subbiesrock

hahaha! GFC, it's hitting even our greatest musicians in the hip pocket...

@Veja74 - I have the Breitling Navitimer and the Navi World and I have to say that the sunken Date Wheel is probably the most glaring inconsistency with these two. I also have a few gen Navitimer dials which I procured for a future project and the quality of them compared to the rep Navi is clearly better. The World is much better finished than the Navi overall, in fact I would say it's the highest quality rep, on par with the Datora. Both are in my view the two best Navitimer reps that exist, although I haven't yet seen a Montbrillant Legende in the flesh. Probably the biggest advantage of the Datora compared to the rest is the non-sunken day/date, making this the best Navi rep I know. The bracelet on this (unpictured) really is superb, it's like butter. Here's a short review from the guy at breitlingsouce.com who discusses this exact Datora GEN model: I can notice the band where it connects to the lugs is slightly different. Other than that, the clasp is standard Navi which is excellently replicated. The dial is superb and everyone can make their own judgement on how accurately this is repped, however in my opinion I think it's spot on. Onto your question, the 9:00 subdial does indeed have two hands, the 24hr (linked to the hour hand, and not independently adjustable like the GMT hand on the World) and running seconds. Everything functions precisely as it should, how they do it is frankly astonishing to me. This is apparently a modified 7750 (the original is the ETA 7751 movement) to incorporate the day/month wheels and the date 'crescent moon' hand, as well as the 24 hour hand. In fact, this movement is incredibly feature-rich for a mechanical movement and I too am astounded that it even works at all, let alone working as well as it does. Incidentally this is the slow-beat 21.6k movement (a simple counting test confirmed 6 beats per second instead of 8 for the 28k movements). An amazing watch on its own, and an incredible rep. Not sure to what Andreww was refering that made this a bad rep, but no doubt his eagle eyes are well-versed in picking such things up. He has a keen eye for detail in Navitimers that - after reading his review on Navitimers - has to be respected

The Montbrillant Datora came in yesterday via a fellow member, thought I'd give it a quick buff and show you guys Absolutely gorgeous timepiece, it has a few advantages over the standard Navitimer series, being: - Larger case (43mm vs. 41.5mm width) for the Navi - Much better slide rule match (off by only 0.2-0.5mm compared with 2-3mm for Navi) - Dial replication of a much higher quality (IMO) - The band is superb, it astounds me why anyone would get the gen over this. It's immaculate. - It's gorgeous Breitling Pron at its best: Gorgeous timepieces, this sits right next to the TT SS/Gold Navi (black croc) and the White Navi World (soon to be BOB tan strap, after seeing Deniz's AWESOME SA). All three are absolute keepers, with AR and aftermarket straps the only changes, not that there is a rush, these babies are going to be admired and cherished possessions for years to come, probably until I have an actual baby subbiesrock

@mastermindalliance... It was posted three posts ago mate... Click and you shall find. BOB's website is www.waccex.de.

You'd need to show proof of ownership of a gen Breitling to buy a buckle? No way... I didn't realise Breitling was run by Stalin...

HAHAHA! Do it, PM me and I'll offer $0.50 right after. He'll be shattered, poor bastard.

The Breitling AD here in Aus is yet to dignify my email with a response... Just wait and see what a croc and a deployant will cost here. I spent some time in Germany over the last few years and bought myself a top of the line Hugo Boss suit, a "Jam/Sharp" for those in the know. Full tailoring, sleeves, pant length AND the lats taken in a touch, tailoring all inclusive, from the Flagship store in Berlin, mind you. 500 Euro (about US$600), free tailoring included (a bit of charm always helps out with the ladies, the tailoring I later found out was close to 70Euros on its own!). I saw the same suit here in Australia, from a Discount Factory Outlet for couture brands, strewn on some nondescript shelf. ... Wait for it... AUS$2500! (US$2000)!!! This is what we are used to contending with here. It's utterly ridiculous. You guys in the EU and US have it easy, I assure you. Spend some time in Australia with some slightly refined taste in clothing and you'll need to take a second job (or sell a kidney!)

@Mike - you mean calfskin? That's a massive discrepancy in price between calkskin and leather! @Wimpie - sorry I misunderstood you, you meant to bend the whole piece of metal that says BREITLING, I tried that and it seems to work quite well! Good advice! It's nice to know that all the problems have been had by our more experienced members! Cheers again guys!

Might be a good price, but it's not a 'subbiesrock' price What's the 25 words or less consensus for those of you who've tried the rep straps, the aftermarkets and finally the genuines... Can the higher prices be justified?

@Bike Mike; I thought you just said 3 posts ago that a gen deployant and a gen leather strap would be about $400? In any case, I thought the deployant strap might go for a bit more than $200. I'm looking forward to these BOB straps to come in to compare with the rep and with a gen which I tried a while ago, should make a great alternative to gens.

