bklm1234

I think SportsterRider is right. The problem is the crystal. The crystal bevel is most likely too slanted. The top edge is probably too far into the dial so the crystal side blocks off the rehaut thickness detaisl, e.g. missing the "black ring". You can see the rehaut thickness at an angle but can't directly from the front. I'm getting 2 to mod for 2 members. I'll pop the crystal and take some pics of the rehaut thickness. If my theory is correct, there's still no easy way to fix it. Sigh. -bk

this is also k2222's handy work -bk

no new pics, but here are my correct hand stacks: Exp2 Transformer GMT2 -bk

Thanks Jake for the review and pics. It's the best sub to date, no doubt. I'm disappointed with the bezel teeth angle though. Your pics show perfectly clear that the teeth are too angled down, more so than the MBW and TWB. The bezel department really falls short of my expectation and my old case MBW's is better in terms of bezel teeth accuracy. BUT, this sub has a big advantage - it can take a gen or aftermarket bezel because it has the same assembly. That's more money to spend to chase that last ounce of accuracy. -bk

It's very very nice. I wish the rehaut is a little thicker (depth is ok. I'm talking about the thickness when you look square at it from the front). Well, can't have everything in the rep world, I guess. Again it's very very nice. -bk

everything fake except movement+dial the case and bezel aren't even MBW -bk

this is an incorrect hand stack exp2 from the same factory as the noobmariner. It's an older one with the bolder date font. The factory later updated the date font to be correct. It's a most accurate exp2 in terms of the bezel, bezel font, dial markings, date window position, date window/cyclop position, GMT hand triangle (hand is a little fat), bracelet, rehaut depth and thickness. The indice rings have gun-metal color instead of black color. The crown is little oversized, but not much, better than the later version. It's really a very good exp2. Guess what datewheel overlay works it uses? Noob. The noobmariner, YM, gmt2, exp2 all share the same datewheel overlay and crystals. -bk

lucky man. I am waiting for a gen tube for my correct hand stack. Once I have the gen crown+tube installed, we can do a "clash of the correct hand stack GMT IIs". Mine's also running great, within +5 secs a day, no more slipping hour hand problem. So relieved. -bk

Can anyone tell me how to pop the SFSO bezel? Do the screws around the bezel hold the it in place, i.e. removing the screws will allow me to take off the bezel? Or I have to use the good old razor blade between the bezel and case? Thanks. -bk

You popped the crystal off the case first right? I take off the cyclop by putting the popped off crystal on the heating element of an electric range with the cyclop touching the element. Just 10-20 secs, I can push off the cyclop from the crystal. I haven't tried that glueing part yet. I got the UV cement instead. -bk

Thanks, watcher, for making a sacrifice to get this watch at $499 and reviewing it. I too vote it's the best sub to date. It's not a 1:1 but we are onto a another level of sub rep at the high end. Basically we have a new MBW. The good, improvement with respect to MBW: - correct rehaut, depth and thickness - gen bezel assembly construction - takes gen crown with stock tube. you might not even need a gen crown 'cause the stock one looks mighty good - crystal almost the same as gen. Bevel is correct. Only they still didn't implement the last 1% which is the transition from front to the bevel should be rounded not sharp. But hey, it's a rep! - accurate bezel profile, top, side, bottom all have right dimension. - accurate CG profile, no funny bottom cuts like on the MBW. The bad, funny that MBW has exactly the same issues: - CGs still needs trimming but less is needed - crown still not high enough but can't ask for this and want a economical price - bad dial. Get a noob dial. - bad datewheel overlay. Get a noob datewheel overlay. - bad bracelet, SELs have wrong shapes. Get a noob bracelet. - bad pearl - bad cyclop - poor teeth cuts, cutting into the bezel lip like the current MBW. this disappoints me the most. Look at this pic: can the factory not screw this up? Damn! Again a new MBW is born. You still need to mod it to perfection. Looks like noob parts are in demand. -bk

$269 is a very reasonable price. No he didn't overcharge you. Ruby prices it about the same. Don't worry about the name. What's not right is calling it something and jack up the price. He didn't do that. It's a great TT. Put a gen crown and at least a watchmaterial pearl in it. It'll be perfect. BTW, the dial and date font combo is better on yours than the TWB or MBW or MBK or whatever they call it. Because it's a noobmariner dial and datewheel overly, the best in the industry. -bk

how'd you get so lucky to get that? Paso and ttk have the new version. Paso calls it MBW/MBK 16613. I forgot what Neil calls it. It retains many of the old TW Best 16613's virtues but the bezel teeth are not as nice (too pointy) and the dial has the same minute markers (longer and touching the rehaut) but has "Swiss Made" instead of "Swiss - T < 25", which is the right text for minute markers that are this long and touching the rehaut. Your gen crown is great too of course. -bk

This watch comes from the same factory as the noobmariner and is a noobmariner except it's a two tone model. It has the same case. If DVN takes off the bracelet, he will see the serial number F520117, which is the number on all noobmariner cases. -bk

it's a noob TT. Look at the serial no. It should be F520117, the serial no. on all noobmariners. It's a great tt though. I actually prefer that to the tw best. -bk

Did you pay the pre-order price of $499? Thanks. -bk

I went ahead and tried popping the crystal without taking off the bezel. The bezel doesn't block the crystal like many other watches. So no need to pop the bezel. -bk

I just want to clarify. Is the bezel insert blocking the crystal if I press it out from the inside? On rollies, the bezel inserts don't block the crystal so I don't have to pop the bezels first. On the BCE, I just unscrewed the 4 markers that stick out from the bezel into the crystal, I popped the crystal from the inside and the bezel wasn't in the way. I just don't want to do unnecessary work. Popping a bezel is kind of a pain sometimes. Thanks for your help. -bk

King's 1st 1:1 SD was offered in 2 movts, gen 3135 and 2892. Guess what? the 2892 had a different case which was never displayed on King's website. I verified that with King herself. She told me the gen 3135 version was all out and they were updating the 2892 version. I think "updating" is making a 2836 fit in there. I suspect all along the 2892 version has always been what we are looking at now with Josh's, Angus', and King's 2836 SD. Again, it boggles me why they didn't continue develop using the gen 3135 version case. -bk

Angus' looks the same as Josh's and King's. I thought it's a different effort. Sigh! Angus' on the left, King's on the right. Angus' on the left, Josh's on the right All 3 watches look the same. Compare the bezel bottom thickness vs. King's 1st SD, true 1:1 with gen 3135 movt. Angus' on the left, King's 1st 1:1 SD on the right: Bezel bottom not thick enough. Crown as expected, low: So much for 1:1. Try again next time. Though not 1:1, it's the best looking modern SD to date. Am I getting it? No. Why don't the factory go with King's 1st 1:1? I don't mind they lower the crown to fit a more economical 2836 in it. At least the rest is 1:1, that is they fix the maxi-dial, datewheel and crystal (the super SD all these 3 dealers have has the correct beveled crystal so that's doable). -bk

If I have the movement out already, do I also have to remove the bezel to pop the crystal out. Your help is much appreciated. -bk

I'm pretty sure the latest King SD has a thinner bezel (at the bottom) than the one with the maxi-dial Using the same 2 pics, left is the latest, right is the one with maxi-dial: The left pic is taken from a low to high angle. The right one is taken leveled with the case. So the left pic should show thicker bottom portion of the bezel but it doesn't. It actually looks thinner even at this angle. In real life, it most likely has a thinner bottom. I tried staring at my 1665 at level and from low to high. I swear the bezel bottom portion looks thicker when viewed from low to high. It's why the photographer took the left pic like that, he wanted to exaggerate the bezel thickness and also make the crown seem higher. King's latest version is disappointing. Few of you know though in the previous version, there were 2 cases, one for the gen 3135 movt option, one for the 2892 movt option. The latter version was never displayed. Most likely it isn't as good as the gen movt version. King said to me the gen movt version was all out and the factory was updating the case for the ETA version. Little did I know they were updating the case to fit a 2836 in it. I bet the original 2892 case is what we are seeing in the latest pics but with the crown moved DOWN since 2836 is thicker. Disappointing but it's still the best SD to date. The gen movt version case would have been perfect. I just don't understand why that isn't used. I'm actually even OK with putting a 2836 in it. Big deal if the crown is lower. But the rest will be 1:1. I never understand the rep factory. -bk

I'm in for 2. Thanks, Chieftang. -bk

updated with BCE pics. Effect is even more obvious. -bk

yeh, transformer GMT transformed. -bk