Tim

I'm not sure I understand. There was a mangled corpse on one of the UK's busiest motorways and as it was a pedestrian, it was considered a crime scene. They closed the entire motorway in both directions and there was simply nowhere to go for four hours. There was no movement for those four hours. No-one had any choice about whether or not to stay where they were.

It wasn't a queue, it was a car park for four hours.

Pug,

That was the joke, just pick up the pieces and hose things down. I know it isn't something that can be done.

The "queue" was humorous, at least to me, because I am always amazed how much the Brits love to stand in line.

/Tim

I agree, a genuine would be very nice. However, they are not the easiest thing to obtain. Do you know a source?

/Tim

Who has the best bezel insert ring for a Submariner?

/Tim

I have been offered a gen BCE from a saleperson at an AD. He won it as a sales incentive from Breitling but would rather have money. It is the slate dial with black subdials and a crocodile strap. He has had it for about a month and has worn it a few times but it certainly looks brand new. Comes with box and all paperwork. He wants $2200 for it which is 50% off list.

Seems like a decent deal to me (particularly when the rep with swiss 7750 is $628 with leather strap on Andrew's site), what do you all think? I would love to have a gen BCE.

Can't go wrong with a 50% discount on a name brand from an AD. Typical you'll find in gray market is 30%. Makes sure he passes through the full warranty.

/Tim

Pshaw! Dude where have you been? Why even give them an email address? First download WinAMP. You don't absolutely have to get WinAMP but it is a damn good Player. And it is automatically hooked into Shoutcast. www.Shoutcast.com lists every Internet radio station on earth and they are all free for the asking and most commercial free. Another good aggregater is www.live365.com.

The one I use a lot is di.fm which has a lot of techno but also some classical, lounge, and otherstuff. I like chill electronica a lot and www.o2chill.com is very nice.

/Tim

Hardtail? Is that what causes male sterility and anal callouses?

What am I doing here!!! Suddenly I feel I don't fit in so well.....

/Tim

Are any of you familiar with Pacifica radio? If not, they are the on-air voice of Progressive politics. Think the radio version of Mother Jones and Utne Reader. Well they pulled an April's Fool day joke that probably gave their audience heart palpitations....

Pacifica Radio Aprils Fool Day Broadcast

/Tim

Nahhh, I'd rather have a quartz!!!! (Sorry)

Incredible stuff and you are right, a steal at that price.

I usually do vintage in the hopes that they will gain value while I fondle them, but do you think a customized watch like that would appreciate?

/Tim

This is a watch to have. It is beautiful. A Grieb vintage movement customized by Benzinger. A steal at $15,660!

/Tim

Why not change your goofy avatar LOL

I think everytime this poor guy posts a message someone says the same thing. That would only make me put it in my signature line as well.....

Just call me rebel without a clue.

/Tim

That is a VERY good deal. You hardly ever find Suunto discounted for some reason. I bought one a while back and I ended up selling it off because it happened to be one of the reverse contrast version meant for ski slopes and while it was readable in blinding sunlight I couldn't read the watch anywhere else.

...advancing decrepitude.

/Tim

As an aside, I'm amazed at all the cyclists who posted on this thread. I'm a twenty six year cyclist. I own four bikes: a 94 Schwinn Paramount (last year the real paramount was made, Reynolds 753), an Eddie Merckx titanium AX with bi-ovalized tubes, a Trek 5500, and a Guru New Steel. All but the Guru were made in America, the Guru is, of course, Canadian made. If you had told me even 15 years ago that I woud own 4 bikes I wouldn't have been surprised. If you had told me that all would be made in North America, I would have been astonished.

Boys and their toys. The one's that aren't out riding their bike are comparing their Dupont lighers as they light up. It does surprizingly sound like a healthy bunch though. Aren't there any fellow compu-geeks online?

/Tim

I dunno, I like the feel of a heavy steel watch on my wrist. Just be sure not to crash, you WILL smash the watch. I personally hate digital watches. But if I had to use one, I'd go with the Avocet Vertech. It does time, temp, altitude, you name it.

Nah nah no no. If you crash, stick your wrist with the watch out in front of you. It will help cushion the fall! Either that or everyone will think your fey---one or the other.

/Tim

Speaking as someone who's wrist size can vary greatly with Chinese food intake and water, a cushioned watch that adjusts to swelling and edema might be worth a look!!!!

Niiiiice.

/Tim

Well, I arrived in Scotland last night. I was caught on the M1 in this and was stuck stationary for 4 hours while they tried to work out how to clear the motorway. Eventually, they cut through the barrier and turned us round.

Why didn't they just pick up the pieces and hose it all down, good grief! What kind of civilization do they have oner there!!!

