panerai153

Tech, With a better pearl and a Zig lume job, this baby would be NICE!!I wonder if the newest Eurotimez bezel insert/pearl would fit? Arthur

WOW!! That looks really great.You said a new pearl? This looks like the flatter pearl from the newest "Upgrade" version from Eurotimez. This really reinforces my decision to send mine up to you when it gets here. Great work as usual. Arthur

I suppose the first thing to determine is where are the dial feet SUPPOSED to be on a genuine dial? If the dial feet are not where they should be i.e. positioned for an EA movement, then i would be very suspicious of the dial. If the feet are indeed different and your dial matches the feet pattern of the genuine , then it's a pretty good chance it's real. I don't know how you can tell 100% but that would be a dead givaway for a fake.Am I making any sense with this!! Arthur

How does one become eligible for the raffle? years ago we had to purchase raffle tickets Arthur

When you get down to re doing your insert this time, you might get one of Yuki's ( www.yukiwatch.com) bezel pearls for the 1665. The original inserts did not have a surround around the pearl. You can look on the same site and see inserts as well as complete bezels with inserts, washer, etc. for the DRSD. I don't know if a yuki bezel would fit,depends on your case. If it's and old MBW it probably will, but I'm sure you can get the insert to fit. By the way i really like your job so far. The caseback looks great. IT will be a great looking "tool" watch when your done. Cheers Arthur

Update; This is a real model. Go over to Timezone to the Patek Forum search 5134G. Several threads show up. It looks like it was out around 2004-05. The real watch is much nicer, it has a railroad track 60 second dial, and the hands are different. the 24 hour hand is not spear point like your photo. Arthur

Patek Philippe Travel Time 5134G It's real (Maybe) and it's expensive Retail over 40K I found this model on a couple of Jewelry Sites that look legit, but couldn't find it in the Patek Collection,. It's possibly a discontinued model,as they only show the World Time on their website now.It could also be a fantasy model dreamed up by the Rep world, I saw plenty of Replica sites offering this watch but as I said only two sites that sell genuine.If you can find Patek forum, possibly someone there would know, or you can search by the reference number 5134G. If it isn't available from the trusted dealers on the forum you better stay away, this one smells like a scam. Just my Dos Centavos Arthur

Lani, I would be very interested in a crystal with the AR coated cyclops. This one is really reflective, and probably another dead giveaway if a real one was close by for comparison. higho, IF they made a Pepsi bezel ceramic, I would be all over it as well. To me the Pepsi Bezel IS The GMT. I'm sure that at some point when Rolex perfects the Pepsi Ceramic, the rep makers will not be far behind. Another thing I forgot to mention,accuracy.Running at better than COSC standards right now. +1 second in 24 hours!! Of course this only applies to this watch, but it's very accurate. Arthur

I started to get the itch a few weeks ago, and I had to scratch it. You die hards know what I mean. You can stop for a while, but you never quit. Well my first one in hand is a GMT Master II "Ceramic" 11670. I got the watch from a fellow forum member. It was originally purchased from Kingwatch. It has a Swiss ETA 2836-2 movement and the WHS GMT arrangement. I'm enclosing a few photos,I took tonight, and some observations about the watch. First, out the box, this is a pretty close copy. Of course the WHS would be a dead givaway if examined by a real WIS or Rolex expert.. If you look at the photos magnified about 10X, you can obviously see some flaws. The bezel insert installation is pretty sloppy. Glue not cleaned up very well, but that is a pretty easy job for anyone.I don't have a genuine to compare to, but it looks like the etched crown on the crystal is larger, but without magnification, it's very hard to see.All in all it looks like a pretty accurate copy to me.Lume glow certainly leaves a lot to bedesired, it glows great after charging under a bright light, but it fades really fast. I may send it to The Zigmeister at some point for a Superluminova treatment, but for now it's OK for me. I sort of like the bracelet, but whomever came up with that micro adjustment with the concealed pins must be a spawn of the devil! Rolex must have some sort of special tool to depress the pins. I tried for 10 minutes and finally took out a link in the bracelet! If anyone knows the trick, please clue me in. All in all this is a nice watch, and if the GMT movement holds up, it's probably a keeper. I have a genuine 16750, and this may become the daily wearer. The 16750 isn't going anywhere, but they are increasing in value, and it's not going to be a daily wearer.Nice to have the adjustable GMT hand as well. I would recommend this watch if you are looking for a high quality Rep that you can wear "out the Box" with out spending a fortune on mods. Of course if you are searching for a 99.999999% correct model, the WHS will be a deal breaker.Otherwise it's a "keeper" Arthur Here are the photos.