US$240? They are going on eBay for no less than US$450! What a joke, where on Earth did you get yours from? I've sent a message out to a few dealers, and we'll see what they have to say. You're absolutely right, if they can get the rest of the watch so precise, you'd think the clasp would be chicken-feed, especially considering how much business they lose to people who go out and buy the gens, which are ludicrously inflated anyway. Anyway, I don't need to help them with their business model, clearly it works for them.

I've put the word out on the streets for a new clasp, considering they're about US$0.50 in China I'm amazed that the dealers charge so much for them on their websites. You would also think they'd test a few to make sure they worked, avoiding the inevitable dramas with return postage etc. I bought mine from Joshua, it's not his fault at all, he just posts whatever first comes to hand, as I would, but I'd at least check the clasp opened and closed properly once before sending it out. Not a happy camper, I paid US$65 for the deployant and strap and expected a little more. I wish BOB made 24/20 deployant straps too, they would sell like hotcakes! I ordered 4, one of each type of material, just to see what they were like, it's an absolute bargain! If they are of comparable quality to the rep straps, they're still incredibly cheap.

Of course the one that hides under the skin, the one without holes in the strap. It's impossible to find one! It's easy for an 18mm, BOB is selling 10 of them! But for a 20mm it's really impossible. (Actually it's very easy, but for US$400 for a GEN!) Hae a look at the picture, it's impossible The part you mention is part of the link that says BREITLING, it's impossible to bend!

I've looked everywhere mate, ebay has none at 20mm (BOB has one at 18mm, which is exactly the type I am looking for, just in a 20mm obviously), strapped for time only has 18mm's. Have a look yourself, I'll be amazed if you find something. It seems everyone is out of stock of the 20mm. Looks like it'll have to be a rep from the dealers. This is really shitting me, how loose this clasp it, it's half way out as I'm wearing it, and the slightest nudge opens it!

Fellow 'Lingers I just received a rep black croc on a Breitling Deployant (from Josh) and fitted it to my Navitimer, but I'm quite unhappy with the quality of the clasp. The leather isn't great (the coming BOB straps will soon fix that!) but what concerns me (and what I bought the set for) is the clasp itself. The catch is quite soft, so that it takes very little force to pry it open, making it potentially quite loose after a few openings. Have others had a similar experience with their rep Navitimer/World/Bentley Breitling deployants? Have any of you got a suggestion to fix it or alternate Breitling-style clasps of good quality, or perhaps a 20mm deployant you might be willing to part with? I hear gen deployants are horrendously expensive! This is sounding more like a WTB than a general question. I suppose it can be both? I see now why the straps are the first things to be replaced on the Navitimers, and why so many people go to the gens or other quality aftermarket straps. A tang buckle is a last resort, I like having the strap tucked underneath and not visible on the outside. Cheers guys!

Did your bezel get attacked in its sleep by a Dremel?

Wow that last line didn't make me sound at all like an [censored] What I meant was, it seems rather incongruous that a man of incredibly refined horological taste (such as your good self BNWMAN) wouldn't have a similar dress sense. Women, by the way, spot this stuff a mile away, I've come to notice, in my relatively short but rather colourful life to date That white World looks gorgeous... The Datora also, and I couldn't have agreed more that if they made it a 47mm instead of a 44mm, it would have been a heap better, with the current trends in watches. I might be alone in this thought, but the idea of the Breitling for Bentley series seems so gaudy. The Navi series is just... perfect? I've had a look at all of the Rolex Subs (which seem to be incredibly popular), the PAMs also have an interesting utilitarian appeal, but the Navi has its own particular charm. The new 2010 Chrono is a step back in my opinion. Hard to explain something so subjective, but I think you guys get what I mean

Most of those look gay, the Bentleys in particular... But the tricompax Motbrillant is

If they did I'd take a navi in every dial colour ;o)

@Ronin - shop around, I was looking through the various dealers randomly last night (Aus time) and found huge differences in price, from 248 all the way to 328. I'm almost certain they all come from the same place, so I suggest a quick comparison before purchase. Funny how so many people join this forum to buy a Navitimer as their introduction into reps. I suppose it's like starting at the pinnacle and working your way down...

@Ronin - I've seen some blue Worlds at the various dealers, it depends on how adventurous you want to be, and the bracelets are completely interchangeable in about a minte flat with the right tool, but a Blue World on a blue croc would look really hot! The thing is, as you're looking for a daily wearer a SS bracelet is highly recommended, but if you switched it out on the weekend for the croc, mmm mmm mmm. BOB straps do an amazing selection, feedback is very impressive AND they're a bargain. Something to consider. You can get calfskin, croc AND sharkskin. I got all three just to see what the different materials were like. @By-Tor - wait till you see this Navi on a black croc... ;o)