freddy333

Ditto most of Tomhorn's comments. In general, buying a (flashed) yellow gold replica watch with 'jewels' is a iffy proposition, at best. Considering the current price of gold, logic dictates that the amount/quality of gold flashed onto a steel substrate is not going to be very much. Therefore, unless it spends most of its life sitting in a velour-lined watch case, the lifespan of a 'gold' replica is very limited. Once the yellow gold flashing rubs/wears/scratches off, you either have to toss the watch or walk around advertising the fact that you are another poser with a (LOUD) fake Rolex. But if you have your heart set on bling, try Andrew or Josh, who provide good customer service & can usually source whatever is available. But, before you do anything, I would encourage you to read the Forum Rules & Toad's Guide to buying reps., both of which will help you to avoid newb no-nos (like posting the same question multiple times) & awkward questions (like what is the best......).

I do not usually disagree with Stephane, but, in this case, I have to. The crown looks too worn for that watch. I would either beat up the rest of the case to match the condition of the crown, or, better yet, keep an eye peeled for a gently worn crown.

Because a proper, well designed winder (set correctly for your movements) mimics normal wrist movement, it should not put any more wear on a properly maintained watch than the watch would receive from daily use. However, if the movement has not been maintained (properly overhauled at least once every 5 or so years), then I would recommend against using a winder. For whatever it is worth, the only watches that really ought to be kept on winders are those with non-quick set dates that take so long to set that, were it not for the winder keeping them charged, they may not get worn because they are a pain to set. As far as 7750s go, the few times I have placed my secs @ 6 Daytonas on winders (my winders are all bidirectional), even set for 1000TPD, the winders have failed to keep the mainsprings fully charged. Everything else does very well on winders at their recommended TPD settings

Panerai

Was the watch dropped or banged just before it began running fast? Most likely, the hairspring spirals are either hung-up on an adjacent wheel or sticking together. Or, it may simply be magnetized. Remove the caseback (or have a watchmaker remove it) & inspect the hairspring with a loupe or magnifying glass.

Beautiful Doxas, guys. Especially, the Black Lung. Ending the work week wearing my beater

The threading (on most modern stems) is somewhat standardized, so crowns are interchangeable. The business end of stems - the part that fits into the movement - varies, which is why you need to match the stem to the movement, not the crown. You can use a pin vice (available from all watch parts houses) to hold the stem when changing crowns. With the stem held in the pin vice, simply unscrew the crown with your fingers & screw the new crown on (do not use tools to tighten the crown or you will strip the threads). You need to tighten just enough to keep the crown from unscrewing during use, but not so tight that you strip the threads. This is 1 of those things that takes experience & practice. I am pretty sure these things have been covered in 1 or more pinned articles in the Watchmaking forum. But, if not, this info has been posted a number of times over the years to a number of threads that you should be able to find via the search.

Due to the variability & lack of manufacturing QC on rep watches/cases, it is impossible to predict what you will need to do to fit a gen crown or tube to a given rep case. However, with a bit of work, they can usually be made to fit. Similarly, it is impossible to predict whether a gen crown will fit your aftermarket tube. It is always best to replace with gen parts whenever possible. To be safe, get a tap. To remove the old tube, insert a small, 3-sided hobby file (most hardware & hobby stores sell them) into the tube & wedge it inside so you can unscrew the tube by turning the file. Once the tube is removed, apply a bit of oil into the existing hole & slowly screw the tap in. Go in a bit, then unscrew the tap a bit to allow the bits of metal to be expelled. Repeat until the tap is all the way through. You now have a fresh set of threads the correct size to fit a genuine tube. There are tutorials in the Watchmaking forum, but, basically, you can either use the same file again to install the tube or use the proper Rolex tool (the inside of the new tube will have splines that interlock with the Rolex tool, which makes installation very easy). (click pic for link) Whichever way you go, apply a bit of semi-permanent Loctite to the threads of the tube & then screw it in gently. It is difficult to explain how tight to make the tube (this is 1 of those things that require some experience), but screw the tube in until it seats. Then just snug it up using finger pressure. You are not torquing the thing down! Just snug. Then you can insert the stem into the movement & screw the (gen) crown onto the tube (again, just snug, not tight).

