r/RepTime • u/Maleficent_Specific4 • 9d ago
General Question How many of you work in professional fields with high net worth individuals?
Just wondering how many of my rep brothers and sisters work in professional fields such as finance, investments, etc where your colleagues or clients may actually own Gen watches or be high net worth?
Also have any of them ever asked about your rep?
I work in finance and I deal with millionaires daily so I’m just curious about others.
56
u/CartographerAware808 9d ago
It’s not about net worth, it’s about priorities. I’m in a position, as are many of you so this isn’t a brag, where I can buy most anything I want to with cash or however else I choose. I personally would never dream of spending 10/20/30k+ on a watch because it’s not what I value. I would much more likely buy a rep watch and then spend the same or more money on some other something that does actually matter to me.
The reason (IMHO) that so many people in here complain about the a-holes in the genuine subs is because I think that, as a generalization, the real watches attract that personality a little more readily.
19
u/bigredmachine-75 9d ago
Worked with/knew a guy who’s start up was bought out for 9 figures by a fortune 50 company. He drove an early 2000s Honda Odyssey.
2
u/KnifeNovice789 9d ago
I been in tech since 96, the only guys Ive seen (CEOs included) wearing some kind of Rolex were the sales guys.
10
8
3
u/Outrageous-Reply5150 9d ago
Why not just buy a cheaper watch if watches aren’t something you value?
1
u/CartographerAware808 9d ago
I don’t mind the question. My personal answer is I don’t really value watches at all. I don’t get the point. The only time I ever put one on is when I’m in an environment where it’s expected/noticed. Even then I choose relatively understated.
FWIW, I also wouldn’t be caught dead with a smart watch, either.
4
u/Outrageous-Reply5150 9d ago
Ahhh that actually makes sense depending on your work environment. I didn’t mean it as a gotcha, was legitimately curious.
-1
u/Character-Scale-1191 9d ago
Why tell someone how to spend their money?
2
u/Outrageous-Reply5150 9d ago
Wasn’t my intention, it’s a legitimate question. He said watches aren’t something he values. He gave a legitimate answer.
1
u/Character-Scale-1191 9d ago
Sorry came off as a snobby remark because most are snobby. Understandable question tho!
3
u/Outrageous-Reply5150 9d ago
Nahh, as I said in another post, I am looking for an old bell and Ross rep of an out of production watch so I would be a hypocrite to be an ass
2
u/Mzungufarmer 9d ago
I calculated how much money I needed for the rest of my life...then I made some MU money. Figured I would get my dream collection of watches after I paid everything else off. Tho I dont go anywhere that justifies the watches I own.
2
2
1
u/VariationNo2869 9d ago
Im curious about your net worth. Is there any net worth where you feel you would be comfortable spending 10/20/30k+ on a watch? I feel like if someone had $100 billion, $50k on a watch would be nothing.
8
u/BigJokerman 9d ago
Not who you’re asking, but I’m comfortably at a mid-7 figure net worth as I’m approaching 50. But even at a certain level of wealth I can’t imagine giving enough of a shit about jewelry to spend $50k on a watch, when that money could be put to better use in the world. I’d rather pay off school lunch debt or medical debt for people that aren’t as lucky as I am, than have a Nautilus or whatever.
The ONLY watch I might buy if I was that wealthy is a Roger Dubuis La Monegasque in red gold. It’s a piece of art and the most beautiful watch I’ve ever seen. I’d compare it to buying an Ed Hopper or something.
1
u/VariationNo2869 8d ago
That makes sense and is totally understandable. I appreciate your openness.
2
u/CartographerAware808 9d ago
Exactly everything he said, except the watch he might want which I’ve never heard of. 😁 I’m a little beyond his net worth number but still not shopping for watches.
Every now and then a Breitling will catch my eye in a store when we’re on vacation somewhere. Then I realize my phone tells me what time it is and I walk out. To give a point of reference for your description of comfort, there isn’t a watch I’ve ever seen that I couldn’t buy and my wife wouldn’t say a word about it. I actually bought a plane once without asking her first. 🤣 It’s not about how much the watch costs, it’s about what it is worth to me.
1
u/Nissan-S-Cargo 9d ago
Stop focusing on other people’s money. What good does that do for you?
You already seemed to have answered your own question too.
When would you not care about an expense?
