DickBrowne

Hmm, all I needed for mine was araldite and some wood - I spread araldite thinly on the base of the pin, placed the bracelet on a piece of wood (so it wouldn't mark, or damage the desk) and used another piece of wood to push the pin into place. It's been fixed for about six months now without a problem. **Disclaimer - other repair methods are available and this may not work for everyone, but hey, it's worth a try, right?

I like the "mine will last longer than yours" line, along with "gotta go tell the wife I spent a bundle of cash on this watch". I'm guessing we may well see the next appearance of a certain member being in "Genuine Sales" - "Divorce forces sale of much loved watch (buy mine, it's not crappy like yours)!" Or maybe not. Personally, I've got both fake and real Omega's (amongst others), and I love them all for what they are. I love the gen's because (and let's not beat around the bush here), they do feel different. Maybe they are better built, maybe the materials are better. Who knows? Maybe it's all in the mind. Most of my reps are on the cheap side, not the Ultimate Reps and extreme mods we all see and respect here, but I'm happy with them (most notably, I'm happy with my PO rep which I bought on a whim in Dubai a couple of years back). I'd love to have gens of all the watches I want, but if the truth is told, I probably couldn't afford to buy even the reps of all the watches I want. So, I buy the gen when I have the cash spare, or see a really good deal, other times I'll buy a rep (sometimes I'll buy a rep to see if it's worth spending the money on a gen). What did surprise me, and dissapoint if I'm being honest, is the arrogance of the OP. He asked for info, not everybody bent over backwards to give him what he wanted, and that seemed to push him toward a gen purchase. Fair enough, if he feels the need, that's his choice. Maybe some of the replies were open to interpretation and may have come over as unfriendly to somebody unused to the format of this (or any other) forum, but I don't think they were meant in that way, and there is history to justify the replies. The really dissapointing thing was that he then wanted to boast how much better his gen was than a rep and he did seem to be looking down on the rep-wearing population in general. Not good form, I think. If he wants to show off how great his new gen PO is, and how much better it makes him feel about himself and his life, there are forums for that sort of thing. Good luck to him, I hope it makes him happy. I'll stick with my chosen tack of listening to what's being said, searching and learning, trying not to hack people off and contributing when I feel I have something which is worth other people reading (this post excepted ) Spleen vented. Feeling better. [censored]

Hi Anguz, I'd be well up for it - I was organising a GTG this weekend over on Repgeek, but interest seems to have waned, so it ain't happening - dissapointing, but worse things have happened at sea - I'm going to have to spend the weekend with my family instead Let me know when it's happening, I'll be there

And very nice it is too - not the one I'd have gone for, but then I'm a stainless steel man all the way. For me, it would be a SS black face, brown leather strap and sub seconds at six. Have you ordered yet?

Absolutely - there's a lot of snobbery hereabouts where the Ford Martin's are concerned; I can't speak for everyone, but if I was offered a new DB9, I'd probably not refuse it, and I know that, given the choice of old or new for everyday use, I'd be hard-pushed to accept that sitting on the hard shoulder of a motorway looking at an achingly beautiful car steaming itself toward oblivion would be better than sitting inside another (also achingly beautiful) newer car wafting along in the outside lane. Sometimes soulless equals reliability. The perfect scenario would be a new one for everyday and an old one for high days and holidays. In much the same way, I have a couple of expensive watches and a larger number of reps. They all do the same basic job - letting me know how late I am, some make me feel better than others, but that's all personal preference, and it's not always the gens that make me feel better. I also have a number of "Austin Martin" Omega's which I wear most days, the everyday watches if you like. My gens are all vintage and my reckoning is that by using the reps for everyday wear, I can still use the genuine SM and Speedy on high days and holidays without them leaving me on the horological hard shoulder, wondering why they've stripped their drive belts. Or is that an analogy too far?

