Watchwatcher

my 2cents worth. i think that in time you will find that you favor 3-5 watches for regular wear. you may wear the others only occasionally. In my case, i keep the 5 i wear most on my quad winder (1on the wrist of course). the thing you have to keep in mind with these reps, is that when you keep manually resetting them (if they are not on a winder) you put a fair amount of stress on the watch unscrewing the crown and resetting time, date, other complications. even the threading on a screw down crown can wear out fairly quickly if you're not careful. I also find it is convenient to just slip a watch off my wrist and pick one off the winder without having to mess around with it -- the level of convenience may differ for you depending on your habits. Good luck, let us know what you end up with -- i bot a cheapo quad on ebay with fuzzy cw/ccw and picked up a $5 timer at radio shack to stagger operating time a bit. seems to work, atlhough the winder is loud and very cheaply made.

... 168, just out of the wrappers... General reaction is that this is a very solid, well made rep. The sky blue face is a nice contrast to more standard white/blk/silver dials, and is highlighted by the silver subdials at 3:00, 6:00, 9:00. Second hand is a smooth sweep. Crystal has been treated with anti-glare coating. The butterfly clasp takes a little getting used to ... I tend to be a little cautious about pushing too hard when snapping the clasp closed, and with this bracelet try to use a little lateral movement in securing the pins while closing the clasp. However, once the butterfly is fully closed it is tight and secure. Upper pusher starts and stops the sweep hand... something I learned after anxiously twisting my wrist after first putting the watch on and seeing NO movement of the sweep... I'm not a chrono guy so what do I know. Lower pusher operates the 3:00 subdial. Great watch for those with a small-mid size wrist that want a PAM, but not in the 44mm+ category. UPDATE: On Friday, I received a slim package from EL with the missing "i" that had not been included in the original 168 I received from him a week earlier. Installing the "i" was a somewhat delicate operation, which required removing the crystal, and then very carefully separating and repositioning the surrounding "automat" and "c" portions of the word "automatc". I used a Bergeon flutoscope, tweezers, and a large hammer. This is not something I would recommend for amateurs, and please don't do this at home, particularly if you are intoxicated, or attempting to operate heavy equipment at the same time. ANyhow, with a little elbow grease (also provided free of charge by EL), I was able to shift the two portions of automatc to either side and gingerly insert the newly minted "i" Eddie had carefully bubble wrapped the "i" so it was not crimped, spindled or mutilated--although it did appear that customs had opened and resealed the package -- thankfully, without confiscating the "i". So, BIG thanks to EL, who came through in a pinch with a very fine "i" (which really does appear to be swiss made), and correcting this minor issue promptly and with no questions asked -- that kind of service wins my business every day of the week!!!

Specs: Mfr: International Watch Company (IWC) Model: Portuguese 125th Anniversary “Jubilee” edition Face: Black Subdial: seconds at 6:00 Strap: black leather (engraved buckle) Diameter (excluding crown): 38mm Thickness: 8mm Strap width: 20mm Movement: Asian manual Crystal: mineral Back: mineral display Original review (Dave Gates): http://www.replica-watches-guide.com/forum...showtopic=21303 Here’s a quick review of my IWC Portuguese Jubilee (carried by Narikaa), which is a follow-up to Dave’s fantastic pictorial of the (white) twin to mine. Genuine Background The story of the original "Portugieser" is found in IWC catalogs. According to the 1995/96 edition: "At the end of the 1930s IWC received a request from Portugal. A customer wanted a wristwatch of the same size and accuracy as a pocket watch. IWC selected the slimmest and most reliable pocket watch movement in its range, and designed a classic stainless steel case to house it. "Some reports said that this request came from the Portuguese Navy. The resulting watch was distinctive. In addition to being larger than a normal watch, it had a stainless housing, a matte silver-plated dial, embossed gold Arabic numerals, and gold swallow hands. Again, small seconds were at 6o'clock, in a slightly recessed subdial. To commemorate IWC's 125th Anniversary, development began in 1990 of a "Jubilee" edition of the Portuguese which was released in 1993. The original watch does not actually say "IWC" on the dial, and its 6 o'clock subdial is quite a bit larger, covering the 6. The anniversary Jubilee watch, reference 5441, is an exact replica of the original Portuguese from the 1940's. It contains an inhouse Caliber 982 with special engraving on the movement commemorating the 125 years of IWC, 18,000 vibrations per hour, 19 jewel manual wind movement. Breguet hairspring. Only 1000 in steel were produced for this edition. 500 were produced in rose gold and 250 in platinum. The list prices for the edition at its original release were: steel $8,500; rose gold $12,500; and platinum $21,500. Replica Comments At a diameter/thickness of 38/8mm, the rep is somewhat smaller than the genuine (42/9.8mm), but similarly proportioned. This IWC attracted my attention, after seeing Dave’s review. Personally, I like the black face, which gives this elegant timepiece a somewhat more sporty look. The lean profile is also, in my opinion, an attractive aspect of this rep, which retains the same proportions and profile of the genuine, as opposed to many reps which tend to sit too high on the wrist due to their thicker-than-gen profiles. Enjoy. [END]

