crystalcranium

Love the Seiko divers. Have an Orange Monster and the SKXA35. They are the only watches I have that I trust with immersion. Tough as nails and replaceable without breaking the bank.

At the risk of being slammed for suggesting a genuine..... I just bought this Tissot PRS 200. For $350, it's amazing. Yes, it's a quartz but At 40mm it fits your criteria Its a divers watch rated at 200M with a screw down crown It is not gold plated but PVD Titanium Nitride which is rich in gold color and hard as nails. It will last a lifetime and not fade...unless you sand it. It's available in a variety of stainless and TT combinations. Its a genuine...with a 4 year warranty.

Different strokes...I think caviar tastes like 3 day old tuna. I'll chime in with my 4 cents that I think the original design gave little thought to aesthetic appeal and was completely functional with respect to visibility, ruggedness and water resistance as a Navy tool would be. It took celebrety interest to bring this ugly duckling into the realm of consumer desireability much like the Humvee became the Hummer with Arnold's baptisim. I think they look like a second cousin to a 100 watt light bulb. But, as someone scoled me here before, you buy what you like and I'll buy what I like.

I agree with your point that the genuines do have a superior feel than the replicas, but... The thin stamped steel in the Oyster bracelet clasp hinge is something even Rolex is working to change. The Anniversary GMT in gold has a different design. I don't know if we can expect to see it in the Submariner Oyster any time soon but I know of few who wouldn't welcome the change. Hollow links might increase the comfort but I don't see how someone can be faulted for associating the hollow design with a lack of a solid feel that most would associate with quality. Pugwash is correct about the linear association between solid, heavy links and a lack of comfort among some wearers, but not everyone is uncomfortable in a bracelet as a rule. I actually prefer a loose bracelet to a tight strap so I like a heavy, substantial, solid link design. A genuine hollow link Oyster bracelet on my wrist feels lightweight and it does make a different sound when it moves, a hollow, higher pitched, tinny, yes flimsy sound that is less appealing to me than the sound and feel of a solid link bracelet. I think my comments are based more in my opinion that time has left the Rolex line behind rather than an indictment of the watch quality. Yes, they sell every watch they make and most people when asked who makes a great wristwatch would have their name on their lips, but the styling, IMHO, is old and stale. If you had asked me 10 years ago what my fantasy watch is, I would have replied the obligatory gold Rolex President, (and I wouldn't have had a clue who Vacheron Constantin or Patek Philippe was), but today, there's so much fresh, innovative and contemporary but classic design out there that a Rolex is like a Chevrolet to me.

Welcome friend. After you satisfy your obligitory Submariner jones, I suggest you indulge in some replica buying of high fidelity copies of decent genuines. The Submariner is basically a 1960s design and while a consumer icon, it's really, IMHO, the McDonalds cheeseburger of high horology watches. The case is small, the bracelet is flimsy in both it's feel and manufacture, and the design is boring. There are some incredible copies of beautiful genuines here. The Breitling GTs, the Tag Links, The IWC's et al are a far more satisfying replica experience than your garden variety Submariner. Enjoy and explore.

A 39 mm watch being too small....what's the world coming to? I can't wait for the "pocket watch on a strap" craze to be over. Legibility issues in tool watches aside, I hope the meter swings back to a reasonable 42mm compromise. I like chunky as much as the next guy but a dial that looks like a saute pan is just silly looking. The IWC looks like a beautiful, classy, UNDERSTATED piece of jewelry.

Jeeze, two lawyers...no wonder you have communication issues! I'm one to talk. Physician and my wife is a .....PSYCHOTHERAPIST!!!!!!! I've lost count of how many times we've exchanged "That's not what I said dear"...."Yes, but this is what I heard you say".

I don't think we'll ever see a rep of the movement but the standard 28,000 bph 7750 should work just fine. I don't know if an active power reserve module can be added, I've never seen this movement with one, but the visuals through the window would look complex enough. The minute counter would have to be moved and there would be date wheel depth issues. I just think this watch is in a class all it's own and is an untapped gem in the replica world. Who would have guessed two years ago that there would be 25 quality versions of IWC watches. Put out a 1-1 copy, even with a dummy power meter, that has a 1-1 copy of the genuine rotor with a display caseback and they will come!

OMFG! I had the rose gold version for 10K at the top of the list but that dial is just gorgeous. I still think this watch is within the replication capibilities of our sweatshop friends. There are many $99 poor copies on ioffer that look like the basics are certainly there to make a great high fidelity replica. And yes, the desktop version is on my work computer at this moment! Thanks!

Be careful. Cousins is really the best and their price for asian movements are reasonable. Just never buy an ETA from them. Get your ETA's from Otto Frei. An asian movement search in ebay will give you lots of listings from X-Jewelry. This guy is a scammer. He has listed asian 7750's as genuine Swiss and is selling $9.00 asian movements for $39.99. Stay away.

