XRT

Chocolate is good for you

for those that requested a couple of detailed shots...(sorry they aren't better)

Thanks to the AP Bands conversion kit, my black ROO is now in gator

This is great company to deal with. Excellent customer service!!

Left: black AP Bands "hornback alligator strap"

Right: dark brown AP Bands "capolavoro alligator strap"

...the downside...both straps needed to be reemed out (on the lug holes) in order to get them to fit on the case. The lug holes are set about 1.5mm too deep on the straps, and that is enough to not allow easy threading of the lug pin (aka "bar".) Once the holes have been slightly oblonged, they can be fit. It took a drill bit to do this.

I bought a conversion kit, hoping this would not be a problem with the second strap...well, it was. I had to ream that one out too.

Those shiny dial markers are awful

All of these watches have been modded by various modders (RBJ, UBI and The Zigmeister)...the parts were not cheap...the time it took to build this collection was about 3 years.

Except for the elusive 6542, my favorite sport collection is nearly complete.

All the parts for the 6542 are sourceable (except the red/black datewheel for ETA). Surprising no member has made this one yet. The 1675 with pointed CG was much more challenging.

I have added a description of the watches, Freddy333 (see under my last picture)

The case was one I bought off of Ebay a while ago.

All back in the nest...

From Left to Right:

1680 MBW base, brown 1680 dial from ND Trading, genuine insert/pearl, genuine Tropic, standard case mods, vintagized hands to match

1675 Paul base, genuine insert, genuine Tropic, MBW/WM dial vintagized, case mods to include fashioning the "pointed" CGs (multi-faceted surfaces as in the genuine), vintagized hands to match, Classicwatchparts.com aftermarket small GMT hand.

DW Daytona, standard case mods, genuine Tropic, vintagized hands to match

6538A MBW base, vintagized dial, custom hands from Classicwatchparts.com (including the "large bubble" seconds hand), ClassicWatchparts.com bezel and insert, standard case mods, aftermarket crystal, aftermarket Brevet crown (looks awesome, BTW)

6541 MBW base, NDT dial, genuine Tropic, ClassicWatchparts.com bezel and insert, 30-40yo Mido slowbeat movement, standard case mods

1665 MBW base, NDT dial, silver datewheel, slowbeat ETA movement, genuine insert/pearl, genuine Tropic, standard case mods, vintagized hands to match

I owned the 756S and got bored of it and sold it after about 6 months.

In terms of quality/worksmanship, the Sinn brand is high quality...you can't go wrong with them.

Nice collection, JoJo35

I think you need a Bond in there

I may be selling mine soon

:o

How much for it

Very nice piece.

Now you just need a Classicwatchparts.com (Michael Young) custom bezel and you will have a spitting image of the genuine. I sold one like this a while back.

Beautiful pictures.

Disposable cartridge razors, aerosolized shaving gels/creams from a can and electrics are what the "wet shaving" crowd are castagating. These guys are as much OCD about their shaving as many of us are about our reps.

After no time at all you will be using abbreviations like "BBS", "XTG", "ATG", "DE" etc...

I'm telling you...if you aren't already hooked in to the world of double edge safety razor or straight razor shaving (with the requisite brushes and creams and tonics) you will if you try it.

...I'm thinking of changing my avatar to the "American Psycho" (movie reference) :lol

Craytonic wrote- "I buy the latest/greatest braun each year and then go back over it with the 4-blade razor to get what it misses (dry). Seems to work well..."

Have you tried the new Braun Pulsonic...I own it and it is very cool. Beats my Panasonic linear- hands down. (but please don't tell on me to the Wet Shaving crowd)

Is shaving a ritual for you? Do you hate it or is it a Zen thing you do every morning before work...do you WET SHAVE???

Once you start using a DE razor, a silvertip badger hair brush and a quality shave cream you will never be the same.

I just got into this new world...and like watches, it has become a new obsession (like I needed another one).

Check out this forum: Badger and Blade forum

Check out these videos on YouTube: Wet Shaving Video Guides

Beware...don't say I didn't warn you.

I've gone from dry electric shavers-->wet electrics (still buying the latest and "greatest" each year)-->Mach 3-->Fusion------->then...I found this forum and these videos...ugh--->now I have a Merkur 38c HD DE, a $100 shaving brush and lots of creams and pre/post shave creams/splashes, etc.

I went from spending 5 minutes shaving a few years ago to now about 20-25mins. Oh, the madness.

My lume shots with 30 seconds of fluorescent light charge:

1 second exposure:

30 second exposure:

not much difference between the two.

Look at the Archimede watches. They aren't 47mm though.

