Category 5

It's not the flash. It is that you are too close to focus in standard mode. You need to turn the camera into macro mode. You do this by enabling the feature via a button or menu option that shows an icon of a small flower. It looks like a tulip. Good luck! We'd really like to see some improved pics. The macro feature should do the trick!

I can't help but wonder if this all has anything to do with the influx of new users I have seen posting in the last couple of weeks. I mean, I hate to say it because a year ago I was one, but I have been seeing quite a few users with less than 10-20 posts lately, and it did strike me as odd. Certainly whoever is responsible for this act has taken a place amongst us. Who are you evil one!!!?

I'd be down for an LV at that price.

Is it just the fiddys? ...or some of the other Pams too. I am thinking about the new Arktos, and a 11h when i decide which one is the best buy.

What's the word on the Asian 7750 in this configuration? i would think the absence of the chrono would greatly reduce the number of issues on unserviced movements, but you never know. When I see 7750 Asian I automatically start thinking I'll need to set aside a service fund too.

No AR on that watch...not the rep, not the gen.

There is still PT and TTK. They are not CN based.

Please don't get those close up filters! they are horrible. A dedicated macro lens is worth the bucks and can be had for $200-$400.

Hmmm. I call real on this one. Reahut looks good, color looks good, dial print is sharp CG looks right, no obvious etching, nice crown, good mag, and the coronet at 12 looks right (not smooshed down like on most sub reps). True the date is sitting low, but that doesn't mean rep in and of itself. That said, the pic is low res, so without more details that's the best we can do.

If you want a super clean watch, just do a quick water resistance test (take the watch into the bathroon during a hot shower and see if it fogs) then... Spray wd40 onto a rag and use it to clean and polish the whole watch. this will remove almost any type of grease or grime imaginable. Then, wash the watch in warm water and dish soap (do not submerge, just wet quickly, lather and scrub, and rinse quickly. Your watch will have a completely new shine you've never seen. Then, periodically repeat the dish soap cleaning. WD40 will remove any grime, help lubricate the bracelet links and when you wash in dishsoap (which is gentle) it will remove the greasy layer from the surfaces leaving a sheen. Then, if you so desire for protection, a little car wax will help keep up the shine and protect the finish.

Josh going head to head with Best Swiss now?

Yeah, I have always wondered about this. For instance, what if I get a Fiero, drop the body, and put a kit car Testarossa body on it (there are plenty legally sold in the US).. Then I decide I want to go all out and bolt on some real Ferrari logos on the car to really impress my lowlife work friends who don't know any better. Can Ferrari come and smash my car? Can they take it away from me? Am I infringing on trademarks? So then what if the clutch burns out and I take it to a service center that has an authrized Ferrari repair division. Do they smash my car or take it away? Certainly they would be breaking the law if they did that! I say he gets the watch back with a refund...unrepaired.

Thanks Flav. I found the starp I am after on TC's site like you said. Too bad it's a bit expensive. I also love the vintage looking starps too, but again they are a fortune (comparativley). Now I see why Bob straps are so popular. They are cheap! I guess I'll try a few from him and see what the quality is like. My wife is actually talking me into the gen at this point. She makes a very compelling argument! "First you get the rep, then it's not good enough so you need a service...then you want better glow-in-the-dark stuff...then you need a new dial and hands. After $600 you decide it's time to spend the bucks on the real thing. Let's just get the real thing now and use the $600 bucks to go to vegas". ...so not only did she talk me into considering a gen, now she's got me a plane to vegas in 2 weeks! Marriage ain't all that bad!!!!

That's the strap I want! Very cool Pug.

Planning on my first PAM...a 111. I might even get a Gen, but I am terrified at the possibility of the lug threads getting stripped. I have heard reports of people stripping screws, so I am guessing they are much softer than the case (on purpose) to avoid stripping the actual lug threads themselves. So how rational is my fear? I polan on changing straps a lot, so I'll be putting the threads to the test. Also, I saw extra screws on ofrei.com but they look incorrect in the pictures. It looks like there are two screws on the ofrei ones, rather than there being threads on the post itself which tighten into the lug hole. Where can I get some good extra tubes and screws of decent quality and (assuming I get the gen) ones that won't cause damage to the case of the watch? What happens if the watch's threads get stripped? Does that mean a new case is the only correct fix? Thanks! P.S. Where is a good place to get those sort of ragged, suade like straps. I haven't seen them in the dealer pages I've been lookg at. Also I heard Davidsen had deployment claps but don't see them in his directory. Where do I look?! Sorry for all the questions.

