coolchu001

I just manually sanded the tips to make them flatter and shorter, then sanded the back side to create the slope. The inside was also sanded a bit to create the curves. It's not a difficult process but it takes a lot of time. This was also my first time doing it. After sanding finish off by polishing the CG.

this looks great, TC is in fact going to HK today and will pick a few more of these up... I'll try to transplant my BK TW guts into it when I get one.

nice PM me if you can't find a good deal. I have another brand new G series in storage ;-)

even if the bracelet is not gen, you still have gen gold

I used scotch brite pad on the noob bracelet and was polished with a rotory tool and finished by hand with cape code. Gives the rep a much closer to gen appearance. The noob GMT IIc is a great rep out of the box. I would say most people won't be able to call it out. However the AR cyclops on the gen makes a huge difference. Yes, thats really all it needs to take away the "screams out fake" aspect of the noob GMT. Another improvement would be to some how create the dark ring under the crystal.

Thanks to all the positive comments! I am in process of getting better SEL fitment. I have also reshaped the CG a bit (it's too tall when a gen crown is installed)

This particular watch is a BK TW with gen crystal, gen bezel insert w/ superlumed pearl, swiss movement, noob hallow mid link bracelet and WM9 clasp. I'm not exactly sure how this particular combo was created but I would assume the gen crystal is to fix the issue with the over sized etching with the rep crystals. The insert of course is to fix the issue of the pearl and perhaps the font of the numbers. The crystal and bezel insert was installed by RSH. The bracelet has ok SEL but I'll go into more detail with that later, as well as the clasp. Here's a few pictures of the complete watch: Glamour shots: Wrist shots: Keep in mind that this review watch has gen parts so the base TW may not look the same but you can get an idea of what it can be like with gen parts and how it plays with the TW case. Case: First off, let's take a look at the case itself. Here it is on its own without bracelet/strap: You can see that the watch isn't the typical factory watch by examining the bezel edge. It is very well defined and has nice polished/brushed finish. You can also see the CG has a more gen like shape and spacing around the crown. Of course it features triple lock like the gen. Another thing you might notice is the rehaut depth and slope. The rehaut is not shallow nor does it have the slope you see on other reps such as the noob. Another thing worth mentioning is the circle where the crystal meets the case. You'll see a dark ring around it, BK mentions that this is only possible with a gen like constructed case. This give it a distinctive look that other reps do not have. Here you can see the well defined edges and stamping of the crown. The crown has excellent definition on the teeth and the stamping of the logo is sharp. It is cleaner than the one on my noob GMT rep that I used to for my review against a gen GMT. The sides of the case is well made and the polish is quite good. The edges of the case is sharp. The noob GMT I reviewed had dull edges and case end while the gen GMT has sharper edges and pointy ends. The TW case does a good job replicating this. The back edge of the case is very sharp and and the ends are pointy. I might say even more pointy than my gen! The ends have the proper diagonal brushing as per gen. The case back has very good finish and the brushing looks spot on with the case back of my gen GMT. One thing I want to point out is that the case back teeth is well defined and sharp, very gen like quality here. However I would like to point out the engravings between the lugs. The engraving is a bit thin and on my particular case the word design is misspelled as "desing". I asked BK about this issue and was told this wasn't the case in earlier productions but the issue is present on all the cases he currently has on hand. Dial/lume/hands: I believe the dial is the standard TW dial with lume done by PBdad (TW sub may come with the WM9 dial). The font and spacing is spot on with the gen. I noticed that