Fake designer goods

[Will]

We all know that French customs are particularly hot on fake Rolexes, Gucci etc. Wonder what they would make of the fact that there is a shop in Dubai, of all places (surely not the same Dubai that has a ski slope with real snow in the middle of the desert, on top of a branch of Carrefour in fact) selling fake Primark tat? Looks about 24 days too late...

See here.

[Quillan]

Mrs 'Q' bought me back a load of T and polo shirts quite a few years back when on a 'girlie' holiday in Goa. They are branded with names of companies that produce sports wear and trainers. I have to say I still have many left and they are quite good quality as well. The T shirts are very thick compared to a real one that I have. In fact I would go as far as saying that I think the 'knock off' ones are better quality and of course considerably cheaper. Does make me wonder about the real stuff as in just how good they really are. I had one of those 'gold' Rolex's many, many, years ago. The 'gold' lasted all of a couple of weeks but the watch worked for years. I read somewhere that the more up market fakes use Seiko movements and advertise this fact. I wonder if the fake Primark stuff is cheaper than the originals.

I have to rebuke you a little with reference to Primark stuff as being 'tat'. I have a couple of jumpers from them. You get what you pay fore and whilst they are not exactly 'designer' wear and considering the price I paid for them 12 years ago I think they are very good value for money. Likewise Matalan stuff id pretty good too for the price, I have a dozen shirts that I wear in the winter, thick cotton ones, had them for about 15 years now and am dreading the day I have to replace them. They cost something like £3 each at the time and the closest I have got to them are now about £25 each.

Talking of watches I was reading something on the web the other day. If you still have in the back of a draw somewhere an original LED watch you might be interested to know that they are apparently changing hands for a grand or more (in working condition and original box). Do be careful as there are a lot of modern retro versions around, or so the article said, that are not worth much. I threw mine out when going through the junk before we moved here, something I now regret.

[pachapapa]

I remember once walking back along Carlos Pellegrini, the enormous central avenue in Buenos Aires, to the office with a group of americans after lunching at the American Club. When all of a sudde one of them was bowled over and relieved of his genuine watch.

I have never had any problems with any of my Rolex watches, only fault is that the batteries do not last very long.

Nowadays i rarely wear a Rolex Oyster Perpetual....they are soOO common...I much prefer a Breitling....adds a touch of class.

All the 380 pilots have them...Just ask Chef Fluffy![:P]

[powerdesal]

Be different..................wear a TIMEX.

Mine was cheap ( the cheapest in the shop) looks OK and keeps perfect time, what else can you ask of a watch?

[Quillan]

[quote user="powerdesal"]Be different..................wear a TIMEX. Mine was cheap ( the cheapest in the shop) looks OK and keeps perfect time, what else can you ask of a watch?[/quote]

Have to say I have had a few expensive watches over the years (not mega ones but around the £500 mark) yet my best buy ever was one I first saw on The Gadget Show. It's a Casio G Shock watch for under £100. Abused, I should say so, hit with a hammer and probably saved by wrist from being broken, dropped in concrete, dropped on concrete, covered in paint, I could go on. Easy to clean, I put it in the dishwasher and it comes out like new.

[Chancer]

As a diver I prefer my watches to be rated to at least 5 bar and preferably 20 and also be easy to read plus very rugged because of the work I do, Swatches always seemed to put up with the abuse better than any others but you pay for the priveledge.

I bought a few Casio Baby G shock watches from Kassprix in the sale for €4 each, they are normally €100 or so and they are great, I have no problem with them being a ladies watch as they are as tough as the  mens one (the G shock) which are so cumbersome.

Recently I bought a tatty looking LCD watch from a rédérie for one Euro as  it looked as tough as the Baby G's, when I dusted it off I found it was in fact new and unused still with the plastic on the crystal, A 10ct battery and joy of joys i found it has the biggest clearest display of any LCD watch I have ever seen as well as being tougher than all my others it looks very small and smart, its also a chronometer/timer and rated to 5 bar.

