TJGladeRaider

Yep, that was my experience with the hacked 2836's - and why I love the Rolex GMTs with 2893s I bought. Thank you for that info about the high-beat A7750. Is everyone else having good experiences with that movement? As always, I appreciate you taking the time to share thoughts. Bill

I had a PAM years ago with a 2893 movement in it. I really liked that watch but the lume wasn't very good in those days and it wasn't PVD - 063, I think. Are there any of these still available anywhere? Also, if there is no 2893 available anywhere, what would be the best available alternative? Basically, I am looking for the best PVD PAM GMT with torch lume I can find. Thoughts? Thanks, Bill

You have no idea! LOL Bill

Nope. Today is Tuesday - As much as I have enjoyed this thread, I'm looking forward to the dramatic end myself! At 9AM Friday morning my time (Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise), I'm going to see who bought this watch. At this point, several people have put some serious money on the table, so I'm not going to announce what's in the bag - I think that's the buyer's privilege. Now, to be clear, the winner will not be determined by whatever time I make it to the forum - since the posts are time stamped, the last offer before or at 9AM my time bought the watch. I do intend to try very hard to be watching the board at that moment. Assuming the winner pay's the RWG Admin straight away, I'll have this watch in FedEx to someone for Monday morning delivery. This has been fun and it is certainly going to be more fun - thanks for playing (and making it possible for Thomas to get the baby some shoes)! I am going to hit send as the clock turns 9:00 so we can do a time check. Bid big - you won't get this opportunity again! Bill

No problem! Bill

I think I have a black and gray Nato - if I do, I'll send it to you. Send me an email @ TJGladeRaider@aol.com Lemme look. Bill

Hey Val, Good to hear from you. In these troubled economic times, we can all understand cash flow shortage. I wouldn't have been surprised if nobody was in a position to risk any real money on a "pig in a poke" kind of game. A lot of people sent me emails regarding the duplicate MBWs I have been letting go and I know there are a lot of people out there who just don't have the funds to buy things Momma ain't gonna agree that they need. Things are tight all over - it's nice of you to say Hi, glad to see you're still around. There's some of the old regulars that seem to have disappeared. Bill

Hey TeeJay, What kind of strap you looking for? What does that watch look like - how wide are the lugs? Bill

If you have a pic of the dial you want, I'll see what I might have. Bill

Does it look anything like this: Bill

We be having fun, no? LOL Bill

Seriously? What makes you think you get 21 jewels? I ain't guaranteeing nothing but the real dramatic ending everyone expects! Bill

You just articulated my very thought! Bill

Imagine the irony. Some poor schmuck spends $500 and winds up with that POS, throwing it in his skivvy drawer in disgust. Ten years later he gets married and ten years later he gives it to his little girl to start school with. She comes home and says her teacher told her she shouldn't be wearing such a rare collectable. Turns out it's one of 500 ever made, the Barbie collectors are offering a million bucks for them and none has survived like his being surrounded by his fruit of the looms! Bill

Ditto. Keep in mind, the only reason Gen crowns are so expensive is there is no legit aftermarket competition. Unlike the tubes (and spring bars) they don't say Rolex, and they don't have the crown stamp, so anyone can make after market replacements without trade mark issues since the patents are long dead. There is no reason to pay stupid money for a gen Rolex part when an after market replacement is as good, or better, and completely indistinguishable from the gen. That's just my opinion. Bill

Tis true, I can be fun to know, but keep in mind, as I have said over and over again, I am THE one true expert that nobody can contest or compete with, but only when it comes to what I like. The best example of that lies in the recent threads about the MBW rivet bracelets. I love the darn things but when you hear Freddy explain his point of view, it becomes clear that he is the expert on the bracelets. When you read all he has written on that subject, you will learn a lot - I sure did, but it only served to strengthen my conviction that the MBW version is the version for me. According to Freddy and he obviously knows, the MBW isn't correct, it doesn't have the flimsy piece of crap feel the genuine has, it doesn't have the cheap light weight feel that the genuine does, it has no springs so it doesn't pinch your wrist like the genuine does, and you can adjust the links yourself which you cannot with the gen. I'm not going to pretend that I knew all that, but even when he explains it, I'm sitting here saying, "Yeah?" The difference between us is, of course we would rather have the genuine for the value involved, but I wouldn't have the perfect replica of the genuine if it was given to me, and he pursues it. Also, talk about lume. If there was a truly perfect vintage sub available out there, I'd want it with exceptionally bright lume like we can get from Ziggy, and if it didn't come that way, I'd be sending it to him. If it did come that way, most of our experts would send it to Ziggy to get rid of it for the worn out lume look. To me, that makes no sense whatsoever. If I owned a perfect gen DRSD, I'd wear it, and I'm not wearing a watch worth that kind of money so I can ask the kid next to me in a movie theater to look at his ten dollar Timex and tell me what time it is. I am absolutely right on this point, and nobody on this list or anywhere else with any sense would argue the point -- the "point" being, what works for me. When I sent that pristine gen off to have Ziggy lume it, our resident WIS's might very well dispatch the guys in white coats, but none would suggest that I am not the "last word" expert in what I like. I dwell on this because it's something we should all keep in mind when seeking advice. Quite often, you will get dramatically different advice from people, neither of whom is wrong. It's a question of perspective so make sure that when you ask what's "best," you are asking the same question that they are trying to answer. Bill Bill

