ubiquitous

21j Asian movements beat at 21600bph; roughly 5.x ticks per second. So, the seconds hand does not 'sweep' smoothly. If you want a smoother sweep, a 28800bph ETA will do the trick...

The original bracelet just doesn't line up right. The links are too small, and when it's integrated with the case 'lugs' (not really lugs on this one I guess), it's really apparent when it's not right. The case to bracelet transition is still a tiny bit off- The case's lug end sticks up a bit at the corners, so at certain angles, it still looks slightly stepped. But, the new bracelet is such a huge improvement over the old that I think I can live with the corner poking out slightly...

Wow... I'm VERY impressed with the case construction! This is a very complex piece... Needless to say... The rep world has come a LONG way in very short time! Angus... I must ask... Do you ever sleep?

I've accidentally unscrewed the release screw too far before... Hence, not allowing the release screw to be tighted up on installing the stem. The fix was easy, but a bit time consuming as the movement had to come back out, the dial and hands taken off and the screw reset into the little plate that it threads into.

Remove the screw heads from the link (2 screws) and then pull the outer link that they were seated against as well. What you'll see is that the opposite outer link link is actually comprised of the outer link and 2 posts that extend through the middle links. Once the outside link is removed, you can pull the other end with the posts, hence disassembling the link to size the bracelet.

I wonder what (or whose) watch he wears on his wrist everyday

I picked this one up from Jos- 36mm case (excl. crown), 8.5mm profile, 2824-2 inside, white bezel screws, closed back, and one of the better 14790 dials I've seen on a rep. I did swap the bracelet, as the one that came with it is a bit mismatched, but that's the only modification I've done. It's a great watch... One of my favorites!

I'm especially eager to see the El Primero review... Some of you may know why

Indeed... Greatly depends on the watch.

Thurs: Fri:

GC- That's one NICE 8-Days you've got!

Or... How about one of the new time/date IWC Ingies?

Haha... Funny you should say that. I was going to suggest... A nice Sinn 756 can be found at relatively decent prices...

C- Are you looking for a replica specifically, or are you open to gens as well? Just curious what your limiting factors are...

Seems like this is Richard's site.. A companion to the Replica Watch Report, perhaps?

It's a beauty! And I love it... The ringed subdials are a nice aesthetic, and provide a great contrast to the dial; I love the overall design. Simple, functional... Good lines, and in my opinion, a classic that will hold it's own over the course of time. I'm not a TAG guy either... But I do love the Heuers. The Carrera, Monaco and Autavia are all models on my wish list... Enjoy your new time piece! It's a great watch!

Just out of curiosity... Is this the re-edition? The vintage Tri-C's were V72's, and I thought the Lemania's came with the re-release of the vintage pieces post TAG acq. Regardless of age, it's an excellent piece, and a great addition to the collection!

Happy birthday, TN!

Let's see... Most disappointed. There's just so many... Where do I start? Perhaps I'll cover the ones I didn't keep. As most of the reps I receive tend to fall a bit short on expectation, I usually end up modding them to address the areas that I feel could use improvement (and many of these I end up keeping). I'll kick things off with the 1st generation Daytona 116520's (secs at 6:00). I had such high hopes for these... The pics of this thing looked great- Nice dial, case looked good,a nd running secs at 6:00. Of course, pricing at this time was $1100.00 for the Swiss 7750, and as it was new, I wasn't prepared for the reality that arrived in my mailbox. When I eagerly opened my parcel, I came to discover: Bad dial, case was so-so (too thick), and worse, the movement was flakey. I must admit to trying a couple of pieces... a white dial, two black dials, a 116509 (which I enjoyed for a longer stint than the others), but they just didn't do it for me. So, off they went. This experience was what motivated me to build an El Primero... Please don't mind the crummy pics. Next on my list... The MBW 1680. Don't get me wrong... This is a great watch, but after having owned a very nice MBW 1665 Sea Dweller, the Submariner just didn't feel right. Been through 5 of these... With each one, I really wanted to like the watch, but in the end, it just didn't woo me. The SD's thicker case always got the preference... Next disappointment... The IWC GST. I loved this one in pictures. And I loved this one in my hands. I just didn't love it on my wrist. The watch felt too bulky- Much larger than it's 40mm physical dimensions would lead you to believe. And the bracelet was always just slightly off- Either too tight, or too loose. I found myself taking the watch off during the day at the office as it was just so uncomfortable. So, this one had to go... One of my more depressing disappointments was my TW Best AP Royal Oak Jumbo. I was absolutely smitten with this one, but could never get it to fit my wrist right; the bracelet links were just too stiff and the long case/lugs caused this one to overhng my wrist. Sadly... Like the GST, this one just never fit correctly There are a few others, but this one covers the more significant ones for me... The ones I had very high hopes for, but felt let down when I opened them up for the first time. Now, of course, I must say that every Rolex I've rec'd has had some degree of issue, be it mechanical (i.e. DW's) or aesthetic (16610 frankensub, etc), but modding helps overcome those 'problems'. If it's a piece I intend on keeping, I don't mind spending a bit extra in genuine parts for quality results.

My experience has also been that the solid metal, non-rotating bezels are simply tension fit. Slide a razor in between the case and the bezel, work your way around the diameter to evenly lift, and it should come off, no muss, no fuss. Press back on in the correct orientation, and you're set.

J- Man... You've really made this one shine, and the results reconfirm that I sent this one to the RIGHT hands! Fantastic turn out, my friend... It is STUNNING!

:o WHOA!! NICE one, J! I cannot get over how GREAT your GMT turned out!!

...and what great memories those were, M!

Great looking Ingy! As nice as the bracelets are, I prefer it on the kevlar.... Compliments the case just right...

Wow! What a bargain