panerai153

There you go!! that is going to make a really nice watch when you get it restored completely.

I would prefer to have the box and papers, but unfortunalely most of the folks who buy Rolex watches are not collectors, they are not watch savvy, and they are only interested in the watch. Folks move around, wives girlfriends ,cleaning people clean out closets, things get lost or thrown away. Honestly back when I started buying watches in the early 1970's, I didn't realize the importance of keeping the boxes and papers. Only after trading a submariner for a SeaDweller in the mid 70's, was told by a dealer, that if I was going to trade watches I needed to keep everything that came with the watch, from the box all the original paperwork including the sales receipt. I believe that you can look at recent sales, and se where the prices are. As Alligoat said, that watch is definitely getting very close to needing a service, so that needs to figure in somewhat in the pricing. Prices keep going up so putting off buying is only going to mean a higher price later. You can always try to do a little bargaining with the seller, but unless he is desperate to sell, probably isn't going to budge much. I also much prefer the older models with the non engraved rehaut. Any way you go, if you treat it nice, you can get your money back down the line if you decide to sell. Good luck

Is that the FC Diver bezel on a S/S Diver case? Rather like this, nice contrast. looks like the FC Seconds hand also?

I realize that everyone wants a rep of a 10K watch, but the prices are approaching those of very nice genuine watches. Especially when the price gets up there around 800.00 USD Here is a genuine alternative for 799.00 USD brand new, probably a couple of hundred less used on WatchUSeek sales forum. Ocean7 LM-5 Dress Diver Swiss Made • Polished Steel Case • Swiss Automatic Movement ETA or Sellita • 42 mm diameter • 13mm height • Swiss Super-LumiNova Dial Markers and Hands • Domed Sapphire Crystal With Inside Anti-Reflective Coating • Domed Sapphire Bezel Insert, Fully Illuminated • Water Resistance - 20atm/600ft • 22mm Lug Spacing • Screw Down Crown • Unidirectional 120 Click Bezel • 3D Carbon Leather Pattern Sport Strap with Double Deployant Pushbutton Release Buckle Comes on a nice Carbon pattern strap, just trying on different NATO's in this photo. I sold this one to buy the LM-5 GMT, which is 899.00 with a genuine ETA 2893-2 movement.

Another AP

I really like this one. I've been waiting for the non chrono version for a long time. Problem is I have way too many watches, so the only way this is going to happen is I sell something.

Thanks very much. I'm quite happy with them.

Try reading a little! I'm sure there are YouTube videos showing how to remove/replace a metal bracelet. I just googled "how to change a metal watch band" took 10 seconds, first 4 hits are YouTube videos.

The watch has spring bars that are accessed from the back side of the bracelet. Almost every modern watch uses the same type of attachment. And yes the. Bracelet can be removed and a leather strap used in it's place. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

You got one of the best Rolex guy around, right down the road from your house. I bet he can find the parts to put this watch back together. Honestly, that's a very early 1675, it would make a great restoration project, and if you have time, you can accumulate the parts over time and take this one step at a time. The clone 3135 won't work. you need the GMT version of the 1575 which is what they were using back then.

Well, as usual, I didn't read the post thoroughly, so none of mine would qualify. If you are going to use the watch for swimming, might make sure it's one that you can get water resistant. I know that others have had good success with PAM's but the ones that I have had In the past were difficult to get sealed, mine leaked around the stem and crown, maybe poor construction, bad gaskets,etc. If you could get one reliably water resistant, I really like the older 063 and 029 versions, especially if you can find one that has an ETA 2893-2 movement . I have an Ocean 7 LM-5 GMT which s a very nice watch with a 2893-2 movement, it sells for 899.00 USD brand new, unfortunately, it looks sort of like a Rolex! On the Carbon strap that comes with it. On a S/S bracelet