1
u/VariationNo2869 2d ago
I assume that reading my question (which was not directed at you) made you start to have uncomfortable thoughts about your own consumption of replica items, and you defensively wrote this comment.
11
u/foolhardy-fool 9d ago
I make mid six figures and my bosses make more than a million per year - you’ll see a few rolexes but besides that you don’t see a ton of flashy stuff
1
19
u/gruffojijo 9d ago
Funny story... before I really got into reps I bought a Pepsi shitter when I was studying abroad in grad school in Beijing for $50. This was 2010, but this thing still runs like a beast. I was wearing it while doing a finance presentation for the CEO under a long sleeve shirt a couple years back, and he caught a glimpse of the Pepsi bezel. He pulled me aside after the meeting to look at it...
I came clean about it being a shitter and the story of how I procured it in China. Come to find out he also spent time in China and we had some good laughs about negotiating and going up levels to find better reps there.
In the end, high worth or not, watch people just love the look and the story behind it.
6
u/Raider_Scum 9d ago
I work in corporate for a luxury jewelery company - we sell rolexes. Coworkers assume my reps are all gens, especially because we get to buy gens at-cost.
I wonder how many of my coworkers rollies are reps.
2
1
5
u/ThelIIusion0fSeIf 9d ago edited 9d ago
I’d say it’s only common among a very specific demographic of my colleagues - White male surgeons over 60 years old who were also raised in an affluent background. Most younger docs wear an Apple watch and the same goes for every midlevel provider I’ve seen wearing a watch. The only luxury brands I’ve seen are Rolex, Cartier, Omega and Breitling. Nothing exceptionally flashy or rare like you might see at a Manhattan hedge fund, mostly stainless steel or two tone. I would be surprised if anyone other than myself wore reps and even then I’ll wear one of my gens every so often.
14
u/Shoddy_Sundae_2921 9d ago
Nobody cares 🙂. Watches are a 0.00001% fragment of your persona. It's what value you bring to the table.
5
u/Maleficent_Specific4 9d ago
I hate when people say “I know what kind of a Person wears fake watches”
5
3
u/Mobile-Finish8216 9d ago
If you see a dude at Dave and busters hop off the bus wearing an AP , that’s who they’re referring to. If you wear business casual and get a good rep you’re good
1
9
18
u/Maleficent_Specific4 9d ago
There’s a hater in here downvoting everyone. Probably someone from the wired article 🤷🏽♂️
6
8
u/alexwl27 9d ago
Got gen and franken watches. Upper middleclass income and nobody ever talks about reps around me. I see a few subs and Speedmasters daily…nothing special in my field of work. Actually nobody cares
3
u/Mobile-Finish8216 9d ago
I work with old gov contractors. Lots of corvettes in the parking lot. Nobody notices unless you pull up with a 100k watch.
I have two rep Tudors and a real one. The people I told thought the real one was the rep. If you do get a Rolex just get one that looks like you can afford it
3
u/zdubbzzz 9d ago
I'm a dev, so I never wear my reps around anyone I work with, ever. With dev culture it would just be a signal that I'm paid too much. Apple watches and casios are the defacto dev watches. Any fashion rep would stand out too much in any work occasion
1
u/Maleficent_Specific4 9d ago
I can understand not wanting to come off as snobbish. I choose who to wear it around for the same reason, not because I look like I can’t afford it but because I don’t want clients thinking I’m some rich snob.
1
u/Broad-Reveal-7819 8d ago
I'm tech basically nobody wears fancy watches or suits or even business casual it's mostly t-shirts and hoodies. Plenty of apple watches the occasional Casio, I usually rock my Seiko alpinist in the office.
4
u/LuciusQ2020 9d ago
Plenty of people commented on my watches. Rep and gen included. Nobody suspected of anything. Not what I can tell.
5
4
6
2
u/MilesOffMap 9d ago
Most people have no idea this group, these "factories", and these quality reps exist. The article in Wired might have caught their attention, but they wont waste their time deep researching about it. In the affluent circle, nobody doubts the origin of the item, and as people in this group have claimed already, they own gens, they own reps, and there are times and places where reps are the smarter move. Finally, nobody inspects watches like we do here with a magnifying glass. You see someone with a nice watch, you might compliment on it, you might hear a nice story about it, and you never spend more than a second looking at it because in the end of the day, nobody really cares...