I hope the replica factories will start producing some high end Zenith copies. I think the Open Class genuines are some of the hottest looking watches available and the movement is legendary. Like the IWC and Tag replica market, I think demand and demand for quality would quickly escalate into dynamite pieces that I would gobble up. In the ever changing position for number one on the fantasy list, this is this week's champion The wife has promised me a "high horology" 25th wedding anniversary present. The only problem is there is way too much time between now and then and way too many "ultimates" to choose from.

Nice pearl!!!

I did for several years. goreplicas.com is one of their favorite sites. Same ole same ole....$900 SS ETA Subs. I actually bought one

5 clicks/sec vs 8 clicks in a 28,000 bph Miyota (Citizen) 8215 - Automatic Debut 1977 ø 25.6 mm - H 5.3 mm 21 Jewels 21600 A/h Power reserve 45 h

And the hands from an asian 21j are interchangeable with a Miyota. Save the datewheel overlay from the asian 21 though. The Miyota wheel is the wrong font and rarely lines up. Only drawback is it's non-hacking.

They are. As long as the movement hasn't been altered to give a different configuration than the 12-6-9 layout, the positions of the hand posts are the same as the ETA 7750. The problem is the length and the diameter of the hand posts. They are longer and smaller in diameter than the ETA posts so to use the same hands that fit an asian 7750, you have to ream them out to fit a genuine ETA. But the hole layout on a dial that fits an asian 7750 will acomodate a Swiss 7750.

Yes, on a par with most entry level Swiss manufacturers who drop unaltered ETA movements into their mechanical watches like Hamilton, Swiss Army, Tissot, Bulova Accutron etc.... 7750 powered chronographs for $700-$900 is a pretty typical entry level price point for these watches. You will get a good quality automatic chronograph for this price but, you are sneeking up on the price of a used Omega Speedmaster in good condition so the decision begins to muddy at this point.

If it's going to go because of a QC issue, it usually does so within the first million or so beats. Some of Rob's reviews speak of ETA part interchangebility for repair but usually breakdown after the first few weeks is solved by a servicing. Not to start another thread about the overall quality of these watches, but IMHO, the asian 7750 will probably cost you as much in service over time as the price of a genuine ETA that will require far less attention over the years. I have only purchased 7750 reps in the original 12-6-9 subdial layout so I can swap out the movement with an ETA when it goes. The cost of a teardown and service is more than half the cost of a genuine ETA and modification/replacement of the hands.

Neil, you skilkfully avoided the typical overhead photo faux pas...no feet in the photo! Ahhhhh...Submariner heaven!

So it's safe to assume a PVD golded watch will retain its' gold color for a lifetime of normal use? Am I correct in assuming this gold finish is not only tougher and longer lasting that gold plate, it's as tough as other color PVD coatings that are touted for scratch resistance and longevity? If so, how long before it replaces yellow gold plate in most applications? Why would anyone want a short lived gold plating when they could have an exceptionally durable finish that is gold in color?

I guess the "plated look" refers to what I have always thought about cheap to modest quality gold plating and that is that in certain light, the gold electroplate looks fine, particularily bright flourescent light, and in other lower light scenarios, it looks poor even when new. I have used titanium nitride coated tools for years, ie. drill bits and router bits and I have been amazed at the toughness of this coating and it's ability to stand up to abuse. I have a chinese drill bit set ythat is TiNi coated and I have drilled metals without any loss of the coating. I suppose a jewelry quality coating of gold colored TiNi is probably not going to fool a gold expert by eye but I would much rather have a gold colored coating that will last a lifetime rather than a true gold plating that will wear off within a few years. I read somewhere, maybe it was an old thread here, where some high end gold treatments include a combination of TiNi coating topped by a gold electroplate to give a true gold appearance with an undercoating of gold color to mask wear. The Tissot in the picture looks beautiful and it is my understanding that several higher end watch manufacturers like Hamilton and Baume and Mercier have gone to this treatment to give longer life to their "gold" plated watches. Bottom line here is if PVD Golded watches will look very close to the real thing and be lights out as far as durability, I would much rather spend my money on a durable gold color than on the real thing only several microns thick. artisanplating.com says a 20 micron gold plating will last an average of 10 years with normal use. What does that say about the 5 micron platings on most watches?

Going to buy a "golded" Tissot. I know the coating is very tough and much longer lasting than gold electroplating but I have never seen one in person. Any experience?

For a while, it was the only replica with the new movement.

Not quite.

The pushers do not screw down on the genuine either. The genuine claims water resistance even with use of the chrono pushers submerged.