Jetsons

This guy which just blows me away.

The outfit may be legit but they will only settle the payment ONE MONTH after receiving approval from the CC company. That's a bit over the top IMO & a long time to be stting on a cutomer's cash before delivering the watch.

Very sorry this happened to you. It's happened to me as well and it totally blew my lid off. I also had some idiot perform a rain dance on the hood of my then new RX-7 which destroyed the hood beyond repair.. You might try this. Judging from your pics, the damage is not as deep as it could have been. Apply some very fine auto polishing compound or cleaner/polish (such as Mcquires) with a clean soft cottom cloth followed by wax. Don't use a much hand pressure and apply in a circular motion. Thoroughly clean and dry the areas first. This may help cover up the scratches quite a bit. I've done this before and while not a perfect solution, it made it look a heck of a lot better.

Hi, Clive: You're very welcome! Cheers, Jet

Keep up the good work, Bill! I for one am very appreciative of what your showing us. I hope your info is added to the knowledge base as Ubi suggested. The water resitance issue has been discussed many times and the prevailing wisdom has been that reps are only good for a 50 yard dash in the rain and that is it. I believe this is this that your hearing. I always believed that the watches I purchased were well enough put together and should hold up to at least swimming, if checked beforehand. I've gone swimming (not diving) with my TW Submariner several times (pools & ocean) and have had zero problems. I did remove the case back, silicone greased the seals and made sure all was nice and tight. Most of these higher end reps are solidly built pieces. Nice SD from Joshua. Jet

I suggest part of your deal with the scumbag on top of full reinbursement, is that he withdraws the neg feedback.

I picked up a Pam 063 for the little lady and she loves it. It has not left her wrist since it arrived over a month ago & she has some nice gens. An automatic was the best option as she has not owned a munual winder and the 2893 movement is a total winner. I gave her a few fun colored straps and she has me change them every few days. She is totally nuts over this watch and the whole strap thing. BTW, she's 5'8" on the thin side and has no problems hauling the 44mm beast around. I also seriously considered the 111H for her which is also a killer piece. Jet

I have never disagreed with EL but will this one time. The ETA 2893-2 is one of the best movements out there in terms of accuracy and reliability. It is super smooth and easier to work on than a straight up 2836 & not one that has been modified via the date wheel to operate the GMT hand. The latter is a comment from The Zigmeister that has obviously had experience with these movements. The 2893-2 been favorably compared to the Rollie 3135 movement in terms of perfomance, reliability and accuracy. Better in some respects than the Rollie and other highly respected in house movements. A good read on the subject is @ http://www.chronometrie.com/eta2892/eta2892.html The 2893-2 also arrives on these watches clean, properly lubricated & timed so it saves the cost and hassle of servicing the movement. Value wise, the 2893-2 Pams represent a very good deal, IMO. The movement alone retails for $400 and can be purchased for $300. The cost of a new 2893-2 GMT Pam delivered was $435 which leaves only $135 for everything else. At the offered price of slightly used models, it's an absolute bargain. It is a better value than the 2836-2 equiped models whose movement can be purchased for $70 or less. Jet

I had a similar problem a while back at Ebay. Here is what I did: 1) Demanded full refund plus shipping both ways or would file a complaint/dispute with Ebay. No response whatsoever from seller after 4 emails over the course of approx. 10 days. 2) Final email sent, set a date certain (48 hours) in which I would file a complaint if resolution was not achieved. 3) Complaint filed together with copies of emails documenting my attempts to resolve the problem in a reasonable manner. In addition, I contacted Amex (used for PP) and let them know the charge was under dispute and they agreed to withhold the fiunds pending resolution. 4) Approx. 3 weeks after the complaint was filed, I received an email from the seller agreeing to my original terms and all cash was refunded upon which I returned the item. Power Sellers or very active sellers usually have funds coming in to their PP accounts continuously so they are not immune from disputes. I hope this helps you in some way & best of luck. Jet

Beautiful vintage piece, Tribal! Terrific work by you and Palp. It looks like OEM end links were also installed. Very, very nice touch! BTW, you might have enough RWG cash to add to your MBW collection. Enjoy! Jet

