Alextor

Enjoying the last few days of the rep Kermit before it ships to Palpatineland for mods and artistry!

...my visa application at the Shitinerand consulate in NYC was turned down last week.... they spotted me wearing a gen

Really a stunner...could not find it among our dealers' lineup Beautiful piece

Actually, both sides have partial accounts of the whole truth (or 100% of their sides)... Castro is very popular...not because he is a tyrant (Saddam Hussein style...let's not get into that one either)...but because he reacted to the needs of the majority, the 'have nots' (the have gots...of course, being the minority)... He was a predictable outcome of decades of ill wealth distribution and increasing social asymetries (level of education, mortality rates in adults and infants, basic sanitary services etc)...problem was (is) he remained in power for 40 years...and replaced the capitalist oligarchy with a communist oligarchy...many reasons behind it that we do not hear in the US...in fact, Che Guevara left Cuba after the revolution because he did not want to be a part of a government structure that ressembled the prior dictatorial government (so the legend goes) ...but that's way beyond the point... The upside is that Cuba has increased dramatically their education level, healthcare parameters etc...for many years Cuba had the lowest infant mortality rate in Central and South America, has mandatory vaccination, etc... The generation of cubans that experienced first hand both sides of the coin supported and still supports the revolution...the new generation of young cubans cannot compare their situation to those days first hand as their parents do...Hence, the brain washing, the propaganda and the counter-propaganda to the US propaganda, to maintain the status quo. The good cuban cigars however, are superior IMHO to any dominican you can find... I smoke Davidoff's grand cru #4...great draw, creamy and soft and superb smoke overall and cubans every time I go abroad...not worth the risk however to try to buy them in the US. Well, my friends I want to leave you with an image that perfectly blends all the topics we covered here...Cuba, 'revolucion', cigars and of course watches...

I keep on coming back to this one...for some reason

Very informative post...thanks for sharing this food for thought!

...and if you wanted the 5513 that comes with the 'right' bezel ... he'll sell it to you for 10,000 quid (almost USD 20,000)...a real bargain...

Indeed! Do your research first and buy with confidence from the dealers in the forum...read the reviews and it may be a good idea to think about picking up a copy of the Replica Watch Report (pdf format)...all the basic info is there...and a whole lot of pictures (I remember someone recommended it when I first started looking at high end reps) My 0.02 Cheers Alex

Hello guys... Another replica on the bay...nothing out of the ordinary...What I found hilarious was the seller commenting on the value of the watch like this... Q: Does it come with certificate of authenticity, documents, and original Rolex inner and outer box? What's the serial number and year it was made? Do you offer money back guarantee if it is not 100% original, authentic Rolex parts, including crystal, bezel, dial, bracelet, movement etc? Thanks. Oct-13-06 A: as advertised it comes with all boxes and tags.it was given by me by Fulham Football club as part of a thank you for services rendered payment,I cannot and will not say its 100% genuine but a swiss grade replica retails at £499 and real £9500 this is a no reserve auction. Here's the link ... Daytonic on the bay

Hello...MBW stands for Maria's Best Watch...to answer what mbw are and not what mbw stands for...is a different and longer story...try doing a search for mbw and you'll find a wealth of knowledge on the subject... Cheers and enjoy your time here!

Funny...that Panerai certainly looks like a Panini

The thread title is more than accurate!! congratulations...

Agreed...maybe just a diamond at 12 O'clock...but that would be to movadish? You put that together for her...that has much more value! congratulations

Tribal...hats off to you! excellent tutorial! and nerves of steel...

You are right! I'm salivating as I recall a couple of cuban Hoyos I had in Portugal last year...sadly in the States cubans are not worth the risk of going 'under' to get them...I found, IMHO that the best non-cubans that taste like cuban montecristos (#4 my favorite) are the Davidoffs grand cru Davidoff cigars Cheers Alex

My thoughts exactly!!! you just beat me to it... (and that orange is NOT the burnt orange we see in the genuine bottles!)

