Guide to Quality Checking (QC) a Replica Watch

Flaw: A difference between a replica in its attempt to imitate the genuine watch (e.g. incorrect hand stack on a GMF BLRO Pepsi)

Defect: An error during manufacturing or assembly that deviates from the specified requirements (e.g. crooked indices on an ARF 114300)

Okay, now that we’ve got that out of the way, in order to understand what QC is, let’s start with what the QC process isn’t.

The QC process is not:

• To compare how close the replica is to genuine
• Window shopping
• An opportunity to correct specific flaws or defects on a replica

 

QC is not an opportunity to compare how close the replica is to genuine

This should take place before QC during the research about which model to buy. All replicas have flaws. “Super reps” have flaws from genuine. Even genuine watches have flaws! It’s your responsibility as the purchaser to do your due diligence and find watch models from factories that have flaws that are tolerable to you. You should become intimately aware of the flaws of the models you are considering. The forums and this subreddit contain many images of actual watches people receive.

Use the search bar and get well acquainted with the model you plan on purchasing. This way when your QC pictures arrive you aren’t startled when the date font is too bold – looking at you ARF 126334, or some other well-known flaw compared to genuine. If you’re looking for near perfect, buy genuine. Buying a replica watch is a fun experience. Let it be.

QC is not window shopping

Trusted Dealers are running a business. Side note: I’m not exactly sure how the logistics of their business functions, but if a TD or other more knowledgeable person wants to chime in below it would be a happy learning experience for me and everyone else. The remainder of this entry will go on my assumptions as to how the business functions.

TD’s buy replica watches from the factories. They pay for the replicas out of the money you paid them for your order. This is why payment precedes QC pictures. Now they have invested in inventory that needs to be sold. Some inventory moves quicker than others due to popularity (SS 116610LN, AP ROO, etc.) so they probably have a continuous flow of demand for some of these watches, but they don’t really “stock” watches in a traditional sense and definitely not for less popular models.

They source each watch you order individually. When you decide to RL a watch you’re preventing them from selling stock that they’ve already used capital to purchase. Essentially, you’re frustrating their cash flow. They’re now stuck with a watch they need to wait for someone else to order before they can make their money back. This makes it difficult on the TD, harms their business, and may result in the TD refusing to sell you a different watch.

They also have to go and source another watch for you (consuming more capital and eating into their margin). It is my understanding that sometimes they can return a watch to the factories if it is defective, but this is where my knowledge of the business isn’t clear. Regardless, the best-case scenario for TD’s is returning a watch and spending a lot of time and effort sourcing another watch instead of fulfilling a new order (opportunity cost), and the worst case is being stuck with a watch that has nothing wrong with it and having to wait for a new order before getting paid for it. That’s a lose-lose scenario for the TD.

What is important to remember here is that the factories and TD’s aren’t in the best conditions, nor are they participating in legal activities and are under constant scrutiny from their respective governments and law enforcement agencies. Replica watch “factories” aren’t large buildings with assembly lines.

Typically they are small operations that can be easily moved or hidden from police/governments hunting for them. Factories and TD’s have a lot at stake doing business with us and we should ensure we properly acknowledge that and use their conditions as the context for how a replica watch gets in QC pictures. It’s quite a marvel all things considered. Caveat: I am well aware that TD’s sometimes try to hide very obvious manufacturing defects to move undesirable inventory, we’ll cover that more below. Be patient.

I’m not saying to never RL a watch. There are good reasons to do so that we’ll discuss below. I am saying that you should carefully consider the defect on the watch you are presented and decide for yourself if you can live with them. Remember that the images you’re seeing are close up of an object whose size is measured in millimeters. Many defects can’t be seen at wrist level or without close inspection. There is a good reason to carefully consider the decision to RL. QC is not a carousel of watches, rather it’s like a slot machine or a game of Russian roulette because the next one the TD can procure could have worse defects than the watch you RL’d.

I’ve never tried this, but If you RL the watch in your QC pictures I don’t think the TD will sell it to you if the RL’d watch ends up being better than the following watch. So there’s a risk with RL’ing. Keep in mind that manufacturing happens in batches and there is a chance that most of a batch has similar defects. You never know what you’re going to get. Think slot machine, not carousel. That’s part of the fun! Sometimes you hit it big and your rep doesn’t have any serious defects and looks flawless. Other times you’ve gotta swing the RL hammer, but only if absolutely necessary.

This segues well into our next topic.

QC is not an opportunity to correct specific flaws or defects on a replica

I see a lot of new people have a misunderstanding when reviewing their QC pictures that if they ask the TD to correct a specific flaw that it will be corrected. This is not the case. You either accept the watch presented or you RL and are presented with an entirely new watch. They can’t realign indices or center dates in a date window. Nor should they. Their business is simple: source the “genuine” replica watch you request and ensure it is shipped and delivered to you.

That’s it.

They make money sourcing and shipping watches. TD’s exist to protect us from a veritable ocean of scam sites that sell us DHgate watches for thousands of dollars. Buying through a TD means the watch you receive will be made by Noob, ARF, V6F, etc. and that you will receive it despite customs seizures.

They are not watch smiths.

They are not watchmakers.

They are not jewelers.

They are dealers.

Dealers that are trusted because they have a multitude of historical transactions and a reputation that they will deliver “authentic” replica watches from the factories they advertise.

