panerai153

I have a SSD, and the rehault is much nicer on the SSD. I don't like that conical rehault, sort of looks like they were trying to use a too small dial with a larger case. Gives it the "Wok" affect.

Some really nice watches!! looks like the recession is over in the EU. Wonder how many will be bought with "diverted" bailout" money?

That's why to take it to that final step, you have to have a genuine movement as well. :thumbsupsmileyanim:

Very sorry to hear about your deal. no one deserves to be treated with such utter disdain by another member (Ex-Member?) I believe that situations like this are the very reason it's important to leave feedback on sales. If you have a great deal, let everyone know about it, conversely, if you have a deal that ends poorly, it's also important to let others know via feedback just what went wrong, i.e. Poor packaging, broken watch, lack of communication, etc. Also, it 's imcumbent to folks that are contemplating deals to read the feedback. If you are thinking about a deal, especially if it involves something expensive, it wouldn't hurt to post a "What about This person"? I see this over on the Vintage Rolex Forum all the time. Usually those deals represent considerably more expensive watches, but it really doesn't matter. losing 300 USD to most of ue is probably as important as one of those guys losing 3000USD. I would also add, don't paint all members with such a wide brush. I know from my experience, I have never had a really poorly packaged watch from a member seller. I have bought and sold a ton of watches over the years., probably 95% used and never had a really bad deal. I package watches just like those sent from a genuine dealer. Cardboard outer box, lots of packing peanuts and the watch well wrapped in bubble wrap. It only costs a couple of dollars more to pack and send it right, and it sure cuts down on the worry factor.It certainly won't withstand being run over by a forklift or and airport Tug, but it will withstand the usual abuse of our Postal workers.

Keep a lookout on the Vintage Rolex Forum Marketplace. you might even want to post a WTB on the VRF marketplace. Would use another username and avatar on the genuine forums, just to stay on the safe side.

I have a pretty well modded DRSD, and I wear it everywhere. I've worn it into AD's and lots of areas where there might be other watch lovers (not down here where I live!!) At any rate, I never worried that it wouldn't stand up to scrutiny, as everything is genuine except a very good aftermarket dial, and the MBW case. My feelings are if you expect to wear it around folks who are fairly knowledgable about watches, you need to have a believable example. I don't think any of the current crop of "Vintage Rolex" watches from the various dealers fall into that catagory. If you build up one from a MBW, or one of the other very good cases (Phong, , etc.) you can put together a 1665 or 1680 that would pass the scrutiny of all but the most knowledgable of vintage Rolex folks. I have said before and I really believe that if you look like someone who could afford a nice watch, and have the presence to wear one, you will probably not be scrutinized nearly as closely. If you look like you can afford it, most folks will assume you can. On the other hand if the 17 year old guy who is working at the local hardware store, loading potting soil, and lumber is wearing a Rolex I'm going to be pretty skeptical. He may have saved up for the watch since he was 14 or it could be a graduation present from his family, but that would be the exception rather than the rule. As far as encounters with anyone other than the "rare as hen's teeth" true vintage Rolex expert, most folks wouldn't know a DRSD from a DSSD or even a Rolex from any other black dial, S/S dive watch. Honestly, unless you are a WIS, you probablyt never even give another guys watch a second glance.

dizz, You might want to check with some of the guys that have done MBW 1680 builds. It seems like I read a while back that the 1680 case (MBW) is too big for a genuine dial. The rep dial is bigger. That was one of the reasons I was advised not to spend a lot of money on a MBW 1680. I was planning a genuine movement and a genuine or really good aftermarket dial, but I was told the dial that fits a genuine case/movement wouldn't work.

The Zeigmeister no longer has a PM account, and he will only take on new customers who are recommended by older established customers. This was done for several reasons, mostly because he hasa full time regular job, and his watch services are done part time. Because of this he has limited time for his watch service. He has been beset with time wasters who filled his PM box with stuff that didn't lead to work. It takes a lot of time to sit down and answer emails and PM's. all of this takes time away from actual work.Also he has been stuck with repair work that doesn't get paid for. Someone sends in a watch, and after he does the repairs, they decide it's more than the watch is worth, so they disappear, and he's stuck with nothiing for his time and material. Best advice as someone above stated, get active here, get to know some of the older members, and possibly at some point in the future, you can get one of the memebrs to recommend you to the Zeigmeister. Until then, there are other folks here on the forum that do modding, you might want to try some of them.

With every rep I have ever bought, I factor in two things in addition to the cost of the watch. The first is a full service, the second is re luming the hands and dial markers. The second is not essential, just makes the watch a tad more authentic. The first is definitely essential. Watch movements are engines, and they depend on clean parts and proper lubrication just like the engine in your car. Replica watches come to you with the equivalent of an auto engine with oil that hasn't been changed for 50,000 miles! Filthy dirty and full of sludge. Bulk movements may sit in trays unsealed and uncovered for a long time, filling up with dust and anything else the settles on them. They are taken off the shelf and shoved into cases and sent out. It's a wonder any of them run with any degree of accuracy at all.

