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Showing content with the highest reputation on 02/14/2013 in Posts

  1. In the post today......been after one for the last 12 mths nearly ! No time for a pic as yet so borrowed this one.......
    2 points
  2. I'm just going to give a 'small' review of the 42mm and 45mm Ceramic Planet Ocean reps. There is a lot to cover with these and I'm sure there will be comparisons next to the gen in the coming weeks. I'll let those who have lived with the gen for a while give a more thorough comparison and correct any errors here. Mainly I'll just give a rundown of the rep quality with some comparisons to gen, and also how is fits in with the current quality of reps and the old PO reps. The Gens 45mm and 42mm. These don't need much of an introduction, anybody who has any interest in Planet Oceans will have heard all about them by now. 42mm Gen 45mm Gen The Reps 45mm and 42mm Reps 45mm 42mm 42mm (next 6) Down to the Details: The Bezels: The bezels themselves are pretty solid with good feedback on each click. The teeth are pretty accurate to gen. The gen finishing is probably a little more refined on the coin edge but these are pretty well replicated. The bezel inserts seem pretty good in colour and texture. Correct colour as gen. It's difficult to see in photos but the 45mm bezel seems to have a little more attention to detail in the numbers, with them being closer together and more compact as gen. The 42mm seems a little more spread out (bigger gap between the 4 and 0 for instance) and the 5 in 50 just seems a little too big for the 0. It is minimal but it is there. It could be a little neater on the 42mm. We'll get onto the pearl later 42mm 45mm The Dials: Both dials are very nice, the 45mm has a little bit more attention to detail again in the logos and markers than the 42mm. There isn't much in the difference, but the 45mm has slightly cleaner and crisper cut to the hour markers. The hour markers on the gen have a slightly bevelled edging with the 45mm having a slightly steeper bevelling than the 42mm. This is replicated pretty well on the reps, the 45mm has the edge in the slightly sharper cut markers and lume infill than the 42mm. The dial itself on the gen is almost black grainy matte finish. The reps are matte black/charcoal, a little bit more drab than the gen, they lack that very slight pop that the heavier matte grain gives on the gen but again it's close. Omega lettering is simply better on the 45mm rep, it has a much more accurate to gen shape and size, the 42mm seems to be a bit blocky/bulky with the bulkier O being the main standout. It's thicker than the gen or the 45mm rep. Why this is I do not know, since the gen 45mm and 42mm share the same logo/lettering size. They could've just used the logo from the 45mm rep!.... but again these are very small parts, nobody is going to really notice unless examining closely. No happy feet this time on either, except for the odd one that escaped into the wild during QC. The hands seem accurate, it had been mentioned at one stage that the 42mm had a slightly too long hour hand. I'm not so sure, I've examined gen pics again and it is minimal if it is, certainly less than a mm. It isn't noticeable at all. The dial print quality is pretty good, with the 'Seamaster' lettering in red and the print of the other lettering being crisp and clear. The Datewheel. The windows are accurate, with the 42mm having no chamfer and closer to the 3 marker, the 45mm has the correct chamfered edging and is spaced correctly. The date wheel itself is slightly off the gen. Font is correct, it is a touch too weak though and is white on black, the gen being a raised glossy silver on black. Not a massive difference but still could be better. Gen dials: Gen 45mm Gen 42mm Rep dials: 42mm Rep 45 mm Rep 45mm 42mm 42mm 45mm 42mm The Case and Caseback: The case on both 45mm and 42mm is pretty accurate, the brushing lines and polishing lines on the case are probably not as crisp cut as gen but not too much of a difference. The case sizes are pretty close to gen in height. I don’t have a calliper close by to measure but doing it the crude way the 42mm rep is about 16mm in height and the 45mm is 17mm in height. The gens are 15.7mm and 16.5mm respectively. Just to note the 42mm wears fairly tall, this is a similar case to the gen which when comparing to the old PO is almost top heavy. Gen Case and LHS Rep Case and LHS Gen Case and RHS Rep Case and RHS The crown/He are fairly accurately sized and finished this time. The 45mm crown being wider but less tall than the 42mm, as is the case on the gen. Also the markings on the He and crown are fairly accurate. What is more concerning is while the 45mm crown screwdown felt really solid with about 8-10 half turns, both 42mm didn't, with about 2 half turns on the silver 42mm and 3 half turns on the red 42mm. Why is this something that could possibly be a concern later?? Well anyone who is familiar with the older PO's, specifically the 42mm V5 will be aware that the tubes were really prone to stripping. I certainly hope this isn't the case here, but these 42mm screwdowns have a striking resemblance in feel to the old version. Not the best, considering most reps I've tried recently were substantially better in this regard. The caseback is a strange one, I'm very happy with the rotor, I'm not too fussed about the eta 2836 masquerading as an 8500. The 8500 is obviously a masterpiece of design and finishing. We have nothing in the rep world that can compete with it on any level. The rep looks pretty good when viewing it through the display window, it's never going to pass for gen, but the rotor Geneve waves and engraving look pretty cool. The liquid metal on the 45mm caseback was a mistake, and adjuste dto fiye' on the movement holder was interesting, but again this is something which can barely be seen with the caseback