automatico

I had a friend who used to be in the rep biz and his first 'contact guy' supposedly got KIA in a car accident and the next guy who took it over told him that 'getting killed in a car accident' was the standard excuse when they sell out to another guy or move back to China. He had this happen two or three times in 10 years and all of his contacts were in NYC. The last guy got busted with a few $mil of stock, bailed himself out, and took off back to China. 'A few $mil of stock' = retail price of similar genuine items, not replicas. The guv'mnt does this to make it seem like they made a big bust.

Rule 1: The buyer sets the price. Three exceptions that quickly come to mind are food, medicine, and gasoline. You gotta eat, get check ups, and drive to the strip joint store. Yeah I know they make electric cars but I don't have a cord long enough to get to the Starlight Club. Imho...higher end watches exist and are expensive only because people will pay the price. With watches, cars, jewelry etc, serious buyers set the price. Otoh, it will be 'worth' much less than current market prices to an uninterested party so they will not buy one. No matter what, I seriously doubt a new Timex will ever sell for $20,000.00 or a new rolex submariner will be $1199.00 at Costco because of the manufacturing cost differences and perception of their 'worth'. With high end watches...you pay your money and you usually get screwed make your choice. Btw...if you all could see my pile of watches you could tell I have made some really bad choices. Ha!

"I think 1 of the best bargains in vintage watches is the original HUMMER, the Bulova Accutron (Spaceview). These can be found for under $1,000." Totally agree, the 214 'Spaceview' is THE Accutron. The 218 line is fine too but not as cool. They made a 'skeleton' 218 but they were just not the same. No pizzazz. FYI...the 14K and 18K Accutrons have a lot of gold in their cases compared to most other brands. Many of their vintage mechanicals were pretty heavy too. I have a pair of 1950s 'Beau Brummel' automatics that are heavier than the average watch of the same era...one white gold, one yellow gold. Beau Brummel = diamonds on the dial. "the bulova moonwatch (in SS bracelet) is IMHO an example of this, (still I am on the hunt, I know I am late)" Glad to say I have one from 1964 in original condition with the factory issue Bulova signed Kreisler 'coffin' bracelet. A friend gave it to me and it is in 85 to 90% condition with just a little bit of corrosion on the H and M hands from the lume. Kreisler bracelet prices have gone crazy too, eBay item number 183760670497 Here is one of the best Bulova Accutron mechanics in the business... The ONLY Recommended site. Accutron Repair and Spaceview Repair (mybob.net)

'High end quartz'... I thought maybe the (now discontinued) Bulova Accutron II was pretty good with its excellent accuracy and smooth sweeping second hand but in my experience they may have a flaw that is becoming more common; Defective hour wheels. None of mine have had a problem yet but a few weeks ago two came in for this problem. I turned them down as I do not want the hassle of hunting parts or working on one. Besides that, one was a chronograph and I stay away from working on chronographs if I can, mech or quartz. I also read about a few watches having the same problem on a watch forum somewhere but can not find it now. Bulova is supposedly easy to deal with and I may find out if one of mine breaks but for now I am Ok. I do think maybe a plastic hour wheel is not a good idea on a mid or higher grade watch. Some lower grade $7 or $10 quartz movements have them but they do not seem to cause much trouble. Have 2 quartz Ebel 1911 and one will not run and it has a Cartier made movement of some sort...cal 87 in mine. The other one is Ok or it was when I parked it 4 or 5 years ago. Imho they would have been better if they had ETA movements but now some of the ETA quartz movements are over $200. Also have a couple Ebel 'Sport Wave' watches and they both stopped and the replacement ETA movements were about $160 ten+ years ago. Since they are two hands and no date I substituted an ETA 256.031/2 ($60+/-) in one and it was still running 10 or 12 years later with 3 or 4 new batts but I put it up somewhere and can not find it...I do that a lot. All in all I like quartz watches just fine but even they are getting to be pricey to repair except for a few brands, TAG/Heuer for example that use common ETAs.

"Considering the shared "imperfections" both inside & outside the case, it appears to be the same franken watch." Yep, the case looks the same. The part about swapped movements is a head scratcher though. "Solid endlinks??? For this kind of money you’d think it would come with a nice band." Yeah, that's a kick in the golf ball bag...a million dollar watch with the wrong bracelet. Maybe they are hoping the guy who buys it won't notice. If I had a million bucks to blow...I would buy one of the Bulova 214 Accutrons that Citizen reissued not long after they bought Bulova...and a red Dodge HEMI Challenger. The rest would be invested in a few acres of land. NOT a Fronkensteen Con-0-Groff. Igor: Dr. Frankenstein... Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: "Fronkensteen." Igor: "You're putting me on." Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: No, it's pronounced "Fronkensteen." Igor: "Do you also say "Froaderick"? Dr. Frederick Fankenstein: "No..."Frederick." Igor: Well, why isn't it "Froaderick Fronkensteen"? Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: "It isn't; it's "Frederick Fronkensteen." Igor: "I see." Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: "You must be Igor." [He pronounces it ee-gor] Igor: "No, it's pronounced "eye-gor." Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: "But they told me it was "ee-gor." Igor: "Well, they were wrong then, weren't they?" From 'Young Frankenstein' 1974. Young Frankenstein (1974) - Marty Feldman as Igor - IMDb

