metalshopper

Where can this watch be purchased? What is PWC

WM9's planned daytona though plans to use a 7753? which is still thicker meaning thicker caseback.

Franken still the way to go. Mine assembled and overhauled by The Zigmeister :

oh, I thought it was going to be a thinner movement because of something about not having to add the 11 extra gears???

Guess not.

What is the depth rating for this watch?

Why is it that all of the replica divers seem to not be able to perform as well as the gens? If they are made with the same specs and sizes, why can't they act the same.

I see that WM9 seems to be able to get the same performance as the gen since they do everything 1:1.

Now I'll take this opportunity to get on the soapbox in the hope that someone in the rep making industry listens. Recently they have released new versions of the Omega Planet Ocean and Constellation chronos as well as a new version of the Zenith Defy chronos, all of which are advertised as new format A7750 movements with closer sub-dial spacing, the Zenith is actually advertised as having "same subdial spacing as El-Primero". If this is all true, then why the hell are they all putting so much energy in bringing out the same seconds at 6 timebomb in hundreds of different flavors as well as comming up with amazing reps of everything BUT a good solid Daytona? As said above, they don't care because they don't have to care. If they can do the El-Primero subdial spacing right, do a high quality dial for it (like the ones on the current seconds at 6 timebomb), and figure out a way of not having the bezel as conical as a volcano, then I would buy and finally be satisfied in the Daytona category.

I am curious as to what WM9's project will be.

So, if cost is no object your only option to build a real nice, dependable Daytona is to go the franken route. Even if it costs near the $5k to $6k range, its still half the cost of the genuine.

Cheers

Well said. I am very optimistic on the new WM9 Daytona since their other products seem to be a success in making 1:1 reps...

The EP400/Ebel 134 that's in my white dial 16520 came a la carte; no watch to dismantle or part out to procure the movement on that one. They do turn up every now and then, though it's been a year or so since I've seen one for sale in this manner.

The El Primero 3019/400 was a movement that had to be sourced from a complete watch:

This is an older movement, but still beats at 36000bph; I also made sure to get the 31j version (there are some 17j variations out there, I seem to recall). Due to the age, I had Zigmeister give it an overhaul prior to putting it to use.

The black dial 16520 has a non-genuine mid case, though the dial, bezel, etc. are gen. So, parts are definitely out there... Though I do think a gen dial is a must for this kind of project.

I definitely don't mind all rep parts as long as they are 1:1.

Is the rep case on your black dial daytona normal sized? do you know who makes those? All of the daytona reps I've seen so far are so obvious because of the fat case and extra high Bezel.

If cost is no issue, I suggest either gen, or building...

Yes, I am really loving those.

Is there any way to get a "raw" el primero movement somehwhere direct or do I have to rip it out of an old watch.

So the rest of the watch is Genuines? (Case/Dial/Bezel, ect???)

If there were on of these rep dealers that could make 1:1 rep of the case/dials/hands/ect this conversion would be just the cost of the movement + rep parts...

< $2000?

Just to play devil's advocate, why do you want to get a Rolex? To impress your friends?

There are a wealth of other brands out there that you could buy - get something different and difficult to get hold of, perhaps very limited edition!

(Oh, and if cost isn't an object, just get a gen! )

Well I have 4 Gen Rolexes already. I prefer to have the real thing, but I love the look of the Daytona, yet can't talk myself into spending 10K for a Stainless Steel Watch.

Having a Perfect looking Rep will allow me to have the look I want without having to justify spending 10k to myself.

Look for the threads by Ubiquitous. His cost 1/3 to 1/2 of the cost of a gen...but includes all parts visible being gen so it is indistinguishable from the gen. Internally, it uses the El Primero movement which is accurate to the gen as well...so technically the same as the gen, but with a different branded rotor. I believe his were 16520's (gen dial, hands, Movado/Ebel branded gen movements, pushers, crown, tube, bezel, bracelet, etc).

Ubi's Daytona Thread

The El primero 400 is the actual movement used in the Seconds at 9 Daytona anyways right?

So if he used gen case and parts and just put the el primero in, how is this any different than the gen bough from the AD? Besides the fact that it was created by him instead of Rolex.

there is no good Daytona with seconds @ 6. not in the price range below 300usd. Period. only other option is the El Primero and that will cost lots of time to build and also a lot of money.

there is no market for 600-800usd watches. Besides us couple of geeks from these replica forum sites no other people would buy them. And there is no good movement available with has a proper seconds @ 6 without a poor modification job with placing 5 extra gears between the second @ 9 to the one @ 6.

Then quartz would be your choice, but still not good. because of the ticking seconds hand which should be moving smoothly.

If you so much want to go for a Rolex, why don't you try the ultimate GMT master 2 which are out now or the very good Deepsea. Have them modded, with for instance a relume job by Vaccum, have the movement serviced and you will have a killer looking watch with a very reliable movement.

Well there definately is a market for 600-800 watches since all of these "scam" sites sell tons of them. Now if only we can get more sites that deliver on High quality 1:1 Reps.

