What Are The Pros and Cons Of Purchasing A Homage Watch?

Homage watches are really popular, but there are also quite controversial with collectors. They are either loved or hated and so it may be a good idea to go through some the pros and cons of buying one.

There is no right or wrong way to feel about them and if you are a little unsure, perhaps the following points can help you sway one way or the other.

(You can read more about – What Is A Homage Watch?)

The Pros of Homage Watches

Homage watches can be great and there can be a lot of positives around them and I will go through some of the pros that you will find when you buy a homage watch.

Homages Are Cheap

The most obvious pro of buying a homage is the fact they are very affordable. The whole point of these watches is that they are supposed to be cheap.

There is a high demand for the original watch, but the high price of some of these watches usually prices a lot of people out and then the homage version becomes the more realistic alternative.

Some luxury watches are priced ridiculously high and while some of increase can be justified, it is pretty intense. A homage allows you to buy a watch that is an acceptable price, no matter who you are.  

They Look Good

We can’t really deny that homages watches look good.

Of course this is all thanks to the work done by the design teams of luxury watch brands, since a lot of homages basically copy these high end watches pretty closely.

You may not agree with this approach, you can’t really deny that the watches they are making look good. That is the whole point of them. They are trying to give you that luxury look.

I know they are not perfect, but in general they look pretty decent. 

They Can Be Decent Quality

I think a lot of people assume that homages are low quality, and while that may have been the case in the past, today they are often pretty decent.

You can get some really good quality homage watches and they can rival a lot of microbrands and affordable big brands. A lot of the time the homages will have nearly identical specs to these type of watches and the only thing really making these different is the originality (which is of course important at times)

If you want a good quality watch, at an affordable price, then a homage is a realistic option. 

(You can read more about – What Are Some Popular Homage Watch Brands?)

They Are Easily Obtained

Probably one of the best things about homages is that you can just go and get one, right now.

You don’t need to save for months, as they are cheap, but even if you did have …you can buy them easily. There is no waiting list and no limited supply. You just go and buy one …or as many as you want.

These watches are made in high number by a large amount of brands, so you can easily obtain a homage watch without any issues.  

(You can read more about – Are Homage Watches Recommended For Those New To Watch Collecting?)

No Worries When Wearing The Watch

Wearing a homage also allows you to go throughout your day worry free. Your watch is cheap and easily replaced if something happens to it.

While you should always try and look after your possessions, it is kind of nice to not have to worry about something as you go about your day. If you where wearing a high value luxury watch, you are just going to have to be a little more cautious. You will be a little more anxious about losing your watch or breaking it …you will just be a little bit more aware of the fact that you have 10k just sat at the end of your wrist.

I know for some people this won’t matter, but for a lot of us, that is a lot of money and wearing a homage can make us feel more comfortable about the value of the watch on our wrist.

The Cons of Homage Watches

Personally I love homages and I think they offer a lot, but I am aware they are not perfect and I know a lot of people hate them.

I will now go through some of the reasons for this and look at the cons of homage watches.

Homages Are Not Respected

As I’ve already mentioned, homages are controversial and you can find as many people who hate them as love them.

The reality is that they are often not respected and even accused of being fake watches.

While they are legal, you can understand why some people are not too impressed with them. They are cheap watches trying to ride the wave of success of luxury brands and you could even argue they are stealing some customers from them.

Ideally watch collectors shouldn’t care about what you or anyone else is wearing, but the truth is that people do judge and a lot of people will look down on homages and just not respect them.

(You can read more about – Why Do People Hate Homage Watches?)

They Have No Originality

I think it’s pretty obvious that homages do not have any originality. While some of them may draw inspiration from other watches, a lot do just copy the bulk of their designs from other watches.

This is exactly why they do not get respect from people as I discussed above and also why they are accused of being fake watches.

The irony is that if these homage brands changed to more original designs, people wouldn’t buy them …so they are kind of stuck doing what they do.

The Quality Of The Watch Is Not Always Perfect

While The low price of the watch is great, it does mean that the quality is maybe not as high as we would like.

I would argue that we get what we pay for and when it comes to the low prices of homages, we actually get a lot for our money. However, you can find other original brands selling high quality watches at affordable prices …just look at Casio, so do the homage brands really have an excuse? 

A lot of the homages you can find are fine, but they can quite often be lacking that quality finish and it can be noticeable.

(You can read more about – How Do Homage Watches Compare To The Original Watches They Pay Tribute To?)

The Lume Is Never As Good

This is a pretty broad statement, but in general, the lume on homage watches isn’t great. Of course there are a few exceptions, but it does seem to be the norm.

I guess as these watches are so affordable, corners need to be cut and easily place to save some money on the production process is to skimp on the lume.

The Movements Are Cheaper

A lot of the low price of homages comes from the fact that they use cheap movements. These are usually reliable enough, but they are not perfect.

However it does seem like a lot of homage brands have started to use a lot more Seiko movements, like the NH35 and while these are cheap and basic …they are really good.

There was a time when a lot of homages had unknown Chinese movements and these where pretty poor and didn’t last too long and these where certainly a negative, but with the more frequent use of Seiko movements, I don’t think we can complain as much.

There Is Often A Lack Of Warranty

A lot of homages come from China, especially Aliexpress and while this is fine, it does make the whole customer service side of things a little more difficult.

A lot of these watches come with a “warranty” which really means an unsigned warranty card and actually trying to use this may become problematic.

The reality is that most people who buy these watches pretty much ignore the warranty. If it breaks, so be it, they are cheap and it’s easier to just write them off then try and send things back to China.

At the same time this does understandably put a lot of people off buying on. They may only be 100 quid, but that is still a lot of money and you want to have the knowledge that you are covered if anything goes wrong.

Homages Have No Resell Value

Another down side to homage watches is the fact that they do not have a very good resell value. For most people this doesn’t matter, they are buying the watch to enjoy and have no intention of ever selling.

Some people do like to buy watches and then sell them to fund their next watch, and quite often you can get a decent portion of your money back, which isn’t really going to happen with homages.

I also wouldn’t recommend them as an investment as it is very unlikely you will see any returns, you should only buy a homage if you want to wear the watch and enjoy it as you are not really going to make any money from them.

(You can read more about – Can Homage Watches Be Considered A Good Investment?)

Conclusion

Hopefully now you can see both sides of the argument and understand why these watches are both loved and hated within the watch collecting community.

Personally I love homages, but I can see why some people don’t agree …and that’s okay, we don’t all need to have the same tastes in watches.

(You can read more about – Frequently Asked Questions About – Homage Watches)