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Everything posted by calatrava
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As promised, this is the side by side photo comparison of the genuine and replica versions of the Vacheron Constantin Overseas. To make things a bit interesting, I will not state ahead of time which is the gen and which is the rep. I have however kept the relative position of each of them constant between photos. Enjoy.
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Why is replica lume so poor in general?
calatrava replied to calatrava's topic in General Discussion
I just added a poll to see if people would be willing to pay more for good lume on their watch. To put things in perspective, how much would it cost in raw materials to use superluminova to lume a typical diver watch? -
I was wondering why replica manufacturers don't use superluminova pigments in their higher end replicas, it is somewhat annoying to have a out of box replica with weak lume, since it dramatically compromises the functionality of the watch, and costs much more to fix after market, than it would for the replica manufacturers to get it right at the get go. I guess I would like to know what is the secret of powerful lume on a watch, is it simply an issue of using superluminova pigments, or does one have to apply multiple coats as well? If it was just an issue of using better lume powder, we should really start applying pressure to the dealers to get the factories to up their game in this regard.
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Any experiences with a cheap Nautilus replica?
calatrava replied to calatrava's topic in Other Brands Area
Thanks for the insight, and photos would be very nice as well. -
Any experiences with a cheap Nautilus replica?
calatrava replied to calatrava's topic in Other Brands Area
I assume you mean an indirect driven second hand... good to keep in mind, this did not occur to me. -
I was looking at the following Nautilus replica on TrustyTime: http://www.yourtrustytime.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=39_199&products_id=5915 it has a 28.8K bph DG 4813 movement, and I was wondering if anyone has purchased one? In particular, I'm interested to know how is the fit and finish of this watch, as compared to the more expensive models with Swiss ETA movements.
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Thanks, of course all of this is based on a careful examination of the photos from dealers, compared to my gen, and is predicated on the assumption that the dealers are still able to source the watches listed on their websites, and that the replica parts are interchangeable.
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Looking at all the different variants of the reps, I would say that if I had to build a fraken from just replica parts, I would choose the following: Dial and caseback from SIlix's VACS006 The dial has a good size Maltese cross (most are too small), and a trapezoidal date window (current cartel is square, and Silix double AR has too large a bevel around it) The caseback has the row of cannons on the hull of the ship, which is missing from the other available casebacks. Crown and crystal from SIlix's VACS010 (double AR, discontinued) The crown appears to be slightly shorter (from the photos), which is closer to the gen. This model has nicely done double AR, which is nice, but it doesn't look like my gen as AR (at least the white dialed version). Since this model has been discontinued, one probably has to file one of the other crowns to an appropriate height. The double AR isn't actually faithful to the gen in any case, so it isn't a great loss, and could easily be done aftermarket should one desire to do so. Case and bracelet from Cartel version Both of Silix's VAC006 and VAC010 have slightly incorrect bracelet attachments. In VAC006, the side of the lugs have 2 screws, when it should only have 1. In VAC010, the part of the watch head which attaches to the bracelet has 4 screws each at the top and bottom, when it should only have 2. The case and method of bracelet attachment appears to be most accurate on the Cartel, Watcheden, Hont, and current Silix model.
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Prompted by your question about casebacks, I looked at the photos from a bunch of dealers, and found the following variants: This photo was a QC photo from Watcheden, but the same caseback also appears on the watch from Hont and Silix. Can be identified with the serial number 795322. This photo is from Silix's website, and is from the now discontinued model with double AR. Serial number 795368. This photo is from Silix's website as well, and is from a cheaper model, which has the incorrect method of bracelet attachment, notice the two screws on the side of the lugs, there should only be one. This caseback however appears to be the closest of the three to the gen, since it has the row of cannons on the hull of the boat. Serial number 785364. By the way, good eye on the crown sticking out too much. Based on a comparison between the various models above, and my gen, it appears as if the current cartel model, which can be purchased from Watcheden, Perfect Clones, Hont, and Silix, has a crown which is a bit too tall. In contrast, the SIlix double AR model which is no longer available seems to have a slightly shorter crown, and is more faithful to the gen.
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Okay, I'll look into that as well.
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Thanks. I would love to find a nice dress watch on a leather strap as well, but the currently available Patek Calatrava replicas are all pretty bad, I guess there just isn't as much demand for them.
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Yes, I'll try to do a photo comparison, as well as sharing my impression of how the two feel "on the wrist." This will have to wait for the replica to arrive, and perhaps a quiet weekend, but I will do this as soon as I possibly can.
