bklm1234

one flaw on River's TW Best that I want to let you know. The left side of the case is rounded at the edges. The right side is ok. Some smart factory work thinks it's a good idea to round the edges, kinda look like datejust's sides a little. It doesn't bother me though.

Taking Jet's thoughts on the TW Best case one step further, I'd then buy Paul's so called Perfect LV:

http://www.wo-mart.com/product_info.php?cP...roducts_id=1144

and I'd marry the two watches. Use Paul's dial, hands and movement in the TW case, attach Paul's hollow mid-link band to it, and trim the crown guards. Some genuine parts, a bezel insert, case tube and crown would bring you to the point of perfection.

You could put the other spare parts together and give that watch to your favorite brother-in-law, a nephew, or sell it.

That's an excellent idea, Alligoat.

You can simply take the whole movement, dial, hands as a unit and transfer it to River's TW Best. You end up having a spare movement (it's also a 2836-2 inside River's). I went the longer route. I ordered the dial (it's a black sub dial of the so-called perfect from Paul, cheap, $8 only). I changed the dial, put the hands back in. It fits perfectly. I bought a noobmariner bracelet for $30 from a member. Essentially your way is more costly but a whole lot more convenient and you don't have to wait and fish for a bracelet. Too bad the caseback doesn't fit the TW Best, otherwise one more useful part out of the so-called.

-bm

These are problems I can easly fix, I wanted to know about the case.

Anybody have other opinions?

It's the same thing as Josh's/Silix's/Angus'/Ruby's/Andrew's exp sub. I don't like it. The rehaut is very conical. The date window is too big and squarish and too far to the right. The cyclop has too much magnification. Not good enough for a MBW owner like you.

- bm

I thought I was looking at a gen. Truly amazingly close to gen.

-bm

It's one of those josh's $188/ruby's/andrew's $458/silix's/angus'/king's. The date window is too large and squarish, its position is too far to the right along with the cyclop, and the cyclop has too much magnification. The worst part is the overly conical rehaut, which gives the illusion of deep rehaut. This one has an insert with a bulging pearl while most of this models have flat pearl, but still not the correct recessed bulge. The number font on the insert is too bold also. The CGs needs sanding on the inside. The bezel teeth on this model is better than that in the noobmariner camp. So is the crystal gasket (nice and thin). All in all, it's really just an average sub rep, nothing like the MBW or TW Best, far from the gen. Pardon my honesty.

-bm

Nice one blkm. I see they have fixed the dial for the correct hand stack version, or has it been modded? Did you modify the cg's too?

If I were you I'd change the insert. The numbers are a bit too thick. Not a big deal though...

Thanks By-Tor. I ordered a pepsi insert from where you recommended and will change it out later. Here's a couple of more recent photos. I changed the crown to a correct sized one. Yes, I sanded the inside CGs.

-bm

can't agree more. The pepsi and the black/burgundy are the most colorful rollies. Sporty and gentlemanly in one. It's also my favorite. I personally like the correct hand stack version but 2 such movements have slipping hour hands. Joe said to press the dial tight by adding a couple drops of glue to the dial ring so the dial will hold some gear for the hour hand better (yes, Joe said the dial helps hold it in place). I haven't done that yet. I hope there's a more permanent fix.

my pepsi. I modded it so the bezel can be popped off by hand. I'm making 2 more removable bezels (all black and black/burgundy) so I have 3 watches in 1:

-bm

it's the TW Best Seadweller that River is also selling except River sells it for $249 shipped. Get it from River for the price before he is forced to raise the price to $328.

-bm

I heard it's 1mm high (from the insert). But today when my coworker showed me his TT, it looks rather low (I couldn't find a ruler to measure it). It doesn't even look 1mm high. The beveling is definitely on the entire portion of the crystal sitting above the insert, which is not the case on cn subs, the beveling is only like half of the crystal above the insert. This is what I always refer to "lacking the submariner look". So gen owners please tell me how high it is, please.

-bm

agree with stephane. get the eta version of this sub. not that much more. cn21j movement keeps good time but ETA mechanically is more refined, e.g. the quick set date change is much more solid and sure. Paul's is $163 shipped. Can't beat that.

To make your life tougher, predfan, I don't recommend the noobmariner (anymore) because VIPs at RWI can get the VIPmariner which is a better looking sub for $80 (asian movement though). It has a deep rehaut that's not overly-conical, and thin crystal gasket. The bezel teeth are longer too. Here're some pictures of it after I modded it to a sub no date.

-bm

That's almost exactly what I did:

-bought River's TW Best which has a 2836 already, $250

-bought the Perfect sub dial from Paul for $8, no need to get the whole watch for the movement

-put Paul's dial in TW Best case

-installed gen bezel insert $105

-did not install gen crown and tube, the TW Best has a slightly oversized crown but it's a good looking crown

-put hollow link band from noobmariner (same watch as Paul's) which I bought new from a member for $30

-trimmed crown guards (do it myself)

additional mods:

- replace cyclop to a lower mag one

- superlume hands and dial

Total=$580+near-perfect rep

Welcome aboard!

River might be quitting, but who can say. The TW Best sub is great for the rehaut.

Josh's sub has good rehaut but the cyclops/date window are too far right.

Solution: Buy one TW Best from River

Buy Perfect Sub from Paul

Put Paul dial and movt in TW Best case

Install gen bezel insert

Install gen crown and tube

Put hollow link band on from Paul's watch

Trim crown guards to look like gen

Then you'll have a $600+ perfect rep!

Or you could buy Josh's Beginmariner for $108 and have a good time w/ the $500 you save. Hell, you might even get laid!