Looks like another high $$ Frankenstein has arrived on the scene... Franken/Fake Oyster “Sotto” Daytona (RCO) At Christie’s Hong Kong – Vintage Panerai and other iconic timepieces under the loupe at Perezcope https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/no-time-present/rolex-rco-mark-ii-dial-original-certificate-rarest-paul-newman-10/129343?ldp_breadcrumb=back

"I am not a Rolex box expert, but the box in your pictures looks legit to me." I agree. The various replica boxes I have seen were not very well made compared to this one. Otoh one of the best replica boxes I have seen was a round gray TAG/Heuer box. 4K Review: Rolex Deepsea D-Blue "James Cameron" 126660 Unboxing - Bing video

Fresh out of both. Had a run on 'em.

Case Tubes: 5300, 5310, 6020...$10 5330...$14 7000, 7020...$17.50 7030...$22.50 Crowns: 300-8, 300-9, 530-0, 600-0, 603-0...$20 530-8600-8, 603-8, 700-0, 702-0, 703-0...$35 702-8, 703-8...$75 Crown P/N ending In 8 = Yellow Gold Movement Parts For Most Calibres: Balance Complete...$160 Balance Staff...(pkg of 3) $18.00 MS Barrel With Arbor...$20 Center Wheel with Canon Pinion...$25 Clutch Wheel...$8 Great Wheel...$15 Mainspring...$11 Pallet Fork...$32.50 Ratchet Wheel...$12.50 Reversing Wheel Mounted...$25.00 (Mounted = complete assembly) Rotor...$60 Rotor Axle...$8 Set Lever...$12 Winding Pinion...$6.50 Stems...(pkg of 3) $13.50 Screws...(pkg of 3) $15 Screw Set For Complete Movement...$25 Casing Parts: Tropic Crystals...$15.50 Cyclop Crystals...$17.50 Sapphire, Ladies...$90 Sapphire Mid Size...$100 Sapphire Gent's...$110 Crystal Gasket...$6.50 Flat Case Gaskets...(pkg of 3) $12 Round Case Gaskets...(pkg of 3) $16.50 Case Tube Gaskets...(pkg of 3) $9 Bezel Inserts...$30 All prices in USD plus delivery charges. Typos are free.

"...a domed crystal might work then?" My 'Short story' was only telling about the mess I got into when swapping movements around. It has nothing to do with your project, it was an example of what can go wrong. The domed acrylic crystal was mentioned when telling why the 3035 would not work in a 16200 case. Each movement swap will present a unique set of problems when the movements are different thicknesses. Some can be easily solved, some can not. My problems were basically solved on this project but it was not worth the trouble imho. mymanmatt makes a good point. Before you start on the project, find out all you can about what is involved.

"...open a datejust case to fit a day date movement..." "...what work needs to be done for this mod..." Almost always...the same base movement is used for date and day-date movements of the same brand and basic design (caliber) so any modifying done to a date case to accept a day-date movement is usually done above the stem centerline. Q...Like what? A1...Machining the dial seat deeper into the case to accommodate the thicker movement because of the added D-D works. A2...You may also need to machine the dial seat to a larger OD if the D-D dial is bigger in diameter than the date dial...ETA 2834-2 with date at 3 and day at 12 compared to 2836-2 with D and D both at 3 for example. Same basic movement but the 2834-2 has a spacer on the outside of the movement to accommodate the larger in OD day of the week disc. ETA 2836-2 diameter overall = 26.0mm, 5.1mm thick. ETA 2834-2 diameter overall = 29.4mm, 5.25mm thick. The 3.4mm larger overall diameter movement usually results in larger dials. If you attempt to install a D-D movement into a case made for a date movement, the stem may be in a bind and if there is a groove machined in the case for case clamps/screws the groove may not be in the correct location for D-D movement clamps/screws. It basically depends on how thick the movement is above the stem centerline with D-D works compared to the movement with date works. Sometimes the dial opening ID as seen from the front of the case must be enlarged to allow for a larger D-D dial so there are no shrouded markers etc. This is where trouble can arise if the reflector area (aka rehaut) is not wide enough to allow for machining to a larger ID. All the above is fairly easy to do but the work must be precise and the case must be suitable for the modifications. As long as there is adequate material in the case to perform the modification, it is not overly difficult IF you have a lathe, some experience, and a steady hand. Big IF. Short story: In 1995 or 1996 I had a few 'like new' rolex 162xx cases so I machined the dial seat deeper into one so I could put a cal 3035 in it and have a sapphire crystal. It did not turn out as planned. 1...The sweep second hand rubbed the sapphire crystal because the flat crystal had no 'dome' like the acrylic 135 crystal on 16xxx DJ cases. 2...Shortened the sweep second hand tube to lower the hand and it cleared the crystal but rubbed the minute hand. 3...Lowered the minute hand and it rubbed the markers and was too close to the hour hand. Etc, etc. Result = Basically a no go. The fix? Put a white 'Buckley' dial in it with printed Roman numerals, no applied markers. It was Ok but it all ended up going back to the original case and dial later so I could sell it as a 'correct' watch. All 36mm case DJ 16xx, 16xxx and 162xx dials are 27.9mm in diameter. Never tried a 'pie pan' type dial in a 16xxx or 162xx case. The 'pie pan' shape may raise the movement in the case and cause stem alignment problems etc. Still have the empty 162xx case. Q...What will fit in the empty case? A1...Rlx cal 3035 using a dial without applied markers as stated above. A2...Rlx cal 1575 date with flat 27mm dial. A3...Genuine rlx 3135. Boooo on that. Too many movement and parts hassles. A4...Something with an ETA 2836-2...a 2824-2 is too thin for this modified case but they will usually work in a 162xx oem spec case. Maybe could make it into an ETA 2836-2 powered DJ with genuine dial etc. Very reliable with no parts/service hassles. alligoat: I remember the D-D project. It turned out very good. What happened to it? "You'd have to find a DJ 16000 case and those are hard to find these days at a fair price." Yeah, about $300 or $400 and many are badly corroded around the case/case back thread area. In my experience the aftmkt DJ cases are hit of miss. Mostly miss. Also hard to find one with lug holes now. It's insanity. ? to coming world this is What