So far it seems like WM9 is the closest to a 1:1 Replica and he sells them for about $600. I'm more than happy to pay that. And looks like he will be doing a Daytona some time next year as well. I am REALLY looking forward to that.

I am fine with the Seconds at the 9. I would just like a perfect 1:1 case/body/dials/fit, ect.

That really looks like the one, and the price is reasonable. The only problem is that I'm not sure there's a real one like it.

Someone with more Rolex knowledge should chime in. Is this replica correct, or fantasy?

lol, no, they don't exist.

There is a TT one that is blue/blue, but looks nothing like that.

anybody in the world would know that is a Replica in my opinion.

Maybe someone is looking for one of these. While not cheap, not exactly over-priced either if accurately described. Makes me wish I still had my MBW 1680...oh well.

Rollie Mov't

Damn, will the MBW fit those without modification???

No they wouldn't unless you are passing it around everywhere you go.

They don't care because they don't have to.

They don't buy the originals for the reasons above. Thus there is no 1:1.

Thanks for your replies. So beside the size and movement problems on the daytonas, the only reason these replica companies don't care to make their watches good enough is simply because they don't need to? That's a pretty weird thing to say when trying to replicate watches where the small details is what makes them popular. Simply Not doing a good job simply because 99% of the buyers couldn't tell the difference anyways seems kinda, well...lazy.

Are there not any companies out there that are willing to spend the extra time and effort into making good replicas that can be sold for $600-$800?

I know these Grade 1A Swiss Watches are supposed to be a scam, but whats makes them a scam? Are they not higher quality then the $200 watches seen on the popular sites mentioned here? They claim to use the 31 jewel Valjoux movement in the Daytona. Has anyone actually BOUGHT one of these supposed High end Replicas to see what they are really about? Or are they just considered a scam because they are expensive?

Thank you very much.

This is the exact kind of answer I was looking for. So the reason the case can't be made exact is because the movement used doesn't fit.

What about the really obvious stuff like oversized crowns, Mishaped crown guards, wrong size dials or fonts, ect.... are those just gross negligence of attention on the part of the manufacturer?

Also, What is the cost of the movement that will fit correctly in the case? surely the primero isn't too expensive right? what about some of the sites that claim to use a Genuine Swiss 31 Jewel Valjoux Movements. how does that fit?

If you really want to get it right you are stuck investing $4,000 + in an El Primero seconds at 9 franken or gen. The most fundamental issues are case and case back thickness (7750 requires a thicker case). I also don't know whether they solved the asymmetrical pusher issues on the 7750 version. My simple rule of thumb is that if a gen dial doesn't fit (due to either case dimensions or chrono sub-dials or date window not lining up) it will never fit the "no worries" category. I have a well-functioning Palp contemporary Daytona but it never gets wrist time for that reason. You can't cure case depth.

Thank you very much.

This is the exact kind of answer I was looking for. So the reason the case can't be made exact is because the movement used doesn't fit.

What about the really obvious stuff like oversized crowns, Mishaped crown guards, wrong size dials or fonts, ect.... are those just gross negligence of attention on the part of the manufacturer?

The biggest constraint is the movement. Rolex movements are made in house and there is no aftermarket movement that matches the hand layout. The rep makers do a pretty good job with what they have to work with.

The only Daytona's that are virtually indistinguishable are some of the vintage models and they are going to cost you between $2000 - $4500.

Well the movement, is actually the part that seems to be the hardest to distinguish without actually removing the caseback. All of the swiss movements are 28,800 BPM just like rolex correct?

I'm more questioning the actual appearance and sizing of the replicas, why not make your parts exactly the same size as the originals? Why not use the same fonts and the same distances and layouts as the originals? Why are the crowns and crown guards hardly ever the right size. Create a 1:1 sacle of the exact watch.

Just take the original part and duplicate the exact dimensions. It just seem sooooo simple to do so...

Best Daytona is made by Rolex. Or you can collect parts and make one.

Thanks, I assumed that to be true.

My question is that if I can buy a bunch of aftermarket parts and make a better replica than the replica companies, then shouldn't they be able to do this more cost effectively than myself.

In short, if there are aftermarket parts that are exact fit, why can't the replica companies make these parts on their replicas?

I am in the market for a Replica but because most of my friends are Rolex and watch enthusiasts, they would be able to spot just about any small flaw on the watch.

I have been reading the reviews on all of these watches and it seems just about all of them have pretty noticeable flaws. I see wrong spacing on dials, wrong font, crowns to big, Guards are misshaped, ect... How is this even an issue when the original watches are abundantly available.

Are there any companies out there that have exact replicas? I mean 1:1 watches where the parts could be interchanged with genuine? And if not, Why not? Why don't these replica companies get the genuine watches and machine all of the parts to be perfect fit? Obviously there are aftermarket parts for Rolexes that are made to fit the originals. Wouldn't a high end replica just be a sum of all of these aftermarket parts to make a perfect replica?

Maybe there is some intricacies that I don't know about, but it seems like a real simple thing to make parts that are exact size and shape of the genuine...