gioarmani

If you don't already have them, get the Bergeon openers from Andrew--only $40: http://www.trustytime.com/index.php?main_p...products_id=732 The only time I've had trouble on one that was wrenched down so tight, I put a small drop of watch oil in about 3 or 4 different places around the caseback, in the crack where it meets the case, left it to sit for an hour or so, and then it popped right off. Make sure not to get any oil on the case-back itself, or your opener will slip & scratch it.

Gotta keep in shape if you ever want to score that avatar.

You post your pics, an I'll post mine (make sure it's either off topic, or the girls thread). Damn!

[censored]ing A. I appologize for my French, but speaking of the frogs, wait till I tell you what we had tonight in the way of the red, red vino. And to that watch; [censored]in A.

The LV is a very sharp model--I highly suggest it; I was looking at one myself. (not for myself...)

Maybe my wording was off, but I didn't actually remove them stem from the movement; simply unscrewed it from the tube & pulled it out to the position you normally would to adjust the time. Does this change the diagnosis? Thanks for your input; hope to hear from you when you have more time. Thanks.

I regulated the movement in the same manner all my others have been--because it was running too fast. And the reason why I knew what was happening inside the movement, was because the same thing that happened while the caseback was off, also happened after the caseback was on. No offence, but this thread was intended for expert answers to the problem I've addressed.

Tonight, I had the back open on my new Daytona 7750 from Josh (I purchased from Overboosted) attempting to regulate the movement. To note, it's only 3-4 months old and I've only used the chronos once, and they reset perfectly. Before opening the case-back, I pulled the crown out to the last position activating the hacking function, to stop the second hand from moving. I don't recall touching anything other than the one arm on the escapement used to slow down/speed up the beat. When I pushed the crown back in, the watch didn't resume ticking. The gold-wheel that the hairspring is in (forgive my lack of terminology) still rocks back and forth for about 10-20 seconds if you move it--moves as if it would under normal circumstances--and the hairspring is still attached and looks perfect. None of the other gears connected to it appear stripped or bent, but I can't see anything out of place (to my untrained eye) but the watch still won't resume ticking. My camera's battery is dead, so I'll use one of your pictures to illustrate what I did notice: Underneath the escapement there's a silver gear with teeth (I've labeled "B") that seems to also tick to the second's beat, guided by another silver, hook-like piece (labeled "A"). These also connect to a larger, gold gear (labeled "C"). When you get the escapement to turn like it normally would, the hook (A) moves back and forth (I'm guessing similar to the old clock verge & folliet system), but B & C refuse to move with it. Now, I'm not sure in which order these 3 run off each other, but something funny happened a minute later, that also happened after I screwed the case-back on and attempted to wind it via the crown. There was a fast whirring noise and B & C were suddenly speeding along so fast, that the seconds subdial hand @ 6 was spinning so fast you could even see it move, and the hour & minute hands were racing around the dial. They probably moved a good 4 or 5 hours worth ahead. At the time this was going on neither the escapement with the hairspring, or hook (A) were moving. After about 10 seconds this spinning completely ceased and nothing was moving internally, or on the dial/subdials. As I stated earlier, I replaced the case-back and heard the same noise (accompanied by the dial/subdial spinning) for another 10 seconds, then ceased again. This did not affect the other chrono subdials or the large second hand that runs when the stop-watch function is activated; this stayed at 12 o'clock as it normally does. I've never seen this before, and have never heard of this happening anywhere on the boards (from my search queries). I'm hoping you can provide me with some assistance as to what this might be, so I know what to ask for at the watch-smiths tomorrow. I don't want to jinx the perfect resetting of the chronos and would like to avoid having them disassemble every part of the movement in order to fix it (and save a little money), if possible. I'm curious if it's something less than $100 that can be relatively easily fixed, or whether I should just buy another Daytona, but I'd rather not unless absolutely necessary as I don't want to get stuck with one who's subdials don't reset properly. Any assistance you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