"If you put them all together I think you'd have a half-decent Hubble space telescope." Chocolate coated space telescope maybe. Ha!

The reading glasses story... As I have said in previous posts, I was a silent partner in a wholesale/retail watch store for a few years and we also bought/sold things other than watches. Remote control helicopters for example (another story). We had contacts with wholesalers/liquidators all over the country and one guy had a huge lot of sunglasses and reading glasses (Foster Grant and InSight brands) so we bought 25,000 readers and they sold out in a few weeks. Since the first order went pretty fast we bought another batch. They did not go so fast and we had some left after 6 months or more so I picked out 200 pairs to peddle around here to 'friends and relatives' along with 500 'Realtree' style elastic watch retainer straps (another story). Just now looked in the garage and I still have about 100 reading glasses but did not count the retainer straps because they were not handy, my guess is about 300, maybe more. We bought a few thousand sunglasses too but they sold out in a hurry. All I have left in sunglasses is two pair camo style (one broken) and one Panama Jack on a ceramic pig decorated like a cop. Then there is the story about buying about 500 pounds of 'chocolate coated caramel candy' at a bargain price...in February or March iirc (I have posted this before). The guy we got it from left out that it was all Santa Claus bars. Although it was still good until the end of the year we could not sell Santa Claus bars in March and April. Besides that, we could not sell them to flea market dealers or set up in a F Mkt ourselves to sell it because it would melt as soon as the sun hit it. I ate a LOT of chocolate covered Santas that year. My 'partner in crime' is now in the wholesale/retail food business. More stories of course...I bought about 200 Ghirardelli chocolate coated caramel (!!) candy bars a while back for $10. Pretty good deal but I discovered my craving for chocolate covered caramel candy had completely gone away.

Decisions, decisions... First...determine if the plating is actually gold (not as easy as it sounds). Second...if it is gold, decide how you want to have the plating removed...buffed off or reverse plated and buffed. The case will also need to be carefully polished after the plating is removed or it will look bad if it is worn or scratched very much at all. If the scratches are not removed it will just look like a shiny, scratched, goldtone case. You can plate over the gold plating but any imperfections will more than likely show more than they do now. Removing real gold plating: Years ago when actual gold was used to plate watch cases etc you could 'reverse plate' the item to remove most of the gold plating from the part, polish the remaining plating off, and re-plate it...time consuming and relatively expensive unless you can do it yourself. I have done this a few times, the last time was about 15 years ago when the yellow gold plating was removed from a square 14K white gold gent's Lucien Piccard watch. (LP made some fine gold watches back in their heyday) The LP watch had factory set diamonds in the corners of the case and it was a real hassle to get all the YG plating off around the diamonds, much like a fluted bezel might be if the plating did not come off to start with. FYI...when you remove the gold plating from a gold case, you are also removing gold from the case itself at the same rate anywhere the plating has already been removed...on flat surfaces for example. Plating usually comes off of flat surfaces first compared to where diamonds have been set into the case etc. Q...Why yellow gold plate a white gold case? A...Back in the 1960s/70s/80s, many jewelers would yellow gold plate over white gold watches to make a sale when the customer said: "I want a watch like the one in the showcase but yellow gold instead of white gold." (mostly lady models) The jeweler would then say: "I'll have one express delivered and you can pick it up in two days." After the customer leaves, the jeweler goes into the back room to take the watch apart and plate the case. After all, the watch case is still solid gold, just not the same color as the original base color so as long as the plating does not wear off they could get away with it. Otoh... The main problem today is many/most low cost goldtone watch cases/bracelets are not gold plated at all but goldtone ion plated (or some similar process) that uses no gold at all. The ion plating is much harder to remove and expensive to reapply so it would probably be cheaper to buy another case. If you opt for another case, make sure it will accept your dial/movement and can use the same movement mounting method...spacer, clamps/screws or plastic spacer etc. Cases made for clamps/screws must have a groove cut in the case for them or a groove cut by a 'friendly hobbyist/machinist'. A 'Big Time' machinist will just laugh and snort at the request or price it very high. (this is from experience) Also make sure the case is contoured between the lugs to fit your bracelet end pieces...round end or partially hooded. Etc, etc. Ion Plating Method in the jewelry field - Jewelry Knowledge (maasjewelry.com) Off topic... Here is a square LP like mine in yellow gold without the diamonds: Also have a 'like new' round 14K LP 'Seashark Automatique' similar to this one: They called them 'Deep Water' but they must have been kidding.