Cartier Pasha Grid In the 1930s, the Pasha of Marrakech asked Louis Cartier to make him a watch he could wear in his swimming pool. Specs: Mfr: Cartier Model: Pasha Grid Face: Silver / guilloche Date: at 5:00 Bracelet: stainless steel, hidden butterfly clasp Diameter (excluding crown): 38mm Thickness: 12mm Bracelet width: 20mm Movement: eta automatic w/hack Crystal: Sapphire Back: sapphire display Other features: Removable stainless steel “grid” crystal protector Screw down cabochon linked to case with s/s hinge Comments: There seem to be many low quality reps of the Pasha circulating, but I must say that despite a few obvious flaws, this Pasha Grid rep (carried by LVIP, ioffer) is not only a reasonable facsimile, which could at a glance be mistaken for the real article, but also a watch with a unique history. I had the opportunity to examine a genuine one and the major difference is that its case is perhaps 2mm thinner and, of course, the fit and finish is impeccable. I would note that the bracelet on this rep is really top notch, with a very smooth high quality finish, no 'sharp' edges and smooth as silk. Criticisms: Poor bezel pearl (that's obvious). Min/hr hands may be too light a shade of blue. Grid is tricky to reinstall once removed and "touchy" as compared to the real one -- nonetheless quite unique. Real Pasha has a solid back. Cabochon is not too bad, actually appears much darker indoors, but does not have the sparkle of a real one. Case is thicker than the real one -- the biggest discrepancy imo, and consequently adds some "boxiness" which is a typical flaw with most reps. Overall, this rep is a fascinating conversation piece and enjoyable to wear. I’ve wanted to put up a couple pics of this and finally got around to doing so… here goes: History: The most remarkable watches are often one-of-a-kind pieces, custom-made for clients of means. This is true of the original Cartier Pasha watch, which Louis Cartier created in 1931 for Thami El Glaoui, the pasha of Marrakech. The watch was an early attempt to address needs that most busy, successful modern people will recognize. El Glaoui possessed a pronounced taste for life’s finer things, and he led a relatively active life, keeping fit with daily swims in his palace pool. Seeking a timepiece that was durable enough to withstand constant submersion in water but elegant enough to wear when meeting celebrities and heads of state, he turned to Cartier for a one-of-a-kind solution. In response, Cartier created the Pasha, a gold wristwatch that could be rendered watertight by a case that screwed shut and a chain-secured cap that fit into the crown. After delivering the timepiece to the pasha, who was ousted from power in the 1950s, the Cartier company lost track of it. The whereabouts of the exquisite timepiece, which features a protective grille pattern on its face and an 18-karat solid gold case engraved with the numeral 1, remain unknown. "Maybe he gave it to an heir, or a friend," suggests Stanislas de Quercize, president and CEO of Cartier North America. He adds that Cartier is actively seeking the watch for its corporate collection. "We have hopes of finding it and buying it back." Still, the memory of the vanished timepiece burned brightly in the minds of Cartier’s stewards, who eventually launched a Pasha line of watches in 1985. The neo-Pasha was round, a shape that set it apart from the rectangular, square, and oval cases of other Cartier watches. Ideal for sophisticated beachgoers, the Pasha was water-resistant to a depth of 100 meters as well as sand-proofed, and it was available with either a gold bracelet or a honey-colored, water-resistant leather strap. In the years that followed, the Pasha line was expanded far beyond the two 1985 models. Currently, more than 50 different limited edition Pasha models are available, including a new tourbillon priced at approximately $145,000. Past models have included the day/date Moon phase Pasha, which appeared on the cover of our July 1989 issue. Another enduring favorite is the golf version of the watch, which can record a foursome’s scores. Buttons marked with different-colored gemstones—a sapphire, an emerald, a yellow sapphire, and a ruby—distinguish the players. This watch earned a featured spot in Robb Report’s 1996 Ultimate Gift Guide, with a listed price of $79,300. Neither the Moroccan leader nor Louis Cartier could have predicted that the unique, purpose-built timepiece would someday inspire an entire line of magnificent wristwatches. But 70 years later, the Pasha is a permanent part of the Cartier family. "The Pasha embodies all the values of Cartier," says de Quercize. "It is here to stay forever." Excerpted from Robb Report “Back Page: Pashas Past and Present” Sheila Gibson Stoodley 11/03/2003 PICS Genuine: Rep: Note screw-down cabochon (which is actually just the round gemstone) also known as a “carbuncle,” which is attached by a link to a small hinge on the case. Removable Grid, which sets into the inside of the bezel and twists CW to lock into place. Guilloche closeup Unidentified movement, 25j, purported to be eta [END]