Bill,That is and interesting pleading. unfortunately, it looke like the decree has been ignored by Rolex USA, as almost every point the decree covered is being violated. I have always felt that Rolex USA has been violating antitrust laws, with their restrictive parts policies, the fact that an individual is not allowed to bring in Rolex watches for personal use (obviously this one is largely ignored by most folks), but none the less Rolex wants it enforced. It never ceases to amaze me that large corporations can pick and chose the laws they obey, with almost total impunity.

Another Red love!! Pretty much my daily wearer.

I believe that you also encounter another clearance problem when trying to fit a 2893-2 into a GMT IIC or even a 16750 with raised markers with metal surrounds.The metal surround markers are even higher than the dial markers on the 1675. I have wanted to get my GMT IIC modified to use a 2893-2 movement, but thus far I can't find anyone who will attempt it. Ziggy looked at it and said it was too much of a compromise trying to squeeze the dial down, bending hands to clear, etc. I would expect that someone who has replaced the canon pins wirth the tallest versions and could source ETA parts could do it, but I haven't found that person yet. A few months ago, BK was trying to make the modification by using modified hands, but what came of that project I don't know.

Beautiful build, and a very nice pictorial. I believe you hit the nail on the head.You have to start with a quality watch (Case) to build a great modded watch. I think that a lot of folks get frustrated because they start with an "El cheapo" and after spending a lot of time and money, they results are still not what they were looking for.

Great advice. my first option would be to search the sales forums on all of the replica sites for a WM9/BK V2 or V3. They usually go fast, and they aren't cheap. Fortunately, most of them have had mods so you won't need to do much. The second option would be to get in the line for a new TW from BKLM. He will sell you a nice watch that has been gone over by him. He can also do some mods as well. Either of these options will give you a Submariner that is very, very close to the genuine.

Freddy, I think another thing that to me was a minus for the Daytonas was the lack of a date function. I owned one for a pretty short time, and I traded it for a submariner.Ii just couldn't gety used to the non date. Back then, we didn't have cell phones and other handy electronic devices that would give us all the time/date info at the touch of a button. carrying a calendar around wasn't too handy! Actually quite a lot of Rolex models languished in the dealers showcases and safes for quite a while. it's not uncommon to see watches with a date stamp inside the caseback and punched papers dated a couple of years later. Some folks over on VRF don't seem to grasp that and are quick to say that something is faked, but in actuality, watches often sat for quite a while before being sold, especially with dealers in smaller towns tha didn't have a lot of sales.We had a dealer in our town that took a beating on 18k Day Dates. She would order 15 or 20 at a time,around the end of October, as we had a thriving oil business here, and lots of the big guns would actually give them as Christmas presents. In about 1985, the oil business crashed, and her sales went to zero. She ended up selling most of them at cost, just to get rid of them, and even at that, it took her probably over a year to sell them.I would bet that some of hers had close to a two year difference between the manufacture date and actual sales date.

Ofrei has nice pearls, and of course you can't beat a genuine. As far as lume, I personally don't like the really dark, brownish orange lume or the yellow that comes on most rep vintage dials. Here is mine old school "Polex Design" MBW. Vintage lume with some nice glow.

Maybe change the insert for a more vintage one, or change the pearl? I cannot see too clearly, but it looks like your pearl has the metal surround from later inserts. a genuine vintage pearl or and ofrei pearl would be better.Looks like you are on the right track to a very nice watch. I agree with Freddy. Where in the world did they come up with that Baby S**t Yellow for the dial plots and hands? Creamy white or vanilla looks way better.

I was alive and working back then!! Our salaries were approximately. 900.00 USD per month in 1967. My wife was a school teacher and her salary was around 400.00 USD (Gross) and mine was a little over 500.00 USD. So yes, for the average person, plunking down half a months salary for a watch was a pretty big decision. Just to put things in perspective, in 1968 I bought a brand new Ford Galaxy 500, which was a full size Ford at that time, with A/C, power windows and nice interior. Sticker price was 4800.00 USD!! Plain Jane Ford pickups were less than 2k, but they didn't have any accessories except a heater and a AM radio. Around the same time I bought my first Rolex, a datejust and I think I paid around 200.00 USD a few years later I traded it for a non date sub and I believe I gave the Datejust and 200.00 USD for the sub. I didn't keep it but a few months as I didn't like not having a date function. My wife and I happened to be in New Orleans, and I saw a new 1680 for around 500.00 USD. I managed to wrangle a trade, the non date plus 250.00 USD. I wore that watch for probably 10 years. In the mid 70's I bought several more, including a Daytona, another 1680 and a 1665. I don't recollect paying over 500.00 USD for any of them. I don't remember exactly when Rolex prices began to really go up like crazy, but it was probably during the hyper inflation years, early 1980's. Gold went up too, and that had a big influence on prices of Gold watches as well.