Agree with most of what's been said, and for me the most important thing is that I like it (and it gets through customs). Pretty much, that's it. I fix my own watches and am happy to do so, so they need to be reliable, but if they need the occasional tinker, no worries. I have reps and gens, and I generally wear a lower-end gen (something like the Kinetic my wife bought for my 40th) for work, rather than a rep. There's so much testosterone around work that the chances of some berk trying to big himself up by making somebody else look stupid is quite high, so I don't give them any ammo. Made me chuckle also - if it were repped, do you think that's how it would be spelt? I live in the town where AM's were made, before Ford bought the company and introduced the production line. The most telling thing about a real Aston (as opposed to a Ford Martin) is the inconsistencies. They were hand-built and every one was different. Now, there's a thought... The old ones were gen, and were unreliable, inconsistent in their detailing, unreliable etc. The new ones are made in a factory, are identical, have great quality control and will never let you down. They also have less soul, but that's subjective. Interesting how all the things which make a rep watch a rep, make (in my mind at least) a gen Aston a gen

I had a similar issue with a IWC and fixed it with a stem extender - luckily I managed to grip a small part of the old stem in the crown with a pair of small pliers, and screwed it out. I then removed the broken stem from the watch, trimmed it down, screwed the stem extender onto the remains of the stem, then it was a case of trial and error, trimming a little off the stem at a time until it was the right length. One of my fave reps repaired, for about 50 pence. Where are you based, btw? Richard

Most of the reps are so-so, but that's more to do with the general audience than the police. The most common buyer in Dubai is European and on holiday, they will probably buy a Rolex and won't be that interested in the accuracy of the copy, or the quality of the movement. To be honest, if it wasn't more expensive, they could just take a pen, take a Timex and lovingly recraft the first three letter from Tim into Rol. Nobody would notice. There are loads of great watches there, but being an individual with a clue will put you in the minority on your side of the counter, bear that in mind and shop well, and you will come out of it well. As I've said before, I've had loads of fun there. Richard

Interesting points, the only one I'd agree with is that the trade is illegal. Sure, it's run down, that's not in dispute, but you're not there for the architecture. As for the immigrant population, well, it's Dubai. It's all mostly populated be immigrant workers - mostly Indian. Is it safe? I should say so. I've been there loads of times, and I've never felt in any way intimidated or threatened. I always travel alone and will happily eat where the locals eat and shop where the locals shop. As with any city, there is some crime, watch your wallet, as pick-pocketing is not unknown, but overall you'll be safer in Karama than in Camden, I reckon.

Jeff, please forgive my ignorance, but how would you go about ageing the lume? Also, can I ask where you ordered your 300 rep from?

I guess you're right. To my mind, any SM300 really should look like it's been dragged through a hedge backwards. I so love those watches. Anybody know if anybody sells pre-battered ones?

@FxrAndy, no, never have seen a new one in the box. I have to say it was the white date wheel which first set off alarm bells. I've never seen a white date wheel on a SM300, and I've looked at loads. That said, I've never seen an honest politician either, but that doesn't mean that they don't exist. The intention of the thread wasn't to throw accusations (although, re-reading my opener, it may have seemed like that - I was both convinced and in a rush, it was to broaden my knowledge; I saw what I thought to be a fake, and maybe was a bit rushed in my original post. I've learnt a lot today, which is a good thing. Some of the comments support it being a franken, which isn't the same as a rep, but it's still not genuine. The seller has sold a number of these in the past and that always sits a bit lop-sided with me when it's a vintage watch. Anyhoo, always happy to learn - that's what community is all about, right?

Plaifender, you posted that whilst I was typing, so your image answers most of my points - I've been looking for a 300 for a while and had never seen a white date wheel. Also the case is very similar to your pic. It could just be that I'm an old cynic after all. No intention of a report, btw, I haven't enough experience to tell for certain, which was kind of why I posted here. Anyway, selling gen's, it's going to get Ebay a bad name! Oh, and there is a definite difference in the winder on those shots - was that a model year difference?

