ubiquitous

Well... The work week has been long... And the weekend will be far too short. I'll be gazing upon these two for the next few days, enjoying every second... Have a good one, gang!

The new model (5711) has a retail of $18k +/-; it seems to sell at a premium however... Somewhere around $22k+ (to put this into perspective, some of the more hard to find models, like the 5980 are selling (or for sale at) double of their retail- $65k to $70k). The old model (3700) was discontinued some time ago- (don't recall exactly when, though) and was replaced with the 3710 with power reserve (comet). The 3700 initially sold for around $2500.00 when it was wet behind the ears in '76, though throughout it's production, pricing went up (to what figures on retail, I don't recall either). Used, pre-owned, they sell anywhere from $15k to mid/upper $20k's, depending on age/vintage/condition. They are quite collectible. Now... My model is a bit of a fantasy model in my opinion; it's neither 5711 or, really for that matter a 3700, as it has a seconds hand (it shouldn't). QUICK EDIT: The 3700 was discontinued in 1990; the 3710 was introduced in 1997/1998.

Hmmmm... I'm usually the one behind the camera, so I don't have any pics to post. I'll try to get a few taken so I can participate too

I haven't cracked mine open yet, but I'm assuming it's a matter of removing the hinge screws, removing the bezel/crysal assembly, and then removing the movement, which I'm assuming should lift out- stem intact. I don't have any plans on opening mine up anytime soon, but if I happen to give it a try, I'll let you know how it goes In the meantime... Here are some requested pics (albeit crappy) of some comparisons to give an idea on size. ...with a 37mm TW Best Nautilus: ...with a 38mm MBK Royal Oak Jumbo: ...with a 40mm Daytona Frankenstein: Please pardon the dark pic... Not sure what happened with this one Regards, R

A few of us may be motivated to look into such a venture... Arch?

New Nauti Jumbo today...

dadog... No luck. Sorry, my friend. I thought I had one spare... Ended up being a Valjoux 23 stem instead. This part should be easy to source... Most any parts supply house should stock it; cost should be a few bucks... Best of luck... Regards, Randy

Couldn't resist wearing my new toy today... The watch as a whole is indeed something that needs to be experienced in person, as pics simply can't capture what the eyes and senses would. The level of detail and fit/finish... Every polished bevel and surface is... Dare I say it... Perfect. I haven't louped it... But I have a feeling that if I did, I wouldn't be disappointed in the least The dial is very seductive... I haven't been able to stop gazing at it all morning. The simplicity of it... The stick markers and the horizontal dial pattern combined with the blue is really quite exquisite. I must say... Having the RO and the Nautilus in the collection, both are absolutely worth having. I know you think the Offshore is too chunky; I agree. The Classic Royal Oak, however, is a very elegant design in my opinion, and is also one of my favorites. High enough on my list to dethrone the Daytona twins for nearly three weeks straight Inbox unloaded... PM away. Or, hit me up on email... The usual address.... I think you'll be quite pleased in that decision! This piece wears great... Makes my 'mid-size' 37mm Nautilus feel even smaller than it is (and it felt teeny tiny to begin with... A bit ladies' watch-esque despite it's size). The Jumbo is an excellent choice! And... Whether your wrist is big or on the smaller side (like mine~ 6.75"), it fits great. Indeed sir... I felt the same way, and I couldn't resist any longer... I think you need both! These are worthy additions to any collection... Yours especially, Stephane! This is one of those odd pieces... Takes a bit of time to warm up to the idea, but once you see it... Especially upon close examination... It'll be in the back of your mind stirring up intrigue and curiosity, drawing you in to it's allure. It's not a watch that everyone can appreciate. But if you do... It's easy to fall in love....

TTK- That LV is gorgeous! Very nice!

That's a genuine 16523; dial is a MKIII (with inverted 6). Collectible... But not as collectible as the 16520 (SS) or 16528 (18k). Figure on fair price being around the $7k to $8k range on the high end for a clean example. Regardless of collector's status a very nice watch! But if you are after a Daytona, don't compromise... Get the 16520. You won't regret it...

The Patek Nautilus is an exercise in style and design; love it or hate it, the unique appearance has both rep and gen collectors and enthusiasts split. I myself had viewed this particular watch from a distance for a very long time... Only until recently did I come to appreciate not only the style, but more over the exquisite execution of such a design. Tastes change with time, and I'm glad I warmed up to this watch; to dislike it would have meant missing out on such a great time piece. I just received this beauty today... And I'm in love The details and finish of my new MBK Nautilus are top notch as I've come to expect with these Thai clones of haute sport models. What really has me floored is that the case is manufactured just like the genuine- The case is a monocoque design, hence the caseback is integrated with the case, and the movement is removed from the top after removing the bezel, which is held on by 4 screws in the case hinges (ears). The dial is my favorite part about this watch; I opted for the blue dial, which has a black appearance under low lite conditions, but shimmers an iridescent blue under direct light. It's really very stunning. The case wears nice and broad- Very good wrist presence at 42mm across, yet is elegantly thin. The crown tucks under the 3:00 hinge... Which is my only complaint; setting the time and date on this watch is not exactly the easiest thing to do as it's difficult to get a grasp on the crown. This is a watch that will need to be worn regularly to keep it going, methinks Anyways... Onto the pics... Pictured along with my other favorite MBK Genta design... Wrist shot And my favorite part... The dial... And one in the sun... I'm going to have a hard time picking which watch to wear in the mornings now... Ubi = Ecstatic Thanks for looking, R

MBW 1665 case requires some mill work with a lathe on the inside; a 1570 won't simply drop in per se without turning the case...

P.S. If you can get these movements a dime a dozen, sign me up for 6 dozen...

The case does not look like anything special on the outside, but it's what's inside that counts. These will accept genuine 1570's without having to mod the case to do it. Worth $2k? Well... The movement alone represents $700 - $900 (based on condition), while the remainder of the parts (case, crystal, crown, tube, dial, insert, etc, etc) represent a good portion of the cost as well. The remainder is cost to assemble, as well as a profit margin to get somewhat of a return on the watch. So... Does this make it all worth $2700?? I dunno... If someone buys it, then it's worth that to them....

Absolutely worth restoring... The value of such things goes far beyond any dollar amount possible, as it's a piece of your family history that will continue to live on. I bet it will really bring a smile to your grandmother's face once it's done.

Let's hope I have one... If I do, I'll PM you for your shipping info

Indeed... Always hard to put a price on something you've built The parts content... The time and effort spent on building, modding, collecting parts etc... How do you put a price on that? In fact... That's one of the reasons why I rarely sell any of my frankens. Trying to figure out a price that's fair to both parties is difficult to determine. You are correct, sir... Not MBW. The case and dial are most likely both out of V.N.

Words that I live by...

Okay... Price is a little steep, but my point was that it's still priced in the general range it should be (i.e. they are not trying to pass it off for $10k, $20k, etc) and not in relation to what a true genuine, all original Comex 1665 would run (around the 6 figure range now).

dadog- I think a completely new stem is the way to go. Less hassle, in my opinion. Let me check my spares box at home... I might have one. If I do... It's yours.

Interesting... More or less described correctly... Priced appropriately, and a seller with relatively high feedback and a brick and mortar shop.

Manuel is indeed a top notch guy... No question about it!

Still enjoying my MBK Royal Oak Jumbo... A nice, refreshing change to my usual Rolex wear...

You could have just emailed me, Arch... Actually, I'll send you a couple of saved search terms I use periodically if you like...