jeff g

A very beautiful vintage diver. I must say that the watch has a similar feel to the new BreitlingHeritage. Bold/clean/elegant/timeless. I too would love to own a rep of the 50F.

Losing anything in transit is a drag, but losing the 063 is pretty much as bad as it gets. Probably impossible to replace. Sorry to hear it.

I believe you. My Ziggiefied 3717 gets plus 50 hours reserve as well.

Easily the most incredible thing I have ever seen.

AirKing without a doubt. The Explorer I is like a beginner rolex. The AK is sweet. Way more 'Italian' than the other two.

I have to agree, not having 'Z' around presents a problem. Even the best eta rep movements need servicing. Paying 3-4-500.00 for a rep that quits working in 30 days isn't happening...oh yea, right...it IS happening. There are other people on the forum that will accept service and modding work, and I suppose it is up to the individual to decide whether you can depend on their service , or not. While it is true that in some large cities you might find a smith to work on a rep...getting the kind of service you get from a man like 'Z' is hard to find. It would be great for a few competent RWG CONUS watchsmiths to take on some of The Zigmeister's workload, but I really don't see a lot of people stepping up.

Yea, well what i say is.... PAY TO PLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Support your habit.

I must agree. The rep Ladies Contellation is a nice watch. My wife likes hers. Quartz is the only model available as far as I know. Omega does make the ladies Consellation with a quartz movement I think that it is a good rep.

Back from Mr. Z Is there such a thing as perfectly imperfect? The MBK Nautilus.

Great review/format. Thanks. After reading your comments on the Heritage, it makes me like mine even more. Perhaps I would risk wearing it in the pool...nah, probably not.

For the serious rep-aholic The Zigmeister's talents have become a necessary part of serious rep collecting. Replacing his talents might be one thing, but replacing his attitude is quite another. We will be hard pressed to find a replacement for a guy like Mr. Z. Today's best reps deserve a servicing to insure there longevity and performance. Modding demands the most dicerning eye, and a love of the job. The technician needs to care about it. Those of us lucky enough to have pieces serviced by him are fortunate people. All the best to he and his.

After re-reading this thread, I feel I must contribute another post. I purchased my Black dialed (unconnected dots) MBK Nautilus last July. Immediately it became my favorite watch. Everything about it was appealing to me. Case size, bracelet, thickness, fit and finish...you name it. I liked the watch so much that I ordered a replacement dial, because I felt the 12 oclock markers on the piece I received were just a little bit ascue, and I wanted the 'perfect' dial. I was lucky and received the replacement dial and sent it off to The Zigmeister for a service of the motor, and the dial swap. I recently received the watch back from Mr. Z., and now... as far as I am concerned, I own the perfect rep. Now don't get me wrong...it is NOT the perfect rep. The date font is incorrect, the original TW MBK dial says 'Swiss Made' instead of the correct...'Swiss', but other than that IMO the Nautilus is the finest rep I have owned. Unfortunately the newer CN version is even more incorrect. And...the fit and finish for the case/crown/dial/bracelet of the CN model is NOT as good as the original TW MBK Nautilus. The watch wasn't inexpensive. I paid 450.00 for the original MBK, and paid an additional 145.00 for the service. But for 600.00 this watch is as good as it gets in the rep world. I will own and wear this watch for the rest of my days. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, they say...and with the MBK Nautilus...I be holdin' a beauty, that is for sure.

Great watch photographer. Lousy dealer. While 20 guys were waiting for their MBK Nautilus's... I was wearing mine. Same price as he offered, from a dealer who shipped start to finish in 2 weeks. Nuff said. He misses us more than we miss him.

Rolex...Schmolex. Lets see the Yachty with his grey shirt, and then oh yes...his Explorer I with his black and white evening wear. Don't think so. The best shot I ever saw of him...in sweats, holding one of his kids...he was wearing da kine PP Nautilus jumbo, probably the new 5711. Now THAT IS cool.

I must agree with those folks who feel the non chrono is the nicer watch. It's simplicity and large case size make it a classic diver. Is it possible that a 7750 could fit in the non chrono case? Seems as though the the chrono case would have to be thicker to hold the 7750 movement. I too am waiting for the rubber strap to be repped. Hopefully when it is it will have the beautiful deployment clasp that the gen does.