Be carefull with the depth ratings of watches, they never match up in real life, they say its because of the increased stress of being on the wrist (as opposed to a static hydro test) which is just bull. I have sat and watched my a new Swatch Chrono fill up in front of my eyes while I was static at 50 metres so when I got a really attractive titanium one from E-bay.fr I was more carefull, its rated to 200 meters so I tested it while canoeing, I fell out a few times but never went below half a meter yet it took in water [:(], luckily I saved it by drying it out.

[Chancer]

Our postings crossed Quillan, yes the G_shock gets my vote, does what it says on the tin!

I have stopped wearing mine for work as the strap has become discouloured, I will trty your suggestion although I dont have a diswasher, recently I used diswasher powder followed by washing soda to scour out 40 years of rust from the clooling system of my Lotus Elan, it was bloomin effective!

The function I really miss when i dont wear the Baby-G is the hourly beep you can program.

[Quillan]

[quote user="Chancer"]

Our postings crossed Quillan, yes the G_shock gets my vote, does what it says on the tin!

I have stopped wearing mine for work as the strap has become discouloured, I will trty your suggestion although I dont have a diswasher, recently I used diswasher powder followed by washing soda to scour out 40 years of rust from the clooling system of my Lotus Elan, it was bloomin effective!

The function I really miss when i dont wear the Baby-G is the hourly beep you can program.

[/quote]

Have to say mine has a countdown timer which is really handy for things from cooking to when I needed to hurry up doing plastering. Simple thing I know but not that many watches have one, they normally have just a stop watch. Mind you my current mobile has a countdown timer and I am tending to use that more since I got it. I can have my BBC recipe displayed on the browser to follow while coking and the timer running in the background.

[idun]

I have bought my youngest son a few G shock watches, as he skate boards and roller blades.......... he has had swatches too.

The g shock including the baby g shock have lasted fairly well. The swatches were OK too. But eventually like some of this bones ....... they break............He is currently watchless.

 

My husband used to dive so had a good diving watch he bought 30 odd years ago. Used to cost a fortune when the batterie needed changing as the joint would need changing too. Never a problem. It was a sekonda, and was expensive.

 

 

 

 

[5-element]

I do remember those very simple, 5-quid Casio watches???? Surely that's not the type you mean...I used to always buy that type, about...20 years ago??? Unfortunately, the strap used to break, and couldn't be replaced. For years now, I have been looking, and looking, and looking for replacement, wondering where they have gone, but they don't seem to exist anymore.

Or perhaps they only exist in the G-shock upmarket version???

[Quillan]

I don't think so but I might be wrong. Below is a list of the G Shock watches on Amazon UK

Casio G Shock Mens watches

You can watch how they tested it on 'The Gadget Show' using the link below but you will need to go through a proxy server. They tested it against some really expensive watch that the US Navy Seals use (at a couple of grand a pop). I think it was something like attacking the G Shock with an oxyacetylene torch that finally killed it, or something suitably extreme which of course you would never do in real life.

http://fwd.channel5.com/gadget-show/videos/challenge/challenge-winter-challenge-pt-1

I bought the same model, I think it was on special at something like £98 of Amazon. I have to admit even though I sail I don't use the yachting functions. It is waterproof, I tested it, didn't mean to mind but it does confirm it's waterproof. Another story for another day. [;-)]

 

[Salty Sam]

They still do 5 squid bargains at Amazon http://tinyurl.com/dym237m

One G Shock watch I had finally gave up the ghost due to the seal failing. It's replacement was a Suunto, which was a mistake!

Now back on a G Shock and very satisfied, and at a fraction the price of the Suunto!

[Théière]

[quote user="idun"]

I have bought my youngest son a few G shock watches, as he skate boards and roller blades..........

[/quote]

In the days when I skateboarded and roller bladed, didn't need a watch, went out when the sun came up, came back when the sun had gone down....or later [:)]

Chancer, I still have my divers watch, found it the other day when moving stuff.

Now I just use my smartphone

[powerdesal]

''I still have my divers watch, found it the other day when moving stuff.''

I found mine a few days ago as well, I stopped using it when diving after I got my Aladdin computer.

[5-element]

Salty Sam, thank you! I hadn't found them when I googled, only the G shock etc...