on, and then only if you are really looking for it. In truth, these are minor issues, the front of the watch is much more important. Gen Caseback Rep The Bracelet and clasp: The bracelet has some very good and very bad aspects. Good are the endlinks which are very nicely cut and fit snugly to the case. The screwed links are are great and feel pretty good quality surprisingly. I was sure I'd strip one or two during resizing but they actually screwed in pretty well and felt pretty close to those on my gen AT. Time will tell if the threads hold out and it might also be a good idea to use some threadlocker if using the bracelet long term. The clasp doesn't jump out at me as being great quality, it's rather crudly cut and in some way almost feels cheaper than the rest of the bracelet. One of the 42mm clasps will not stay closed, the other 42mm is more solid and works fine. The 45mm clasp seems a little more solidly built. Gen Bracelet: Rep Bracelet: The clasp: The clasp engravings aren’t the best. On the gen the 42mm is obviously a little thinner than on the 45mm. On the reps the engravings are a little shoddy, with the 45mm being engraved too deep, but still looks good. The 42mm is too shallow and not bold enough. Gen 42mm Clasp: Gen 45mm Clasp: Rep clasps: The AR, Pearl and Lume: The AR on the 42mm is unusually good for a rep, it’s actually pretty close to my old gen 2500 caliber PO. Maybe just a slight bit less transparent, but it is very low on reflections and it looks to be some of the best AR I’ve seen on a rep. The gen has a slightly more bluish tint but it is close. I’m not sure how durable the 42mm AR will be long term but it certainly looks the part. This above makes it all the more perplexing as to why the 45mm then has no AR at all or very very minimal inner AR. I’m still trying to make out what it is! On some views it looks to have a very slight bluish tint on the inner part of the crystal. That could be just reflections from the gasket though. Either way, the 45mm AR is non existant. It is neither close to gen or even the 42mm rep. I’m not even going to speculate as to what happened in this case. I’m sure the details will come out in time but it is something that needs to be corrected. Rep 42mm Rep 45mm Comparing AR The pearl: The pearl is better centred than it used to be, at least on the 45mm it is. On the 42mm it still has a tendency to be a little lowish in the triangle but they are both a huge improvement over old PO’s. It’s still a little too big in diameter vs gen and is more flush to bezel in some cases than others. The better placement itself just improves the look immensely. The Lume: The lume is pretty good actually, I’m sure the strenght on full charge is not as intense as the gen but they’ve done a pretty good job, with the correct lume colours in the right places. The addition of the good AR and superlume helps make the dial pop much better than the previous PO. Gen Lume: Rep Lume vs Old gen PO Some thoughts and conclusions: Overall this is a nice rep with some great features such as screwed links and good endlinks, AR and superlume, but it is let down by just a lack of attention to detail that could have made it a fantastic Omega rep. The missing AR on the 45mm and the clasps, and some dial/bezel details on the 42mm could have been improved prior to release. It’s still a great purchase and no doubt many will be very happy with it. For the price it has a great deal of features that you’ll be hard pushed to find outside of the rep world. I guess the newer reps on release in the past year with finer attention to detail and better finishing have raised the bar significantly. This doesn’t quite reach those heights but is still good value for money and looks a quality piece on the wrist.
    1 point
  3. Pic does not do this one justice, what a watch! PAM187 fresh from Toro, and on a Hanzoku custom 175x95 strap:
    1 point
  4. So, after many months of waiting my Tudor 7032 project is finally done. Here are the specs: DW 7032 Case, Dial, and Hands V7734 movement from Ephry Folded bracelet 7836 with 358 end links After I got all the parts, everything went off to Chris at 10:10 Watches for a movement service, the 45 minute conversion, and assembly. Everything went as smooth as possible, and this is the finished result. Overall, I'm completely satisfied with the watch. Its such a looker, and in my humble opinion better looking than the Daytona. Plus it has the added benefit of the date. As far as running, its nearly dead on accurate over the 4 days that I've had it, and the power reserve is great. The folded link bracelet is hands down the most comfortable bracelet that I've ever worn, and Rolex should definitely bring it back in a big way. Plus it looks awesome. The DW case accepts gen spring bars, so no drilling was required. I think that next it needs a relume in a light cream, and PBs matte dial treatment. Maybe a case softening, but I'm still on the fence. Otherwise, it was a fun build and I'm totally happy with the finished product, and highly recommend it to anyone who is on the fence. http://img541.imageshack.us/i/img20130104161433.jpg/'>http://img694.imageshack.us/i/img20130104161322.jpg/'>http://img571.imageshack.us/i/img20130104161526.jpg/'>http://img69.imageshack.us/i/img20130104161415.jpg/'>http://img20.imageshack.us/i/img20130104161441.jpg/'>http://img23.imageshack.us/i/img20130104161401.jpg/'> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
    1 point
  5. I don't think they made clone ETA 15 years ago but I could be wrong
    1 point
  6. One heck of a review there C I had my eye on these puppies since day one but i still think that we are experiencing an UPO deja vu once again... same old story again until the ultimate V comes out Thanks for the ultra enlightening report. your photos are awsome and quite revealing Oh... and i really fancy the "ADJUSTE DTO FIYE POSITIONS"
