jnkay

My stepfather and I can talk about watches forever, and my father-in law and a buddy like watches but don't care to talk about them more than casually. Long live RWG!

Agree. I was excited about the DDII until I saw one in the flesh. It just doesn't work. All the elegance and proportion of the original are lost.

Sometimes there is a residue from the factory. Give the insert a good cleaning with soap and water on a cloth. It should come right off.

That model of Paul's has been around for a while. Others have it also. The hour markers are no good because the lume is all screwy; it's a dull color that doesn't match the lume on the hands. Aside from that major flaw, it is IMHO the best yachtmaster out there other than WM9's which has a superior dial and CGs at the very least.

It looks very good. To me, the only things that still say "rep" are the hour markers (ring around the lume still too thick and prominent vs. gen) and the gap between SEL and lugs. Very nice

Can't wait to hear (and see) about it.

Man, that is sweet. Very convincing. Crystal bevel, hour markers, all very good.

The sandwich inserts get scratched, that's how. Several members reported theirs came with minor scratches, and I had two come with minor and not-so-minor scratches. The insert is durable, but not ceramic. There is probably an acrylic coating or something similar over plastic that gives it shine and reasonable scratch resistance.

Maybe. But we know for certain the "sandwich" inserts are not even partially ceramic, so until someone can prove that one of these "full ceramic" GMT inserts is actually ceramic, I won't believe it. I don't see why the factories would be motivated to produce actual ceramic, since the inserts look reasonably authentic and generally hold up well, and therefore don't generate many complaints.

I can only speak of the sandwich version: it is NOT ceramic. I have two of them, and both have been scratched. They don't scratch as easily as the cheap painted metal rep-sub bezel inserts, but they still scratch. The "ceramic coated" (and probably full ceramic) claim is just one of those white lies that you have to see through, just like many of those that still claim you're getting an eta movement and not the ubiquitous asian clone.

It's a nice sub. Be happy, very happy. I have a gen, and I would be happy with this sub.

I'm also waiting eagerly to see what the WM9 yachtie looks like. Wonder if BK will wind up selling them after the pre-orders are finished.

The Zigmeister, just how expensive are the 2893's that you know of? i couldn't locate one other than from a donor watch I'd have to purchase.

Pretty nice. Does he still sell these?

I read the December thread with interest...but it died a quick death as if the project went nowhere. I'll definitely look into his dial. Are your yachty case and bezel the right size, and if so, which collector did you buy from? I'm also interested in the WM9 project, but he has yet to post a single picture of the actual watch.

Has anybody noticed that the noob yachtmaster is too small? The bezel diameter is only 39 mm when it should be 40. This difference is very noticeable, especially with the convex curve of the left side of the case, which on the noob sticks way out beyond the bezel (it is not supposed to). I spent A LOT of time with some gens today, and was surprised at the difference. The other thing is that the noob dial does not have any grainyness to generate a sparkle under the right lighting. I keep seeing recommendations for the noob yachtie as the best version, but it has these major flaws. I know WM9 is coming out with an expensive version, but has anyone considered combining two yachties to get the best of the dials, bracelets and case?

Speaking of movements, has anyone considered taking one of the modified ETAs from Homer's unbranded GMT and transplanting it?

Agree with you on the blobby pearl and the way the crystal is seated. The slightly raised crystal and deeper rehaut are big contibutors to the beauty and class of the current generation of subs. I like the bigger case though.

Thanks. I personally will not attempt it; I will leave that to a professional.

Freddy, thanks. I wish Daytonas were more in demand from rep collectors so that the factories had an incentive to improve them. Oh well. How do you stake the hole on a hand?

I very much like the "white gold"/charcoal black daytona that trusty, josh, etc. have. The dial is, from the pictures, extremely accurate. The thing that bothers me is that it does not have fat hands like it should. It seems that most all the daytonas still have the skinny hands that Rolex doesn't use anymore. The question is, can I fit genuine fat hands on these reps? I can live with the oversized case/deep rehaut, but the hands have to be accurate. Thanks to anyone who might be able to help (ubi...?)

The boy is much better looking than the watch, and probably wears better too, but his value goes down and the maintenance goes up the longer you keep him. Tough choice...

These new subs are fantastic. I'd have saved $3750 on a gen if these were available two years ago. I honestly believed that the sub would never be right, and not being a modder, I gave up. It's about freaking time!

Some problems can be fixed by a watchsmith, or by replacing the movement with a genuine if compatible with the watch you buy. My wife has a rolex daydate that has broken a few times, but has been fixable each time because it accepts genuine ETA parts. The yachmaster will accept a genuine ETA movement that can be ordered and installed by a watchsmith. So, you have options. Yes, the watch costs $100, but the real one costs over $9,000. If you have to put another hundred or two into it to make it last for several years, it may well be worth it.

Two years ago I got so frustrated with the state of submariner reps that I went out and bought the real deal ss model. Now, seeing how good these new subs have become, I can honestly say I wouldn't do it all over again. Congratulations guys, on your excellent subs.