TeeJay

^^^^ Beaten to the punch

I've stayed out of this thread thus far, as, having not had any work underway with Jakub, it has not really been any of my business, but the last few comments have caught my attention, and I just wanted to offer my input to them.

Stephane, I may be wrong, but, I suspect that some of the reason why problems have not been raised sooner, is that people might have feared to voice concerns for fear of a flaming, well-meaning advice that "[insert name here] is a great guy, and will make things right..." which, while well intended, does not really help the person with the concern, or even the fear that publicly raising a complaint, might get them in the dealer's 'bad books', so have possibly kept quiet for fear of incurring wrath...

With regards Yachtmaster's suggestion, I think that is an excellent idea. Such information need not be made public, but kept secure by Admin, but, it would definitely be a good idea to have, should things like this happen again (as like when TWP went AWOL)

Just my .2c, I hope it's of help

Nice collection Teejay. I especially like the 068, which looked very good in the holiday pics on the other thread!

Thanks Are you meaning the GMT PAM? I thought that was an 029a... Glad you liked the pics though

Very nice collection man!! I like your strap choices. Here is my collection. I am still looking for a 113 or other white faced PAM.

Thanks, you have an awesome collection yourself Looking at what you've got, I think a 113 would go really nicely with your existing collection I would've suggested maybe the Base option as one for consideration, but, as all your others are running seconds at 9, it would be more in keeping I would suggest maybe ssomething in the PVD range, but, as nice as they look, they're not always the most versatile watches for pairing with a wardrobe, so sadly, at least in my experience, they're more 'occasional wearers' rather than a daily beater...

gen Navitimer on cow hide (croc print) and Rolex diamond ring combo - I think the gold ring compliments the gold bezel in the watch so it gets noticed more - 42mm is a tad small for my 8.5" wrist but still works - I'd like to get a TT Navitimer GMT - their like 47mm I believe

It's starting to look like Breitlings are very much complimented

Sure Bob's strap !!

I thought that's what it looked like

I do believe that if a watch like that were to be taken to the brand AD, they would consider it genuine. If that is the case, then only those who know how it was assembled will call it a franken.

That's an interesting point, bro, I guess the only thing which might clinch it from an ADs perspective, would be things like papers and matching serial numbers... As you say, they might well consider it genuine, where an enthusiast might consider it franken. This is like the point I made last night about transsexuals. I doubt anyone would treat this person as 'a man', but with the courtesy due to all women...

Not spectacular photography, just a few quick and dirty shots to show my whole collection of PAMs. As will be noted from the lineup, my 127 maybe gone, but it is definitely not forgotten. I look forward to the time, insh'allah, when I will have the funds necessary to get it put back together and reunited with its brethren

My next project is awaiting the Dr. to return from vacation; however, is it still a franken if it's 100% gen???

Gen case

Gen dial

Gen hands

Gen tube

Gen crown

Gen bezel

Gen crystal

Gen movement

Gen bracelet

Yes.

Even if all the parts are 100% OEM originals. For the watch to be gen, it must be assembled/maintained by the parent company.

The Grahams are certainly hard to miss Would I be right in thinking that's a BOB sharkskin strap? If so... Very comfy straps

Thanks Freddy and TJ, I must try to take some better pictures of it. As for dial size it is up there with the PAMs so I guess its a 44, but its just so thin and light weight even the strap is cool and it was cheap as cheaps. (well until the ex rate went TU) I wore it to a ball last month , had to dust off the tux, a guy at my table grab my arm and went nice watch mate !!!

I had a feeling it might've been that kind of size, but it's still elegant That's definitely the kind of reaction which make it all worthwhile

I'm coming to the conclusion that in order to get the movement and dial out of my Canal Street PAM, I'm going to have to do the movement a 'physical discourtesy' ( ) which will likely render it un-useable I'd like to keep a mechanical movement in the project, but I don't mind if it's auto or hand-winding (although by choice, hand-winding would be preferable) It has to have a date-wheel, and it has to have seconds at six. I've seen a few Pateks running seconds at six, but not with the date-wheel as well... My other option, is to try a seconds at nine auto movement (like my 104) but then put the movement in a pocket-watch case, so it wouldn't be an issue to have the stem at twelve, but, getting the movement to fit into the watch case might be an issue And, to be honest, I would like to keep this as a wrist watch if possible... Of course, if I could just order the movement as an ebauch rather than having to buy a watch and dissect it, that could also be prefereable

Thanks in advance

Jeez, some nice watches posted here. Sander that Da Vinci Rattrapante is the nutz, and RobbieG that Un is still high on my list with that dial flavor. As far as getting noticed on the wrist, this one has more than the others. The orange really pops out on it.