"I may have *cough* gone a bit overboard ordering those beauties." You are not going OB. Buying two 25,000 piece lots of reading glasses is going OB.

Donerix, Nanuq, Dan 71... We have all changed. Everyone does over time. Some by choice. Some by chance. Some by circumstance. (not to be confused with circumcision) I 'seriously' started trading watches in the early 1970s and stayed revved up for years. Not now though. 'Seriously' = buying/trading for something of value rather than mostly junk. Q...What changed? A...Mechanical watches were all there was when I was a kid other than Accutrons and 'run for a day' Hamilton Electrics. I tried to wear a rolex (1603 DJ) but it felt like I was married to it trying to keep it running so I went back to my 214 Accutron. I accumulated/bought/sold a lot of mech watches because they were what traders/buyers wanted but I never cared too much for them. Too many hassles...cleaning/oiling, break when dropped/slammed, many were not too hot at keeping time, being married to them etc. Since they were always giving trouble, I had to pay someone to fix them or learn how to work on them. So I learned how to work on them...more or less. I have a few hundred mechanical watches left from my trading days but many will no longer run because of being stored for so long (25 years or more). Some are worth a few bucks, most of then not worth much. I sold all the good ones too soon looking back but who has a crystal ball? Fast Forward to today: I see today's new mechanical watches for what they are...basically a money con. Watches that cost $1000 or less to make selling for $10k+ and no parts available except to get high $$ 'factory service' and it is sometimes a botch job. Q...Why do I see it that way? A1...Because that's the way it is. Imho. A2...Because a quality $200 quartz watch will keep good time, last many years, and give very little trouble. I can not stand the whack, whack, whack jumping second hand on quartz watches so I mostly wear an Accutron II. Q...What about vintage watch prices getting so high? A...Probably a nostalgic bubble. Only time will tell. Q...What will I do with the Bulova, Benrus, Omega, Longines, Marathon, Fortis, Zodiac, Rolex etc watches? A1...Sell them if I can. A2...Let someone else worry with them if I can't. Q...What about the Disney and cheapo fashion watches? A1...Yard Sale! Flea Market! Give them away! A2...Dumpster. We threw thousands away in the 9+ years we had a store and I already have six 18 inch x 16 inch x 14 inch plastic boxes full of watches in the garage for Mr. Dumpster sooner or later. Q...What are they? A...Some are new/nos with pricey non running or obsolete movements. Others have Hattori (Seiko) PC 21 or Miyota (Citizen) 2025/2035 movements in GRO and I use them for repairs. Q...What about the replicas? A1...Sell them? A chancy endeavor. A2...Remove the swisseta movements from the better ones. Whack all the cases/bracelets with a hammer, feed them to Mr. D. Q...Why? A...It's the easy way out. Q...Any keepers? A...ETA F520117 noobmariners. For the Classic Replica Museum in Hong Kong. Ha! Cornerstone: "To be clear, when Nanuq says this he's suggesting someone gifts me a watch." I have little doubt there is one on the way. You might wait by the mailbox but take plenty to eat. Chicken sandwiches maybe.

