DavidBreitling

How easily did the apbands tang fit? My deployant doesn't click anymore and I need to replace. Any other suggestions on straps/tangs/replacement deployants for this watch RBII? PM me pls. Thxs.

I have a grey dial which is bronze in some lightings, looks really cool in direct sunlight.

Nothing like the real thing!!! What is "market value" in your opinion?

Wow, i mean wow....

I think Mrs Ubi will be completely chuffed!

I must be showing my age, but I can only imagine her being "chuffed", and don't recall being "chuffed" lately myself. Does it involve pharmaceuticals or just a beautiful J12.

Thanks btw, I was thinking what my black belt taekwando daughter might enjoy to keep time while kicking ass. This may be it! Is it available from usual chinese suspects?

I have the RBII in silver and black ceramic, and while a really interesting watch, the hands are sometimes invisible in certain light conditions. This dial appears much easier to read as well as the blue dial version. Josh and the usual suspects?

Yes, it is a beauty. Saw an original ad for a 1963 APOA one, cost $68 !!!!!! But you did have to be a pilot after all!! Would have made a good investment!!

Altstraps do a 'natural' finish strap for Bell and Ross, I believe, of which the leather may look quite nice on that if you can get one made - it's an off-white, almost very light tan

I have some blue dial watches, and they go with a light to medium tan, and with black or dark brown. If you are open to some exotic materials, have a look at Hamilton Straps

http://hamiltonleatherwatchstraps.blogspot...p;max-results=6

While they are as presented more for Pannies, he may make a custom size for you (Donerix) and the pricing is quite reasonable for the uniqueness of the materials.

My2cents

LikeDr B says, Go with perfect clones for the first buy also called Josh.

http://www.jpc8118.com/rlsv10014-vintage-m...362-p-3285.html

Is 86watches.net a trusted dealer, they have some new UN's that I have not seen elsewhere in the MMD line including blue seal, and chrono, but they look like Gen pics.

USD10,500.-

Best Regards,

Raymond

First congrats, Second, don't we all wish we lived in a tax free, highly competitive zone!

USD10,500.-

Best Regards,

Raymond

Gotta agree, a beautiful piece. Is this a style available only from the Firenze boutique, or a creation of someone's imagination?

A beauty, I am wearing my 188 today with white dial and new blackbard osterich strap.

btw, where did you source your gen dial and hands, and how much? PM me if you prefer.

Thanks.

...when you start counting the arm hairs on wrist shots.....

When you recognize someone's arm hairs without the aid of telling tatoo's!

I am the guy who asked the question why US members were biased towards trading with US members only, represented by the phrase, CONUS Only.

At the time, I mentioned I had a shipment in limbo from a great member in SoCal. Mailed May 23, three weeks ago, I was anxious and the seller, alanytical, growing skeptical of why he agreed to trade north of 44 (principal longitude between US and Canada). We were both consumed by conspiracy theories, the incompetence of postal services, and intervention of callous customs officers, that alan indicated that if I hadn't received the item by today, that he was going to refund some of the money. Well, at mid day, he did just that, returning the entire purchase price, after I confirmed the item still hadn't arrived this morning. I wasn't really comfortable with him doing that, but he felt it was his obligation. So I responded by saying that was very generous, but let's just see if the watch is truly MIA or just late to the party, like a good woman. I also suggested that he have a look at Donerix's site which has some amazing exotic straps, and as a return gesture of good will, pick one out as a gift from me.

No sooner than I pushed the SEND button, and walked to my front door, but there is the Missing Package on the floor inside the door, a little beat up but surviving the ordeal.

So all of you Americans out there, keep the faith and don't deny your Canadian cousins a good trade. One of the posters complained, why does it take so long for mail between Canada and US, my answer.... run by the government.... but even posties come through eventually, rain...sleet...snow... and customs.

BIG BOOYAA to Alan!!!!

And check out Donerix's new line of straps.... Amazing http://hamiltonleatherwatchstraps.blogspot...ent-models.html

I had a feeling watch nuts might also be bikers, too, especially from some of the avatars with bikes.

I joined the Harley generation about 8 years ago via a Fat Boy and pay about USD 800 per year, but we can only ride 7-8 months a year, like the Scandinavian countries, but the hearty Scot probably goes 12 months a year. This is about double US insurance rates. Riding over 30 years, just one accident last year, but a dousie, a deer jumped over my bike in the Black Hills of South Dakota during Sturgis bike week. Broke my neck (C1), in a halo for 7 months, probably 12 months of physio, can't drive for the time being, and medical bills in US of $15,000 for two days, didn't really do anything, and back in Toronto, medical claims of probably US 50,000 when all done including income replacement, not to mention the US 15,000 to repair the bike. All covered because I had the proper insurance.

