Counterfeit goods are illegal. That’s not an opinion. People who knowingly buy them are either ignorant a.k.a. stupid or willingly participate in illegal activities. That’s not an opinion either. Those facts are enough to put me off anyone having fakes. I don’t really care what their motives are because there aren’t any acceptable ones.
Agree that counterfeit goods are illegal as you say but Ignorant or stupid is just your opinion is it not?, some may say that a guy who spends like I have said 10k on a watch may be stupid, again that would be their opinion and not necessarily true . Its a debate and we will all have an opinion, I just do not think you can define a person who buys a fake as some are saying stupid, fake or ignorant, it would be wrong to say all owners of real Rolex watches are posers with more money than sense etc.
I don’t think it’s an opinion. If you don’t know that fakes are illegal you are ignorant of the fact, are you not? Let’s see what Merriam-Webster says about ignorant:
Synonyms for ignorant: analphabetic, benighted, dark, illiterate, nonliterate, rude, simple, uneducated, uninstructed, unlearned, unlettered, unread, unschooled, untaught, untutored.
Close enough to stupid for me to maintain my position.
I need to get this straight. Your mate has spent good money on Rolex's, fair enough. But as he is now too worried to wear them out he has spent good money on 'super-clones' (this sounds like an attempt to make 'expensive fakes' sound acceptable to me, but that's by the by) to wear instead as he can't be seen without a Rolex on his wrist.
That's even sadder than the guy who desperately wants a Rolex but will never ever afford one and so wears a fake one.
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Perhaps the third time will be a mugging to get the watch but that’s ok, the mugger will now only get away with a fake.
Of course, if he were really worried, he would wear a cheap(er), less desirable watch and not leave himself susceptible to the crime in the first place!
https://www.unodc.org/documents/coun...t_EN_HIRES.pdfThe illicit trafficking of counterfeit goods is often linked to other serious crimes. Europol has warned that counterfeiting is an increasingly attractive avenue for organized crime to “diversify their product range”.12
Evidence suggests that criminal networks use similar routes and modus operandi to move counterfeit goods as they do to smuggle drugs, firearms and people.13
Proceeds from other crimes also feed into the production and dis- tribution of counterfeit goods. There have been reports of authorities uncovering operations where proceeds from drug trafficking were channelled into counterfeiting, and where profits from the sale of counterfeit goods were used to further criminal’s other illicit operations.14;15
The trading of illicit goods for other illicit items is another trend which is seemingly intensifying.16 Whereas in the past, illicit commodities were bought with cash, organized crime groups are increasingly exchanging goods, such as swapping drugs for counterfeit items and vice-versa. By using counterfeit goods as commodities for full or part payment between organized criminal networks, these groups reduce the amount of capital they need to transfer thereby reducing their exposure and risk.
Meanwhile a survey conducted by the UK IP Crime Group showed that 40 per cent of respondents had worked on cases where counterfeiting was linked to drug crime, while 29 per cent stated that they had found a connection between counterfeiting and overall organized crime.18
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
I have heard this story so often, sometimes a close friend, sometimes their boss, either they have been mugged in London or New York, it was a Rolex or a Patek, and this would happen again and again and they always think that buying a counterfeit watch is the answer.
I call BS.
Someone who lies about the little things will lie about the big things too.
This is a watch forum where between us we own, wear and cherish a huge spread of makes, models and costs. I can't believe a genuine watch lover would knowingly own a fake. There's simply no excuse and any amongst us who does should hang their heads in shame and leave.
F.T.F.A.
I can't believe this stupid thread is still going. I suppose it does have the benefit of highlighting people whose sales corner threads should be avoided like the plague but has anyone's mind ever been changed in one of these "debates"? The answer is no, it has never happened. Those who like fakes will always find a reasonable explanation, those who don't will never decide to flog it all and buy fakes.
The real achievement of a thread like this is to cheapen this forum and damage its integrity.
It is not a matter of opinion, again. You may not like "stupid" so by all means keep "ignorant", as in ignorant that it is illegal. The alternative is of course knowing it is illegal, thus de facto deliberately committing a crime. What is your opinion between those 2?
