By-Tor

I like your way of thinking... you watch addict.

What a classy watch, looks like a quality one. Beautiful, beautiful pics too!!! Thanks for posting.

I wish this was true. Preowned "reduced" Speedmasters can be obtained for $500 - $600 or so (if you're lucky) but the full sized Speedmasters are WAY more expensive than that. Almost impossible to find a Moon Watch in good condition for less than $1200.

I totally agree!!! Omegas are macho man watches!!! Great pics once again! Keep 'em coming!!!

Originally posted Dec 2005. Last updated July 2006 This review was originally just a pictorial, but it has finally developed to an extensive review of the MBW "vintage" Submariner. I linked lots of articles in this post so newbies could easier dive into the exciting deep sea of vintages. So you could consider this post as some sort of "introduction", mini-FAQ and reference guide. I highly recommend you to check the reviews and articles that I've linked in the end of this post. This, in my latest update (July 2006) I wanted to clear up a few things about these watches, and look at them more objectively. There's a lot of hype and false exceptations around the MBW Rolexes. Many people think they're "perfect" or "indistinguishable from a gen", which simply isn't true. I suspect people have put them on pedestal because they're more expensive - and because for some unknown reason very few dealers have access to them. I have learned from guys like Ziggy to never believe the hype, just try to examine the cold, hard facts objectively. And as I did more research I became more informed about the subject. I'm still far from an expert but I'm always willing to learn more. To be honest Submariner doesn't really interest me (personally) that much anymore, but because it's such an icon in the replica community I find the subject fascinating. There are plenty of nice vintage rep models of the sports Rolexes (some even very nice) but the Watchmaster/MBW 1680 and vintage SeaDwellers are in the league of their own. This review is more concentrated on them, and especially on the "red" 1680 model. Very common question among the new members is: "What is a MBW?" MBW means "Maria's Best Watch". Besides "Maria" there have been other dealers, such as WatchMaster, Luckyyy and George who have sold these exact same watches. Thus calling them all "MBW" is misleading, but it has become the commonly used "general term" among the members. I think it's a good term, because it makes identifying them easier for everyone. The two "bread and butter" MBW models are 1680 (that is available in both red and white SUBMARINER font), and SeaDweller 1665 (available in "double red" and with white dial print). The DRSD (The Double Sea Dweller) is one of the most sought after genuine watches among the Rolex collectors, and their prices have skyrocketed in the past 10 years. Another standard MBW models are the GMT Master I (very inaccurate, uses Submariner case and crystal) and Milgauss. There are also modern "MBW" watches available. The reason I used quotation marks is because this subject is so large that it would require another review altogether. If you're more interested in Sea Dweller you might want to check HERE Randy's awesome white 1665 MBW. Some might argue that if you want extreme accuracy it's better base watch than 1680 in many ways. MBW 1665 is also the only replica SeaDweller that has a thick case and crystal like the genuine. All other reps are basically just "tweaked" Submariners without cyclops. How good these replica watches are? Are they indistinguishable from the genuine...right out of box? Short answer is no. If you take my "red 1680" for example... almost everything in that watch is a bit wrong, except the exact case dimensions (save the crown protector guards which (at unmodded state) are quite far from the "genuine look"). These watches make excellent base for modifications, because of their rare ability to take genuine parts. But the red 1680 model is still far from "perfect". Actually, there are many other, much cheaper Rolex replicas that look much more accurate "out of box" than MBW 1680. So if you're not willing to invest lots of money on a rep, don't like building and modifying them, I suggest to find cheaper and better alternatives. But if you want a good vintage Rolex replica and are a bit adventurous, there are no serious alternatives. In the following review I'll show you a fine example of a modified MBW watch which (in its own merits) is an impressive, convincing piece of art. My watch has been "vintagized" and excessively modified by my friend Tommy/Palpatine. The guy is an artist (as you can see from the pictures). It has full mods package, genuine springbars and better aftermarket insert which has been aged as well. Very, very convincing job. I wanted my watch without pearl because I liked how it looked on Saabin's very hardcore Single Red SD. Crown guard job is nothing short of excellent, which is always excepted from Tommy. He also aged the hour markers and hands to give it the "patina/tritium look", and my dial is definitely one of his better works. One of the most attractive features on vintage Rolexes is the bulged acrylic crystal. It gives the watch very different appearance when compared to its modern counterpart. I polished and rebrushed the bracelet