The things which say fake to me about the watch are the case - it's the same as many aqua terra rep's on sale today, but different to the original. The date wheel is white, and the gens I've seen have all had black date wheels, although I do confess to not being an expert, I have looked at a number of SM300's of late as I'm going to be buying soon. It's a NOS watch, but that caseback sticker should have some discolouration after all these years. The font looks wrong on the face, too heavy. The marker above 12 doesn't go all the way to the top on a gen, and it does on this watch. Above all, I think, is buy the seller - the typo is off-putting. He's obviously not putting much care into a listing for an expensive watch. There is no description, there are no movement shots (always a cause for concern). He's had a number of these and people seem happy with them, but that's no guarantee. Most people with an Omega have never removed the back to see if it's a real Omega movement, most Omega wearers are unable to tell a fake from a gen, so that's not conclusive. Overall, it feels like a fake, but as my first post says - I could be imagining things. I'm here to learn, after all Are all the points I've noticed differences between models, am I just an old cynic? Richard

I know! I'm pretty new to it all myself, but just about all of the pointers were there with that one, there are gen's out there for less money... Not that I'd stoop so low as to wear a gen

Here you go - can't guarantee the quality of the seller, I've never used him, but I have bought from CQout before without problems. It's a quartz, and has the Olympic back, but it's a Railmaster Chrono, and it's cheap to boot! Linky Richard

There certainly is - I'll see if I can find a link. I think the chrono's were all quartz, IIRC. The only downside with the Railmaster is finding the correct back, I'm still looking for the right Raily for me, I love the look, and may end up with a display back. Does the gen have Aqua Terra on the back? The one which I am looking for is the solid back with the train, which may not be close to the gen (I'm not sure what the gen back should be), but I do like it. There's a lot out there with the Olympic back on, and I think most of the chrono's fall into that category Richard

Am I imagining things, or is this one of the most obvious fakes-as-genuine listings out there? Linky It's this sort of behaviour which gets us all a bad name

They're pretty much all Asian, either manual or auto. I have bought more expensive movements in the past, but bear in mind that the trade in Dubai is targeted at tourists, so the subtleties of ETA -v- Seagull would be lost on most people who buy there. The better movements are there, and I've only ever found them in Karama, and it's been more luck than judgement. Last time, I was taken to a place over the road from the main centre by a chap who lead me into a showroom which would have put many an AD to shame, he had some cheap movements, but most of his stock had reasonable quality movements. The prices were higher, obviously. Whilst there, I made a conscious descision to only buy at the cheaper end, so that if I did run into customs issues on the way home (I never have, but you've gotta imagine that having half a dozen "quality" watches tucked into a pocket in a backpack may seem suspicious) I wouldn't be losing too much cash. Oh, and the other thing to note is that, according to the sellers, pretty much every movement I have is Swiss, and in one memorable conversation "same as real Omega" don't spend too much, and enjoy it - it's a fun way to buy watches!

Oh yes, it's a good place - the Gold Souk is OK (make sure it's the old gold souk, not the one near the Mall of the Emirates), but quite awkward, there are lots of guys who will offer you watches, then drag you off to some shop or flat off the beaten path, it takes a long time but the prices are reasonable (don't forget to batter that price down). My favourite place in Dubai is Karama - it's a pretty run-down looking shopping area, but pretty much every shop will sell replica goods by the bucketload. Because there's loads of choice, the price is good. Try looking for a place called the Jade Dragon (could be wrong on that name, but I'm sure that's it). There are also a few really good indian restaurants there. Not good as in flash, but exceptional food for a few pounds. Make sure you have the right exchange rate with you, otherwise people will try to play the price down with a conversion in their favour. Last time I was there, I bought a PO, a Longines Master, a BRM V12, two IWC's and a TAG Monaco. The time before I came back with a couple of Patek's and a Carrera. Average price was around

Hi there, I'm a bit of a noob around these parts, but Hi! I'm off to SA on a trip next week, mainly around Johannesburg, and would like to come back with a present for myself -does anybody know any good areas for buying reps in or around Joburg, or possibly Durban? Cheers [censored]