That is the correct caliber for the watch, but be prepared to have it professionally overhauled upon receipt. As is the case with most aftermarket parts sellers, I have seen some really ratty stuff going on inside movements that were supposedly 'professionally' serviced by these guys or their 'watchmakers'. I cannot wait to see the finished project. In fact, I am so inspired that I am taking off my Newman & putting on my Bond Sub. Good luck.

Bergeon 5680 Luminous paste. You mix with a bit of water (& paint, if you want to simulate patina) &, when dry, it looks similar to tritium with a soft glow that quickly fades within a minute or so. Alternatively, a mixture of (non luminescent) paint & your choice of granular material, which is what I prefer, can, if done well, yield very accurate-looking 40+ year-old tritium. Art/artist supply shops sell everything you need.

I love the 6200's simplicity--with or without 'SUBMARINER' on the dial. Which movement are you using?

Some nice metal today, gents.

Still wearing my

Interesting that you cite this book. I saw Lott speak at a conference some years ago &, as part of his talk, he used 2 pictures that made the point about the effectiveness for & need of gun ownership very clear. 1 picture was a suburban house with a sign in front that read 'Gun Free Zone' with a peace sign below it & the other picture was a suburban house with a sign that read 'Signs don't stop violence. Armed citizens do! with the moniker 'NRA Member' below it'. He then put it to the audience, which, up until then had not been too open to Lott's opening comments, which they thought a criminal would be likely to target. It was clear from the audience's reaction that his point had been made with at least a small majority of the audience. Just sayin...............

A common problem & the remedy requires removal/repositioning of the inner plastic ('ceramic') insert & recementing. Because of the possibility of damage, I have not attempted this on any of mine, but you should be able to locate a few threads by other members who have attempted this.

There is no point in debating 'facts' from a group like that.

A couple of points - For 1 thing, banks contain money, which criminals want. This differs from schools & movie houses, which only contain targets. A successful bank robber leaves the bank with money that he can use to buy things. A successful mass murderer always loses his life or ends up spending the rest of his life in prison. Point being that the goals are different, so, in comparing arming schools/movie houses to banks, you are comparing apples & oranges. Still, the reason banks have guards & spend alot of time, effort & money to implement other anti-crime defense strategies is because banks learned long ago that if they continued to rely on the police to foil bank robberies, they would all end up with empty safes. The way I see it, you have 2 options - either you take away ALL guns, which would require a constitutional amendment & result in an insurrection or you grant the innocent the option to protect themselves. Enacting more laws & regulations that abridge lawful citizens' rights to keep & bear arms does little to stop criminals & the insane (who, by definition, ignore laws & regulations). Like I keep saying, there are no perfect solutions when dealing with imperfect human beings. Like choosing rep watches, you have to select the option that contains the fewest warts & work from there.

I just did. Now let me suggest that regurgitating commentary from the likes of the VPC, whose public & unconstitutional statements include the likes of 'Handguns should be banned from future sale except for military and law- enforcement personnel' & '(the ATF should) take immediate action to stop the sale and distribution of firearms', tends to delegitamize your point.

I am not positive, but I believe the dials/hands for ETA 28xx movements are interchangeable.

That is completely inaccurate. The NRA is funded by gun owners, some of whom may sell firearms or defend their homes/businesses or hunt or shoot for sport or just collect guns. According to the NRA's own stats, the majority of its members are simply private citizens who own guns.

The point is that having an armed guard at your daughter's school (as is already the case for schools where most politicians' & celebrities' send their children) will deter all but the truly insane. And, with an armed guard on premesis, your daughter would have a better chance of surviving an attack by the truly insane. Again, because criminals who commit crimes, by definition, do not follow laws, there are no perfect solutions. But I have been convinced that having the ability to protect oneself & ones' kin is a better alternative than relying on the government to take legal/political action after lives have been lost.

Ken - I see your point, which is the same 1 I used to make myself. The parents of those kids in Newtown thought they were safe too. Trouble is that we are all safe...........until we aren't.