jeff g

The ALL black dial/bezel/bracelet is called the 'Black Monster'? Can that be? Here is a shot of my Black Monster'

Genuine 3800-1A Rep MBK The MBK/MBW Nautilus is my daily beater. I have the black dial. The face of this rep is pretty much identical to the 3800-1A, but as previously mentioned the gen 3800-1A watch is not 42mm but rather 38mm. (Smaller case size...not considered a 'Jumbo). Jumbo dials had no center seconds hand. For the closest to the real thing, rep, you would need the CN rep dial with the more correct centered 'Swiss' rather than the MBK, 'Swiss Made', then swap the dial... and put it in the MBK case, and remove the center seconds hand. Then you would have a very nice rep of the Jumbo 3800 (or 3700). Another 'glaring' flaw on the CN or MBK reps is that the date window is set up too far towards center of the dial, as well as having an incorrect date font. The newer 5711 with it's 43mm case size is very close as well, to the current MBK Nautilus, but the gen does have the sapphire crystal back which showcases the Gold Rotor and movement features. That watch at retail is currently running in the high 25-to-30,000.00 range...new...and is basically 'unavailable'. All that being said. I am one that agrees that the rep Nautilus is the nicest watch I own and wear, on a daily basis. The MBK case coupled with the 2824-2 eta movement is WELL WORTH 450.00. I personally like the center seconds hand on the rep, and do not plan to remove it. Although I can appreciate that the watch as a counterfeit is not 'close' to the gen as a result of its dial and center seconds hand being different...makes no difference to me. I wear it with pride. A beautiful watch, with a classic Genta design, copy or not.

I have owned my Casablanca for at least 4 years. I only wear it once or twice a year, but wouldn't think of selling it. My lume, what there is of it seems to be whiter than it does green. As to the cost of the gen FM's....beautiful swiss watches...like many other beautiful swiss watches, cost a lot of money. I rank the Casablanca SS with black dial, right up there with PP and AP dress watches for sure. Looks like a Genta design to me. Elegant...but classic sport dial and bracelet.

I was just there last month. I thought the nicest watch gallery I was in was in the Wynn. Tourneau had a lot of watches...but I was especially interested in seeing if they had a Nautilus. They did not...said in fact that it was pretty much impossible to get. Looked at IWC's too, they had no 3717's. There was also a nice gallery in the new Venetian. The dealer there remarked on my PPN, on my wrist...saying only, that they did not carry PP. He was wearing Piaget. All in all Vegas has a lot of watches for sale...but mostly Rolex. Higher end swiss are few and far between, with any kind of real selection.

Beautiful modding. And really beautiful photos. We are fortunate on this forum to see some of the most beautiful watch photogaphy on the net. I used to say that the 3717 was the rep of the year too. I have most of the same mods on my 3717... but no double AR. I spent more money on this watch then on any previous rep...by a long shot - 800.00...but it was certainly worth it. It gets my vote for 2nd best rep of the year- with or without modding, for the most part. There are other great reps this year of course, but it seems many members have spent more time, money, and energy in modding this particular watch then many of the others available today. Others like the IWC Cousteau, and the SOSF, are great out of the box as well, without an apprecialbe amount of mods required. It has been a great year. Wear it well.

THIS watch satisfies all the prerequisites. Perfect for ALL situations. 42mm x 9mm - Black dial WITH center seconds. You will have to trust me on this one.

Having compared the EL rep 3717 with a gen, the glaring difference to me was the crispness of the gen dial compared to the rep dial. To me it was fairly glaring. The rep is very nice. The gen is very nicer.

Very Nice Genta collection. Since purchasing the MBK Nautilus, it is the ONLY watch I wear. Still need to get the APRO jumbo. Wear them well.

Great review. Great watch. Thanks.

MBK PPN - Blue or Black? Black. Blue however IS very Nautical. Blue is a bit like orange. The newer, less accurate CN PPN's offer many different dial colors.

THE ONE. For a lot of reasons. Since getting this MBK PP Nautilus model back in early August, I have stopped wearing all of my other watches. Including my most expensive rep ever, my Ziggified 3717. For me the PPN has become the ONLY watch I wear. I wear it at work, play, dress. For me it is the perfect watch. Handsome, thin, SS, black dial, EXtremely comfortable bracelet, light weight, and the MBK without doubt, has the finest fit and finish of any watch that I have ever owned. I admire the styling of other Gerald Genta watches like the APRO, or the IWC VC, but for one reason or another the Nautilus is just THE ONE for me. Researching the origin and history of the Nautilus is a great lesson in design and fabrication. The original jumbo's - 3700 and 3800 and now the new 5711 are so sought after that the price of these watches is out of control. Certainly one of the most expensive ss sport watches ever made. If you can FIND a new 5711, the average price is between 25,000 and 35,000.00. Older 3700 jumbo's at auction sell upwards of 100,000.00 For me it has become...THE ONE.

