What is the Best Replica Watch on the Market
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What's the best Replica Watch?
I get asked a certain question quite often (almost daily now): "What's the best replica on the market?" or "Who sells the most perfect Rolex Submariner replica?" or a variation on the above. It's a tough question to answer, mainly because there are different criteria for determining the "best" of any category of replicas.
If your criteria for "best" is what replica watch is the most reliable and accurate timepiece I'd say pretty much any model based on one of the non-chronograph ETA movements. This usually means high-end Rolex replicas, and in some instances Panerai replicas. The ETA movement is a workhorse, and with proper maintenance could easily last a generation. FINDING someone to service the watch might be a bit of a problem since most watch repair shops won't work on fake watches.
Asian ETAs Replica Watch Movements are Unreliable
Stay away from the Asian copies of the ETA movement as they tend to be built with looser tolerances than their Swiss counterparts. Generic Japanese movements such as Miyotas and Citizens (which are used frequently in mid-ranged Rolex replicas) are fairly reliable, but probably won't last as long as a Swiss ETA. Stay far away from the Asian chronograph watches based on the ETA 7750 clone as their quality varies dramatically. Check out Ziggy's article on such a movement.
 If you determine "best" by accuracy of the replication (meaning how close the fake is to looking 100% like the original) I'd probably would say some Rolex Explorer I replicas are damn accurate. They're hard to spot as fakes because most of the clues are missing on this model. There's no date wheel or bezel pearl to screw up on; the biggest downfall on these watches is some examples have poor dials. And of course poor luminosity; you can spot just about any fake Rolex by the "glow" of the hour markers.
Panerai Replicas
 The Panerai Historical line replicas (PAM-111, PAM-177, etc.) are continually improving in quality. In May a new model Unitas movement was introduced that is even more accurate to the original. This movement is a nearly perfect copy to the movement used in a majority of real Panerai watches. Previous flaws such as a missing swan neck regulator and accurate engravings have been corrected. Some of these latest examples can fool even Panerai owners (who tend to be a bit more rabid than even Rolex owners). The short cannon pinion may still be an issue; I'll try to get my hands on one to confirm.
Maybe you're looking for the "best" chronograph out there. The ETA 7750, and its cousin the 7753, are the most reliable chronograph movements on the market. You'll find them in high-end Panerai, Rolex, and Breitling replicas. Again, be wary of the Asian 7750 clones. The most accurate chronograph replica today is probably the new Panerai Daylight (PAM-196 and 188) replicas based on the Swiss 7753 movement. The genuine watch uses a version of this same movement, making this fake difficult to spot. The date wheel and crown are the final inconsistencies on this replica to correct.
As always, remember that replicas and fakes are counterfeit goods made as cheaply as possible by the manufacturer. They'll never be 100% as accurate as a genuine model, no matter how much hype is leveled at you to convince you otherwise.
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Richard Brown |
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