docblackrock

Not a fan of bright-white dials to be honest, a bit too insipid, effeminate/camp even... Makes Breitlings look cheap, Omegas look bland, and PAMs, well, the word 'repulsive' comes to mind. There are only two watches I'll grant a pardon to....the aforementioned Daytona with silver subdials, but even that holds nothing to THIS rare ethereal beauty.....

I think I have better odds of riding a unicorn to an eight-lengths victory in the Grand National than in ever finding a AR sapphire 212/253 crystal. Never understood, given the demand, why no production project has sprung up. I've seen far more complex mods being achieved here over the years. Just one of those inexplicable things I guess.

Congrats, wear it well BT. Must admit though I'm a little surprised you've gone for the older 41mm model even if the gen blue dial is slightly different to the rep. Long ago during the Great Rep Poll of 2005/6 (?) I advocated the production of the 43mm 'Aquagraph-esque' Day-Date as although I really liked the look of your new baby (in blue), I was singularly unimpressed with the wrist presence (plus the bracelet) in the flesh, not to mention the fliplock bracelet. Still like you, I too didn't dwell long on the rep Aquaracer - it comes out now and again, but my gen Aquagraph takes precedence.

SIHH 2009 already been and gone my friend (they controversially split it and Baselworld by 3 months instead of 3 weeks) As for being good crazy, I think it's more stupid crazy for the reasons I've already outlined above. If I want to mix gen Panerai plus PVD look that is durable (not the crappy shiney ceramic) then I'd look at that gorgeous 322(?) you know the new DLC'd Regatta with ratty movement

Would have been more interesting if the poster had decided to forgo the use of the flash button on his camera and take in natural light. You can still see the over-exposed contrast between the 'black' matte rubber strap and the darker glossy/polished case, but still as bwhitesox mentioned, the finish doesn't leap out at you because of the poor choice of lighting. Personally, it does nothing for me - still has a polished appearance, so not much different than the look of the titanium 194 - whereas bead-blasting would give a more interesting effect IMO. As for value, much as you do things like that for your own pleasure, I'd always wonder just how much of a hit you'd take on it by subjecting the case to an aftermarket job like this, if of course you ever decide to trade it in. Owner would probably expect above going market value as well due to its "rarity" Me? Whilst I may like the thought of a bead-blasted/coated 187, I less like the thought of paying thousands of euros for a pre-owned watch I know has been stripped down in some unauthorised 'shop' (yes, even IWW) and had its case treated in this manner. It's the sort of thing I'd get done to my rep not my gen. Not to mention the possibility of an OPSC shuffling uncomfortably before shaking their heads in refusal if it ever needed a service etc. Ouch.

on more than one level Leaving aside my view on 'rep' phones ("I'd like my occipital cortex done medium rare please"), I can't help but think they'd be better spending time and money looking at a movement solution to bring out a decent Monaco. The gen Meridiist is a gorgeous bit of engineering albeit a design which takes some 'acquiring' but is far too much of a brick to be practical. Plus I'd rather have a nice Monaco retro reissue for the same money.

Sorry but I'm going to have to disagree here BT, please indulge me... The running secs/minute counters on the GC subdials is nowhere near being an "innovation" or "unique" in movement terms - it is simply a rotating disc no different in design or execution than a DW on a normal chrono movement (RS 'trim' or not). Here's a better word for it...."gimmick" Honestly, if you want innovation, there's plenty to talk about within the stable, the c.360 Carrera, the long-awaited V4 Monaco, even the hugely underrated (and affordable Calibre S (in Aquaracer, Link, or the new SLR guise). All of which are either proper 'heritage' pedigree married to technical innovation, or in the case of the cS, just simply innovation. The Grand Carrera in such company with its rotating discs, is simply a charlatan. However, whilst it's no secret I'm not a fan of the series (bland, gimmicky, ill-proportioned etc.), I have to say that Cyfer's 'black steel' version is certainly eye-catching. Horses for courses I guess.

