Nanuq

That's right. He uses only gen dial plates, my understanding is it's a way to prevent proliferation of dials made using the genuine factory process. Or I can be misremembering conversations I had more than a few years ago... don't take that to the bank but it feels like an accurate memory.

I'll get some photos today. It's deceiving in scale, those rock walls are 4,000 - 5,000 feet high.

Ok thanks that does help. I'm looking for some of those "last" mid links that are folded steel. Back to the drawing board

Hello? Rirash? It's been 7 weeks. But who's counting? In my case it was two years and I figured I was lucky. And again the Dark Lord slips into the realm of the inexplicable.

Smart lad. As long as you're already in the doghouse, you may as well extend the stay, eh?

Nicely done!

I'll get some video and photos, we're going to be up in the Ruth Amphitheater, right about here.

Wow these are great!! [mention=74139]LifeTrekker[/mention] in this photo of yours, is the last mid link (with the spot on it) really folded and hollow? Would you mind measuring its width for me?

Done. I'll try to get those rascals in the mail this week. I'll be up on Mt McKinley for awhile... woo hoooo!

My "classic" submariners are all vintage 37-40mm pieces and this is noticeably bigger, but just a little. It's funny, this is a generation bigger and newer than all my old junk, but it fits right into the herd. I switch back and forth between it and a 1680 Red Sub, and they "feel" the same on the wrist and "look" generally the same. I glance at my wrist and I have to actually LOOK to see which one I'm wearing. They're both round with black dial and insert and red text... and one is just a little bitty bit bigger than the other. With the tall plexi crystal on the 1680, there's not really any thickness difference either. I think you'll find Rolex really picked a nice size for this one.

Sorry, I got no ideas about replacement pins. I just tear apart, errrrrr, "gently disassemble" my bands and then cram them back together. If it's a rivet band I bend the midlink until it clears the bar holding it in place, and take it apart. Then I reattach the links to recreate the band, then hold it in my palm with "inner" side out, and use a small screwdriver as a punch to bend the midlink back to where it wants to be. Crude, yes. But it also often introduces a very mild deformation to the midlink that looks exactly like the band has been well used and bashed against things for many years. It looks completely authentic.

I'm a stone's throw from Santa in Alaska. I just checked my pile of spare parts, I gave away the Jubilee band long ago but the end links are still here. I guess some poor schlub got a useless band, eh? Anyway they look to be a little bigger than the ones in your photos. They're yours if you want them. Just PM an address and I'll shoot them off Down Under.

Good Lord. I use box cutter blades to get them apart, and leather strips and Channellock pliers to press them back together. It's not rocket science, guys. Don't get sucked in by the hype.

That's actually not a bad look, my 1680 Sub has end links so worn that you can see daylight through there. If I pressed them together they'd probably lie flat. Where are you located? I might have some end links for you. They fit my 1675 GMT perfect.

And people wonder how Santa makes all those deliveries in one night?

Now we just need to undo your yard light for your midnight swims....

Nope I've had that one apart mucho times, it's made just like my gens. That's a T116 crystal and Yuki insert. Lovely stuff.

Truer words were never spoken. Mmmmmmmmmmm, MBK..........

Don't listen to Sogeha, he was dropped when he was young. "Modern reps are better". Pfffffffffffffft MBWs are indeed long gone, but some folks can still get MBK ... maybe. There's a guy that made them and a couple years ago one of our members said his "widow" offered to sell the entire remaining stock after the guy died. It's not exactly clear what is really going on over there, but if you can find either one you'll like it. Good solid pieces. If you're not looking for "vintage" then pieces like the new ARF factory 50th Anniversary Sea Dweller are amazingly high quality.

^^^what he said If you buy a rep with the Asian ETA clone movement and wind up loving it, you can always have a Swiss ETA transplanted in later, and those little rascals seem to run forever. You'll have to pay a little more, but try to pick a piece that's built with "genuine" construction. For example, the MBK/MBW vintage Submariners have real bezel retaining rings that are pressed on over the crystal just like gen, and the bezel snaps on and the insert snaps in, just like gen. The genuine designs are plenty simple, and pretty robust. They just work. Get some of that, and you'll be able to wear the watch until you're sick of it. My newest rep is a little over 5 years old, and it developed a mild weirdness with winding it up from a cold start. I sent it off to Misiekped and he fixed it up and sent it right back. Simple repair, and I bet it will go 10-15 years without even thinking about it now. Like the man said, this is a hobby. Like any other hobby, more expense = more quality. Get juuuuuust over that price/quality curve where you're into gen-like construction, and you're home free.

@Sogeha that's a smart move. I went to the 8,000 lumen HID replacement bulb and my ice cream melted.

I'm in! But now I'm eating a bowl of Corn Flakes and yogurt.