Thanks eveyone, I may try that route. Or, I may just try to pick up a old no date Sub and go from there. Too bad the Yuki case will not accept 2824's or 2836's It would make this project half as expensive and cosmetically identical to the 1030 movement version.

Freddy, Thanks very much for the input. Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to spend 2500 on any watch right now. I do have a couple of questions about some of the things you mentioned. One, will the Bezel, Insert from CPW fit the Eurotimeez case? Also,would the yuki 8mm Brevet crown fit the ETA movement that you can get with the Eurotimez version of the 6538? I know there are a lot of problems, but the crown that comes on the watch is waaaay off! I would imagine the correct crown and bezel/ insert wouuld fix a lot of this watches' problems? Thanks Arthur

By-Tor Great review as usual. I just got one of these bought it from a fellow RWG nmember. mine is the kingwatch version with the Swiss ETA 2836 WHS movement. WOW! irealy like this watch. If they just had a ceramic Pepsi (PAN AM) Ceramic Bezel, this baby would be the cats meow. Who in the world at Rolex came up with the micro adjustment clasp wirth no holes? I tried every tool in my watch box, plus a couple of small Bergeron Screwdrivers. I could not get the springbars out to take in a little length. I wonder if there is some special tool that is made for Rolex Certified watchsmiths, to remove the center link springbar. Another criticism, possibly unfounded is the size of the etched crown on the crystal. Actually, it is almost indistinguishable with the naked eye, I can see it clearly however, with a 4X loupe. How many watch maniacs are going to be traveling with a 4X loupe, so here again this may be a "head games" I'm playing on myself.! All in all, I would say this is a pretty darn nice Rep. Arthur

Lani, I agree. I have the 2 register 2007 version T-Graph (I'm sure it's the same case) It's a nice watch, but you never forget it's on your wrist. As I said in another post it's like having a mini barbell strapped to your wrist. Arthur

Nanug, You are so right about the 300 cases. they are sort of like my Rolex 16750 GMT. They "Disappear" on your wrist. They are so comfortable, you literally have to look down to make sure your watch is still there. Not so with the T-Graph. I have one of the new version 2 register models, and it's a pretty nice watch, running a little fast, but almost COSC. But you never forget it's there!! Sort of like having a mini barbell strapped to your wrist. Of all the new Doxas, the 1000T is probably the closest to the vintage 300 and 300T in comfort. It's practically identical to the vintage 300T's. Wear them in good health Arthur

Ubi, that;s a really, really nice Tudor. I was wondering about the hands, are those genuine are they aftermarket. I saw some on Ebay today, and they are the typical fake Parallelogram shape instead of square. You guys have 2 great watches. Arthur

After a fair time away from vintage reps, I'm starting to feel the desire stirring inside! I have been looking at the Eurotimez 6538 as a possible starting point for a modded 6538. What would it take to make this one accurate. I can't tell from the photos if the dial on tthis one is a gilt dial or just yellow? I'm not sure I want to invest the money to make a "Franken' with a yuki case, gen movement etc. Any help from some of you real hard core experts would be appreciated. Thanks Arthur

@thogaa I would never trust the water resistance of a rep based on what someone else's watch registers. you could probably pick ten reps at random from the same batch, and every one of them would have a diferent depth rating. As was stated before here on many occasions, Reps are not QC'ed like Genuines. First of all the manufacturers are well insulated from the customer. If your genuine watch floods while swimming, It goes back to the manufacturer for a replacement or repair. With reps, the dealer has to eat the repair or replacement. We, the customer don't have a clue as to who built the watch initially, so there is no recourse to them.I'm sure some of the dealers do inspect the watches for obvious flaws, but do they pressure test every watch, I doubt it. Perhaps some of the high end reps are tested, but what do they do if the watch fails or it begins to show failure at say 5 meters? Do they make a notation to the buyer that your watch is only water resistant for showering and possibly swimming in a pool? No. Do they tear the watch down to see why it's failing? No. It gets shipped to you, and it's up to you to verify the depth rating. I have always pressure tested my reps, some have been pretty good, suitable for swimming, snorkeling, but I have never had one that I was comfortable with doing a 30 meter dive. Of course those were reps purchased several years back, so possibly the newer high end models are better. I still plan to have the DSSD pressure tested. It's inexpensive and it gives you the parameters of your watch. Arthur

