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Edit: My Canal Street 'submariner' is a fake. My MBK 5512 'submariner' with 1570 is a fake. ...but it's a damn nice one.

I've reworked that pretty lady. The pushers are better now, I installed a gen top hat T21 and fine tuned the movement for the pushers to operate better... Now I think I can't do much more on this one....

I will accept that a Canal Street fake is possibly not a replica in that it is not "an exact or very close copy" However even with a genuine Rolex movement an MBK case is still "not genuine, imitation or counterfeit" I know you well enough to know you would never pass replica parts as genuine so I put it to you that at some level you accept they are "not genuine, imitation or counterfeit", which is the definition of fake. To an extent i am playing Devil's Advocate here. I am a Mod and therefore firmly entrenched in the rep world, but I do believe in accepting reality and any attempt to claim our watches are not fake involves unilaterally changing the definition of fake. There may be connotations of the word we dislike and it may be used disparagingly by those who are vitriolic in their hated of replica watches. Our watches are not genuine, we are all very clear on that, they are imitation in that they are specifically created as copies of high value watches. Counterfeit, well we all know what Customs' view of that is. By trying various devious ways to deny the fact that they are fake, we just make ourselves look insecure and rather laughable. I believe that generally we have a greater appreciation and understanding of horology than many of the collectors of genuine high end pieces who hate us. Many of us also own and love the genuine article and it is that love that fuels our passion for replicas. We have nothing to feel insecure about. Accept the fact that fake is an accurate description of them even if we prefer not to use the term.

Beautiful !

Just to show you how this guy based in France is a thief, here is an exemple of a gen 16610 chrystal gasket for sale on his website; please look at his price and comment !!! https://www.chrono-shop.net/en/4804-rolex-factory-watches-sapphire-cyclope-crystalsubmariner-date-16800-16610-168000-16613-16618-ø3060mm.html

Aha !!!! A real galvanic made gilt dial !!! No decal !! No black paint !!!! No tricks !!! And the beauty is... It was made on a ETA plate, with a diameter matching the rep case. So no rubbing inside or anything off when you set the time. The look and feel is just... PERFECT! The galvanic black has that superb brown hue seen under some light. It's very hard to catch, hence the ton of pics trying to share that with you all. The mid case started as a JMB, totally reshaped to the correct flat brushed back and tonneau shape. The midcase rear finish differs from 1016s. I took some pics of it beside a 1016 for you to compare. The back case is from a 90's DJ rep. The only I've seen with 50's looking teeth. Best candidate to create a bubble back. Unfortunately these old reps are really hard to find now. We now have one of the most desirable of the early explorers. Very sexy watch, I'll have a hard time letting it go to its daddy.....

