guru

Got mine from Toro too, it was still running upon opening the box and it was in transit from China for six days. Great write up Rolexman, I was very curious to see how the movement was constructed and you did a great job of explaining it! Good to know someone can service the movement if it acts up too

I'd like to know also, finally have the last pieces for my V72 build on the way, just need stems and hands...

Very nice, my Vac diver should be here today! The AR coating that Vac is now using looks identical to Uwe's - very strong and durable, slight hint of amber at certain angles. The hex screws come with gaskets. Perhaps Uwe just removed the gaskets to sink them ?

I've enjoyed the Spinmaster 6263 "Big Red" I got from Valty a while back and am taking the next step... So I have a clean, freshly serviced Valjoux 72 on the way along with a gen Tropic 21 crystal. The donor watch is really nice and I'm not going to rush into tearing it down, I will take my time and accumulate all the right pieces I need to do this right, within reason I'm leaning towards the DW case set which is priced at $399. It comes with a dial, but I saw the Yuki dial (pic below) which seems better to me, its $218 a la carte. The hour sticks look taller, and that is something I notice about all the rep dials. I hope to one day get a gen dial but that will be a huge investment not to mention very hard to find. Where should I look for a gen crown and tube ? And what stem will I need ? Also is worth upgrading the pushers ? I see Yuki sells an upgraded set for about $150. I like the riveted bracelets and will probably try to find a 19mm one. I'm not as picky about the bracelet as the dial and hands.

I'm in the frustrating stage of searching for a donor watch for a V72 Daytona build. Would this movement be a candidate ? It is a Longines 332, clearly looks to be a V72x but the watch is a GMT and there is an extra crown. Would that disquality it ?

Good info here... I'm just starting the process of searching for a donor watch. I love the Spinmaster "Big Red" with gen parts I recently received (thanks Valty!) but it is a stepping stone, ultimately I will want a gen dial and therefore need the V72. I did want to mention that DW builds custom V72 Daytonas... prices start at about $1,500 for the whole watch with what I presume is a working (if not freshly serviced) movement. Lead time was quote at 2-4 weeks. Presumably they obtain donors from Asian markets and get them running.

Yes I emailed Connie and was told to wait a little bit for the A7753 so hopefully it is coming soon. Wishful thinking is it will preserve the good features of the A7750 case with a correct engraved HEV, AR sapphire crystal, and good lume plus of course the functionality of the A7753. Sadly knowing how the factories tend to snatch defeat from the hands of victory, I fully expect something new to be screwed up. The 187 was the first nice gen I bought, about seven years ago. It has probably gone up in value even though it got quite a bit of use and has some battle scars. I have also put about $1,500 into it between its various trips back to the factory - some for routine service, the rest to fix things that should never have broken in the first place. It is a beautiful piece, I wore it yesterday for the first time in a while. In a funny way the little marks and dings actually complements the piece... they add character to a rugged watch. Those same little defects would bother me much more on a rep!

Any word if a A7753 model ever materialized ? I haven't seen one. I have a gen and love the watch but it has been a pain in the ass and expensive to keep running. It just returned from its second trip to Italy in five years after some of the hand lume flaked off. Previously it's lost a bezel marker and stopped running. I would be a little disappointed if these things happened to a rep, but when it happens to a gen that I paid $9k for it is really frustrating. So if I can ever find a good rep, I'd sell the gen in a minute! The more reps I have the more I believe the gens are seriously overrated.

For those who find this thread looking to replace the stock rep strap: The non-chrono Santos 100 XL is 23mm at the lugs, the chrono is 24.5mm at the lugs thus they are different. Thanks cougaree for measuring! I got a quote from an AD for $240 for what looks to be a very similar strap, it is sold as "Toile de Voile" rather than kevlar though. I'm not sure if it is exactly the same, but AD said it is the closest thing that Cartier has for this model and the most popular accessory strap they sell. I was sent the photo attached below. For less than half that price, I found this on Ebay... looks extremely similar and comes with a deployant clasp too. The latter sells for almost $50 by itself... Should be here tomorrow, I'll get photos of it and post. If it is decent, definitely a good value. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380321381876 I didn't look but there may be a version for the non-chrono Santos 100 XL too.

Thanks - I will do that. It is 24.5mm indeed an unusual width.

Just got my A7753 Santos 100 XL chronograph. Nice watch, rep strap is awful though. Cougaree that combo looks fabulous! I need this Kevlar strap!! Anyone know where one can be sourced ? Could I get one from an AD or do they need a serial # to order one ? I did a search in the usual places (forums, ebay, etc) and came up empty.

I will post my QC photos which should be sent soon. As another member pointed out, all the screws are real. Whether one likes the watch is obviously personal taste, but it seems to be an extremely good replication of the gen. The bezel should be interchangeable, hopefully the maker will come out with a ceramic one. The gen purchased for this replica to made had the rubber bezel, which is why it is the first available. The stainless steel will follow, apparently others might come later if the watch sells well.

Wow the Nautilus looks really nice. It is by far my favorite in that genre i.e. Royal Oak Jumbo, Vacheron Overseas, etc. Is Hont selling the same version as the Joshua, Andrew, and Angus ? They usually get the latest watches first, and are more expensive.

Whether the watch is to one's liking is very subjective. But from what I can see it is a pretty good replication, particularly for a first attempt. It has double AR too. I tried a gen on a while back at Torneau and was surprised how much I liked it. I'm leaning towards the rubberclad... love AP but prefer there more 'out there' designs like the Survivor and T3. I find most of the ROO Offshore models a little on the small side, the J&Co is 47mm so it has the size thing going for it.

I'm going to bite. I have no watches with a rubber bezel, should I go for that or the stainless steel ? The gen comes with a ceramic bezel also though not sure that will ever be offered in rep form.