freddy333

click me Unfortunately, the reps I referenced came from sites which have since changed their names and/or URLs. The site referenced in Step 1 is Josh's & the site referenced in Step 2 was idolreplicas.com (idolreplicas used to be known as watch-ebay & continues to change names, but the content (& my caveats about them) remains the same).

My new toy (bedecked with her new insert) has been on my wrist for the past 2 days

Sad, but true. On a more positive note, some collectors' current rep dials are so good that, even at that great price, there is no reason to go gen.

In case anyone is interested, I just replaced the original insert/pearl with a PMWF insert/pearl For comparison, here is a pic of the original insert/pearl The PMWF insert snaps right in (& for those of you who always want to know what that means - it means no tools or glue required (though you may need to scrape the residual glue out before installing the new insert) - just press it into the insert with your thumbs) The differences are relatively minute, to be sure. But, as van der Rohe said - 'God is in the details.' The PMWF pearl is accurate for the Tudor, but it could use some vintagizing. I will also be swapping the crown/tube for gens, vintagizing the hands & enlarging the lug holes to accept gen 2mm springbars. If I come across a better dial for a reasonable price, that may go on the list as well. But I am getting quite comfortable with the current dial. Although the inaccurate text at the bottom of the dial incites the occasional pang of self-consciousness, I have come to agree with whoever it was that surmised that even 99% of collectors do not have sufficient experience with Rose Subs to question the watch based on that. And based on my test drive last night, I think these Tudor frankens are very difficult to ID as anything other than a gen watch. Based on comments I received, it seems to be 1 of those watches/brands that many people have heard of (in the context of its having some murky connection with Rolex), but, when pressed, no one seems to even know how or why they know the brand. Coupled with its rarity on the street (you see Subs on just about every bus & subway train these days, but when was the last time you caught a glimpse of a Rose Tudor on some taxpayer's wrist), the added mystery seems to work in the watch's favor. This mutt might just end up supplanting the DRSD (at least, in its current habiliment) as my daily beater.

Ubi, I think you just posted the solution to your present boredom in 1 of the other threads - take the TZ course. It will fulfill all of your needs & you may learn a bit in the process. Or, design your own watch. You can get everything you need from Ofrei or Borel or similar.

For polished steel, a Dremel with green rouge can produce a professional result. But, for brushed steel, I would recommend a Bergeon 5444 Satin finish pad. (The polished center portion of the end link was polished with a Dremel & green rouge - the brushed sections on either side were masked with tape)

I took it some years ago & highly recommend it. Follow Ubi's link & read the info on the site for details.

Read the Stickies at the top of forum, beginning with this 1.

Amen to that, brother. And the Sub looks optimal on any male wrist (sorry, ladies, it's a man's world (when it comes to Subs)).

No joke. I thought of a Twist-o-Flex, too.

I am sure you will receive varying recommendations, but since it appears to be easier (& more common) to make an accurate aftermarket Rolex case than an accurate aftermarket Rolex bracelet, all of the Tudor frankens I have seen have all been sold either 'bare bones' or with a strap. So whenever I see a Tudor on a strap, the red flag immediately goes up & I know I have to view the watch with a more critical eye than I might otherwise. Fortunately, this bunch contains enough gen parts (& those that are non gen are very well executed) to make a positive ID, either way, difficult. So what do you do when you receive a Tudor without a gen bracelet? Well, it seems to me that you have a few options. Certainly, the best option (as well as the most expensive) is to search out a gen Rolex or Tudor bracelet. The easiest option is to keep the watch on the nice black leather strap the watches come with (these are actually reasonably nice straps in their own right). Or, you can do what many typical gen owners do when their original bracelet gets damaged or the watch goes to Rolex for servicing (& the owner gets the estimate for the cost of a new/replacement bracelet) - they go generic/aftermarket (this is not the same as rep/aftermarket, since these bracelets contain no brand identifications & make no pretense at being anything other than what they are - aftermarket). As I have mused elsewhere, if you have a gen watch, you have nothing to prove when shopping for a replacement bracelet - you can pretty much use anything you want, because you do not need to rely on the ancillary parts of your watch (like the bracelet) to help cover the non-genuine nature of the watch. In my case, I decided to think like that average gen Tudor owner, who may have received the watch as a gift & would never even consider paying Rolex/Tudor prices for a replacement part for some 'old watch'. Instead, I went with an Italian-made Milano Oyster bracelet, which offers the same quality/feel as the gen, but for a fraction of the price As you can see, from this angle, it looks exactly like a gen Rolex or Tudor Oyster bracelet. However, if you flip your wrist around, the external clasp is unbranded & 1 of the polished, inside suspension pieces are stamped simply 'STEELINOX' & 'ITALY'. There is no need for oiling, filing or buffing. The links have a quality feel & the bracelet flexibility is good. If you want, you could swap the clasp & end links for gen parts. But, why? On the 'poor man's Rolex' (Tudor), I kind of dig having it held together by an unbranded bracelet. It just sort of fits the unpretentious nature of the Tudor line. And if someone asks you about it, just say 'I am not going to spend several hundred dollars for a bracelet just to have the Tudor name on it. It's just an old watch!' So, instead of wondering if you are a deadbeat for wearing a rep, they will just walk away thinking that you are too poor (or cheap) to buy a measly Rolex bracelet.

