lhooq

Whoever OK'd the layout really let this article down. It shows the "surprise winner" at the very top of the page, and no one even bothered to take a picture of the specific color/strap combo described in the last paragraph. Otherwise, an entertaining read based on a very loose definition of "high-end"!

Beautiful, J... I love a blue sunburst! You wouldn't happen to have a dial with stick indices, would you?

I like what you did to that Longines, bam! aeromatic: So jealous of that 2998! Something old for the new year:

I don't think it would work, but more importantly, I'm not sure which crystal you'd want to do that to. As far as I know, the Tropic 22 has no Cyclope equivalent i.e. 29.5/31.1mm inner/outer diameters. You'd be better off using a Tropic 21 (29.5/30.6mm).

ghost: There've been a number of good builds from members who've used the 1601. Just to name three, there's ubiquitous, alligoat, and me. There's some good information in response to my thread here. Regarding the Tropic 22, it's a much rarer crystal to find in the wild than, say, a T19 or a T21. You could try asking around VRM, but don't be surprised at paying at least $150 for a service crystal, and at least $250 for an older, domed T22. Also, posting a WTB over there is fraught with risk, so make sure you know the seller. As far as aftermarket options go, automatico turned me onto the GS Tropic 22. If you can find one, I recommend it over the Clark T22.

Bring on 2012!

Love the Type XX , alterego!

Killjoy!

Regarding the dial ghost bought from Shear: I was leafing through my green Skeet/Urul book, and came across the page for Sotheby's London, 23 March 1999. At the bottom left is a 5504 Explorer with a black 3/6/9 dial that reads "Rolex Oyster Perpetual" only. No "Explorer" and no SCOC/OCC/Precision/&c. The entry says, "This watch has a later dial which does not have Explorer on it - this is a replacement dial issued by Rolex and was never fitted to any model." Granted, that's a 5504 not a 1016, not to mention the usual caveats about Skeet/Urul. But it's interesting that Rolex would produce a dial like that.

For a simple farmer, that's some tractor! Wish I could be there to hear it! A bit late to this thread, but it was a 1016 Thursday for me:

OEM = Original Equipment Manufacturer In Panerai's case, I think Hirsch makes all of its leather straps. Or, at least, the ones that say "Made in Austria". I'm not sure who produces the "Made in Italy" straps.

Not sure if you caught it, but Donerix was upgraded to version 2.0, then released a few photos here. EDIT: Link fixed.

I'll say 026 and 288, since those are the two I bought this year. Confirmation bias, or are they just that good?

It also looks like a 5500 to me, and I think the case, bezel, bracelet, crystal profile all look good. If it were all original, USD 1500 would be a very good price. However, the dial looks off to me, and by "off" I mean aftermarket. The 3/6/9 look like they belong on a 1016 dial (especially the 3) and are pushed right up against the rehaut. The fonts used on the ROPE also look unusual.

I have had a dealer send me QC pics and warning about "irrelevant and fabricated" comments. It was not Robert. I don't want to say who it was in a clear and unambiguous manner, because it might affect our relationship.

What a coincidence! Just yesterday I was asking someone about you, K! Sorry to hear about your troubles, but I hope you see a big turnaround in the new year. All the best.

I'm about a day late, but... Look! An elephant!

Check out ChiMan12's thread to see what's involved in getting a gen-spec dial to fit a Sea-Gull-powered Daytona rep. The spacing of all three subdials is correct after modding. However, the ST-19 is a bigger movement than the Valjoux 72, and consequently won't fit in a gen-spec Daytona case. The Valjoux 7736 is another movement with correct subdial spacing, but too big to fit. thogaa: Sea-Gull ST-19 = Venus 175 = "Lemania"* *No relation to any actual Lemania.

Well... You don't merely buy a Rubber B strap. You look after it for the next generation.

Ugh, wandolec. That's a name that's almost as trustworthy as 'trusteboy12'! I don't want to generalize (oh, here it comes), but you really want to keep a skeptical eye open when buying from sellers in the Ukraine. It's depressing how many people seem to be duped by these pocket-watch monstrosities. On the positive side, this particular example is a relatively honest fusion of modern looks and vintage guts. At least, I'd like to think that none of the bidders actually think this is a genuine wristwatch from 1912!

Merry Christmas again to everyone at RWG! Especially to those of you posting on the other Christmas threads! See you on Boxing Day!

Merry Christmas to all you fine people at RWG!

You flatter me, Utheman! I like to keep my desktops bland. Heck, I was using clouds.bmp for about a decade after Windows 95's release!

'Twas the night before the night before Christmas:

Hike: I had no idea about J's MRI. I'm praying for your clean bill of health, Justin! You've got Tudors to build! LLD for Thursday: