thw

Sourcing a crystal for a 42mm PO isn't the tough part. I'm concerned whether the PO that Narikaa sells has physical dimensions that are different from say a v4 PO from Sead. A couple of folks have suggested that I would have to get it from Nakikaa for it to fit. I would think that the crystals should fit across the board on all the PO reps and oly the Gen crystal might have issues fitting in some reps. As a final note, I removed the remainder of the crystal last night using a pair of leather work gloves. It was murder to remove it and the perimeter piece came out as one unit. I really think there was a manufacturing flaw. I have had a tough time removing them before but the tension on this thing was not to be believed! Figure if the case was made even .25 mm too small and they managed to squeeze it in, the force on it from all sides may have been enough to get the center to "pop!"

That's what I thought.... A couple folks at repgeek said the gen crystal fits but I didn't think so. Either way I wouldn't want a gen crystal on a $99 PO.

Last night I took off my 42mm PO. Doesn't have a scratch on it. I put it on my nightstand. This morning I picked it up and was shocked to see that the crystal appeared to have exploded overnight! The center of the crystal was shattered in a perfect circle about 8mm in from the bezel. WIERD!!! I took a photo but my camera won't focus in macro so the photos stinks. Question: I don't want to spend $145 on a gen crystal and they are tough to get right now. Anyone know a good source since Narikaa is in Thailand? I was going to try Tony at asian7750. Also... anyone know where to source a proper Omega symbol for the dial? I know there was a thread either here or on Repgeek but I can't find it.

Here's the simple answer. No such thing. Almost all reps, even the very best are made in asia. Now you can get a nice ETA movement installed in many of them but that's as close to Swiss as you will get. Have fun !

Exactly... I am treating this like a learning experience. As far as tools, I actually inherited them all - my grandfather was a dentist and jewelry maker who used to repair his own watches, even his moonphase Patek! I just haven't undertaken this type of work. Willing, yes. Experienced, hell no. The watch was completely waterlogged when I figured out I had screwed up. There is actually noticeable staining on the movement and the hands are frozen solid. I would rather replace the movement but I'd rather learn (and potentially botch it up) on a cheap movement than a $60 - $80 ETA 2836 or even a high beat 4813. I saw AJoes' article on Repgeek. He makes it look easy, then again it's not his first rodeo. I will probably order another DSSD as I was in love with it - my WM sub just feels small on my wrist. I figure that if the repair works, I'll have two, if not, I'll be a bit wiser.

I saw that one posted. I was hoping to try and pull off something cheap. Haveing never swapped a movement, remove hands - things like that I figure that there is a good likelihood I will trash the movement in the attempt. are the hands interchangeable between a 2813-2 and a 2836-2 or would I need a new set of hands as well?

I messed up. I went swimming with the crown unscrewed on my DSSD and you can only guess the result. I figure this is a good a time as any to learn how to swap a movement. I'm looking for a 2813-2 or used 2836. Anyone have any suggestions where I can find one? Obviously I'm not looking to spend alot since there is a pretty good chance I may screw this up completely. I would like to give it a try before I just order an entire new watch.

Ok, I love my DSSD from Josh so much that I wear it nearly everyday. Yesterday I scratched the crystal against some concrete. Anyone have a suggestion where I might get a replacement? I emailed Josh but haven't heard back yet.

Thanks Josh! Thank you, thank you, thank you! And an additional thanks for the members of this forum for help steering me in the right direction! The gods of customs have shined on me! This morning (I only placed the order on thursday March 5!) a box arrived for me. My secretary laughed wondering when I became a medical doctor. I was confused and then she handed me a package with the prefix "Dr." in front of my name. Wapped in 6 inches of bubble wrap and a very nifty styrofoam box were a blue faced/blue bezel sub and DSSD from Josh. Wow! (Can you tell I'm happy? Am I making it very clear that I'm nothing short of ecstatic!) Maybe my standards are lower than some of the uber-experts here but I have never, and I mean never seen reps of this quality. Call me a noob, bash me over the head with the silly stick, do what you will, but I have never seen anything this good for this price. This will be the first of many, many purchases if this is what I have to look foward to! One again, my sincere gratitude!

