tomhorn

There is a seller on the Bay called watchco-europe that always seems to have a lot of gen TAG parts, including cases and dials. I have been looking for a case set for a project and his auctions seem to come up a lot on searches.

I did a pretty complete review on the LV Sub, which is basically the same as the v3. As others have pointed out, I also found the build quality to be exceptional.

A sale that will either end badly for someone, or on the very off chance it turns out to be real, someone will get a great deal. I'm guessing the former ...

My LV just arrived yesterday, and it was very hard to take the time to take pictures of it before sizing and putting it on my wrist ... I gave my bracelet a good cleaning and a bath in White Lightning Clean Ride (dry bike lubricant) and it hasn't left the wrist since. Enjoy!

BK/WM9 LV ...

My WM9 LV Submariner arrived from BK today. Here's a quick review and some pics for those awaiting theirs ... Let me begin by saying I am not a Rolex expert by any stretch of the imagination, nor I am I familiar with all the minutia that makes or breaks a great Rolex rep. I have held many a gen, and have read many reviews here (and on other forums) and looked at many pictures. In short, what follows might be a whole lot of hooey to the trained eye, but it's the best I can do ... I was never a big Submariner fan until I saw the LV for the first time. Maybe it's because the black bezeled Sub is so common, but I have always loved the LV. I got on the pre-order list for this rep on day one (I think) and it's been a long wait. I knew going in that WM9 always underestimated his release dates, but I think even BK would admit this one took a little longer than it should have. Even though I was on the pre-order list, I was still number one on the list for Tanya's raffle for the gen LV, which unfortunately never filled up. Call me crazy, but I just loved the look of the LV and knew I wanted one. Granted, it's been a little over a month since I've last held a gen LV Sub in my hands, but if you had the BK WM9 on your wrist and showed it to me, I'd never be able to tell you it wasn't a gen. Looking at a bunch of macro photos or holding a gen and this rep side by side maybe, but on the wrist I know I couldn't do it. Even holding it, the only thing that gives it away for me is the bracelet is a little stiff right out of the package from BK. Of course we all know this is common for the rep Rolex bracelets (and not BK's fault), and there are many threads here that have simple remedies to rectify that issue. Once I get through taking some more pictures, mine will be undergoing the treatment. As for the details ... The Case, Crown Guards, Endlinks and Crown: The case looks spot on to my untrained eye. The crown-guards are shaped well enough to pass close inspection, and surprisingly (after all the *****ing on some other threads) the end links on mine look very well machined and are as close to perfect as I think I can expect from a rep 1/10th the cost of the gen. While I'm sure someone will point something out in the macro photos, on the wrist you don't really see any gaps. Of the four places where the case meets the endlinks, I can slide a sheet of paper between them in only one spot, and even then it's tough to do. Maybe I got lucky, or maybe some people are making a bigger deal out of it than necessary. I don't know, but at least on my watch they are fine. I wouldn't let the perceived endlink problem keep you from buying. The crown is well done, with the logo well defined and what appears to be the correct height and diameter (at least it fits well within the crown guards). The case tube and gasket look good, and the crown screws in and out easily. and appears to seat firmly with the gasket. I have no doubt that it seals well enough to keep water out. The rehaut looks correct as far as height and lack of 'wokiness' goes, and the height of the Clark's crystal is correct from what I can tell. The Movement: I am not comfortable removing the caseback and taking a peak 'under the hood' so I'll be trusting BK that the engine is an ETA 2824 as advertised. It sure feels like my other 2824's when winding and adjusting the time. Those functions are buttery smooth, and several hours after originally setting the time, it hasn't lost any seconds yet. The Dial and Hands: The dial is excellent. Crisp printing of the text, and great lume on the markers and hands. I am not good at lume shots, but this thing really glows in the dark and the lume looks consistant in terms of color and intensity between the dial and hands. All of my dates center nicely in the window, and look to be properly magnified by the Clark's crystal. I was a little concerned about the surrounds for the hour markers being slightly too thick compared to the gen, and while they certainly can look that way in the macro shots, on the wrist you don't really notice it. The Bezel, Insert and Pearl: The pearl on the WM9 LV appears to be ever so slightly smaller than the gen. I had to look at Tanya's pick to be sure, but I think it is. It actually might be the metal surround is thicker, so the lume dot looks smaller. For a watch geek into Rolex, it may be a tell. What's interesting to me is that in this case, it seems to actually look better in the macro shots than it does on the wrist. Most of the time, it's the other way around. Certainly just a nit-pick if anything, as it doesn't look bad. We're probably talking less than 1 mm here, if it's not just my eyes playing tricks on me. The insert color is beautiful. I know it was reported to be a significant reason for the release delay, but IMO they got it as close to the gen as it can possibly be. It's nicely recessed in the bezel. My only minor complaint is that the bezel on mine is very stiff. I'm sure it will loosen up over time, and BK has already told me he'll take care of it if things persist. The Bracelet: As I mentioned before, the bracelet does come out of the package a little stiff and one could argue the link's edges can be less refined than the gen. It's a common issue with rep bracelets and in no way should reflect on BK (or WM9 for that matter). There are certainly enough tutorials to get even me (a noob with this kind of thing) through working out the kinks. Having said that, the overall finish of the bracelet is very good. The clasp is excellent on mine, with the Rolex logos well defined and are also stamped/engraved very well into the various places they belong. There are also an abundance of links included. I haven't sized the bracelet yet since my wrists are small and a longer bracelet is better for pictures, but I'd suspect I'm going to be taking out at least four links to get it down to 6.75". I'd say you're safe all the way out to 8" (or more) including the clasp adjustments. Every one of my screws sits perfectly flush to the links. In Conclusion: The short version of this review is that the just released WM9 LV Submariner by BK is by far the best rep I own. Bar none. Whether or not it is the most accurate rep available today I'll leave to others to decide, but as a watch (irregardless of being a rep) it is an extremely high quality piece. For me, it was well worth the wait, and if you like the look, I can't imagine you being disappointed in this rep. BK has treated me well during the sales process, and during my after sale questions today. He's a top notch dealer as his customers know. My only problem now is waiting for the SD ...

