Originality, watches, copying, replicas, and such

OK, you guys know i bought a Rolex 16613 TT submariner brand new on jan 29 1999, it was my third rolex and i just had to have the TT. Over the years the gold thing has just not been me, hung my pimp hat and teeth up a few years back! Was on WUS the other day and saw a TT GMT Master II that a guy had put a all stainless oyster bracelet on(was it a rolex bracelet ???)I've spent almost 7 grand at the time on this and wouldnt spend another grand on a stainless bracelet from rolex! anyway got me think and started shopping on ebay, china had a ton of sub bracelets with no pictures, i'm sure there were no pics because the bracelet would be a replica with crown and all on the clasp! I found a guy in houston Texas that sells an aftermarket bracelet so i bought it not expecting much but when it arrived it was just as nice as the rolex bracelet from 1999, screwed in lugs, divers clasp and better endlinks, i put it on last night and really think it toned down the watch, will people think it's a fake rolex? Dont really care because i know the watch is real just got a different bracelet on it and all the fakes have a crown on the clasp, anyway here are the pics and i can enjoy the watch and save the gold bracelet for the day the watch goes to my son!!















it was either this or a mesh bracelet for it as i want to wear it more with all the gold!! still might try a mesh!

Bracelet looks good but will probably get less "that's a FAKE, look at the bracelet" if you go with mesh...

...not that I like mesh or anything

I like that, Trevor. It really looks good. People must think a Rolex on a NATO is a fake, too?

My AD and I were talking a few weeks ago, about good after-market bracelets, straps, etc., and me mentioned a fellow from Texas with nice Rolex matched (and other higher grade watches) stuff, must be the same guy.

Good move on the bracelet Cali. Is the bezel plated? looks like some of the gold has rubbed off.

PoliMalaka wrote:

Good move on the bracelet Cali. Is the bezel plated? looks like some of the gold has rubbed off.

No thats a funny one, bezel is solid gold! Insert has a few scratches but the bezel itself is mint! Here are some pictures taken inside, think the bright sunlight was washing out the notches in the bezel!









These might help to if your not sure about the watch...

just covered my address, dont need any stockers..























Last time it was serviced and polished..



Bought it at Hesselbeins in Carmel CA new in 1999, you can give Brad or Art Hesselbein a call if you have anymore questions, sure they would be more than happy to vouch for me!

porschefan wrote:

I like that, Trevor. It really looks good. People must think a Rolex on a NATO is a fake, too?

My AD and I were talking a few weeks ago, about good after-market bracelets, straps, etc., and me mentioned a fellow from Texas with nice Rolex matched (and other higher grade watches) stuff, must be the same guy.

He is most likely talking about wholesaleout999 on ebay. high-end stuff even solid gold bracelets!

http://stores.ebay.com/WHOLESALEOUTLET990

cali kid wrote:

PoliMalaka wrote:

Good move on the bracelet Cali. Is the bezel plated? looks like some of the gold has rubbed off.

No thats a funny one, bezel is solid gold! Insert has a few scratches but the bezel itself is mint!

Must be the lighting in the photo. I thought the bezel was solid, but that pic made me kwers-chun my knowledges.

cali kid wrote:

porschefan wrote:

I like that, Trevor. It really looks good. People must think a Rolex on a NATO is a fake, too?

My AD and I were talking a few weeks ago, about good after-market bracelets, straps, etc., and me mentioned a fellow from Texas with nice Rolex matched (and other higher grade watches) stuff, must be the same guy.

He is most likely talking about wholesaleout999 on ebay. high-end stuff even solid gold bracelets!

http://stores.ebay.com/WHOLESALEOUTLET990

Might be, I'll have to ask next time I'm there. Thanks for the link, cool stuff.

Someone just brought up a VALID point in my mind...

We all SHUN replica WATCHES...

But what about replica straps, bracelets, parts, are we saying THAT is ok?

Good question as far as I am concerned...

Anomaly wrote:

Someone just brought up a VALID point in my mind...

We all SHUN replica WATCHES...

But what about replica straps, bracelets, parts, are we saying THAT is ok?

Good question as far as I am concerned...

Hmm...

I bought from Breitling a croc and buckle to switch out on my Chronomat, and Tutima bracelets for those... OEM for those. "Common" croc for my Hamilton.

Probably the same thinking would apply... are you trying to pass it off as original? The stuff at the link of Trevors isn't using trademarks.

Anomaly wrote:

Someone just brought up a VALID point in my mind...

We all SHUN replica WATCHES...

But what about replica straps, bracelets, parts, are we saying THAT is ok?

Good question as far as I am concerned...

Difference is the person has the real watch also has bracelet or strap, they just decide to put a different one on from time to time! Big difference in my mind! Just because i have an aftermarket bracelet on my sub at the moment five minute from now i can have the original back on and take it down the street and sell it for 5 grand, dont think you can do the with a replica!! Think almost all Panerai owner has a ton of leather straps made by other people and some of them are in the hundreds of dollars! whoever brought it up is WRONG! They are only fake if they say the name of the watch company! other than that a strap is a strap!

cali kid wrote:

Anomaly wrote:

Someone just brought up a VALID point in my mind...

We all SHUN replica WATCHES...

But what about replica straps, bracelets, parts, are we saying THAT is ok?

Good question as far as I am concerned...

Difference is the person has the real watch also has bracelet or strap, they just decide to put a different one on from time to time! Big difference in my mind! Just because i have an aftermarket bracelet on my sub at the moment five minute from now i can have the original back on and take it down the street and sell it for 5 grand, dont think you can do the with a replica!! Think almost all Panerai owner has a ton of leather straps made by other people and some of them are in the hundreds of dollars! whoever brought it up is WRONG! They are only fake if they say the name of the watch company! other than that a strap is a strap!

And I feel the same is true for the watch. If it isn't CLAIMING to be a Rolex or Omega, etc by branding that company's name on it, I don't feel it is a fake.

We ran into this on other forums years ago.Since you didn't mod on them,you didn't see it.You buy what you think is an omega bracelet.
only the deployant is real.The rest is aftermarket.Did you just get ripped off? yes.These things show up on the sales corners.
unbranded that can be mixed in with the real parts because they are made to decieve.Whatever helps you sleep at night I guess.
aftermarket straps isn't what this is about.Thats not even an issue.its the interchangeble parts that are.
one member sold me a bell and ross velcro.It turned out to be a replica.He didn't know.is that an excuse? no.
putting an alpha bracelet on a rolex is fine until you mix the parts and they make it onto the sales forum by accident.
alot of accidents these days.all of those omega planet ocean straps that this thread linked to showed up two years ago
on tz and wus.The sellers sold them as omega straps.Those sellers vanished when the sales were over.
the only thing thats unbranded on the rolex bracelet is the deployant.the rest of the links will interchange with the real one.