JRB

Thanks for the advise fellows. One question though for a noob: Quartz = battery powered watch? The rep Air King I got I have to wind all the time (or else it stops - annoying), so no battery, but wind-up movement inside? Is that the difference you speak of? If so, I "may" prefer battery power, as it was reliable for me for 15+ years, without fault. I don't know what the Movado's were - wind-up or battery. Will now have to find out. Thanks again! JRB

Went shopping tonight, and seems like Movado is the direction I'm heading. Slim profile, classy, and stainless steel so durable and solid for a long life. Any other input or alternate suggestions by anybody would be appreciated. JRB

Hellow RWG members. I come to you today for guidance, hoping you can please help me. I've had my trusty seiko for over 15 years now, and it finally died recently. RIP Here is what it looks like: It cost me $100 when new, and has been a trusty and reliable watch since day 1. I love that watch, and am looking for something comparable or better to replace it. My favorites are as follows: Satin/Brushed Stainless Steel watch, with either gold or other light accents. (nothing gaudy) Satin/Brushed Stainless Steel band, with either gold or other light accents. (nothing gaudy) (would consider leather band, but prefer st. stl. for durability) Suitable for daily office-wear, that will look classy and business-like. slim profile, to not be annoying to wear or feel too heavy. Rectangular or round face fine, as long as meets above specs. Quality rep available. (not looking to break the bank account) I purchased a rep Air King, and have grown to hate it. Too heavy, too lose, doesn't keep accurate time, and doesn't fit inside my sleeve/cuff easily. Very cumbersome. I looked around, and can't find anything comparable to my old watch, so I'm looking to you who know better than I, to please give me any suggestions. The Rolex Cellini Prince is one candidate: http://www.rolex.com/en/index.jsp#/en/coll...ochure/model-1/ and also the Movado Luno (or similar) series: http://www.movado.com/Details.aspx?Id=watc...5635&page=3 If you had any other suggestions that would fit my criteria above, I'd really appreciate it. I want to purchase a watch that will last another 15-25 years, and want to choose the best. Thanks in advance for any guidance or advise. JRB

Forgive my ignorance here, but why the heck would anybody pay that much for a mangled part, when they could get a brand new original item for similar to the same cost? I just don't understand the attraction there. Any insight from collectors or those in-the-know would be appreciated. JSA

Heck no I'm not taking a risk for the board - I purchased the watch before I knew of the existence of this board, and now I'm just crossing my fingers that I don't get hosed. I'm posting my experience for the benefit of others, as either a success story or a very cautionary tale of what and who to avoid - we shall see how it turns out for me. Had I known about this board before making my purchase, I likely wouldn't have made it, and I would have purchased from a board dealer or member. My only saving grace is that I was able to pay with Paypal funded by my credit card, so I've got double protection in the case of fraud of any kind. I'll post pictures when it arrives, to let others see how my thought-was-thorough-but turned- out-to-be-very-ill-researched purchase ends up. Lastly I'll say that I've learned much since joining very recently, but I only discovered this forum after scrollling through pages of the common scam rep watch sites found on google. I'd also like to think that the mods and members would be more supportive of a brand new member, as this is a definite learning experience for me. My 15+ year old Seiko finally died recently, and I took the plunge to get a rep Air King that I've wanted for many, many years. I look for much knowledge and support here, and will definitely be offering the same to others. JRB

Hello again folks! JRB here with a follow-up to my first introduction thread here: http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showtopic=87953 And here is the link to the exact item that I ordered: http://www.watchcartel.com/item/Rolex_Airk...k_Face/342/c103 The package is now on the way to me, and once it arrives I'll post pictures, for any thoughts or opinions about the quality or lack-thereof. I'm hoping it turns out to be as good as the picture that enticed me to purchase, but we shall see. Thanks again for the welcome, and great information provided. JRB

Who are the board recommended/endorsed dealers? JSA

I'm located in Memphis Tennessee, but I'll gladly deal worldwide with somebody who is trustworthy, board recommended, and most importantly has high quality items, that look as close to real as to be undetectable to the untrained eye. Please confirm - out of the 12-13 links above, none are reliable or to be trusted?! Any information will be appreciated, and I'll definitely update on my purchase. Thanks again! JRB

Thank you for the info Andy. My not-very-scientific approach was googling "Rolex Replica" and then just going into each link and attempting to compare and research as well as possible. Unfortunately the link to this forum was the last link I ran across, after I'd already ordered. Here are all the rep sites that I've bookmarked for reference, good or bad: I'll know soon if I boned myself there, and in the meantime I'll look to the forum for better information, and hopefully a reliable, safe, and secure source to acquire my Air King as my X-mas gift to myself. Thanks again! JRB

Well, after having done a quick search on the forum, it looks like I may be in for a ride.... http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showto...;hl=watchcartel We'll see if I get hosed on my first outing, ending up with nothing, or a piece of junk. I'll cross my fingers and hope for the best, but only time will tell. I'll definitely update this post once I determine the outcome of my first purchase. I'd love to know where to purchase an as-accurate-as-possible Air king, as that is my one and only desire right now, until I search around here more, and get the bug. Thanks again! JRB

Hello board! I took the plunge tonight, after my seiko watch of 15+ years finally died on me. I tried a new battery in it with no luck, so it'll go into my watch archives, it being my first and favorite to date. Soooooooo, after some consideration, tonight I took the plunge and purchased a rep Air King from this site: http://www.watchcartel.com/ Everything went well, and my order was Paypal with c/c backing, so hopefully safe and secure on that front. The description sounded like everything was/will be as accurate to the original as possible. Disturbing thing though, is now the web site is down, and not coming up. Doesn't bode well.... Either way, I hope to learn much here from the long-time members and rep collectors. My favorite is the Air King, as it appears solid, heavy, but not ridiculously flashy or overdone. Simple and elegant is what I was shooting for, so we'll see how it ends up for me. Thanks for reading my ramblings! JRB