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Yeah. They're called Ferrari. The fastest, most exclusive ones even carry a FIAT badge...

You are not very clever, are you?! Money'd, but still not very clever....

I'm watching this thread closely. Just to pitch in with some useless info, my mother bought a little 'copy' LV bag as a gift for my wife from a street trader in Italy. She had with her a friend who owned several genuine LV items and couldn't believe the quality of the hawker's stuff. That was about 5 years ago, and the leather on the single strap handle has aged EXACTLY like the genuine article. Source of bag unknown, but there were newspaper articles in Italy at the time claiming OE factories were running night-time shifts and the extra inventory was leaving out the back door. PS. Who's 'Ken'?

The question has been raised already, but I'll ask again - why tf did you? It insences me totally that any customer tolerates AD [censored] like this. Makes them think they can get away with it again. How do you feel knowing that the extra you paid will probably go straight into the pocket of the sales person who took you for the complete dimwit sucker that you are and are laughing behind your back? Nothing in this world is worth that sort of humiliation, even if you personally don't see it that way.

I like those terms. I think we should officially adopt them and use them every time a noobie asks about the origins of our watches.

Jay dropped the price on the 45mm PO just before the slightly improved version of the watch came along with the longer hands - he obviously caught wind of the newer version. $125 for an ETA movement PO is is close to what most dealers are selling the very inaccurate Asian 45mm version for. It's still a fantastic deal and a very good starting point for modification. If you were planning on substituting genuine parts then it would be silly to pay more.

Absolutely! 'Back door' stock is a common phenomenon where items are made under licence in the Far East. There is of course the point that ETA themselves grade their movements and mark them accordingly (The Zigmeister did a fantastic post about this over on old RWG) so they are willing to accept there are tolerances in their product. Furthermore, ETA will use different parts in production depending on availability (eg. the shock protection on the balance wheel can be either Incabloc or KIF-Flector, distinguishable by the different shape of the retaining spring).

Excusable. They look identical from the back.

Already did. He said 'who?!'

Have you ever seen them in a room together?! I haven't......!!

I find that irritating too.

Try $$$$....

I'm just stirring the pot a bit!

Paul got some stick for allegedly plaigarising Andrew's pics. Well, perhaps someone would like to give me their take on this...

<< He's why!

Me too also!

I was going to ask EXACTLY the same thing!!

Someone somwhere said they don't fit, but I have my doubts that is the case.

I think you've got the nail on the head here. He's describing watches for sale on the basis of what he's been told by the person or persons he buys from, without necessarily having handled the item himself. Might explain the discrepancy. I suspect he is being careless and negligent with his trades with other members rather than deliberately misleading. Result is often the same though, regardless of the intent....

I'm back in this one today... Switched it for the TAG Link Chrono midweek, but I just love this big brute for its deceptive lightness.

Maybe one day I'll step back up the audio system ladder. Right now I'm working with a Marantz AV amplifier and Mission 702e/700 speakers. My brother is on first name terms with the guys that make these.

Eek I'd actually sussed who the individual was from the intial post in this thread. Said person seems to trade watches with the frequency some change their underwear. I recently hesitated over buying a Brietling Seawolf Ti from him. One of the reasons was I'd noticed he'd purchased the watch he was then advertising for sale less than two weeks previous second-hand, so I asked for details of condition and age. Before I knew it he'd sold to someone else. (My patience and caution paid off though - I now have my Seawolf and the member I obtained it from is the sort of fellow who makes this forum somewhere I feel privileged to be welcome. It would seem almost patronising for me to 'review' him in the members trade section as we all know him as a pillar of our community.)

He wasn't the only one to pull that trick! To be fair Paul actually warned me away from the '007 with 2892' when another dealer with a name that sounds like water was tring to get me to part with close to $300 for one of them. And then there was the 'trustworthy' dealer who when he first got hold of Asian Unitas copy movements was blatantly advertising and pricing them as Swiss.... We are all dealing with humans here, and no human is perfect (although, TTK is a pretty impressive specimen..... )

The obvious answer to this problem is for some enterprising after-marketeer to produce an Asian 7750 compatible datewheel with the ETA font printed on it correctly centred. Considering the number of TAG Link Chrono and SMP Chronos that have been bought here I'm sure there'll be a huge demand. If someome said today they were doing it I'd pitch in immediately. (Is that a subtle enough hint?!)

[censored]!