mbjoer

I am wondering what the improvement is on the older version. I can only spot the colour of the movement, but perhaps someone can tell me more? This is mine (old version):

I have no problem with fantasy watches if they are well done. Functionality, detailing and above all plausibility makes a good rep. We on this forum are amongst the infinitely small percentage of the world who know and care about the detailing of each and every model. The placement of a dial is completely insignificant compared to a watch claiming to be a rattrapante when it is not. It is as bad as claiming to be an automatic when it is a quartz. A non-rattrapante claiming to be one, complete with a non-functional button is pretty likely to be called out. A good fantasy is not.

People have asked me about buttons. It is only a question of time before someone will do it to you. They do so out of genuine interest, not to call you out. - But having such a silly thing is fakey-fakey. There are fantasy watches which are far more convincing than this one. Go for the 288 instead.

They are nice and we have looked at them as well. BUT the gold reps very proudly state STAINLESS STEEL on the back...

Stowa and Nomos are very classic designs. Stowa seems to have taken a lot of clues from IWC, of which there are a number of reps. So I would start there. But a quite a few others could be considered. Some examples: Vacheron Partimony: Rolex DateJust: Patek Fantasy Chrono: Ulysse Nardin: Let us know what you decide on!!

Nice thread, with a happy ending ..... I hope! Good to see that the forum is not only for flaming

Will be interesting to see if you manage to get a franken within the budget. Whatever you do, just make certain NOT to buy the standard sec@6 rep. The movement is very poor and very likely to die on you.

Different crystals have different reflections. The MBW has far less reflection than the sec@12 and I suspect that is the case with the Gen as well. Hence the comparison to the Gen is not completely relevant. I have had my Black Themes done. It has been a very good investment, transforming a rep looking good into a luxury watch. - Which is how it should be.

Go for the one you like the most. If they are all the same to you, the Ebel is probably the most accurate rep. As to use of chrono, yes no problem. Just don't use it under water unless you have had it carefully waterproofed.

Thanks for showing this. And the little house from where great things developed... Having also seen a Gen, perhaps a couple of pictures of the MBW version are acceptable. It is not a jumbo, but it has engraved rotor.

I have an MBW Safari and a Sec@12 Black Themes. The main and really obvious fault on the MBW is that the running seconds is in a subdial designed for the chrono function. You do not need any AP knowledge to find that tell. However on a few aspects the MBW scores rather well. First is the glare from the crystal. On the sec@12 it is so bad that you really need AR treatment. That is not the case on the MBW. The bracelet feels nicer on the MBW. Slightly more rounded and comfortable. And the movement works better. To set the sec@12 is very fiddely as the crown is terribly stiff. And there has been a lot of write up about the need for a graphite treatment or as a minimum a service for the sec@12. If you add in service and AR, the sec@12 becomes a much more expensive option than the MBW. However, although I use my MBW, I am not so sure I would recommend a watch with such an obvious tell as this one. A couple of pictures to illustrate (The RO is a cartel version): Note that the lume on the Black Themes is the result of a less than impressive re-lume I had done. A re-lume is worth it - but only when done correctly...

Bezel ring not screwing down basically makes it useless/lethal as a diving watch (assuming it is water proof.... ) This one has a way to go before it is there!!

Good point. As with watches there has to be a very good reason not to buy the genuine article. You can get an excellent replica for 10% or less than some Gens. That makes sense. I guess that with some heavily marked-up designer brands good bargains can be made in the rep market as well. But can you get a good quality for 10% of the Gen price? The problem identifying good quality and finding sizes that fit has so far kept me away from the rep garments. Perhaps someone can guide us towards the really good deals?

Thanks for your remarks about the MBW bracelet. These are things that cannot be caught on a picture. And also thanks for telling me more about your situation. I now read your postings with much more interest. I can truly say that I am inpressed by your knowledge and ability to convey it to the other members. I can see, but do not have a fraction of your knowledge which clearly is right up to date. Well done!!

Hallmarks are the little stamps verifying the precious material used. These would be found on all kinds of jewelry and cutlery as well. On a rep hallmarks would be purely ornamental, but they are an integral part of the total design, just like serial numbers. Without them or with incorrect/poor ones they will be an instant tell to prople who otherwise know nothing about the particular watch model.

This is turning into an interesting thread. Very rarely do we get to know the persons behind the avatar. And now that you have opened up a little I do have a couple of questions, as I am one of the many who really are ignorant about your condition. Hopefully not too intrusive...: Are you completely blind? In which case what are you going for when selecting watches? You clearly have a deep interest in the topic and given the contribution you have here I would never have guessed that you were blind. Specific to the MBW RO: How does the bracelet feel? With the Cartel version iI find that it looks good, but it is sharp and not really comfortable. So definitely looks over substance.

As to the RO, I like it. What is the size? I have a cartel Jumbo version and would like to have a direct comparison to the MBW. Not comparing the dial layout which obviously is different, but the overall feel and finish. On the pics MBW looks good.

Of the two, the rubberclad seems to be the better one. Don Ramon has no hallmarks which the other one has. But DR is the prettier one...

I think that is at least a big part of the reason. But Ebay's attitude is a bit risky for them. When an item is reported, they cannot claim ignorance about the issue. At some point EBay could become liable. It could be fun to take the case...

Is it possible to bump without it showing as a post?

Interesting Gaytona lookalike. Not sure which one is more ........ interesting.

Wow - that is interesting. I only realised it was that old now. It came up as a recent posting when I opened it. How did that happen?? I have similarly noted when I look at a specific sales posting for an IWC tourbi that also shows up as last posting today, however there are no recent postings. What is happening?????

Tried repmod.com It takes me to Disneyworld !?!??

Agree with all that is said above. A few more points though. You are looking for a watch in the very top end of the market. For that to work you will need to pay attention to the detailing on the watch and not the apparant accuracy of the replication. Also on the back of the watch. Both of the watches above are convincing with a couple of modifications. The most important one being the strap as mentioned already. But you should also give them an AR treatment so that the dial becomes noticeable. I have them both and it has made a really big difference. As to the movement it is visually very good looking and to the 99.99999% of mankind who know nothing about movements it gives the feel of a really expensive one. It is also known to be reliable. With the modifications mentioned you will add a couple of hundered $$ to the initial price, but you will get a watch which could convincingly cost 25 times more.

My guess is that ETA means Asian clone if nothing else is specified. Also I would be a bit sceptical about claims that a movement is Swiss. Have you received good pictures of it? Check up the dealer. In principle I would have no problem buying an older watch if it has been looked after and serviced. If it has, you might get a better watch than an unserviced new one. If not you may want to calculate that into the price. Check up the owner. As to lume the rep is not bad for a rep. But if done properly (by whom??) the re-lumed will be better. Lume and service will cost about the same. Depending on whom a very rough $100. If you need to service and lume the new one add a couple of hundered $$ in all.