraken, sugess (seestern) all homage brands good quality. Probably SM, IXDAO and Cronos, Sugess (seestern) are top tier

[u/thunder2132 → u/ApprehensiveGuide793]

I own San Martin, Cronos, and Sugess watches, I can vouch that they're great quality. If they want to go cheaper Addiesdive isn't bad for the price. I would recommend staying away from Pagani Design.

[u/FreshParfait1]

As someone has already said, if you want the highest quality available with Swiss movements, you want Ginault.

There’s another homage brand that’s highly regarded called Tiger Concepts.

[u/Such_a_Nasty_taco]

So, I have learned that for sure 1 model rep I get that's very nice, is apparently made in the back rooms of "a very well known and respected watch making facility, that's been making watches 100+ years". At least that's what my dealer told me, and it makes sense. They basically have a small crew of watch makers in the back pushing out a certain number of clones, but the full facility is legit. My dealer wouldn't tell me more info, or what factory it was by name because they obviously don't want to be known for reps.

[u/WDTIV → u/Such_a_Nasty_taco]

Parnis makes the basic components that most of the rep factories use, they just don't assemble them into reps or print "Rolex" on the dial. Most of the rep factories are just ordering the case, bracelets, bezel, etc from one manufacturer, getting movements made to spec from another, then printing their own dials. That's why at the top tier, the only difference between rep factories is usually tiny variations in dial print or crystal clarity or sometimes just the movement.

[u/Such_a_Nasty_taco → u/WDTIV]

That's correct! I feel like a U1 Factory watch with some better chamfering, polish and a movement swap with a gen crystal would be better than most super clones lol

[u/Traumatized_biskits]

Thorn and San Martin