Newer tooters... alligoat: "I don't know how new you're referring to." I look at toots the same way I look at rolex...acrylic crystal models are 'vintage' and sapphire models are 'modern'. More or less. Exceptions are A260 etc models and I consider then ' vintage junque' because of autowind trouble and no parts. Old hand winders are Ok because they do not give much trouble. Genuines... The last new/nos tootsub I had was a 94010 nos in June 1998 that I bought for $425USD from a watch trader. Had another used acrylic no date model later but gave it away. Free! Looking back that was a dumb move. Nothing much since then but a new tutone quartz DJ type, new tutone auto, and a vintage 9 karat gold Dennison cased manual wind model, all long gone. A trader had a nice used blue snowflake for $300 back then but I passed on it...another bad move but they came around now and then and were not very hot at the time. There were a lot of relatively cheap nos toots floating around in the 1990s. Only toot stuff left are a few 'toot kits' that have a case, dial, and signed clasp. I bought them to get the lug hole cases and they have glass crystals but a #12 acrylic will work. I was going to stick a couple 34mm explorer projects together but never did. Cobbled up a first quarter 1964 1003 'explorer' with a 1560 and Yuki dial instead. 79090... "This is the JKF model and it's really a pretty good deal for the price." I have a JKF '5513' and it is pretty good too except the lug holes appear to be a hair too high in the lugs. In reality the holes are not that high but the bevel on the lug tops make them look like it. It has a brass movement spacer with case clamps/screws and oem spec case neck/case tube threads. The case back is not oem spec iirc. They would probably be a good base for a lower buck project if they are still available.

hologramet: "...that isn’t 100% correct.. They have KIF shocks, and are Top grade regarding the rest; Glucydur spring etc..Don’t remember if they are/used to be chrono certified. Also.. what’s the point of it being engine turned if the bridge isn’t engraved." You missed two key words. "The main difference looking at a regular ETA 2824-2 and a tudor 2824-2 is the tudor movement is engine turned for decoration." My guess is many regular watch guys can not tell a KIF Parechoc from an Incabloc. Balance wheels are sometimes made out of Glucydur, not hairsprings. Vintage ETA 2824-2 tooters did not use certified movements afaik. If they did they would brag about it. ETA grades: Standard – adjusted in two positions; accuracy of +/-12 sec/day up to +/- 30 sec/day. Elabore – adjusted in three positions; accuracy of +/-7 sec/day up to +/- 20 sec/day. Top – adjusted in five positions; accuracy of +/-4 sec/day up to +/- 15 sec/day. Chronometer – COSC specs. Standard and Elabore Grades: Nickel plated balance wheel; Nivarox hairspring; polyrubies used for pallet jewels. Polyrubies? Top and Chronometer Grades: Glucydur balance wheel; Anachron hairspring; red rubies used for pallet jewels. One way to distinguish between Standard/Elabore and Top/COSC grades of ETA movements is to look at the anti-shock device on the balance wheel: Standard Novodiac / ETACHOC Elabore Novodiac / ETACHOC Top Incabloc Chronometer Incabloc Sogeha: "...I see little point in such attention to visual details of a movement as signed rotor and engine turning of the same pattern on a rep of a watch with a closed back." Me neither, I was just trying to put something up because the forum is so slow. Truth is I never cared much for tooters. Especially newer tooters. Newer tooters = Neutered tooters imho. Ha!