Without trying to sound pretentious, I'd like to add my two cents if I could; mainly because there's a question about this almost daily. I think you'll find there's a little grey area here, but I believe this might be the simplest & best solution to your question. I've (fortunately and unfortunately) spent a bit of money in an attempt to not only sort this out for myself and others, but to also have a little fun in the process. First (slightly off track but still relevant) I'd like to say--in the long-run--it's probably wisest to stay away from Asian movements, if you can. Good luck getting non-swiss parts and better luck getting it fixed correctly. I know a lot of people like Asian movements and might disagree with me, but you'll do best to stick with ETA (Swiss movements). They last longer, are a snap to find parts for, and are more reliable over the long-term. Now that we've segued into the ETAs, it's a bit easier to narrow your search from here. I've ordered from almost every dealer on the boards, and then some (including watches from dealers I did not do business with directly, but instead purchased from other board members), and this is what I've come to find. Please do bear in mind I would never play favorites and I certainly wouldn't allow any relationship--business or personal--interfere with my judgement, so I'll try to be unbiased towards any particular dealer, by attempting to speak only from the fact I've personally encountered from my purchases, and the purchases I've made on behalf and/or at the request of other people. http://www.trustytime.com/index.php?main_p...products_id=256 In an over-all view, I believe Andrew's "relaunched" version of the Submariner (above) to be the best on the current market. This is, of course, a bit generalized but taking into account the aesthetic pros & cons of all the Subs out there, I think this one tilts the scale to it's favor. Now, the ETA Subs from both Josh & Andrew are much better than the past generations and have better bands, crisper dial prints, and closely perfected crowns & crown-guards. EL's is also a spectacular watch, seeing as it's the same body & band that Andrew sold before replacing it with the "relaunch". You also have the choice between vintage and non-vintage models. The vintage would probably be more fun to mod. A vintage Sub fresh from the dealers without mods tends to look so new (without, of course, said modifications) that no one will believe it's real, for its "age". And the believability factor is a heavily weighing option (if not the primary reason) for purchasing a Rolex rep; don't believe those who say they don't care about the brand, they just "like the way it looks", as opposed to simply buying the $30 Timex that looks the exact same. So stick with the new design of Sub, if you don't plan on doing much of anything to it, other than wearing it to have the Rolex name on your wrist. Now similar to almost every other mass-manufactured good on the planet, these Swiss movements are assembled in China. The parts are manufactured in Switzerland, but simply put together elsewhere to absorb a great portion of the labor cost. Eta has their movements assembled in China for most all their buyers: Cartier, Tiffany's, Oris, Baume & Mercier, Tag Heuer, etc. Contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of Swiss movements come oiled--they don't all come dry. If they did, they'd all be dead in a matter of weeks. You most likely won't/shouldn't need to have it serviced (disassembled & oiled) for about 2-3 years of average wear. Most Swiss watch makers suggest a five-year service & cleaning. Also contrary to general consensus, these watches are more waterproof than the credit they're generally given; the sports models, mind you, not the more refined banker's watches like Vacheron Constantin, Patek, etc. It's worth the extra $20, or whatever your area watch-smiths currently charge, to have it pressure tested. I've yet to have one (of my own, or one I've tested for somebody else) that failed waterproofing, and I swim & shower in all of mine. I'd have to say, depending on which model you're looking for--especially in the Rolex category--Andrew or Josh are your best bet for the best models (go with Davidsen for your Panerai). In true fairness to all the others, the dealers on here are all trustworthy & credible; otherwise they wouldn't be allowed to continue to ply their trade on the board. I've purchased a slew of reps over the past few months, for myself and other people (Subs, GMTs, Datejusts, Daydates, Daytonas, Omegas, Panerai, Cartier, Bulgari, mens & womens, etc...), and I've found these two gentlemen to be the most courteous, the most efficient, and to have the most consistency in their service, their expedited shipping, and their product. http://perfect-clones.com/ http://www.trustytime.com/ If I had to pick a runner up (in the Rolex category), it would definitely be EL (Eddie Lee). http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e186/300thomas/ He's got a great case with almost perfect CGs, and the best dial print out there. I've reason to believe it's the same one Andrew uses in his "relaunch", and the one TTK has in his Asian model as well. If you don't want to pay the $90 to have your Sub serviced in the next 3 years, or the $20 to pressure-test it, but do wish to swim in your Submariner, then the "perfect" Subs are a good choice for you. I have come to find however, that the "perfect" subs are either utilizing different parts (primarily the cases) that seem to possess slight irregularity's in shape that stray not only from the regular ETA Sub reps, but also the shape of the gens as well. The pearls on the bezel insert tend to be a little flat, rather than having a proper dome shape to them, and the serrated edge on the crowns tend to have more rounded edges, rather than coming to a "point" like they do on the regular Subs. Compared to my gen, the "perfects" also have a date-mag that's a bit too big. A lot of people have the notion that the date window (the white portion of the datewheel that shows through the opening in the dial, directly underneath the cyclops eye) is supposed to almost completely fill the viewing area of the entire cyclops. It's not. In fact, if you take a trip to an AD, you'll see they only fill about 3/4 of the cyclops. From my own personal experience, I think it's more cost-effective to purchase a regular Sub (the models around $200), and if you wish, pay your smith the extra $90 to have it serviced/oiled (but definitely get it pressure-tested!). This works out much cheaper than the "perfect" Subs, and I feel you'll actually wind up with a better looking watch. I hope this was helpful.

