Homage watches?

[Yahoody]

If anyone had told me I would be impressed by a "fake" watch at any time in the past I would have laughted at them...and maybe been a little insulted The "homage" watches aren't intended to decieve you into believing it is a Rolex. These are just a recreation of a good watch for pennies on the dollar. Just as it should be.

One of my touch stone as an adult was to be able to buy and wear a Rolex. No clue how I came to that decision but I did.

My first real watch was a high school graduation present from my parents. A nice watch. A fitting my summer job for a few years. Sadly it took leave of the case on a climb @-30F in Canada one winter by in the '70s. It would take another decade before I bought a Rolex.

I started with a Date version that I evenetaully had refinished and gave to my Father. Then on to a good many models of the Submarinier and SD. Today I own one, a vintage 16800. And a neat "homage", itself to the earlier vintage Rolex dive watches with matte dials.

I seldom wear a watch these days but am still amazed that this 16800 keeps almost perfect time over a few weeks @ + or - just 1 or 2 seconds in that time frame.

There is a reason that Rolex is still such an "in demand" tool watch even today.

Having owned vintage and new Rolex Subs from the mid '70s up to the early 2000s it is easy to say there is a difference on how the older vintage watches sit on your wrist and how different thy are when reading the time as my eyes have aged.

Enter the "homage" watches. More than one company making a copy of the earlier vintage British military issue Submariner. A quick google search will find a couple of them for you. Most of the parts are Seiko. Some do a better job at trying to hide the Seiko history than others. But what you generally get is a very durable and reasonably accurate, mechanical, automatic, Seiko NH 38 movement . Stainless case and a choice in crystals, domed or flat, acrylic or mineral crystal. 24 jewel, 41 hour reserve and 21,600 bph. Accuracy wise? -20 ~ +40. Not great but not terrible either, for an inexpensive, mechanical, self-winding watch! My single example is half that for error, which I understand now, is not that unusual.

A lot of "Homage" watches available now. Several versions of the Rolex Submariner as a starter, then, the GMT and from what I have seen the Explorer I and II can also be had. I don't need another. But I sure like the weight on my wrist and how easy it is to read the MilSub version.

https://www.rwatchco.com/shop

As does my lovely wife. Which is the reason we now have two "fake Rolexes". Sorry, my mistake. Two "Homage" watches". And I am wearing a watch daily again, much to my own surprise.

 

[Bfd70]

When making homages of older watches i think they should look as new. I don’t like factory aged lume. Omega did this. Could you ever imagine rolex….

 

[jauregui]

I had my first rolex in 86. I still wear it. I used to wear it even during masonry construction work. LOL. Watches are to be used. Despite the fact I used to collect watches, I try to wear them all. Even if I am writing my bike in the rain. I am not a fan of safe queens.

 

[Yahoody]

>When making homages of older watches i think they should look as new.

I get that. Having several older Rolexes with yellowed lume and having had Rolex rebuild them to new. At first, I thought that was pretty cool. Now decades later and the value of the rebuilds less than half of what they would have been if left original I am not so impressed with a $2000 rebuild to "new".

But even the best "homage" is just that a "homage" and a "fake" unless of course it is just an "homage". You get what you pay for generally. In the case of the Seiko version, built right, may be more for once.

As the Gentleman said"
>I am not a fan of safe queens.

They are "just" watches. So if I can easily read it and it keeps acceptable time I am happy. At this point if I think it looks great I'm even happier.

For fun I wore a 16800 and the MilSub homage most of the day yesterday. The 16800 was gnat's ass on to the second. The Seiko movement in the homage? Not so much. But then I didn't miss a minute of the day either ;-) Even with the Homage on my off hand it was more comfortable and easier to read, by a good bit, than the 16800.

 

[jauregui]

That is exactly what gets me. 2k for a rebuild is simply a ripoff. I know it takes several hours to rebuild a watch. Personally, I have been working on watches myself. It is truly not that hard.
Sincerely feel that I can get a superb watch for 2k. My most expensive watch is a day date from the 2000s. I think the price is just pure greed. Will never pay the price of a 30k plus for such a watch. It is insane to think people actually do. I rather donate that kind of money rather than spend it for an overrated time piece.

Reflection of society.

 

[Yahoody]

If you shop right $2K will still get you a Rolex. By any definition they are still superb time pieces. But @ $2K any number of superb watches are easily available.

>I have been working on watches myself. It is truly not that hard.

Nice skill to have! I have seen some well-trained watch makers screw up the repair on a Rolex movement. On the flip side to that, guys are building these MilSubs, for around $100 all in for parts with are now available from Seiko, on their first time out. No Rolex but also not a bad watch either.

I like a simple, light weight, single layer, nylon, NATO strap. My wife prefers a solid stainless bracelet.