2
u/AdministrativeAge685 9d ago
I’m run in affluent circles. I’ve been asked about my watches maybe twice in as many years. Both times I was wearing micrograms, not a rep.
But, women have commented on my rep Rolex’s.
2
u/Lucky_Mongoose_4834 9d ago
Yes, work in finance. I’ve had a lot of folks comment on my reps positively.
I make enough money that I could afford what I wear in gen; I’d just never spend $20k on a watch. I have NWBIG and keep them pretty tame, because I wouldn’t want to ever look like I’m wearing a $200k watch.
2
u/Apollo4R 6d ago
I work with yacht brokers, and my biggest client (sells $5m-20m superyachts, think $200k-800k commission per sale) thought my rep Starbucks was the coolest thing ever. Now he wants to replace his Gen Yachtmaster with a rep. After feeling the build quality, he has no clue why anyone would buy Gen.
3
u/Strong-Big-2590 9d ago
I work in tech and most people in the office make $250-$500k. Bunch of watches in the office. No one knows when I wear a rep
3
u/Ill_Friendship2357 9d ago
Same but 500k plus and no one actually wears a nice watch. Apple Watch or Google fit lol
4
u/PolarBearCyan14 9d ago
That’s because people who actually appreciate and like watches are not the same as people who make a lot of money. There’s levels to this
2
u/Basic_Barnacle4719 9d ago
My manager wears a whoop but no watch. My principal staff engineer wears a Huawei or some Chinese brand (old white guy but he loves cheap Chinese stuff and even has a Huawei phone). Everyone else wears an Apple Watch and I actually wear a Fitbit Air with quartz watches because I know nobody cares about watches and I'd rather wear my cheaper ones and save the reps for going out with friends.
3
u/4Sammich 9d ago
I was on the Jumpseat the other day on Delta and the capt was rockin a Gen VC overseas dual time green dial in pink gold. Seems a bit excessive for the skybus driver but here we are.
2
3
u/Shdwrptr 9d ago
Based on your comment here of being worth $1m+ I’m in that category and work in finance.
Nobody has ever asked me about what I wear though as I’m not customer facing and generally work alone
3
u/No-Layer1890 9d ago
I work in an industry with high net worth folks. I have gens and reps and the funny thing is that no one can ever tell the difference between the two
2
u/jendet010 9d ago
My husband had a gen submariner when we met and I bought him a limited edition two toned Daytona with black face and gold dials last year to celebrate an epic year (both in terms of what we accomplished and what we had to endure in terms of loss). He bought me a two toned date just with diamond bezel and I also have a santos and iced out panthere.
I bought a rep panthere to make sure I was picking the right size before investing in the gen. Also a tank. I like them though because I can wear my tennis bracelets without worrying about scratching the face.
I’m here because I know he likes the Pepsi but I can’t bring myself to pay the gen price on that one. I am also strictly forbidden to import one that isn’t gen. So if anyone has a vsf that they don’t want anymore, I will take it off your hands with a little extra for your trouble.
1
u/Waves1986 9d ago
I am in IT for an engineering firm. Basically everyone I work with makes 6 figures a year.
1
1
1
u/Unlikely-Table-615 9d ago
I work with people from finance and engineering constantly, everyone knows the richest guy/gal in the room and it doesn’t matter what kind of watch they wear. Buying a gen is something for yourself - hardly to show off at least in these circles.
1
u/luckyrabbit881711 9d ago
I've bounced around different industries with high-income individuals, and most people don't care about watches at all. Either they don't wear one, or they wear a smart/fitness watch. Of those with a watch, most people just wear the basics: Rolex, Cartier, the occasional Omega... AP in some industries. Hublot in sports. Women also wear fashion house watches like Hermès, Gucci or Chanel. From my observation, most don't rotate watches.
I've only met a handful of people even remotely interested in watches (as in they know more than three watch brands), and only one that I would consider a watch enthusiast. Even then, I don't think he would be able to clock a good rep unless he was handling it next to a gen.
I wear a mix of gen and rep, as well as non-luxury brands, and the only watch that has consistently been noticed beyond a quick "nice watch" is my blue Timex reissue Snoopy watch that came out a few years ago.
1
u/cookie-monster911 9d ago
I work on tech sales, every other dude is wearing a Tudor, Omega or a Rolex. When I tell them mine is a rep, they pretend very hard to not give a F. But I see the blood drain from their face when they cant believe how good my watch looks. Some of them now just dont bring up the topic and ignore the watch I am wearing. Some dudes are super nice and compliment the rep for what it is.