after a real nail biting saga I finally got my V5 yesterday. It got hung up in Customs in LA, they wanted more information and a revised invoice as they said the watch was not a 50.00 USD watch!! Got that sorted out and it was released, then FedEx took and extra day to get it to me, thought it was lost again. But, all's well that ends well. I got a chance to set up my camera and a few lights and decided to take a few photos of the V3 and V5 side by side. This really isn't a review, but I do have some thoughts about both of the divers. First off the FC diver is obviously much lighter, the V5 feels like a paperweight after handling the V3. The S/S V5 seems to fit well, and is comfortable. Although I believe that they are both have about the same dimensions, the S/S V5 definitely wears bigger. It feels bigger and it looks bigger. Some of this could be due to the weight difference. I wore it to work today, and I was pretty happy with it. I haven't really timed it to see what it's doing as far as accuracy, but it seems to be around 3-4 seconds different from my V3 after about 24 hours. The new rubber strap is pretty stiff, can't remember if the V3 was that stiff right out the box. Hopefully, this won't be a problem as I have a Sharkskin strap that I bought for the FC V3 and decided to leave the rubber strap on , so it will go on the S/S V5. Another thought on the rubber straps, they attract a lot of lint and dust. I live out in the country, so we probably have more dust in the air, but they sure seem to attract tiny bits of dust and lint. Comparing the two watches further, the dials both look nice to me, they are very, very similar. Cases are obviously completely different. While both are the same shape, One is Forged Carbon, the other a hunk of Stainless steel. The AR on the crystals seems to be Good, but both of them could use a better AR coating on the Cyclops. They are not nearly as bad as my older Rolex watches with no AR, but they could benefit from a better coating. As you can see the lume is almost identical. This lume was from the light used for the photos, no additional "charge" to the lume. While neither lume is in the "Torch" category, it seems adequate, my FC V3 is dim but readable in the early AM after being in the dark for 6-8 hours. From what I've read, the genuine versions do not have bright long lasting lume either. While the two watches share the same heritage, the same layout, the same rotating bezel mechanism and the same straps, they are really two very different watches. If I had to characterize the two, I would put the FC Diver more in the "Tool Watch" category and the S/S Diver more in the "Dress Diver" category, although I would seriously doubt that there are going to be many folks scuba diving, with either one of these 20K + watches. Either one of these would be a great watch for casual wear, jeans and t shirt , polo's, khakis, etc. The S/S would be fine with a sport jacket, maybe a suit, but the size could prove to be a problem under a dress shirt. Here are the photos:

Nah, I'll have to keep it around for a while. this one has a story. This is the first one I have ever gotten with US Customs and Border patrol Green tape around the bubble wrap!!

I have two favorites First is the Rolex GMT , any model , however the 16750 has quickset, then the 16710 and the latest the116710. All are great and in genuine all for less than 10K, gently used for around 5K for the later model. 16750 116710 My next favorite is the Ulysse Nardin Big Date +- GMT more dressy than the Rolex models, but a great GMT with push button time change forward and back.

Good advice from Freddy. There are tons of threads on the Rolex forum related to "big Crown" builds. I suggest you do a lot if reading and research before you start buying parts or watches.

I believe that what I would do, if I were you, would be this route. Sit down and sort out all the stuff you have, which truly is a very impressive collection of parts and watches. Then, I would prioritize the projects. The ones that are past the realm of feasibility, I would sell. That also applies to the genuine watches that are gathering dust. Then, I would use the funds from the parts and watch sales to finance the projects that are the closest to your heart.