in other reps the "L" in ROLEX is not aligned properly under the Rolex crown logo. The dial is finished in high gloss black with clean dial markers. You can see that the markers at 12, 6 and 9 have thicker surroundings vs the rounded markers. This is also a unique feature of the TW sub. http://i.imgur.com/v5aFJ.jpg The lume application done by PBdad is top notch! Even though it was relumed, the marks do not have the dome/bubble effect. The layer of lume is very consistent and smooth throughout. The brightness of the lume is almost as good as my gen GMT IIc. The color is a bit darker. The lume matches the gen pearl's lume color perfectly. The lume also lasts overnight, but not as long as my gen. TW sub against my gen GMT IIc The hands are also superlumed but I'm not sure if it was done by PBdad or the factory. It too has clean application with no lume seen on the edges and glows uniformly with the markers on the dial. Here's a comparison of the date font compared to my gen GMT IIc. Slightly different, but the printing is very clean and well centered. Crystal (GEN): The gen crystal sits on the case with the correct height. You can see more of the ring of darkness between the rehaut and the crystal. Since it's a gen crystal, the etching is only visible through bright light or magnification. Bezel/pearl (GEN): I believe the bezel has a gen like construction as well. The edges of the case has sharp teeth that are well defined. It feels the same as my gen GMT IIc. The insert sits in with a slight recess which is true to the gen. With this recess, it gives an extra sparkle around the insert. The operation of the bezel on this particular watch is a bit tight, not sure if that's how it was when it left from BK's hands. However it does not have any play at all! Each click is distinctive. Here's a shot of the gen pearl. as perfect as one can get If any of you are planning to get the gen insert for the TW/WM9 cases, do it! It's worth the investment not having to worry about the pearl! You can pick up mint/new inserts over at TRF for less than $200-250; LV ones would run you maybe $100 more. Bracelet/clasp (noob/WM9): The previous owner swapped the TW bracelet and clasp with a noob bracelet and WM9 combo. The noob bracelet has the correct hollow mid links as apposed to the solid ones on the TW bracelet. I had rebrushed the entire bracelet for a more true to gen look. The SEL fitment is not too bad but the spacing between the bracelet and the side of the case can be more leveled. I'm not sure how it is with the standard TW bracelet. However i find that it is quite easy to remove and install the bracelet. It may be due to the better positioning of the spring bar holes on the case or its spring bars. I have also repressed the permanent links together with a case press for a tighter fit to give it less sag. The WM9 clasp has very good engraving and the joints are well made with very little play. However, the space between the two parts of the clasp has brushing that goes perpendicular to the rest of the clasp. This can be fixed by polishing and rebrushing the area in the correct direction. Movement: All BK TW subs come with a verified Swiss movement. This particular one has the 2836 movement. The winding mechanism feels smoother than the Asian movements in my previous Rolex reps. Over the course of 3 days it ran -8 seconds behind my computer's time. This is very good considering it has not been serviced or regulated. Conclusion: I enjoy this watch very much for its gen like feel and quality for a fraction of the price of the gen. It is well made and you can feel the high craftsmanship that went into manufacturing the case. After having the bracelet links re-pressed, the presence of the watch on the wrist felt much more solid. One of the issues with Rolex reps that I've own is the bracelet and that is often overlooked. The only cons that I have with this particular watch would be the lug engraving (not a big issue since you can't see it when a bracelet is installed), and the spacing of the noob bracelet with the TW case. All in all, this was a wise investment for such a high end rep. Saves me from buying the gen Hope you guys enjoy this watch review as much as I enjoy the watch it self.