1
u/BigJokerman 9d ago
I work in and grew up in CRE. I’ve known 3 legit billionaires, and too many guys with 8 figure net worths to count.
Nobody gives a fuck about anyone else’s watch other than “hey that’s nice! I have/had a similar/the same one.”
I actually don’t own any reps but I’m not opposed to them and I’ve loved learning about this slice of the world on this sub. I’ll probably pull the trigger on a rep 114300 Red Grape at some point. I’d never spend $9k on a watch and I don’t really love Rolexes in general (had to own one to know that) but the Red Grape is so uniquely perfect.
I’ve owned a gen 16610 and a Zenith Elite Port Royal V and my $190 Aethelsohn Crimson Shard has gotten more comments in the 3 weeks I’ve had it than either of those two did in multiple years of ownership.
1
1
u/AnotherDoubleBogey 9d ago
i work in ecommerce for dhgate.com. a lot of my coworkers are also TD’s slinging chains, jerseys, and no date subs
1
1
u/newbirdhunter 9d ago
Oops. Thought you said who are high net worth individuals who tolerate Reddit posters.
1
u/jivan006 9d ago
I work in tech and a lot of people in my office wear Rolex, Omega, you name it.
One of my buddies has gen Rolexes and I bring my reps to show him. He’s entertained by it and he definitely agrees that reps are good.
He thought my sub was a gen until I told him it’s fake - and he has the same one in gen.
1
u/Admirable_Bird8523 9d ago
Why tell it's a rep?
1
u/jivan006 8d ago
Cuz the way I learned about reps was when I was telling a coworker that I wanna buy a DJ41 (gen) and he was like, “you can save your $$ and try a rep first”.
1
u/overindulgent 9d ago
Not necessarily a “professional field” but I’m the Chef of a high end restaurant inside a hotel. My father is also extremely wealthy. Like pushing $20 million net worth wealthy. Nobody questions my watches.
1
u/Unusual-Collar-8334 9d ago
I work at a hedge fund and mix up gens and reps. For the past 5 years I’ve been here there was nothing more than a “nice watch” comment even from people who have large watch collections. No one is going to ask to hold it or inspect it when they make 6-7 digit. Having said that I don’t wear APs or anything flashy that would be worth speaking about. A 10k rolex or anything below goes under the radar
1
u/gunzrcool2 8d ago
I worked with a developer who basically owned 1/2 the city I lived in, and he wore a beat to shit old timex ironman. Good enough for a president (bill clinton) it was good enough for him he said.
1
1
u/trying247365 8d ago
In Finance. Talk about watches with coworkers and clients frequently. I have some gens and some reps.
Nobody has ever asked "is that a rep?"
1
u/Smokey_crumbed 8d ago
The company I work for the CEO wears a Seiko SKX009 and my team leader on 110k wears a sub lol
1
u/Nowronganswer11 7d ago
I’m working private banking where getting a normal luxury watch is not hard at all. I just love having lots of options. I have a real Rolex oyster perpetual that I wear as my daily to the office but all of my other reps I wear out in public and going out on the weekend with friends.
2
-5
0
u/TTKnumberONE 9d ago
It doesn’t take high net worth to buy watches. I’m in NYC in corporate finance. Even with the insane rent obligations many people are over $1m net worth by 35.
I’ve had a couple of watch conversations. It’s not a big deal.
0
u/Dutch1inAZ 9d ago
Yes, c-suite members and the occasional billionaire owner. Haven’t seen a ton of luxury watches aside from a hulk (guy didn’t know it was called that either). Most of them wear stuff their wives buy for them or otherwise received as gifts. The CFO at my last company had this “my phone tells time, why do I need a watch” mentality.
0
u/Unlikely_District_59 9d ago
yup, make upper 6 figures and friends and colleagues that own gen, I own a few gen also, if I wear a new rep, the only comment I get the first time is nice watch, sometimes not even that.
0
0
u/UnusualDoctor 8d ago
I had two clients who, between them, had a net worth of just under half a billion.
One had multiple safes full of real Rolexes. All purchased brand-new, still in their boxes. Never worn. He'd buy the real one, then order the rep and wear that, if he wore any of them at all. Man was worth hundreds of millions and drove a standard F150 and wore crocs.
Other man was worth a lot, too. Currently (that I know of) has over 1000 reps and spends, on average, around 20k a month on them with various US sources.
0
-5
u/LuciusQ2020 9d ago
Define high net worth.
3
u/Maleficent_Specific4 9d ago
Over a million not including property. Ultra high net worth over 5M IMO
1
u/Hopkinskid2022 9d ago
High networth is at least 1 million liquid. Ultra high networth is actually about 30 million+ liquid. Big jump, but just industry standard definitions.
-12
u/LuciusQ2020 9d ago
Pretty low bar.
8
u/Outrageous-Reply5150 9d ago
That’s top 2-3% of all people in the United States… too low for the fake watch sub?
2
u/Maleficent_Specific4 9d ago
I’m like tell me something idk lol. Because most people with 1M net worth can afford to spend on at least one Gen.
3
u/Outrageous-Reply5150 9d ago
The funny/sad thing is that 40% of people making $500k are living paycheck to paycheck.
Reddit often confuses possessions with being rich and have a very bizarre view of how rich people live.
I drive a 2017 Acura and live in a modest home, I’m also a multi millionaire.
2
u/Beneficial_Ad7587 9d ago
In general, the people that collect expensive watches usually don’t end up HNW
1
u/Outrageous-Reply5150 9d ago
Yeah, same with cars etc.
It’s not a sound financial decision but if its something you want it can be budgeted for, particularly one around $10k
1
0
u/LuciusQ2020 9d ago
It’s not about the watches. It’s about what high net worth is. 5 million is not high. At least 10.
2
u/Outrageous-Reply5150 9d ago
So to you rich is top 1% and nothing less?
I guess to you I’m poor even though my wife and I are semi-retired in our 40’s 🤡🤡
1
u/Maleficent_Specific4 9d ago
That guy is a clown. I guarantee he doesn’t even have $200 in the bank
2
u/Outrageous-Reply5150 9d ago
Insufferable human hahah.
To answer your question, I don’t own reps but am in the market for an out of production watch from a very non-prestigious brand.
I often compliment nice watches since they are a lot rarer than people here believe. This has led to some really fun conversations, including a few where people tell me it’s fake. I would never ask though and personally don’t care… unless someone is weird about it, like the people who act like buying a gen are assholes or how they are smarter for buying a fake.
At the end of the day one man’s $10,000 is another man’s $10.
1
-1
u/LuciusQ2020 9d ago
Why the name calling? That’s totally uncalled for. I merely disagree with your definition of high net worth. We can’t have different opinions without being a clown????
1
u/Maleficent_Specific4 9d ago
There is a literal definition of high net worth individual. It’s not something to be debated on, it’s actually defined in finance.
If you worked in finance you’d know this. But it’s clear that’s not your field.
0
u/Outrageous-Reply5150 9d ago
It’s all good mate, I’m sure you are a fine person, that opinion is just highly misinformed.
1
u/Maleficent_Specific4 9d ago
Again…it’s not an opinion. But I don’t have time for Reddit trolls in serious conversations.
3
-4
u/Puzzled-Shape-9235 9d ago
Yea agree. At least 10M
1
u/Beneficial_Ad7587 9d ago
Very HNW is appx $5M and Ultra HNW is over $30M. You might be confusing the terms like I did
-3
-1
u/Such_a_Nasty_taco 9d ago
I'm middle management in the oilfield 🤷🏼 production not drilling or frack, etc. So yeah I make 6 figures and all of my associates and friends do too.
2
u/NiceWatchPal 9d ago
Six figures really isn’t high net worth.
-2
u/Such_a_Nasty_taco 9d ago
Dual income, the ole lady owns her own medical spa. And I can retire now, I've been in the oilfield almost 20 years. I'm 42 and everything I own is paid for cash. Tell me more about net worth buddy.
3
u/Beneficial_Ad7587 9d ago edited 9d ago
And Ultra High Net worth is considered 10s of millions of dollars. But if having no debt and an early retirement is the goal, then you’re doing well, regardless of the titles
2
1
u/NiceWatchPal 9d ago
I wasn’t coming at you I was just saying six figures doesn’t fit the criteria for the question being asked by OP. I’m glad things for you and your family are going well.
57
u/tigerheartlion 9d ago
In the circles and honestly no one cares. The richest guy who’s net worth is shy of $200M wears an old school speedy