Fake watches - Replica or Knock off?
It is important to understand the difference between a "fake" and a replica watch. There is a lot of terms by which one can describe a watch that's not real, and depending on the point of reference of the subject these terms will vary. Some will call it a counterfeit, while others will refer to it as fake or a replica. At firs you might not think there is a difference distinguishing these terms, but in fact the nomenclature is quite important when describing a watch.
Counterfeit is generally a term used by official sources to describe a fraudulent object that is not real. You might find Wikipedia articles on counterfeit watches describing the nature of the "crime" and how to avoid being fuller into buying such a watch, thinking it is the real thing.
Fake vs Replica
I own over 30 replica watches and to be honest I haven't thought about any of them as "fake watches". When I hear the term, the first thing that crosses my mind is a a guy coming up to me in the middle of the street opening up his coat and offering me "real" watches he supposedly just stole from a jewelery store. Ones that I wouldn't take for free, let alone paying for.
Replica on the other hand though is something else. It's a watch copied nearly 1-1 to the original. Of course there are things that a replica fake watch will never be able to duplicate, such as the precision and durability of the movement, or the quality of certain materials, like gold or 904L steel. No one who collects watches will call it a fake watch. Be it a fake Breitling, Rolex or Cartier.