Claim: Late Rolex CEO’s girlfriend stole expensive artwork... By Julia Marsh October 7, 2013 6:23pm The daughter of the late CEO of Rolex is battling her father’s girlfriend in court, claiming she swiped at least five pieces of pricey artwork from his Fifth Avenue apartment just three days after he died last March. Swiss resident Alice Heiniger, daughter of watchmaker Patrick Heiniger and executor of his estate, says his gal pal Nina Stevens removed an oil on canvas by Pablo Picasso, two drawings by Keith Haring*, a Marilyn Monroe series by Andy Warhol and an untitled work by Jean-Michel Basquiat. The Warhol, from the pop artist’s “Reversal Series” of Monroe, and the Picasso, “Buste d’homme,” alone are worth an estimated $14.8 million. Heiniger contacted an art shipment company called Winchester Fine Art Services about the missing works, only to be told that “Mrs. Stevens had instructed Winchester not to share any information about the artwork with anyone,” according to the Manhattan Surrogate’s Court filing. The disgruntled daughter believes that a second art transport outfit called Elite, also based in Brooklyn, picked up the pieces from Winchester on April 22 “for shipment elsewhere, probably Europe,” she says in the suit. Elite never responded to Heiniger’s queries. Heiniger admits in court papers that there are also issues regarding the artwork’s ownership, but questions to the Tony Shafrazi Gallery on W. 26th Street about their provenance were also never answered. The daughter says her late father and his girlfriend were clients of Shafrazi for over 15 years. The Rolex king’s entire art collection, housed in his 40th floor co-op at the Olympic Tower, is worth $11 million, according to court documents. Heiniger wants the court to force the gallery and the two shipment companies to hand over information so she can track down the missing artwork. She’s also suing Stevens in Europe to learn to turn over other assets that belong to her father “and to disclose information concerning [his] assets worldwide.” In another twist, Heiniger says she learned from an appraiser that some of the artwork in her dad’s Manhattan apartment may be forgeries. Patrick Heiniger died in Monaco on March 3 at age 62 of an undisclosed illness. He’d been at the helm of the timepiece company from 1992 through 2008. Nina Stevens’ attorney, Richard Golub, denied the allegations and promised the claims would be “hotly contested” in court. Claim: Late Rolex CEO’s girlfriend stole expensive artwork (nypost.com) *Keith Haring Swatch Watches are being priced for over $15K today. There is used 'signed' model from 1985 on eBay 8-23-21 for $17.5K USD. eBay item number: 184535161071 Here is a 'non signed' model for $700: eBay item number: 174156173497 They look alike to me. T or F? By CHRIS PLEASANCE FOR MAILONLINE PUBLISHED: 05:06 EDT, 11 May 2015 | UPDATED: 22:35 EDT, 11 May 2015 50 Cent's crew 'pistol-whipped jeweler and stole Rolex and chain worth $250,000 during Mayweather Pacquaio fight weekend' Robert Marin, owner of LAX Jewelry, says he went to sell items to 50 Cent. Claims he partied with rapper before being invited to Mayweather's gym. Mr. Marin says he was pistol-whipped in the gym before jewels were taken. 50 Cent - real name Curtis Jackson - 'adamantly' denies all the allegations. Rapper 50 Cent and his entourage have been accused of stealing a Rolex and neck chain worth $250,000 from a jeweler during the Mayweather v Pacquiao fight weekend in Vegas. Robert Marin, owner of LAX Jewelry which specializes in diamond-studded bling worn by rappers, says he was in Vegas in order to sell the watch and chain to 50 Cent - real name Curtis Jackson. Mr Marin says he partied with Jackson before being invited to look at Floyd Mayweather's gym, where he says he was pistol-whipped by two of Jackson's security and the items were taken. 50 Cent's crew 'pistol-whipped jeweler and stole Rolex and chain' | Daily Mail Online T for sure... PUBLISHED: 16:24 EDT, 12 March 2020 | UPDATED: 16:59 EDT, 12 March 2020 Two 'Rolex robbers' are jailed for a total of 17 years for series of attacks in which they stole £76,000 worth expensive watches and jewelry at knifepoint... Darren Buchanan and Cameo Joseph robbed Rolex watch owners across London. They threatened four people with knives to steal their watches and jewelry. The Metropolitan Police established a task force to track down the armed gang. Buchanan was jailed for nine years while Joseph received eight years in prison. These are the shocking scenes as a pair of armed robbers, who were today jailed for 17 years, attacked a victim for their valuable Rolex watches. Darren Buchanan, 27, and Cameo Joseph, 26, both from Brent, north London were responsible for a string of knifepoint robberies in the capital. Footage released by the Metropolitan Police showed the pair violently attacking one victim. The gang were operating across London for almost nine months and were responsible for at least four attacks, where they stole watches and jewellery worth £76,270. Buchanan and Joseph were tracked down by the Central West Crime Squad who were tasked with targeting the gang. In one robbery, Hisham Saeed had been dining with his partner at Novikov in Mayfair when Cameo Joseph, 26, and Darren Buchanan, 27, tore the timepiece from his wrist last August. They followed his taxi in Buchanan's Audi A5 Coupe as it travelled to his home in St John's Wood, before parking up and rushing towards him as he opened the door to leave. Mr. Saeed was yanked from the seat and dragged aside where the robbers threatened him with a knife when he struggled and kicked to break free. The pair was also involved in a second watch robbery three days earlier, on 5 August, Southwark Crown Court heard. Buchanan also took part in three further robberies, dating back to December 2018. For the rest of the story... https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8106323/Two-Rolex-robbers-jailed-total-17-years.html

AP773: "...I saw new Swiss eta 2824-2’s going for $200-300, in the breakdown I’m citing a genuine Tudor branded movement, which I’m not entirely sold on since they’ll all serve the same purpose and perform just as well I assume." After you find a suitable movement, maybe put a tudor signed rotor on the movement. That will get you a step closer for not much $$. rafflesdials has the rotors for $25 USD. Sogeha: "Try Arsla5 on eBay for ETA movements, he is very genuine." Good advice! Here is another seller with new genuine ETA 2824-2 watch movements, 25 Jewels Swiss Made on eBay for $160 plus $22 for delivery with 100% feedback: eBay item number: 402979545461 The main difference looking at a regular ETA 2824-2 and a tudor 2824-2 is the tudor movement is engine turned for decoration. One etaclone brand that made a lot of engine turned 2824 clone movements is Seagull and they are Ok (for a while anyway) if they are properly cleaned and oiled. Finding one with ETA markings should not be too hard, then all you need is the tudor signed rotor. STP and Sellita offer engine turned 2824 clones, they are swiss made and higher quality than china etaclones but will have no ETA markings. ETA 2824-2 Clones Watch Movement | Caliber Corner

