As a WatchFreak you might have seen this already, but I had to share it with you. Not only is it funny, but I want to pay respect to our fellow WatchFreak who cares… This summer the Australian Watchmaker Nicholas Hacko had an interesting chat with a website selling watches:
Source: Authentics Foundation
“- Hi, my name is Nicholas Hacko. I am a watch dealer. I’ve just visited your website and wonder if you also wholesale watches?
- Hi. Well I am just a watch dispatch person you need to talk to my boss.
- That’s fine. However, it is important that before we enter into any business transaction, I want to make sure I am not breaking any laws…
- What do you mean?
- Well you guys do sell fake watches, right?
- No, not fakes. We sell replicas.
- Replicas, fakes, same thing…
- No, no. Our replicas are NOT fakes!
- Oh sorry, my misunderstanding. So you actually do sell genuine Rolex watches?
- No, no. You don’t understand the difference with fake and replica…
- Huh?
- … not genuine Rolex, just Rolex replica. But definitely not the FAKE Rolex.
- OK I see. You sell REPLICA Rolex!
- That’s exactly right. Genuine replicas which look identical to real Rolexes.
- Very good. So would you be able to accept payments in replica money?
- What do you mean, I don’t understand???
- You know, the replica money. Money which looks identical to real money but it is just replica. Like the stuff I can print on my printer…
- [laughter...] I don’t know, I am just a dispatch worker. You really need to talk to my boss [more laughter...]
- OK – let’s say that I do come into agreement with your boss and he does accept my replica money for his replica watches – which sounds like a perfectly fair deal to me – would you accept that replica money as your wages?
- [upset voice] Are you serious??? I don’t work for fake money!!
- No, no, no – it is not FAKE money, it is just REPLICA money, mate …
- Sir, I am busy, if you have any more questions please send us an email.”
The full article is available on Hacko’s blog: “Aussie website cashes in on counterfeits“.
Although this is a quite funny conversation, the subject is very serious. For additional information about the fake AND replica problem, please visit:
- Authentics Foundation – “Fakes cost more“
- FakesAreNeverInFashion.com – “Innovation in brand protection“
- My Authentics – “Is it fake“
Please share you opinion about fakes, replicas, counterfeits, etc.
