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Haven't been on my computer long weekend here sorry people will do it this afternoon for y'all!

Once again

NOTE - YOU will need to research current site locations as they have changed since this article was written. STEP 1 Get 1 of these (this watch has a nearly perfect dial & rotor, but its case is too thick or high-profile) and remove the movement from the case (release the stem (gently press the button in blue) & remove the 2 case straps/screws (marked in red)) STEP 2 Get 1 of these (this watch has a (more correct) low profile case & potentially heartier, 1st-generation secs at 6 7750 (note that the evidence for this is purely anecdotal & is NOT scientific), but the dial is a bit 'off) (Note the additional metal below the crown & shape of the CGs - the low-profile cases all look like this) and remove the movement from the case (release the stem & remove the two case straps/screws) (There may be exceptions to this rule, but all of the movements in the low-profile Daytonas I have seen (several) had this same rotor. So if you see a Daytona rep with this movement, it is likely the 1st generation secs @ 6 A7750) STEP 3 Remove the hands, dial & rotor (held on by 1 screw) from both movements, but keep track of which parts came from which watch (very important). Onto the 2nd (Idolreplicas') movement, install the dial & rotor from the 1st (Perfect-Clones) movement & reuse the same hands (essentially, you are just swapping the dial & rotor from the 1st watch onto the movement from the 2nd watch. You should now have a heartier movement with a very accurate dial & rotor. STEP 4 Modify the CGs of the 2nd watch's case to match this gen (file or grind down the extra metal below the base of the crown & reshape the CGs) STEP 5 Reassemble the watch & you should now have a watch that looks like this (and a spare that contains most of the flaws that were previously spread out between the original 2) (Hands, shirt, jeans & boots sold separately) (Note the correctly shaped CGs & the (correct) shallow rehaut, which are due to the case's lower profile & placement of the movement) Now, if someone knows of a source for a correct (flat, brushed) caseback (and, possibly, a slightly lower-profile (gen) bezel as the final icing on the cake)........ __________ Alternatively, to save a bit of work playing musical hands & dials, you can just swap the movement from the 1st watch into the 2nd watch's case & leave it at that. I think the hands on the 2nd watch are a bit more accurate than the 1st watch, but we are talking minute differences here. And, like I said, there is no factual evidence that the earlier generation of secs at 6 7750s (in the 2nd watch) were any more reliable than the current versions. This opinion is based entirely on my observation that many more of the old style secs at 6 7750s seem to still be running years after they were purchased vs the recent versions which seem to die within a few months. This is just a gut feeling on my part, so do not flame me if your watch is an exception to the rule. But I would like to know your experience if you have 1 of these early versions that may be identified by the unique rotor design. While the movements are removed, you might also consider applying some powered graphite as explained here (the watch described in that thread has now been running (to within COSC standards) for about 2 weeks)

