CptTripps

Damn.

...that is all.

I plunked down coin for a 16520 case and caseback this week, and got one that the tube didn't fit correctly in. I asked him about it, and got a reply to send it back and he'd make it right. We'll see...

If I could find a case that would accept a gen zenith movement without a bunch of modding, I'd buy it. His was the only one I found that wouldn't need me to own a CNC to get it right. I have 100% gen parts, accept for the case and caseback. Movement, bezel, pushers, crown, tube, crystal...all Genuine. He'd is the only game in town that'll work for the parts I have...so I paid the tax.

Happy about it: Not at all.

Choice I have for what I'm going for: None at all.

98% of the people you meet will not be able to tell the difference. The super-upscale versions of our replicas are for **your** peace of mind. Some people want/need a better replica .. some do not.  It's all in your head.

I'd say 99%+ won't be able to tell. Seiously...they are real close. The only people that can tell a lot of the time are the people on these boards, and none of them are going to call you out.

To the OP's question...

I always go for the Swiss ETA if possible. There's a lot to be said for the quality of the movement, and having a watch you know isn't going to just STOP in the middle of the day. THAT is a "tell"...for sure.

custom elephant skin... this is 2nd time I see 089 on such strap and it looks great!

I originally asked if they could find an elephant SKIN. She said "No. Animals the size of a house don't have skin...they have Hide."

:: Golf Claps ::

I posted this on RWI as well, I hope it helps people in comparing their Reps to my Gen.

The strap is a custom Elephant Hyde that House of Fleming in Atlanta made for me.

Keep in mind this has been a nearly daily-wear watch for me over the last few years. So it's a little on the dirty side.

My hope is to buy the Rep G-Series when it's available and do some side-by-side shots of my own. Enjoy!

Asked around at a place that WAS a Rolex dealer. Funny thing about old watch dealers...they have parts.

Score!

So it's a BROKEN case for 2,100€. That doesn't appear to be much of a bargain.

Alrighty then...I'll send it all off!

I didn't get his tube. All I purchased was the mid-case and the case-back. I have Gen Pushers, Bezel, Crystal, Tube & Crown. Everything but the tube fit.

He offered to put it all together for me if I send it in. I'm going to FedEX to him today, but wanted to make sure that the Genuine parts I purchased were what was ultimately used. I paid $$$ to make sure I got the best stuff, and that if I ever found a genuine case, I could buy it and not have to worry about my parts not fitting.

So I have everything pertaining to the case in-hand.

Gen Bezel, Pushers, Crown and Tube.

Dial, Hands, Movement should be in-hand soon...but I want to get the case squared away first.

The "Phong Case" showed up today, and the pushers threaded up perfectly...the crown tube did not. ::: Frustrated :::

I sent him an email to see what can be done. Right now, I'm thinking I'll have to send the case back to him, but I want to make sure that all my gen parts are used if he's going to put those things on/together for me.

Any ideas? Should I mark stuff with nail polish first before I send it off? (Like the guys at the junk-yard used to do )

This thread is simply fantastic. Thanks for putting the time and effort into it.

(And you reminded me that I need to go buy a ton of parts/tools from RWG...)

Am I allowed to buy tickets? :-)

+1 for Saddleback. I carry their briefcase. The only word to describe it is Bulletproof.

I love it when a plan comes together....

Well done!

VERY cool project. The type of thing I wish I could do...but realize takes way more patience and expertise than I'll ever have.

Check House of Fleming in Atlanta. Their stuff is amazing, and you can get some exotic hides too. (I've got an Elephant-Skin wallet from them that I've had for years.)

That is a variant of the MKII Paradive. Check them out, Bill Yao is a great guy, he and MKII are located in Pennsylvania.

 

http://www.mkiiwatches.com/watch-collections/professional-series/paradive/

Winner! That's the logo that was on the rubber strap.

It's a sweet looking watch...but I'm thinking I'll look for a vintage one.

Great job!

Yeah, those are real cool. I didn't see anywhere to buy one on the site. I'd snap one up in a sec.

Funny that there's a rep of a watch that isn't all that expensive to begin with. I'm hunting down a few on eBay now.

The guy next to me had a smooth rubber strap with a deployment. Cool looking watch.

Already got an email from them, that they'll give me extra screws. I appreciate that.

The dial on the 320 just had me scratching my head. Hands + reflection + angle = skewed appearance.

Hey gang. Please tell me if I'm being too picky here...

The 292 has a (possible) nick in the case, and the screws on the back seem scratched.

Does the face on this 390 look crooked?

May be the reflection, but it just looks 2-deg off to me.

Am I crazy?

Thanks Andy!

...and the hunt begins.

...and god bless autocorrect for changing ID to I'd.

Guy was sleeping next to me on a plane yesterday. I know it may be one of those generic watches with great movements on eBay, but I loved the case. Had a sweeping hand, so it wasn't quartz.

Any ideas?

Me: If this is a part that's still available for $370.00, why the $1,000.00 price? Just curious. (Price-tag is listed in the pic, and if you call a dealer with the part number, it's still available.) Good luck with your sale!

Seller: Please link me to a site that has genuine Rolex original Daytona bands available for sale. There are many China / Taiwan "Replacement" bands available that are marketed as correct replacements, however these are not manufactured by Rolex.

Me: I just searched for rolex dealers near me and called with that part number to see if it was available

Seller: This band is for people who know what they are buying.

Me: I completely agree. Although, one could argue that people that know what they are buying, know that it's still an active part number, and available for $410.00 from any Authorized Rolex dealer in the US. Good luck with your sale! Sorry to bother you.

::: no sense in arguing :::