I love my clone 063 from Homer. Wish he was still around ...

+1 on the gym membership if that's an option for you. I know some people prefer working out at home, but $2,000 buys over 5 years worth of a membership at my gym. There are many advantages IMO. 1) Access to a personal trainer 2) Available workout classes 3) Never have to worry about replacing/repairing equipment 4) Never have to move equipment 5) Access to both strength training and aerobic equipment 6) People around to spot you if you are lifting free weights I'm sure there are others. The key for the OP however is his word 'quickly'. It's not going to happen quickly, and working out alone isn't going to get it done either. Requires both diet and exercise to accomplish losing some inches. I know there's a bit of conflicting information here and I don't know enough to take sides. I do know that I basically have done what Lani has put forth and am down about 50 lbs since my peak weight back in June of 2009. I run 5 days a week and strength train 3 days if that helps any. If I was going the home route, I would continue running outdoors, buy a TRX system (www.fitnessanywhere.com), a fitness ball and some dumbells. That would get me through my current workout routines, although not as easily as I can do it at my gym.

Not sure why that would have happened, but at any rate, he is a trusted dealer here and has his own sub-forum. http://www.rwgforum.com/forum/73-joshua/ I'm not that familiar with the DSSD so can't tell you whether or not his version is good.

I'm sure you will tire of the black dial soon ... I'll volunteer to be first in line when you decide to sell ...

Have always wondered about this myself. Always figured it would take a trip to China to sort something out.

The WM9 YM gets my vote. Preferably assembled by BK ..

Parnis also has some good options for less than $200.

The simple HTML would be: <A href="url of the page you want to link to"><IMG SRC="location of the image"></A> Or here at RWG: Or on the signature editing screen, click on the 'Insert Link' button. Enter the URL you want to link to in the URL box, and then put the entire image code for your image in the 'Link Text' box.

Zyr Vodka was on the menu last night. Not widely available here in the US, but well worth the search ...

My Ebel ... one of my favorites of any dial color. When you've got one of those Ubi, you don't need another ...

My 3717 still gets the most wrist time, and it was my first purchase. After picking it up from Bruce79, I got it serviced and did the ETA datewheel swap at the same time, then added a Tourby Strap. Still want a relume and to send the crystal off to Chief.

yawn ... will wait for v2 ...

No need to be snippy. The BK YM and the WM9 YM are two different watches. BK supplied both. The BK YM wass a Noob factory YM with BK working his magic to upgrade it from the standard Noob YM. Totally valid question for highoeyazmuhudee to ask.

For those who like the Chronisimmo strap, here are some picks of one on a 3717. This is actually my watch now, as I bought it from bruce79. His pics are much better than mine.

The only recommended Sub at that price would be the Noobmariner.

Off to vote wearing my 3717 ...

I believe Eurotimez can ship via the UK, or at least they used to. Might want to check there. Also Precious Time has a lot of good reviews from EU members. Not sure where he ships from though but I think it's UK.

The Di-Modell comes in a 22mm strap size. They are easy to fit on the 21mm 3717 by just a little squeeze at the lugs. My Tourby strap is also 22mm FYI.