    1 point
  7. There's a reason I drive this instead of the turbocharged sports sedan.
    1 point
  8. Phong uses a stone tumbler to add wear/patina to his cases. It's a mostly automatic process. His labor involves putting the case into the tumbler barrel along with some type of polishing medium (I would love to know exactly what he is using........so if anyone knows, please let us know) & turning the motor on. Then, he lets the tumbler do its work for several hours to a few days, depending on the amount of 'wear' he wants the case to have. Once the case has the right amount of wear, he takes it out, engraves it (if required, which takes no more than a few minutes) & ships it off. The cases themselves, as has been discussed many times on rwg before, cost no (or very little) more to make than the average replica case, because that is all they are - replica cases. The quality of the steel is the same, the manufacturing technique is the same, even the lack of QC is the same. The only area where they may differ is in how much effort was spent to match the dimensions of the gen they used as a model. And, considering the amount of variability (lack of dimensional consistency) of all of these premium cases, they are likely made in the same factories along side the average Canal Street replicas. Frankly, I doubt it costs more than $10 to make any of these cases. Engraving, which just about any jewelry store can do, a few dollars more. Phong, Natalie & others selling these outrageously priced rep cases are simply pocketing huge profits. Now, I will grant that those who operate in the US or EU are entitled to make a bit more profit due to the legal hazards involved in their business. But selling rep cases & dials for more than $300 is really outrageous. But, as they say, value is what a buyer is willing to pay &, when it comes to watches, especially vintage Rolex watches, neurotic WIS types (like me) are not always playing with a full deck.
    1 point
  9. Title says it all. Ordered from Andrew and received less than two weeks later. Very easy transaction. Watch is incredible. Love the weight and size. Looks good on my 8 inch wrist.
    1 point
  10. Not sure how I missed this topic, I guess I have just been busy. I have always made it clear that I was a fan of TAG Heuer watches, not all, but some of them. The Carrera and Grand Carrera are very nice watches and I really like the new Aquaracer, very simple. Quite frankly they make some of the nicest looking watches on the market I recently purchased a Cal. 1887 Carrera in black and that is a beautiful watch, it really is stunning. I know where a lot of the TAG "hate" comes from but I also know that it's bunk, they're a watch company like any other. You think TAG's are over priced? $8000.00 for a Sub, <$2000.00 for an Aquaracer, right there you're paying $6000 for a 3135 movement in a watch that can't be distinguished from a $300 rep! These watches are all overpriced, IWC is better than TAG because it advertises less and charges more for it's watches that we all know are only worth a fraction of what they're charging for them. (I have a huge hard on for the Portuguese Chronograph) TAG Heuer, as a brand, is just as relevant as all of the other mid range swiss brands, they produce some nice models and some ugly, ostentatious models. To me, every Breitling is ugly and way too flashy, the SMP is kind of ugly but I love the PO, Corum - barf, I don't get Hublot either, or AP for that matter, I just don't think they look particularly nice. This game truly is a matter of personal taste WebRep currentVote noRating noWeight
    1 point
  11. The AR is not bad but definitely not double sided. The band and clasp feel a little cheap and flimsy not as good as other Omega rep bands I've felt but overall its a solid watch. The lume is good pretty close to superluminova. The dial is crisp with lots of detail. The bezel is smooth not to loose or tight. The date wheel changes smoothly both manually and automatically. Probably NOT a super rep and could have been priced about $50 cheaper. Overall I like this watch not sure if I love it yet. BTW the infamous LM logo everyone hates is actually engraved pretty deep so I don't think it would be a good idea to try and remove it. This baby will get lots of wrist action. Enjoy to the Max Gents!
    1 point
  12. The guy on the left, a Pickpocket who snatches the watch of a gynocologist who in turn watches sna##hes.
    1 point
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