myself. You can get some hints HERE how to polish & brush a steel bracelet. Gen vintage 1680's come with different bracelet variations (like the folded one), but all default MBW's come with solid middle link Oyster band which is inaccurate. It's difficult (or almost impossible) to detect from someone's wrist but many members have updated their reps with genuine hollow link type of bands. Personally, I prefer the solid version because it makes the watch feel heavier and more substantial. BRACELET, SPRINGBARS & CLASP: As you can see the clasp isn't exactly correct, either. The "gap" between the fliplock on genuine watch is smaller and not "rounded". But I suspect there could be variations... again? GENUINE CLASP (the picture from a 1665): Randy, the community's reigning Vintage Master has (of course) attempted every possible trick to age the inserts... You can read his about his experiments from HERE. AGED INSERT: MARKERS & HANDS: WRISTSHOT: When compared to genuine 1680 the only instant noticeable differences are the winding crown and thicker date font. But since MBW watches accept genuine parts these are easy fixes for the "hardcores". Case dimensions are exact... and after "Palp" mods the crown guards are almost indistinguishable from a gen. 1680 originally comes with extremely large date magnification but most of the preowned watches have aftermarket crystals. Therefore generic crystal is a good "budget" option. . When we make another, more detailed comparison the differencies become more apparent. The dial looks like the weakest link of the MBW. Almost all markings & coronet are incorrect when compared to genuine 1680's... and also the red "SUBMARINER" font looks dead wrong. It should be "cherry" red, narrower and lower. The datewheel is silver on a genuine 1680 but when you get your watch serviced by RSC they often replace it with aftermarket white datewheel. So in this sense it's not necessarily "incorrect" on the replica. "Out of box" MBW 1680 compared to a genuine: Then, let's make yet another comparison. Now we compare my modified 1680 to another genuine watch. As you can see the dial is different this time! Now the coronet and other markings look much closer. Compared to this watch the rep dial suddenly doesn't look bad at all. The SUBMARINER text is still too big on the rep, which is the only dead giveaway. But keep in mind: this is the only 1680 example I've found which has even remotely similar dial with the rep. Could it be a redial? God only knows (and perhaps Randy and Nanuq too). But if nothing else, this is a good example that there's a lot of variation among the genuine 1680's. When it's about vintage watches nothing is carved on stone. This fact alone makes identifying a well modified fake very difficult. Modded MBW 1680 compared to another genuine: As you can see the crown guard shape on the replica is different. Modded guards can be close, but they're too "curved"... and therefore almost impossible to modify to look 1:1. Some people say there's variation in the gen 1680 crown guards, but I've never seen ones that are so curved. They're all straighter, "spiky"... and look like "chops". Check THIS reference picture to see what I mean. The other differences crown, pearl, datewheel and bezel insert are easy, standard mods. The hour markers can vary from "ivory white" to almost orange on aged watches. Even the experts can't explain why the markers age differently. Antiquorum is the best place to look around and make comparisons. Conclusion: MBW 1680 is an excellent watch (in its own merits), but not terribly accurate replica in "out of box" condition. It requires lots of parts, modifications and money to become very close. And even after all this effort it won't be 100% indistinguishable from a genuine. As I have become more informed about watches in general (and because I don't possess the skill to modify the watches myself) I personally don't see investing $600-$1000 to a replica watch very tempting. But then again, modifying these watches is the whole fun for others. Does this all mean that I think they're not good replicas? No. Nothing could be further from the truth, I think they're amazing, convincing timepieces. What I tried to achieve with this review was an objective approach, which, for some reason is often missing from people's watch reviews. And remember, all these observations require very trained "eye", lots of reading, comparing pictures and again more reading. If you're just a vintage Rolex lover who's not "anal" about small inaccuracies, I recommend you to just enjoy your beautiful, handsome MBW timepiece. Thanks for reading. REFERENCE MATERIAL: Ubiquitous "Getting the vintage beat right" Ubiquitous "How to identify a vintage MBW Rolex" Ubiquitous "Quick fix for non-fliplock Oysters and Jubilee bracelets" Ubiquitous "One way to solve vintage Rolex datewheel flaw" Ubiquitous transferred his 1680 into a gorgeous Tudor Submariner Verbal Kint's nice 1680 My friend Edge's beautiful modded 1680 with aged insert Bigdoggy's white 1680 XRT's 1680 Ziggy mods a COMEX MBW Sub Ziggy's awesome lume job on a Rolex Singer dial Palpatine's fine tutorials and "dial aging" hints are also available. If you're adventurous enough you might want to attempt these mods yourself. You can view his pictorials HERE,HERE,HERE,HERE and HERE.

