swdivad

Hope you feel better Neil! All the best to you for the New Year

Wow! Nice drop That's inflation Last time I bought it it was $US400... maybe 15 years ago.

In regards to hands... When I embarked on my PVD 196 / 7753 project, I ordered a set of 188 hands from Davidsen. They did not fit, so I am thinking there may be a slight variation between the asian 7750 and the gen VJ7750/7753. Maybe our resident experts can comment on this.

IMO, you should always use tubes... It will reduce the wear on the strap. The tubes just about fall out on my MP X, but I still use them.

I have two MP straps... One I just received from V, which is a khaki shark. Nice strap, a tad thin. The other I have is an MP X, probably 3-4mm thick and just beautiful. The smell is amazing, even after 6 months. You can't go wrong with MP... Great straps! I would also suggest the shell cordovans from Europelli. Thick, beautifully finished straps that will develop a matte finish if you let it go unwaxed. Keep it waxed and it will be nice and shiny for a long time. As V says I said... the GS straps just look too cartoonish on *me*... Others like 'em, I just can't. Simona also has some great looking straps... well worth looking into IMO. Like you guys said, there are hundreds, maybe more, straps out there. Pick what you like from established dealers and you'll be happy *most* of the time. I've had a few disappointments, but most of my choices are now too many to choose from LOL

Nice straps K!! I really like the black too... but end up changing all the time. Don't wear brown *too* much, but ocasionally. My favourite blacks right now are my Europelly shell cord and my black baseball straps... BTW, I probably wouldn't call it patina per se... Patina is an oxidation of a material, where your straps above are just finely aged :-D

Well if this forum was one massive dealer, then you could be onto something... But I doubt the mods would want to be involved (and who would manage it?) with that... It would bring the forum to a whole new legal (or to be more specific, illegal) threshold...

With an unlimited budget, I think I've just fallen in love

I tried..... ONCE

This will be my next I think... I have to build a shopping list. There are so many nice reps out there now and coming! How does it compare in quality to the plain Inge? Are seconds at 12?

Excellent! Not so excellent Is that even legal?

My first 'real' swiss luxury brand was an Omega SMP Pro chrono in titanium

It amazes me that people could actually take offense to this kind gesture... No wonder there is war... Bless you all (am I qualified to do this?)... especially this holiday season and also whenever you sneeze. Also, good luck & godspeed in the New Year!!

My swiss 7750 does that, but not as pronounced! That's a major stutter you have there.

Kinda cool/funky... But compared to their prices a few years ago, they're very expensive... Maybe they'll get bought up by Richemont... Then we'll be kicking ourselves in ten years because we didn't buy one and they're worth 30k LOL

I'm thinking of getting this one: Spirit of America Ref. KD 637422 case aerospace-grade titanium; satinized, polished, brushed surfaces dimensions 44.35 mm diameter (bezel end to bezel end); 48.4 mm diameter overall (bezel end to crown end; 54.4 mm length overall (lug end to lug end); 22 mm lug width (between lugs; measures strap width); 13.5 mm height overall crystal synthetic sapphire; domed, anti-reflective (inside only); crown signed bezel stationary back aerospace-grade titanium; sapphire crystal; screw-locked ratings* waterproof (10 atm/330 ft with crown locked); (3 atm/100 ft with crown unlocked); antimagnetic; shock-resistant; pressure-proof to 10 atmospheres movement K.421; Swiss-made (base caliber UNITAS 6497; modified) winding handwound mechanism jewels 17 balance Glucydur mainspring Nivarox 1 functions hours, minutes other 50 hours power reserve, Geneva stripes decoration *all ratings in accordance with the strict regulations set forth by the German Industrial Standard Bureau, DIN

Just got back from a really cool little GTG here in Melbourne... Since I forgot my camera, I'll let Quarks and Mike fill in with the photos Quarks and I got to drop our better halfs off at the Chanel boutique party over on Collins so they could shop for what they wanted for Christmas (lucky for my wallet, nothing really jumped out at my wife ) Four of us showed up at a nice quiet little bar (except for the photo/fun nazi bar manager )... Great conversation and drinks... and watches all over!! Finally got mikefotog and kenberg to meet Mike showed us an amazing poster he did a great photoshop job of a 1966 Impala... Very impressive! In watches, what stood out for me was the amazing PO chrono Ken brought along!!... What a beast that watch is!!! So many nice watches, so few wrists Quarks had an audience with his new Sinn Regulator... A somewhat strange onlooker wanted to buy it right there on the spot Was almost begging for it In the end, turns up that he just didn't have any money And we just had to show ourselves the door Oh well... Afterwards, Aaron, the girls, and I went for some extra spicey yummy Szechuan Thanks Ken, for getting this going! Had a great time, hopefully we can do this again sometime in the new year!!!

Happy Birthday Admin!!! May the watch gods rain AP ROOs in your path!!!

My biggest watch purchase disappointment was a mini fiddy I bought from ebay ($US200 arrgh!)... Wore it a few times and the movement died within a few weeks. My second biggest disappointment(s) are whenever I try to buy and love the Fiddy.... I just can't find the love :-( The third would be the new sapphire 212 AR coated crystal... Bought a whole watch to do the transplant and it just wasn't good at all.

Great watch Gio!!! I had the same model in titanium, at the time didn't like it cuz it was too big LOL... I'm kicking myself now! IMO this is the best chrono out there for the money. Wear it well!

Thanks Eddie... but no thanks

... and Panerai could be looked at by some (I used to be one of them) as the Mr Potatohead of watches

I've started off with the U1 today, tomorrow will be the PAM 239, and Wednesday will be my PAM 196 PVD for the Melbourne RWG GTG:

No... I think this one is much simpler and therefore easier on the eyes. I'm not really into Montblanc stuff per se, but this caught my eye... The tantalum it's made of is a beautiful metal and very heavy.

Montblanc Sport Collection - Sport Tantalum Automatic Limited Edition 100 * Automatic movement * Officially certified chronometer (COSC) * Tantalum case (diameter 43 mm) with an automatic helium valve, scratch-resistant, domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflex coating, water resistant to 1906m * Rubber strap with diving strap extension, pin buckle * Screwed down crown with unique Montblanc Diamond (0.055 ct) * Limited edition to 100 pieces.