freddy333

Great post, Daytona. Also, alot of beginners do not realize that for every picture posted the photographer may have had to shoot many shots just to get that 1 right shot. Sometimes you need to shoot multiple shots to get the composition correct (though you can modify the composition somewhat by cropping the original in a photo editor) or you may not like the lighting or shadows or you may need to change the perspective or focus or whatever. The point is that very few people are able to snap pictures like By-Tor or Pugwash in a single take with a point-and-shoot camera set on Auto. On the other hand, you do not need a super camera to take super pictures. A good photographer can produce much more compelling pictures with a cheap 3-4 Megapixel point-and-shoot (set on Manual) than a bad picture taker can with the world's most sophisticated professional camera. Anyone looking for a good, inexpensive lighting system might check out the Lowel ego (click the pic to go to the site) Or you can make a basic light box out of a white translucent plastic kitchen trash container. Lay the container on its side & place 50 watt lights in inch or two away from each exposed side pointing directly at the container. Place the watch or object inside the container & set your camera tripod up right outside the opening & shoot. Cheap & very effective.

By-Tor, I never cease to be amazed at your wrist shots. Each 1 looks better than the 1 before it. Beater today (Thursday) 6263 tonight

If you receive a certified letter from Rolex or their attorneys in the next 7 business days, then I would begin to worry. If not, I would hold the PDF for 30 days & then confidently toss it out with yesterday's news.

Until the last few years, 1 of the biggest complaints owners of Rolex watches have always had is with the cheap, light & noisy bracelets the watches come with. It does not matter whether the bracelet is a rivet, folded link or Oyster. Now if you want to be specific as to which watch model you are referring to & which collector you purchased it from, someone might be able to provide a more specific answer.

A beauty (I think -- hard to tell from the webcam pic). But I trust that your enthusiasm is not mistaken. You might actually be able to get a better pic with your webcam if you move the watch a bit further away from the camera. Most webcams do not do very good at close range (or long range, for that matter). But, in the meantime, congrads on the new SSD. They are beautiful watches.

I would hazard a guess that the setting lever got bent or popped out of position (in the blue box). This is the part that gets depressed when you insert a screwdriver into the stem release on an ETA You need to remove the hands & dial & check it. If the lever just popped out of position, it is easy to reset it. But if it is bent, you may need to order a replacement from julesborel.com or another parts house (unless you have a spare donor movement lying around).

I have mixed emotions about Rolex's recent design trends. But I disagree with Logan's supposition that Rolex is now re-designing their line for the Asian/Eastern European market. Yes, those markets are growing fast, but the US market is & will likely continue (for the foreseeable future, short of a major US economic depression) to be their largest market. And, if nothing else, Rolex is run by people who are well-versed in marketing & the retail luxury business. In fact, they are probably the best in the world at it. So I have to assume that their market research (and Rolex does ALOT of market research -- I was a participant in 2 of their market research groups) is telling them that bigger & glitzier is what their buyers want. And judging by the types of watches that are popular both here & on TZ, I cannot really disagree. But as far as their new designs go, I like some & hate some. Oddly, although I do not like either yellow gold or YM watches, I find myself quite drawn to the YMII. At 1st, I went into severe panic attacks at the merest thought of that 3-ring circus-like dial. But the more I read about the technology involved & the more macro shots I saw of the watch's superb finish, the more I warmed up to it. Do not get me wrong. I would never be caught dead wearing 1 of those silly looking buggers, but I have a spot in the back of 1 of my watch cases (next to the spot I have reserved for the new Deep Sea) that would be a perfect place for it to gather dust in. I also quite like the denim-colored WG Sub. Call me crazy, but as some on TZ have quite rightly said, it would go great with jeans. And that works for me.

Was the letter Certified & did you have to sign for it?

Vintage Rolex watches have hollow link bracelets, which are light & noisy.

