Yea I really disapprove of these...

 

The problem I have is they facilitate fakes, there is no doubt that the same production lines that make cases, bezels, hands and dials for these pieces are also used to pedal fake watches and parts. They're part of that supply problem and they always really will be.

 

Well here's the thing:

There are a large number of microbrands around that do similar homage pieces, nearly all of them are incapable of producing their own tooling and producing them in Switzerland at the prices and volumes they deal in, so they outsource.

If the parts contractor making the cases in China gets an order for 2000 units, and can produce another 10,000 more for sale in counterfeit watches or for direct sale on eBay and increase their profit margin they will.

There are "sterile dial" Seamaster 300s that are similar to the Precista, just as there are Rolex Submariners, once again this is a grey area. Is a sterile dial legitimate? They started appearing because it allowed counterfeiters to sell a watch past eBay.

And here's where it gets greyer

If you took that Precista and put a correct looking Seamaster 300 dial on it, is it a modded Precista, or is it a fake Seamaster?

And a better question. If you're the owner of a microbrand, and you're going to make a Seamaster 300 homage, but you need the case, bracelet bezel etc. If there is someone in China, that already has the tooling ready to produce you submariner cases, or Seamaster cases, or whatever watch you want for your homage watch, do you say to him, no, because you know WHY he already has that tooling and what he's using it for?

Do you instead contract another company in China or India where production is affordable for small volume low cost watches like these, and do you give him the exact specifications and help him fine tune the design until he has it dialed in for your production run?

And does that guy cease production after he's produced your 2000 units, or does he offer to produce the same product for the next counterfeiter that comes along when he's offered more money?

Or do you produce your 2000 cases in Switzerland, where the cost to do so and in such a small volume are ridiculously higher?

I honestly don't know, and my remark may have been unfair as I'm casting a wide net rather than targeting Precista specifically but knowing there are highly accurate replica parts for valuable watches out there makes it harder when you're trying to buy the real deal.