@ Zero Deficit, that's a great idea!! I have been using one similar to this for several years. I even have one that is a repair estimate/ cost sheet and authorization that I email to the seller, who can print it out and enclose it in the box when shipping to me. It has his return address and his name. It clearly states that upon completion, the watch will be returned to the owner. Costs as well as shipping charges are outlined. Another one which is very similar to yours above is a final invoice with all the details. I enclose this in the box with the watch I'm shipping. Another thing, which was discussed in another thread in the past few days, I always ship well wrapped in bubble wrap, packed in packing peanuts and a nice cardboard box with a printed label. Also if allowable, I prefer to ship with insurance, so it's necessary that the customs declaration be at least the amount that you want to insure for. If you want to insure for 400.00 USD, the Customs declaration must reflect a value of 400.00 USD or more. I realize that full value creates a lot of problems for folks receiving packages in the EU, as some countries charge very high amounts for incoming goods. If the buyer wants me to insure for less, then the risk is completely on him. With some countries, I cannot buy insurance, or very limited insurance, in that case again the risk is on the buyer. In the case of genuine watches, there is no negotiation, full value declaration and insurance. I've lost a couple of sales in the past because of that, but if a watch that's worth 2-3K gets lost or stolen, the buyer wants his money back or a watch, so I'm stuck with refunding the money and no watch. That's not acceptable to me. With a genuine watch, there is no problems with customs seizure, so the main problem would be lost or stolen. For genuine watches, shipping outside the CONUS, I much prefer using FedEx or Express Mail International, if they allow me to purchase full insurance on the watch, otherwise FedEx.

Welcome back, I've been here since almost the first day, still addicted.

Zero customs duty, had to pay a 25.00 USD processing charge to OCS. I believe that is for the overnight FedEx delivery to my home. I suppose OCS delivers in the big cities where they have offices, but they have to hand off to another service for final delivery.

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you were buying to resell, What I was trying to say that when that many watches comes through customs, it might raise some red flags. Also Rolex are so well known, and everyone knows that they are expensive watches, so that only adds to the suspicion. Rolex USA spends a ton of money lobbying and pressuring the government (read Customs) to stop Rolex watches coming into the USA, and that isn't just reps, there have been some notable cases in the past where dealers were bringing in "Grey market" watches, and Rolex is just as adamant about stopping them as stopping reps. AFA time in customs, here is a story, happened to me. I have been buying cigars from a seller in Australia who imports cigars from that little island south of you. They usually shipped Registered mail, and Australia post didn't have tracking. In the fall of 2012, I ordered a couple of boxes of Cigars. This was just after the deal where some bombs were discovered in laser printer cartridges, almost immediately, the USPS and customs started cracking down on packages that were over 13 oz., Lots of stuff was getting opened and seized. The cigar seller decided that if you bought a box of large cigars, they would split them into two packages 12 and 13. Smaller could go but not in the box. So I ordered a box of larger and a box of fairly small cigars. waited and a couple of weeks later the package with the 13 cigars arrived, then I waited and waited, after about a month, I emailed the seller told them what had happened, and they reshipped the package of 12 and the package of 25 small cigars. both of these arrived OK. About 3 months ago, I went to my PO box and there was a notice. Went around to the desk, and the clerk handed me a package from Australia. Now this was at least 10 months from the order date. I got them home, and sure enough there was the package of 12 cigars. about 2 weeks later, Same thing, package notice, opened package 25 small cigars. I emailed the shipper to tell them what happened, and they told me that they had gotten a bunch of emails from the USA in the past few weeks of folks getting cigars that had been ordered 8 months to a year before. It seems like the US Customs in New York was cleaning out a warehouse that held package that had been stopped but couldn't be proven to be contraband!! I suppose in their perverse way, they got the last laugh, figured that cigars that sat through the freezing winter and then the sweltering heat in a warehouse wouldn't be fit to smoke anyway!! And pretty much they were right. the larger ones have rehabbed OK, but the smaller ones, UGH!! So moral of the story, no matter how long, it takes, your watches may show up.