If Rolex contacts you & requests money, it will be alot more than $350. Generally, they demand the current face value of the gens. So I am assuming this is a joke. In case it is not a joke, what are they accusing you of? Selling, buying, transporting......what is their claim & how did they locate you? Can you post a copy of the letter with your personal info redacted (or PM me a copy)?

True, so I suggested contacting the seller if unsure. But I have learned to offer both options as some newbies know far more than I do. You just never know.

I think the hands were just installed at the wrong place. Any watchmaker (who works on replica watches) can remove & reinstall them correctly. Or, if you know how to remove the movement from the case (remove the caseback, remove the 2 movement clamps/screws, press the stem release & remove the stem), reinstall the stem & set the hands to 12:00 (where the date is supposed to change). Then remove all of the hands from the movement & then s-l-o-w-l-y turn the crown until the date changes over. Reinstall the hands at 12:00 & reassemble. If you have never done this, I would contact the seller for instructions.

I have the 3000 & find it an invaluable diagnostic tool for making repairs. But you do not need a timing machine to regulate a watch since the watch must be fine-tuned to produce accurate time based on your particular wrist movements & lifestyle. I guess if you just want to regulate your watch, the 500 would not be overkill. But I think you would be better off if you spent the money on TZ's 2-part Watch Course. The money spent on that course will serve you far better than the money spent for an expensive piece of equipment that produces information you neither know how to interpret nor have the ability to act on. It is kind of like asking whether you should buy a Stradivarius before you know how to play a violin. Your money would be better spent on violin lessons. Of course, if cost is not an object or if you expect to get into repairing watches in the future, go with the 3000.

We must be in different GMT time zones (check your bezel position).

Excellent work & pics, Omega. You can drill holes through virgin SS using the setup described here.

Excuse the production quality & lack of major box office cast (DiCaprio would not return my calls), but this may help. Gen and rep look, feel & sound similar, at least to my eyes & ears.

Carlsbad -- No problem. The info benefits us all. My chs GMTIIC continues to please its owner While meeting COSC specs

I usually use a 140 or 160 (gray or purple band) driver, but it all depends on which movement resides inside your Rolex rep. The drivers I mentioned should fit most of the ETAs, while Asians will probably require something with a narrower tip. Rule of thumb - Always use the largest screwdriver that will fit into the slot. This reduces the chances of the screwdriver sliding out of the slot & damaging the screw head or adjoining parts.

That sounds about right to me (for now).

This ought to be required reading (followed by a test) for all members who ask stupid questions (like me).

Yup. You have a good eye. I have all of his books (for those unfamiliar, Flusser dressed the main characters in the movie 'Wall Street'). If you want to develop a personal style (as opposed to following the fashion trend du jour), begin here Ending the work week with my usual beater

It is these 'small' details that, for me, qualify the GMTIIC (even with all of its movement issues) as the 1st true 'Super Rep'.

I have to continue to cast the dissenting vote on this 1. I could do without the polished center links, but I still think the new Sub would be tits with jeans & a t-shirt. I just hope Rolex is not planning to produce it in a rainbow of colors like they do for the 'tropical' (strapped) Daytonas. That would turn the Sub line into a pure & silly fashion statement piece a la Swatch or Diesel (no offense intended to OUR Diesel, who is anything but a silly fashion statement piece ).

Rolex still makes & sells the 93150 (with the lined flip lock) for around $850 or so. And I know what you are thinking, Laz, 'Just when I thought I had everything right, another silly vintage Rolex detail throws a monkey wrench into the plan.' Been there, done that, got many Rolex t-shirts for my troubles.

Thank you for the info. Either the movement is in need of an overhaul (like most surplus/used rep movements) or the mainspring has not been fully charged. Try manually winding the crown 40 turns & then see if it keeps running while you are wearing it. Whenever you receive a new (to you) watch, you should always manually wind it 40 turns to charge the mainspring. Unless you are VERY active, normal wear may not do the trick & the watch will stop. Yes.