correctime

Welcome aboard.

I'm not expert but thought I'd offer my 2 sense....

As Jkay has said, there's many to chose from in your price range. (and that varies from dealer to member, etc.)

The Noobs are great budgets reps and many will confirm that.

I noticed in your opening post your mention of Asian mvts. being the cheaper versions due to inacurracies.

Don't reason that a cheaper cloned mvt version is also more inacurrate in regards to appearance.

Many versions are offered with an option to chose your mvt. but everything about the overall watch remains the same...ie: same dial, bedzel, bracelet etc.

There's nothing at all bad about the Asian clone mvts.

In fact they're the wisest choice as there's no guarantee you'll get a genuine swiss eta and it's likely you'll pay that eta price and get a clone anyway.

Look around, have some fun searching and see what's out there.

(grab your wallet when venturing into the waters of Reps Submariners...the more you see and learn, the more acurrate you'll start wanting to go.)

And then it's Franken time.

Noobs are great.

I also recommend looking into the BK TW Submariner and perhaps the TC 16610 ( M-series with the eta 2678 is an acurrate Sub in your 300-500 range.

I'm partial to the BK's and while they're a bit more (650.00 or so) they're worth every penny and worth the wait.

http://www.rwg.cc/topic/139866-product-offering-tw-16610-sub/

http://www.rwg.cc/topic/143821-fs-tc-submariner-parts-conus/

Very nice build W.G.

I'm sure you both like it

Thanks for the info. Any suggestions on what to use in polishing/brushing the 16610 bracelet to be gen like?

Try this.....it makes a world of difference.

http://www.replica-w...40.html?t=43340

FWIW: I've owned and compared the gen 93250 Bracelets to reps as well as the 78790A SEL with the same comparison/appraisal (still have the gen 78790A)

with the treatment process in the link above done correctly, there's a 1 in 100 chance you could tell the 2 apart in a blind feel test.

As for the sheen and brushed appearance....I use steel wool and the 3-M gray colored scratch pads...they don't look any different either...even in the bright sunlight.

The gen clasp is the to go but IMHO the TC clasp on the V2 is the best rep 93250 clasp I've ever seen.

(and the crown on the TC 16610 is too.)

If anyone needs a gen black/red insert for GMT PM me

PM sent..........again.

That's correct.

The pearl luminova on a genuine insert actually has a saphhire lense covering it.

From what I gather an "epoxy" coating is what's used on rep insert pearls as a mod and can be made to look quite convincing.

It's not the easiest task but I'd be willing to pull the last links apart and swap the SEL's....if they were made available as is

If Boni lists it as a gen, you can be certain it's a gen.

That looks AWESOME !!!

The Exp.II is MY favorite.

Congrats on the Beauty !!

No one here owns a Noob GMT II and Noob Exp.II ??

I just noticed the typo in the Thread Title. It should read DICONTINUED....not DISCOUNTED...

Sneed might know, he sold a noob GMT here recently.

Thanks woof.

I know he's a resident "Authority" on the GMT II's and Exp.II's......

.....perhaps he'll chime in and share some knowledge.

I'm just curious about the Noob GMT II as it has the same serial # as the Noob Exp.II

.....and the Exp.II will take a gen crystal....guess I'm hoping to hear the GMT II will too though I don't believe it will.

(hence the Exp.II to GMT II conversion...yeilds a much more gen like GMT II if a good dial (Noob or gen) can be used )

I know that for me personally, over the last few years I've gone from not being able to tell what a wokky rehaut looks like, to being bothered by the crown height of an otherwise perfect Submariner rep. Sometimes all that matters is what YOU notice.

I agree with sneed12.

It's all about what YOU want.

I prefer Frankens only because it's what I happen to like.

Most likely very few to none even notice the added gen parts...but I do.

BK offered the Noob Exp.II and GMT II in the past.

The Exp.II's were offered in both engraved and non-engraved rehaut versions.

engraved version serial number M448188

non-engraved version serial # F520117

Both are capable of using the gen crystal (and alot more but this is regarding the crystal)

The GMT II was offered in non-engraved rehaut only (to the best of my knowledge)

While they are considered by many to have been the best ever made, the downside was they weren't able to accept the gen crystal.

But I'm seeing in BK's original offering the Noob GMT II used the case numbered F520117.

Was the Noob GMT II built on the same case the Exp.II was built on....?

or did they simply just keep using the same serial number ???

OR...is F520117 not the serial number on the GMT II cases ??

Also..am I correct in that the Noob GMT II's will not accept a gen crystal and did not have a gen like bezel construction ??

Wow that really is aweosome! Any idea where to buy it!?

Try Essential-Watches.com ???

i think hes also away on hols untill the 12th of may then im getting my DSSD

That he is.

Congrats on the DSSD.

It's a beauty.

Seeing this beauty has me regretting the day I parted with mine

Great looking watch indeed. I'm curious about what holds the sleeve in as well though. I got my franken PO Friday, Gotta post some photos of it, I think I want to sell it though so I can work on SMPs only. LOL

That looks AWESOME !!! Congrats Brother.

+1 on being curious as to what holds the sleeve to the case?? Press fit ?? Threaded ??

I went the epoxy route...and mine didn't hold well the first time. Put extra in from the inside and drilled through it for a stem opening this time...so far so good...I think.

The Zigmeister does something like this too but as I understood him the case gets re-threaded and his screws into fresh threads into the case...then the tube screws into that.

Nice.

I would say yes.

At least the ones I've seen typically do.

Usually accompanied by gold bezel (or gold accents), gold bracelet accents and a gold crown too

Though I'm sure there are exceptions to every rule.

if you get a BK sub u can wear it straight off only thing im doing to mine is putting a gen bezel on it just now

Gen bezel or gen bezel "insert" ??

I do indeed like the looks of this new Exp.II, though I'd have to go with a Black one.

The CG's do look a bit chunky but the so do the gens.

DW is a HUGE issue for me and until there's a way to correct the obviously too large current version, I'll have to wait.

I don't thin BK's DWO will work. Too small for this watch.

+1...The TC and/or BK DW OL won't fit....too small.

Same reply as above really, I just put the tape on the front of the movement where it won't foul any moving parts, sometimes using two or three layers of tape to get the right spacing, and ignore the ring all together I would recommend tape over the dial dots, as it's possible to cut the tape into squares larger than the dots, so getting more adhesion between movement and dial

Thanks for all the great input with info guys.

I really appreciate it

I realize using the tape or dots most likely sounds easier than it really is..especially when it comes to perfectly centering the dial without the guiding help of the feet

and in centering the DW over the date perfectly.

I've not yet decided exactly which way I'll go with it or whetherf I'll even do it myself....I still may send it off to a pro modder.

But hearing it has been done with much sucess is certainly reassuring.

Thanks again for sharing the knowledge.

I find it annoying when sellers delete the photos at close of auction.

Stility:

Your PM box is full so I emailed you.

I need your help on a mvt adaptor Brother

I'd go with the Asian 2836-2 ( the swiss costs more and there's no guarantee you'll actually get a gen swiss mvt.)

Many claim the 2813 is an excellent/reliable GMT mvt.

And it may very well be.

I've never used them for the simple fact that they are a 21,600 mvt.

I've never had any issues with the 2836-2 OR Asian 2836-2...ICHS