For what its worth I can tell you this - there are some outrageous reps available in the right locations. My good friend and neighbor (from Pakistan) just came back from Dubai three weeks ago. He brought back with him a small bag full of jewelry - literally - mostly handmade 18-20K necklaces for his wife and sister that have that rustic hand-pounded gypsy look. The one piece that caught my eye was a solid 18k presidential with a custom lapis face that he was wearing. My father has a gen one so I'm quite familiar with them. It was nothing short of spectacular and weighed a ton (mild exaggeration) which he openly admitted was a replica he got from a long-time friend who is a jeweler near the Burj al Arab hotel. There was one major flaw- if you want to call it that. The band did not have the Rolex crown on it - instead it had a cabochon sapphire. He paid $3500 US for it so it was no bargain, but it is one hell of a watch and according to him, it had an older gen Rolex movement in it from a different watch. He said all sorts of extremely high-end Rolex reps and hybrids (part gen, part rep) are available if you know the right people and can pay cash - especially iced reps with genuine diamond faces and bezels. Apparently solid 18k cases and bands that are encrusted are quite popular. He did tell me that he shipped it back in two pieces instead of taking it through airport customs.

That particular pen almost looks like a spalted maple that's stained. If you want a wild combination consider something like waterfall bubinga with alternating laminated layers of ebony. Burl's are always spectacular but can be unstable to turn. Woodwork is a longtime hobby of mine... especially exotics. Here are some photos of past projects... Feel free to ask questions counselor.

Of course its dissapointing to hear that QC is not always what you want it to be, but then again we are talking about reps. Every now and then, even in the high-end rep market, there's going to be a dud ( or two, or three) that slips under the radar. It is encouraging that he's giving a refund without a hassle. Customer service isn't completely dead- even in the far east where intellectual property rights are non-existant. I can say without reservation, that getting a refund or returning a television to an electronics store in NYC is far, far, far more difficult. Count your blessings. I ordered a DSSD and a blue faced Sub from him yesterday and I'm knocking on wood, crossing my fingers and throwing salt over my shoulders that the dud rep and customs gods look the other way on my shipment. So far, communication has been outstanding with the only drawback being forced to use Western Union because my bank refuses to conduct credit card transactions with their SSL service - they have been "flagged" as potentially fraudulent. C'est la vie.

Just to add to the conversation.... Three years ago my father bought a solid gold Sub for about 13k in Boca Raton FL -- gently used of course. Since then he has replaced the crystal twice because he's very rough on it. There was never a sticker on it from day one - stickers, holograms, etchings, accurate crown guards etc., mean squat. The only thing that really matters is if you enjoy wearing the watch - the heck with what someone else thinks. I have a 14k Hamilton I bought a couple years ago for a whopping $275.00. I like it better than my Gen GMT that my dad gave me as a gift. ( Never liked that Pepsi bezel. LOL)

My grandfathers 18K and platinum Patek with a moon phase form the 1940's. I used to wear it to court and special occassions. Before inheriting it they tried to auction it at Christies 7 years ago. Bidding went to $74K then ended with it unsold. Reserve was $95k. It was stolen from my house along with all my other watches (Gen and Reps) and gun collection in March of 2008. My insurance co. gave me a whopping check of $3k as it wasn't separately insured. c'est la vie. Aside from that I have a client who wears a Mike Tyson edition Rolex he purchased from Harry Winston Jewelers in NY for I believe $175K. It looks silly.

Thanks for the help. I did manage to figure out after a couple more hours of reading that Eurotimez is a good start. I have been trying to subscribe to their website for a couple of days with no response on an access code... Maybe I'll try to message the guy if he's a member.