The Zigmeisters daily particpation will be greatly missed. Fortunately he leaves a legacy of information to this group. The knowledge that he can still help and service the needy members here that appreciate his work ethic, expertise and integrity is a bonus. Without doubt, the single most appreciated contributor to this forum. He will be sorely missed.

The most recent offerings from regular dealers are the CN model of this watch. The original 100 reps made of this watch came from EL, (He is not currently advertising his services)and were TW fabrication. The original offering of the 3717 was a limited edition of 100 original pieces. In my estimation they are superior quality compared to the recent CN models. That is not to say the the CN models are all BAD, but according to recent reports, the CN have some QC issues that EL's original models did not.

Check out PUGWASH's photo's...his is on a beautiful brown/honey strap.

Looks great. A keeper for life. Wear it well.

The Zigmeister is the one to ask for prices. My experience will differ from yours, and so pricing will differ for each customer. I think that DD/DW replacement, reluming, and 7750 service are pretty much whats needed. Replacing the asian 7750 with a Swiss 7750 I don't think is really necessary in this watch. From what I have been told, and learned from The Zigmeister is that a serviced asian 7750 works just great. But pricing depends on what you want to spend. Well worth The Zigmeisters prices. He is truly a Watch Master.

I just returned from a nice 3 day trip to Las Vegas. Went for a couple of shows, and the shopping. I visited many of the best shops in the resort shops. Balliagio...Winn...Forum...Venetian. Far and away the best selection was at the Torneau shop located in the Ceaser's Forum shops. You could easily spend days in the place. A few things among the many different shops that was apparent, was that not everybody has everything. In 4 of the 5 shops that had PP...no one had the 5711. Pretty much unavailable to these guys. Though 5 of 5 shops had the Nautica. In 4 of the 5 shops that carried IWC...no one had the 3717...(only a few Mark's and no Big Pilots) Only one of three shops that carried Hubolt's had a few rose gold models of the Big Bang...no ceramics, no SS models. Only two of the shops...Torneau in the Forum, and Winn's shop in the Winn Resort..had a decent selection of the AP royal Oak's or the Offshore. Even a jumbo or two. Looked at a lot of watches. It was a lot of fun, and educational. The watch I was wearing, out of site, of course, was my MBK Nautilus. I looked and looked at all these beautiful watches, every great brand, every great style, and I was stoked to be wearing the MBK PPN. My new moto is 'Thin to win'.

There is no rep 3717 with a pvd coating. As far as the best source for the 3717, that is a good question. As far as I know the current models available come from mostly CN dealers. The first 3717 that were released were TW models. There seems to be some conjecture concerning the more recent offering of the CN models. According to a few recent posts the quality of the CN 3717's is not near the quality of EL's original model. Dial, case, date wheel, pushers, etc. Best bet would be to look for an original model owner looking to sell. However, many of us with EL's original model have modded them extensively, and I doubt that most would want to part with one.

The 3717 movement is 7750. You probably would have to switch the standard Asian 7750 to a 'Swiss' for an 'eta' type movement. Swiss 7750's are available.

Mr. Pugwash wears his 3717 with a beautiful brown alligtor strap. I like that look more than with the black. Personally I prefer the SS with this watch. Both SS and Leather look great with the 3717, that is just one more reason that the 3717 is such a beautiful timepiece. A little bit of both works really well.

Very Nice watch. The white silver dial is beautiful. Seems nicer than the black alternative. IWC's...what can you say? Wear it well.

I too began my rep love over at TRC. I still visit everyday. Like many of us. Congratulations to Admin! He is the man.

UT. Both my first AND second homes are here. What more could one man want? Now if we could just get a GTG arranged here that would be cool, especially if Mr. SubFrog and DLG would attend.

Great review, as usual. A beautiful watch. I too feel as though what is most important about a piece like this, is not whether it is 100% accurate to the gen, but rather the finish and looks of the rep. This watch has always appealed to me. A beautiful timepiece. Thanks for your continuing contributions to RWG.

Being anal is ok, I guess, when it comes to watches. A watch that I coveted for years was the 6265. Silver dial. I tried and tried to get a DW model, but to no avail. I finally ordered one from a forum collector. Although I love the watch, its inaccuracies are overwhelming. Looking at some of the DW cases and bevels, which are semi-perfect, makes my CN model look really bad. My bezel engraving is terrrible...the bezel is misaligned (typical)... and I need to freeze the 6:00 subdial. At the very least. However I still love this watch. Another classic watch design..regardless. It is no where near the quality of the real deal. I would like to improve on its imperfections, but fooling 90% of the people is not the issue. The issue is... spending 350.00 bucks... for a the joy of wearing a nice (fairly accurate) replica of a classic design. NO ONE will ever call you out...or care...if your watch is a replica...99% don't even know what the watch is all about, much less care.