I remember all of those guys well. Dave Gates, well I kept in touch with him for quite awhile after his health problems surfaced, but haven't talked to him in the last six months or so. When Neo bowed out of the fray, it really was the beginning of the end. He brought a lot to the table. And how about EDDIE LEE? I bought my first 5 watches from him. Not a bad one in the lot. Eddie brought the first Pams to the rep world, and his last offering was the original TW 3717, still one of the best reps ever. IMO he was the best dealer ever. Talk about the good ol' days. But always remember...THESE are the good ol'days.

I must agree about the quality of the rep to the gen. I recently tried on a gen with the blue dial. I examined the case and dial pretty closely and I was very impressed with the accuracy of my rep. However I too, have had problems with my bezel being way to loose. So it seems it runs with this rep version. On the gen the bezel was smooth, but much harder to turn than the rep. I am waiting for a rep version of the new Breitling rubber bracelet and SS Clasp. I think that would be a great next step with this watch. I doubt I would spend the money for addtional lume and AR. For my money both are completely acceptable on my rep. But I would recommend that the CN eta movement be serviced. For 250.00 the Heritage is a great watch.

Very nice.Thanks.

Nice photo!!

There are a number of small tensioning screws on the side of the bezel. Have you tightned them?

I have to add to this thread. A few months back I purchased the Breitling Heritage. I really like this watch, wear it a lot. It is advertised as an Asian 2824 - retails at around 250.00. I understand that there is an 'Asian 21J' version that sells for 125.00. So I bought the 250.00 model, and from the get go the winding of the watch was 'difficult'. The watch would stop at varying intervals. I was forced to wind the watch because it had less than Zero power reserve. If I took it off late evening, in the morning it would be stopped. So I began to wind it once daily - in the evening. For awhile that worked. Still the winding was hard- ratchetie...it did not feel good. It is dead now. Froze up in the middle of the day. Solid. It now MUST go off to Z. I am not happy. Were I to have ordered the same case and the cheaper movement, and sent it off directly to the man, I would have ultimately paid a bit more than 250.00 for a fully serviced Asian 21J movement. I am beginning to see a pattern here. I have quite a few older TW eta movements in older reps of mine, I also have quite a few Asian 21J movements as well...both types for the most part have run pretty damn well without servicing. It seems to me that many mechanical problems have increased fairly dramatically in just the last 6 months. The quality of the standard CN eta movements is deteriorating FAST. Evidently consisting mainly of seconds (parts), and then poorly installed to boot. It would seem that for the serious collector it would be wise to add a couple of hundred bucks to your purchase, by having EVERY rep you buy, fully serviced after you receive the watch. The hobby has its costs.

as usual... TAN is the MAN.

I agree 100%. I too am wearing this watch as I write. The imperfections in this rep are minimal. In the few months that I have owned it, the Heritage has become my favorite watch. It is a stunning piece. I personally like the looks of the black dial and case more than any of my Pam's. The 46mm case fits my wrist better than any other big watch I own. I am wearing the watch with a black alligator strap and it perfect... but with the rubber bracelet, the elegance of the case blends with the strap, and clasp...and the watch becomes...how you say, aquatic. Change to the mesh band, and it transforms the watch to the beautiful classic that it is. I could not wait to buy this watch. If however, 'They', actually really improve this rep somehow, why I believe I might actually have to buy ANOTHER one.

Nice read. Harkens back to the old adage 'Quality, not Quantity'. Angus NOT drop shipping is the key here. Not having to travel to the Far East to ensure getting what you paid for, rates high as well. I am down to purchasing just one or two reps a year. Consequently, any time... I can do a deal with a guy I trust, to personally examine and deliver the best watch available of the model I am interested in, for a fair price, well... that sounds really good to me.

The power of persuasion... Who is being persuaded? It is I. Wearing reps is a method of wearing many brands...styles, many models...key word...many. I love beautiful watches. Monitarily I am in a posistion to be able to wear any watch I choose. Most of my peers wear white bread watches, Rolli day dates, TAG's, the occassional Breitling. My daily beater is the MBK PP Nautilus. No one ever remarks about it. The same is true of my IWC Pilot Chrono, or my BSOH. All three classic watches. NO BODY CARES. Only me. It's me that appreciates their beauty. I do not wear them for others to admire, but rather for my own enjoyment. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...and I be holdin a lot of nice watches. Watches are pieces of jewelry. Pieces or art. Wear what makes you feel good. Rep...or real,