Are Homage Watches Considered To Be High-Quality Timepieces?

Homage watches can look pretty similar to high end luxury watches …but are they actually high quality time pieces?

The reality is that they are probably not. You can certainly get some really good quality homages, but they are average at best, they will generally not even get close to being the highest of quality, even if their designs may make it look like they are, but let’s go through why this is the case in more detail.

What Type of Homage Are You Talking About?

I have discussed in other articles about the fact that the whole “homage” watch definition can be a little blurry.

A homage watch can be as simple as a watch that has a unique design, but also has some little subtle inspirations taken from another watch, all the way to a watch that looks very, very similar to the a well known watch, almost to the point where the homage is a direct copy.

In this article will be mostly talking about the homage watches that go for this more direct and similar looking style, but I will still reference those other watches that are maybe not as direct in their comparisons, since they are also a form of homage.

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

Homage Watch Components Are Cheaper

When we look at the individual components that go into a homage watch, they are usually quite cheap, but not always.

When you think of the cheapest watch cases available you think of chrome plated brass, and while you can get this in some homages, it is not actually that common and a lot of brands actually offer decent specifications.

You will commonly see good quality stainless stain and sapphire glass and generally everything that goes into these watches is pretty good. However, they are not high quality.

They are actually quite well made watches and their components are going to last and do what they are supposed to, but there is a difference in quality when you compare them to the high end watches. The quality really just is not the same, and that is fine, this is part of the reason why there is often such a large price gap between the two.   

Homage Movements Are Cheaper

The majority of homages will be using more affordable movements. A lot of these may be Chinese clones of classic Swiss movements, but you can also find a lot of homage brands using Seiko movements.

These are all pretty cheap, but they are still really decent and reliable. They are not high-quality movements, but they are not trash.

They are very well respected movements and are also found in a lot of microbrands …and of course Seiko themselves use these in a lot of their affordable watches, so really if it’s good enough for a Seiko, it’s good enough any homage we might have.

Cheap movements don’t always mean bad, but of course you will find some movements that are basically unknown. It is these unknown types that are really cheap and low quality and you can’t really trust their reliability. However, their low cost kind of makes the risk worth it in a lot of people’s eyes.

The Manufacturing of Homage’s Can Be Okay …But Cheaper

When you look at the manufacturing process for these watches, it can be pretty good. As I just mentioned, they use okay components and movements, and often these are all assembled in a satisfactory manner.

However, this is also where a lot of brands let themselves down. Homages are often budget watches and often costs are cut, which is usually in the manufacturing process. Often the finishing is just lacking or the assembly can be sloppy and you will find finger prints in places they shouldn’t be.

Really it is the manufacturing that will let you know the watch not the highest quality. If you had a cheap homage and an actual high quality watch in your hand, you would be able to tell the difference right away. The feel of the watch would just be very noticeable. All the little details would be perfect on high quality watch where the homage is going to have some rough edges and other little imperfections.  

There are a few bands that manufacture their watches to a very high standard, San Martin being one of them. These watches seem a lot more expensive than they are, they are very well made and you could argue that this brand is making high quality watches. They are still using fairly affordable movements from Seiko, so there is a limit of how high their quality can go, but compared to other brands using similar materials, you can really see the difference.   

Homage’s Have No Unique Designs

One of the biggest issues with homage watches is that they have basically just copied a successful watch brands design and this does affect their ability to be high quality.

The lack of originality just knocks off some potential points.  A homage is always going to have “this is watch is just trying to be X watch” attached to it, and this does mean it is always going to struggle to gain the respect that it could.

The original watch is always going to seen as the higher quality item, even if they end up being made to the exact same standard.

It just pays to be unique.

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

Homage’s Are Overall Cheaper Watches

In general, homages are cheap watches, especially when you compare them to the watches they are trying to be like.

This is the whole point of their existence. They are supposed to be cheap watches, so that people will buy them when they realise they can’t afford the real deal. People want high quality watches, but are not willing to pay the high end prices, and homages just fill this void.

The quality is decent, but not actually high quality …but the watch looks a lot better than it actually is so everyone just accepts that it’s not the best quality and they are happy enough. 

Homage’s Don’t Claim To Be High Quality

When you look at a lot of homages, they are not really claiming to be high quality; they are usually pretty honest about what they are selling.

Of course you will see some marketing language which kind of hypes up the watch, but when you actually what is being listed in regards to the specs, they are very honest.  I don’t think anyone is believing they are buying a super high end watch when they order one.

Of course the low price also helps with this, but this along with the decent specs shown they are not trying to say that it is more than it actually is.

As always, there are exceptions to this and you will find that some brands do try to say their watches are slightly better than they actually are, but usually these brands don’t last too long.

The internet will keep a lot of these brands in check. A little bit of research will quickly show you the truth about a lot of these watches as there are plenty of reviewers who will warn you if they are poor quality.

Although, I would say that a lot of them are totally fine, even if they are not the highest quality watches, they are pretty good for what you pay.   

Homage’s Have No Brand History

A lot of the cheaper homage brands have no real brand history, they are all quite new and this lack of identity and heritage does indirectly play a role in their “quality”.

We often see the brand name and dismiss them before even seeing the watch.

When you think of the established brands, a lot of their power comes from their age. They have been making watches for a 100 years and this is why they are so good at it. If we think of brands like Tudor, they have this history and this is why we love their watches. However, they are technically selling some homage’s too.

The Blackbay line of watches are homages of their own watches that they made in the 1950’s and 60’s and we tend to either ignore this, or not care.

The only problem with this argument is that Tudor are making very high quality watches, regardless of their history. I think what I am really saying is that if a few of these Aliexpress brands can maintain their current level of decent production, and they can get some history behind them …we might start respecting them more and seeing their watches as they actually are …decent, rather than dismissing them straight away. 

Conclusion

As you can see, homages are not high quality, but they are quite often really decent watches.

They can be worth your time and a lot of them really can rival the big brands in the affordable market, so don’t be so quick to dismiss these types of watches, you can find some really good ones, they are just not high quality like the luxury watches are.

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