prb

Necro? But if anyone needs spring ideas, take the spring out of a springbar and use it along with the stock springs. All of us have extra springbars lying around...

Get advice from people that really know what they're talking about. Identify your investment goals and risk tolerance and choose accordingly. Commodities may or may not be a good investment, depends on your opinion of the China growth story chiefly. Same with equities, although right now I'm personally iffy on them given their potentially artificial value boost via QE. Really though, dumping more than 50% of your capital in any one asset class is probably not a great idea.

Generally too inexpensive and not well enough known in China to get repped well

I dont think they're too exploitative of the daughter in sons of guns. American guns though, yeah they definitely doll them up to an unacceptable extent.

Apparently, there is one that was available. I doubt you'll be able to find a new one. But check this out http://www.rwg.cc/topic/148863-fs-fer-013-pam-111-pam-024-panerai-3646-and-ap-royal-oak/

Typically you engineer things to a certain factor of safety; you overbuild it to be stronger than necessary in case you encounter unexpectedly high stresses. Not to mention the stresses are extremely low for the size of the parts. You have to make the parts big enough to make manufacturing and repair easy, even if that is excessively large for the forces experienced. Basically, I dont think durability of things like springbars (which are likely essentially commodities and really no different than the ones found in gens of all pricepoitns) and even the Hublot screws (where the forces are applied in a safe direction relative to the most likely modes of failure for screws) is an issue, at least in the sense that you wont be able to snap anything just by daily wear. More likely, gradually wearing down parts will cause failure. Ugh, I just realized that's the clumsiest english ever... I hope it still makes sense. I keep wanting to use phrases like "transverse" and "normal" but it's too jargony.

Gotta disagree with the comparison to the Spring Drive. If I understand correctly, the spring drive is essentially a mechancial movement that is regulated by a quartz oscillator instead of spring dynamics. Not to play down how cool it is, but the architecture of this movement seems to be wholly quartz, just with a generator slapped on. The mechanical aspect is much less integrated into the total movement design and philosophy than with the Spring Drive. Admittedly, not a super rigorous distinction, but I think conceptually the two concepts have very different purposes and advantages. Still think its a cool idea though. But I'd really like to see if this is a possible way of driving higher-energy displays. There are lots of cool quartz watches where you have to activate the display cause they take up too much power. But if you can constantly generate enough power via a mechanical system, then you could make these designs always-on. [edit] high energy display, something like this (although this one is kinda corny)

I've been there a few times in the last couple weeks buying stuff for my new apartment. Availability is hit or miss since dealer paranoia seems to vary day to day. I've seen some pretty interesting stuff though, some Pams, Patek Nautiluses (the one with complications) on steel, AP Divers (V1 with probably asian clone movement), and the cream of the crop, an a21j AP RO 15300 that I picked up immediately. It's the only a21j version I've seen with proper angular dial markers, and the only 15300 I've EVER seen with a solid caseback. The Hublots of all sorts, B&R's, and AP chronos are on display plus your usual bevvy of dress watch reps. The other stuff is available, usually you find someone muttering "Rolex," tell them what you want, and wait on a corner while a runner grabs it for you. It's totally worth a trip if you're there. It's fun trying on a couple random watches you might otherwise not really consider but that look pretty good in person actually, i.e. a JLC Reverso with the best skeletonized asian movement I've seen yet

I've just seen a 21j version that has a closed caseback in person. Considering the price the guy was selling at, there's no way it could be anything other than a 21j. U might try looking for that?

I wish the dealers and forumites would stop calling this the "jumbo." The RO Jumbo, aka 15200, has a very different dial and no second hand. It is thinner and contains a legendary JLC movement. The "Jumbo" name is a throwback to when it really was significantly larger than the more standard size model, which was around 36mm. This rep is of the 15300, which is thicker, has a second hand, and a generally more angular looking dial. It's a beautiful watch and people seem to be pleased with it. It's very easy to identify as a rep though due to the display caseback, but who cares? Wear it because it's a great watch, if not a great rep.

Battler, the APRO rumor, where did you hear that? In the RG thread I started Angus mentioned he would get on the N factory about it, and he sounded confident that the N fact would be interested, but that's about as far as the rumor goes afaik.

almost guarantee its mineral. h factory apparently advertises their casebacks as sapphire, even though they're mineral. i'm fairly certain that if the h factory doesnt even use sapphire with their casebacks, then just about no rep factory would

took the outdoor pictures after the indoor ones? no... that couldn't be it...

There are many different @12 ROO's, some more accurate than others, some which you really need to get an aftermarket strap for, and all of which need to factor in a movement service. I would recommend reading through some of the AP section posts, searchign the specific models that you like most.

I think you should do a little more reading before you plop down $500. The fact that you've described the watch as "A+" means you probably still have much to learn, and could easily get scammed.

Not likely there's going to be a half way decent rep of this. I dont think the current generation of movements will fit in a smallish RO case

plexi is much less likely to crack than glass or sapphire.

If you take some pictures of the parts and the hole in the case, someone might be able to figure it out. I'd really like to take a look myself

Wow, is that AR stock?

There have been rumors that a major factory might start working on an updated version. Given that this year is the 40th anniversary of the RO, the 15300st has been replaced with the 15400st, and the 15202st Jumbo has been updated with a brand new, very different dial, I think it's totally worth holding out for a year or so, maybe pick up a cheap 21j version in the mean time.

I'll play GO = gen (grand date too flush to be rep) ALS = rep (seen that one a million times, easier to call in person than in pics) Speedmaster = gen (unless you froze the 6 o'clock subdial, typically the st19 powered reps have a running hours at 6) LV = gen (frankly, I have no clue, but it looks really believable to me!)

I'm pretty sure nearly nobody on this forum owns this watch. At that price though, I say you should buy it, do a review, and if you dont like it, sell it! It kinda surprises me that there actually is a gen version of that watch, pic below The rep actually looks fairly accurate. The only things i could spot immediately were the red day-night indicator hand is only partially painted on the rep and the texture of the dial is a little different (the AP logo starts in the middle of a square on the gen and doesn't on the rep)

What is the current one and what makes it different? Do you just mean the one on fabric strap vs the one on steel bracelet?

put it on the winder and if it stops, change the direction?

NYU housing. It's what I did last summer, very reasonable rate and good location.