Richard Tracy

That, would depend upon dealer and a deeper pocket than I have to find out. As you know many dealers have not chosen to place a price sticker on the crystals..

Well something is happening over at tc.. I was browsing for straps last nite and clicking on one of the many tc links under different names, I got a strange signpost blocking my browser.. saying something like.. "We have detected your ip coming to our site more than five times in 24 hours so under our adverstising scam alert we are not allowing you access, please bookmark our site for later." Which I did not do.. as a matter of fact, I simply made my order elsewhere.

Whew ! Thanks.. I thought I was seeing ghost forums...

Am I the only one that stills sees the old RWG... ??

Yes, Check Trusty's at WT, he only has Orange in photos, but does have stock in Black, my fav & one in dibbs.

What I found in common with most of them was the Tourbillon. Seems to be the most expensive complication. That's why I am amazed that our EL has a stunning piece that rivals those Gens any day ! With Working Tourbillon, and feast your eyes on that artistic engraving.. Go EL,..... doing it For Us !

Hey Everyone, I know some of you have seen this Forbes list, but I though I would post them for, lunch, Tea, or just waste Time Browsing. See what you can find that these pieces have in common. Enjoy ! Bentley Mulliner Tourbillon $215,000 From Breitling's continuing partnership with Bentley Motors comes this handsome Bentley Mulliner Tourbillon chronograph. Turned out at a rate of only two per month over the next few years, each watch can be customized to the purchaser's particular taste, with options like a selection of wooden rings in the case back. The piece is available in Bentley trim shades, including burl walnut, madrona, birds-eye maple and others. Besides the tourbillon, the very masculine timepiece also dazzles with a nifty 30-second chronograph, thus enabling precise readings to one-sixth of a second. Available in platinum for $215,000, in gold for $152,000 and in other precious metals. Patek Philippe Swiss (Founded 1839) Ten Day Tourbillon $240,000 Subtlety is the word for Patek Philippe's Ten Day Tourbillon (aka 5101P) an immensely stylish and highly sophisticated Grand Complication timepiece whose complexities enable a generous ten-day power reserve indicator with tourbillon. Keep your eye on the small second hand and reserve indicator, and the "vintage" rose gold dial--as well as your finances, which will take a $240,000 hit. The handsome platinum rectangular case with its 32 mm movement diameter wears well with a alligator strap. Breguet Swiss (founded 1775) Classique Grande Complication $252,800 With its busy dial and icy "blues-steel" hands, Breguet's Classique Grande Complication Minute-Repeater and Perpetual Calendar (aka 5447PT) is really a looker. A platinum 40 mm case surrounds an 18-karat gold dial that's stylishly cluttered with a perpetual calendar complication that displays day, date, retrograde month, leap years and phases of the moon. Forty-hour power reserve means you'll only have to wind every day-and-a-half or so. And each 5447PT comes numbered and signed, so you won't have to worry about mixing it up with somebody else's down at the gym. Omega Swiss (founded 1885) Skeleton Central Tourbillon $282,500 Omega has always seemed synonymous with "action-packed"--which is perhaps why one of its Speedmasters was the first watch on the moon. The Swiss firm's Skeleton Central Tourbillon lets you see all the action of its most expensive movement ever, with more than 800 individual pieces, each of them hand-tooled and hand-etched. Omega chose the trickiest of all placements for the tourbillon--smack in the middle of the watch movement. At eight weeks to piece together and $282,500 to buy, it's quite a timepiece. IWC Swiss (founded 1868) Grande Complication $300,000 IWC's Grande Complication contains a total of 659 mechanical parts--71 of them jewels--which is pretty impressive given how slender it is. Those parts keep busy too; they are responsible for 21 function and displays, including a minute repeater, four-digit year display, moon phase display made of polished goldstone and a perpetual calendar for the next 500 years. Established in Schaffhausen in eastern Switzerland by an American engineer from Boston named Florentine Ariosto Jones in 1868, IWC--for International Watch Company--today is owned by the Geneva-based luxury conglomerate Compagnie Financière Richemont, which also owns top watchmakers Vacheron Constantin, Baume & Mercier and Jaeger-LeCoultre. Production of the Grande Complication is limited to 50 per year. Jaeger-LeCoultre Swiss (founded 1833) Gyrotourbillon I $310,000 Launched late last year, Jaeger-LaCoultre's entry into the crowded tourbillon field takes an intricate turn with the Gyrotourbillon I, whose complication rotates around one axle as well as spherically. Encased in 950 platinum, the watch's Calibre 177 movement includes 512 separate parts, which click along for 150 hours when wound to the limit. And how's that watch face for distinction? The Gyrotourbillon I's dial reveals hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve, ongoing equation of time, perpetual date with two retrograde needles and retrograde perpetual month, along with good ol' leap year on the back. At $310,000 with a nice gray alligator strap, it'll certainly give you something to