So if anyone is considering riding w/o the proper insurance, think again....... RIDE SAFELY and Have Fun.

My experience has been to order from someone close to where you live for example I order from Sead and WBK because I'm US based these dealers are local so there is no customs issue and if there is a problem with a watch is $ 5.00 dollars to ship it back and it gets there in two days so it's much better from a time standpoint. And all dealers can get any watch you want that has been my experience.

Hope that helps

Toad, this is a good post and you may want to link it to your NOOB guide or incorporate the best parts directly in any future update. Just a suggestion, alternatively, could admonish the future noobs to using the search button to find it.

I wish

oka any more suggestions before i rap this up lads ?

Laz

Nope

anyone going once going twice .....

Laz

An empty box, watch seized by customs!

A little off the point, but why does it take so frickin' long for mail to go between the US and Canada.? I just bought a Marathon bracelet from someone in Vancouver, and it took 13 days from there to Texas. I believe it was sent "expedited post" or something like that. Granted, the problem was largely on the US side. EMS from Guangzhou only takes about 6 days, including a couple of days in customs.

Answer: Canadian and US postal services are run by the government, need I say more? An interesting parallel question is why a US shipper can ship a small package from California to NY for under $5 via private courier, and in Canada its over $30. Same distance, same type of aircraft and roughly same fuel prices. 2nd Answer, lack of competition north of border. We have to have an exchange rate below the US, because EVERYTHING costs more here, except health insurance.

Beeeeeutiful! And the strap frames the watch perfectly, it's a BIG pilot afterall.

And yes, I think this should probably be in GD instead of the trading forum...

Yes should be in GD, my stupid, and first topic. Won't repeat that mistake. As I thought, it is a matter of convenience, and the US member perspective is different than Rest of World perspective, like so many things in life. Having said that, I have bought a number of things from US members only too happy to oblige if asked, and, my price is right. Money talks, after all.

I am fascinated by the common reference in posts for watch sales "CONUS Only pls". Of course if you are a US resident, this matters not. I realize that there are potential customs issues, I live in Canada, Toronto to be specific, and packages can go MIA. I am dealing with a potential situation like this at the moment. But if the buyer is willing to take the risk, why should the seller care? Additional shipping charges are not huge, maybe $5 to Canada, yes a customs form is required, and possible a trip to the post office to figure it all out, but most members go to the post office to ship their packages anyway. Or is it just that a market of 300 million is large enough to complete the sale, so why bother.

US members are willing to take that risk every time they order from our Asian friends, so it can't be just risk aversion. European members also frequently post EU only for similar reasons. US members are lining up to send their treasured watches to Nova Scotia for service and lume mods, and seem willing to take the risk on their own account as a result.

Now in practise I have found that if the vendor likes my offer, he is willing to overrule his initial prohibition on sales outside CONUS. Still, curious how often this pops up in sales posts from US members.

What are other members experiences or views on this phenomenon?

I took Paypal to task on this once and they came back with "Our exchange rates are calculated every hour and so obviously more correct than my source" I replied that my source was Xe.com the most widely used currency calculator on the net and that in fact Paypal rates are often higher than what the actual exchange rates hit on any given day!

Never got a reply to that one.

Ken

Again for those who do not live in a USD world, banks have been charging 3%+ exchange rate differentials on credit and debit card transactions in currencies other than the "home" currency. Understand that banks, and likewise Visa, MC, Amex etc. have been in this racket since the beginning. Its why credit and debit cards are SO profitiable for banks, not just the 18%+ interest rates. I was at a retailer today, and he said to reverse a credit or debit transaction, his bank charges him 5%!!! My answer, own bank stocks, just not the flaky US kind, they lend to anyone with a pulse, or used to and as a result F&%$Ked up the entire banking system. Oh, I worked in the banking industry at an executive level for 30 Yrs. so I know what I am talkin' about.

Thanx FxrAndy, think I will go with the weak threadlock. Searched around a bit on repgeek as well, and although I found no one using it for hands in particular, the overall opinion seemed to be that only the weakest loctite were suitable for watch parts.

Does this specific loctite work for screw pins on bracements and Pam lugs? I read a The Zigmeister post referring to using loctite on his Pam and also someone else on their HBB on the case screws. Comments?

+1 to koodos for Josh. Just got back the second of two watches with movement problems and so far so good (fingers crossed). He encouraged me to be patient when I first identified the performance problems, but when I had had enough (one stopped working, the other the chrono stopped and the rotor was loud and seized up), gave me the secret address and 8 weeks later, back in my watch box. He did advocate manual winding, which according to authorities here is a definine no no for A7750.