Jetsons

Darn nice collection, Stephane! I know you've had your share of frustrations along the way but in the end, you collected some very fine vintage beauties. As you know, I'm rather fond of that 5513 of yours. Awesome! Cheers! J

Sad part is that I have read a few not so complimentary comments on the newer Patek movements. They are beautifully finished but they seem to be temperamental. Perhaps they should have stuck with the JLC movements they used many moons ago.

Far from flawless if one reads TZ. I've seen comments ranging from mis-aligned date wheels, dust on dials and time keeping inaccuracy more often that one would expect given the prices rlx is charging for these watches, specially after the recent whopping price increases. I do think that most folks that buy these watches, the exception being us watch nerds , have little clue about the small details. Added: WOW, that case has been polished to death and I doubt it was done by RSC. There is one sport model that rlx seems to get consistently correct probably due to its simplicity. It also happens to be my fave. Amazing what one can build from an Alpha case.

Terrific work of art, The Zigmeister! The dial and case work are fantastic. Someone is going to be a very happy camper. I'm curious about the hands. They seem a bit thinner from the gen parts I'm familiar with. Perhaps it's a photo effect. Any ideas where these might have come from? Cheers, J

The rollie GMT Master 16710 & Explorer II with terrific lug hole cases and 2893-2s are also rare birds. I believe TJGladeRaider cornered the market on these. piratedzeus, the old TW 16610 with the correct lug hole case is indeed one super rare bird. I have one from around three years ago & other than Tribal's, I rarely see another. . This is one rep one never sees offered for trade. The 2893-2s GMT are also very rarely seen offered. Good thread stater, V.

Nice watch but one has to wonder what the hell happened for it to require a new case, bracelet, crystal, dial & hands.

db1, the lug hole cases were replaced with the new flush types approx 5 years ago. The lug cases are out there and seem to be more prized by collectors than the new. With regard to the retro GMT, the lug holes are too small in diameter and located too close to the case edges. It would be very difficult (plus a PIA) to drill to the correct size & install the gen 2mm spring bars. Not sure what is the best model currently available, but I would suggest a flush case model.

Bill, terrific to hear from you! I see that you've managed to add a couple of GMT beauties to the collection. Very, very nice! The old 2893-2 GMTs are also very fine watches. I just happen to be sporting such a beast as we speak. Give us a shout whenever your travels bring you in proximity to the Big Apple. Cheers!

Old photos when it was available from Maria. Hope this helps.

I'm fairly certain there would be substantial interest in the success of this venture. I have what appears to be a Viet case on my MBW 1680 and the crown position is darn near perfect. Perhaps Maria used some these cases in the past? I would be interested as well.

Terrific Panny, Kruz! That's one imposing crystal. I would love to see it someday. Sort of brings to mind the ultra rare deep sea.

TTK, all the best to you and wishing you a full and speedy recovery. I agree with others, the watches can wait. What is important is that you get back to you old self as soon as possible. Cheers, J

and I thought Hockey games were good to let out frustrations. Keep the faith, The Zigmeister. The poster has been called out for what it is. Besides, I think most of us know that your artistic talents are not easily replicated by mere mortals. Hope all is excellent with you and J!

Dave, excellent post! I believe many of us can closely relate to your words of wisdom. I've also had my ups and downs but this is true of any hobby I have become heavily involved with. I've had several ranging from sports cars (ouch!). dirt bikes (another ouch!) to audio but I learned much from my experiences which thankfully more than compensated for the frustrating moments that surfaced from time to time. I hope you decide to stay and look forward to your posts. There is no need to buy watches every other week in order to chime in. All the best, J

A pair of 2893-2 beauties. Great watches, gents!

I like them all! I have a Shiba which is quite a character and a great little friend.

We should do this more often. stormtooper4, nice Fortis. It's very similar to my Hamilton ca 1968. Great classic and worth the TLC. A little color today: Tomorrow, probably this one:

Awesome watch and terrific job with the mods. The ancient TW lug cases are as rare as hens teeth. I haven't seen a Sub case that comes close since they were sadly discontinued long ago. Enjoy!

It's really a shame as other than the one CG, it looks to be a darn nice case. The crown is nicely centered on the case which is a welcome change. It is visually a great looking watch. Perhaps someone started shaving the inside of the CG and got carried away. They do look centered on the case to me. Hope it all works out well for you.

One of the advantages of the 1680 is that it can also be easily converted to the 5513. If you tire of the cyclops, the 1680 also looks terrific with the T-19. which I've often seen on TZ. The 1675 would be the least expensive of the trio followed by the 1680/white dial. The 1665 (with any dial) has escalated to lunar heights. One last thing, I love these watches.

When I first started this hobby, this is what I more or less expected from most reps. I was obviously proven wrong but this watch is a total piece of %$@#!. Terrific photos and very informative post, The Zigmeister! Thanks for bringing this to our attention. This is a surprise given the positive views I've read on this watch. Let's hope this is an isolated case to this particular model and not the beginning of a trend.

I have the exact same rep clasp and the micro adjustment holes on yours are considerably larger in diameter as are the pins. This would lead me to believe that you have a gen part. Perhaps a rep clasp like this one exists but I have not seen it.

Thanks for the terrific photos, capice! Awesome! It sure looks like a splendid get together & everyone had a great time. Having a terrific host & organization was a huge plus that I'm sure everyone appreciated. Wish I could have joined the fun.

alligoat, I emailed Ponycar a few days ago and his new and revised price for the T-19s is $75. That's a hell of a jump considering he had just advertised them on TZ for $35. Where can these be sourced for $15-$20?

I've been sporting this one quite a bit since I swapped the crystal.