archibald

Been listening to it non stop since I bought it--right up there with springsteen's "Nebraska" which has been favorite "modern" folk album for a long time.

If you appreciate great lyrics check out Springsteens sadly forgotton about "Nebraska (My father's house shines hard and bright/ calling and calling so cold and alone/accross this dark highway where our sins lie unatoned") or anything at all by Paul Westerberg/The Replacements ("Jesus Rides Beside me/But he never buys any smokes").

I have some bad news for you, The Zigmeister. I don't know if that scam was run out of the US and subject to US law, but if it was it's probably 100% legal. You see, our country is currently being run by people (of both parties so don't get your panties in a bunch, Republicans) who sell legislation, agency rulings, and commission decisions to the highest bidder.

Without boring you with the details, During my last years in politics, I worked on 2 communications bills, passed in 1999, one of which was amended to continue regulation of "connection charges" under a veto threat president clinton. In 2001 another bill-- one of those "deregulation to increase competition" bills was passed and promptly signed by president bush.

Isn't it funny how the existing Telco's and wireless companies fall over themselves to send politicians money to get these bills passed that, you know, will create more competitors for them and force them to charge less? Funny. Till you get a $100 phone bill for 3 calls.

The problem is that the only competition created by deregulation is between which slimeballs can find a better and easier way to rip off consumers. You see, there is no Association of Guys Who Just Want to Have Fun in Europe and Place a Couplle Calls. But there is an Association of Wireless Service Providers and an Association of Communications Network Providers, both of whom spent hundreds of millions to pass the law that removed restrictions on what third parties who rent networks from the big telcos and wireless companies can charge to put your calls through. The most common legal "scam" here in the US is people buying rights to calls from pay phones that may be marked "verzizon" or "bell south" or whatever. Then, when you dial 0 plus a number to place a credit card LD call, thinking you are getting a verizon operator (they are no longer required to identify themselves) you get someone from Bob's Phone Company (who no longer has to tell you what the charges are unless you ask). Bob can charge you whatever he wants, as long as he gives Verizon their cut.

So if someone wants to route a call through the US and charge 100 bucks to connect you, it's fine w/ the FCC--'cause it's perfectly legal.

BTW, make sure you pay those credit card charges, especially if your card was issued by an American bank--the last banking deregulation bill passed removes restrictions on the changes to interest rates they can make (your other credit card companies can now raise your rates if you're late on a different credit card's payments, even if you've followed their contract to the letter) and the % of wages they can garnish(raised from 15% to 40%) if you default on your payments.

Just remember, deregulation is designed to increase competition and save, you, the consumer, a lot of money.

gold plating people ;0

That's them....but it seems that they're no longer rep friendly.

Relax. There's a funny thing about this board--hardly anyone knows anyone on a personal level, but the truth always has a way of coming out in the end. Always.

The only people who are never forgiven are the people who willfully and repeatedly misstate the facts. My advice would be to just provide your side of the story in as much detail and as accurately as you can.

Thanks... So my best choice would be a DW6263 and source a 72 movement?

That would probably be the best combination of accuracy and reasonable cost. I prefer the el primero versions but they cost well over $2000.

I saw that and pictures too. But still this movement has 11 extra gears. Have there ever existed Daytonas with subdial configurations that where easier to approach with the 7750 (be it Asian or Swiss). For example the vintage...

The daytona experts can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think a genuine daytona was made w/ the 7750 inside--I think they went from V72 to the El Primero (a legendary chronograph movement made by Zenith) to their proprietary movement. So you have 5 choices:

1)the 7750 11 gear special which copies the proprietary movement

2)a frankenwatch w/ a genuine el primero made for another watch (usually a Movado or Ebel)

3)a 7750 powered watch that copies the el primero version w/ bad subdial spacing.

4)a vintage piece powered by the v72 or a v72 copy.

5) a 7750 powered copy of a vintage piece, also inaccurate.

good advice, you should do the same ryaku

Look on the bright side...maybe you'll get a shiny new bong via EMS.

Seriously--This has hapened to me twice and I know how violated you feel. Do yourself a favor: File a charge back, cancel the card, and forget about it.

Anybody knows when we can get new model replica, like conquistador king, conquistador chrono and king

I've been screaming for a King Conquistador chrono or an automatic Casablanca chrono (the handwind available is crap) since the asia 7750 came out. Both could be damn near 1:1out of the box and every part has already been repped. I was told about 8 months ago that a King Conquistador chrono was in the works but apparently that never happened.