If you are interested, you can go to the link below for more info on a DRSD build.I just finished one, that is very similar to Freddy's. I included a spreadsheet with all my costs, so you can see approximately what the costs are to build a really nice DRSD. I believe that with this watch, a genuine 1570 date movememnt is really the way to go. You can use a genuine datewheel, a much better afternarket dial, and no problems with the datewheel not lining up, or the wrong fonts, etc. DRSD Project

Even though this is a post from 4 years ago, nothing much has changed. the "perfect", 1:1, " "used a genuine as a model' marketing hype is just that. just hype. And, in actuality, with the type of replication hardware and software available, it would be possible, actually easy to replicate. In the real world, with the massive numbers of watch brands and models available, it's probably not and economically feasible idea. I also have changed my feelings about the concept that is bandied about quite frequently on this forum, that is that the rep manufacturers "build in" the mistakes and inaccuracies in order to sell the next generation model to the same folks that bought the version before the new one. The genuine watch manufacturers don't change their watches up every 6 months or so, and the still sell plenty of watches. The Rolex 16610 has been fairly unchanged since the 1980's. SEL's, non drilled lugholes, Superluminova in place of tritium, possibly a few other minor "tweaks", but the point is the watch is and has been selling like hotcakes. So my thoughts are that if the rep manufacturers did produce a perfect watch, it would sell and keep on selling, as there are always new buyers entering the market. I think that what we need to understand is the members of all the rep forums combined represent a miiniscule segment of the total replica warch trade. The vast majority of watches are being sold to buyers who aren't 1% as knowledgable as most of the "noob" members of the forums. The average buyer is perfectly happy if their new "Rolex" is a 95% copy of the real deal. Just look at most of the watches we see here on the Rolex forum. We "nitpick" the Hell out of them, but I guarantee, the average guy could wear one into a bar and not have any misgivings about bring "called out" for wearing a replica. Just doesn't happen. The rep manufacturers know this, and as long as the 95 percenters are selling like crazy, why would they change.

If you had the capabilities to open the back and get it dried out, you could risk it in the pool. You don't so I wouldn't. I don't buy very many reps from dealers, it seems as though all of mine are from members. most are project watches anyway, so they end up getting modded to some degree. I really don't have any experience with Josh, but I have had a couple of bad watches from other dealers. I wouldn't put much stock in their "waterproof to 100m" I doubt that he even has a pressure tester, and if he does, it's is probably a model that will test to 3 atm, and can be brought up to around 5 atm. 3 atm = ~100ft 5 atm =~160 ft, so about half the 1/3 to 1/2 the stated depth. Another problem with the dive to the bottom of the pool technique, if it floods you still don't have any idea as to where it's leaking. With a pressure tester, you can see from the stream of air bubbles pretty much where it's leaking. There is a really good sticky post at the top of the general discussion area about pressure testers, with some good photos of a watch being tested. I completely concur with others who posted above. Take it to a rep friendly watchmaker and have it pressure tested before you put it at risk. Also remember a fresh water flood is bad enough, but if it's just a little water, it can be opened up, dried out and then have the leak fixed (If possible). If you get a salt water flood, by the time you discover the problem, open it up and get it flushed out with fresh water and then dried out, you could have a fair amount of damage to the movement.

It's looking really nice. I would change out the crystal, hands and insert, and you would be pretty much done, unless you wanted to spring for a genuine dial. Would be and easy swap since you have the genuine movement. Nice thing is the parts, insert, hands and even the dial are much more reasonable than the genuine vintage stuff.But you are certainly on the right track. You could stop now, but since you went with a genuine movement, it would be a shame to not do the visible stuff.

Beautiful DRSD :thumbsupsmileyanim: . Can't beat those superdomes, even with the little bit of distortion they come with.

I believe that the design is inherently weak. If the pivot was a forged or machined piece it would be much stronger. It's not just the rep bracelets that are breaking, just search glide lock on the genuine Rolex forums and see how many of the genuine have failed. Pretty serious problem, because when it fails, the bracelet seperates and your watch is on it's way down, either to the floor, or possibly the bottom of the ocean if you are diving with your DSSD. It's a great concept and if reliable really helps to be able to adjust the bracelet for arm size changes. unfortunately the design flaw makes it less than desirable.

Lots to be gained from reading Twain, not just entertainment. You can summerize that essay into one phrase, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"!! Or if it does need fixing, try to find a watchmaker who's sign out front doesn't read "Watches repaired, Horses shod, Plow points sharpened" In this case your watch is broke and it does need fixing. Take the sage advice of the older members (Not necressarily in age,, but most assuredly in experience) and take your watch to a competent watchmaker, get the movement cleaned oiled and regulated. It will be good to go for quite a long time. What you said about it not running through the night when it's off your wrist, is and indiction that it's probably suffering from the D&D's (Dry and dirty). It should have a power reserve of somewhere around 40 hours if it's fully wound. Trashing the watch and replacing it with another replica may not solve your problem, you have no guarantee that the new one will not be D&D as well. When I buy a replica, I factor in two things price wise. First is to have the movement serviced, and the second is to have the dial and hands lumed properly. I'm a lume fanatic, and I have not yet seen a rep with factory lume that is even remotely close to factory lume on the genuine that it is a replica of.