TeeJay

Couldn't've said it better myself... Terrible state of affairs, prayers to the families of those involved

All's good thanks Well, nothing a few commissions wouldn't cure really, just black paint? That really surprises me. I guess I could always get one and having it phantom lumed, I'm just wondering how versatile the watch itself is... Compared to a Submariner, how well would you say it goes with jeans and a white shirt?

Awesome collection, bro, the more I see them, the more I'm tempted to invest in an AP... I do have one quick question about the one with the black numerals and hands (the safari?) Is that 'phantom lume', or just black paint?

Awesome watches, amigos Just the usual from me, so no need for a shot I'm jonesing pretty bad to get building V2.0

That's very interesting to know I had wondered if the Alpha branding might have ensured some level of consistency in the quality of the movements/ their 'from the factory' condition... I had thought that if the movements were in servicable condition, then it might have been worth the extra cost, compared to a CQout 'disposeable donor', but, if there's that level of inconsistency, I think I'll stick with the CQout bargain bin for my parts donors Thanks for the input

PM/Essay sent

That's an awesome collection Quite a few doubles in there though... Is that because they have different movements, or maybe from different dealers? Awesome

That's what I was wondering... For example, Alpha do a clone of the Explorer II, and I wondered if it would be worth getting one to pull the movement for my GMTSub (doesn't hand-wind well, although it's rock-solid when left on my wrist to auto-wind) and then maybe use the case itself for another project...

Just to spin this in a slightly different direction, would an Alpha watch be worth buying as a movement donor (even if the rest of the watch was to be discarded)?

No problem, glad to be of help As mentioned above, a rep will also give you the opportunity to mod, which a clone might not. Just to clarify, I wasn't meaning above that someone should ever try to pass a rep off as a gen (that's just asking for trouble), what I was trying to illustrate, is that many reps are of sufficient quality to be able to 'fly below the radar' when out in public. If they're ever called out (which from reading folks' accounts, doesn't happen much) it's either a combination of insecurity/lack of manners on the part of the person doing the calling out, or the person wearing the watch not looking like they can afford it/too self-conscious of the watch. Other than that though, reps can 'fly below the radar'. People see the name, see it's spelled correctly, and just accept it as a watch. (unless it's a Rolex... All bets are off then, as everyone knows that Rolex = Fake ) A clone watch, on the other hand, will never be able to 'fly below the radar', as it will only ever come across as a 'watch that wants to be a .......' Hope that all made sense

I don't really have any spare cash at the moment, but if you're ever interested in selling it, send me a PM

Where's the scam? The guy got a watch.... Okay, he might've got his pants pulled down over the price, but, something did arrive, so be definition, he wasn't actually scammed I'd suggest as above, use the watch for practicing the basics of watch maintenance and how to dismantle one, that way, you'll still be gaining something from it

Classy

Ultimately, 'yes'. A rep of an Omega will have all the brandings and markings, and if you wanted to try and pass it off as genuine, then as long as someone didn't know the details of the watch, or believed that you could afford the gen Omega, then they would probably believe it to be a genuine Omega. With an Alpha, although it might be a cloned brand, rather than a facsimile of the original, someone seeing it would likely think that the owner wanted an Omega, couldn't afford the real thing, so got the closest equivalent which they could afford. Most people don't realize the quality of reps available today. They expect incorrect spellings, ticking movements, and half-rubbed off chrome plating. Show someone a decent quality rep, and unless they know any tells for that watch, chances are they will accept it as genuine. I don't think that anyone would be convinced that a clone watch (like Alpha) is a quality budget alternative to the original watch, but rather a 'poor mans wannabe watch'. Okay, so people think the same thing about people who wear reps, but at least with a rep, they need to find out if it actually is a rep or not, after all, the brandings are all there With an Alpha, they'll know that it isn't At the end of the day, it's up to you Wear what you want, wear it for your own reasons, and wear it because you want to wear it. Don't by an Alpha just because it is a more 'legitimate' cloning of an Omega, as a rep will probably give you much more pleasure. (in the back of your mind, you will always think of an Alpha "But the dial doesn't say... It doesn't have..." all the things which a rep will cover) Personally, I look at rep watches the same way as I look at an excellent forgery of a painting: It might not have been made/painted by SomeGuy, but it was still made by SomeOtherGuy, it still took time and effort, and that effort goes into replicating the details as closely as possible. Clones are nothing more than ripping off the design, changing enough details not to get sued, and slapping their own name on it. That's not creativity, that's plagiarism. A rep might be a forgery, but at least they're true to 'the spirit of the original'

I don't know much about buying reps in Germany, but there are definitely members here who will be able to help you Welcome to the party

Don't actually do this unless you want to do jail-time as a wife-beating POS While we're venting, I FUCKING HATE MY BANK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel much better now

Okay, not a Sea-Dweller, but certainly close enough for a comparison like this... I used a Daytona strap and felt it went okay. Others might disagree, but I was quite happy with it... Before vintaging... After vintaging...

My recommendation would be for a burgundy strap. The color is incredibly versatile, and will go with almost any wardrobe options you throw at it By personal preference, I'd go with something 'a bit rustic' in appearance, rather than a completely smooth/fresh appearance, simply because a strap of that appearance goes well with casual wear and will 'dress up' much easier than say wearing a more 'formal' strap, with casual wear Best of luck with your search

I may be wrong, but from photos, it would certainly appear that the dial on the Deep Sea is the same size as on a Sub or Sea Dweller, and it's only the case itself which is larger... Maybe not a problem for some folks, but if someone is after a watch where the dial itself is larger, it might not be fitting to their needs...

Indeed, there's certainly a wealth of information to be found in there I guess the problem with Pateks, as mentioned, is the small number of popular models. I guess one can only ask "Who has the best Aquanaut?" so many times

Thanks for the feedback, guys Indeed, numbers speak for themselves, and if there's not really a call for it, I guess no need to have one

I think RWI was the first forum to have WatchEden as a trusted dealer, and that's obviously now spreading here, as they are now in 'probation status' Personally, I've found RWI to be an excellent forum,with many well-informed members (who are also members here) but it is nowhere near as active as the forum here I guess it all just depends on what someone is looking for in a forum

I remember that the question came up a while back, and I forget any outcome, but I was just thinking, that they're a pretty popular manufacturer, and wondered if it might be worth having a section for them, along with the other 'major players'? I know that some watches, like UN, are still 'pretty niche', but PP seem to have a pretty strong following. Might something like this be a possibility?

Yeah, it depends on if they are asking out of genuine curiousity (ie, they want one too ) or if they're just being insecure and trying to "knock a homey's hustle". Questions with interest are welcome, questions with motives are not Bang on I've got to remember that one