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I see, this has always been the caseback I've seen on the Vacheron Overseas replicas that I've had experience with. I wasn't aware there was a shortage of these casebacks, perhaps you could post a photo of the new casebacks which your dealer is currently offering.
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According to the Perfect Clones website, there is indeed a green (more Turquoise, or blue-green) version as well, in addition to the blue one. The one on Puretimes certainly looks like an honest to goodness blue dialed version. Similarly, the one Hont was able to source for me looks more like the burnt blue version (albeit very well illuminated with light in the photo). Further complicating matters is the fact that one of the main attractions of the blue dialed version is the fact that there is a difference in perceived color based on lighting conditions and angle.
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There's a nice comparison of the various replicas and the genuine Overseas: http://www.replica-watches-guide.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t141.html I'm posting the caseback photos from that comparison for your reference.
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I haven't yet received my watches, but my interaction with Hont has been very good. He was very accommodating. In fact, when I ordered the VC Overseas, the old version had double AR, and he took quite a bit of effort to track done one, but was unable to do so. Next, he tried asking the factory to see if they had any AR coated crystals they could install, and when that wasn't possible, he graciously offered a discount on the VC Overseas. Interestingly, all of this was much ado about nothing, since the genuine VC Overseas does not appear to have AR coating. He was also accommodating in letting me change my order from a black dialed Nautilus to a blue dialed Nautilus when it later became available, as well as my requests for additional QC photos, beyond the first set.
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Hont is starting a webstore, http://www.hontwatch.com/ http://s242.photobucket.com/albums/ff194/hontwatch/ but it's usually easier to just email him, hontwatch@gmail.com, and ask him to source an item for you. He takes Visa, Western Union, and Wire transfers. Full disclosure, he is not a trusted dealer on RWG, but is one on RWI.
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I'm anxiously awaiting two new replicas from Hont, a Patek Philippe Nautilus (Blue Dial), and a Vacheron Constantin Overseas (White Dial). I did also recently purchase a genuine Vacheron Constantin Overseas, but I figured that I would wear the replica on a daily basis, and save the genuine watch for special occasions. As a point of comparison, this is a photo of my genuine Vacheron Constantin Overseas.
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The photo above was of the genuine Overseas, and these are a couple more. Once my replica from Hont arrives, I can do a comparison of the two watches. There's actually a wonderful comparison on the other RWG: http://www.replica-watches-guide.com/forum/index.php?&showtopic=141 For now, the most obvious tells are the size of the cross on the dial, the shape/bevel of the date window, and the size of the "Swiss Made" on the bottom.
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Okay, my genuine VC Overseas has arrived. This are a photo of the watch. Ironically, I've been trying to hunt down a replica version of this, first from Watcheden, and now from Hont, and one of the hold ups was the fact that the double AR version is no longer available. Looking at my genuine watch, it doesn't actually look like it has AR coating.
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New Patek Philippe Nautilus Jumbo - Blue Dial
calatrava replied to andyc2's topic in Other Brands Area
I had a $30 credit from another purchase, and Hont applied that towards the leather strap. The Nautilus on steel bracelet was $360, so the total with the additional leather strap should be less than $390. -
I imagine it might be possible to glue on a slightly offset date wheel to the 2836, so that it is aligned with the date window on the genuine dial. While waiting on my replica VC Overseas from Hont, I ended up ordering the genuine watch with the white dial from an authorized dealer at 22% off the MSRP. They're also planning a price increase soon. I figure that I can wear the replica watch on a daily basis, and the genuine watch on special occasions.
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New Patek Philippe Nautilus Jumbo - Blue Dial
calatrava replied to andyc2's topic in Other Brands Area
Thanks for pointing out that the Blue dial version is now available, I had the Black dial version on order from Hont, but was waiting on another watch before both were to ship out, and because of your post, I was able to ask Hont to change my order to the Blue dial version instead. My main motivation for doing this is that it appears as if the genuine Nautilus 5711 is only available in the Blue dial for the Stainless Steel model. Also, the ones in gold appear to come with the leather strap, as opposed to the metal bracelet. -
It's from Hont, a trusted dealer on RWI forum, since the one with the metal bracelet wasn't available from a RWG trusted dealer at the time. It costs $360, which is a good deal, compared to the $418 quoted by Joshua and Andrew.
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The classics like the Patek Nautilus, Vacheron Constantin Overseas, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, and IWC Ingenieur particularly speak to me. In fact, I have placed an order with Hont for a Patek Nautiulus and Vacheron Overseas, and I'm anxiously awaiting them. Since you're clearly a fan of Panerais, and have extensive experience with them, is there a particular Panerai rep which is a standout in terms of quality of build?