Here's the link to their U.S. distributer: website

BTW- here's is a MUCH better review of the Steinhart/Debaufre Nav B on the "Watchuseek" forum (which is a great forum for getting ideas of other 'less' expensive alternatives): Forum link

That is exactly my point, Jake. I don't think anyone doubts that a true "swiss made" watch is probably built with higher quality than most Chinese reps...but as you said, they are getting closer all the time.

Tourby- I think you are being way too hard on this watch.

Case quality: True, the quality of the case on the Debaufre/Steinhart is not much different from the quality of our reps...but what is wrong with that. I can't think of a new PAM or IWC rep that I have been annoyed by the quality of the case. Reps have improved so much in the last few years that their cases are not something that most of us have been complaining about (unlike the persistently inconsistent movement quality and dial inaccuracies.) The weight of this case is quite substantial...definitely more than my PAM Submersible rep.

Dial: What is wrong with the dial?

Lume: The hands and dial are well-lumed on mine. It isn't at the The Zigmeister Superlume level, but neither are most of my genuine watches.

AR coating: the watch is clearly advertised as having only an AR coating on the inside of the crystal. I am not sure why there is so much attention on AR coating...sure, it's cool to see the bluish/purplish hue shining back at you when you see the light reflected from various acute angles (which is present on this watch, just more subtly than a double coated AR crystal.)

Sapphire crystal: I have no reason to suspect it isn't. No explosions or scratches yet.

Strap: How can you compare the strap of your beautiful OEM IWC Pilot gator strap (BTW- it looks amazing on your watch!) with a medium quality "homage" leather strap? For the money, the strap that comes with this watch is quite nice. Granted, I swapped mine with a gator from Timezone because I liked the gator better.

Folks-

For the price point of this watch ($USD 400-used/ $500-new), I definitely think you are getting a Fantastic looking alternative to a $10K+ IWC Big Pilot. I am 'well-off' enough that I could buy a genuine IWC Big Pilot...but I would never spend $10K on one watch (of course, that's just a personal position.) This watch serves my Big Pilot hunger well...until that allusive rep comes out (purportedly in 2008...but I have heard that one before)

Sunny San Diego

That's a fantastic price! I bought mine from the U.S. distributer and the price came to about $550 with shipping.

The cool thing is that you will also be hopefully buying yours with the original "Steinhart" name on the dial, which sounds more appropriate for a German aviator "homage" watch than "Debaufre"...of course that could be an Alsatian name

It doesn't look like the crystal has any AR coating.

I bought both this one and the Debaufre in the last couple of weeks with the intention of deciding which of the two I wanted to keep.

The two watches are totally different and now it looks very probable that I will have to keep both!!

(as I did in the Debaufre post, again I apologize to those purists who only want to see IWC reps in this section...but this watch is an IWC "homage" and thought other IWC fanatics would appreciate this watch here)

For those of you who like the IWC Big Pilot look, but want a chrono version...look no further than the Archimede Pilot Chrono.

It measures only 42mm too (which is nice if you aren't yet comfortable wearing a 47-48mm clock on your wrist).

The movement is a Swiss Valjoux 7750 with date function at 6 o'clock. The most distinctive features of the watch are the matte black Pilot dial, recessed subdials, Pilot hands and big crown...this watch is a great other option for those Jonesing for a decent IWC Big Pilot rep.

The watch comes with an aviator style leather strap (black or brown) with a SS rivet on either end. You can also purchase it with a SS bracelet.

Here are some pictures I just shot of it:

Here's a nice review on Timezone: link

This is the German company's website where you can see pictures with the different straps and bracelet: link

(from their U.S. distributer's website) site link

Watch Specifications: ($1195 USD...although I bought mine used, last week, for half that price on the Timezone forum.)

Maker: Archimede Ickler Germany

Movement: Swiss Valjoux 7750 Automatic Movement

Dial: Black with large bold Arabic numbers. Chronograph subdials.

Luminous: Arabic numbers, markers, hour and minute hands

Date: Quickset date at 6 O'clock

Case: Fine satin brushed stainless steel with Crystal caseback

Crown: Push-in Pilot's crown

Lug: 20mm

Crystal: Flat sapphire crystal with mineral display back

Strap: Thick 20mm aviator style leather strap. Black or Brown Strap

Water resistance: 50m

Dimensions: 42mm in diameter, 49mm lug to lug, 13.6mm thick

Power Reserve: ~42 hours

your pilot watch is very nice

i like the Steinhart watch... but it is to thinn for me... but your D. pilot looks thicker and looks AMAZING.

i whish Steinhart has the same thick case

can