Beautiful picture. Red/Black is the classiest GMT combination. Hope you don't mind adding mine.

Beautiful pictures. You were the first one who reviewed this watch. The subdial spacing is different (of course) but other than that... excellent. Thanks for the pics, I added this link to my Omega guide.

Indeed a classic. Thanks for reposting it, I updated the link in the Omega guide.

I think that's a nice piece. Jubilee is actually the "original" GMT Master bracelet although it has been only "special order" stuff for Master II. I still like it much better with the Oyster. But who really cares. Only the watch nerds can spot the "flaws". Nice watch.

Beautiful!!!

...when I saw this concert (the other night in Garden). New York, New York... and what a great trip it was!!!

Here's a comparison shot I made. On the left is Joe's watch. On the right: genuine.

When I came to these forums I loved the pictorial reviews by Dave Gates. I have read every single one of them. My compact rep collection is laughably small compared to Mr. Gates' one but I enjoyed his reviews very much. I have made 2 small pictorials of this watch but they were basically just eyecandy. People liked my full reviews of the PO 3rd generation and GMT Master II so why not become "the Poor Man's dlgates" again and make one of the Speedy as well? Regulars have seen the pics in this review in the wrist check threads many times, but I managed to shoot a few new ones too. I bought this watch 8 months ago, from a fellow RWG / TRC member in brand new state. Actually, it was just a friendly effort by a fellow member to get it for me from EU and avoid possible customs hassle. Since then it has been a special "connoisseur piece" for me. Scratches are very handsome and only add character to sports watches but this is the only one of my watches that's still in 99% new condition. I find it too precious to wear as a daily beater. It might sound pretty laughable since it's just a replica, but I'm pretty sure this particular model isn't easily available anymore and if I had to choose just one rep to keep, I would choose this watch without hesitation. Actually, this particular replica *IS* still available (kinda), but the new rep versions come with different 9'o'clock subdial and flat sapphire crystal. The dial and hands seem to be a little different as well. The appearance is quite a bit different from mine. HERE's BlueFin's pictorial of his new version. Although this is my favourite replica it's also the "least accurate" of them all. Why? Because this watch isn't actually a replica of the Omega Speedmaster "Broad Arrow", but almost exact copy of the older model Speedmaster with "BA hands", which is shown in the next picture (the right one). If you neglet the different subdial spacing, the only visual difference is the Speedmaster logo and the missing text "automatic" on the dial. If you specificially want an accurate BA replica I recommend the Broad Arrow with Asian 7750 movement which has the datewheel placed at 6'o'clock. If you service the movement you should be ok with it. You can read more about those models from my Omega Guide (the link can be found from my signature). On the left you'll see a Broad Arrow Moon Base which is quite similar to my watch, except it has the moon base feature and different dial text (and lighter blue hands and markers). Both of these watches come without date function. There are also more different variations of the "Broad Arrow" theme in the Speedmaster (and even Seamaster chronograph) line, so if you're afraid that someone might "call you out" because of the lack of datewheel... I think it's very fat chance. Broad Arrow isn't even largerly recognizable model like say, Rolex Submariner, "Bond" SMP or Omega Speedmaster Moon Watch. So what makes it so special, then? First: It's a hand wind watch which is kinda special and exotic for