The gen has the blue masking tape on the cushion or always on the left/top. Gen like quality of the rep will be judged from 1-10 (10 being like gen). Notice that this rating CHANGES based on the pictures being compared since the differences may or may not be spotted at another set of comparison shots. The gen used in the comparison is a random serial number model. The rep used is from Timesshop (Mark). It is from the noob factory. This particular one has the A2836 movement. Larger size pictures available in album The comparison is broken down into components of the watch. Case/Bezel Front Elements/Dial Bracelet/Clasp Backside/SEL Fitment Feel in Hand Feel on Wrist Movement Adjustments Suggested Improvements Case/Bezel: 1. Front - Overall:Dial: 9 - Dial maker surroundings being thicker and uneven lume Hands: 8 - all hands are noticeably skinner on the gen; makes it appear longer but actually same lengths Bezel: 8.5 - Gen's engraving is a bit deeper and the color is slightly silver. Rep and gen has 24 clicks but the gen adjustments are consistent through-out. Gen is also quieter when adjusting. My rep had a 1/3 minute of free play. SEL: 8 (the gen SELs sit more flush with the case). Crown Guard: 7.5 (noticeably rounder on the rep, sharp straight edges on the gen) 2. Bezel Edge (close up): You can see the gen has slightly polished teeth while the rep is simply raw (drilled) finish. When you run your fingers over the teeth, the rep is slightly smooth whereas the gen is pointy. 3. Bezel Engraving (close up): Here you can see the differences not only in depth and width of the engraving but also the style of font (notice the 1 has a curved top on the gen and the 8 is slightly more squared). The picture does not show this, but the color is slightly different on the gen; since the gen's numbers are colored with platinum its slightly gray (especially on the triangle). 4. Side: Side: 8 - Overall same dimension but the ends are not as sharp, the gen is quite pointy Crown: 8 - Very good overall, dimension appears to be the same, again sharper teeth on the gen. Front Elements/Dial: 5. Crystal and Bezel (6 inches from watch): Cyclops: 5 Obviously no AR on the rep, also the rep seems to magnify too much... there's a lot more distortion in the magnification on the rep. Rehaut engraving: 8.5 - Sharper and deeper on the gen, of course its aligned perfectly on the gen, reps may have a good alignment of rehaut Crystal: 9 - The crystal on the gen has a slightly polished edge giving it a more defined look. Notice that the gen has more spacing between the crystal and the inner edge of the bezel. The laser etched logo on the rep is too big; you can barely see it with the naked eye on the gen. The logo is drawn by dots on the gen rather than straight lines on the rep. 6. Dial and Hands Printing: 8 - The "GMT - MASTER II" printing on the rep is slightly darker and spacing is a bit off from gen, the print also looks 3d on the gen rather than flat on the rep. Overall font size and color (on the white wording) is quite good. The hole in the coronet is noticeably bigger in the rep. Indexes: 8 - quite good from this view, aside from having slightly thicker surrounds the lume is not as applied as evenly as the gen. you can also see the gen has a much more polished look, the rep has more sharper corners at 6 and 9; the triangle index is the biggest difference between the watches here (due to the application of the lume) Hour Hand: 7.5 - appears to have the same length as gen, but is slightly fatter. the triangle is also larger on the rep; edges are not as clean) Minute Hand: 8.5 - appears to have the same length as gen, but is slightly fatter than gen. Again, edges are not as clean as gen Second Hand: 9 - the hands on the rep is a bit thicker than the gen; especially towards the outside edge. The gen hands has a slightly tapered appearance GMT Hand: 8 - color is quite close in the rep, but the paint/print is completely different than gen. on the gen you can see the paint is thick and is slightly raised, the rep appears flat; triangle is almost identical; ever so slightly thicker around the lume for the rep. This rep has the ICHS but that is hardly ever noticeable; I bet 8/10 gen owners would not know if the GMT hand sits above or below the hour hand... 7. Cyclops and Date wheel Cyclops: 5 - obviously no AR on the rep, but this can be modded. The magnification is higher on the rep. You can also notice more distortion in the magnification. The gen's magnified date still retains the rectangular appearance. Date Wheel: 6 - The date wheel on the rep is completely different specially the number 1. On the gen, the number 1 is more of a letter "I". You can also see 2 and 3s have tails on the gen. Other numbers are also different but 1 2 and 3 are most noticeable. Bracelet/Clasp: 8. Brushing and PCL: 9 (7.5 before custom brushing) - I polished and brushed the rep links myself. Originally the rep's brushing is much thicker than the gen. The thicker brushing gave the bracelet a brighter appearance. Polish is very similar on both models. 