With all the trucks that ended up in that "queue" I wouldn't be walking on that road even when it is moving. Of course all the motorists with sense avoided the area (unless they are traveling and didn't know) and it's only the Union truck drivers sitting there because they figure standing or going I still get paid.

/Tim

Despite this I have fallen in love with it, like the not-too-ugly girl who's nice to you, even though you lust after the pretty b*tches in class.

More like a mercy f*ck that you unadvisedly decided to fall in love with.

D5, bon vivant (pretender, the watch ruined it for you) and world traveler!

/Tim

Well I think, since everyone is offering their thoughts, that what the heck did you buy the rep for if not to wear in places where you wouldn't want to risk a gen. I've gotten my rep wet with "hand washing" level of water and never had a problem. If I get it mucked up, I just make sure everything is screwed in or down and rinse it in running water. Never had a problem with any of the Rollies or Omegas that I have. If it isn't a screw down crown I might not risk that. The worse that can happen is that some moisture gets in the watch then you have to send it to get serviced--or toss it and get another.

These are banger watches for me and if ones bites it, I just am thankful that I wasn't wearing any of my gens. It kind of defeats the purpose of owning a rep if you are going to treat it like a gen. So wear the Ing. If it is really important to you, send it to one of our repair guys and get it waterproofed. Not much difference between one that is pressure tested and one that is not. Probably a new gasket, some silicone lubricant, and, depending upon the model, maybe something to address the crystal mount.

...just my opinion.

/Tim

If you are dumb enough to buy an expensive watch off of someone with no feedback, you deserve to get ripped off.

/Tim

A screwdriver would work, but there is that thing about using the proper tool for the job.... uh hum

I cannot sing the praises of the Bergeon 6111 tool enough. I cussed and swore regularly anytime I had to deal with a spring bar before I bought this tool. The larger leather side is just silky getting the straps off. The bracelet side is reversible to a straight pin or a small fork. Someone jamming a larger than needed spring bar into a watch doesn't even phase me with this tool even though I got to the point before I found it where I'd sometime write off the band and just cut the spring bar right though the band after stabbing myself or putting a nice scratch on a watch. At $25 you'll thank me forever. You can probably find it elsewhere because Bob Frei is an ass and I never like dealing with him. Just make sure it looks like this one:

http://www.ofrei.com/page_226.html

/Tim

The dealer was probably Tourneau.

If you are looking for good Oris prices, www.watch-czar.com is going to get you about the best AD prices I've seen. I got my Artelier Moonphase from him and it was a very positive experience. He also runs a very nice Oris forum. Grey market, I know a lot of people that have purchased from Preppyboy (www.chronosfinetime.com or preppyboy1971 on e*ay).

/Tim

I too have bought a number of bands from him and have been satisfied with every one. He used to have a nice assortment of the Italian rubber bands (hmmmmmmmm vanilla!) but I don't know how many he has left.

/Tim

Covers? Covers??

Some watches have a tube around the spring bar in the end link. The tube is cut at an angle so that if it is rotated one way it covers the spring bar. You just take your Bergeon band tool and use the end that looks like a very small fork to rotate that tube. I don't think you can do this with a leather watch band tool.

Otherwise there is usually a slot that the small fork will fit into and be able to slide back the spring bar and this may be the cover to which you are refering. There is a special tool that will do both end at the same time, but usually I just catch one end of the spring bar and pull that side of the end link out just a tiny bit so that the spring bar cannot pop back into the hole. Then go get the other side. As you slide it out be sure to keep your finger tips on either side of the end link or you will be on your hands and knees hunting for the spring bar after it pops out.

You need the band tool that has the very small fork in it though. The best one is the Bergeon 6111 and you will forever thank yourself for buying that one.

/Tim

....oh my. You shouldn't post these messages. I had a reply to him already typed on TZ asking why the hell he is wandering around a replica board. Thought better of it.

I do a lot of work with gens as well as reps. I am just a plain watch lover. I do things to a rep that I could never in a million years do to a gen and for that I find the reps very useful. I also never mix up the two worlds.

/Tim

Heck, I learned you have to do that with gens as well. I purchased a very high grade gen that had unique screws securing the back of the watch. (The head of the screw was like a small bolt but with a triangular head.) I get the watch and wear it once or twice and on the third time someting is poking me and hurting my wrist. I take the watch off and one of the screws are hanging out literally by a thread. That screw would have been impossible to replace.

/Tim

No one here even knows who Ann Coulter is,

and even fewer care.

But everyone knows who Paris Hilton is....

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Paris Hilton, American Ambassador to the World!

/Tim