TeeJay

(Ahh, the memories of evading my BBC licence fee, and putting some coathangers to get reception instead. That little white van never caught me)

Actually, I can't really talk. I never paid my TV licence when I was living in my flat, for the simple reason that, because the reception was [censored], I just unplugged the aerial and just used the TV as a 'screen' for my PS2. (I wouldn't've even applied for a licence, but buying the TV was enough that the snitches at Argos informed the licencing board that another TV had been sold ) When I received a letter from them asking for their licence fee, I explained that I didn't have the TV plugged into an aerial, had no reception, and only used it for DVD playback/gaming use, and was then told that all the time the TV wasn't connected to an aerial, I didn't actually have to pay. A month or so later, I got another letter asking for the licence fee (pretty obviously automatically generated) so I phoned up, explained the situation, and said what the first person had said. The operative put me on hold to confer with their supervisor, but promptly came back on, and confirmed that, indeed, I did not need a licence

Do any of the Brits remember the Hale & Pace sketch with the 'TV Detector' van?

Absolutely awesome watch, awesome purchase

Nice watch! But what's up with the gap at the clasp?

Glad someone else said it first

Freddy had a good one with a Patek and a lady who also grabbed his wrist, like this guy did with me. You know, it may be rude, but it just gave me a tingle. It's awesome to have one's taste validated by a similar-minded human being, even if it is a rep.

I know what you mean, as that's what I felt when a friend was looking at my 029a in the pub. She didn't grab my wrist, I think Emily would've ripped her arm off, then mine (she's more than a tad jealous of Nicola, despite the fact we're godparents to her son ) but it was nice for someone to actually notice the watch without any kind of attention drawn to it first. Since then, I have found myself wearing the 029a more than before, but then again, that could just be by being in circumstances where I didn't want my 127 endangered. When we're going to my friend's birthday (staying a few days) I'll be wearing my 127, but, I'll also take my 029a, as we'll be laser-questing saturday, followed by an evening in and out of bars, and, while I want to wear something I don't mind taking a few dings while laser-questing, I don't want to be wearing a complete POS (like my black plastic submariner ) when we then move on to classier establishments later on

I agree...the more the merrier!

Indeed, the more the merrier, sadly, when others have asked about alternative smiths, people have reacted as if they'd been casting aspersions about Ziggy, or doubts about the quality of his work, simply for asking for alternate sources... Maybe folks need to realize the points you made above, about Ziggy's workload, and then they'd see that people are asking out of necessity, rather than any other reasons...

The fact is that Ziggy doesn't need the work he provides here. He does it as a pure service and is forced to say no to work far more often than he says yes so, it doesn't take much to slide down to the end of the bench and wait your turn. You have got to see it from his perspective. He doesn't need the hassle and some here have been enormous PIAs (I'm not saying you are) in their demands so you can see why the man would want a carefully screened clientele.

This isn't directed to you personally, but as your post features the best description of the situation, it is the most apt to use to respond to.

Given that that's the case, would it not make sense to have other watchsmiths available, which could take some of the pressure off Ziggy? I've seen people rip into TWP, but personally, I've always thought the level of work shown has been excellent. Given Ziggy is as busy as he is, it is not an affront to him for people to ask about other smiths...

Wheew I did it I finally pulled the trigger, after a lot of thought and a lot of reading and looking I finally made my first Rep purchase!

I ordered the Pam005 from Andrew. There where some things that I was looking for in my first purchase of a rep and I wanted to make sure that the watch had those.

I wanted a big watch 44mm or bigger and wanted it to be auto. I really wanted a fiddy or 47mm but did not want to spend the $$ to get one from Davidson to prevent getting an exploding one.

Also I wanted a watch that is believable I really like the looks of the Pam203 but a 24 year old kid walking around with a watch that retails for 100k is not too likely. I used a picture of the GEN here

http://www.essential-watches.com/watch.aspx?ID=11209

and the Rep here

I sat and stared for a good 5 min and the rep looks pretty good. Well we will see I can

Aww. I'm not much for cats (100% dog person), but the ones you guys have shown here are lovely.

Rosie and Pammie. Great combo, Teejay!