First, I want to say that this isn't my watch, it was sent to me for a review by a fellow member ***Stephane***. I always wanted to buy one of these, but because of the infamous movement setup (more about that later) I have always backed down. But I definitely wanted to photograph and review this famous replica for the community. There is no proper "FAQ" of the Daytona 116520, although it's one of the most requested watches among the new members. Let's change that. Stephane was generous enough to borrow his Daytona for this exact purpose. Big thanks! Read Stephane's original pictorial of this watch HERE. That review includes some remarkably good photos. If I ever had a favorite in the Daytona lineup, it was this exact model: White dial with silver/champagne subdial circles and hands. The "2001 model", to be exact. It has very understated and "low key" look. White SS Daytona isn't a flashy watch. It's probably not something that non-watch people would ever notice. But somehow, that's exactly why this particular model is so attractive. Apparently this is the case among the collectors too: white dial stainless version is hands down the most desirable version. If I had to use just one word to describe this Daytona, it would be "classy". A term that watch people have rarely connected to the recent Rolex models and releases. THE FIRST IMPRESSION: Before this I have never seen a Daytona "in the flesh", not genuine or a rep. It has such a legendary status in the watch world, so I was curious to see how it looks and feels. Say what you want about reps, but the high end ones are perfect for that. Anyone who considers to invest $7-10K on a genuine could benefit from reps that way. Wear it for a few months and see if it really is the right watch for you. When I opened the package, I noticed that Stephane had included two extra links for me (in case I wanted to try it on). There was also the Daytona user manual and some other niceties. Certainly something that I could use in my photo setups. The first surprise was the size. Of course I knew the diameter was the standard 40 millimeters, but it was still quite shocking to realize how small the Daytona was. I have been wearing my new Aquaracer Chronograph a lot lately, and compared to that, Daytona looked more like a mid-size watch. I can't help but notice that it also looks a bit "old fashioned", next to Aquaracer. To be honest, I'm not that impressed with the Daytona. It wears considerably smaller than a Sub and GMT Master. Mainly because of the smooth bezel shape, and because the bezel edges just barely exceed the lugs. It's certainly true: When you get used to bigger watches, the small ones start to feel a bit strange. But then again, Daytona is definitely not too small to wear, it's just "compact". Actually the size is perfect for men with smaller wrists. It would probably look cool on ladies as well. On the other hand, back in the seventies and eighties all sports Rolexes were considered bulky and huge. And many older people still consider them "big". Maybe these things go in cycles. THE MOVEMENT: The single most important article about this replica Daytona has been written by Ziggyzumba. His review and breakdown of the exact movement (that's used in this watch) is HERE. (Available for RWG VIPs only). When Rolex replaced the Zenith El Primero motor with an inhouse 4130 chronograph movement in 2000, they moved the running seconds to '6. When the replica factories released this arrangement, it was first considered a small miracle. But soon the members' problems with this movement started to arise. The natural subdial arrangement of ETA/Asian Valjoux is 12-9-6. So making the replica function visually like the Rolex caliber 4130, the 7750 had to be forced to run in an unnatural evinronment. Transforming the seconds from '9 to '6 has been achieved by adding 11 extra gears to the movement. (Read Ziggy's fascinating review for more detailed explanation). This modification is potentially very problematic. Some members have reported that their Daytonas have been working flawlessly for a year or two, but many members have suffered from various problems only after weeks or months (or even days) of use. Stephane's watch seems to be running flawlessly (at least for now). THE ALTERNATIVES: 1. Build a Zenith El Primero Daytona frankenwatch This is very expensive and hardcore option. Except to use 2-3 thousand dollars for a project like this. Ubiquitous have done it (among very few other members). Ubi actually built two amazing El Primero-powered Daytonas. They're very famous watches in the community, and without a doubt the best Daytona "reps" we have ever seen. Read about the work-in-progress project HERE. Read about the finished products HERE. Read Ziggy's excellent and detailed review of the legendary chronograph movement "El Primero" HERE. 2. Buy an older "seconds at '9" Daytona replica This is the cheaper option. There are older replicas of the Daytona, that have running seconds at '9. This arrangement tries to copy the older Zenith El Primero-powered Daytona (the model that Ubiquitous built). "Tricompax" layout (subdials at 9-6-3) is not a natural 7750 evinronment either, but this setup has been achieved by using only a few extra gears. The movements in these older reps are low beat 21.600 bph Asians, or Swiss ETA. These replicas are visually inferior to the seconds at '6 replicas, because the subdial spacing (and various other details) are way off. 3. Send it to Ziggy and kill the running seconds at '6 According to Ziggy, the only way to make this movement reliable is to completely kill the running seconds, and remove all the extra gears. Not very attractive option, imho. 4. Pressure the dealers to build a "faux" chronograph "seconds at '6" Daytona again There have been cheap, but visually excellent Daytona replicas that had completely frozen and non-functional stopwatches. This weird but interesting watch was produced with the same high quality and accurate body of the 7750 version, but it had a standard Asian 21J movement. The seconds were running correctly at '6. Lately, the interest in this particular watch has been increasing again. Realistically, it should cost something between $90 and $120 to be attractive at all. NOTE: Don't confuse this version to cheap-o Asian 21J versions with faux chronos! The version I'm talking about had completely frozen stopwatch hand + subdials at '9 and '3. These are the alternatives. Besides buying a genuine, of course. ACCURACY: The Daytona "seconds at '6" replica is fairly accurate, and the build and quality are excellent. The biggest flaws are the crown guards (which are only a bit off), pushers not visually 1:1, too deep rehaut and the fonts and text on the bezel. "UNITS PER HOUR" bezel text is probably the easiest to detect, at least from the big, zoomed pictures. Other than that, the rep is excellent. The dial and hands have wonderful details and finish. It would be very difficult to tell between genuine and replica, at least for me. The screw-down pushers and crown operate smoothly. Actually, the dial is nothing short of amazing. This is very apparent when we put rep and genuine side-by-side in a detailed comparison. The rep is on the left, gen on the right (gen picture taken from John Holmbrook's Rolex Reference Page). Some fonts are a bit off, and the coronet on the rep is a bit thicker and shorter. Other than that, fantastic. The concentric subdial circles might be more "matte" on the genuine, but I guess the difference is just due to different photograph lighting conditions. And it'd be certainly impossible to tell any difference without a loupe. Detecting a rep from someone's wrist: Nearly impossible. But if you feel that your default Daytona replica isn't accurate enough, and have a bit of talent, you might try improving the accuracy a little bit more. Freddy333 is a Daytona fanatic, and he has figured out very clever way to build a "nearly perfect" 116520 Daytona. What's interesting about Freddy's method is that the watch gets entirely built from replica parts, which keeps the costs very low. Read his great article HERE. CONCLUSION: When people talk about Daytona, somehow the discussions always move towards the "time bomb" movement. Daytona seconds at '6 (at least the stainless steel version) is very good and accurate replica. This fact has often been forgotten. Does it make any sense to buy one? Well, for people who are huge fans of Daytona... yes (maybe). You have to decide whether the benefits are bigger than risks. But then again, it's just $300... big money for some, pocket money for others. Personally, I would definitely buy one of the "faux chronograph" seconds at '6 models, if they ever become available again. I'll send this watch back to my friend Stephane now. We had a good 3 days together. Personally, I don't even like the Daytona (as a watch) very much. But boy do I respect it. Thanks again for letting me see and review this beautiful rep for the community. -------------------- IMPORTANT NOTE: I will not reply to watch/part/mod questions via PM from the members anymore. I'd love to help everyone privately, but my PM box gets flooded/spammed these days with these enquiries and I simply don't have the time. This is a hobby for me, not a job. Please ask your questions in the public forum where you have thousands of potential helpers. It's nothing personal. Thanks for understanding. By-Tor.