Okay. Now that we’ve cleared up some common misconceptions with QC pictures, where did the concept come from? After doing some digging on RWI, the concept of QC photos was first introduced around 2009 by a previous TD that, from what I can tell, has since ceased operations. QC photos are an inconvenience for the dealer and replicas used to be sent without QC photos; however, in the years following their introduction we have become accustomed to them and now expect them. It benefits TD’s by giving customers a unique experience, for example, PureTime does waterproof testing in addition to photos.

That’s a bit of competitive differentiation in customer experience if waterproofing is of interest to you. It can also help the TD’s to avert negative interactions with their customers by allowing us to see what we will be receiving before actually receiving it. This practice is unlike any other eCommerce practice and I can’t think of another online transaction where I get a preview of the literal unit I will receive before buying except maybe automobiles. And even then, sometimes not. Hopefully, this helps you to understand that we should be grateful we receive QC pictures at all and to give credit where credit is due with the TD’s. There aren’t other eCommerce businesses that operate this way.

What is the purpose of QC? QC Photos are:

• To ensure you will be receiving the correct factory and model of watch ordered
• To find clear defects that do not meet your subjective standard

 

QC is to ensure you will be receiving the correct factory and model of watch ordered

This is important! If you ordered a ZZF 116610LN V2 it is important that you receive that model from that factory and not a Noob or ARF 116610LN because it will be difficult to make an exchange or other remediations due to the logistical nightmare that is the international business of counterfeit goods. You want the right watch delivered the first time. Sometimes there are mix-ups or errors and I suppose there could be a more nefarious motive, but that has never been my experience and would certainly be a huge outlier. TD’s are trusted for a reason.

That doesn’t make them perfect or free from making clerical errors given their working conditions and language barriers. If you aren’t sure you are receiving the correct model or factory, post it and ask! We love to help. If you ordered an ARF 116500 Panda, but are shown an ARF 116520 white dial, you’ll know to ask the TD to please present you with the correct model you requested. Please be courteous and respectful. I’m sure they’ll be happy to do so. Remember they still must go and return the incorrect watch if they can and go source the correct watch. Be patient.

QC is to find clear defects that do not meet your subjective standard

This is a tricky topic to address. You are looking to identify defects with the replica that aren’t up to your standard. You should be looking for things like crooked indices, alignment of bezel or dial elements like coronets or logos, missing lume, offset chrono hands, and other defects. Also check to see if there are any visible signs of cosmetic damage like scratches, scuffs, etc. on the case, bracelet, clasp, and other watch components.

Be aware that TD’s are dealers or salesmen. They want to sell watches, even ones with severe defects. I’ve seen TD’s move the watch hands to cover a crooked logo or hold the watch at strange angles to make alignment defects look less severe. You can request additional pictures with watch hands in different positions. You can ask for a straight-on photo. This is acceptable and should be done if you have suspicions. Be prepared to wait for additional pictures though. There shouldn’t be obstacles to you being able to see defects, but once you’ve identified defects what do you do then?

Now, here is the difficult part. What should you RL and what should you live with? For me, I air on the side of GL all the time. This means I look at QC pictures with the intent of GL’ing and then have to find something outlandish to shift my opinion. Excessive RL’ing can harm the livelihood of the TD’s and ultimately affect the price of replicas in general. I also have a realistic idea of the standard of quality I should expect from a replica before I place my order.

For a first time or inexperienced buyer, this may not be the case, especially if they haven’t done enough due diligence on the model they’re purchasing.

What do I RL? Indices that are egregiously crooked, date wheels that are excessively off-center making them difficult to read, etc. Essentially anything that will bother me to the point of not wearing the watch. This is very subjective and hopefully, your expectations will improve with experience. I highly recommend that before you make a purchase, find QC pictures of the watch you will be ordering and see what others have GL’d and RL’d. Focus primarily on the GL’s. You’ll see many slight defects that get approved. If your watch ends up having them, please GL.

You’ve seen the defects. You know they are present in other watches. Keep the replica economy going. Learn to love and accept these discrepancies. These small defects make the watch unique and many of them can be modded away if they wind up seriously bothering you (crooked indices replaced by genuine or modded dials, etc.) Look and see what experienced users RL. This will help you to establish good expectations and what justifies RL’ing a watch.

Conclusion

Ultimately, it is up to you. Remember, that our small high-quality replica economy depends on the integrity of both TD’s and buyers. Hopefully, this post has helped you understand the consequences of RL’ing and that you’ll put more effort into properly establishing your expectations through due diligence and research. I hope that you’ll give a higher level of consideration to RL’ing.

It isn’t a trivial matter for our TD’s even if it seems as trivial as a set of new pictures in our email inbox for us. Again, I’ll restate that I’m not against RL’ing. I just want people to RL responsibly with proper expectations and education behind their decision. I’m not encouraging you to buy defective products, just make sure you know the difference between defective products and acceptable ones; sometimes the line between the two is exceptionally thin. It’s up to us to preserve the integrity of our niche community because we could just as quickly destroy it.

Good hunting.

Most factories won’t take a watch back for a majority of the RL issues, so the dealer has only some choices.

1. Order a replacement at dealer cost. Try to sell the RL watch to another.
2. Try to fix the issue
3. Refund the customer
4. Swap for a different watch
5. Argue with the factory for a replacement (requires lots of previous examples proving the problem is unique to that one watch. If this happens too many times factory may refuse to sell to that dealer

 

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