Break out that wallet so you REALLY have something to fret about! Bill

Actually Ken, I see where you're coming from. We all know that we'll never see the day that these sorts of "bid on a pig in a poke" things become common. It's a game fraught with perils, no matter how good the intentions. Thomas has his reasons for allowing it, and whatever his thought processes, you're in a position to have insights that others bidding do not have. While you don't know anything the rest don't know, any insight at all tilts the scales. Plus, as further explained below, you can't win. The fact is, I'm real pleased with the way this has gone thus far. It's clear that RWG is going to get a decent addition to the coffers, and it looks to me like everyone is having fun. Having Admin folks bidding might compromise that. Remember, none of us can know how this is finally going to play out and, from Thomas' position, the appearance of impropriety is as worrisome as impropriety itself. For example, what if I had said that this was over at noon today, and some noob most of us don't know had the high bid until final hour, but Nanuq [why not pick on him consistently] stepped in at the end, upped it by a few bucks and walked away with a super nice watch he could abuse. You think the noob wouldn't be wondering if the fix was in? Most of us would, but knowing he couldn't have known, I'd send him the watch recognizing that there was a regrettable appearance of impropriety. The Law of Unintended Consequences. On the other hand, considering your relationship with Thomas, if you stepped in at 11:59, and I had something really special in the bag, you WOULD experience a little delay in getting your watch because I'd be taking a little trip to Canal Street! I couldn't let that end any other way - off all the possibilities and potentials, that just couldn't be the way this ended. So, having thought about it, I'd have to say you're right. Everyone on here expects a dramatic ending of some kind, and it will be, they just don't know which. The other bidders have an opportunity to "win big or lose big" that you don't have. Bill

Very good question - I wrote a bunch of posts about this years ago. Unless you have some special skills and equipment, do NOT try this job yourself. Some may disagree, because I think some of these guys may not realize that they are unusually gifted where this sort of work is concerned, but when you break a drill bit (which you shouldn't even think about using) off in a rare MBW case, you'll cry - just ask me how I know. To do this job perfectly, you don't use a drill bit - I posted about this for sure. There's a special tool made for this that looks much like a drill bit but different and I forget what it is called. The holes do go all the way thru the case but it's a real trick to bore that hole and keep the centerline concentric with the axis of the pin. A machinist should have no problem with this, but he isn't likely to give you the final polished perfect finished work you'll get from one of the experts. You most certainly can do that final polishing yourself with a dremel, jewelers rouge and polish, but it isn't as easy as you may think. I did some, and Ziggy did some for me - there is a difference. Remember, unless you're going to strap it, that bracelet must be bored out to accept the pins. Even if you're gifted and equipped to do the case, you may find that job to be beyond you. BE SURE and chamfer the inside holes - that makes a world of difference when you try to assemble them. Your machinist will know what I mean. Bill

If it makes you feel any better, the experience you describe is the exception, not the rule. The trick is to buy good reps from the best vendors - I wouldn't have anything but real swiss movements, and never bought any junk. I have probably had about 100 reps in my collection, about a dozen of which I wear with a three or four that get worn regularly. Since they die when you quit wearing them for a couple of days, and I don't like having to reset the three or four I usually wear, I have watch boxes with rotating carousels for those. I don't bother to keep any of the others rotating. The end result is, four watches with real Swiss movements have been running for years and years - a 2892 movement, a 2893 movement and two 2836 movements. They keep perfect time. I can tell you a couple of things about Ziggy. He's built a reputation for honest and reliability over the years that is only surpassed by his work product. I've had him do several mods for me, and he's always told me that the movements in my watches looked good, and recommended against servicing until they needed it. Other than the MBWs, most of my watches came thru Josh. There are others here with good reputations too, but if you want to build a good relationship with a source, you don't spread your business out over the field - it's my theory that when one guy sells you a hundred watches, you're going to have more loyalty and care than if you've bought ten watches from ten different people. That's certainly proved out in my case. Consider, with all the shady stuff out there in the rep world, you're counting on your dealer to make sure you get what you pay for, which isn't always easy for them. If you are a consistent buyer, it only makes sense that they are going to try to keep your business. Further, when they know you real well, good things happen - like the email I got, "Hey Bill, word is that there are some real GMT movement Rolexes available and they're exceptionally good. We may never see them again." I bought the four he could get and, ask around - we have never seen them again. Just try to find a Rollie GMT with a 2893 in it and see what the owner wants for it. When you're one of his best customers, any dealer with any sense is going to try and look out for you. Just my .02 Bill

What else would you put on a plastic watch? Bill

You mean the ones I've refused to sell at any price? LOL Bill

Nahhh, the way I hear it, if you go and buy a Canal Street quartz for $500, nobody is going to complain! Bill

Hey Pizz, I been away a while. Work, kids, life . . . and a wife with NO freakin sense of humor who simply cannot understand why her husband needs a hundred wrist watches. Hope all is well with you and yours. Thanks for the bid. Bill