Genuines aren't always what they are cracked up to be either.I have one right now that has been back to the factory twice and it's not a year old. Their service is great, but I have to pay for shipping and insurance one way and be without the watch for 2-3 weeks. And this isn't a throw away timex or Casio either!! Arthur

Guys, thanks for the accolades, but after all that's what this forum is all about. i can't tell you how many times guys like Ubi,By-Tor and lots of others, helped me in my quest for parts, watches, and lots of answers to questions that they had answered a thousand times before. My hats off to all of those guys, they have been the ones who unselfishly shared their knowledge about watches, movements, parts sources, etc. They are the ones who wrote the articles with all the great detailed photos, sharing valuable information that has benefited every one of us who frequent RWG. When I saw Lani's first post with photos of the Doxa, I remembered I had a couple of Doxa bezels that didn't fit any of my Doxas. As we said before, Doxa parts are a crap shoot at best, I think I had at one time 5 bezels and only one of them fit one of my Doxas. As luck would have it, the one that it fit actually had a better bezel on it than the replacement one! So essentially, I was 0 for 5. I PM'ed Lani and told him I thought I had a couple of Bezels that MAY fit. After our conversation, I was afraid I might not be able to find the bezels,but they were found and here we are today. Much better to have that bezel making a really outstanding 300 whole again that gathering dust in my watch parts box. Now what adds credibility to the Doxa mystery, the two bezels I sent Lani are identical, at least to the naked eye. I mean put them side by side, one on top of the other, they are the same. But his watchmaker said ONE of the bezels fit. So the other is off just a few thousands bigger, smaller who knows. I don't have the foggiest idea why the Gnomes of Chateau de Fonds couldn't resist forever tinkering with and changing the Doxa watches. It almost makes you wonder if they were trying to make one off custom pieces!! ALL I know is today their tinkering with sizes and dimensions makes it a very frustrating search for parts. Arthur

Lani, I couldn't be happier for you. When I saw those photos, it was like seeing your baby for the first time (Well not quite, but you know what I mean) It is so nice to see that bezel being used on a really beautiful watch. As I told you in our initial conversation, it's such a crap shoot with Doxa parts, you just never know until you try. Glad your watchmaker was able to get the spring right so the bezel functions like it should. I believe your watch looks better than the 300 Pro in Dr Pete's book. It is outstanding. The Zigmeister will know what to do with it, he restored several of my Doxas including the Pre 300 that's in Dr. Pete's book. The main thing, and now I sound like and old mother hen! Don't do too much. So many nice vintage watches have been "Desecrated" by owners who decided they needed to have the indices superlumed, and consequently, destroyed the value of the watch. Just to let all the forum members know, if you have a 300 No Date, Lani has another bezel of mine that is identical to the one on his watch. I had two of them and never had a Doxa they would fit. It's new old stock just like this one. Congratulations on your new baby!! Looks like we need to light up a celebratory cigar for this one. Arthur

Demps you are so correct, I really, really like the new RWG so much better. having started at TRC, like many here did, i was I guess used to a little more civil discussion. WOW! You could come over to the old RWG, and just say hello and somebody would start a flame war! I got so tired of reading threads that started out as legitimate requests for information, or projects that folks were spending a lot of time and money on and by the end of the first page it was all out war between posters. I compare this site to the old TRC in many ways, primarily the amount of help folks are eager to give, and while there is bantering, I don't get that undercurrent of malicious mean spirited posting that was so common before. I don't want to hijack the thread or wax nostalgic about what was or could have been. I enjoy reps very much. As someone said, it allows you to test drive the product before springing for the expensive model.I promise you, I have had no telling how many genuine watches that I lusted after, planned and schemed, saved for and finally bought, only to realize they were just not "me". I have literally sold watches that I never wore outside the house. Just tried on and thought to myself "You Idiot! why did you buy this thing?" If it's a 200 dollar rep it's a lot easier on the pocketbook to flip at a 20% Discount, over a 3000 dollar genuine that you suffer a 29% discount. Secondly, I have enjoyed the hunt for the "perfect" Sub, SeaDweller, etc. knowing full well that perfection is and elusive and probably unobtainable goal, but we set out on the quest anyway. We oohh and aahh over watches that we admire, and in a lot of cases because we can appreciate the time and work that went into making them as perfect as possible. I promise you you will probably never see the camaradarie that you find here on the genuine forums, at least not on the "prestige" watch forums. I have made some friends and very much enjoyed some of the "minor" brands forums, but those for the most part are comprised of regular folks much like the folks here, watch lovers. Just my Dos Centavos Arthur