One thing that never changes: There will always be change. Take watches for instance, in my lifetime wristwatches have gone from mechanical wind-ups and automatics to the not so reliable Hamilton Electric, reliable ESA balance wheel electrics, so-so Timex balance wheel electrics (but better than the Hamilton Electric for 1/6 the cost), accurate and reliable (but hard to work on) Bulova Accutron, then all the various common digital and analog quartz watches of the past 30 years. The Seiko Astron was known as one of the first 'consumer' quartz watches along with the Hamilton Pulsar digitals and they were very expensive to begin with ($1250 for the Astron in 1969 = $8500 today), but as time went by quartz watches went from being a luxury to reliable everyday watches costing on average $20 to $200 today. I never liked quartz watches very much, but only because of the constant whack! whack! whack! of the second hand jumping one second at a time. That's it. I liked the reliability, accurate time keeping, low maintenence, and low cost of them and 'two handers' were Ok by me (Movado Museum for instance). Many watch guys defend the rolex 'oysterquartz' as a milestone etc but to me it was just another quartz watch with the added complication of an escape wheel and pallet fork along with the same old whack, whack second hand...and they were not overly reliable, infamous for doa step motors and circuit boards that cost a fortune to repair. Not much of a watch imho...I owned three of them. Take the name off the dial and they would be a $125 watch. So why did mechanical watches make a comeback from the quartz curse known as 'the death of mechanicals'? Nostalgia? Did everyone miss the torture of high $$ repairs and maintenance? Who knows? My main question is: If some watch companies made high grade quartz watches today with 'smooth sweep' second hands, jeweled pivots, decorated bridges, and fine casework along with models featuring complications...would mechanical watch guys buy them? Smooth sweep second hands and finer movements/cases being the main differences from what is available today. Examples...The Grand Seiko and Spring Drive high grade quartz watches seem to get compliments from all types of watch guys and the Precisionist/Accutron II is back with a 'smooth sweep' second hand, high accuracy, reliability, and not too much $$ so is it enough to change anyone to go from the tortures of mechanical to the pleasures of quartz? The Precisionist/Accutron II movement is not much to look at because it is made for low cost but it is jeweled and could easily be dressed up. They dressed up the front side of the Alpha Spaceview but it was not much of an effort. Btw...something I have noticed lately is every one of my watch trader friends are wearing quartz watches. They carry mechanical watches in pouches but no longer wear them. Saw a quartz Omega SMP, Seiko chronograph, Luminox, Marathon SAR...and a black Oceanaut (whatever that is). Accutron II or Precisionist for me. I tried to wear my 'Frankenstein 5512' (1570/MBK/Yuki) last week but gave up after three days. Time may change me But I can't trace time David Bowie

I was looking because I have it in mind to build a 16800 that has had a hard life. My fantasy back story is that it was found on the beach after many years, the case has a sort of worn and over polished look and the dial is damaged, maybe some or all of the lume has fallen out of the hands. I think it would be an interesting piece. I saw the dial and thought, "great, a franken build with a genuine dial". A hundred Bucks or maybe one fifty and that would have been mine. For the price he is after, I'll be using a Yuki dial and some creative mayhem. As to putting that in a genuine Rolex, well there was a reason it was taken out in the first place.

I have a very bad track record on that game Indy, so I'm saying nothing until the experts call it, then I will nod and agree and look terribly clever. I will say that I'm not very bothered, I'm happy to put good reps and gens side by side in my watchbox and treat them much the same. As to the other matter:

Funnily enough I was just looking today at a listing for an "amazing" 16800 dial. https://www.chrono-shop.net/en/dials/5772-rolex-vintage-amazing-glossy-tropical-spider-web-dial-16800-168000-16610-submariner-date-tritium-creamy-color-cal-3035.html?search_query=Dial+16800&results=4309 If amazing means fooked, then yes it is. $795

I would never call any of my super reps or frankens fakes! When you add gen parts that changes the dynamics. They're not completely gen but at least deserve the title of replica. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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My Canal Street 'submariner' is a fake. My MBK 5512 'submariner' with 1570 is a replica.

The ST crystal is pretty darn good. For the non AR and non coronet vintage Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hello ! There is another viewpoint .. a replica is not meant to cheat .. when a fake is built to cheat the buyer .. and to present itself as being gen ...

Jeez Louise DP, 200k miles?! I've only got 124 on my Land Rover.

5517

Diver and its date

A long way to go Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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New to me... PAM203 strapworks; 1950 buckle Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

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It started out as a Marlin Roadster I built from a kit when I was a teenager. Over the years I've bolted new bits on when old bits broke or I found something better. Currently it runs an Alfa Romeo 2.0 twin cam, 5 speed, maybe Fiat, maybe not. I can't remember and a Toyota Celica back axle. If I nail the pedal from a standing start it usually just swaps ends, which never grows old. If I aim the hosepipe at it, it makes a pretty good Sunday lunch car, I've had it at track days, swap the tyres and I can go trailing in it, I drive it around the fields all the time and when I was younger and even dafter, I used to commute in it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlin_(car) Remember: It's not your car unless you've had it in bits all over the shed floor?

5513 today

I honestly only checked this thread because of you avatar congrats on her first of many!