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Everything posted by lhooq
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What the heck? Now it's back baby back! Sorry, but I really couldn't see the listing when I first posted. I agree with alligoat: This is just a modded DW 6263 case, easily identified by its bezel insert, and pushers that are too toothy and too high. There's also that odd shelf between the crown and bezel; someone should make a funny nickname for that!
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#1 Yuki 7206, despite the price and the caveats. #2 IWC GST Titanium. Swap out links using two toothpicks, just like the gen! #3 Cartel 7836. Looks good enough, feels OK, but most importantly, it's cheap. I briefly owned a cheapo Planet Ocean rep, and was very impressed by the feel of that bracelet. Removing links, on the other hand...
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It's gone baby gone.
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I'm not one for wearing gold, but I do make the occasional exception.
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I think it could work, but I'm guessing you'd have to lop off the dial feet (as you would fitting a V7734 dial onto a P3133). Subdial spacing and date window position appear to be identical.
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Loving that shot of the Harbour Bridge, ST4! Blancpain for me:
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The printing on the bezel insert looks correct for a service unit. The only thing that seems off to me is the distance of the markings from the inner edge. But that's not to say it isn't a genuine Rolex. I think the "Mk IV" label covers several subtypes, including inserts with pointed 4s.
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Beautiful, Valty (especially the RCD dial)! I can't wait to see how both builds turn out.
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Well... I believe the Yuki case comes with everything you need, including a dial, hands, and crown. At minimum, you could put this together for $600-700, but the only genuine bit would be the movement. I would recommend getting a genuine dial and handset for ~$150 additional, then consider a 1171/633 bracelet (~$150 used, $300 new). I suggest you check the prices on CousinsUK and Ofrei, as eBay is full of unreasonably priced Omega parts. I've seen cases and dials sell for 150% of their Cousins list price.
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Poor Comrade's Autavia:
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OldCorvette: From what I've seen, Yuki's case is essentially the same as the old Vietnamese case that's been floating around for a while. The big improvement in Yuki's most recent batch appears to be the bezel insert. The numerals on these used to be an awful shade of pineapple yellow; they're white now. These more expensive cases shouldn't be confused with the more commonly available, ETA-based reps that sell for $200-300. Those are very inaccurate dimensionally, especially when viewed from the side. You'd be wasting your time trying to fit a c.5xx in one. Please see the following threads I of mine: Franken Vintage Seamaster 300 - My build, using a c.552 and a Vietnam case. Vintage SM300: All NOS'd Up - I swap out the Vietnam case for a genuine Omega replacement. A comparison of the VN SM300 and the genuine replacement case. Putting an all-NOS SM300 together used to be a great project for a reasonable amount of cash, before Omega jacked up its parts prices. Now, you may be better off buying a Watchco-assembled unit from eBay (USD 2000, rather than AUD 3000). No-Date builds are a few hundred bucks more expensive, due to the scarcity of dials.
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Thanks! One of the original "super-reps" and still holding its own!
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Wonderful news.
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6610 was the first of the 36mm Explorers, which makes me wonder why the label on the linked photo mentions 34.5mm. However, it's not directly related to the dial you bought. Between those Explorer generations, you have two different movements with incompatible dial feet layouts. Also, the earlier version is a gilt and a track dial.
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W/C Facets of wrist mounted time pieces on a hump day
lhooq replied to thogaa's topic in General Discussion
Have a special special day, thogaa! -
I bit the bullet and bought this rather expensive bracelet in November, but didn't have time to write about it. ebzen02 asked about it in another thread, so I decided to haul out a few photos I took during our brief time together. To be blunt, I was disappointed by the quality. For the price, I expected something more along the lines of of Yuki's 7206, and a bigger improvement over the rep 7836 that's been commonly available ever since the cartel overhauled its 1655. That bracelet, which sells for less than a quarter of the Yuki's price, looms constantly in the background. Let's start with the good: The clasp is noticeably better than the cartel's simple, angular, and short box. As on the gen, the profile is cut away beneath the holes. The coronet is better rendered, but the tines remain chubby, and there's some "ghosting" around the edges. Edges are softer all around, but the leading edge (above the coronet) is lumpy where it should be a smooth curve. The link connected to the clasp is probably the worst bit on the cartel 7836, as it makes the bracelet less flexible than it should be. You can see the simplified link in the background--a terrible example of cutting corners. The Yuki gets it right, and consequently fits much better. Alignment of the clasp engravings could be improved, but it's nothing to be exercised about. Endlinks looks clean, and 2mm bars will fit without issue. So what's the problem? There's my problem. Unlike the cartel bracelet, the endlinks are integrated on the Yuki, so what you get is what you get. Even worse is the lack of clearance between the endlink and the adjacent link. In practice, this means that there's almost no flexibility between those two links. You can even see the abrasion marks between them in the picture above. What ultimately sunk this bracelet was the fact that these '382' endlinks wouldn't properly fit on any of my Rolex or Tudor builds. Forget about using it on a DW 7032 or an MBW 5512. I could just about jam it between the lugs of a genuine Datejust 16203 case, but only with ugly, noticeable overhang at the corners. Good luck trying to mount it on a thinner Oyster case. As always, Yuki was very easy to deal with and offered a painless refund once I had decided (after 15 minutes) not to keep it. If Yuki would turn this into a detachable-endlink bracelet and cut the price in half, it would be a more compelling buy. In its current form, I don't know who I can recommend this to.
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Another Explorer. Didn't see that one coming.
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Not at all. I bought one last month, then immediately returned it for a refund. I'll try to rustle up some pictures.
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Based on the pictures I've seen (and there aren't too many on the web), the gray/silver "Space-Dweller" on the inGod dial is correct. It's the rest of the dial that I'm not so sure about. Not that it matters too much. The quality of the inGod dial puts my mid-70s 1016 dial to shame!
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You want crystal #"XMR / L 306.301". The Sternkreuz catalog is an excellent resource.
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daniel: Sorry for being unclear! I was referring to the indices, as ebzen noted. I have often asked inGod to see if he could source a similar dial marked "Explorer", as it would be the hands-down best on the aftermarket. Not the most accurate to any specific gen dial, but the quality of printing is so good that you wouldn't care. The original Space-Dweller dial was, as far as I can tell, a gilt. It can be hard to detect in the Antiquorum photos, but the base is gloss black while the fonts are crisply printed and appear to be off-white. There is no Space-Dweller dial with a white base. In fact, the jury is still out on the veracity of "White Explorers", including the one from the Superlative Rolexes book, pictured above. Post a picture of one on VRF and be prepared to receive the same skepticism as you'd get for white GMT and white Sub dials. Now, there were a bunch of "Explorer"-marked white dials, but these were mostly dress models from the 1950s, rather than the core 3/6/9 Explorer references (6150, 6350, 6610, 1016, and... I know I'm missing one).
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Aside from eBay listings, I've never seen good shots of the white Space Dweller dial. That looks awesome! And jmb's work is impeccable as always. Welcome to the 1016 club!
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You could probably recycle some of the author's criteria (vintage, uninterrupted family ownership) and argue that the cheapest supercar is an '87 Ford Tempo.
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This thread is painful to read. The OP needs a clearly stated premise, and an editor.