Some really nice metal on your wrists today, gentlemen. Try as I might to fight it, this 1 has me under its spell

I hope it is smooth sailing from here out & enjoy the rest of your trip.

I agree with Alligoat regarding the crown screwing onto the stem (never heard of a press-on crown either). But the Asian 7750 will accept a Swiss stem. I have replaced a number of them with gen parts ordered from Borel Note that not all of the A7750's parts are swappable, but the stems are.

I know that Ziggy & others recommend pulling the stem out on ETAs, but I find it is better to leave it in the winding position (unscrewed, but all the way in). Otherwise, you risk having the clutch lever pop out of the channel in the clutch wheel (that holds the clutch wheel in position against the winding pinion) when you reinsert the stem. If/when this occurs, the clutch wheel slides too far to the left (away from the winding pinion) & you lose stem function. The only fix is to disassemble the keyless works & reset the clutch components (you need to remove the hands & dial to get to the keyless works). There are a few tutorials that describe how to remove an ETA stem, but you will need to Search them out. Check the Watch Repair section also.

Assuming the case is gen (alot of rep cases are sold by reliable sellers as gens), that has to be the problem.

The rotor is part of the movement, not the case. So just release the stem, unscrew & remove the 2 movement locking tabs & exchange movements. Then, reverse previous steps.

Are the letters that compose the 'ORIGINAL GAS ESCAPE VALVE -- RING LOCK SYSTEM' inscription around the rehaut spaced too far apart? Congratulations on getting your........er, heavy water device. This is definitely not a watch for the meek (or weak-kneed). I remain of 2-minds on this 1.

I think it is alot easier to hear the differences (in beats) between an 18k or a 21k or a 28k beats per hour (bph) movement than it is to ID them by sight (based on the smoothness of a sweep second hand). At least, that has always been my experience. You can easily fool my eyes, but rarely my ears, at least when 2 movements vary by more than 3-4k bph.

Ditto both of the above. I just received 2 more PMWF inserts (1 for the 7016/0 & 1 for the 5514) today. Still awaiting another pearl from Ofrei.

If you swap that dial out & replace the crystal, me likie.

Most likely, another franken. The watch comes with strap instead of bracelet & the caseback is signed with the wrong model number (7528) CORRECTION - I just found a couple of known gens in my archives with the same caseback, so it is probably legit.

My thoughts exactly. My understanding from the seller's original story was that he purchased a lot (single group) of these Tudors at an Italian watch show thinking they were gens. But after he read on the web that they were frankens, he decided to dump them at his cost. That, of course, would lead 1 to the logical conclusion that once the lot was sold out, that was it. Now, I do see that the listing has been removed from his website, but it is very odd, to say the least, that he is still taking orders or delivering watches if the initial 'lot' was sold out. Kind of makes 1 wonder if he was more informed than he claimed. Still, the movements are gen & the rest is about as good as you can get short of being all gen, so consider this just commentary. I remain more than happy with my Tudor.

If you like that 1, check out the gold version.

Congratulations. Welcome to the Club (almost) Of course, now the waiting game begins to see which version of the watch you actually receive.