Long time old friend, glad to see you alive and well

Too juicy a bait clearly judging by the response I can see I'm going to need a bigger net with this one, mwahahaha.... Nice to see Jack W get Babin to reinvest in the Heritage line again, I really thought it was a goner, what with all the bastardising (Grand Carrera crap) of late. Methinks I'm going to have to indulge my still-unrequited Monaco lust in the coming months, trouble is which one? The LE is the obvious choice and I'm lucky enough to be able to get my mitts on one all being well, but then it's a big premium and the temptation to safe-queen it. The V4 is the apotheosis of the series, an ultra-modern reinterpretation of the old classic (like comparing a Macbook Air to the old beige-grey Macintosh SE) but a truly remarkable achievement. And then there's the middle-ground....the profit-generating 'Classic' chrono, much nicer in twin-chrono layout than the current tricompax, a nod to the original but lacking its soul, would have to be in a black dial preferably (the synonymous blue dial is crying out for the c.11 LE). Decisions, decisions....

Sorry, it's not a decent rep sorry but it is exciting Monaco news nonetheless.... _____________________________________________________________________________ First up then...the one that started it all, the famous c.11-powered (with lefty crown at 9)..... The Tag Heuer Monaco 1969 Original Re-Edition 1969-2009: to commemorate this historic anniversary, TAG Heuer has proudly republished this iconic blue-dial timepiece in a limited series of 1,000 pieces with an exclusive case back signed by Jack Heuer and engraved in honour of its mythical ambassador Steve McQueen. Outfitted with the Calibre 11 movement, its other classic features include pushbuttons at 2 and 4 o’clock, crown at 9, counters at 9 and 3, hand-applied date window at 6 o’clock, and diamond-tipped horizontal hours indexes. Gorgeous ain't she? The watch will come with some additional goodies like two straps (perforate racing shown here and a blue croc) and a LE McQueen book with unpublished photos etc. Nice. _____________________________________________________________________________ Next up, a subtle but attractive new take on the original, although with a "new" c.12....(modern re-engineered movement, switch to normal crown-at-3 configuration) The Monaco Classic Chronograph To celebrate the MONACO’s 40th anniversary, TAG Heuer is proud to present a new collection of Classic Chronograph fitted with a TAG Heuer Calibre 12 automatic movement. Directly inspired by the original design, these chronographs adorn a sapphire crystal glass and a case back allowed to see the beat of the Caliber 12. Standout features include a dark blue alligator strap and stylish silver and blue dial with red hands. The new, fashion-forward animation on the chronograph dial is completely in line with the line’s iconic heritage. Both of these two 'retro' models have something that is long overdue to the modern Monaco series.....sapphire crystal! Check it out.... _____________________________________________________________________________ And finally, the rumour going round is that 5 years after announcing the concept movement, the V4 Monaco production model may be taking a bow at Baselworld/SIHH. And it may well be in skeleton guise as per the concept. Sign me up!

Thanks for the update...getting close to the cigar now. I'll be down for one of each...

Now that would be something worth drooling over

No.

Worth mentioning that the biggest telltale flaw on newish ladies models such as the DJ is the datefont - the gen uses a very distinct squared bold modern font. No rep has so far addressed this.

Well I tell you unless I get reassurances that they've tweaked the XVIII to solve the problems they've had with it, then I won't be going near it, gorgeous piece that the 332 is. You'd like to think they'd look to improve QC where possible given their focus on in-house movements. Talking of that direction, whilst they've moved forward in terms of proprietary movements, I think for the most part they've moved backwards in terms of design.

That DLC'd 332 is the stand-out by far. The rest just make me shrug and go 'pfff, whatever'. But once again, whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad.......and in this case they've succeeded. They made it a frickin' Ratty instead of Flyback! Why oh why? I have it on very good authority that a lot of 213 Ratty's have been in and out of the OP service shop over the last few years, fairly unreliable movement the OPXVIII considering it's only a couple of extra gears and an additional second hand difference from the sturdy XIX-powered 212. Such little things matter though. Of course, now there's sadly little likelihood of seeing an accurate rep (would be fantasy, not something the makers are keen on these days), whereas if it were a flyback, then *bingo* a 7750 and we'd be laughing. But you know, I think this one is a special case for a rep project.....would love to see a 7750-based 'Flyback' but with Rattrapante dial and a faux extra second hand and case pusher. Faux, you say? Yes I do. The DLC process as we saw with the Blacksteel would set this off a treat - interesting they're using DLC now as opposed to their 'ceramic' PVD. I'm going to petition this one after CNY, about time my PAM love was rekindled. If not, then you know what? Bugger it. Time to spring for the gen. Held off on the 233 last year after the massive price hike throughout the industry, but this one, mmmmmm. Tough decisions lie ahead.