 

[Edward]

Definitely a place for these homage type watches. I tend to say I could never afford a Rolex, but the truth is if I put my mind to it I could save the money across several years - it's just not worth it to me, and chances are even if I brought myself to spend that much on one watch, I'd then never wear it because I wouldn't want to get it damaged. At this point in my life, as a recovering hoarder, I try not to buy anything I know I won't take out and use for its intended purpose. Sure, some things I might keep "for best", but I'm trying not to get sucked into 'collecting' anything that just ends up taking up space. I do aspire at some point to buying one of the Hamilton Venturas with the automatic movement (historically "wrong", but the anachronism appeals to me and I don't like having something that requires a battery if I can have something that does the same job without needing any electronic intervention). If Big Lottery Money came in I might be tempted by one expensive watch, though in truth I'd doubtless buy a new Tudor rather than a Rolex as they seem to have stuck to an older aesthetic which appeals to me. Current Rolexes I've seen are all too busy for my tastes - and too big.


I did wear an Invictus (American brand, made wherever) Submariner-homage for a few years, then a handful of Christmasses ago my wife bought me a Vostok with the rotating bezel and 24 hour hand, which has been tremendously useful now I'm able to travel again with work (especially in Beijing, with the seven/eight hour time difference); it also is very handy when communicating with our partners over there while I'm still in London. The Vostok is certainly not a Rolex homage, though very much in the same vaguely militaryesque aesthetic ballpark. It only really leaves my wrist when I'm in the shower or the bath, and I've not much thought about buying anything else since I got it. Possibly it being in the 'right' stylistic wheelhouse but still its own thing leads me to look at it that way, rather than "this is a copy of another watch I can't / won't afford"? Not sure. I like it a lot, though.

 

[handymike]

Love that Wyler!
For awhile I looked into an Explorer homage since I like the look and can’t afford a real one. Ultimately I settled on an older Tag Heuer 1000. Keeps great time, I can wear and beat it up, and now it looks even better on an old Beads of Rice bracelet I got on ebay for $12.

 

[Yahoody]

Nice watch Mike!
We stacked hay most of the day yesterday. My wife in her "new" MilSub homage and me in some subpar, plastic, gizmo, quartz watch. Really looking forward to getting delivery of my own Homage that won't get pilfered by my local miscreant

Fun shopping around for one either way. I am really impressed with the Seiko NH34 automatic movements.

 

[Talbot]

While I have some Rolex, I don't follow them specifically. A while back, I was lusting after a 1016 Explorer. I remember when they were reasonably priced - not so much now.

I could stretch to a 1016, but couldn't justify it. Enter the homage. I wound up with a Smiths Everest instead.
Very pleased. I'll post pics if anyone is interested.

 

[Yahoody]

Please, lets see your Smith's?

As I mentioned previous I seldom wear a watch these days. But now over a week with the Homage. My wife borrowed it half way through that time. I've been wearing my 1980s Sub. Sub still keeps almost prefect time. Her new watch is a few seconds down for the week. Pretty amazing really for what the watch cost. I am more impress everyday with this Seiko automatic movement. Pretty excited actually about having one of my own again.

Fun to have a watch I actually want to wear and at a price point I find acceptable.

 

[handymike]

I really like the look of the Smiths, but they are going for $500-$600 on ebay....
There was another company doing a tropical dial Explorer that was around $500. I'll have to poke around.


edit: oops, $580, here it is:
https://www.wmtwatches.com/product/...trap-set-early-bird-april-26th-may-15th-2021/

 

[Yahoody]

I like the older style and simple watches. That is a neat watch. Just don't need them made up as "vintage".

A friend just bought this one. A beautiful watch! But a much better watch I'd suspect than the Seiko based homages I started the thread with.

 

[handymike]

It's funny, the other day in the Trader Joes, a guy was behind me and I asked if his watch was a 70s Pepsi Seiko. He replied it was a newer Tudor... Oops.

 

[Yahoody]

I'm an admitted watch geek. We lived for 30 years in an area where new Rolexes were common. I worked and traveled in an industry were vintage Rolexes were more common than new. And I liked spotting nice watches in use.

So first it was always a game for me to spot the fakes. Then it was, is the watch vintage or new. I have never actually seen anyone wearing a vintage no date Submariner as old as the Homage in the first post of this thread. A nice one would sell for $15/20K!

My wife and I were out to lunch this afternoon after an eye appointment. Luckily I still have 20-10 in one eye and 20-20 in the other. For the life of me even with the Seiko label on the dial (which I could not make out clearly) on the MilSub homage she was wearing, I couldn't tell if the watch was a very early Rolex, no date, Sub or a fake. If I hadn't actually known what the watch was, I would have said it is the real thing.

If you are into t such things, and the watch keeps reasonably accurate time, (this one does) it's not bad for under $400 I suspose

 

[Talbot]

 

[Talbot]

There's also some recent Mathey Tissot homage offerings........

 

[Yahoody]

Beautiful watch. I am impressed.

 

[Yahoody]

 

[Yahoody]

Two bespoke, homage, mechanical watches. Both of these are based on Sellita COSC-certified movements. A few months ago I had no clue there actually was a cottage industry based solely on building such beautiful, vintage style, and superbly accurate time pieces. Watch making has come a long ways in the last 50 years! I am actually shocked in a number of ways at just how good these watches and their movements really are.