I understand where you are coming from. But looking for ethics in the corporate world of the watch business is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
I only use the "homage" term because it's commonly used, and quite frankly I can't think of another term that means "a copy, but not really a fake" - at least not a concise term. I am certainly not defending them, but if we are going to take these companies to task, we should be looking at others too for their "ethical" behavior. Even the "victims" of these homage watches...I'm not suggesting 2 wrongs make a right, but I see this as just another example of the way this industry works.
Are the big brands ethical? Do we give the big brands a pass because they are big brands and have a long history?
I'll use "big green" as the example, because they are truly the bully of the watch world in many respects...
Is it ethical for them to tell you what you can and can't do to your watch, a watch that you legally purchased?
Is it ethical for them to call your watch a "counterfeit" just because it has an aftermarket bezel on it, that is studded with diamonds?
Is it ethical for them to require that bezel to be replaced, at your expense, if they service the watch?
Is it ethical for them to take your diamond studded bezel and not give it back - are they stealing your property?
Is it ethical that they don't give you the old parts back when they service your watch, again stealing your property?
Is it ethical for them to force unwanted product on dealers, and then threaten to (and in some cases actually doing this) taking away their dealership if they discount to move those watches that were forced on them?
Is it ethical for Rolex USA to not allow a US resident to legally import a Rolex they bought in another country (unless they hand carry it into the US)?
Is it ethical for them to force watchmakers to buy tens of thousands of dollars of equipment, and jump through hoops to get a parts account, then terminate it for no good reason, other than their greed?
Sometimes I think the oil industry is more ethical than the watch industry is...so I guess putting it into the perspective I see every day, it's not something I get really upset about in the big picture.
If these companies are not making an outright fake, and their business is not making "homage" one day and "fake" the next in their plant in China, if they make a quality product at a fair price, and they market it even remotely truthfully, then I really don't get too excited about it.
Cheers, Al
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