TeeJay

I believe these crystals are Plexiglas (acrylic plastic).

Ahh, thanks for the clarification

Haha you guys beat the hell out of your Rollies!

How tough is it to scratch those faces? What're they made out of?

If it's the perspex crystal, they're very easy to scratch. A slash from a pocket knife will do some damage, as would a knock against a housebrick (or similar rough surface)

Also where does the pleasure from trashing the Rolex come from? Is it just to give the illusion of a really old one?

For me, it's to create a 'temporally accurate' watch. The case of my vintage sub, is the same style as was used in the mid 50s. Such a case would not make it to the present day without picking up the occasional ding. Same with my Tudor Sub (late 70s era) Wearing a model of watch which is 20+ years old, but is in absolutely pristine condition, means either a safequeen (which is a waste of a watch) or one sign of a replica. Making the watch appear the age it should be if it were genuine, is not so much a case of trying to pass it off as genuine, just helping it to blend in more, and making it more accurate I wouldn't age a modern Rolex, as there would be no need for it to be heavily scuffed

No change for me

Tone down? Are you crazy? Lmao!

I know I'm silly....but I loved that old post about a gen Sub that was lost by a fisherman and found later in the hull of the boat. I wish mine looked like that one but I just can't manage to wear it that bad.

Here it is:

The operative word there was 'if' As Freddy says, abuse like that makes watches, not easier to pass off as gens, that's not the right sentiment I'm trying to get across, but it 'makes them less suspicious' to the untrained eye. It gives the watch some anonymity, makes it look less 'box fresh', makes it more of, what would in car terms be dubbed, a 'sleeper'. People don't notice them, and that saves the "Is that real?" question getting asked

I remember when pics of a watch were posted about a month or so back (I think it was a double red Seadweller, I forget now) but it looked so pristine, it would easily be mistaken as a rep, for being so perfect, despite its age... I think my Tudor Sub is probably 'on the cusp', in that I've aged it a bit, but the insert could still probably be a little more faded before it 'looked old', the only problem, being the dial looks too new to put with really vintaged parts, and it's a real balancing act, so I'll probably keep it as it is, before I go too far

That's an awesome photo, and indeed, that's definitely the kind of look a Sub should have

Very nice work, bro

If you were going to 'tone down' the crystal scuffs, I'd suggest using a 4-surface nail file to do it, as that will still leave you with some nice scuffs all over, but take away the worst of the marks... Am I right in thinking you wear this on your left wrist? I only ask, as I think if it was work on the right wrist, the scuffs might obscure the dial at times Absolutely top notch though, my kind of watch for sure

Its just an idea, not everyone may want to meet up. But we all have RWG and a love of watches in common, so I say why not

Absolutely, I think it could be a good time

Megabus still do fares for a pound if you book early enough, there is always a way my friend. Car share is also an option

Sounds good, I'll certainly look into it if things are finalized

Does nt have to be a lavish affair, just a few friends and a shed load of watches and bits of watches ETC ETC

Sounds good, but at the moment, even travel cash would be tight for me, such are my circumstances

If I can spare the cash, I'd be down for a UK GTG

For location suggestions, I'd suggest The Rocket bar in London. It's halfway down the road between Euston and King's Cross, so pretty central should anyone be traveling by train

Hey man, thanks!

The watch seems alright but not really my style, but yes i can agree with you that quality no matter what costs money, rep or not hehe.

But the mate just before you who gave me the link, i found a shop in there which has reps, and almost 300 feedbacks by ppl who bought a watch; All they say "Better quality than i expected for this cheap"

What do you think about this forexample:

Price is 35 pound

That's the dealer I used for the DateJust I listed above, as well as the watch which has now become a Tudor Submariner (in the wrist check and pictorial in the Rolex section) I would highly recommend them. From what I have heard, gold plating on replicas will eventually fade (although modern watches have more durability to the plating than the gold plating done years ago) It depends entirely on what kind of watch you're looking for, how much you want to spend, and what flaws in replication you're prepared to accept at that price level.

The problem with your question, Gimp, is that quality reps aren't cheap. Cheap reps are cheap.

I suppose if you want an awesome starter watch that is "really good" for not too much cash, then the Planet Ocean in 42mm from Narikaa is your best bet. Sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating, real stanless steel construction .. good hand lume .. not perfect but very good for around 100 USD.

Note: This photo is of *A* Planet Ocean, not the actual one from Narikaa.

If you are spending less than that for a replica watch, then you're looking at a chrome plated brass body with glass "crystal" and a mystery chinese movement.

Im sure you can spend less than 100USD on a good watch if you GO to China yourself and sift thru the market stalls personally but the Dealers here have to make a living, right? And you dont have to go to China, yourself.

That's not necessarily always the case though... I've done work to budget rep cases (appx $30), both abusive (gouges) and filing out etchings, which would have revealed a brass body with chrome plating, and that has not happened.

