A story about a high-net-worth individual opting for a replica over an original luxury watch has ignited an online debate. Despite having a net worth of ₹500 crore, the businessman chose a first-copy timepiece, arguing that his status naturally convinces people it is real without wasting significant capital.
“Last week, I met a man whose net worth is close to ₹500 Crore. Something on his wrist was shining bright. It was a Rolex Daytona, the two-tone one that retails north of ₹25 lakh. I complimented it mid-conversation, told him it's something I've been wanting for years myself,” Delhi-based founder Rohan Dhawan wrote in a LinkedIn post.
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However, the man’s response surprised Dhawan. He told the founder, “Rohan, I'm only telling you this. It's a first copy. Bought it for ₹10k from an Instagram page.” He then went on to explain, “Where I'm sitting today, people never even assume it could be fake. It shows the time, it gets me compliments, it does the work for me. So why spend that kind of money on a real one?”
Recalling the moment, Dhawan expressed, “I sat there confused, awkward, and lost in thought because I do not agree with him but I couldn't fully disagree either. A guy on the street wearing genuine Nikes still gets a second glance, assuming that they're probably a first copy. But a guy who's earning ₹2-3 lakh a month, wearing fake Jordans, gets a compliment and nobody checks twice. That's not luxury working the way it's supposed to.”
{{/usCountry}}Recalling the moment, Dhawan expressed, “I sat there confused, awkward, and lost in thought because I do not agree with him but I couldn't fully disagree either. A guy on the street wearing genuine Nikes still gets a second glance, assuming that they're probably a first copy. But a guy who's earning ₹2-3 lakh a month, wearing fake Jordans, gets a compliment and nobody checks twice. That's not luxury working the way it's supposed to.”
{{/usCountry}}The Delhi founder explained that while he would never “wear a fake,” he admitted the man’s logic was hard to ignore.
How did social media react?
An individual wrote, “It's all about clarity on why you want to own it. As he rightly said, for him, the priority was never to actually own the original piece, but to be known to own an original piece. With his net worth and the reputation he mentioned, nobody would question him, so his purpose was served. On the other hand, for someone very passionate about watches and really wanting to own it, the same solution wouldn't work. Your friend remained honest about it when you asked. That's the best part. Had he not said the truth, this conversation wouldn't even exist, isn't it?”
Another commented, “Your stature makes what you wear shine even brighter. Bill Gates often wears a Casio Duro and it's his favourite watch. He is so big that he makes the watch classy by wearing it. I don't think anybody worth ₹500 Cr needs to wear a Rolex to shine in the first place. A Timex/Casio would work as well as a Rolex for this guy.”
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A third posted, “I am a sneaker freak myself and have plenty of great genuine ones but a couple of them are fakes people gifted to me, and not even once people caught them. They get me compliments, work for a couple of years and do the work. Not suggesting to buy counterfeit products though. But I feel as confused as you are on this topic.”
A fourth expressed, “The watch didn’t earn the compliment. His credibility did. That’s a powerful observation. But I’d argue true luxury is something you buy for yourself, not for validation from the room. If the only value comes from what others assume, then the object has already lost its purpose.”