7. Flexibility: 6.5 - The rep's bracelet feels quite cheap when held, it rattles more than the gen. The rep bracelet has more lateral movement than gen. The gen links are held on much more tightly. 9. Clasp: 5 - This is the biggest flaw of the rep. The clasp edges are very poor compared to the gen. The coronet on the clasp has a more web like appearance on the rep. Each of the spokes on the gen's crown has more clearly defined spaces. The securing cap is also poorly defined on the rep; it is slightly rounded on the inside edge. The securing cap also does not sit flush with the rest of the clasp. 10. Clasp Adjustments/Inside: 7 - Biggest difference is the engraving inside the clasp. The rep's engraving is thin. I have also sharpied my rep, but still does not have the same appearance in color as the gen. The inside of the gen clasp is sand blasted, the rep has a smoother flat finish. The fine adjustment is there, but its much harder to adjust on the rep. I can easily move the fine adjustment on the gen. The easy link works just like gen, but does not snap in as hard. The rep also seems to scratch the PCL under the clasp more easily than the gen. Backside/SEL Fitment 11. SEL: 5 - It just looks bad on the rep, but in reality the fitment is quite secure. Although, I did modify the fitment and spring bars on the rep. The SEL also does not sit flush with the case on the rep. 12. Case Corners: 8 - This difference is rarely pointed out. On the gen the corners are pointy and sharp. The rep has more rounded corners, probably from polishing the case. 13. Case Back: 8.5 - Sharper teeth on the gen, although the rep may be sharper when new. The brushed part of the case back is smaller on the gen. 14. Backside of Crown Guard: 8 - The gen wraps the crown more than the rep, also much straighter edges than the rep. Not noticeable when worn. Feel in Hand 15. Weight: 9.5 - The rep feels about the pretty much the same as the gen. 16. Feel: 8 - The bracelet and clasp brings this down. Again the entire bracelet is nosier and feels flimsier. Perhaps tightening the permanent links would improve the bracelet feel. Feel on Wrist 17. Comfort: 9 - Rep is just as comfortable to wear. Sets and sizes the same way as the gen. Oiling the bracelet on both models benefit contributes to the comfort as well. 18. Feel: 9 - Feels the same in weight and proportion. Again the bracelet rattles with a more canny sound than the gen. Movement Adjustments The adjustments are shown below. I actually prefer the adjustment settings of the rep than the gen . It's easier to set the date and times on the rep. It has been noted that with A2836 reps, the GMT hand experiences issues. I have seen the GMT hand on my watch lag or stop moving from time to time (usually happens after infrequent use). I have not experience it stopping while being worn. Gen: Unscrewed: winding (CW) First notch: +/- hour hand (1 hour increment) +/- Date (hour hand needs to go around 24 times) (CW/CCW) Second notch: +/- Hour, GMT and minute hands (CW/CCW) Rep: Unscrewed: winding (CW) First notch: +date (CW) +GMT hand (1 hour increment) (CCW) Second notch: +/- main hour and minute (CCW/CW) Suggested Improvements Listed in order of importance: [*]Clasp - needs much more definition in the coronet and securing cap [*]Bracelet Links - needs to be tighten to lessen lateral movement [*]AR Cyclops - very obvious difference from afar [*]Crystal Beveled Edge/Spacing - very easy to spot at wrist distance, the gen crystal seems to shine around the edges [*]Date Wheel - noticeable when up close; especially number "1" [*]Bezel Engraving - more noticeable during side viewing, slightly different color on rep [*]Crown Guard - quite good at this point, but can be straighter, most of the definition of the CG is lost due to heavy polishing... [*]Bezel Edge - very noticeable difference when touched... hard to tell from afar; however the grooves between the teeth are slightly polished on the gen [*]Brushing of the Bracelet - the brushing from the factory is thicker than the gen; it actually gave the bracelet a brighter look than gen. Easy to fix with some scotch bright! Overall, the noob GMT rep is quite good. It was quite hard to tell which was the gen on certain pictures. The dial is very good on the rep as well as the case dimension and looks. The biggest downfall of the rep is the bracelet and clasp. However the AR cyclops would be a great modification as this can be a telltale sign of a rep.

awesome super franken, just needs better SEL and you're set!

Very exciting project. Hope the end results are just as perfect :-D. I would love to finally have gen like SEL fitment on my BK TW sub