Kirium series went 'end of life' a while back. No plans to reintroduce it.

We've all 'lost' money on attempted mods and parts that don't fit or work (my last one was Chief's AR cyclops) - it's part of the hobby - but you have to be a particular type to write such a bitter post, using words like "ripped off" and "crappy" insinuating dishonesty about a valued member and old friend of mine. What is it now, 18 months and you still can't resist a cheap dig? Christ sake tell us how much you 'lost' 30, 60, 90 usd? I'll gladly start and contribute to a whip round if only not to have to suffer reading such embarrassingly petty whining ever again.

You're asking about vintage specs and preferences, and then talking about applying them to a "GMT Submariner"? is that some hithero unknown ultra rare model from the late 50s?

Ha ha arggh, ok maybe I'm going a bit senile You're right my friend (except for the libellous part about ME going for the 'Seiko' ) we were discussing the merits of the case types not the dial, was someone else the conversation about the Pro dial, possibly my AD! Crap, really have been working too hard My apologies for accusing you of liking the (zzzzzz) Pro dial, possibly a worse crime than harbouring a secret penchant for Mamma Mia Your reputation for good taste remains intact my friend - no need to sue for libel. Now if you could just post a similar retraction we'll be good

Lani, definitely an inside track stealth winner is the BR-02, "the best of the best" as you say - so wearable, this baby has even been keeping my Blacksteel benched Agree about the Seik...err Pro dial looking better (if one really must ) on carbon, but whilst the gen is DLC (almost-black in colour and yes, it's matte) the rep spec is "PVD black" which suggests to me scratch-like-a-[censored] "coating". Doubt the maker has invested in the DLC "stain" process we saw with the Blacksteel. So the supposed 'carbon' case is not worth the trouble in the long run I feel, whatever dial variant you choose. p.s. glad to see you took my recommendation in the end after wavering and expressing some (unnatural) Pro dial love will post some pics on the canvas strap next week p.p.s. if you REALLY have to sate that 'carbon' lust of yours, then suggest you wait for the inevitable 'colour lume' LE editions - the gens are out now, the blue in particular looks good. Me? well, I'll keep a beady eye out for the chrono version, naturellement.

Glad to see you've got yours Lani - mine (the same contrasting SS case with arabic numerals, not the Seiko-looking 'Pro' dial) arrived a week or so ago and has not left the wrist since - literally, shower, pool, you name it - will take it down deeper when summer comes round. It's an absolutely stunning rep, a modern classic reinterpretation of the dive watch - perfectly understated and rugged for a daily beater. Supremely comfortable also not just the size (44m) but also the case profile - not something I can say of my Aquagraph, it's dive 'twin' in my collection. Having seriously toyed with buying the gen over the past 12 months (I could never find the particular variant I wanted in stock), I didn't hesitate when I saw they finally came up with a vastly improved version of this. Everything is there, where it should be, and as it should be - quality is superb. Even the little black soft-touch rubber-like crown covers. Only slight possible quirk is the AR on the crystal, not quite as strong as on the gen IMO, but hey we expect that these days. Oh and the rubber strap, as Lani says, is spot on to the gen, even down to the vanilla-scent (similar to my 'Graph, where the scent is caused by the treatment that keeps the rubber flexible at very cold temps). Still, just picked up a gen canvas strap for a change of look (Carl @ GGB is still out of action, but the gen was very reasonably priced anyway). Gen pic below of my choice (watch on left, but with both straps), but honestly, I'd defy anyone to spot the difference if I staged this with the rep (maybe I will when I'm home after the holidays).

Ah, she's a beauty alright R, enjoy That gorgeous dial is worth the price alone, never mind the U-shaped CGs, and of course the 2892 and accompanying correct crown/stem/case alignment. Couple of quick Qs.... 1. Weight - saw the specs on WM9's site, says it's a few grams short of the gen due to the movt weight differences. Now I'm a little sceptical on that as I know the gen feels surprisingly HEAVY due to the Pt bits (dial and insert), which the rep doesn't have so I'm confused a little..... 2. And the DW - slightly off as usual? Can you drive a bus between the numerals on the 10th?

Don't stop there Date mag - is there an easier option than messing round glueing new diameter cyclops?

Exactly, don't see what all the screaming about fraud is for.