Fraggle, that's a valid point. I believe we often do things that make them look like a rep!! no box, just bubble wrap and a large Envelope, hand written labels, declarations for 25.00 USD -50.00 USD. Those all scream counterfeit. What we have to realize is the people who work for customs are looking at hundreds if not thousands of packages a day. After some experience, I believe they get pretty good at spotting suspicious packages. If you open 2 Yellow tape wrapped packages and find watches inside that are obviously not genuine Rolex Submariners (Who in the world would ever ship any genuine Rolex that way), it doesn't take long for you to see the pattern, and from then on that agent is going to open every yellow, tape wrapped package from China that comes down the conveyor belt. The only thing that will get past is if he's too busy to stop something or he's already opening one and 10 more slip by. I Also believe that a lot depends on the POE where your package arrives. I know that a few years back, LAX was not a good bet for rep watches. I suppose they got lots and lots of packages from China and they probably figured out the tendencies and that helped them in stopping packages. What I can't understand is why in the world the dealers as well as other shippers can't put the watch inside a "Watch box' as you said, bubble wrap it and then fill a larger cardboard box with packing peanuts, put a nice printed label on it. Declare it as "timepiece" value 200.00 USD and send it on. I would bet that their would be a lot less problems. I got 13 emails from the shipping company yesterday, back and forth as to what they needed from me, etc. What they told me was the customs folks were not claiming it was a rep, their only problem was it was under declared. the shipper valued it at 50.00 USD. When it went through FED Ex customs clearing, I'm sure they are used to seeing watches declared for much more, and they got suspicious. Too cheap to be shipping by courier !! I firmly believe that had the shipper declared it for 200-300 USD, it would have sailed through with no problems. Had he shipped it registered mail, it might have gotten through with a 50.00 USD declaration, as the customs agents that handle regular mail are used to seeing low value items come across, so no alarms. Just got great news!!! Email from the shipping company, customs released the hold on the package,. coming FedEx overnight will get it tomorrow. So in this case hopefully a good outcome, unless I get a customs duty bill from FedEx for customs on a 20K watch!!! Probably not as I believe the shipping agent would have told me and given me the option of refusing delivery. I'll post updates.

While importing any replica is somewhat of a crap shoot ( see my post below), the chances of seizure may very well go up with numbers. While 5 watches isn't going to make headlines, it very we'll send up more red flags than a single watch. I also believe Rolex watches are much more familiar to everyone, consequently they are more likely to be scrutinized. I doubt that most customs agents have ever heard of Patek or Hublot, much less ever seen one. Everyone knows that Rolex watches are expensive watches, so when they see a Rolex being shipped in with a value of say 50-100 USD, they know something is amiss.

That's true, but you may have to pay some duty. It's hit or miss. I bought several new Doxas and a couple were duty free, but two others had duty bills of about 50.00 USD. FedEx collects the duty after the fact, they sent me bills for the duty.

I believe that you are correct about using the courier services. they are fine for genuine watches, because you can declare them for their full value and you may or may not have to pay some customs duty, here in the USA. In the case of a genuine watch, it doesn't matter if they open the package, but with reps it's a completely different story. FedEx and UPS have their own customs clearing here in the USA, and I believe they scrutinize packages a lot more closely than regular customs that handles mailed items. The red flag with my watch was the declaration was for too little, 50.00 USD, I suppose they got suspicious because very few people would ship a cheap watch using a courier service, so they opened the package.

That's pretty discouraging news, I have used this technique in the past with 100% success. I took a chance, and it looks like I might be in the same boat as you. How was yours shipped? I believe mine got hung up in FedEx clearing, as they have never said anything about it being counterfeit, they were suspicious because the valuation was so low. I have had about 10 emails back and forth this afternoon with the shipping agent (OCS). they seem to think that with all the paperwork in order, it will be released. The customs folks want ID from me, they are asking for my Social security card, which I haven't had for 30Years!! They wouldn't accept the face page of my Passport, because it doesn't have my SS# on it. OCS hands off to FedEx for delivery in the USA, so I'll see what happens. Just this sort of thing is why I haven't bought a watch from a dealer in a long time, and I much prefer dealing within the CONUS.