rag9fx

Thats funny ( not really funny) since i get anxious when i have things i have paid for in the mail... i am always affraid that i am not going to be in to sign for it ... which is often the case and i have to get my package rerouted to my post office for pick up the next day... but for me, if this happend... it would be like adding insult to injury... best of luck with this mate !!!

i own several gens from rolexes to omegas and have ( since not ownig a gen cartier) been to public restrooms wearing one and not lost one!!!! i think cartiers and me are not meant to be ... although i have one gen platinum Cartier pen that was a gift from a signing that is in a closet 3k miles away in its box in my NYC sock drawer ... @rek001 I hate the fact that oversized watches (ie PAMs of which i own one rep- which i am wearing as i speak) have become the norm for size in wristwatches... the santos and panthre are comprable to the size of a rolex datejust ... as size which i think is more then adequate... i have nothing to compensate for Rags

no they didn't fall down the toilet... i left them both by sinks when i was washing my hands ( force of habit even with WR watches ) the McD's one was just pure absent mindedness the bar in Capri was me being really incredibly drunk .... needless to say ... i went back the next morning to see if anyone turned it to the management ... nix ... you live ... you learn... and you come to appriecate that one should only start drinking G&Ts after 11 am at the earliest ...

Man, I wish he would reply to my e-mails ... ( oh sh*t i think i saw lightning ) ... *takes cover under desk*

When i was in my late teens i was Cartier nut !!! i owned a gen new generation santos as well as a rep equivelent ( both shockingly lost in toilets: the rep in a mcdonalds truck stop the gen in a bar in Capri, It - just goes to show you can't trust a 18 year old kid with expensive goods even if he saved up all of highschool to get one ) ... my dad has an old gen santos ... gotta say i prefer the old gen santos over the new gen ones... and i am on the fence about the 100... one thing i pretty certain of is the rep factories haven't been able to repropduce faithfully is the linkage between - well- the links ( of the bracelet ) i guess not so much of an issue if you are going to wear it on leather. i don't know too much about what our dealers are selling - i have been tempted soo many times to go and place an order for a rep santos but knowing my history with cartiers and losing them in restrooms i think i will cut my losses ... that being said I think the santos is an amazing watch and by far, imho, the classiest Cartier out there .

Get 'em while they're young right? Gosh by the sound of it she is already addicted! lovely job on the watch... maybe folks at OP should take a page out of your book and start hitting up a younger market ?

@ Bell, PM sent regarding CWP.

It is a hell of a place ... it is where my rep and watch obsession started 13 years ago ... it is true there is a lot of rubbish out there but the quality is heaps and heaps better then when i first started kicking around there ... i had found a really decent supplier ( very much under- your- breath and under- the- table transactions) there a while back ... but unfortunately he got knicked- and i lost my canal street conection to high end reps and since then have really been buying things online... still nice to see what they're selling over there tho...

Bell, If you can't find a Genuine insert you can't go wrong with CWP insert and hunt around for a gen pearl ( those - the pearls- tend to show up on the Bay now and then you just have to keep your eye's peeled) like this one : Rags

is it me or the caseback on that 5517 case too thick... also i was under the impression that 5517 case backs on the inside were marked as 5513 it was my undertanding that the 5517 ref apeared btwn the 12 lugs and on the bottom right lug ( with the case back facing you )

I personally think that the functionality of the YM ii is good ... the other YM really had nothing to to do with sailing what so ever at least this one can be used for for what it says on the dial... i agree that it could have been styled more tastefully ... again i felt that when the new Generation of rolexes- the ones that came out with the etched rehauts and the like- that the good folks at Rolex lost it. I personally don't think that the late Han's Wilsdorf (Mr. Rolex) would have appoved... in fact i am certain he was rolling in his grave when they released the leopard print Daytona. It is really a shame that the new rollies have gone down the garish tasteless road ... imo less has always been more. I hope they keep tool watches like the Sub and the SD austere and low key ...the Milgaus is certainly looks promising ... i feel that Rolex should do more throw backs... ok the Prince Looks rubbish ... but wouldn't be cool to have a modern Double Red or California dial sub or even a bubble back or possibly a nicer looking prince (more like the original but with the new movement) !!!!

if it is a rep it is a very good one... i say that it is a Gen!