A. LANGE & SOHNE Langematik Sax-O-Mat Date This Langematik Sax-O-Mat (carried by Narikaa) rep is among my favorite dress watches. Even with a simple asian automatic movement, it has kept perfect time and the dual date wheels have operated properly. The Lange brand dates back to the 1800s, but was lost for some period of time post WWII and recently resurrected. Consequently, while it is a brand with an old history, its model lineup is actually quite modern, most having been introduced within the past 10 years. Consequently, it does not seem to have quite the same following as some of the better known worldclass luxury watch brands. A little history: As noted, Lange produced pocket watches for a number of generations prior to WWII which is part of the history of the "old Lange" company. However, in 1945, Russian bombers destroyed part of the Lange factory and in 1948, the East German government nationalized the company and Walter Lange fled to West Germany. In 1951, what remained of the Lange company was consolidated with several other firms and Lange ceased to exist. In 1990, Walter Lange returned to Glashutte to found Lange Uhren GmbH, and he registered the trademark A. Lange & Sohne. Lange obtained financial backing from the German giant VDO-Mannesmann, which together with IWC and Jaeger LeCoultre form the LMH subsidiary (Les Manufactures Horlogères). The joint Managing Director is Günter Blümlein, formerly of IWC. In 1994, the first A. Lange & Sohne watches from the reborn company were introduced. Chief Designer Helmut Geyer developed the idea that was to become the Langematik in 1992. In 1997, after five years of development, the Langematik was issued. The face of the Langematiks pictured below, reflect simple, but elegant styling. I'm not a Lange devotee, but I like their understated appeal. The two digit date window is a bit unique, as it is comprised of two independent wheels at slightly differing heights, the first for the first digit and the second for the digit in the 10s position. On the rep, a "0" is shown in the 10s position during the first 9 days of the month, while on the gen, a blank white space is shown -- some gen owners have remarked that the find that during dates 1-9, the single digit throws off the symmetry of the dial and consequently would prefer a zero rather than a blank space I have found the following two pics of the gen models, which this rep most nearly approximates. The Langematik "grosse" (or large) date, is probably the gen version, unless Lange also makes a standard or small date window. The rep is 37mm diameter (same as the gen) although its date window is smaller than the gen pictured below, but nonetheless looks well proportioned to the dial. Here's are pics of the rep: Enjoy.

I put a stainless bracelet on my 027A. The combination weighs in at a whopping 230g... great way to get an aerobic workout while walking. Seriously though, it has a very hefty look to it, and while I still like the black rubber divers band, i've got that on my 029B. Here are some pics... let me know if you luv it or hate it.

Here are the two i have. while every rep collector has to have a gold pres... c'mon now, you just gotta have one, i actually wear the white gold more frequently. both are eta, with smooth bezel. i like the smooth bezel better than fluted because it is a little bit more subtle and doesn't scream for attention. imo comes off as a bit more genuine.

DateJust TOG The DJ TOG represents a reintroduction of a famous model first introduced in 1953, but discontinued in the early 60s, which featured a black rotating bezel and depth rated to 50m. (see pic below) R**** has also offered a customized DJ with numbered rotatable "thunderbird" bezel (similar appearing to a YM bezel) for several years. In 1993/94, the company reintroduced the TOG style as a new standard offering in its DJ line. Specs: Model: S/S DJ TOG Source: River Diameter: 36mm Gen Model ref.: 116264 Bracelet: S/S Jubilee - solid center & end links. Featuring: rotatable fluted T-O-G bezel and engraved inner bezel (rehaut); red date, red text on the dial & the red sweep hand. Movement: advertized by River as ETA. and we have opened it to confirm the movement to be a 2836; the secondhand sweep action is smooth and the watch keeps perfect time. On the gen--what you cannot see is the new method by which the bezel is located, rather than the old system of a pressure spring & a ratcheted cross section; the new system has 4 sprung ball bearings in a channel. It is designed to be much more smooth turning and to provide longer term reliability. Here are the pics of the rep (click on pic for closeup view):