me. Old days, walking sticks and hats come to mind. Times before digital and quartz watches. Good times, times before Darth Vader and his Emperor. Second: It has an acrylic mineral crystal a'la genuine Omega Moon Watch. Yes, it might get some scratches in the long run but those are always easy to buff out. If you have never owned a watch with raised/domed acrylic crystal you probably don't have an idea what I'm talking about. The light reflects differently from it and it somehow gives the dial different, "pure" appearance. Venus no-date hand wind movement seems to be quite reliable and robust movement since I haven't seen many RWG/TRC members reporting any kind of problems with it. Mine has been very accurate and good, and the power reserve of full winded watch is something between 30 and 48 hours. Ziggy's excellent technical review of the Venus hand-wind movement is available HERE. Actually my only concern is to source spare parts for it... IF I'll run into some problems in the future. The default function of the 6'o'clock sub register is just a small hour hand. In genuine Speedys this hand should be centered and pointing at 12'o'clock when the chrono is resetted. The whole hand has been "completely killed" on my watch, by a fellow watch guy. I killed it because the "wrong" subdial bugged me. But then again I'm sure most people wouldn't give a rat's ass. In case you have guts to attempt this yourself, Ajoesmith wrote an excellent tutorial how to "kill" the 6'o'clock subdial hand. It can be reviewed HERE. The stopwatch big seconds hand is a bit jerky (as you can read from Ziggy's review) but the chrono has been working without any kind of problems for me. Another extremely attractive feature is the gorgeous transparent glass caseback. The Venus movement is decorated nicely and it gives this watch very substantial feel. When you show people the moving rotors, crown wheels and the excellent details... they're all "oohs" and "aahs" around it. Needless to say average Joe could never even imagine having something like this on a fake watch. Of course the movement doesn't look like the genuine Lemania movement that's used in Speedmaster but how many WIS Omega people you think you'll run into? And even if you do, so what? The guy who killed my 6'o'clock sub register hand works in a Omega AD watch store. Yes, really. :laugh: And I can tell you he was stunned to see this rep. The markers can look violet, dark blue, navy blue, turquiose or even black, depending how the light hits them. Also the dial looks either pure white, ivory or creamy in different lighting. The bracelet is heavy, solid and very good copy of the real thing. It has brushed finish with those polished "stripes". The clasp is shorter than in my PO but it has those typical Omega pusher buttons and it opens and closes easily. This clasp doesn't seem to suffer from the same quality problems than "Bond" SMP replicas. My SMP clasp & mushroom were broken almost immediately but thankfully I managed to fix the clasp myself back then. As you can see I have polished the clasp. But you can give it the flawless brushed finish back in 2 minutes with Scotch Brite Pad. Conclusion: This is half-fantasy watch and if you accept the fact you'll get a gorgeous watch in its own merits you'll be very happy with it. I also own one of the most desired and expensive replica watches, completely modded MBW Red Sub, but I still consider this watch as the "King of the Hill" of my rep collection. Definitely the best 250 Euros I have ever invested. If you're interested in purchasing this particular model, don't contact me, I have no idea where to get it. Contact your dealer. Quickly. Some of them might still have a few of this old model left. I made this review during the long and boring work hours last week (so I practically got paid for it). It was a lot of fun. Thanks for reading.

