By-Tor

Not sure if I ever shared this photo.

I'm partial to 16610 and 16600. It's a tough battle between 14060 and 5513 though... love them both. Red dials are outstanding and represent something really desirable in the Rolex lineup but I never liked the bulged crystal on my 1680 rep... I prefer the modern sapphire models... they're just about perfect in every way. I have never owned a vintage Dweller with the "Dome" so I don't know how that would feel. DeepSea is simply terrible (imho) and the new design of Submariner leaves me cold. Why did they change the case shape which was iconic?

This is one of my favorite snaps (of my own photos). Maybe the frames add something extra to it?

Great watches Lani! I'm wearing this classic today.

Perfect combo.

This is (supposedly) from an old western. The girl is riding a horse. http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/3840/vbaa3db5ae3.gif

Maybe these pics help with the decision. If you have black BTR go for Panda. I have them both too.

Wow... that looks really "military" Ubi. I just switched to the classic.

Stick with the basics and avoid gold replicas. Just imho... the stainless version is the one to get.

QC problems are definitely true. But out of my 50+ reps I've only had a few with problems. My entry level gens (Seikos) have all been perfect and I believe Japanese watches in general have good QC... But I'm not buying that Invicta, Sandoz, Alpha type of cheap Chinese watches have any kind of better QC than reps. Everything on the Invictas (the Submariner rip-offs) felt cheaper than on the best reps. You can measure QC (quality control) but it's quite difficult to measure the actual build quality without laboratory equipment. How do you do it? My gen Rolex has never missed a minute. But neither has my 20 year old $20 Casio digital alarm clock.

I owned a Seiko Orange Monster and it was nice... but I've owned 2 Invictas back in early 2000's. I don't know how the quality is nowadays but those two Invictas were the worst watches I've ever owned. After 2 weeks of ownership the winding crown simply dropped off when I was trying to set the time. The other one had a leaky crystal and a hour marker got loose. Maybe I was just unlucky but those two watches were total crap and could be compared to $50 reps, imho. If reps don't have initial QC problems they can be very well built watches. Swiss SFSO comes to mind... I would never compare my crappy Invictas to it.

No probs. When I look at my reply again it sounded harsh. Wasn't my intention. Generally it's not just the damage that hand winding can cause to the movement, it's also a well known fact that winding crowns (and their threads) are often the weak links on reps. Why put unnecessary extra stress on them? After setting the time, always shake your watch gently to get it running. That's all you need.

No I didn't mean my reply as an attack in any shape or form. My frustration was directed more at the dealers (like Paul) who still advice members to hand wind their reps. It doesn't make any sense to hand wind an automatic watch... and according to all Zig's report it can eventually damage the watch. I think it's wrong that dealers advice their customers something that can dramatically shorten the lifespan of a movement.

Don't hand wind your replica. Ever. Why the hell you need to do it... it's an automatic watch? Hand winding will damage your watch in the long run.

Hi Ubi, I'm wearing my black Explorer II today, and lovin' it!

Great review of the best Sub. The endlinks really aren't very good on the v2. Actually they had much better fit on the v1 which is a bit strange. But it's not a big deal and it's probably fixable in the future. And it's easy to forgive when the actual case, crystal, rehaut, clasp, lume and dial are so amazingly good.

It's a huge myth that gens are somehow "superior". They're just stainless steel watches that show time. Another myth is the "Rolex shine" which is often exaggerated by people who have never owned a gen. Gen Rolexes don't have any kind of mythical "special feel", either... nothing that would "jump out" anyway. They're rather flimsy stainless steel automatic watches, just like their rep counterparts. And if you think that RWG members don't own impressive gens, you're sadly mistaken. Actually MOST old time members own many expensive gens. They buy all kinds of watches, and sometimes there isn't enough love for a certain model to justify the $5K price. Sometimes there is, but when there isn't you can get visually 95% replica for $350. All in all... they're just watches. And we love them. Gens and reps... why limit your options?

@jeffg: Interesting observation. I think Rolexes were a bit "out of style" a while back and everyone were a bit ashamed to wear one because they were "so ordinary". Lots of members have bought gens, and the new WM9 reps took Rolex to different level. How can you not love the classic design of a sports Rolex? Today (Sunday) I'm wearing my favorite blue.

Congrats man! For me it's not a competition at all. Both have their advantages, SMP and Sub. It's nice to have a few different type of watches from different brands. Variety is the spice of life. Enjoy this beauty!

Excellent. As you know I have a soft spot for white dials. This is really handsome TAG. Enjoy!

Excellent. The old SMP versions are real rep classics! Amazing how good the Bond case is.

You know what Lani... I was just thinking what to wear today. Your pics made the decision easier. Sometimes white Explorer II is the only choice. So this for Sunday.

BTR today.

I've always said that this particular Explorer II is THE rep to buy. If you forget the crown it's in the same level with WM9 watches. Crystal/rehaut is amazing, very gen like. I don't like the engraving on these new replica versions though. Yeah I have recommended the white version for people who are looking to buy the GEN, but never to replica buyers. The white version is NO GOOD without genuine dial. Here are my 2 Noob Explorer II's. Will never part with them. PS: Thanks for sharing this great review with us Franke.

My dad has this exact same watch. It's a great classic and in many ways much nicer than the date version... no-date is the original Sub. I have seriously considered buying one as well. Great choice, and enjoy the Legend!