Since most of us are not millionaires there can be a lot of decisions that need to be made when it comes to our watch collecting hobby. We can’t just buy everything we see and sometimes we need to adjust our goals to fit our budgets and lifestyles. Choosing between your grail watch or opting for a homage can be a decision that many of us have to make and it can really leave us wondering what is the right thing to do.
What you do really depends on your on you individual circumstances, but I will be discussing the pros and cons of both options to help you decide what might be your best option.
What Is A Grail Watch?
You may have heard the expression “holy grail” which is when you refer to an item that you really want, but it’s really hard to get. This is exactly what a grail watch is; it’s your dream watch.
It’s the one watch you would pick if I said to you “you can have any watch, it doesn’t matter the price or the availability, just name it and it’s yours”
This usually means that most people’s grail watch is an option that is outside their immediate reach. Some people want the impossible, while others grails may be attainable with some time and hard work.
What Is A Homage Watch?
A homage watch is a watch that takes design inspiration from a popular watch. In reality they have become a strong market alternative for expensive watches. They are cheap watches that kind of look similar (sometimes a little too similar) to more expensive watches. They basically allow you to get the look of a high end watch at an affordable price.
Don’t Buy Fake Watches!
I need to make this very clear. Do Not Buy Fake Watches! It is a stupid idea and also illegal.
Homages may look very similar to expensive watches luxury watches, but they are very much their own thing, just very similar. A fake is a direct copy and even has the same brand name as the high end watch.
You should never buy any sort of fake watch, let alone a fake version of your grail watch. It’s not worth it.
(You can read more about – Are Homage Watches Legal?)
Why Would You Get A Homage Of Your Grail Watch?
There are a number of reasons why someone would opt for getting a homage.
Price
This is often a huge factor in someone’s decision. Most people’s grail watches are ludicrously expensive. It’s very easy to find a watch that is in the 100s of thousands, some even tickling around the million mark! It doesn’t matter how much time or effort they put in, it’s just unattainable for them so it just makes sense to go for the more affordable option.
Some people’s grails might have a slightly less extravagant price tag, but can still be pretty expensive in the grand scheme of things. Even if a watch is a few grand, that’s a lot of money. While I am sure with some effort a lot of people could reach this, it’s not as easy as that. Everyone has different commitments and responsibilities in life and forking out a few grand for a watch isn’t really something they are comfortable with. That money could be better used elsewhere and a cheap homage can fill that void.
You also might just have the general concern about paying that much money for something. Perhaps you can afford it, but you are just not comfortable having that much money on your wrist. The fear of breaking it or having it stolen isn’t worth it, so you might opt for the cheap homage to keep your mind at ease.
To Test It
It’s easy to look at watches online and fall in love, but seeing them in person can change things, especially when you get it on your wrist.
Some people like to buy a homage of their grail watch to test it out. While a homage is obviously not the exact same, you can get a rough idea of what it would be like to own the real version. You can get a rough idea of how it would look and feel on you.
You could argue that you can go to a shop and try it on, which you can, but sometimes wearing something and testing it a little longer can give you a better idea of what you actually think. If you are going to spend a lot of money on something, you want to make sure it is right for you and a homage can help with that.
You could also argue that you should just save up and get the grail. If it’s not for you, you can always sell it on again. This is also totally a thing you can do, but some people would rather just get the homage and know right now, rather than spending all that time saving up to just be let down.
(You can read more about – How Do Homage Watches Compare To Luxury Watches In Terms Of Craftsmanship?)
Availability
The availability of high end watches can be a real issue. Sometimes there is a waiting list or perhaps the watch is no longer made and therefore there isn’t that many available to buy. This supply and demand can of course affect the cost, but basically it just slows down access to some watches.
A homage fixes this and lets you have a very similar watch today.
Why Its A Bad Idea To Get A Homage Of Your Grail Watch?
While getting a homage might seem like the best choice, it’s not always.
It’s Not What You Want
A homage may look like the watch what you want, but it’s not what you want.
Every time you look at it you will know it’s not exactly what you where after. All the little differences and the different brand name are always going to stand out when you look at it.
The point of the homage is to scratch the itch of owning that particular watch and while it might hit the spot initially, after a while that itch will come back and you will just want the original watch. The old saying “Buy cheap, buy twice” rings true for homages. You will end up still wanting to buy that grail, so don’t waste your time with the homage, just aim straight for the grail.
(You can read more about – Why Do People Hate Homage Watches?)
No Satisfaction
A lot of collectors really enjoy the journey of aiming for a grail. The plan of action and the months of saving is really rewarding to them after patiently waiting. With a homage you don’t get this, there is no special feeling of achievement. It is just something you can buy right now and it will show up tomorrow.
No Significance
When you are buying a homage you are showing no self control and there is no significance to the purchase. They are cheap and easily accessible so you can often just lose control and buy them the second you see them.
Aiming for a grail is more purposeful. It can take away that instant urge to buy things and give more of a target to aim for. It allows you to place more significance on a watch. With a grail you can say you will buy it when you get married, you make a certain amount of money or when a child is born. It can just give the purchase more meaning.
(You can read more about – Can Homage Watches Be Considered Collectable Items?)
Your Grail Watch Might Actually Be Attainable
A lot of us might not realise that our grail watches are actually obtainable. We might rush into buying a homage when if we sat down and made a plan, we would see that the grail isn’t actually too out of reach.
Personally my grail at the moment is a Rolex Explorer. I could easily buy about 10 different versions of this style of watch from Aliexpress today. However, the Rolex is only around 8k. That still a lot of money, but I think I can make a plan and reach that. It’s not impossible; it will just take a little time. If it was 100k I’d probably not even try, but for a lot of people like me, the grail could be closer than you think.
It’s Up to You
As you can see there are plenty of good reasons to go in either direction. There is no right or wrong way to go about it. You could even try both ways and see what works best for you.
Many people have bought homages and been totally satisfied, equally, many people have bought homages and ended up going on to buy the grail at a later date.
It also doesn’t matter if you get your grail, or just a homage, you always want more.
There will always be something new and you will always end up with a new grail you are longing after. That’s just how this hobby works.
You just need to balance your goals and your collection and your finances. If you can do that, you should end up pretty happy.
(You can read more about – Should You Collect Homage Watches?)
Ian is the main writer at Horology Dream and is a lover all things watch related.
He has been a watch collector for over a decade and brings his knowledge and experience to this site to help you on your own watch collecting journey.
You can connect with him on Social media and talk anything watches or read more about him on his Author Page.