FIRST: PLEASE DON'T PM ME AND ASK ME TO FIND OR RECOMMEND A WATCH (OR DEALER) FOR YOU. I DID THIS GUIDE SO YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF! Don't hesitate to reply this thread and ask questions and give suggestions. There are lots of knowledgeable people in the forums who can help. I don't get paid for this, it's just a hobby... and I certainly don't have time to be every newbie's personal watch consult. So please don't take it personally when your PM gets ignored. Also keep in mind that all these descriptions always refer to one particular replica version. Only the best individual replicas of each model are listed here and it's your job to find out which dealer has the best one. Typical ignorant question sounds like this: "Is Joshuas SMP better than Kings?" There are no such things as "Joshua's SMP", these watches always come from different factories and all dealers (usually) get the exact same ones from the exact same sources. And if you can't find a particular replica model listed here, you can be sure it's not worth purchasing. THANK YOU FOR READING THIS AND UNDERSTANDING! Also note that you have to be a member (and logged in) at RWG.cc and RepGeeks to be able to read all the member reviews. This guide was originally posted in Dec, 2005 in the old RWG1, but it has been updated many times since. I'm always trying to keep this guide up-to-date, so please continue giving more feedback, review your Omegas (especially the ones that aren't included here)... and report all outdated information. I left the legendary 007 model from the "closed factory" off this review, because that watch isn't available any longer (except through member trades of course). These watches aren't listed in order _only_ because some model is absolutely more accurate than some other, but they're rather my personal recommendations. Pics are from myself and various member/dealer sources. Thank you all!!! And if you don't like to see your pictures appearing in this guide (for some reason), just let me know and I'll remove them. I'd also like to point out that I don't endorse or put down ANY dealer's product in this review. I have used the best available pictures from different dealers. And just as stated earlier, they're all selling these same models anyway (save a few exceptions). Omega Planet Ocean 45mm "Ultimate version" aka "UPO" (available in black, orange and black/orange) Here's the new king of Planet Ocean reps. It puts all previous incarnations of the 45mm into shame. Virtually perfect, only feet of the Omega logo on the dial are different (loupe stuff), and the watch has only one-sided AR coating. But it's totally amazing rep in almost every possible way. MEMBER REVIEWS: Read my full & detailed review of the "UPO" HERE. See how the "UPO" compares against the new heavyweight diver replication, the Breitling SuperOcean HERE Omega Seamaster Chronograph "James Bond" Asian 7750 (new 28.800 bph) movement It's finally here! Actually this one could go straight on the top of this list as well. The rep is just as good as we hoped for... and more. Excellent dial, pearl, hands and overall construction with the new Asian 28bph movement. Perfect Subdial spacing due to the basic 7750-design on the genuine. Life is good. The only flaw with this watch is the bracelet construction (it uses screws insted of pins to resize) but I find this a minor annoyance. The bezel is misaligned too... and it's not as easy to fix as it used to be on the other Seamaster reps as the bezel is tightly attached. This watch also comes with two datefonts: With the standard Asian 7750-datefont and the one that mimics the ETA datefont perfectly. As usual I got lucky with my watch (from EL), but looks like all the current versions have the standard Asian 7750 datewheel. NOTE: There's a new version of the SMP Chrono available. It comes with the red OMEGA lettering on the dial, and hand "tips" have more "pinkish" red color. These changes mimic the new gen version. According to the first reports the new rep isn't as accurate as old (as the OMEGA lettering seems to be inaccurate). MEMBER REVIEWS My tribute to SMP Chrono, one of the most accurate reps ever. Read the article. My comparative review of Seamaster Chronograph vs. TAG Link Chronograph is HERE. Toadtorrent's awesome article of this rep is HERE. Omega Speedmaster Date Asian 7750 (Various dial versions) A new arrival of 2008. Finally a Speedmaster replica with correct subdial spacing! This watch looks like another "super rep". It has two-sided antireflective coating, just like the gen. There are many different dial versions of this watch, and according to Joshua the "retro" (the one with red subdials) version should be the most accurate of them all. That was the exact gen piece that the factory used as a base of this forgery. Note that the "Retro" version different font on the subdials, which is correct. MEMBER REVIEWS Rolexman's pictorial of his version is HERE. Omega Speedmaster Day-Date Asian 7750 Another new arrival of 2008. The biggest flaw are the hour markers on the dial, which should be thinner. Other than that, this one seems to be an excellent replication. NOTE: It uses the old low beat Asian 7550, because the new one can't be modified to use all