I assume ur looking for all black watches to pull of a look like this?

Hahahah ....

Thats a Bell & Ross Airborne he's wearing.

And there was me thinking that Panerai was 'the gay watch'

Awesome dude!

Thanks, already found some good prices hope its good quality also..

Ill buy a few and let ppl in here know for further reccomendations.

Thanks again!

No problem, happy to be of help I've been pretty happy with the quality of what I've received. I would suggest using the in-house escrow service to be 100% safe in your purchases, but as long as you aren't expecting Super Rep quality, for bargain bin prices, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with your purchases

No change for me... My love of the dial outweighs my dislike of the strap

Welcome to the party If you want budget cheap, then CQout.com is probably worth a look

Polls posing hackneyed questions like 'Which color do you like?', or 'Which watch should I get?' or (from newbies) 'Who has the best......?' or 'How do you wear your watch?' got old the 200th time they were posted. Used wisely, polls asking provocative & compelling questions can be fun & a great way to spread or gather new &/or useful information. But, when used superfluously, they are boring, tedious & a waste of time/space.

+1

Over time, my personal pref has gone from heavy wabi/aging to only a moderate amount of wabi

It's always interesting to see the characteristics that aging tritium takes on over time; the inconsistencies truly makes each different dial unique in it's own right...

Thanks for the feedback, I would totally agree there, the way each dial ages differently, definitely leads to some interesting, and unique effects

To be honest, with my vintage sub, that is actually more heavily aged than I had originally planned, and when I have the cash available for parts, I will be performing a 'facelift' to take a few years off of it I didn't want the Snowflake Tudor to be in the same kind of heavy aging, primarily, because it is only a 70s vintage, rather than the 50s vintage of the sub case (which will also eventually receive a coin-edge bezel) I didn't want this one to look 'too old', but I wanted to make it at least look like it was potentially 30 years old, without looking totally beaten up. I'd like to think I've achieved that overall aim, and consider that aspect of the project completed, as the caseback and Snowflake hands I eventually plan to install, won't do anything for the age of the case, just the overall consistency to that specific model of watch

Looks very authentic TJ

Thanks, my friend There's a lot of work that needs doing before it could be considered a decent homage to the Snowflake Tudor, but, it's a watch which I'm finally happy to wear (the previous composite was literally just an assembly of parts, not something I'd choose to wear...) my only beef, is the NATO strap... I don't like getting them wet, so I keep taking it off

I've mentioned it a lot recently, but, what is wabi-sabi?

Wabi-sabi (侘寂) represents a comprehensive Japanese world view or aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience. The phrase comes from the two words wabi and sabi. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete" (according to Leonard Koren in his book Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers). It is a concept derived from the Buddhist assertion of the Three marks of existence (三法印 sanbōin), specifically impermanence (無常 mujō). Note also that the Japanese word for rust, 錆 is also pronounced sabi (the borrowed Chinese character is different, but the word itself is of assumed common etymology), and there is an obvious semantic connection between these concepts.

Characteristics of the wabi-sabi aesthetic include asymmetry, asperity, simplicity, modesty, intimacy, and the suggestion of natural processes.

Richard R. Powell summarizes by saying "It (wabi-sabi) nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect."

Although it was other vintage watches which first made me appreciate this aesthetic, this was the watch were I first put it into practice as an active modification:

Since receiving this generous gift from Slartibartfast,

I decided to turn a watch I was not particularly keen to wear:

into one I would wear happily.

The watch has undergone some fairly extensive vintaging on the case (possibly too much) but overall, it is the crystal which has since guided my abuse of the new bezel insert. I never envisaged the totally stripped insert [seen above] as a permanent component, and didn't want to go for the same bleached out look of the vintage sub, but equally, I didn't want the new insert to look pristine, or it would simply look like an after-market replacement. I wanted it to blend with the rest of the watch. To that end, I used a 4-surface nail file to remove some of the paint at the edges of the insert, and then pitted the insert.

Here're the two blood-brothers:

The damage between 10 and 11 on the crystal, is from where I used a pocket knife to cut away the cyclops. I managed to buff out some of the damage, but some of it was permanant, so my only option, was to re-position the crystal so that the marks would appear to be impact damage sustained during wear, and then blend it in by crazing the rest of the crystal.

The crazing of the crystal was achieved by first slashing at the crystal with my pocket knife a few times, then using the 4-surface nail file in a circular motion all over, using all four rubbing surfaces, to reduce the scuffing from 'cloudy', to simply 'scuffed up'.

The pitting was achieved by placing the flat tip of a jeweller's screwdriver against the insert, holding it in place, then lightly tapping the back of the screwdriver once with a doorstop, and then using a thumbnail to remove any loosened paint. Individual indents was the aim here, not long gouges, which I grouped together to line up with the major scratches on the crystal.