That's an awesome watch, and the orange stitching really pulls it all together. Out of curiosity, what kind of wardrobe do you tend to partner it with?

Good topic

It used to be my Big Bang, its got so much attention that It got on my nerves and I had to let it go.

Recently This Pam has been getting some nice comments

But the Winner for me is this Patek (sorry for the poor photo) I don't wear it much but it always get a comment, the Ladies seem to love it.

ST4

Thanks, I figured it would be a good conversation starter Out of curiosity, what size is the Patek? Is it in the 44mm region?

I disagree. Putting a gen crown or any other gen part on a rep watch turns that watch into a frankenwatch. The number of parts is irrelevant since installation of that 1 initial gen part changed the definition of the watch.

If you look at it conversely, it might make more sense - If you send a gen Datejust that has been fitted with a rep crown in to an RSC, they will return the watch to you explaining that that single non-Rolex part makes the watch something other than a genuine Rolex. In other words, the watch, as far as Rolex is concerned, is a frankenwatch.

I do see the point you're making, but it's more a technical point rather than one of 'how it feels'. I guess it could be argued that a crown swap would put a watch into franken territory, but, telling people that all that had been changed was a crown, would probably raise a few chuckles rather than appreciation. It's a bit like a discussion I had with a friend a while back. A transsexual, regardless of what is done, would never really be a female (or male) as internally, they would always remain male (or female) and their DNA would never change. However, if someone was to see a transsexual, they would do them the courtessy of treating them like a woman (or man) I guess what I'm trying to illustrate, is that just because something is technically one thing, it might not necessarily be considered as that thing, depending on people's opinions on the subject.

All this PO talk makes me think we need more pictures. Always looking for a good excuse for more pictures. LOL. Ain't it a thing of beauty? Build quality? Yup...

I think you missed one off the list

Looks like a great time! And a great way to spend a birthday...

It was fantastic, just a case of sitting back and watching the world go by

Good one... more stuff like this

Laz

Thanks I'll have to start doing more photojournals of my trips

Thanks Tee!

It was my pleasure, amigo

wonderful pictoral bro. thanks for sharing.

cheers!~

Thanks, bro, I'm glad you enjoyed it

Well what other said.. Just putting for example a gen crown on a Panerai does not make the watch franken..

It need at least 2-3 major parts to qualify as that.. Dial and hands are the two most common since 'case' is very difficult to find genuine in most brands ...

I agree. This is almost a Ship of Theseus scenario. As you say, putting a gen crown on a rep PAM would not push the watch truly into the realm of franken, merely 'modded with a gen part'. If it were a crown, crown guard, dial, bezel, OEM strap and buckle, on the other hand, that would definitely be a franken

Yes, the UN MMD is quite blingy. Actually, I think mine is the most so because of the dial choice I made. I was looking for a more interesting replacement for my Yachtmaster and it is very much like that in the bling department and in looks a little too - but more interesting IMO.

MMD's with colored or black dials and/or rubber straps with Ti elements tone it down a lot, but as I said for this watch I was going for flash as more of a collection choice. In the bracelet sports watch department I kind of use these two as the opposite ends of the spectrum...

This when I want shiny:

And this when I want dull:

And the PO sort of splits the difference when on its bracelet (although it lives on rubber now...)

It is blingy, but not in an ostentatious or trashy way, I think that's what give it its appeal It's interesting that you chose it as a replacement for a Yachtmaster, as the two watches are very similar in appearance (although I'd have to admit, I probably wouldn't've made the connection without you saying ) As above, I do like it, but, as I wear such basic watches, I think that if I was to buy one, it wouldn't see much wrist time

@TeeJay: Thanks for the pic compliments.

No problem, your photo work is alway exceptional I think the thing which surprized me the most, was the depth of the back of the watch, and how high it sat off the wrist. I admit, Luminors are hardly small, and, top to bottom, probably stand just as high from the wrist, I think it's just that with them, the back of the watch is flat to the wrist, with the height coming from the case and bezel, where the Aquaracer was the reverse. I guess it made me feel almost like there was something under the watch, raising it up... Oh well, a fine timepiece nonetheless

Still wearing it, still loving it, amazed by how much it changes according to strap choice

+1

reps are only for the wrist,

accessories for the eyes, feet should be gen

same goes for phones,

you see the QC in the watches that are produced,

why the hell would you buy an replicated article that produces unchecked electromagnetic radiation

go for the genuine phone

In all fairness, these rep phones are quite likely commonly used in the Asian markets as purchased product... The way I see it, everything's overpriced commercialism anyway, so cutting back on costs where possible isn't such a bad things

Never really understood the allure of rep iphones. The real deal iphone is fairly cheap, you just end up paying more via overpriced data plans. You will still need to subscribe to one of these expensive plans with the rep phone, so it just doesn't make any sense.