C'mon. It's "K-Fed". Respect.

I used t go out with a girl who had a few pics in PB-- Kobi something, lived in Sarasota. Hot little blonde, until her medicated dog (fresh from surgery) decided to latch onto her face...

Never heard about her puss, but Fred Durst of the rock band "Limp Bizkit", said she had a pretty hairy tater-hole when he was with her. Maybe Paris taught her how to shave properly. I was surprised to hear she wasn't bald; I can't remember the last time I actually saw a girl that didn't...

Depends on your wrist size; if you're wrist is a bit smaller than average and you don't want a watch that looks too big, go with the black--it tends to look a bit smaller.

The symetry in shapes need to be evened out just a bit (and possibly adding a few more stages of different grits os sandpaper to make them a bit smoother--might just be the photo, but it appears as though there's a few hair scratches still in the metal), but for a novice, they're pretty good! Also, if you want to spring the extra $ for it, don''t use Cape Cod or other polishing cloths to finish them off--invest in a Dremel & some good jewelers rouge.

Lips & assholes. Shouldn't eat that stuff.

Supposedly guaranteed to 200m, comrades! Rotating bezel, thick domed crystal, double-lock crown, RUS2446 (?) movement. Have a look: Crack it open & have a look inside. "B", for "Vostok" ("Boctok", in cyrillic): Interesting how the case-back fits together; one piece? Nyet! Two pieces. Apply some silicon grease... Remove some links: Fits good now, da? "IF LOST, RETURN TO KREMLIN." Sorry about the fuzzy pics--hand held kitchen shots right after I got it. Excited enough to go out and get some treats from the Motherland. Dasvi Dosvidanja!

eBay sellers have aftermarket inserts geared for the gens--they won't fit a rep unless you file them down. Try buying one off Josh or Andrew for $15.

I was going to use that one.

Try some of the board's dealers that sell the watches with the same movement. You may have to buy an entire movement vs single parts, but it'd be worth it.

I've got a recipe for Tso's that I guarantee is better than any restaurant you've had. Cracked it myself.

Lol-- sophiasreplicas is owned by Alex Davidoff, the same guy that owns swissexpert.net, amatory.biz, watchcity.biz, 7starreplicas, etc.

...What do you grab? The cash register.

I disagree with the pricing being out of line. People who buy $30 non-rep purses are people who, no offence, are too cheap to buy a $500+ non-rep purse, or simply can't afford one (more likely). So chances are they couldn't pull off a $500 gen bag to begin with--and they certainly couldn't pull off a $500 rep of a $8,000 gen bag either; the same way McDonalds’s drive-thru window employee Dauwaun, can't pull off his "DayDate". It's like saying "a $5,000 gen Submariner is obviously out of the question, but a $300 rep is ridiculous when I've seen them on Canal for $50." If your lady is into nice bags or follows high-end fashion at all (which they all do, unless you're saddled to an Amish librarian), rep or not, she's gonna stain the sofa when she rips the Christmas wrapping to see a Hermes box. To obtain a real version of this bag (assuming you're not willing to pay an ass-rape over retail for $14,000 to get it now), you're going to have to plunk down your $8,000 and wait about 2 or 3 years for yours to come in. This is one of the best looking reps of this bag I've seen. A Hermes Birkin, is the Bentley Azure convertible in the haute-couture bag world among women; one hanging on your girl's shoulder will make her the envy of every women she passes on the street. You'll then find her hanging on your shoulder wanting your bag instead.

Serving two, use a 1/2 a box of rigatoni & boil it until it's not quite done--almost al dente--about 8-10 minutes. Drain it, strain it, wash it, set it aside. When you first drop the noodles on the boil, over medium-high heat, sauté about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of diced sweet, yellow onions in a little extra-virgin until they start to golden, then throw in 2 nice & red, vine-ripe tomatoes (seeded & diced), pinch of salt & fresh ground pepper. Turn down to simmer-- afore mentioned noodles should be almost ready to drain by now. Whisk a few tablespoons of cream into the sauce, combine them with the strained pasta in a large pot, & stir it over low-medium heat for a couple of minutes to finish off the noodles, adding the grated cheese & stirring one last time before serving. Buon appetito.

NY city cops don't give a [censored] because it's a non-violent crime. Plus they turn turn a blind eye seeing that (for them) it's a victimless crime. The only time they'll lay on the heat is during an election year, or when the industry is rattling sabres--usually one in the same. The last time I was on Canal, all the little old Chinese ladies had those Nextel walkie-talkie cell phones and would radio each other every time patrol came rolling by.