This follows on from a previous thread where I received some excellent advice:
forum.iwc.com/t/apologies-for-a-first-post-realfake/31399/
So after a good deal of deliberation, cross referencing and a degree of soul
searching I decided that a very significant birthday was a good enough excuse
to buy the watch I had always wanted.
Please excuse the quality of my phone photos
I've already marked its case with a couple of small dings, but I wear the
watch. I will wear it a lot and stuff happens. It is not a museum piece in my
eyes.
So what was it that started me on the road to this?
About 25 years ago I was in Bangkok (you know where this is going!), and I did
not have a big budget.
In a street market there was a lady selling watches...but really horrible
cheap and nasty ones.
"Who has the good fakes? I don't want these"
"Mister...come with me!"
She led me into a ladies' hairdresser, we went past the women having a haircut
and into a back room that was full of fakery.
I chose this one (The BAd) and to be honest I have loved it ever since, the
best $50 I ever spent. It has had several straps, new glass and even a whole
new movement.
In an IWC shop it got a lot of admiring comments a few years ago
"I don't remember that one, must have been a prototype"
"We should have put that one into production, that would easily sell"
As far as I know it is not a copy...because there was no such watch!
I know fakes are bad...but with this one...I don't care! I still love it as a
day-to-day watch.
The Ugly:
Knowing of my craving for an IWC my daughters old boyfriend thought he was
doing me a great favour when he returned from somewhere far away with this
one.
"Oh ...err...thanks a lot"
It is horrible in so many ways! Such a terrible fake, wrong...wrong...wrong!
I have never worn it...I will probably reuse the strap one day and keep the
watch as a reminder of why the real things are so special.
So in conclusion Thank You for the experts here who generously gave me the
advice that tipped me over into the IWC Owners Club...it is good to be here!
