chris714n

Once my ETA rotor spun so heavily that the momentum caused me to strike someone in the head while I was dancing... The court didn't believe me so I had to call a watchsmith and a physicist to give expert evidence.

You may find that they become green in low lighting... or the dark. Mine are a yellow tinge and the seconds hand tip is faded - don't worry, it shows that the watch has seen some action.

Yeah, I have a gen 2254.50 SMP and the AR is only on the inside of the crystal and not noticable, although certainly does the job in terms of cutting away glare. (This makes it an ideal tool watch as you don't have to worry about scratching or smudging the outer AR off) Anyway, if you are after a rep SMP, I wouldn't bother with the current ones. As I said before, your best bet is to keep an eye out on the sales forum for an old-factory SMP with the correct He valve placement, better crown guards, etc. Not 100% sure on the AR situation with the reps, but I believe that the old reps have the AR on the inside of the crystal (like the gen).

I think he is referring to the SMP (as in Seamaster Professional 300m), rather than the legendary SM300. I have a feeling that the current production SMP reps pretty average. You can try and get hold of an old factory rep, which has the more accurate case, etc.

Good comparison shots. The main cost is in the parts themselves. To be be honest, they are all quite achievable yourself if you do the research, follow the guides, and have a few tools available. My first ever experience at watch modding was fitting the dial, hands and crystal into a UPO. I found it quite easy with no previous experience. The bezel mod just takes a lot of time and patience - there is a pretty in-depth tutorial around somewhere. If you lack the confidence to do it yourself, you would have to obtain a quote from a trusted watchsmith. I would estimate about $100 to merely fit the dial, hands, crystal. It would be a wise investment to have the movement serviced and seals checked while you are at it (add another $150 odd). No modder will touch the gen bezel mod - it is a fiddly and time consuming thing.

The pearl on most of them is poorly finished and I am yet to see one that is actually in the centre of the triangle marker. The colour is similar but the lume difference in low light / dark between the pearl and the gen dial / hands is also very noticable. The pearl is probably the most noticable flaw on the UPO and is the first thing you will spot if you know what to look for. Other than that, it is a brilliant rep and once you replace these parts, you won't really see a difference from the gen.

Depends how far you want to take it. Gen dial, hands and crystal are the standard and quite simple to do, but the pearl is the biggest problem in my opinion. I would recommend modding the bezel insert as well. This involves ordering the entire bezel assembly and grinding down the insert. Once you have done these mods, the watch will look incredible and you won't notice any difference at all with the gen unless you inspect the caseback closely. The crown and tube are also usually done purely for reliability (the UPO has a habit of stripping the thread at some point in it's lieftime - it's a cheap mod and is worthwhile getting it replaced). You could take it further by replacing the caseback, datewheel and bracelet/strap, but people will begin to say that this is not cost effective. I have personally done the lot, including installing a serviced ETA movement and waterproofing, and I prefer wearing this watch to my gen SMP. On the other hand, I wouldn't go past an opportunity to buy a nice 2254.50 at a good price secondhand (which would be about equal to the total cost of a new ultra-modded UPO)....

I am planning to order one also. The rep clasp is flimsy and neither of the two that I have will hold without the ratchet coming loose. ...now to wait for gen dial, hands and bezel availability!

How did you go with the waterproofing?

Hey, have you had it pressure tested yet? I have the gen caseback on mine and it seems to fit perfectly but haven't checked for leaks yet.