I have a friend who has been in the precision decal printing business 40+ years and he is also well versed in pad printing. A few years ago I was wanting to print some dials and talked to him about it. He said first off that it was not easy at all to get precision letters and markers printed almost perfectly on a surface as small as a dial without a high $$ precision pad printer and a lot of practice. Next, he said a high quality pad printer was needed to produce high quality dials, not a cheap eBay etc model. When I asked how much $$ it would take to get started, he said three to five thousand dollars USD for a precision manual printer, plus ink, a few printing plates/cliches etc. Cheapo equipment = cheapo results. Another difficulty is hand applying the lume on printed markers. You need a steady hand. That is as far as I got other than making a few dial blanks out of .4mm thick .925 silver and a few out of brass. Here is how I made the blanks: First, I marked the metal with a scratch awl using a spare brass dial a little bit bigger than needed and rough sawed it out with a jeweler saw. Next, I drilled the center hole (marked from the center hole in the dial used for the pattern). Then I mounted the plate in a padded arbor (to prevent scratches if it slipped) and cut it to size on a lathe. Last, I engine turned the back side just for looks but never got around to having the dial feet soldered on. Now a friend has a laser welder so I may try it just to see how it goes. The decal guy started out hand cutting brand name and number decals for race boats/ski boats and race cars plus painting gold leaf gilded signs on office windows, door glass etc...in 22K yellow gold. It is all done in reverse on the back side of the glass. The gold leaf is stuck to the glass using melted gelatin medicine capsules to hold it in place. The gold leaf is handled with a very soft brush charged with static electricity, you can not touch it...the gold leaf is about 0.1µm (.0001mm) thick. One puff of wind and it is gone. I still have a 'Bon Ami' window cleaning bar out in the garage from back then. The windows had to be spotless. It was 39 cents back then, now it is $20 to $30 a bar. Crazy. "Hasn't scratched yet." was their motto. He also painted some cars that were featured in Car Craft and various Hot Rod magazines in the 1970s/80s along with designing a few trademarks in the drag racing industry. Almost all of the decal cutting is done on a computer controlled plotter today. Now he mostly makes headlight decals for round track cars/drag cars, and fake license tags, small signs etc for movies. You see a movie made in a small town named 'Desire, Alabama' (for example) and chances are it was made in Canada or somewhere and all the cars on the set have fake license tags matching the state where the movie is supposed to take place. Gold Leaf Techniques On Glass & How To Start — Ray Mawst Lettering & Design

Jetmid! I heard he won a gig at the White House. I always zeroed in on submariners and used to see a lot of repsubs but do not see very many that I can tell for sure now. The poseurs have moved up a notch, myself included. The easy to spot mechanical models were made back 15 or 20 years ago and some had silver letters on the dial instead of white with dead end screw holes in the removable links. I have one 'nos' hanging up beside my TZ WIS badge, silver letters and all, still in the 'original packaging'...clear plastic wrap with blue tape over the hoods. Before that I saw a lot of the old 'pot metal specials'...DJ, Prez, submariners etc with quartz movements. Those things would give you the itch...the corrosion itch. Probably made out of melted down Buick/Oldsmobile/Pontiac hood ornaments, Carter WCFB four barrel carburetors etc. Long live the Tin Indian aka Pon-Ton! WCFB = Laughingly called the Washout Carter Four Barrel because they 'washed out' in corners. Now it's mostly Smart watches and phones.

Welcome and good luck! Newbie questions like 'Who has the best Sub/GMT/Explorer/DJ?' generally get ignored because the answer is contained in posts/threads on the various replica forums. That, and the fact that 'Newer!' 'Better!' models are always being introduced so 'The 'Best!' a few months ago may not still be 'The Best!' today. Something else...the recent rash of raids in china has slowed everything down and some of 'The Best!' models are not available at this time. My advice is to go to all three main replica forums and read up on what you want, starting with this one and always buy from an approved 'TD' (Trusted Dealer). One detailed example of 'Who has the best sub?' on another forum: Part 1 WHO HAS THE BEST SUB: Review of ZZF New Sub 116610 LN and Comparison vs. Gen, ARF, Noob and Nail (PART I) - Rolex - RWG: Replica Watch Guide Forum Part 2 WHO HAS THE BEST SUB: Review of ZZF New Sub 116610 LN and Comparison vs. Gen, ARF, Noob and Nail (PART II) - Rolex - RWG: Replica Watch Guide Forum General info: Rolex /Tudor Replicas - Replica Watch Info (replica-watch.info) Videos: SCARY Replica Rolex GMT Master-II Vs Genuine Rolex (116710) - YouTube Here’s Why This Fake Rolex Is So Accurate | Watchfinder & Co. - YouTube I read that videos about replicas are being removed so there may not be as many videos available as before.

