panerai153

There is a guy over on RepGeek, parting out a V3 Fc and a V4.1, both with straps/buckles you might want to shoot him a PM and see if he is willing to part with the straps. Worth a shot.name is sam2013 right up at the top of the rep straps/parts section.

both of those are really, really beautiful, but jmicro's is a touch above Hard to spot, but when you know, you will be able to tell in and instant.

Mike, You can pull this one off with ease!! If the rubber strap doesn't work, a nice black Donerix hornback, regular Caiman or gator, or shark would look super. I heard he just caught a 12 foot gator , so he should have a hide long enough to make your strap how thick is ur wrist in inches? would you recommend it for someone with a 6.7 inch wrist? Don't worry son, just keep doing what your name implies, and you will soon have a man size wrist, just got to learn to use your left hand!!

I would watch the straps sale section on all the forums, I have seen them for sale before. Also you could post a Want to Buy on the forums as well. Would be slower this way but probably cheaper. there are a few on Ebay, but they start at about 175.00 USD and up. Probably not the way to go!! You might try Ryan at intime (Dealer on RG) or Toro, I have heard that they can source some parts, but do not have any personal dealings with either of those gentlemen.

Like I said, I'm an observer from the sidelines, as I seldom buy from dealers. But in reality, folks are going to complain, and they are going to point out flaws. Now I certainly agree with you that folks can carry it too far. We had the same thing happen on the MKII forum when the Kingston project took over 3 years to go from deposits to delivery. Some of the comments were really acerbic, and it finally got to the point where the mods had to step in and threaten folks with suspension for some of the comments. Interestingly, most of the worst comments came from folks who didn't even have a watch on order!! They came on the forum and started writing negative comments and had absolutely no reason to get involved. All this does is start a feeding frenzy among folks who don't have any reason to post in the first place. Bill Yao finally posted and very sharply told all involved that he would cheerfully refund the entire deposit of anyone who was unhappy, as their were lots of folks in line to take their places. Unfortunately, Angus can only agree to refund deposits if folks are not happy with the product or the time frame. He is probably pretty powerless to do anything else, because after rereading one of his early posts about how reps are made, it's clear that the makers have all the power. The dealer is pretty much at the mercy of the makers. But with that in mind, and knowing that the makers are often not on schedule, and the first versions have flaws, delivery times are not guaranteed, nor is the quantity of watches guaranteed, perhaps Angus should rethink the idea of posting incomplete and/or prototype watches as well as accepting preorders, if it's going to cause this many problems. Another point, I believe that in a lot of cases, the most vocal and abusive comments don't get much credibility from the other forum members. If some member get's the reputation as being too vocal, too strident and complains all the time, I really believe that most folks just blow them off, skip over their posts or get a good laugh out of their drivel. I'm sure it makes Angus angry, because it is offensive, and in a lot of cases, he's being blamed for things that he has no control over. I believe that some folks, probably noobs that haven't read and researched the way reps are produced, seem to think that the dealer/maker is one and the same, and these watches are being built in a factory with the sales office up front, which isn't the way it works. I don't think that the idea of "blacklisting" people who complain, unless their complaints are threatening or really get too strident, is a good idea. I have heard some complaints about the new AP 44mm FC ROO from some pretty darn knowledgeable AP folks. Theirs weren't particularly bad on the scale of comments, but those guys buy a bunch of watches, and no matter what any one particular dealer does, other dealers are going to sell the person watches. Probably the only effective blacklist would be individuals who initiate PayPal actions for little or no reason. The dealers are in the business of selling watches, and I doubt seriously that the dealer network is such a tight and well organized brotherhood that one dealers" Whining and complaining Blacklist" is going to have much impact on the others. Like I said, doesn't affect me for the most part, as I'm not what you would call and "early adopter", one of those folks that are standing in line for 2 days at the Apple store to buy the latest IPhone!! I'm more than happy to wait around and buy an almost new watch M2M from one of the first in line guys who bought it and then decided it wasn't for him.

Well Sir, that is a beautiful watch, and it really looks good on you, but as we have spoken about, I'm afraid this one exceeds my size limits!! Good for my bank account. It really is nice, and it's nice to know that the flaws are "livable" rather than some that make you want to box your watch up as soon as you get the plastic off and send straight to a modder!! Wear it well.