Funnily enough i have had my PAM recognized more over here in London then in New York. I was in one of University of London's Coleges holding standby tutorials for a mate of mine last year and two of the students surprizingly asked me if i was wearing a PAM and one of them asked me if i bought off a Moroccan vendor in Spain- then again these are the type of kids that vacation in St. Tropez and Monaco for Easter break. My girlfriend's step dad noticed immediatly when my GF wore it for her brother's birthday ( She tends to wear my 183 more then i do these days) and she apparently always gets complimented on it - then again pams on skinny girls tend to be very noticeable. For the most part i just get the 'that is a big watch' comment.

i don't know if it is my place to say anything ... but we (palp and i ) had e-mailed each other a little while back ... and it seems that he is just sorting out things that he needs to sort out and that he is quite busy with personal but is still going to be offering his services when he has settled down and has everything in check ... He probably needs to get back to it in his own time . Rags

Fri and Sat i Have been sporting this seiko-fossil defender for a while... i haven't worn this since c. 1998 but i threw on a the Zulu that was on my 5517. I love the zulu... i am waiting for the Nato to show up for the 5517 '39 M.O.D Omega for sunday .

p.s. make sure you have a sufficient suply of singles ... nothing is more embarssing after a session of haggling than asking for change . p.p.s there are a lot of "Legit" jewelery stores on canal street that sell blinged out reps- they are overpriced or priced accordingly since they use after market bezels, dials and bracelets that consist of solid Gold and real diamonds ( but in my oppionon they are over priced) i recomend that you avoid those entirely

OK ... here are a couple of pointers , 1) Do not ... Do not buy anything from the dodgy West Africans with suit cases and bundles who tend to walk down the street who advertise under their breath " Rolex, Rolex, Gucci, Cartier" the quality of their wares is really [censored] and incredibly over priced for what they are selling ... These guys are commonly found in Midtown in high tourist traffic areas but also recently have been kicking around in Canal Street. 2) If you want better prices and better quality head further south on the 6 train and get off on Canal street... There are a number of vendors out there but sometimes it is hit and miss ... you should troll around and just take a look around what they have got... a number of these vendors are networked and if one doesn't have what you want in their stall they can probably get it for you ... that being said if they say they don't have it you won't be getting what you are looking for at that stall... get walking and find another stall. Also be prepared to find that a lot of these stalls don't display goods as openly as they used to... the goods are often hidden in drawers ... so if you don't see anything just ask... the worse that is going to happen is that you will get a No--- we don't have [insert brand name here].... and bare in mind that if there has been a recent NYPD crack down ... not a lot if any will be willing to do bussiness with strangers the counterfiet market will be in lock-down. a couple rule of thumb for purchasing reps in Canal street: a)Take your time don't secumb to pressure ... a lot of goods there are hit and miss and there is, ofcourse, no garrentee of quality ... ( i have stopped buying reps there since the ones we get from our trusted dealers here are a lot better) don't be affraid to haggle the vendor might seem insulted - they're just being coy- but be sensible don't push for a 75% mark down ... comprimise is the word ( i tend to work from 55% mark and work up towards a target price (normaly 5%-20% off the asking price)... if you can't reach it ... walk away... (you never know they vendor might just meet you half way ) . Happy hunting, Rags

@bbell6 cheers mate... i got the link ...it was the photobucket site that i thought it was ... @ HiDef , The first milsub on the nato strap apears to be gen the second milsub posted on the leather strap is the Rep that is widely available . also an interesting tid bit for those who are interested : 5517 was the UK MOD Marine Issue variant of the MOD spec 5513 (NAVY) and is distinguished from the latter by minute marks all around the bezel the MOD 5513 used the stock 15 min marked bezel. Also a lot of serviced MOD 5513/7 had their sword hands replaced with the stock stick and ball (or mercedes hands) so a lot of the gen Milsubs out there vary significantly Rags

Yeah that is what i thought ... there is only one 5517 rep that i know of that is going around ... the 5517 on that photobucket sight is either a 5513 franken or a true blue 5517 ... hmmm it would be lovely to have a decent rep 5517 out of the box tho ... although that being said ... a convincing one can be made with a bit of patience and the correct resources ( i have one in the works ) :-) Rags

Can someone PM the photobucket address of this MBW 5517 ? I think i know which dealer you are reffering to but when i saw it presumed it was a gen... it would be great if had the appropriate case back marks and soldered lug bars ! Cheers, Rags

There's a MBW 5517!!!!!??? does anyone have any pictures of this ?

Damn oakland... who is that on your avatar ?

that is one of the coolest complications i have seen... nice !

yes the centre of modern case backs are brushed ... sorry about that i was in vintage mode... the Cgs tend to be polished ( to a mirror finish) as are the case sides ... as for modern oyster bracelets ... i am not entirely sure what is accurate- i know on my gen Date Just that they are polished . sorry

hi Keyhole, on a SS Sub the sides , case back, and Cgs are polished ... rest of the case is brushed ... ( unless it is 5517 where the case is completely brushed with the execption of the case back) :-) Rag9fx