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I have had an affinity for Rolex's for 30+ years, but for whatever reason I really had not spent any time looking at vintage pieces. I would buy a new Rolex, wear it a few years and then trade it in on another new watch. Usually different models, generally favored Submariners, but also tried a Daytona, a DJ, a YM...... I had been shopping for a gen Sub C when I found this place. I joined this forum to learn about modern Rolex's and if I really wanted to spend the money on a new "bigger" looking Submariner, so maybe I could try a rep out to see if I really liked it. First rep I bought here was a BK Sub C and it was also the first rep I sold. I did figure out that the reps here are very good and I could have a bunch of nice watches in stead of 1 new gen. I acquired several modern rep versions since I joined and they are nice pieces and I wear them in my rotation, but none really do "it" for me like my gen 16613 did when I bought that way back in 1987. I just knew it was the right piece. So the more time I spend here the more I am fascinated with vintage pieces. It is weird how I missed this all the years, the intricate details, the elegant cases, the simplistic beauty...So this leads me to the last several weeks where I am crazy obsessed with vintage pieces. To the point where I spend a majority of my free time reading and studying and shopping. This probably would not be that bad if I actually narrowed it down to 1 piece, but I want several which leads to doing 3 vintage builds at once. I do not really have the knowledge to pull off one without help and I am trying to do 3, been sourcing parts and information all over the place. Not sure why I am writing all this. Maybe its a confession or maybe a cry for help Does anyone do interventions for this type of thing Is there any hope for me?

Hi all, I have just finished my first watch build, the rolex 1016 This build includes: - JMB vintage explorer case - Yuki 1016 dial - Combination of Clark and Yuki hands (due to me stupidly bending the yuki hour hand) - Gen ETA 2824-2 - Yuki 93153

The vintage bug bit me over and over again. I don't think I can ever wear a modern rep or gen. The new watches are just too big (and my wrist size is average). I too agree with the "other brands thinking"... Here are my demon divers. A budget but true military sub that saw action in 69. The 1970 with the white seconds hand didn't see as much action as the 69 but both keep excellent time. The silver printed dials keep me staring when the light hits it.

Same here play golf all the time with a watch on. Reps and gens. One time a spring bar came out and watch flew but nothing broke. Sent from my droptop using telepathy.

I have golfed with a number of my reps and have yet to have any issues.......... I definitely don't baby them. I'm hesitant about dunking my chrono's under water for any length of time, but the diver watches have all proven to be water resistant for showering and casual swimming.

Man...hitting golf balls is something I avoid doing with even gen mechanicals. The most shock I absorb while wearing mechanical watches is shooting handguns. Nice PO. A noob 42mm CrPO is on its way to me from sead. Hopefully will receive it in a few days.

The italian Navy wrote numbers on everything given to its sailers. The strap that is within the Panerai catalog just so happens to have the number 74 written on it and it is now called the "74 strap". I have that same strap in my noob 127.

Awesome!

Here is a picture on mine

Hey guys, so I'm looking to buy a 116520 steel cosmograph daytona. I've never bought a brand new, gen, Rolex before. My quarterly bonuses are starting to get pretty sizable so... I'm looking to treat myself. I've been browsing around rolexforums since some sellers have them on hand. There is one a local seller on those forums who seems to sell literally hundreds of new in box Rolex watches, and has amassed a ton of positive feedback. So I'm pretty sold on the seller. I do have some questions that I could ask on rolexforums, but honestly based on my long term experience here and browsing their posts there, people here are way more competent. - What is the going MSRP at the moment around the US market? - This seller has listed 116520s at $11.2k. Is there a chance it's gray market? He says this particular piece is from a US AD, but some of his other pieces are foreign ADs, most likely Asian. - What are my concerns regarding registration and warranty in a gray market situation? I've bought TAGs abroad before, had no problems with warranty/reg. - What else should I look out for on a new piece? - I'm not particularly concerned on getting sold a rep. New ones have blue lume and 3d bar codes, these things alone I haven't seen in a rep. It would have to be quite a super franken with some amazing docs to pass ;-), but any tips here are of course appreciated.

Trust me, I was only 12 then, and it was a pussy magnet in school! Lol Life's a [censored], then you marry one!

I haven't posted much lately but here's a quick one. Here are some of my favorite rep chronographs that I've owned. I've owned plenty more but these are the ones I found pictures from... and that ring a bell. I don't buy reps that often anymore. I think the last one I purchased was back in 2010. Breitling BCE. V2 I think. Very nice rep but the greenish chewing-gum like hour markers pisssed me off. Navitimer two-tone. This one I loved but it never fit my wrist properly and it was too garish. Great rep though. Skyland v2. Best Breitling chrono rep there is (or at least was). Awesome build quality. Breitling Chronomat B01. Ditto. Very well built rep. The only issue was the lackluster AR. The infamous seconds at '6 Daytona. Actually the watch in the picture was a friend's rep but I owned a similar one for a few weeks. I'm a classic Rolex man through and through but I never really understood the attraction of Daytona (old or new). Visually it's rather boring watch and wears very small. Ebel 1911 Chronograph. Now this was a funny one. Bought it back in 2004 from Richard Lawton's collection. It was a quartz rep but a decent one at that. My first rep chronograph. That's why I added it. Ebel 1911 BTR. Still the best built rep I've ever owned. The bracelet was spectacularly good, very gen like. Loved this watch. Sold it because I was going to get a gen but then never did. Ebel 1911 Discovery. A legendary replication. I still have this one and will keep it for good. Audemars Piguet Seven Sails: This was quite well made piece. Just added it because it was the only AP I've owned. I'm not a AP guy, really. Omega Speedmaster Broad Arrow. A rep classic with the hand wind Venus. I also owned briefly two other Venus chronos. Speedmaster black and Speedmaster "reduced" which was very inaccurate but fun. TAG Heuer Aquaracer 45mm, I loved this watch so much that I bought a gen (a 41mm version though). TAG Heuer Link. I made a review of this and it created quite a lot of sales. Old school dealers actually all owe me at least a few free watches because those old reviews got tens of thousands of views and those greedy Chinese bastards laughed all the way to the bank. Anyway this was pretty much the first ever "super rep". It was very accurate (and still is). And I still own this. I got it back in 2005 or 2006. Still running like a champ. Actually I just wore it yesterday. Has a few dings and battlescars but it's been surprisingly reliable. A7750 is a great movement, apparently. I can post some more if I can remember something worthy.

Much better and easier to use, Phongs new website http://www.vintagewatchmaker.com/category-s/1477.htm