BTW, if the fake wearer is a TZ-UK member, then ignorant NEEDS to be replaced as stupid because so many posts, in so many threads, explain that it is illegal. But then the chances that it is knowingly that they commit a crime (with the usual excuse "where is the victim?") are much greater.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Definitely something I agree on. Replicas/Fakes don't bother me and if it makes the buyer feel cool or happy that's fine. Not something I would even consider and it certainly has no place here. Anyone who wears a super clone because they don't want to be mugged hasn't thought it through properly.
They are illegal and violate someone else’s intellectual property.
Owning one says something about the wearers character, and it isn’t something to be proud of. There are brilliant, honest watches available for little money (Seiko, Citizen, CWC etc)
D
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at 66 years old long gone are the days of wanting to impress, or need help with my self esteem, i have considered pay over the retail price for a piece but not done so yet and own some genuine rolex watches already, for their beauty , mechanics and because i can now, i also understand the desire to own one and the frustration of not being able to afford a genuine one.
sad but now people will always do what they can to get what they want asap.
just to say i am on the side of not advocate buying fakes or mugging people.
Would rather wear a more affordable brand then wear something that is pretending to be something that it is not. As simple as that. I find wearing a fake pretty sad to be honest regardless of excuse.
This - given the range of watches available, I’d rather not wear something that’s pretending to be what it isn’t. If I wanted a Rolex look, there are more than enough honest homages out there.
And the “wearing a fake so the mugger doesn’t get the real thing” argument is just infantile. Unless it really is going to be some sort of consolation while one is recovering from a stab wound. Which seems unlikely.
I owned a fake once. It was a Rolex submariner according to the dial, although it had a GMT bezel which didn't actually rotate, and the clasp actually said 'ROLEX' on the outside. Wish I still had it for the memories. Bought it off a man in Spain about 20 years ago, he had a coat-full of the things. Does that count as a super fake? I mean it was faker than most right? I thought it was the dog's pyjamas. Stopped working and went in the bin of course.
He didn't try to sell me any drugs or prostitutes at the time, but I'm not ruling out that this might have been his side hustle.
Real Rolexes linked to drug dealers and criminals. Schoolboy error, he should be buying replicas from the kiddie-fiddlers at the Noob factory, not funding Swiss artisans!
Shameless drug dealer, 28, who paraded his wealth by pouring champagne over Rolex watches is jailed for 15 years
Last edited by J J Carter; 5th December 2021 at 18:26.
If I am going to places you could call a bit iffy where a expensive watch would attract too much attention I have a lovely Seiko great white I got off the forum I wear.
Great build quality and still tells the same time.
Does it bother me not having a more expensive watch on, not one bit as the watch I wear is for myself not to impress others.
A glance at a Rolex on someone's wrist be it fake or real will still end in the same outcome, getting battered or worse if scum bags want it!
If you have had a few close shaves my advice would be get to Argos and look in the watch sale counter ?
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I think the idea of going to somewhere that wearing a Rolex could get you mugged or killed and wearing a fake that could get you mugged killed is weird or another bit of simpleton thinking unless you don’t have any other option don’t go to those sort of places in the first place, or if you live somewhere dodgy don’t buy a Rolex
And what about replica sporting clothing, does that come under the fake heading?
Missed opportunity for sure, if only I'd thought of it!
Wear mine regularly in London without issue.
If we are going to extrapolate across 9 million people then you probably should never wear a watch, own a phone, drive a car or possess a wallet in London.
I sometimes wore my Rolex(s) while working in Probation and Prison. The inmates often noticed and some even new which model. A friend who wore a Panerai never had a comment. The Rolex brand is the big problem, especially DJ's and Sports version, too easily recognised by the worst of society.
Fake is fake and not OK.
That said, reading Roberto Saviano’s Gomorra some ten years ago was an eye-opener. He claimed that a big portion of Italian fashion industry operates or used to operate in a surprising manner. They provide the patterns and fabrics to a number of factories. The first one able to fulfill gets the order, the rest of the stuff will be sold on the fake market. The only difference to the real item being that it was made a bit too slow and hence it’s illegal goods. Beats me why they do/did it like that.
Heard it often myself, hence why I mentioned it as ‘probably’.........
”IP laws” ? I knew someone would dig into that. I’m not saying my morality is perfect - but it is MY morality.
To my mind the non-official merchandise production is no worse than the copying of (say) Rolex, Omega, Blancpain, Panarei etc designs. Not talking about ‘styling cues’ here..............