Have to admit, until I met Emily, I'd never been one for cats. Now, if only Rosie was a pure white Persian, (given how she tends to use me as a seat ) she would be absolutely perfect Good evening, Mister Bond

[Edit to add]

Technically, she's Emily's mum's cat, but she every time she picks her up, she bites her Doesn't bite us though

Thanks Victoria I felt it was time I made some contribution to the community, and at present, reviews is the best way I can do that It also gave me something to do this morning

Those two photos... Want to know why the majority of the water shots were 'off the wrist'? By the time I'd taken the second photo, my hand and lower arm were numb I took two photos to show the doming of the crystal, that one, and a second one without shadows. I felt that one drew more attention to the watch

Glad you enjoyed the review When my friend starts wearing smart shoes rather than trainers, I'll get him some decent straps for the watch

My wife's cat, Rosie:

Okay, so I didn't have anything to do this morning, and, knowing that this watch will only be under my protection for another four days, I figured I'd best review it while I had the chance The watch in question, is a Radiomir ordered for one of my best friends' birthdays. As folks may have read, this was not the exact model watch I ordered, but, due to mentioning this particular model, with regards a strap change, (which I wanted for myself) it's easy to see how the error could have arrisen. We're all Human, we all make mistakes, and, the dealer in question was extremely apologetic. I could have returned it for exchange, but, due to the time it would have taken to reach China, the return time for the replacement would likely have been the day we leave for the birthday, which would have been cutting things a little too close, as without it, there would be no gift, so I decided to just keep the watch received. In all honesty, it is still a nice watch in it's own right. Not quite a 210, but something close, and certainly worthy of wrist-time and appreciation.

About my review:

In writing this review, I am going to follow the style of a review which ultimately led to my interest in Omega watches, and ultimately reps, John B. Holbrook, II's excellent comparitive review, Omega Seamster Professional Vs Rolex Submariner.

I am going to be judging the watch as objectively, and honestly as possible, giving justifications for my reasonings as I go. These scores are purely based upon my own observations and opinions about the watch, people are free to agree or disagree as they wish.

A note about my 'scoring system':

I will be scoring on a scale of 0 - 10, with 5 being the mid-way score. A score of 5, would mean that the 'aspect' performs its intended function. And no more. A score of five, in academic terms, would be considered 'a pass', but the lowest possible pass, and single lower mark would have meant a failing grade. Respectively, a 0 reflects a total failure to perform the designated role, and a 10 represents a performance of the designated role which goes 'above and beyond', and could not possibly be better.

Let's get started...

CASE:

Pretty awesome, really. Classic cushion-shaped Radiomir case. Cleanly executed, highly polished, nice etchings on rear corners. Designed for use in naval combat, so not requiring any embelishments. Utilitarian, but elegant. My one gripe is no crown-guards of any kind, which leaves the crown hideously exposed to impact (when worn on the left wrist)

RATING: 8 (would be higher, if crown-guards were present)

BEZEL:

Not much to say here. Does what it's supposed to do...

RATING: 10

CASEBACK:

Simplicity itself. Crisp, clear engravings. Mineral crystal affords excellent view of Asian Unitas 6497 movement. Saphire would be nice, but, in all honesty, not necessary.

RATING: 9

CROWN:

The unprotected onion crown features well-defined ridges as a gripping surface, and the logo. The ridges are easy to grip, and give firm resistance for operation of the crown. Crown screws in and out smoothly without hint of 'grinding' or 'stripping'.

RATING: 10

DIAL:

One of the highlights of the watch. Color is charcoal grey, with white printing. Dial indices are elegant and, while certainly not as attention-grabbing as a sandwich dial, still appealing and attractive. Lume is nothing special. If lume was of the standard on my PVD 111g, it would have been a flawless aspect.

RATING: 9

HANDS:

Large, straight, hands are easy to read at a glance. Something I cannot identify, seems 'off' about them. When they are not reflecting silver, it is not an issue, so this could be a case of black hands suiting this watch better. Functionally, they are fine, but aesthetically, they do the watch no favors.

RATING: 8

CRYSTAL:

Slightly domed saphire crystal does not distort the view of the dial in any way.