the functions it has. This according to reports. UPDATE: The new version of this watch has different Omega logo (with clown hands) and antireflective coating. It hasn't been verified whether the new gen versions have these features or not. MEMBER REVIEWS No reviews of this watch yet. Omega Planet Ocean Chronograph Asian 7750 (tight subdial mod) Available in the same color combinations as the standard PO. The main reason why replication of PO Chrono wasn't successful was the subdial spacing, which used to be notoriously wrong for all Omega's non-7750 chronographs. Now this has been solved and the new replication with double AR and correct subdial spacing is bound to be much more successful than its predecessor. MEMBER REVIEWS Lanikai was the first one to receive this watch. Read his review HERE. Omega Constellation Mission Hills Chronograph Asian 7750 (tight subdial mod) Another one with the "tight subdial spacing" modification. Very accurate replica. Besides the typical "sunken" datewheel there aren't any noticeable flaws. MEMBER REVIEWS No reviews of this watch yet. Omega Seamaster Pro Blue "Bond" (also available in 007 "Special Edition" version, and the new 007 version.) This watch doesn't need much introduction as it's RWG's favourite child. Excellent feel, weight and quality. Very faithful to the real one. The clasp used to be the weakest link but otherwise the watch is very solidly built. There are dozens of reviews made in RWG about this watch as countless members have purchased this watch. Go to the Omega section and read. Issues: Misaligned bezel (can be fixed quite easily if it bothers you), HEV position, crown guards not "deep" enough, clasp is prone to damage, pearl. NOTE: My watch in the reference picture here has correctly aligned bezel. UPDATE: The current rep version of this watch uses screws instead of pins on the bracelet (which is inaccurate). There's also a rep with black dial and bezel which is a fantasy model (no such genuine version exists). UPDATE 2: There's a new black "Bond" SMP replica version available, but it's very bad replication which is NOT worth purchasing (or even reviewing here). Just avoid it. Picture HERE. MEMBER REVIEWS My review of the genuine Bond SMP and some general thoughts about current replica pricing is HERE. My complete "Bond" SMP Mod & Adjustment Guide is HERE. Omega Planet Ocean 42.5mm (The "4th Generation") Before "UPO" surfaced this watch was one of the most popular reps in the community. The 4th Generation Planet Ocean will probably remain as the best ever version of the 42mm PO. While it's not quite as accurate as the "Ultimate" 45mm version it's still very good replication. I did a separate "4th gen Omega Guide addition" back in 2006, which is linked below. It includes everything you need to know about this replica (lots of linked member reviews, pictorials, tutorials, etc). Check it out so you don't have to ask any questions. The only serious shortcomings of this rep are the bracelet and clasp quality. Clasp is a bit loose and the bracelet end link has too big gap where it connects to the SEL. PS: Pauls "5th Generation" is the exact same watch, just Omega logo raised a bit higher. MEMBER REVIEWS My reference guide of the 4th generation PO (contains numerous member review links) is HERE. Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra (Various dial colors) This is visually another excellent Omega rep. But beware: Some dealers can claim that their watches have ETA 2892 inside, but it turned out those were all low-quality Chinese movements. Seagulls, to be exact. While the chronograph ST-19 model has excellent reputation, the movements that are found in the AT and "Closed factory" Bond Seamaster have really poor track records. There is a lot of variation among the trusted dealers on the inscribed words on the clear case back (by the way, the automatic case back should be crystal, not solid). I think I have seen ones in recent pix that have the words "Constel" and "lation" on the back. This obviously is a flaw you want to avoid. Look at the Omega website for detailed pictures of the caseback. Possible issues: Datewheel color should be black on black versions (which isn't always the case with reps). Older versions had problems with the word "Co-Axial" spelled wrong on the face but these should be all corrected now. MEMBER REVIEWS Oldecrow's beautiful Aqua Terra is presented HERE. Omega Seamaster Pro GMT (Also available in white "blanco" model.) I'm glad to finally announce a good replica of the black GMT Seamaster. Certain dealers have access to one with correct black datewheel (and most flaws fixed). Check my new detailed review of this watch. The "electric blue" version of the GMT is apparently a fantasy model (i.e no genuine version exists). There's also a nice ETA version which has strong AR coating (genuine doesn't have AR), proper long hands... but very ugly looking crown available. MEMBER REVIEWS My detailed review of the new and more accurate black Seamaster GMT can be found HERE. Omega Speedmaster Black Moon Watch Seagull ST-19 hand wind (also available with white dial and in "reduced" version.) It would be almost a sin to not buy a rep of this legendary watch at some point. Yes, the subdial spacing is off