1. Introduction to high imitation watches
As the name implies, high-imitation watches are imitations of world-famous watches (Rolex, Omega, IWC, Panerai, etc.). They are made in the factory according to the original watches, and the appearance is the same as the original. The term “high-imitation watches” first appeared in China in the late 1980s. In the early days of the establishment of the national watch industry, in order to consolidate its own watchmaking influence, more than 100,000 sets of watch equipment were introduced from Switzerland. Then, for the sake of overall harmony, the equipment was distributed in Shanghai, Tianjin, and Guangdong. The former two became the current Shanghai Watch Factory and Seagull Watch Factory, and Guangdong became the largest watch accessories assembly site. In this environment, high-imitation watches were slowly born. Around 2013, the five artifacts of the NOOB factory’s high-imitation watches became popular, opening the prelude to high-imitation watches! So far, the high-imitation watch market in Guangzhou Station West has gathered merchants from all over the world every day, and the trade covers almost the world. Today’s high-imitation watches have already used a large number of domestic imitation ETA movements, and the movement quality is very good, and the accuracy is also good.
Before some friends who like Swiss watches come into contact with watches from high-end imitation watch factories such as N, ZF, and KW, they are generally dismissive of high-end imitation watches, thinking that they are just simple high-end imitation watches with poor workmanship and quality. However, after they really come into contact with high-end imitation watches from these big factories, they will find that even if their watches are priced at only around 285 USD, their workmanship, waterproofness, luminous effects, etc., are far superior to Swiss watches worth 1500 USD. This is why high-end imitation watches have been selling well overseas.
2. Two major bases for high-end replica watches
1. Taiwan high imitation watches
Taiwan is the pioneer of the high-end replica watch industry. Whether it is replicating electronic products or replicating Swiss watches, its technology is world-class. While creating many billionaires, it has also produced many new stars in the field of high-end replica watches. Fujian is close to Taiwan, and the first to establish the high-end replica watch industry in the Pearl River Delta was operated by Fujian people.
Due to Taiwan’s legal system, the official crackdown on high-imitation watches has become increasingly severe, resulting in the gradual shrinkage of Taiwan’s high-imitation watch market, which is difficult to regain its former glory.
2. High imitation watches from mainland China
At present, the high-end imitation watches in the mainland are mainly concentrated in the Zhanxi watch market in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province. After twenty years of trials and tribulations, there are no less than a hundred high-end imitation watch factories, but the high-end imitation watches they produce only develop production, but do not pay attention to quality. Because most of their orders come from underdeveloped overseas areas, there are basically no after-sales problems, so the quality of watches cannot be compared with Taiwan’s high-end imitation watches. However, in terms of watch movements, these factories have produced countless outputs. The more famous domestic mechanical watch movement manufacturers are Hangzhou Watch Factory, Tianjin Watch Factory, and Guangzhou Watch Factory. The movement made by Guangzhou Watch Factory is called Mingzhu Movement, and basically ordinary high-end imitation watches are installed with Mingzhu Movement.
At present, there are many watch factories in the mainland, and as long as the factory has a name, it has its own representative products, and they are all sources of high-end imitation watches. For example, N, H, ZF, KW, TF, BP, MK, JF, V6, etc【If you want to know more about the village, you can read this article:Top 10 Chinese replica watch factories】. Because it belongs to the gray industry, the high-end imitation watch industry is mixed and very chaotic. For example, Factory N and Factory H may share a shell factory… Each manufacturer has its own best watch models, such as Fifty Shades and Compression Master from Factory N.
3. Advantages of high imitation watches
1. Appearance
High-end imitation watches are made from the original molds and in the proportion of the original watches, which is basically 1:1. The material is mostly 316 stainless steel, and some high-end imitation watches have begun to use 904 stainless steel. The wearing comfort is basically the same as the original. The fine parts of the polished surface of the high-end imitation watches can also be made indistinguishable from the original.
2. Movement
As we all know, the core of a watch is the movement. Since domestic mechanical watch movements can only realize the timing function, and domestic movements are not yet able to achieve the complex running seconds function, high-end imitation watches will choose to install Swiss mechanical movements, but Swiss watch manufacturers have their own unique craftsmanship in making movements, and the movements they produce are only for their own use and limited in quantity. The outside world will not order these movements to make high-end imitation watches, so high-end imitation watches now use a large number of domestic imitation ETA movements, and the movement quality is very good, and they have excellent performance in accuracy. Common ones are imitation ETA 2824, 2836 and 2892, of which 2836 is mostly used in high-end imitation Rolex.
3. Price
In the high-end replica watch industry, the price of a watch is basically determined by the movement. High-end replica watches now use a large number of domestic imitation ETA movements, and the most common ones are imitation ETA 2824, 2836 and 2892 movements, etc.
The price of about 145 to 360 USD mostly uses the imitation 2892 movement similar to Seagull, which looks very much like the real ETA2892 from polishing to appearance. This movement is mostly used in some ultra-thin watches.
The price ranges from 215 to 500 USD, and most of them use the imitation ETA7750 series movement with chronograph function from Shanghai Watch Factory and Dandong Watch Factory. Fiyta’s aviation series watches and Rossini’s chronograph watches all use the 7750 produced in Shanghai. Manually wound watches mostly use the imitation ETA6497 movement produced by Hangzhou Watch Factory and Seagull, which is mostly used in imitation Panerai and other models, and the accuracy is not inferior to the real ETA movement on the real Panerai.
The prices range from 430 to 860 USD, and most of them are tourbillons. The tourbillons used in high-end imitation watches are mostly produced in Dandong and Beijing. In fact, the best tourbillon in China should be produced by the Sea-Gull factory, but it is expensive, so few high-end imitation watch manufacturers use it.
4. Wearing high-end replica watches
The functions of high-end imitation watches can now be synchronized with the original ones, so correct use and maintenance during wearing are extremely important.
1. The waterproof depth of 30M and 50M does not really mean that the watch will not get into water at 30M or 50M underwater. 30M and 50M are only the waterproof level for daily life. You cannot wear it when swimming.
2. General waterproof high-imitation watches are not swimming or diving watches. Although they adopt sealing measures to prevent water splashing and daily sweat from invading, they cannot be immersed in water. In real life, this kind of constant temperature and stillness does not exist. Therefore, wearing a watch in the water will greatly increase the water pressure on the watch. According to the principle of thermal expansion and contraction, the watch case will expand, and water vapor will enter the movement from the gap of the case and then condense into water droplets. Over time, the movement will rust.
3. Leather straps, whether cowhide or crocodile leather, have a service life. Generally speaking, they should be replaced after wearing for about two to three years. In the daily wear of the watch, try to avoid contact with the above-mentioned chemicals and the erosion of acids, alkalis, and salts to avoid damage to the appearance of the watch and affect its appearance and use.
4. It is best not to wear a watch when doing outdoor sports. High-speed vibrations at the wrist can cause damage to the movement of the watch. The anti-magnetic ability of a general mechanical watch can only achieve the anti-magnetic effect within a limited range. If it exceeds its anti-magnetic ability, the steel parts in the watch will be magnetized, and the hairspring will also be affected, causing the watch to run inaccurately, running slowly or fast, and in serious cases, it will stop.
5. If a mechanical watch is not worn for a long time, it should also be wound regularly.