That's the version I got. Its the correct hand stack version (aka hour hand adjustable). They corrected the bold font but the crown changed from the correct one in your picture to a bigger one (look at my black face). All the dealers tell me there's only one manufacturer who makes this version. It's the best rolex rep lookwise IMO. The crown is even centered, no other rolex gen has that. Paul has the best price, $169+14 WU fee. Here's a couple of pics of mine modded (bezel realigned and refitted=>higher looking crystal, inside of CGs sanded, crown replaced to a correct sized):

I STROGLY second on that.

IT's an issue that i have mentioned in the general section when there was a discussion about misrepresentation.

How do you the dealers (or some of the dealers) expect the buyers not to complain about their purchases when you

don't present the version of the watches you currently are carrying? IF you cannot do that then inform everyone that

they MIGHT get what they see they MIGHT not.

But enough with this, it's an issue the the dealers themselves can easily figure out.

On the Explorer II now:

I don't know if it's a very difficult watch to replicate. But almost all versions are innacurate comparing to the genuine.

Some of them with really bad flaws. Same goes for the GMTII (pre-2006) imo...

The only near perfect version i have seen was this (except the date font):

go figure....

I've been holding off getting the ultimate po for this. Seems like another couple months are needed, for the rubber strap.

-bm

Why be scared of customs? The dealer holds responsibility for customs seizure in most cases. Make sure whoever you order from will replace the shipment if it gets confiscated.

I have bought over 100 watches in the last four years. The only time I had something seized it was leaving Taiwan. It didn't even make it to the US.

don't assume that. but be real nice and work with the dealers and they will normally take care of you.

-bm

Oh no Andrew, don't change to this version.

Mike G didn't post a direct view of his GMT hand adjustable (bought from you). But I'm very sure it has the same dial and cyclop as my hour hand adjustable which I bought from you as well. So I'm comparing mine vs. gen vs. your latest GMT hand adjustable.

Mine's (and Mike G's) cyclop and date window are spot on like the gen (Mike G's GMT hand adjustable should be the same)

Mike G's:

Gen:

your latest stock, date window too big and squarish, cyclop magnification too much. They are both too far to the right:

Please bring back the old version (the one Mike G got).

-bm

This EXP 2 is taken from the best Maker of the Rolex SUBs and I can assure you that the Date Mag is the best you can get. Come on guys, i changed to a better Maker for this Explorer 2 and gosh... people are making noise... Doesnt anyone appreciate this at all? Think about this... why not buy from idealwatches.com since they openly declare that theirs is the BEST..

Thanks!

Andrew

PS: By the way, you should ask him to shoot the entire bracelet. The Rolex Logo on the bracelet clasp is the BEST in the replica industry.

If you have an electric range, put the crystal on it with the cyclop touching the heating element, turn the range on hi. When the heating element looks red hot, wait one minute, you can then simply push the cyclop away. It slides off like nothing. Enjoy.

-bm

Try this guy based in Hong Kong...

http://www.classicwatchparts.com/catpart/c...7mggtkf0d6jq4h3

http://www.classicwatchparts.com/gallery/D...amples/DSC04495

P.

are the prices in USD? or HKD?

Pug, don't bother. Kurt's a gen. If I'm not mistaken, it's a sub not date.

-bm

There is no Best Sub and never will be.....there is NO Kaiser Soze!

The Usual Suspects

Not the same watch as the pictures on Andrew's website. Mike G got his from Andrew and it looks like the pictures on the website, read post http://www.rwg.cc/members/My-New-Exp-Ii-bi...res-t21102.html. Andrew changed the stock on you. Look at pics from the his web site and Mike G's white dial (also a gmt hand adjustable). The cyclop on your is too far to the right. The date window is bigger and more squarish than rectangle. The crown is much farther away from the bezel. The bezel font is not as bold. The GMT hand's triangle is different. It's an entirely different watch. Not an issue if you like it. But if you were expecting to get what's in the pics, it's not it.

In fact, I save your pics as my screen saver :-) The bezel teeth (long and sharp), the crystal (beveled all the way to the insert and high), crstyal gasket (nice and thin), the bezel are all perfect If you can improve 4 things, this watch will be flawless for as perfect a 16610LV rep can go and I will say it's 99% like the gen (the last 1% is the crown being not centered). 1. change the dial to a noobmariner dial (buy it from Paul for $. 2. change the cyclop to one with lower magnification. 3. sand the CGs to be a little bit pointier (you already sanded them down but still need more sanding). 4. change to a longer second hand.

-bm

Thanks, but this is not it. The one I want is a step by step guide with lost of pics.

-bm

http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showtopic=17800&hl=

I remember reading the tutorial on changing out the datewheel of a 2824 (or maybe it's a 2836). I did a search on datewheel and still couldn't find it. Can somebody give me the link please? Thanks.

-bm

Can you do a frontal? The rehaut looks rather conical. Maybe it's the pics. It looks really nice. The bezel has excellent teeth (beats the noobmariners). The date window position is correct (beats the joshs). It looks better than all the SS black subs overall. Don't know about the bezel thickness and rehaut. Please take more pics. I'm very interested. Hope they have a TT black and/or TT blue.

-bm

I have a chance to replace my sub crystal with a custom one. I want to know what degrees is the crystal beveled. I know it's not 45 degrees. It's should be straighter, a lot straighter. Anybody with a gen can tell me please? While I'm at it, what about other models' crystals? GMT II, Explorer II, YM, Sub seem to be the same. But Seadweller's looks straighter than the rest. Thanks.

-bm