BTW, the urrent handwind Casablanca chronos are bastardized combos

of the old curvex chrono and the current casablanca chrono, niether of which use a venus 175. Also, we'll never see a standard sized conquistador chrono rep since the gen is powered by the FP 1185.

Aside from the 187 and the AP ROO. muller chronos have been among the most requested rep on the board...someday it will happen. Maybe.

Would it not be easier to just coat the inside or doesn't that work?

It's a PAM so it would mean coating the outside--but that's not a bad idea if the AR is durable enough. Any idea if it would be too easily scratched?

I mean, if someone can help me I just want to try! Thanks

If you want to try, why risk the entire movement. I'm sure you can find a watchsmith who will do it for you.

I went over this exact idea with my watchsmith, in person, days after the new daytonas came out.

The pushers won't work.

The crown won't work.

The watch will still be 1.6 mm too thick.

I know this has been covered, but I can't find the thread at either board:

I have a non AR sapphire crystal and a non-AR sapphire cyclops. Should I have the crystal AR coated before or after I put on the cyclops? Or should I have them AR coated separately? Thanks guys...

looking to replace the crystal in my PAM 063 with a crystal which has a better cyclops. Can anyone comment on davidsen's? It has no AR - but is it otherwise pretty accurate?

I believe Davidsen uses the standard rep cyclopses and I believe his crystals do have AR--or at least some of them do.

Does anyone has a good source of gold electroplating refinishing service provider?

Would like to do it on my rep. case as the original plating is fading away.

Thanks.

I have used artisanplating.com but they did not respond to the last two enquiries I made...wised up to reps perhaps?

I know Andrew has one, but I dont think it looks that great. Or if someone has bought that rep, could you post pics of it?

As far as haute divers watches go, I think the Picot Le Plongeur is a much better buy--more accurate and a steal at around $100...if you can find one.

I vote for limited edition coming out shortly.

God, I hope so...I love the fiddy buy 44mm is as big as I go. Does this "Radiomir" correspond to a vintage model that OP could be reissuing?

The Illustrator tracing gives me an idea---would you be able to use any straight on shot of an oem dial--once traced and filled in Illustrator it could theoretically be printed @any resolution, right?

The exact size of the rep dial, cannon pinion hole, etc would also ave to be known to the 1/10 mm for the die cutting of the sticker. Knowing what font(s) cartier uses for the text--if not their own in house designed font) would save a lot of time---then you'd just be tracing the markers.

OK here is my estimate for this project... I have done some DTP over the past years (but am rusty in that sense). IMHO we could take the following steps.

- Take the desktop image from somewere in this thread

- Adjust contrast in Photoshop

- Skew image to be 100% front facing

- Convert to BlackWhite and Trace the image in Illustrator to make it vectorbased like None said

- Go over al the details and remove 'nudges' to acquire straight lines (very timeconsuming)

- Proportionalize and downsize (SAVE!!!)

- Since you are making it tiny it will be very crisp for sure

- Print on the magnificent white sticker stuff mentioned in this thread on a minimal 1200dpi resolution

- Open your Santos rep and sticker away...

OR get it laseretches based on the vector graphic....

It will always be better then the dial in there I guess...

I wish I was not rusty and had spare time....

That watch is proof positive of two things:

CNC engravers are definitely among the world's greatest inventions.

Flip-top lids on watches are definitely not.

I'll take a 140, too, and as long as we're playing the "why didn't they put their CNC machines to work on this one" game" how about the pam 240 originally sold only at the Panerai Boutique in Firenze.

It is true that most of the replicas we get are powered by Sea-Gull.

Try and spot them: http://jearle.free.fr/pugwash/

Great job combining those movement pages--very useful! I didn't know my Crazy Hours uses their "2836" movement. Wonder if they did the mods on it, or the rep factory...

I think my watchmakers point was that he's noticed a definite step forward in the latest generation of seagull movements--in the past he has been highly critical of their construction in relation to ETA. He says they have a way to go, but it's scary how quickly they're coming along.

He's about to see a new Asia 7750, which should suitably blow his mind.

Name the genuine Quartz watches with sweeping hands. There's your answer.

ps. a Spring Drive doesn't count. It's a $3000 precision movement from a company that sells decent Automatic movements for less than ETA.

Not the one you're thinking of (Miyota?) but JLC makes (made?) a sweeping "Mechaquartz." chrono.

Quoted from Section 43, Subsection 654, Paragraph 4 of the rep buyer's rulebook: "The mind of the repmaker is a wondrous and mysterious thing. Remember, watches you find ugly may be beautiful to the Repmaker. Completely unreppable watches may be attempted soley at the repmakers discretion. Do not ever ask why gorgeous and easily reppable watches will never, ever be copied. These things are not for you to decide, or even contemplate..."