After my fiasco with the 'shortcut 1655' I wondered if it was really worth it. Turns out it probably was. Q...How did I come to that conclusion? A...You can see for yourself below: I figured it cost me between $2500 and $3000 for the SC 1655 so I went to eBay and looked up a few 1655 watches that sold May through July 2021. Here are the figures: May, June, July, 2021, Rolex 1655 sold: $29101.00 + $11.10 shp 124 bids $36999.00 + $200 shp Best Offer Accepted ($28,000 my guess) $20,957.00 57 bids Free shipping $24,950.00 or Best Offer Accepted Free shipping ($22,000 my guess) $19,975.00 2 bids + $8.25 shipping $15,000.00 2 bids + $17.82 shipping I had to make guesses on the best offer accepted on the two priced at $36,000 and $24,950. All the watches added together = $135,033USD Shipping on them all added together = $237.17 rounded off to $240 for an average of $40 each. Add the shipping to the watches and it comes out to $135,270USD rounded off. I added the shipping to equal it out because free shipping on two and $200 on one was such a wide margin. I am guessing the $200 shipping was lowered on the BIN for $36K watch but there is no way to know. This is an average of $22,500USD each rounded off...but they are all supposedly genuine. Mine is not except for most of the movement parts. So...the next step is to see how much it would cost to stick a 'mostly genuine' 1655 together using eBay, watch show, internet etc parts. Some eBay 1655/GMT parts from the same time period: Ratty trit dial $1527.00 + $50 shpping 20 bids. Good trit dial $2,004.19 Buy It Now + $16.59 shipping. Movement for 1655/1675 ask $4500 + $80 shp from Japan OBO. Best offer accepted, maybe $4000 or so? Full set of hands: $1,380.82 Or Best Offer + $20.73 shp. NOS $1450 bin free shp. The parts prices above are examples from eBay and I would guess you might find a complete 1575 GMT movement for around $3500 if you searched one out. If you bought a 1575 date movement for $2500 and added the needed GMT parts it might cost more than $3500 because the parts are so hard to find. My guess on parts prices to stick one together using a Vn case and genuine parts (except for the bracelet): Case...$700, my guess, someone chime in if they know. High grade replica oyster bracelet, hoods, and spring bars...$275. Movement...$3500. Genuine dial...$2000. Genuine hands...$1200. Genuine case tube and crown...$125. No labor added. Total = $7800. Why not a genuine bracelet? Since the case is a replica, a replica bracelet just makes more sense (to me anyway). Total = around $7800. Not bad compared to $22,500 average for a genuine model from eBay...while remembering that 'High Line' internet/watch show dealers will charge a lot more if they can get it. The ONLY differences between the replica and a genuine example are the case and bracelet. No doubt the exact same 'project watches' are selling as ' guaranteed 100% genuine' for $25K+ with a genuine bracelet and 'expert ageing' being the only major differences. So...The Conclusion I came to in my little pointy head is: 1...A genuine 1655 case is 'worth' $15,000 to $20,000. Edit 8-2-21...After thinking it over, I have dropped my estimate down to a pretty good genuine case being 'worth' $12,000 to $15,000 at today's 1655 prices. Still a LOT of $$ imho. Q...Why drop it down? A...Because $15K to $20K just seemed too high. Maybe it was, maybe not. Considering the term 'worth' is a relative term... Q...How much would I pay for a pretty good genuine 1655 case considering I already have everything except a dial? A...About $3K or $4k because I believe that an 'expert case modder' could turn a high grade $1000+/- replica case into a case that will pass for genuine so that means a lot when trying to determine what a genuine case might be really worth (to me) today. After all, how could I know for sure it was really 'genuine'? Since I only wanted the 'SC 1655' to wear now and then, having $3000 in it is basically a bargain in today's Wacky Watch World. FYI...if I stuck my all genuine 1575 GMT movement (low mileage 1575 hack + nos oem GMT parts) in my Phong case with a pretty good aftmkt dial/hands/bracelet, it would probably cost between $4500 and $5000. Some GMT 1675 and 1655 movement + 'shortcut 1655' info: Building an MBW Sub + 'shortcut' rlx 1560/70 GMT conversions... - Page 2 - The Rolex Area - RWG GMT conversion parts needed from: Cal. 1570 GMT- tell me if I m wrong ? - The Rolex Area - RWG Here is most of what is needed to convert a 1565/75 to a 1565/75 GMT: #8038 - center second pinion 5.70mm #8037 - Cannon Pinion 3.39mm #8039 - double tooth hour wheel 2.44mm #8040 - 24hr wheel 1.41mm #8035 - Calendar Wheel nut #8036 - Date Jumper #8006 - Yoke for cam #8008 - spring for cam yoke #8011 - stud for cam #8030 - Center wheel with Cannon Pinion #8034 - Calendar Wheel #8011 - Stud for Cam #7965 - calendar spacer Q...What is hard to find? A...All of it. Q...What is almost impossible to find? A: #7965 - calendar spacer #8034 - Calendar Wheel #8039 - double tooth hour wheel 2.44mm 7965 usually goes from $200 to $500 8034 usually $200 to $400 8039 used to be $200 or so...now close to $500 8034 calendar wheel aka 'date flipper' on eBay a few months back for $965 (!!) They must be getting hard to find too. 8036 date jumper currently on eBay (7-27-21 item 184060183308) for $389 + $20 shipping This is the part that centers the date wheel in the window and keeps it in place, last one I bought new was $38 iirc.

"did it screw down all the way up to half a turn before fully tightening or only screwed down for half a turn?" It went on most of the way same as usual but got harder to turn just before sealing the gasket.