[Théière]

[quote user="powerdesal"]''I still have my divers watch, found it the other day when moving stuff.'' I found mine a few days ago as well, I stopped using it when diving after I got my Aladdin computer.[/quote]

Oh yes the Aladdin, the only extra was downloading the dive profile with my watch, I don't think my Aladdin (black) could do that.

[pachapapa]

To avoid wearing out my Breitling.

I use a €1 vide -grenier Casio.

[IMG]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QPVM3XTGL.jpg[/IMG]

Complete with a water resistant strap down to 200 metres.

[Salty Sam]

[quote user="pachapapa"]

To avoid wearing out my Breitling.

[/quote]

........ I keep mine in the box, only for use on special occasions!

[IMG]http://i46.tinypic.com/2hqcv1h.jpg[/IMG]

[5-element]

OK you watch experts and proud owners: if your watch is so state-of-the-art and so impregnable, then WHY keep it in a box, why not wear it all the time, since it is indestructible, then you won't/can't ever do anything damaging to it? I am at a loss with the logic...[:P]

(Once I have one that looks a bit like one of the above in the big photos, looked so impressive, but naturally I had no idea how to use any of the functions - compass etc.. so it was utterly wasted, hence my preference for those cheap but effective black plastic 5-quid Casio.)

[Salty Sam]

[quote]OK you watch experts and proud owners: if your watch is so

state-of-the-art and so impregnable, then WHY keep it in a box, why not

wear it all the time, since it is indestructible, then you won't/can't

ever do anything damaging to it? I am at a loss with the logic...[/quote]

5-e you're quite correct in what you say.

They're big, heavy, and ostentatious. They don't keep the time any better than a Casio. The cost of servicing would buy several Casio watches, and enough batteries to last a lifetime!

So as to why keep it in a box? The Breitling pictured is one of a limited edition of around 70 produced, an investment and much sought after by specialist collectors. To replace the strap alone would cost a small fortune!

As with any other item kept as an investment, condition is important and the box would be the best place for it.

In addition, I've not known anyone get mugged for a Casio.[:D]

[Frederick]

I have watches good ones ...in a drawer either with flat batteries  or too frightened to wear in case I lose or break one ..I now get a 5 euro one from the market and throw it away and get another when the battery goes .

[Théière]

For €1.5 euros you could get a new battery.

[pachapapa]

I got my Breitling from a Red Cross charity shop on the Costa Blanca in Spain.

No guarantee but very reasonably priced.

Problem it consumes button cells at a lightning speed.

I must admit in the summer at barbecues I sometimes wear two, one to radiate subtle ostentation, the other to tell the time.

P.S Rollies from Thailand are better than Rollies from Hong Kong.

[woolybanana]

I haven't worn a watch for close on twenty years. There might be one in a drawer here somewhere but heck knows where.

[Quillan]

[quote user="Salty Sam"][quote]OK you watch experts and proud owners: if your watch is so state-of-the-art and so impregnable, then WHY keep it in a box, why not wear it all the time, since it is indestructible, then you won't/can't ever do anything damaging to it? I am at a loss with the logic...[/quote]
5-e you're quite correct in what you say.
They're big, heavy, and ostentatious. They don't keep the time any better than a Casio. The cost of servicing would buy several Casio watches, and enough batteries to last a lifetime!
So as to why keep it in a box? The Breitling pictured is one of a limited edition of around 70 produced, an investment and much sought after by specialist collectors. To replace the strap alone would cost a small fortune!

As with any other item kept as an investment, condition is important and the box would be the best place for it.

In addition, I've not known anyone get mugged for a Casio.[:D][/quote]

Thank goodness for that but then in the deep and darkest corner of Toulouse you never know, they would nick the shirt off your back given the chance. [;-)]

I don't know about ostentatious but if you have the money and you want one then why not, its your money and you probably still have loads to spend on other things more sensible if you wish. There are two types of people who buy the fakes. Youngsters to be flash (like I once did) or older adults that buy them to pose as being rich when in fact they are usually rather skint or could only afford one in their dreams.