Sorry, I have to color coordinate, and that blue just doesn't match my eyes It is a nice looking watch, just isn't me. AFA the sec @ 6, is that configuration any more problematic than the AP sec @ 12 A7750 movement?

Thanks very much again guys, it's very refreshing and enlightening to get some good advice. The worst things that folks can do is not avail themselves of the immense knowledge base here on RWG. If you go off and spend a ton of money on unnecessary and useless mods , you only have yourself to blame, as their are lots of folks here who are more than willing to share their knowledge and keep you on the right track. As I said to Legend in a PM, the big disadvantage to living in a small community is it's impossible to easily visit AD's to try on and look at genuine examples. Of course the upside is there isn't anyone around who is knowledgeable enough to call you out, so you could probably get away with some pretty awful reps here and no one would be the wiser, just remember to wear one of your good watches when you go to a bigger city!!

Welcome aboard the fast train to poverty and destitution!! Reps will do that to you, you start with one and first thing you know, you look around and you are neck deep in watches!! looks like you have a good head start with 32 watches already. As Freddy and Mike said, you have to read, read and read more. Narrow down your interest area, at least at first and then decide what specific watches you are interested in. When you decide that. you can choose a dealer, based on his reviews, your comfort zone with the dealer (Does he accept a watch back if it's DOA, what are his replacement policies if the watch is lost stolen or seized by customs, what are his payment methods, etc.?) All of this will play a part in who you feel comfortable dealing with. Then it's just a matter of finding a second or third job to pay for this watch obsession, sending off the money and waiting for the postman. Good luck

I agree communication is essential. how much, who knows? Some folks wouldn't be happy if the dealer gave daily updates, most folks would just like regular updates weekly, biweekly, etc. Often times the dealers don't update, because their isn't anything new to announce. in that case, if it's been a couple of weeks, just a simple, "Guys, still working on the problems, hope to have something new to report in another week or two." that keeps most folks happy as they feel like they are in the loop. A couple of years ago, I was involved in a limited edition genuine build. I didn't get in on the first run, or the second, I was in the third edition of the watch. My wait was almost 2 years, some folks were over 3. that's after putting a 50% deposit down. Biggest problem with that deal, communication! Quite a few folks backed out and got a full refund, because they couldn't stand the wait (instant gratification, NOT!!) and some couldn't stand the long periods of silence with no updates. Those who waited were rewarded with a beautiful watch that now sells used for almost twice what folks paid when new. I have dealt with another boutique watchmaker who told me that he would absolutely never do a preorder again, after his first, and it went off a lot faster and smoother than the one above. He told me that he would design watches with forum members input, but no preorders, and no hard and fast delivery date. "When I get 'em, you get 'em", was his way of doing business. Works out better for him, and it certainly cuts down on the angst among the waiting deposit holders. AFA The letter Angus wrote. I think that he should be admired for doing what he does, but honestly, when you accept preorders, and post photos of incomplete watches and prototypes on your website, all you are doing is opening yourself up for criticism. People are going to compare, and they are going to complain, that's human nature. and when they see watches with obvious flaws, they are going to express their opinion, whether the dealer likes it or not. I realize that these are watches that cost a fraction of what the genuine counterpart costs, but when you are pricing reps up in the range of 800.00 USD, I believe that the buyer should expect a higher level of workmanship, accuracy and attention to detail , as opposed to a 300.00 USD rep. What he needs to understand is the fact that his reps that are selling for 600-800 USD are competing directly with some pretty nice genuine watches that come with real QC, real warranties, real water resistance, and real dealer and factory support. I very seldom buy watches directly from dealers, Probably 95+% of my reps watches have come from M2M sales. So maybe I'm speaking out of turn here, as I don't have a "skin in the game", but if a dealer is dismayed by the reaction of buyers who preorder and then don't like the lack of communication, be it real or perceived, and folks who criticize the watches, mainly because they are prototypes and or incomplete., then it would seem to me that the simple and easy solution to that problem is to get out of the preorder business, and refrain from posting watches on your sales site until they are finished and stock is on hand or quickly obtainable from the factory. Certainly acceptable to announce that "we are going to be introducing a V5.1 AP Diver sometimes in the near future, not sure when, but when it's ready and available, we will have it here first".

