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Yeah, I agree it's crossing the line if the maker copies the genuine to the point that it uses the genuine maker's name on the watch face/strap, etc, but if it only copies the look and feel and size, why is that a negative thing?
I know guys that drive replica Cobras and they're proud to do it. It's not like they're gonna say, "Thanks, I'll just wait until I can afford the REAL thing, thank you very much."
Martin guitars invented the Dreadnought guitar shape in the early 1930s. Since then every major and minor guitar maker in the world has absolutely copied the size and shape and even the construction to the point that if it weren't for the builders name on the headstock and perhaps a slightly different shaped pickguard, they would be indistinguishable from the "real" thing. Yes, Martin still makes the Dreadnought but so does does Taylor and Gibson, and Fender and so on and nobody's gripping about that.
There was a Japanese manufacturer in the 1970s that took it to the point that, while they used their name on the headstock, they copied the script, coloring, etc of Martin. They were successfully sued and had to stop. BTW, those guitars are fairly collectible now.
Anyone who has paid $5K for a top of the line Gibson Dreadnought is not going to take it very well if some yahoo comes up to him and says, "Why the copy, dude?. Can't afford a $2500 Martin?"
Some very reputable, and expensive, watchmakers build dive watches that the average person would have to look twice to see it's not a Rolex. Half a dozen reputable makers build copies of Nav B chronographs that appear virtually identical to me. Where's all the rage there?
Do people only gripe about copies if they're significantly less expensive than the real thing?
Looking at some of the other forums it seems the Panerai clones are the hot topic. And. it's usually an owner of a genuine Panerai that has the strongest reaction to the clones.
Now, I've never seen or held a genuine Panerai in person, or even a clone. And I know I'm the new person here, but, I gotta say again, I just don't get all the fuss over "homage" or "clones, or "near-copies" or whatever you want to call them. So long as they they don't say Panerai Radiomir or Luminor Mariner or whatever on the face, why does it matter?
OK, blast away at me, I can take it. :D:D:D