Easy for me. A couple of my vintage JLCs and 14K circa 1950s Longines tank. Difficult to believe but these get more compliments than the Pam. The Pam is more along the lines of "that thing is huge...never heard of the brand before." The others, "beautiful...where did you get them.... never seen one like that before." I've had offers to purchase one of my JLCs and the Longines. There is just something about vintage watches that perks folks' interest and stirs the emotion. The vintage Rollies just go about their business on the wrist but do get admiring or at least curious looks. Jet

docblackrock, I can read through your lines that you gave putting ths forth in public some serious thought. I would always expect proper treatment as well when dealing in any business transaction (and this is what this is) specially, if I am the customer. You are far from being over sensitive and in my view, you have been more than patient and fair. Proper communication can go a long way in calming down a customer and it is the right thing to do. I'm not sure why this is not done more often. I wouldn't have customers for long if I did not. BTW, I do not buy into the argument in any form or fashion that these are "just reps" and therefore must be considered in a different light. They are our property, pure and simple. I hope you receive your watch in short order in the state in which you sent it. Cheers, Jet

I'lll be sporting this guy for a while.

Beautiful work, Randy! I suspect you will have one very happy friend. The T-39 superdome must be seen in the flesh to fully appreciate the beauty of the crystal installed. It totally transforms the 1665s specially if accompanied by the gen insert. IMO, the top two mods that can be performed on the MBWs. Cheers, Jet

Congratulations, veni. That is awesome! Buy all you can now before the little woman starts putting the $$s to work on practical stuff. Cheers, Jet

Gran, good to see a JLC thrown ito the mix. Very nice! Today, tritium & plastic.

cib, a possibility may be Tudor Sub. The case as I understand it, is the same used on the 1680 with the exception being the serial numbers & case back printing. I suspect one can find a very nice vintage Tudor in minty condition for less than the price of the gen 1680 case. I found such a piece with an OEM trip lock crown/tube for a reasonable price. I hope I don't decide to mess with but it is sure tempting. With your newly acquired 1680 dial, a Tudor would be one killer piece and would be 100% Rollie. Jet

I must be fortunate but all the toys that I have purchased have been absolutely trouble free. They are also excellent time pieces in their own right even compared to gens in the sub $1K category. I have been very selective in my acquisitions (vintage or at least no longer in production) and compared to most folks here, I have a tiny collection. Choose quality over quantity and stick with the proven ETA movements. The ETA movements can last a life time if properly cared for. Simplicity also equals reliability which is the reason I have not added a chrono to the collection. I see folks here ordering watches with unproven (or proven to be a hedache) movements which in large part, is the problem. The fun part is the hunt, the learning of mechanical watches & the arrival of the little packages. Three of my toys were a total PIA to source but well worth the effort. IMO, gens are just too easy to buy unless one is into vintage. The latter is where the fun is, IMO.

Excellent and most informative post, Chris! Thanks for taking the time to do this for us rookies. Excellent tip on installing the seconds hand. Cheers, Jet

Congrats on an awesome watch! I have the MBW and it a gorgeous piece. Good to hear of an excellent transaction. When dealing with fellow members, that is the way it should always be. I have to believe that when someone parts with a watch such as this, it has to be a tad difficult for them. Cheers, Jet

Nice work, Tribal! Are you sure that movement came from "old CN Sub from Paul"? Looks like something that belongs in a poor man's gen Rollie Sub. BTW, will a gen insert fit the bezel without grinding the heck out of an otherwise excellent gen part? I'm still waiting on a 16610 with an accurate bezel. Regards, Jet

Sub, I use G-S Hypo cement and it has worked very well. The applicator makes it a breeze to apply. Not sure if it can withstand diving but my inserts have never come loose with it. http://gssupplies.com/cement_hypo.html Also available at the Bay. Jet

Great watch, BOB! It is a heck of a value specially with that ETA 2893-2, two year warranty and reportedly excellent customer service. I recommended this exact watch to a friend as my top value pic. It should arrive shortly and I am looking forward to checking it out. Regards, Jet