Pugwash

I'm wearing something different: only kidding:

I'll take a studio front-on shot and overlay it on the IWC stock shot when I get a chance. It'll not be this week though.

Many people will mention Panerais, so I'll be more specific. I picked up a battered 187 fugly tuna can and didn't expect to like it. I love that ugly plug now.

I'll see you when you return. All the best.

Is that you, [censored]? Put the gun away, you'll only wing another lawyer ...

No light tent, no studio lights, no polarising filter, not much photoshop. Everything in the lens. click for 1280x960 As usual, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 at f2.8

Split minute or a Big Pilot for me ...

Don't get one. Oh, go on then.

Best get used to these pictures; You'll be seeing them every wristcheck from now on.

"Marina, Aqua Marina ... What is that enchanting smell of fish whenever you're near ..." http://www.televisiontunes.com/Stingray_-_...qua_Marina.html

I'd say both are good. I can't find a fault on either, apart from the lume.

AR is almost a certainty, as K2222 does a great service. If I have time, I'll consider the datewheels, but that'll be next year.

6.75" (17cm) circumference. They're flatter than they are round, though. I'm on the 3rd notch (of so it'll go smaller and bigger.

I'll take another shot. The strap fits nice.

... why do Christians have Patron trees at Christmas?

The caseback is fine. I've still got the TRL on mine.

It's a lot classier than a Cousteau and will not date as quickly.

That would be a no. :-)

Preface This review has been a long time coming. Back in June, we were informed that we'd have it in two weeks, but the tales of this replica date back even further. One year ago, almost to the day, I proposed this watch as the "Dream Watch" candidate where whichever replica we voted for would be made. This watch was the clear winner and we all settled down to wait for it to be built. Nothing came of that, but six months later we were informed that a different replica factory, the one that brought us the so-called Ultimate Planet Ocean, would be releasing this watch in two weeks. It took a further six months for this to become a reality. So, the most anticipated replica to date? I hope not as I doubt anything could live up to the hype. History of the Aquatimer The first Aquatimer was made in 1967 and even then it had the famous rotating bezel, operated by a crown at around 4-o-clock, but it wasn't until 1997 that they released the GST that would evolve into the IWC3719 Aquatimer Chrono we have in front of us here. This watch featured prominently in the film Lucky Number Slevin, which is where it earned its nickname The Slevin. The Purchase I got my Aquatimer from Precious Time in the UK as I wanted to be sure I got a good one and that if there were any QC issues, I could deal with them in the EU as opposed to crossing customs dozens of times. If you've dealt with Precious Time, you know what service to expect - the usual high-quality packaging and speedy responses with great products. Precious Time, I'm sorry if I'm glossing over the purchasing aspect, but it's so straight-forward and painless there truly is nothing to say about it, and that's a good thing. If you're in the EU, give him a go. The Replica Ok, first impressions. If this were December 2006, this would be fighting for best replica of 2006 and holding its own. A year on, does it cut the mustard? We'll come back that. The Case Wow, solid and well-built. It feels like a proper watch. It has heft and clean edges. The crystal, while not being up to the standards of an after-market AR job, is decent enough with the AR giving the dial a blue hint from certain angles. Features For those who don't know the famous Aquatimer bezel, it's unique enough to merit its own section here. The chrono reset button also serves as a rotator for the bezel that's on the dial, much like the slide-rule on a Navitimer. It's a clever idea and the replica reproduces the original almost perfectly. It clicks positively in one direction and ratchets in the other. The alignment isn't absolutely perfect, but it can be made to line up (as can be seen in my photos) with very little effort. The Dial Two years ago, the IWC GST was heralded as one of the most perfect replicas available, yet the dial had no lume and the text was slightly wrong. This replica improves on the tradition, with near-perfect printing. reading between the lines, that means the Lume sucks. Why does lume on replicas suck so much? Well, let me tell you. Superlume is worth more than gold and can be stolen so very easily by an unscrupulous counterfeit labourer that the factories simply cannot afford to use it. It's a shame, but we just have to accept that we will never ever get good lume straight from the factory. This watch is an extreme side effect of that. Still, the dial and hands look beautiful. The Movement The Asian 7750 fitted in this watch feels better than any other one I've had. The 7750 in my Chrono-Avenger was until now the cleanest feeling, but this one has better ratcheting in the winder, the keyless works feels more positive and it feels and sounds solid. I realise I'm using unscientific terms, but it's all about the feel. The Chrono runs perfectly and it's as good as you can expect from an Asian 7750. Yes, the datewheels could do with replacing with genuine parts, but we're used to that. The Strap Perfect. It's the right feel, the right material and the right quality. Nice and soft and it doesn't attract dust. I don't feel at all upset by the lack of steel bracelet. Conclusion A well put together watch. Yes, it has its issues, like no lume and insufficient AR, but these are things I can live with very easily. Does it stand up to the so-named super-reps? Is it a good 2006 rep or a good 2007 rep? It's a winner, but not outright. It's up there, but not at the top. All it needs, and I mean all it needs, is an AR job on the crystal and it'd be a class-leading 2007 replica. Out of the box, it's worthy enough and I'd recommend it highly, but if you get an AR coating, Valjoux datewheels and a relume (although I will not be bothering with the relume myself - it's a minor consideration), you will get a replica that is indistinguishable from the genuine and is a modern classic. Without mods, it's still a damned fine watch, even for 2007. The test will be how long before I put one of my other reps on my wrist, and I suspect it'll be a while now. Please excuse the lower than usual quality of photos, but I was relegated to the kitchen without my light tent due to the impending festive season requiring a large tree in the living room. Any questions?

Very nice.

Oh yes. You know.

It's dead easy to do it yourself: I'd offer to do it for you, but I'd have to charge

i wrote a very detailed how-to on this very subject. It'll be in the search feature.

Mine is on my wrist. Review tomorrow.

Scam site. Avoid.