freddy333

A good rule of thumb to use for a for-profit business is to charge approximately 3 times your total cost. So if a job costs you $25/hour (whether that is in parts, supplies or labor), you would charge the customer $75. Of course, you have to filter this general formula to fit in with your local market & competitors' pricing.

While it is, technically, not legal to purchase or own contraband goods (like replica watches that bear a trademarked name), it is outright illegal to sell or distribute them and most countries often do attempt to take legal action against the sellers/shippers (due to the costs to bring the suit, they often only do so when a large number of watches are confiscated). So I suspect the letter you received is more of a formality sent out to scare the buyer and, hopefully, get him/her to stop buying more contraband goods (like replica watches). But I do not know the laws in Sweden and they may differ from those of other countries. So it is probably a good idea to see if you can find out what the law is regarding the purchase of replica watches in Sweden. 2 ways to do that are to check with a lawyer or search google. In fact, you might even search google for the text of the letter you received (be sure to enter it into google's search box exactly as it appears in the letter). Chances are that other people received the same letter and posted stories of what they did and what, if any, the repercussions were.

JoJo -- In spite of the sapphire glass and the unneeded metal surrounds on the dial markers, you did well. Very well.

Although I have not purchased any new watches this past year, I have completed a number of major rebuilds of older and/or project watches that some might now refer to as new watches. But I have taken note of a number of beauties that other members have added to their collections. 2008 should be a very interesting year, indeed.

The movement will probably need to be serviced to fix the problem permanently. But try pulling the stem back all the way out and then pushing it back in. Try this 2 or 3 times if it does not work the first time. That may get it going for awhile.

When I used to dress more fashionably & brand-aware (think Bruce Willis/Daniel Craig), my watch collection tended towards modern/high tech (think AP Royal Oak or Panerai/Ferrari with more black dials). After I developed a more classic style of dress (think Cary Grant/Sean Connery), my watch collection also took a turn towards the classics (think steel Rolex or Calatrava Patek with more white dials).

Gio - New, the crowns always fit tightly to the case. But the models I used (& the look I was after) were all freshly serviced (by RSC) gens that had their crowns & tubes replaced. Although most service crowns fit like the original did (close to the case), I have noted a good number that sit away from the case (with a small gap below them when screwed down fully). Here are a few of the freshly-serviced gens I used as models for my watch (watch on right had just been serviced) I generally purposely install crowns on Rolexes with CGs this way so the watch looks like it was just serviced. Since most reps get tossed in the bin when they develop a problem, I think this gives the watch some added credibility ('if the owner actually spent the money to repair it, then it must be the real deal') (I have posted my gen models for this elsewhere) On the other hand, I always install non-CG crowns as new (so they screw down close to the case)

I bought a (5 line) chrono bridge, but have not installed it. You need to either swap the cap jewels from the existing bridge into the new one or install new ones. Considering I am the only person who will likely ever see the inside of my watches, I have not been in any rush to put that much effort into it (or risk having to deal with the additional problems of misaligned chrono gears). But it is on the todo list (near the bottom). I removed most of the mirror index markers with tweezers (they were relatively loose) and a couple difficult ones with a razor blade, but they all came off very easily. But if I have learned anything in dealing with these kits, it is that no two procedures ever go exactly the same. So proceed with caution & get yourself a copy of the bible

How will the Newman dial look on a 7750? I have never seen one in person, but it should look something like this (I borrowed these pics from Honpo) I have had to realign some of the little mirror index markers on each of the V72 dials I have (V72s at each end) Fortunately, it just takes a good loupe, a tiny dab of cement (I used clear nail polish) & alot of patience. The 'glue' that looks like it seeped out from under the index markers is lume and you should research gens (try TZ or antiquorum) before you begin construction or modifications. The crystals are very good (they look alot like the original domed T21s that most of these 62xx Daytonas left the factory with, but they are rather brittle & tend to crack easily), but I like to replace them with the newer, beveled gen T21s, which is what Rolex currently fits during servicing & I believe they look better than anything else (including the original domed T21s). In the picture above, the 2 Newmans are fitted with the beveled gen T21s while the 7750-powered 6263 in the center still has its original (domed) rep crystal.

Nice work, Archi. I have also tried (and failed) to produce something similar on brushed metal. So if someone does perfect one with flat-top 3s for a Seadweller, consider me counted me in (in advance).

Genuine Daytona 62xx models were powered by a (Rolex) modified Valjoux 72 (V72) base movement. Therefore, a dial made for the V72 should also fit any (similarly-sized) V72 variant like the V23 (which is a V72 without the hour totalizer) as well as the other V72x variants. I do not believe the dial will properly fit a V71, which is a larger version of the V72. Similarly, I do not believe the dial will fit any of the 77xx series of movements because the subdial locations are slightly different. Although I still contend that this particular 7750-powered Daytona rep is likely to fool all but the most critical WIS or Daytona authority (owing mainly to its asymmetrical pusher arrangement & DW-style case (not to mention the gen crown/tube & folded link bracelet I fitted separately)), the location of the subdials does differ & I think this would make the 77xx movements unsuitable for use with a V72 dial

Agreed. But all I am asking is that you consider posting the other content in a separate post? That way, members looking for your very informative non-wrist posts can still get their fix without having to filter out the extraneous stuff and members looking for wrist shots can do the same. That seems both reasonable & fair to me.