Overall, I am very happy with the overall effect, and how the watch looks. I still have plans to obtain and install correct Snowflake hands, and a correct caseback, but those additions will be some time before I have the cash to put them into action. Infact, were it not for Slartibartfast's generous gift of the dial, this project may never have gotten off the ground at all, as a gen dial would be out of my reach, price-wise.

Of course, I had to get a decent wrist shot

Coming inside, I saw that the hands were 'flaring up', so decided to take a couple of quick lume shots to show just how nicely the dial glows.

If you'd be interested in acquiring the only other existing example of this dial, then hurry, as the auction for it ends soon here:

Tudor Snowflake Dial 100% (minus shipping costs) to RWG

Thanks for reading

I wish I had the spare cash, bro, that dial's got all the makings for a perfect project... Best of luck with your sales

I will recommend this advice up to a point.

If you are in the US, your payment options may be quite limited. It is basically set up for UK buyers. You are best off to find a seller who accepts Paypal. That said, you will always get a watch.

I'd disagree that Paypal is the best option to use on CQout, simply because the in-house escrow service offers better protection for funds. A deal I had going though was cancelled as someone had put multiple negative feedbacks to the seller about the same issue, which automatically booted them. To be honest, their communication had gotten ropy, so perhaps they were one of the frequent 'burn outs' one sees in this hobby, but, either way, my cash was safe, and refunded to my account before I even realized the deal had been cancelled

Okay...now I'm worried. So, as a new guy. Even the dealers listed here, you are not necessarily going to be taken care of.

Ok, as a first time buyer, where do you think I should buy from? Anything specific? I am looking around but don't know what sites to trust. I have been doing my research and learning, e.g. if the face reads 10:10 then it is not likely a picture of the watch you will receive but some of the sites that are purported to be trustworthy use images that are set on 10:10.

I am a veeeery big watch lover but live on a budget as I'm a student and saving up for my move to London in May. I want the cool style, in fact there are several I want, but dont want to get ripped off either!

Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi...you're my only hope...

Cheers!

PS, I really appreciate people putting in their 2 cents. This forum is excellent!

Of the forum listed dealers, I would personally recommend Narikaa and WatchEden as being awesome to do business with.

Another site I do business on, is called QCout.com. The site is something like eBay, but one of the payment methods offered, is an in-house escrow service. If you're not happy with the goods, you return them, and the site returns your money. Likewise, if a dealer gets kicked off while in the middle of a transaction, the deal gets automatically cancelled, and you get your money returned. If a dealer gets more than 3 negative feedbacks, then they are gone. Personally, I find that very reassuring. You might not necessarily find the range as you might with a forum dealer, but, the majority of the most popular watches are available, and in 'budget versions' which are still (in my opinion) excellent value for the money.

The best thing to do, (either here or there) is to read dealer feedback. Even the most popular dealers (here) occasionally get complaints, but, they do take care of their customers, then there're others like Silix, who, in my experience, really aren't as reliable as one might hope for...

If the worst comes to the worst, if you see a watch you like the look of, post a link to the forum, and the experts can give you a 'yay or nay' Best of luck (and welcome to the forum )

Ditto that. Well, mostly. I have never received anything but what I ordered from Silix. But I also ask alot of very specific questions like 'I want this watch because you describe it as being 12mm high. Is the watch I receive going to match your specifications & pictures EXACTLY?' As long as both buyer & seller know what to expect, you should not have a problem getting what you see on their website.

On the other hand, if accuracy is your primary goal, Silix is probably not your best option. And getting either email responses or your watch from Silix can be a long, agonizing process (my last 2 orders took 3 & 2 months, respectively, to arrive, with numerous promises (of shipped watches) followed by numerous (delayed) apologies (for not shipping same)).

You've definitely been lucky. My vintage sub was the wrong dial variant (it should have been the 3,6,9 dial) My first X-32 was missing faux-screws from the case-back, and the battery for the hands was near dead, and the replacement which was sent had the exact same problems, then, on top of that, the Jubilee bracelet I ordered at the same time as the vintage sub simply never arrived at all (I told Silix to just forget about it ages ago)

All in all, I would say that there if someone is looking for a 'budget dealer', there are more reliable ones about than Silix (just not necessarily on the 'forum trusted list'...)

Thanks for the help all.

I am going to get a Panerai Luminor Regatta economy watch from Silix Prime as a tester as I am still trepidacious about it, as one member said, "buyer beware".

As a first time buyer, but long time watch lover, I will let you know how it turns out.

Cheers again!

I'd have to say the reverse of Maxman.

You will be lucky if you receive precisely what you order, and communications to resolve it, while polite, will be painfully slow. I wouldn't use them again as a dealer or recommend them to anyone else...

There are always a few Trekkie bastards living in their mother's basement who love gossip, negativity and all that. So I'm voting no. If a mod wins a raffle, it will raise unnecessary questions.

It'd be nice to win something nice for cheap, but not really worth it.

With reasons like this to watch Trek, all I can say, is 'live long, and prosper'