but otherwise this is scary good replica with the domed plexi crystal, gorgeous glass back and robust quality hand-wind Seagull ST-19 movement. Yes, the genuine used mineral plexi-glass too... and Lemania hand-wind movement. Genuine Lemania is visually different from Seagull ST-19 but still: even the Omega experts have been shocked to see this rep. Solid, high quality feel of the watch is enough to convince everyone except the hardcore Omega experts. Minor issues: Subdial spacing, 6'o'clock subdial should be a chronograph hour counter and pointing at 12 when the chrono isn't running. In Seagull ST-19 powered watches this subdial works as a 24h extra hand. MEMBER REVIEWS My review of the "reduced" black Speedmaster can be found HERE. Baltic compares the Seagull-powered rep Moonie to his genuine article HERE. Omega Speedmaster "Broad Arrow" Seagull ST-19 hand wind (Also available with Black dial.) This isn't actually a replica of the Broad Arrow with date, but the original Omega Broad Arrow, that came without date. ONLY THE NEWEST INCARNATION OF BA should have date at '6. This watch also has mineral plexiglass and display caseback (ala Moon Watch) and NO datewheel which further separates it from the modern BA. This subject has been beaten to death at RWG so go to the archives if you want more information. TTK and Eddie Lee (among many others) consider this one of the most convincing replica watches ever made (in its own merits). Seagull ST-19 movement is robust and reliable and the domed mineral crystal is gorgeous. I own this watch and wholeheartedly love it. This rep is no longer in production but it's still possible to buy through occasional member trades. Minor issues: None, if you accept this as a "half-fantasy" watch. Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about the accuracy as there are gazillion different variations produced in the Speedy line over the years. The text AUTOMATIC on the dial is a bit silly, but somehow member "vric" managed to find one without it. Check the member reviews below. UPDATE: There's a new replica version of this watch available. It's quite different visually, as it comes without domed acrylic crystal, with different hands and subdials. Read my full review of this watch to learn more. There's also a new, rather amusing "Skeleton" Seagull ST-19 version available, which of course is a complete fantasy watch. MEMBER REVIEWS My full & detailed review of this watch is HERE. Omega Seamaster Chronograph Black Asian 7750 Also available in "Olympic Edition" version. This is excellent replication. All details are in the same level as on the "Bond" Seamaster chronograph. However, once again it's impossible to replicate the exact, tight subdial spacing of the genuine Omega movement. 7750 always has its limitations. But complaining about this is pretty much a waste of time. Get this impressive watch if you like it, it's very well done (it has good pearl, dial and datefont). MEMBER REVIEWS chubbchubb wrote a review of this beautiful replica HERE. Omega Seamaster Pro Black Another nice replica. The black version uses "Speedy" bracelet and it's very good alternative to "Bond" Seamaster. Visually they're much alike (both have waves on the dial) but the black version probably isn't as recognizable to general public as the famous Bond watch. That's probably one of the reasons why it's often overlooked by the RWG members. There's a lot of variation in the quality because there are many different incarnations of this rep. Study the watch and flaws properly before you buy. Issues: Pearl, HEV position, misaligned bezel in most models, too short seconds hand, 3'o'clock hour marker too short. Most reps also come with too short minute hand! The same problem is in almost all new SMP's. Try to source it with correct hand length (if possible). MEMBER REVIEWS No reviews of this watch yet. Omega Seamaster Electric Blue How I wish the "closed factory" white (blanco) GMT and Electric Blue were still available! They were absolutely amazing, as the attached picture from Richard Lawton's collections clearly demonstrates. The new rep version ain't too shabby, either. Too bad it suffers from the same problems as the other new SMP's: too short hands and misaligned bezel. Still, I can highly recommend this watch as it's a great looker. This is yet another rep on my endless "must have" list. MEMBER REVIEWS Hyster reviews his rare "closed factory" Electric Blue HERE. Omega Railmaster (various sizes) Thanks to members we finally have a few good reviews of the Railmaster. Best replicas seem to be very close to the genuine article. The new versions of this replica have surfaced, which, according to members are extremely accurate. The only noticeable differences are in the movement (which is visible due to transparent glass caseback). I'm not too familiar with the Railmaster so I'd be appreciated if someone wrote a small overall summary of the rep here. MEMBER REVIEWS Stephane reviews his Railmaster HERE. Pix constructed another great pictorial of his gold Railmaster HERE. Omega DeVille Hour Vision ETA/Asian This rep is a strange ride. There are several different versions from several different dealers. The price of this replica has raised a few eyebrows, and for good