talk about at cocktail parties--or to explain in detail. Audemars Piguet Swiss (founded 1875) Royal Oak Tourbillon $379,000 The fourth of eight timepieces in Audemars Piguet's Tradition d'Exellence Collection, the Royal Oak Tourbillon is one driven wristwatch. Within the sizable 46 mm 950 platinum case is enough cool gadgetry to keep even wandering eyes attentive. Look within the dial cutouts to find the two-barrel power-reserve and stop-work system--each engraved with the watch's lofty designation--as well as a 10 mm tourbillon at 9 o'clock. The 30-minute chronograph stands out against a bold black background, while a double power reserve indicator reveals the juice left for up to ten days. It comes with a platinum bracelet with a folding clasp and is available in a limited edition of 20 pieces. Roger Dubuis Swiss (founded 1995) Excalibur EX 08 $450,000 For those with an eye for style and a mind that can handle only so much complication, the Excalibur EX 08 from Roger Dubuis should wear nicely. Within the watch's 45 mm, 18-karat polished and satiny gold case rests an eye-catching dial of elegant relief Roman numerals marked by handsome gold hands. Complications include flying tourbillon with its cage set jauntily at 5 o'clock, as well as minute repetition. It looks especially nice with the hand-sewn crocodile strap. This watch is limited to 28 pieces and will set you back $450,000 per tick. Parmigiani Fleurier Swiss (Founded 1996) Toric Corrector Quantième Perpétual $477,000 With its orderly face and stately air, Parmigiani Fleurier's Toric Corrector Quantième Perpétual lends a sophisticated and highly efficient presence to any wrist. Unlike so many less-convenient watches, the Toric enables correction of all of its calendar functions with the push of a single Chronograph-style button. Neat. Cool "javelin" hands keep track of the time, while subdials reveal day, month, leap year, retrograde date and precise moon phase display. There's also a minute repeater function and 45 hours of power reserve. Available in a limited edition of six in 950 platinum for $477,000 or in 18-karat pink gold for $346,000. Girard-Perregaux Swiss (founded 1791) Opera Three $532,000 Sure, it has a power reserve indicator, a subsecond complication, a minute repeater and a truly elegant face. But what really differentiates Girard-Perregaux's Opera Three from all those other complicated watches is its ability to sound passing hours not with a beep, gong or chime, but with actual tunes. A miniature carillon--i.e., music box--sports 20 blades and a drum spotted with around 150 hand-mounted pins. A convenient selector enables a choice of two different tunes--each of which can be personalized to the wearer's taste. ("Time is on My Side," perhaps?) Lest you fear your melodic wrist might become the equivalent of a novelty car horn, the Opera Three also offers a lever that will disconnect those tunes entirely or play them only upon demand. With a 43 mm platinum case and a crocodile strap, it's a mellifluous timepiece that can be yours for $532,000. Blancpain Swiss (founded 1735) 1735 $839,000 In the No. 2 spot for the second year in a row is Blancpain's ultraslim 1735, named for the year that Jehan-Jacques Blancpain opened his first factory. The 1735 features a half-dozen complications--two more than necessary to qualify as a "grand complication," and perhaps five more than you'll ever really need. The ultraslim, 42 mm platinum case--itself a complication, according to Blancpain's owner, the Swatch Group--holds a perpetual calendar, split-second chronograph, minute repeater, tourbillon and moon phase minder. It takes steady Swiss hands from eight to ten months to piece together all 740 components, and only 18 of a limited run of 30 watches have been assembled to date. With a crocodile strap and 80-hour power reserve, it'll wear well with just about anything--and for quite a while. Now.. Drum Roll.. The Most Expensive of 2005 is,.... card please... And....The Winner Is.... Vacheron Constantin Swiss (founded 1755) Tour de l'Ile $1.5 million Keeping time seems so simple until you run up against something like the Tour de l'Ile from Vacheron Constantin. After seven years in development and three years of assembly, the Swiss watchmaker marked its 250th anniversary this year with the world's busiest timepiece--at least for now. The Tour de l'Ile has 834 separate parts and 16 complications, including tourbillon, power reserve, striking-mechanism torque, moon phase, perpetual calendar, sunrise time, leap-year indicator, sunset time, sky chart and others. At $1.5 million, it's the priciest timepiece in Vacheron Constantine's anniversary line. That's it Folks.. any reps of these ???

Pam experts have mentioned various differences, like weight, bezel to case tightness, ect.. I have had the older 196 and now the new 7753,.. my observations are that this new one is more streamlined, fits over the wrist better, Lugs are more curved down, caseback not as obtrusive. Much prefer the new case, even though it may not be as accurate.

I see, in that case, if reliability is most important, go for the Lemania,.. I did. I don't know if the 7750 in this model is 7750b1 or not, so I didn't take the chance. Just received it yesterday..and it's a beauty ! Yes they do require winding, but probably every other day, and yes they keep excellent time. Plus they are less expensive... Good luck I hope we have helped you.