For me, it was a case of wanting a smartphone to combine all my gadgets, but not wanting to either go on a contract, or install the software on my computer which the iPhone required to operate (as installing SPII would have disabled my rather old graphics package)

Having got a new business computer, it didn't matter if I installed iTunes, as it already had SPII, and wouldn't run my art package anyway, and, the screen glitches on my HiPhone made it too unreliable for business use, so I decided to bite the bullet and buy an iPhone off the bay. Although I was worried it might not have accepted my PayG SIM, it registered without problem, so I'm more than happy with mine I think the rep phones are okay for the money if they're not intended for intensive use. If they are, in my experience, they don't have the necessary longevity for intensive use, which is a shame, as otherwise, they are nice phones

Rep phones don't copy the OS. The OS is what makes the iPhone special.

To be fair to the HiPhone, it does copy the OS of the iPhone, it just doesn't reproduce the full range of it's inter-linking, multi-tasking facilities. To use, (when working ) the HiPhone is very similar to the iPhone's OS, it's just not as polished in finish or performance. Had the HiPhone had a bit better longevity, I would most likely have continued to use it and been quite satisfied with it. I think the best way to describe the situation, is that I got my iPhone as a necessary replacement, rather than as an 'upgrade', as I needed to replace the HiPhone, (which became unreliable to the point of uselessness) but wanted to keep to the same format of device

I would't go so far as to call the gen rubbish, as afterall, it is genuinely manufactured. But, I'd certainly think this is a good example of the true quality of reps available now, and how they are now truly comparable to the quality of the original watches (especially if the parts are coming from the same sweatshop, sorry, I mean factory ) Sure, there are still some shoddy quality reps available, I saw plenty on the markets in Spain, but the ones available from our online sources... They're just value for money

Hi guys

do somebody here know anything about this firm : http://www.thaihadigital.com/

is it a well known dealer or some fraud?

regards

I don't know anything about that particular company, but, given my experiences with iClones, I'd say save yourself the hassle and just get an iPhone off the bay. The clones are reasonable, but prone to little glitches which become annoying after a while, or, as with my i32 HiPhone, eventually render the phone unreliable for answering calls. If you need a phone for business, the iPhone will have everything you'll need

I get a lot of compliments on my Bentley GT. I wear it often, it's an attractive, if blingy watch. I've gotten a couple of good comments on my IWC 5002, mostly because you can't miss it. Beautiful watch. My Sea Dweller still makes me smile, but most people don't notice it. Steelfish is another one I just love to look at, but even on a great croc strap, it gets no love from others like the Bentley does.

Another positive report on Breitlings

The simple fact is location. I live in a really small "hick town" village where the great majority of people don't give a flying funk about watches or name-brands. My town is a "jeans and t-shirt" trailer trash "Ford F150 McDonalds for Dinner" kind of place. This watch is my flashiest and most "blingy", coupled with it being a Rolex, and I've had a few of compliments. Definitely more than any of my other watches that's for sure. Wearing something like a Nautilus or Aquanaut doesn't feel very rewarding here because outside of a few single digit enthusiasts the public-at-large will simply think it's a wall-mart discount special...

So pretty much that they just slip under the radar... I guess geography has to play a part as well, although I have to admit, I hadn't really considered it when I posed this question

This one for me....

"Hey man,is that a casio????" Can you add up some sales tax for me???

A fine example of function over form

The iconic Newmans do instigate the occasional 'Wow, is that what I think it is?' inquiry, but, surprisingly, this VC always attracts the most (unsolicited) compliments & questions from strangers

And, in 2nd place, the Mystery is notable as it rarely fails to draw eyeballs & hushed whispers in restaurants

That VC really is something I've never really tried a watch with that kind of display, but maybe one day

I have to agree that not many people ever notice what watch I am wearing. Of the few that do mostly they say things like...Wow, ANOTHER watch, how many do you own?

Of the few compliments I have had a number have been from men (not chicks) that seem to like the

Pilot chrono 3717.

I have to agree.