I've had pretty good luck going to Timezone's sales corner as well as WatchU Seek's private sales forum. Do a search of the exact watch your trying to sell. Unless it's a really rare or expensive model, they will probably have some sales listings. As everyone else said, look for the "Sold" listings" Just like in our sales forum here, if the watch is up for sale for a couple of weeks and the seller "bumps" it 25 times, and it isn't sold, you can probably figure it is either too expensive or something is suspect. Give that a try. I would say go over to WatchU seek and go to the Omega Forum, it's super active and there are a few really good guys who are helpful and very knowledgable, however I'm not sure about discussing prices.If you get a feel for some of the "good guys" it certainly wouldn't hurt to PM one of them and ask what they thought a fair price would be. I did a lot of research on that forum before I bought my genuine Speedmaster Pro "moon Watch" as well as my X-33. They were a big help to me. Good luck with your sale. Arthur

By- Tor Of all the watches I've bought sold traded over the past 20 years, the only one that has stayed and will stay is the 16750. I wore it yesterday and brother it is still the best looking and most comfortable watch in my watch box. It truly is one of the very few watches that disappear on your wrist. You have to look down to check if it's still there! I agree the fixed GMT hand is different, but for me the 16750 has more utility than the newer adjustable hand models, I can set the time to my time zone I'm in and rotate the bezel to the 2nd time zone I'm interested in and it is just foolproof. When my wife is in Europe, she really gets Po'ed if I call her at 3 AM, because I set my watch incorrectly. With the 16750 that isn't a problem. What you are saying then is the WHS models work similar to the 1575 Rolex movement, where the GMT hand is basically a non adjustable 24 hour hand? I would imagine the problem with the CHS movement is trying to make it into an adjustable GMT hand like the modern Rolex GMTII's I would suspect that adding that adjustability component in would create a lot of problems. Arthur

Agree with By-Tor WM9 has the best. More expensive, yes, but not break the bank expensive. If your into something a step down, few more flaws, but still pretty darn good, noobmariner.But to gain knowledge and help yourself, read the reviews, Rolex area threads and decide what you want and can afford. At one time if you were trying to find a vintage Rollie, MBW was the only one to consider although a little later Watchmaker had just as good (Maybe from the same source?) Don't have a clue as to the best vintage now. I would assume you are looking for a contemporary model, so i would go to WM9. Arthur

I have to agree with Lani, to some of us its the journey, not the destination. Back in 2006, I was into Vintage Rollies in a big way. I just in fact read some of my old letters to the Zigmeister regarding mods on a DRSD and a Red Sub. I spent months trying to get my vintage watches looking as close to genuine as possible. But you know what, once they were finished, they ended up spending most of their life on a winder. At that time, I had about 20-25 watches both reps and genuine, so it was a fight for wrist time. Consequently, although I spent countless hours and quite a bit of money on the modded reps, they were sent on their way after a time. I always seemed to have another pressing project that required funds. Im not sure about modding for resale. My experience back then was pretty typical of what most folks experienced. Forum members were very reluctant to pay much more that the initial cost of the watch, no matter how much you spent modding it. For example, say I bought the DRSD from MBW for 400.00 and then spent another 400-500 dollars on mods. I was crucified when I put the watch up for sale at 800.00 dollars. It was like most buyers felt like they were buying a used 400.00 dollar watch, and I was crazy to ask twice the new price for it. No matter the watch had a Crown guard mod, genuine crown /tube , genuine insert, crystal and the dial and hands had been aged to match the watches age, plus the movement had been cleaned and lubricated and the watch pressure tested to 100 ft., Most of the older members who were buying and selling watches back then experienced the same thing, you were never going to get your money back on a modded watch. I suppose those of us who suffer from a little ADD (Or whatever they are calling it these days) will always be constantly looking for a better watch. The grail of today is the sale watch of tomorrow. Must be pretty common, look at WatchUSeek and Time Zone, literally hundreds of watches every day, and thats not counting Ebay! So who knows? Some folks build a wonderful Franken or heavily modded rep and for them the journey is over, watch is safe and will never be sold, for others, its just another step in a long journey. Neither is wrong, its just your perspective of things. Just My Dos Centavos Arthur