Depends upon what You want.. If you want a true 3 subdial chronograph, go 7753. It that's too expensive for you, go 7750b1 and get it lubed by The Zigmeister,.. it has his thumbs up, which is a recommendation that's as good as it gets in the rep world. If a Two Sub is fine for you, you can't go wrong with a Venus copy.. they run like Big Ben. I would suggest however that you go Patek, Valc or Lange, as I view any faux functions on a watch just one more thing that screams fake,... however if it doesn't bother you, go for a speedy, close your eyes and get that 12hr leg, castrated, Ouch !

I think that Jay, & Neil are the only dealers so far that have taken our suggestions to the factories,.. which is not easy, as it takes at times new machinery, & tons of extra work, which may not be supported in terms of finances. I think we need to realize that we are but a small segment of the market,.. the vast majority of the rep buying public, are not close our education levels regarding accuracy & mechanical reliability, thanks to our unique forums, so when we tell our dealers to twist arms of the manufacturers, they do so with grace, but knowing that most of their customers don't know or care about 90% of the issues we bring up, they are under no pressure. I know this, as I have been dealing with King and Jay for over a year with these same issues, until I finally learned the facts of life... My next venture with Jay, will be a return to my original efforts, which were killed in it's infancy by Blade's notions of separation of forum and sales, which this board has shown so far, no such blind spots.. However I am returning to the idea that we should come together as a group, for purchases, which will afford us with just above wholesale prices, and steady support for our boards. .

Yes, since there was no control, not knowing when the lights were going to be turned off, it was a wise decision to move before it happened.

Thanks Fellows... Much Appreciated !!

Much Thanks Gents ! This post saved me time and money. I just received a 196 and requested a extra buckle from the dealer for the Don Gator straps I ordered. Thing is the extra buckle came in at 26mm,.. ouch.. So here I was searching for a Panerai Logo'ed 22mm buckle, until I run across this post.. Fantastic ! Thanks and I agree this post should be Pinned !

Hi All, Does anyone know a supplier of Pam hole punch and shrew drivers ? My web search turned up zilch ... Thanks in advance !

I would appreciate this information as well...Thanks in advance

Duplicate... How did that happen ?

Sorry,.. I don't know if you are inquiring about the bad or good,... so I will list them all. First the bad, and I won't list the dealers because we all know that the factories and drop shippers have control there, not the dealers, {in most cases.} 1. IWC chrono with a broken brake on the 12hr counter. 2. Received the wrong watch. 3. An Aqua Terra with Glue spots all over the face. 4. A Navitimer with a frozen rotar, & Chrono hand pointing at 12:03. Now to the good, and these are soo good, that I'm finally, with the expert advice from Neil's post springing for a Camera to take photos 1. Jay's 7753 196, Perfectly Sweet, Heavy and straight on aligned ! {So Beautiful, I hate to part with it for a The Zigmeister lookover} Though I know I will. 2. A Jay 212 No Stress, Handwind, this baby ticks so sweetly, I think I will place it on the pillow by my ear, to sleep by. I also have Gator, Croc, and lizard, and leather bands delivered and in transit ! That's it for now, though I do have a Fiddy in the stork's beak, and 4th PO in Black on order. Feeling Great ! Thanks TRC, RWG and WT !

Duddly Do Right is on the case ! Good looking out Nanuq, Thanks !

I feel like I'm floating on a light blue cloud right now ! No it's not because of blue smoke.. It's because two months of bad luck is behind me now, with the receipt of Two, Perfect Watches ! Funny, my first four watches ordered from RWG were a huge disappointment, then I went for 2.4 years of fantastic luck,... receiving watch after watch, like dominos, all in wonderful condition... Then, starting two months ago I had four bad in a row again,... and Now I'm hoping this is the beginning of another run of fun... Though in two years, I think I will lay off for two months... just in case !

I'm impressed PT, great post, very good with my tea ! Thanks

For those of us that discovered, and were taken in, by the difference of TRC, The Zigmeister never left us. TRC, is a place where there were less borders and walls thrown up, as the main course was always love of watches, which I believe that is one reason The Zigmeister was there, along with some of the other refugees of the old RWG, and the world at large, which we all know has too many problems, that are necessary to escape from once in a while. I am glad Rob is here as well, as this place, like RWG1, moves, in the pace of light, which I missed, because sometimes I need that quick fix or answer, which Rob is fantastic for. I hope now that we can all learn to appreciate the different paces and flavors of both, and that our community can blend, and grow, into one of the most cohesive, informative, and beneficial on the Web. A Multitude of Cheers for The Zigmeister, our personal guide, through the ever twisting roads of the Replica watch !

Adam has had some trouble in the past, being here in the states, where it can get hot in a quick second.. He's always honest & if he is in a fix, rest assured that he will get back to you when he gets clear.

You mean your momma's ! There you go,... off on another ass-uming trip again...

Yeah,..Nanuq is The Man, with great taste in watches ! Photos Please !