Hard to say what caused it to stop without opening the case & inspecting the movement. Most likely either dirt/debis or lack of lubrication -- both fairly common problems in reps, especially those that are powered by cheaper movements. Another thing I can tell you is NEVER to hit your watch. If it stops again and refuses to start after winding it (manually) for 40 turns, try holding it in the palm of your hand (dial side up) and rotating your wrist back-and-forth like a washing machine. Sometimes, that will free the stuck part & start the movement.

Welcome. As you gain experience, you will probably find that more features usually equates to more inaccuracies. This is where the rep makers most often fail. Gemstones are often another deal-breaker, since they tend to look fake & there is no quicker way to spoil an otherwise well-done rep watch than to throw in some fake 'jewels'. I can tell you that I have made my share of mistakes over the years. While RWG takes ALOT of the bend out of the learning curve, I find that experience still makes for the best teacher.

And that was 1 incredible (and underrated) movie. Your buddy's acting skills have improved substantially since 'Titanic'.

Vic -- To be honest, due to the extended length & ratio of wrist-shot-to-non-wrist-shot content of most of your recent posts, I usually scroll (& scroll & scroll & scroll) past them (I really do enjoy your strap work, but not so much in a 'Wrist Check' where I expect to see mostly wrist (or, at least new watch) shots). Unfortunately, today, you included your extraordinary 'Nantucket' watch, which got lost within the scrolls. Now that is the kind of wrist shot (on a woman's wrist) that I never tire of seeing. More of those (and less of the other stuff) please.

Corgi - I think your wrist is starting to look a bit flabby. Maybe your patience needs a bit more exercise. Maybe a bit of my collection will help

Yes, it looks like an early generation 5513 that I believe was sold chiefly in the UK. I do not have it in front of me, but I think there is a similar watch in Dowling's book.

Beautiful.

Wearing this now But going to see the Duke Ellington Orchestra this evening & need something a bit trimmer (and higher-brow). So the plan is to wear this (sans the billboard)

For the right person (someone who knows about (and is cool with) your rep-collecting hobby), I do not see a problem with giving a rep as a gift. But you will definitely damage your karma (and lose alot of face) if you fail to make clear that it is a rep. As a matter of fact, I have an old Daytona rep (that I never wore) that I am giving to a lady friend as one of 3 non-watch gifts for Xmas. It is nicely made, but one of those old models with subdials that functioned as calendars instead of timers & the pushers controlled the setting of the month & date registers. But it keeps good time & will work as a really great piece of bling jewelry for a woman who does not care about watches or watch technology. But I will make it clear that the watch is a rep (not that she would care either way).

If you are shipping a contraband item (like a rep watch or replica watch parts with trademarked names on them) AND you are paying the shipping fees in cash (not check or credit card), then you can use a fake return address. The downside is that if the package cannot be delivered for some reason, it will be lost and you will be unable to collect any insurance (if the package is valuable). Many countries prohibit certain types of items (like watches) to be shipped INTO them from the US. The post office has a master book that contains a list of prohibited items & the postal employee is supposed to check the declared contents of your package against this list when they complete the customs forms. I have found that some post office employees check & some do not. It is the luck of the draw. To be safe, I would declare the contents as just "A Gift" or, if you have to be more specific, try "clock parts" or a "clock for repair" or something like that. But I try to avoid using terms that give customs officials a reason to inspect the package, so I would not use the word 'watch', if you do not have to. Also, I have recently received a couple of packages (containing gen parts) from Asian countries that arrived with large stickers on them stating something like 'For your protection, this package was opened for inspection by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security'. Had the package contained a rep watch, I am sure it would have been confiscated. (I do not know if this is true, but I recently read that having an item of contraband (like a rep watch) confiscated can cause your name to be added to some type of international 'watch list' that may cause you problems when trying to import future shipments of non-contraband goods. It may also cause you to receive increased scrutiny at airports.) I think similar inspections are being carried out on packages being sent INTO many EU countries as well. So when you receive a letter stating that your rep watch was confiscated, I think it was more likely that the package was discovered by your country's border/mail police than by a shipper like Fedex (though I think Fedex packages probably receive more scrutiny by the authorities than those that are sent via standard post).

I do not recognize that model number (5019) as being a Milgauss. The model designation I have for the honeycomb/lightening bolt second hand Milgauss is 6541. Here are a few pictures of a gen 6541 (note the Dauphine hands and the shape/thickness of the case) I have never seen a rep of this model that got the case dimensions correct.