There's definitely something about IWCs, a kind of elegant, simple functionality. I can undestand why guys would respond to that more than the ladies.

@ freddy, do the hours jump on that one? I love it...

the wife comments most on my ingy. she thinks it is beautiful

the coworkers comment most on the upo on rubber... they just say it is so huge

had a number of girls on the train comment on the noobmariner. they just like rolex I think. one girl saw it, said to her boyfriend, thats a nice watch why dont you get one? he was wear a fossil...

Ouch, talk about one of those unintentional comments which cuts you off at the knees I bet he felt about this big > < upon hearing that comment

Surprisingly, this one:

Young people like TAG and they're always impressed of the bulky and massive Aquaracer. SMP Chrono and SFSO have collected occasional compliments. But as with the others, maybe 1 out of 1000 people notice what I'm wearing.

I have to admit, given the other fine watches in your collection, that is a surprising result. Had you said the Polar Explorer II, a GMT Master II or even your Ebel, that might have been expected, but the Aquaracer is definitely an interesting result. I tried on a gen a few weeks back, and felt 'cheated' that it didn't look as good in real life as it does in your photos

Oh man.... it was late last night

But actually, it's also my most complimented one.

A fine watch indeed

No, but seriously, we need a list of approved vendors. I Almost cried when I saw myswissreplicas.com and swissqualitywatchez.com in there cuz I honestly thought those were truly excellent sites and planned on buying a few from them.

I'm sorry I missed your reply before now, I wasn't deliberately ignoring you, I just didn't see the comment.

As I mentioned before, I bought from EuroFakes and have no issue with that. Hey, had I known then that I could have got the same thing for cheaper, then sure, I'd've gone for the cheaper option, but, as I said before, EuroFakes did not scam me. Rip me off, maybe, but not scam me. I received the watch I paid for within the promised timeframe, ergo, I was not scammed. People get ripped off everyday buying brandname goods from stores, but they don't complain about it

With regards needing a list of approved dealers, I don't think we 'need' a list as such, but it is certainly useful to have. However, as previously mentioned, when dealers who are on this list are caught behaving in less than honest ways, for the most part, it is overlooked and tolerated, and that is harmful to the n00bs who rely on forum information for making their first purchases. I often get PMs asking who I get my watches from, and every time, I tell them, and it's not someone on this forum's trusted dealer list. I've also had PMs asking if a particular dealer is good to buy from, and, while I haven't told the person "No, don't buy from them," I have told them to search out the reviews on said dealer, which showed disturbing issues, and left the decision up to them.

As I've said before, just because someone is not on the 'approved list', it does not mean they are a scammer. Likewise, just because someone is on the approved list, it does not mean that they are 100% reliable.

I think my desk shows most of my hobbies all in one take:

• Collecting movie memorabilia
  
• Music
  
• DeskTop Publishing
  
• Watches
  

This one. No question. It is relatively unique in terms of the particular dial version in general. But the main reason may be that I can't think of any other regular contributing member who has a UN. Gen-wise lots of members have Rolex's, Breitlings, Omegas, PAM's, TAG's, etc. but not any UN's I know of. I'm sure that is the main reason it gets props although it deserves them just for being pretty and certainly the best built sports watch I have ever seen, touched, or owned. But in the wild it is the same thing. People never quite know what it is without a closer look - and they either ask outright or swoop in to try to get a look. It happens at my health club a lot with this one guy. I used to think he was maybe gay or something as I would catch him looking at me in the locker room. Then one day I realized he was just a WIS and looking at my UN. Oh well, this thread is another excuse to celebrate it by posting photos. LOL...

That doesn't surprise me at all. That is a truly awesome watch. I'm a huge fan of dive watches, so I really ought to have one of those in my collection, but, I fear it's a little too 'flashy' compared to what I normally wear (PAMs being about as basic as one can get ) I've also had a hard time tracking down a decent rep of one... Maybe one day though I'm not sure what I like more, the texture of the dial, or the wave pattern of the bezel insert, but I do like it a lot

Given your love of Pateks, do you think the TT gets more compliments because of the Rolex branding? I have to admit, I'd be interested in betting on the Nautilus being the nicer watch, but, thinking about it, might the Nautilus be so understated that it just slips under the radar and not attract the same attention?

I'm with BROM on this one, the BCE definitely gets the most compliments

There's definitely something about Breitlings which I can see people responding to

I find the Orange Monster does run a bit better if I give it encouraging smiles and nods. But I draw the line at coming right out and COMPLIMENTING it.

How do the masses react to it?