RVD

For a Rolex, I think you need to somewhat act the part because there are so many fakes. Yes, I know there are many exceptions and you shouldn't simply judge a book by its cover but seeing a Rolex on your busboy is going to be a little more suspicious than seeing it on a guy wearing a suit stepping out of his porsche 911. Most of my friends own at least one gen Rolex. No, it's not because they are all rich...but in my culture a watch is usually a gift that you get when you get married from your wife's family. Since Rolex is well known, 99% of the time, they get a Rolex. Most of the time it's a datejust but thesedays many people get Submariners. These high end reps are virtually identical to the gens (other than the pearl). I know that we like to nitpick about crown height, crown size, laser etch, slight difference in spacing/font of the dial or date wheel but this stuff is never known even by the guys who wear a gen every day and then wear one of my reps. I have always been a "sensitive skin" guy so I don't like anything touching my skin. So I tend to wear loose t-shirts, loose pants, loose socks, etc. I also rarely use any kind of soap on my skin, cologne, deodorant, etc. I'm blessed to be Asian and rather hairless so I never have an odor problem or anything like that. I don't even wear a wedding ring. So when I got married, I told my wife's family not to get me the watch. However, I have always liked watches. But since I rarely wear them except for special occasions, I don't feel it's worth it to buy a high end watch. In fact, I will likely lose it because on the days that I do wear it, I'm constantly taking it off and putting it down wherever. But I do have a few rep Submariners, some Panerais, Cartiers, etc. I've never actually been questioned about them because everyone around me assumes that they are real. I've always driven nice cars (currently a BMW 750Li but MBZ before that, etc.) and when they do see my watch and make any kind of remark, I always just brush it off like it's nothing. One guy at work a few days ago saw my latest Submariner and said how nice it looked. He even said that he knows it's not a fake because the hand sweeps. When I wear my Panerais, most people don't even know what it is. Sometimes they talk about how big the watch it but that's about it. I did have a few friends ask "Is that like an expensive brand or something?" and I say "nah". I do like wearing the Panerais because when I do come across someone who knows watches, they usually get very excited. If you don't want people to question your high end timepiece, don't wear a Rolex or Breitling, wear a Panerai or AP or any other less known brand. I used to say that about Patek but it's getting well known now. RVD.

well, the one on the left was a rep purchased about 6 months ago from Angus. the one on the right was purchased from jojo. jojo bought it from bklm1234. it started as the MBW and then they got it lumed, gen crown, gen pearl, changed out the dial to the noob dial, and shaved the crown guards. it's a rep but done very well. in other words, both are reps but one has a lot of custom mods (include gen mods) while the other was standard rep from a decent dealer. RVD.

yeah the one on the right is really nice. thanks jojo! RVD.

very nice analysis everyone. Sorry for the bad pictures. It was late last night and I don't have a lightbox or good lighting but I do have a decent macro lens so I used it. The left one was a rep from PureTime purchased about 6 months ago. It's decent but the pearl is not accurate, etc. The one on the right is an excellent rep just purchased here on the board. It has a MBW case with genuine pearl, genuine crown, modified crown guards, noob dial, swiss ETA movement, etc. The dial looks pretty different in both. The left one has a bolder font. The laser etch is really not visible. I had to try really hard to get just the right angle to take that picture. I have a noobfactory one on the way so I'll see how that compares. Then I'll probably sell the PureTime one and noobfactory. RVD.

Here are some pics of 2 Rolex Submariners (16610). Any opinions on rep vs. gen and quality? Do you think both are obvious reps? Both obvious gens (ok, I'll give it away...they're not both gens). One rep, one gen? There are a few members with inside info so they should refrain for a little while. enjoy. RVD.

I haven't had very good luck with dealers so I'm leaning more towards members these days. Pros for dealing with a member: 1) watch has been inspected and is usually in good working order 2) detailed descriptions and reputation of the member can sometimes ensure that you're getting a good watch from the bunch 3) usually a little cheaper 4) may include some cool mods Cons for dealing with a member: 1) a member with no reputation may decide to unload bad watches because he/she didn't like them 2) usually older generation watches that don't have the upgrades and improvements of the newest stock 3) if the member isn't skilled, the mods might suck Pros for dealing with a dealer: 1) Latest stock, latest technology, latest improvements 2) Brand new, never worn or used by another person Cons for dealing with a dealer: 1) QC is not good some you may get a bad watch. I've received a bad watch over 70% (yes that's right) of the time. One watch stopped running a week later. One watch had the clasp break within 5 minutes of putting it on. One watch has a strap that comes loose within 48 hours so the strap falls out. etc. 2) customs since they all seem to drop ship from asia I'm going to stick with reputable members who mod well. RVD.

Hi everyone. I started out in TRC way back in 2002 and never really left until now. I joined RWG a few days ago. Be kind and I look forward to many more good years in here. I'll always be grateful to Thomas and the admins out there for introducing me to this expensive hobby. RVD.

I actually use a wireless remote shutter for this. i bought it on ebay and it basically just works like a remote control. the other option is to use the timer release of course. i haven't used the camera software to do this before but that's a good thought. the pictures do look pretty good btw.

personally i use a card reader. i use sandisk extreme III and extreme IV cards and a fast sandisk reader to transfer files. Once the files are transferred, i use photoshop to open the raw CR2 (canon raw) files. i modify the pictures in photoshop and then generate jpgs. the software from the camera obviously works fine. canon's dpp software is nice and works well. adobe lightroom is also not too expensive and decent. RVD.

lol. i've played around with reverse macro. as you can see here, it works fairly well. it's cheap and it works. extension tubes are another cheap option. compared to a real macro, i think the main differences are: 1) focus is much tougher. you basically have to move the camera to focus just right. 2) you can't use it in reverse mode for anything other than macro. with a true macro, i use it like a regular lens for portaits sometimes and also macro photography. 3) it's virtually impossible to get more than a small area in focus. with a true macro, i can adjust apertures, etc. like a normal lens. i'm not a pro but i enjoy photography. i shoot with a canon 5D and for macro, i use a relatively cheap and fast 100mm f/2.8. i don't shoot enough macro to justify the 180L lens. i've also used the 100mm macro for portrait work but don't use it much anymore after i got the 85mm f/1.8 (1.2 is too expensive). i still have my old reverse ring and extension tubes from the days before i bought my macro. you're right it is a lot of fun. RVD.