By-Tor Posted October 13, 2012 Report Share Posted October 13, 2012 After a long hiatus I decided to make another pictorial. I haven't purchased any watches since the B01, which I have sold already.I only have a few replica watches left. One of the keepers is the WM9 Sub v2, which is now a combination of different parts & mods. I've been wearing it a lot in the past 3 1/2 years and the small ETA 2671-2 has been a reliable and accurate workhorse.I also had my "big watch season" just like many other members, but in the end of the day 40-42 mm might be my favorite watch size anyway.I bought this watch from bklm1234 when the model was brand new. I think I was among the first ones who received it. When I got married a few years ago, BK sent me better crown and genuine insert as a wedding gift. That was a great gesture.The main reason for my long hiatus is that I got married and bought a new house which required some work... and after my son was born, I didn't have much time for watches (or any other Internet activity for that matter). But recently I started to spend a little time on the forums again I found some great Sub pictorials (like THIS) by my longtime friend Watcher. Amazing! I was happy to find out that the members can purchase great Sub replicas again (TC). The old "spark" came back and I finally performed the mods.One of the biggest issues on all rep Rolexes is the bracelet. No matter how much you pour oil on it... and polish/wax it, it simply doesn't feel the same. This applies to WM9 v2 as well. I scratched my head on this and examined my gen bracelet 16710 very closely.The gen has very "smooth" feel on it, which is partly due to the "rounded" edges on the bracelet. It has kind of a "bevel" there. I filed the edges from all corners, by using a metal file, then a soft nail file and finalized with a Scotch Brite-Pad (to get an even finish). Use a 45-degree angle when "sanding" the edges.Here you can see the gen bracelet closeup (and the bevel). It's one of the main factors of the "soft" feel of the gen. Replica bracelet edges are usually very sharp and thus, feel quite different.The results are fantastic. Bracelet feels 95% like the gen now. The last 5% probably comes from a superior machinery & tolerances and different steel grade.Mods performed:WM v1 SELsGenuine insertClark crystalBK crownFull bracelet treatment (includes excessive oiling, waxing and shaping)The new genuine insert is a great addition. So is the BK crown which is pretty much identical with the gen.Actually I was going to buy a gen 16610 eventually but WM9 with mods is just too good. The only remaining issue now is the crown vertical position but I find it quite insignificant and not really noticeable. WM9 v1 SELs are the best fit for this particular model. Nicely recessed and fit like a glove.I've owned reps and frankens of pretty much all classic Rolex models and only 16610 and 16710 remain the ones that still keep me excited. People say that 16610 is "too common" and somewhat unimaginative choice. But what can you do... it's perfect.I don't find the new Rolex models desirable at all and (besides the 1675) I'm not a huge fan of the acrylic crystal-era vintages, either. This "5-digit Rolex era" is my favorite and 16610 & 16710 represent that era perfectly. And even with their faults (like flimsy clasps) they're (IMHO) the two coolest Rolexes ever made.So... what more you could ask for? Besides a gen white 16750, perhaps. And maybe that watcher's LV? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watcher Posted October 13, 2012 Report Share Posted October 13, 2012 A great review as always my friend and the watch looks great now. The v1 end links are very good, a shame they changed them on the next watch version! Enjoy wearing in good health buddy and nice to see you back on the forum!!:-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephane Posted October 13, 2012 Report Share Posted October 13, 2012 Great to see you post again BT! I agree about the 16610: unimaginative choice? But what can you do... it's perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonyyammine Posted October 13, 2012 Report Share Posted October 13, 2012 The tc v3 bracelet is great in case you want to try it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cougar1 Posted October 13, 2012 Report Share Posted October 13, 2012 Great write up and great read BT, the watch looks fantastic. The final bit of smoothing around those bracelet edges is one of those things that should be done on most rep bracelets, even the good ones. It really adds that little bit of extra quality feeling and is well worth the effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 Good lord that first photo is fantastic!! How do you get your light source so soft and even? How much photoshop processing are you doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
correctime Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 Great write up B T (as usual) Great choice. And wise decision. With reps like the this one and a few others it's just not practical footing the bill for a gen. Wear it in good health Brother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor Posted October 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 Good lord that first photo is fantastic!! How do you get your light source so soft and even? How much photoshop processing are you doing? Thanks man. You can't make a bad photo good with Photoshop, but you can enhance a good source photo. And when the source pic is good not much PS'ing is needed. Good watch photo is 85% about the lighting, 14% is Photoshopping and 1% is about the camera. All good watch photographers use Photoshop. People who say stuff like "I'm doing everything with the camera" are all lying... or then their pics look like crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor Posted October 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 The tc v3 bracelet is great in case you want to try it. That's what I heard. But I'm pretty happy standing pat with this. WM9 v1 SELs fit perfectly and "smoothing" the edges really made the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woof* Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 That's what I heard. But I'm pretty happy standing pat with this. WM9 v1 SELs fit perfectly and "smoothing" the edges really made the trick. Good to see you back BT I hope you get a chance to see the newest TC bracelet in person, it is levels above and beyond the other rep bracelets. The printing, the fonts, the coronet, the steel edges...even the way the clasp opens and closes is just amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
correctime Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 Good to see you back BT I hope you get a chance to see the newest TC bracelet in person, it is levels above and beyond the other rep bracelets. The printing, the fonts, the coronet, the steel edges...even the way the clasp opens and closes is just amazing. +1 It certainly is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lja1821 Posted October 28, 2012 Report Share Posted October 28, 2012 Awesome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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