I am looking for 2 gen Rolex crown for my 15200 cases (take cal 3135). I got measurements from another watch which has the similar tube and size. It fits on my 15200 cases perfectly. The tube reads 4mm approx. and the crown is 5.3mm approx. Anyone knows the stock number? I need them to order from supplier? Best of all, if you have spares or know who can supply them from here, please shout! Thanks

Hi guys, First post here, joined RWG since December and has been reading and following here daily After researching and reading about the Super reps available (111,243, BK/TC Sub, Diver 3.5 etc) I decided to pull the trigger on the PAM111 Noob V3. Was hesitating which TD to get it from, as there's a chinese site which sells the V3 111 with Y-Incabloc mod for a little more but I figured to just get one without any mods and then send it for mod and service several months later if I really do need it. So I ordered from Ryan at intime.co yesterday, made the payment via WU and got the QC pics on the same day. Ryan is quite easy to deal with and replying my emails pretty fast. Btw, its my 1st rep purchase so I'm not really good at the QC pictures (catching any problems) and would really appreciate it if you guys give me your comments and feedback! (whether there are any problems etc and should I accept it or not). Thanks! There are 6 QC pics in total- Panerai PAM111 V3 Noob Factory Pre V Hands on Black Rubber Strap

I just received this from member on the other RWG board, its brand new and unworn. It originally came from Andrew at TT and is the V2 model. To say im happy with this watch is the understatement of the year, when I opened the box the first thing that hit me was the weight, wow, this has a gen feel that is often missing from reps, it feels substantial and well made. The Steelfish or SOSF as it is referred to, has been a bit of a grail for me. Not because its a particularly rare piece or out stock at dealers, its just I like to buy from members in the EU if possible and I had missed out on a couple for sale, when I did buy one from a member here I was sent the wrong watch (a milguass) that we agreed I would keep to avoid further shipping. When I spotted this blue one I had to have it. Im told the V2 has a superlumed dial and a few tweaks to the bezel and dial font. The lume is very good, much better than my UPO and my recently sold Seadweller. This one has a swiss heart and has run at just +1 seconds over the last 24 hours, very impressive. The bracelet is fantastic, I took it off and oiled it over night and it made it even nicer, the clasp is average and the only week point of the watch as far as im concerned. The pearl on mine is nicely aligned as is the date window, the rehaut is ever so slightly of to the left as you look at the dial, but its splitting hairs. The crown is incredible, it must screw in at least 9 full turns and it winds smooth as silk. It has the nicest action to it that I have ever had, rep or gen. If your considering ordering one of these my advice is to go ahead, you wont be disappointed. Here are some pics I took this morning, I forgot a lume shot but will sort one later.

Nice Foamlex!!!

happy Easter all <br />

Finished these today! Akira

When it comes to recreating tritium dials my approach has always been to find a gen watch with a dial "condition" I like and go from there. I have owned a number of vintage Rolex gens over the years and the puffiness factor has always been fairly random. But I do have to agree that a number of the rep vintage dials are just way too puffy. IMHO, when tritium degrades it is more likely to flake off and leave non-symmetrical markers rather than puffing up. The other thing is that often people take too aggressive an approach in browning their tritium. But once again, find that gen you love and mimic that.

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Finally, I got the answer: the AD!!!!!

Happy Easter

I shave one time a month, sometimes I look like Robinson Crusoe

+ 1 I justed wanted to know who has the best best sub.

1) That's simply wrong. There's no such thing as a "powerful" balance wheel. The balance wheel does nothing but oscillate back and forth, locking and unlocking the escape wheel. What you mean to say is "more powerful mainspring" and 2) That's also wrong. IWC actually replaces the ETA mainspring and barrel with LESS powerful, not more powerful versions. They rebuild the movement to lower friction throughout, so the reworked IWC movement requires LESS power to operate, not more. Using a less powerful mainspring reduces wear on the gear train.

Yes I know that supplier, and those tools are from Anchor in India. We would sell that driver set around A$12.00, I have looked at it, and think I get better value from my other suppliers in screwdrivers. Its all about consistency, and being able to trust continuity of quality. I agree with you about a cheaper postal option, unfortunately we have a Labour Government in power, with a mad Welsh born woman prime Minister, who is spending billions more than she has, (typical woman) so the under ministers are jacking up prices everywhere to pay for her largesse.Our post charges are jacked up 10% every 3-6 months, which unfortunately only encourages her to spend more. O/S