Everybody has a favorite hobby. For some, collecting money, stamps, paintings or even accumulating personal celebrity items is a hobby. My favorite is collecting different kinds of wristwatches. I consider wristwatches as technological artworks of accurate precision and timeless craftsmanship. The ones I'm fond of collecting are those that are elegantly made, manufactured or hand assembled by Swiss craftsmanship.

Undisputed, the Swiss are the ultimate designers of elegant timepieces but I've also collected a few Japanese-made technologically advanced watches. The concept of solar powered cells in watches were pioneered by Citizen Watch Co. of Japan which are featured in some of their latest fashion watch gear. Not to be outdone is Casio who also pioneered the ultimate in LCD watches such as the G-Shock so commonly popular among the energetic youth.

Swiss timepieces are timeless masterpieces in their own right. Rolex as everyone knows prides itself in technological supremacy with special emphasis on it casings crafted from solid gold. Similar exclusive manufacturers such as AP, Piaget, Patek Philippe, Longines, Baume Et Mercier, and Cartier etched out elegant technological marvels fashionably designed with jewelry like quality materials utilizing the world's finest precious metals such as gold, titanium, platinum and even precious diamond stones.

For the sportier type of personality, there's an appropriate Omega or Tag Heuer to cater to your deep sea or heart-pounding adventure. Pride or self-satisfaction isn't the only reason to own an original Swiss made timepiece. It's the idea of owning a classic legacy which can be handed down to your children and to the next generations thereafter.

Of course, this hobby is an expensive one and as some would argue an impractical one even to maintain. With such an expensive timepiece on your wrist, it ain't worth the risk of losing the watch and your life over in cases of an attempted armed robbery.

So they suggest, that wearing exact replicas are just as good as the original. Besides looking like the original, it feels like the original but without the risks. There's no worry about bumping or scratching, misplacing or even damaging it. The best part is that they didn't have to pay a million to feel like a million.

I beg to disagree. There's actually no fun in collecting and wearing replicas since that's all they'll ever be. Replicas don't have a unique identity since they are just copies, they are not technological marvels but only substitutes trying to imitate the real thing. Mostly they don't deserve carrying the name of the brand they're supposed to imitate.  The sense of pride in ownership of the original is in the quality of the materials and manufacture of the timepiece, and not in the imitation replicas.

What's the fun in wearing a replica when even without it, it's the character of the watch wearer that counts? A Rolex replica will never do justice with somebody who thinks he can get away with a fake impression. It's simply too much of a dead give-away.

The art of owning a fine Swiss watch is also dependent on the culture of the owner. A Rolex doesn't make the owner famous, rather it is the wearer who makes obvious the Rolex. So you still think you want to own and wear a Swiss watch replica? It's not the same feeling and it definitely isn't the same as the original. Get real!