I wish the dial wasn't so shiny, if it had a matte finish it would be gorgeous.

In bright sunlight this rep will scream fake.

This one does look a little shiny in the pics...hopefully, it's mostly the flash.

The gen Laureus and becker:

Just got off the phone w/ my local watchsith--we were discussng a little project to improve the 222 and other asia powered pams that I and a couple of our RWG compadres have been working on and he started talking about how good the movement was, which shocked me because normally he's not a fan of the chinese movements I bring in. He couldn't believe the power reserve @ 5:00, said t looked like it was designed into the movement and not added on like most of the other "modded" chinese movements he's seen, said the parts and finish were nearly ETA quality--"scary what the chinese are doing," he said.

I had been under the impression that the movement was a modified version of the "standard" asia 21J movement we've seen since day one. No f'n way, says he. "Are you sure?" I asked. He tells me that he didn't believe it was a chinese movement, that he thought it must have been japanese, and actually took the time to look it up on the web. So he sends me link to our buddies over at seagull. Sure enough,on what is apparently their new products page is the Seagull 2530.

Based on my conversations w/ my smith, this guy is no fan of the chinese (he's vietnamese) so if he gives them props, they've earned them. Sorry if this is old news--Thought you guys might be interesed in some more evidence of why seagull might be causing some mild concern along the shores of lake geneva...

Imagine if you will that there are a huge number of replica manufacturers and that one of them releases a Planet Ocean. Then, another factory sees that success and decides to take a bit of it. They decide to make it better so that the distributor, the real power player, chooses them over the older factory. This is the second gen. Now, a third factory sees how the first two factories made a killing off the Planet Ocean, but decides to make one even better so that the other two can't keep churning out the lower quality watches, forcing them to retool to compete. Then, the first two come back in the game and make 4th and 5th gen, competing for the distributor's eye.

Does that seem remotely feasible?

/quote]

Sure, entirely feasable. Problem is that's not the way it works over there in china. I again refer you to threads @ the old RWG in which these questions were addressed by real chinese rep dealers with real connections to real chinese rep factories and who have dealt with real chinese authorities.

This horse is as dead as a dead horse, but clearly the "kiss is just a kiss, and a flaw is just a flaw" argument has razor probs of it's own, even without all those stubborn facts doing their stubborn fact thing...

To believe that no flaws are intentional you have to believe, among other things, that:

Nobody in china could spell "officine" for more than a year--several reps from several factoreis all contained that error on different parts of the watch, on different movements, and in different versions. You must also believe that the chinese, who posess probably more CNC machines than switzerland and germany combined, are incapable of making certain cases--repeatedly--while making many other changes. You have to believe that some high end rep makers believe Rolex is spelled P-O-L-E-X. You have to believe that four amateurs working via PMs on a rep board are capable of producing a decent mag cyclops but the chinese are not. You have to believe that many reps of many brands are numbered #117 because of some cosmic coincidence, not to create a "rep" serial number which makes it harder for slimeballs to sell a rep as a gen (what other reason to do this except to keep the "heat" off?)

A more interesting question anyway is will new technology allow some annoying unintentional flaws to be fixed?

Everyone assumes (or should, at least) that most flaws are caused by an inability or unwillingness, because of practical issues, to copy a feature of a genuine watch. Some things are too hard or too expensive to copy. Two common flaws serve as excellent examples: the crossbars on the "A"s in PANERAI and the date font on PAM wheels. Everyone who's ever worked on a project that involves printing might have already guessed that since they can't get the text as crisp as panerai does, probably do to the technology they use to print the dials, that if they tried to copy Panerai's A's the A's would look like [censored], a tee-pee with a tip filled in. So, by loweing the crossbar they get the gap that makes an A look like an A, they get a dial that's usable more often.

Two years after the first high end panerai reps started being produced can they fix the A's? Who knows? Probably. Will they? We'll see.

The date font: I can tell you and Finepics can tell you making datewheels is hard. It would cost them a lot more per unit to swap the font from the stock ETA to the Swiss 721 BT font that panerai uses. Can they do it? If Finepics and I can, sure they can. Will they? Maybe (Jury is still out on the 87).

I honestly never check tracking-- because I'm waaayyy too superstitious. I'm afraid that excessive tracking can jinx a package in various horrible ways, and then I'll see it got nabbed in customs or, worse, lost between the airport and my house, which would of course make me entirely non-functional the rest of the day if not week. So far, so good...one customs issue on a repair return (which the dealer informed me of) but a new one was sent pronto and made it through.