Which one did you get? Is this the FC V3 version of the Diver? Need photos when it arrives.

Thanks guys, it's supposed to be here on Tuesday, so I'll take few photos and post them, sort of a before and after. I think I'll wear it for a few weeks at least until my other AP's get back home from being serviced. Then it's off to get a movement service and AR'ed crystal and Cyclops.

Problem is he can't get the threaded pins out. if he could get one out on each end he could stick a toothpick or straight paper clip in from the other side and push the other one out. If the pin won't back out by unscrewing, it's going to be a real problem to get them out. once they are out, he can see if the threads are bad on the pin and the case, or just the pins or both. if it's just the pins, it would be easy to use a tap to clean out the threads and get new pins. If the threads are gone inside the lugs, if he taps them out bigger, then he would have to have pins made that would have the correct size threads. If this is a brand new watch, possibly contract the dealer and see what he says, maybe send it back and get it repaired (they would probably decase the movement and use all the parts in a new case. Maybe talk to one of the watch smiths/modders on the forum and see what they suggest. I feel sure this problem has happened before, but probably with only one threaded pin, so you could unscrew the other one and push the bad pin out from the other side. In this case they are all spinning, so you can't get any access to remove them.

You are right, I've seen "black lume" on other genuine watches, and I was never impressed with the quality of the lume. Some are better than others, but definitely not in the "glows like a torch" category!!

I have some Novus that I had left from attempts to remove scratches from a motorcycle windscreen. It comes in three grades of abrasives. I use 2 for deep scratches then 1 for polishing. Works great at about 1/10 the cost of Polywatch

Thanks very much. I was pretty sure that was all that was needed, but I wanted to get the opinions of folks here that are the experts.

I just picked up a almost new Safari "ultimate Version" from a member2member sale on another forum. the watch will need a service as there are a few issues with the sweep second chrono hand not starting properly/ Not a problem, as I go a good deal that will cover part of the service. Since I'm not that familiar with the Safari models, what else should be done while at the watchsmith? The Safari has no lume am I correct? so if no lume on gen, then that wouldn't be a factor, how is the AR on the crystal and Cyclops on the newer models of the Safari. That's the extent of my modding right now, no gen parts, case shaving, gen movement, etc. I'm not trying to build a Franken, just get this one a little more believable if necessary. Here is a photo from the seller

If they are spinning inside the lugs, and won't tighten or loosen, I would think that the threads are stripped. Would be pretty odd if all 4 are stripped though, unless the person who attached the strap, exerted so much pressure that he stripped them out. If they are stripped, then you are going to have to get someone who has the tools and know how to get those out. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I just sent a ROO to Rex. Seems very professional, and his work area looks very nice and well organized. He has a Facebook page. He does A7750 service, no jewel mods, AR and Lume I'll do a full write up on the RC ROO when it gets back home. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Us customs like all customs agencies are Govt bureaucracies . They run at their own pace! When packages pile up like during the Christmas rush, they take longer. During the past few weeks the East coast has been hammered by Snow,Ice and abnormal cold. Both FedEx and UPS have been running warning notices on their websites about delivery interruptions in the East. I wouldn't worry, they will show up. I believe the IPSC for the East coast is out at Kennedy Airport, so for some days, probably half the workers couldn't get to work. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

http://vintagewatchesmq.com/minhquy/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=671&category_id=97&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1 Here is a link. Quality varies widely, prices are high. You need to know exactly what you want and exactly what it's supposed to look like before you buy from him. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

If you are talking about the threaded pins that actually screw into the case lugs to hold the strap hangers, do they unscrew at all? Those dreadful little things don't have many threads, and on my white dial RC, they unscrewed about 4-5 full turns, then they spun. I took a pair of jewelers pliers and pulled them out as they were unthreaded, but barely out the case. I hope this is the problem, because if it isn't I'm afraid they may be stripped. If that is the case, pray that the threads on the pin stripped and the internal threads inside the lugs are OK Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Come on Big A a little yellow isn't too bad!!! I am like you however with yellow dials, I had two yellow dial vintage Doxa dive watches, plus a modern Doxa GMT, and none off them hung around for long. Not a big fan of yellow dials. The yellow on the FC diver doesn't bother me, I hardly notice it's there, but I don't like the AP Bumblebee, because to me their is too much yellow, just from the hands and numbers. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk