Texski

Actually, I think it is IWC. The holes on the side are a tell, but the engraving is, too. China does not engrave as deep ... this looks correct.

I've got one being built now, with this dial This is an amazing movement, and the hands have to be hammered on.

We have the name of the person who signed for it! It was an employee at the apartment. It has been reported to me that there were 9 packages delivered at one time, and while he signed for it, he thinks that Fedex did not give it to him. What I would like to know is when did Fedex start carrying guns and forcing people to sign for packages? Again, Concepta gave me an old address, but I still think the apartment staff, once they signed for it, accepted responsibility for it. It was insured, but since it was delivered correctly, the claim is denied.

Cougar, The 'big money' comment was not directed to you ... sorry for the confusion. Shipping is such a difficult thing. As a part of the final payment, I discuss with my clients how they want it shipped. Some want a declared value of $100 and no insurance. I a country where corruption is high, this may allow a high-value watch pass. Rarely do I have someone who wants to pay $100 for shipping. And even in this situation, I paid extra out of my own pocket so that this watch would arrive before Christmas, and to have it insured. (I wonder what rights I have as the shipper to get the police involved?) I suspect that even if I were to offer this service, most would be reluctant to pay for it. If you have more information, please post it ... I am sure that others would like to know more about this, too. As far as excessively picky buyers, you are right. Neurologically it is closer to OCD, and they condition themselves not to see defects in the gen. That is why I stopped taking Super-Macro pictures. Once we have this image committed to long-term memory, we 'perceive' a defect even if we are not physically able to 'see' it. Nevertheless, these are some beautiful watches! Mike

I have seen Concepta refund others, and I never saw a flame post for any of these. It is his day job that permits his generosity. And for those that think there is big money to be made building these watches ... jump right in! Skip the AD, and go directly to the factory in Schaffhausen, get these parts wholesale. If you can't build these watches yourself, find a qualified watchsmith who can. And then listen to the guy who paid 1/3 of the retail price complain because he found flaws using the 30x microscope. And then, when you are sent the wrong dial, pay to have it shipped back, and wait another 6 weeks to get the correct one. And then, try to get warped cases replaced by our buddies in GZ. And then, respond to 100+ messages a week. If you can endure this for 3 months, let us know about all the big money you are making.

Thanks for the clarification, K. I sent the watch to the only address Concepta provided. Andrew, I burned some midnight oil to make sure that you got this before Christmas ... and I am disappointed that you did not. I am glad that you got the police involved. I do not know who told you that there was not enough evidence, but a direct signature is more than enough! We have a signature the person who signed for this package, and this is saying that they received it and will take responsibility to deliver it correctly. They obviously did not. While Concepta had the package sent to the wrong address, I still believe that you are being too lienient with the Apartment Staff. Yes, Concepta made a mistake, but I do not believe that he should bear full responsibility. Your former apartment staff mishandled this, and I think they should take responsibility. It would be appropriate to file a claim on their insurance. Mike

+1 ReplicaMake has been suspended from all 3 major rep forums. I have bought several of these watches from Hontwatch.com and Asian7750.com ... both highly recommended. Because this movement can be problematic, some dealers have stopped carrying this watch. Make sure it is available before you order. Good luck, Mike

Yes, Superlative, maybe you could point him to some members who can provide gen parts for these watches. I hear the hands are very hard to source.

Yes, it is.

Markus, The Spitfire was the one that hooked me. The gen dial is magical as it manipulates the light. It's a beautiful watch, enjoy! Mike

I have been sworn to secrecy, but it is public now. I think these pictures are from a Schaffhausen Newspaper. I will get more details as they become available, but it looks like this version is Seconds @ 6 with a datewheel. This is purely speculation on my part, and based on this picture only. I do not have the details at this time. There is also a Mark XVII, which will be 2mm larger. This will bring it to 41mm, if I am not mistaken. No pictures yet. Anticipate! Mike

One of my clients has this one for sale. Made for the Top Gun. Mike

He's active on Rep Geek. I am not defending Concepta, but I do know that some parts are back-ordered. Ironically, the Chinese are buying so many IWC's that they cannot keep up with demand. It is difficult for their suppliers to produce high quality parts fast enough. What dial was it? Mike

O, Good question. The cal 79320 is a Top Grade 7750 built for IWC by ETA. They are then inspected and adjusted by the IWC Watchmakers. There are some movements that are built completely in-house, like the Big Pilots and the Ingeneur. The date wheels for these movements will not work with any other movement. Mike

I have new ones on order, but yes, they come directly from Schaffhausen with an IWC part #. These are the correct ones with the seven that looks like this 7, with the serif, or lip at the top front. The ETA just has a plain '2 line' 7 like this. I know ... this post is worthless without pictures. But what if they are bad pictures?

Ask, and you might receive. You're going to love that new crown and tube. I have many repeat buyers because they did not know what they were missing. Let me know if I can help, Mike

Yes D, you are correct. Just thinking out loud, I think my DDW are $25 each. How much are the ETA's? 21 GBP is about $33 US today. So another $17 + $5 for shipping. Twice as much, but if I am going to the trouble to remove the movement, dial, hands, remove and replace movement pieces ... and then reassemble. This is one of those areas where I would put a little more with it to keep the details correct. Always easier to spend other people's money, though. Mike

Guys, I wanted to follow up on this thread. I was shipping out an ETA 7750, but I needed to swap the Date Disc before it left. It came with a ... well, yes, a black ETA date disc, and I needed to put the proper one on for a Top Gun. I never really looked at them that close, but they are different. I was under the gun to get this shipped off, but noticed especially the 7. I'll get some more in, and see if I can't do some side-by-side. But some have asked me if the Top Gun and Pilots use ETA disc ... they do not.

Quality and finish is one of the main reasons to choose IWC. Put IWC and rep side by side, they don't compare! Then their is the lume. But to each his own. ;-)

This used to be a tell, but they have been coming this way. The suppliers are having a hard time keeping up with IWC's request for parts. IWC watches have become very popular with a certain group ... the Chinese! IWC has become very popular in China, and this has put a strain on the suppliers. They are having a hard time meeting demand while maintaining quality. My guess is that it was easier to paint everything ... more product out the door. And you know most gen owners don't pay attention to details like this. Mike

I can order the Crown, Stem, and Tube from IWC. Feel free to PM me. Not interested in trades, though. Mike

This has changed. I am modifying these, but have not had a chance to post here. I have found a way to modify the rep case to accept a cal 79350 and an IWC Index Ring (without modifying the ring!). I also made a 1:1 saphire caseback for this watch. I have been slammed with orders, but will post more when I get a chance. Feel free to PM me. Mike

Nico, It is genuine ... at least IWC dial, hands, bezel, pushers, crown, caseback, and clasp. The movement will say: THIRTY-ONE (31) JEWELS ADJ. TO FIVE (5) POS. There should be a 7 digit serial number engraved in one of the mounting areas. Case will also have 8 holes in the back. The 4 on an IWC will have an arched back, like this. Rep has a straight back. And the subdial will take a 'bite' out of the middle of the 6. The rep has the middle part whole, and more of the side of the 6 showing. Again, IWC shown. And here is a picture of the crown ... along with tube, stem, and o-rings. Good luck, Mike

Glenn, The most 'natural' place for the constant seconds (hand moving all the time) is at the 9 o'clock position, because you can run it off of gears that are already there. Someone wanted to get fancy and move the seconds to 6. But to do so, they had to build a special gear train to do this. Rolex did this for their Daytona's, IWC uses this on the Portu (and others). IWC modified an ETA 7750 to do this. They carved out a place in one of the plates and dropped in a 'Seconds Module.' Extra gears usually requires more energy. Even in the IWC cal 79350, if the the Seconds Module is not working correctly, it can stop the entire movement. Below is the Seconds Module disassembled, prior to cleaning. The Asian 7750 sec @ 6 movement does not have strict QC, hence the poor reputation. Having this movement (A7750) serviced is a good way to improve the performance. Even a factory fresh movement can have defective parts, and they can be replaced. One of the best ways to address this is to modify the case to accept a 79350. I am doing this now, and am very pleased with the results. I'll try to post something later. Take care, Mike

I am not certain, but you might want to try a watch supplier like Cousins, and see if a pocket watch crystal might work. It is hard to find larger than 33.0. And don't forget about a fresh gasket. Good Luck, Mike