Sounds like the chrono minute hand is stuck. it is holding up the chronograph when the minute counter tries to change. Try the above suggestion, try working it out by running the chrono on a FULL wind, and if that doesn't work it sounds like a service is the fix.

Actually, Ive seen them do take downs twice. It was both freaky and exciting (very much in the style of NY cop shows). I know a couple of NYPD officers though, and their take is (for the most part) that unless they are being overly annoying, or stupid they turn their heads. Too many real cromes are committed in NYC, and unless you are specifically there targeting counterfeit dealers (and some are, but rarely) they would rather see some of these people earning a semi-legit living rather than resorting to flat out stealing, etc. It's really amazing how out in the open it gets though. One guy on the cornere keeps an eye out for the cops while the other plops down the wares a few yards away. Some days the Chinese on Canal are flat out schizy if you ask for Rolex or Cartier. Must be undercover in the area those days. they get tip offs. Breitling, Chopard, Panerai, VC, Patek, etc. are almost always out in the open regardless of police presence. I am sure you can guess who the enforcers of the brand world are! the better reps are pretty darn hard to find, but there are there. I imagine those dealers are more of a target...because they get real nervous if you spend more than a few seconds browsing or inspecting the merch.

The better quality reps are there on canal too...just harder to find. Let them know you want the high grade pieces and that you are willing to pay and after a few trys you'll find the ETA based stuff and some better PAMs, etc. FWIW, it can all be had super cheap too. I got my VC 1755 for $50. They were asking $85. Same rep is 125 from some of our dealers here. Just hand them a fifty, tell them it's all you have, and ignore them cursing you out in Chinese as you walk away with the watch. They'll take the money. Saw some ETA rSubs for about $180 last time I was there. The further you get from Boradway the easier they are to find. Its always a super fun adventure, and the crap Asian reps can be had for $25-$45 is you stand your ground. They make great learning tools for disassembly, reassebly, hammer smashing and the like. Enjoy! Start at Canal and Broadway (the cab driver will know where) and don't buy anything for less than 60% of what they tell you at first.

I am pretty sure Omega's claim is that the Co-Ax movements can go longer (10-20 years) since they are less reliant upon lubrication to maintain their rate.

Sure you can get back the brushed look. You can use SOS pads (flat green ones with no detergent) to put back the brush strokes (make sure you use short straight strokes) and if you want an even finer brushed look you can go over it with a fiberglass brush pen afterwards. you can get the brushes from ebay or ofrei.com . I redid a canal rep just to see the potential. I polished the thing completely and then rebrushed myself for a two tone style brushed/polished look. It came out fantastic. All you need to do is put scotch tape over any area you want to remain polished, and start the brushin. You'll probably have fun!

So are you thinking that Andrew and Josh actually intend to keep the old prices for folks on the forum, or is that just the new way they plan to market their goods, and they're all right with losing a few buyers here in favor of the new larger market? I think that while the WWW is full of people willing to pay largely for a watch or two, they certainly aren't going to be the regular buyers that most forum members are or eventually become. For us it's like a disease. It can't be stopped. Hell, I have a couple of watches that have been here over a year and been worn once...or never. At any rate I'd be sad to see Andrew and Josh's prices cost them their business around here. Both are great dealers. I can say though that there are other dealers that are just as attentive to their customers and offer lower prices on most of the same products already.

I was looking at the ETA 2000 version a few months back on Josh's site and it was $399. The standard ETA version was much cheaper. This is definitely a price hike on the same watch and movement, unless the one before was being falsely advertised and this one is not. There were always 2 versions though.

Too bad I work Saturdays. Maybe next year it'll be a Sunday. ...of course, by then I probably work Sundays too. Enjoy! And if anyone knows a good S. Fla watch guy willing to work on reps, share the wealth!

There was a version going around a while ago that had the SEL done pretty close with an actual plated piece sandwiched between two SS pieces. The SEL is the achilles heel of all TT Subs I have seen. I can't remember who was pimping that version though. I think maybe River and Paul. Nobody else seemed to be able to get ahold of that one (dealers I mean).

MOEN actually recommends auto wax for protection of our brass sink and bathroom fixtures. Seems like it should also work on a rep as well. Maybe Crystal is right though. Maybe carnuba wax is the better choice, IDK. I don't have any more gold reps so I can't try, but someone proabably will!