freddy333

OUCH! I hope the bear's ok..

Welcome swong. You happened to drop into the most informative watch site on the web. 1st thing, go here & read the 3 pinned articles (taking note of item 5 under 'Posting' in the Rules).

Very interesting & you are definitely onto something. Back in the 80s, I built a pair of tubular-shaped, line-source speakers out of concrete. If I can find a pic, I will post it later, but each speaker contained a series of 6 small (4" dia) full-range drivers mounted vertically. They imaged almost as well as a 'stat, but had alot more dynamic range. Unfortunately, they were lacking in deep bass or the top octave of treble. But within their range, they were pretty amazing. B&W, among others, have used concrete in some of their monitor speakers with good results.

Linen.

Wearing 1 of my DJs today

Ditto.

It looks beautiful & I certainly get that there is something to be said for building it yourself, but these types of builds always beg the question - considering the cost, why not just buy the gen?

Masking tape on the surfaces you do not want brushed. I use a Bergeon 5444 fine polishing pad, which is available from ofrei & most other watch parts houses.

Ditto Ezio. Before clicking BUY, YOU, the buyer, should educate yourself on what the gen looks/feels like. Research gens via google or gen websites & go to an authorized dealer (AD) & try the watch on. Work the functions & see how it feels on your wrist. That is the best way to improve your chances of satisfaction when you receive your watch. Otherwise, the QC pics look fine. But be aware that rep watches are generally powered by used/unserviced movements, so, if this is a watch you plan to rely on or keep for the long haul, have a local professional watchmaker do a full service. That way, you can catch/correct any problems & insure that it will be reliable for the next several years (until the next service - 5-7 years).

Wearing my Aryan-Master today

robertk - Great pic! Wore my beater today

Looks good, but the steel bezel makes it a '39.

The lume looks a bit white for an old dial, but, otherwise, it looks ok to me.

Nice, but some of this has been reviewed before.

IWC's reply contains no surprises. They are just sticking to the game plan that every high-end Swiss watch company must follow to remain profitable. That is, follow the money.

Sapphire is a fingerprint magnet. Nothing you can do about it (other than opting for a vintage watch with an acrylic crystal, which hides all but the worst muck). Most of the time, just huffing on it and wiping off on your shirt or a soft cloth is all you need. Or use a non-Ammonia glass cleaner (if the crystal has an anti-glare coating, ammonia will smear or remove it).

Working on it.

I could not have said it better myself. Well done.

Somehow, I missed this until today. Kudos. Well done.

This topic has been covered on RWG many times over the years & there are no definitive answers. Until/unless Homeland Security (HS) publicly posts an official answer, I would assume that once contacted by HS like this, you are on a list & should act accordingly. To act otherwise is to tempt fate. I would also NOT respond unless through an attorney or mandated by law to do so, or make any attempt to acquire the confiscated goods.

Still wearing the same Sub

Reason - Because Asian markets prefer that. And, for the past several years, the Swiss watch industry has been turning their marketing sights towards Asia & away from the West. But now that the economic state in the east is beginning to slump, I expect sanity will return to the Swiss watch industry & we will begin to see more small, understated watches.

The author's premise that 'seemingly massive, distant watch companies' do not listen to us mere mortals is incorrect. At least, that has been my experience. I have had direct communication with the CEOs of both Rolex and Patek (Thierry Stern once sent me a very nice, hand-written apology letter for their delay in getting an item shipped to me in the time frame promised). Me thinks Meyer's letter is more self-marketing rather than an actual complaint. Either that, or he lacks the basic business/marketing skills and marketing acumen of a knowledgeable, long-time collector. I did like some of the pics though.