ubiquitous

I can only hope...

I'm going to have to remember this one, R. Definitely adds a new perspective to my outlook in light of 2009...

Lots of fans of 'sterile' hommage watches here... They're great for the reasons you've cited; sometimes it's not about what's printed on the dial, but rather the design. Plus, they're a lot of fun (especially if building them). Lots of possibilities with modifications that one might not consider otherwise with a branded watch (rep or gen).

Most dealers should carry the steel models of the rep. Here's an example... Portuguese line up. However, it should be noted that the Portuguese Chronograph rep is a difficult watch to justify as the Asian 7750 inside has been modified to output the running seconds at the 6:00 subdial; this results in a very unstable movement as-is with very high failure rates (though there have been members that have successfully modified the movement to work more efficiently improving longevity). The watches in this thread posted by Pete and I have gen movements powering them, thus allowing for a reliable (albeit pricey) alternative.

All in all, I think it's a very nice looking piece. It may be a matter of perspective, but I honestly think it was better that you received your watch on bracelet instead of a leather strap. It's no secret that rep straps are junk (you'd likely end up buying a nice gen or aftermarket strap anyways). Interesting to hear that the slide rule lines up. Re: the chipped seconds hand... I'm certain that could be touched up if it so bothers you. Or, maybe hit up your dealer and see if they can source you a replacement hand. Can't hurt to ask...

Yes... Yes indeed. Very sexy!

I suspect this is an Asian 'faux chrono' type movement. The subdial spacing doesn't look like any auto chrono movement I'm familiar with...

The '12' and '6' are actually on the underside of the sapphire! Pretty cool, eh? The multi-plane surface dial really gives this one a lot of depth. It's a very cool piece (and I especially like it on the G10, as Hike has his )...

I think the modded pieces tend to have a long term spot in most people's collections! I rarely see these turn up for sale; even stock pieces seem to be a bit of a rarity on the secondary market I'm hoping to start on the 3719 soon, but I still need to finish up my Portuguese chronograph, and I have a few other projects on the grid as well. But this one is definitely on the list for work! As for weight- I've yet to actually weigh mine, but I seem to recall it having decent heft (I'll need to check it when I get home). The 7750 swap might not make much of a difference in this regard, however; I'm not sure how to make this piece much heavier aside from having a new movement ring and movement cover machined out of a heavier, denser metal (maybe a lead spacer)? As for the crown; yeah, mine's wobbly in the time setting position. Date set and winding positions feels pretty solid though. It's a problem with the crown itself, specifically where the crown joins with the spring loaded portion. Kind of a bugger

OSRep- You should see this Chopard in person! It's quite mind blowing! I got to see kruzer00's in Nov... The quality and detail is just amazing.

I keep this one under the radar for the most part, as it was a gift from a very good friend of mine from a tropic island paradise But this is definitely one of my most cherished pieces because of the friendship that this watch represents Current status on this one is all stock. But over the next few months, I hope to change that. I've got a chief'd crystal en route; that will likely be the inaugural mod for this one. Other near/mid term plans include either gen or Swiss 7750, English D/DW, and I'm on the list for gen dial and hands After that, just some wrist time

I do indeed I'm waiting on some parts for modification/franken-ization, but the watch is still very enjoyable as-is These IWCs are quite a lot of fun. Easily one of my favorite brands...

Besides swapping the movement, do you have any other mods planned? I think a chief AR crystal would be a nice touch. That's on my 'near term' list of to-do's for mine

This is the hardest part of all! Before long, you'll find that the question won't necessarily be 'which one', per se, but rather 'how many'?

Quite interesting to see how much rework Rolex does to change the 400 into a 4030! Not only in surface finishing, but also in completely different parts altogether. The one characteristic that I do prefer with the standard El Primero is the 36000a/h beat rate. Aside from that, the 4030 is a nicer, more refined movement (in my opinion). None the less, I'm quite content with my basic EP400 engine in my Daytona...

A great way to start indeed! Very nice!

Gen vintage SM300:

To me... Building frankens is just more fun With gens, you buy them and you're done; on to the next watch. With building a franken, each part and component is a search... Mapping out the recipe list... And once all the pieces to the puzzle are collected, put it all together and make sometihng of it. It's far more fascinating to me, and I feel as though I've learned so much more taking this route than I would have had I just bought gens. It's truly been an educational adventure, and one that's taught me how to appreciate these tiny little machines as more than just a watch.

Indeed, the strap has to be cut down to size. Be careful and go in small increments; it's better to check and double check to get the right length than to cut hastily and chop too much off. Personally, I've found that it's best to try and cut the strap to as comfortable of a fit as possible while keeping as much material going into the clasp ends; during summer months when the outside temperatures are hot (and your wrist swells), you can then move the ends of the strap out with the springbar to adjust for a larger size (hopefully this makes sense). Good luck...

As one of my experiments, I bleached an insert that ended up turning a very lovely chocolate brown. I ended up giving that one to Jetsons (whom I haven't seen in well over a year, methinks), but I oft times wish I could re-create it...

R- It was great chatting with you and the Rabbi this morning! Always fun to get the collective brain tank going on new adventures. Here's to many more posts, and many more projects to come! I'm very fortunate to have your friendship. Congrats on 10K! R

Beautiful, and congrats from your reverse twin!

The ROO has that case construction with the bezel bolted through; but these standard Royal Oaks are built using a press fit bezel. BTW, I should clarify that the bottom pics with the bezel removed are from my 14790; the top pics are from my old MBW Jumbo.

No need to remove the bezel; the screw/bolt holes don't go all the way through: Removing the bezel doesn't do much good anyways... The above pics are of my 14790 rep, but construction should be the same...