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300 for Tuesday:

Well, other than its inability to take 2mm springbars. The retaining hoops can be widened, but doing so shifts the endlinks slightly out of alignment with the rest of the bracelet. Overall, an excellent bracelet worth the steep price.

Red: I think this is the wrong part! This is an 8000/3 for a Valjoux 22, and I don't believe similarly numbered parts are transferrable to other movements (unless they're related e.g. 7733/7734/7736). An 8000/3 for a Valjoux 7734 ought to be 8.9mm high. (Thanks to deja for the detective work.)

What was the first chronograph (either two or three registers) to feature subdials in contrasting colors? The question came up in another rep forum, but no one answered it. I'm interested in what the more historically-minded members of RWG-Rolex think. The 6239 Daytona is iconic, but I think it may have been pre-dated by something in the Universal Compax line. Am I on the right track, or was there an even earlier "panda"?

I'm inclined to believe that Sir Ian the literary James Bond did have a 1016 or earlier model Explorer. However... My problem with Deaton is how he conducts himself on the forums. I don't see anything wrong with obsessing over what is ultimately trivia, but DD acts like a fanatical guardian of secret knowledge. If questioned, he dodges, obfuscates, and asks for threads to be locked. When cornered, he gets vicious and personal, all while bludgeoning readers with the fact that HIS articles were published in magazines. DD seems to prize "Firsties!" and his self-appointed Bond Watch Expert status above all else, even if it means pissing off scores of people who thought they were just having a friendly discussion over what is -I stress it again- trivia. You'd think he'd single-handedly developed the polio vaccine... Apologies to sly for the off-topic rant!

It is St. Peter's, and it's well worth a visit, whatever your religion may be. I like your idea, though: God's finger touches Adam's, and that of some guy wearing a Rolex rep! Great shots, guys!

It's not just the 6. The 3 and 9 are also being sucked in by the gravitational pull of the enlarged ROLEX text! What sucks is that Yuki used to have some of the best Explorer dials on the market, but then they changed suppliers about 1-2 years ago. 1. When I hear James Bond in connection to the Explorer, I always think of the online debates involving the unpleasant Dell Deaton. Ugh. 2. MAAATTT DAAAMON!!!

By my measurements, the 1016-spec bars are 2mm shorter than the Sub springbar i.e. 23.2mm vs 25.2mm. The tips should be barely visible from most angles. Gen:

Oh, just some big church I found in the middle of Rome!

In all seriousness... (That's my serious emoticon.) ...I haven't got a clue. You would think a minor tweaking of an existing rep would be no big deal. However, it's been a year and a half since the Liquid Metal PO was released, and all we've seen is a low-end rep with a glossy dial. But the rep factories are notoriously inscrutable, so you never know they're planning. Titanium PO? Yes, please!

There wasn't, until about a month ago. The 2011 Planet Ocean is titanium and has a dark grayish-blue dial and ceramic bezel. I'd love to see one up close, because it looks stunning in some shots, but not so hot in others. I figure a rep is just around the corner i.e. 2014 or thereabouts!

Soldiers of the Queen Britons always loyally declaim About the way we rule the waves Every Briton's song is just the same When singing of her soldiers brave All the world that's heard it Wonders why we sing Some have learned the reason why We're not forgetting it We're not letting it Fade away or gradually die Fade away or gradually die So when we say that England's master Remember who has made her so! It's the soldiers of the Queen, my lads Who've been, my lads, who've seen, my lads In the fight for England's glory, lads Of its worldwide glory, let us sing And when we say we've always won And when they ask us how it's done We'll proudly point to every one Of England's soldiers of the Queen!

Donerix makes very nice Newman straps out of exotic hides (or more ordinary leathers, if you'd like). He has a few DWs of his own, so you know they'll fit.

In the past I've used an Australian supplier of "genuine" 1016 springbars (i.e. #23-9293, rather than the Submariner's #23-9291). Expensive, but they're the only ones I can find with the correctly wide pivots. Yuki carries a cheaper set, but with narrower pivots; they would have fit undrilled 1601 holes. The 80 endlinks of my Yuki 7206 were a very tight, flush fit on my 1601 case. They didn't need to be bent, trimmed, or modified in any way. So the x80s work, but you may want to try endlinks from the x58 series.

Nice Explorer, sly! If I could recommend one easy change... You might want to swap out those Submariner-spec springbars for the shorter ones found on the 1016s. Ideally, the tips should be somewhat recessed, rather than flush with the case sides.

Never mind the White Plop haters. That looks great! I'll give you €850 for that! You have 24 hours to accept!

It's like my CK2915 Speedmaster dream. I'd like to imagine there's a vintage chronograph case out there that will take all the necessary pieces, but... Maybe 3D printing in steel will become a reality in our lifetime. Fingers crossed!

That was a fun and educational post, cht. Thanks!

Sunday here. Happy Easter, RWG! I'll be all in clover and when they look you over, I'll be the proudest fellow in the Easter Parade.

Good stuff, grifter! Pbdad seems to do his best work when you're in the director's chair!

whoever, where are all of these great Longines coming from? Superb! For Saturday, my old friend, the 6263: Oh, Champagne Charlie is m'name...

Ahh... There's nothing like the real thing. What a stunner!

Nice work, C! Much as I love genuine parts, I really enjoy reading about all-rep builds (with lots of value-added).

Every time I order something from Cousins, I get a printed catalog that has a few pages about a watchmaking course they offer in the UK. (I'm not sure if it's actually Cousins who organizes this, or if it's an affiliate.) Unfortunately, I don't have a catalog to look at, so maybe someone else here can chime in.