reason. What makes it special is that it has a transparent crystal sides on the lugs (as per genuine), which show the decorated movement. This, apparently, has been the reason why dealers thought they can charge anything between $400 and utterly ridiculous $600 for a standard ETA replica. Genuine Hour Vision is a work of art, and there's no way you can make a mildly decorated ETA 2836-2 look anything like the genuine inhouse Co-Axial 8500. While we have to appreciate the noble effort of the rep factories, we can't understand the price, no matter how you look at it. Just like Pete Townshend said "We're not gonna take it". UPDATE: There is another, much more reasonably priced rep version out. This new one has more accurate looking movement. It only comes with Asian movement. MEMBER REVIEWS ToadTorrent wrote a milestone review of this watch, which doesn't only cover the rep, it introduces members to the gen as well. Read this fine article HERE. Omega Speedmaster Broad Arrow Date Asian 7750 (Also available with Black and Silver dials) This is technically the only Broad Arrow replica available (if you consider the Seagull ST-19 version as hybrid). Like the genuine BA, this watch has date window placed at 6'o'clock. But then again the subdial spacing is way off. Based on the pictures the white rep model has inferior quality look on the hands & hour markers (compared to the Seagull ST-19 version). The dial on genuine Broad Arrow is "creamy" and not pure white as on the rep. Also the hour markers on the gen aren't in electric blue color, but darker (like on the Seagull ST-19 version). Get the black version of this watch if you want better visual accuracy. Minor issues: Check the 2 lume dots around the 12'o'clock hour marker. They're ridiculously unsymmetric on some 7750-based reps as THIS picture clearly demonstrates. Strangely this problem only appears on white dial versions. Also: Datewheel is often not centered in the date window correctly (another typical minor annoyance in 7750-powered watches). MEMBER REVIEWS Elprimerozen reviews his black BA HERE. Omega Seamaster Pro GMT "Bond" This rep had a lot of potential to be awesome but unfortunately it has some issues: It has the standard SeaMonster caseback while the genuine has transparent glass back. Bracelet uses screws instead of pins (which seems to be the issue with all new models of "Bond" Seamaster) and the case thickness is (supposedly) wrong. Pearl is also WAY off and the bezel is misaligned as usual. Some members have reported that the nasty old "SEANASTER" printing/engraving made a big comeback on the clasp of this watch. Personally, I couldn't be bothered. Update: New ETA versions come with the transparent glass back, but they use the standard gold "bulk" ETA movement which obviously looks wrong. The silver, decorated ETA would be the ideal solution for this watch. There's also a new Asian version, which, at $108 is one of the best buys you can find right now. Excellent quality/price ratio. BEWARE: The black dial & bezel version of the "Bond" GMT is a pure fantasy watch. No genuine version exists. MEMBER REVIEWS Pugwash's nice Bond GMT with Asian movement is presented HERE. Omega DeVille Chronograph Asian 7750 Visually nice looking dress watch, but not a great rep (accuracy wise). Once again, the tighter subdial spacing is impossible to mimic properly for this Omega model. Tricompax 7750 subregisters are always much further apart from eachother. Also, the subdial hands and date font aren't exactly accurate. The case for the gold version should be all gold... through the lugs and sides. The gold rep version is only made in two-tone (and the lugs, case sides aren't plated). But like I said, it's a good looking dress watch... and personally, I wouldn't mind the flaws. There's of course a stainless steel rep version available as well. MEMBER REVIEWS Pix reviews this beautiful dress watch HERE. (will be updated frequently)

Damn Ryyannon beat me to it. Great minds think alike.

Ok, tried to post my Omega guide here and it has lots of linked <img> tags. However the forum software doesn't allow so many linked image tags in one post. The error message: "Sorry you have attached too many images". Very common problem from other forums as well. However, in old RWG and TRC this problem doesn't exist. Keeping big pictorials/tutorials in one part is essential. Please try to fix this. Thanks. Edit: PM's admin and he fixed it in 10 seconds. Thanks.

SMP:

Hmm... disregard. I found the photo gallery section. That's probably just ok and works great.

Hi there, glad to be here. This is my first suggestion: I see the board doesn't have separate Omega, Rolex and PAM areas yet. Why not create one for each? Like it or not but 80% of the rep talk revolves around these three watch brands anyway. This is what admin has done at TRC and I think it works great. I'd rather create "Other brands" subforum and direct pictorials and reviews there instead of general "eyecandy" section. Because people will post Rolly, Omega and PAM reviews to both "eyecandy" and to the (possible) brand subforum (which is just confusing). And having just one big "eyecandy" for pictorials and reviews is destined to be a huge mess. Just my suggestion, don't take it as gospel.