I see what you mean...you might be right guys...but to me it is still too risky... I contacted the seller asking for a close up picture and this is what he replied... Q: Hello, I understand your point on not answering requests for any more pictures without placing a bid...but in order to place a bid comfortably, it will be nice to have at least a picture of the dial and a picture of the movement. Thanks for your attention on this. Regards Alex 15-Oct-06 A: hi alex this may sound rude but when you take the time to place a bid .i'll respond to your question . the current bids are not even close to the real deal.

Well, in one of the pics some of the markers look slightly shinnier than the 12 o'clock (which is also black in the replica)... bear in mind that those pics are awful and may very well be the light. I was biased because the conditions with which this item is being auctioned were shady... (no box, no papers, a 'friend of mine fell on bad times' -same as my uncle who passed away story-, $12 uninsured worldwide shipping for a $4000 item, and the fact that the seller is willing to refund should you found it is a fake..made my case) I'd like to see close up pictures...the Expl II is a very well made replica. As a matter of fact, it is so good that I was thinking of swapping the dial for an aftermarket one as the only mod needed to have a 99% rep of it) As far as the seller...well, maybe he did not pop the caseback and maybe the story is true...he indeed has a lot to lose... I'm just saying that when something like this pops up on the bay...I see all sorts of red flags waving...would you spend 2 grand on this watch? I know I wouldn't...though that's just me...

Residents (regardless of specialty -surgical or non surgical-) make the same amount/year...Residents are classified according to their 'longevity' in years upon entering the residency program (PGY 1, PGY 2, PGY 3 etc...PGY means Post Graduate Year)...This varies from state to state and from Institution to Institution...but all residents of all specialties in a single institution make the same amount of money... To give you an example...this is what new doctors make (gross pre-tax)) in NY (Columbia Presbyterian to use just one example) these days Year Annual Salary PGY1 $45,234 PGY2 $47.487 PGY3 $50,935 PGY4 $52,682 PGY5 $54,014 A different story unfolds when you become 'attending'...then the priority is to pay off the medical school debt (100's of thousands usually) Edited to say I did not mean to hijack the thread but to honestly answer Puggy's question! :

Which is very unreal...considering the salary of a resident

I always take these guys beliefs with grain of salt (*and a shot of tequila) If he ever believed this was a gen Rolex...the auction would have started at $2500 and not $99... I think the guy wants to sell a good rep for a rep price. The pictures are taken from a mile away but from the ones we see...I can tell you that the surrounding in the 7,8,10,11 markers are SS and not black...the mumerals on bezel are centered and decent...The pictures are not great and one of them is an actual picture from a Rolex catalog... Cheers Alex

Thank you By Tor for putting forward a balanced and commonsensical approach on your reviews. The watch looks and feels sensational and with minimal modding you just can't tell... I, for one, belong to the OCD department and I happily live with less than 100% accurate reps...that is 100% of the replicas...because they are replicas! I see Chief's point about the rehaut and crystal height and the difference in appearance that this imparts (IMHO this is more noticeable in the 16600 -crystal height?-). I think the little details are greatly magnified in the eyes of the ones who know them and are constantly looking for them...they are not an issue to the 99.99% of the people we encounter (either becasue they don't care much about watches or becasue they are not OCD watch nuts) One exception to the rule IMHO applies to Maister Randy...the man loves and builds timepieces that are in a different category of their own and it is always a pleasure to peruse his collection. I have a love hate relationship with Rolex....we all have our reasons and I side with Bill a 100% on this one...however, the Submariner is a timeless classic...(especially the vintage models)...for many reasons...and most of them horological....The sad part is due to Uncle Rollie policies, price gauging, saturation marketing bombing,etc...the sub has become a 'luxury item'...where in actuality the Sub started off as a 'tool watch' ... (Nanuq carries that legacy with pride ) If I ever buy a Sub again...I'll get a used gen...or a modded TTK noobmariner for 1/50th of the price?!!! My 0.02 Cheers Alex

Indeed!!!

The lume job on the dial is outstanding! very nice job The Zigmeister... glad to know you successfully expanded your skills beyond movements