Rating: 9 (would be 10 if AR coated)

STRAP:

Instead of being on a leather strap, I specifically installed a 26mm Caoutchouc-style rubber dive strap, so it would better fit in with my friend's wardrobe. Takes away much of the elegance which the Radiomir is currently popular for, but, does harken back to it's original military origins. The thick ends of the strap do make the watch appear somewhat 'flat', compared to how a 127, fitted with the same strap, would look. However, strap is comfortable and not too much of a 'dust trap'. Markings and lettering on strap surfaces is crisp and clear.

RATING: 8

BUCKLE:

Buckle has no sharp edges to damage the strap in any way. Highly polished, with well executed etchings rather than engravings.

RATING: 9

VERSATILITY:

The Radiomir is incredibly versatile, based upon strap chosen to accompany the watch. Incredibly elegant on crocodile, casual on honey/tan, and functional on rubber. I can undestand why many choose the Radiomir as a 'dress watch', although in the case of it's intended owner, it will likely never be worn with a suit, hense the choice of strap.

RATING: 10

UNSCORED EXTRAS:

Given that I don't have the time, or the budget to replace this watch before my friend's birthday, this is a testament to the confidence I have in it, and by extension, the dealer I bought it from.

What's this?!

What am I doing?!

A rep near water?!

Try not to sh*t yourselves in excitement

Not a hint of fogg- OH NO!!!!

HAHA, it was just condensation on the outside of the case

Submarine-style:

CONCLUSIONS:

POSSIBLE SCORE: 100

OVERALL SCORE: 90

Overall, this watch is very nice. For my own personal collection, I would prefer a Radiomir with a sandwich dial, but, as I keep reminding myself, this watch is not mine, nor intended to be part of my collection, so I have tried to judge it as objectively as possible.

As stated above, these opinions are solely my own, and others are free to agree or disagree with them as they wish. I hope this has been an informative review, thanks for reading

I paid 600 pounds for it, the owner before judging by the previous receipts had sunk quite a alot into it in terms of having a new clasp to the bracelet and having "corrective attention" to the case, case back and bracelet. Its nice to get the full service history of the watch aswell as the awesome box. As much as I like it, Im unsure as to whether to keep it or to sell to fund a genuine Panerai or Rolex Submariner. I didnt know it was no longer available to the cilivian market, maybe I should hold onto it for a little longer so thanks for that.

If I recall, it was summer 2006 that Omega pulled it from civilian sales. How've you been finding the alarm? Loud enough for you?

Thanx for the kind comments all.

Teejay, I considered it, but the real CF on the dial and the faux CF on the band seemed to fight as opposed to match. Believe it or not, for the moment I have settled on the rubber strap. If Panerai ever built an "Ultralite" version like this, the rubber strap just seems to complete the package and make sense.

Ahh, that's fair enough, afterall, colors can clash, so quite understandable... Rubber's always a good choice

You know the old interview favorite, "What three historical figures (living or dead) would you have dinner with?"

Well, I'm a little bored, listening to Creedence, so figured I'd throw a curveball to that question.

Which three fictional characters (of any medium) would you have dinner with? (dinner can be substituted for just 'hanging out' rather than formal meal)

For my three 'imaginary friends', I'd choose Dean Winchester, Captain Jack Harkness and Rupert Campbell-Black. Anyone who knows these guys' reps knows that'd mean a pretty awesome party

Fantastic watch By-Tor, I currently have mine in Asian 21J (with pins instead of screws

Apart from the pins in the bracelet, are there any other key differences between the 'old stock' SMP and the current ETA SMP's offered by the dealers?

If I recall, the positioning of the HE valve is different (in line with the 10 position, where it should (and was on the old model) be slightly higher) Other than that, I'm not too sure...

The X-33 is an awesome watch, and now pretty hard to come across, as they're no longer sold to the civilian market.

Awesome purchase

Wow, what an amazing GTG, it looks like everyone had a fantastic time

Sorry I couldn't make it, too many financial commitments conspired against me. Glad everyone enjoyed Belgium though

Insha'Allah* I plan to be at the next GTG

* (Translates as 'God willing', 'if it is God's will')

An update as my preferences have changed slightly in the past months (again )

Daily Beater - PAM 127 on honey/tan shark

Dress Watch - Pam 127 on white stitched black croc

Smart Casual - PAM 127 on bordeaux

Sporty - Pam 127 on carbon fiber or rubber (activity dependant)

Vintage - Vintagized PAM 127 o- who am I kidding Vintage Radiomir all the way, bitches :

The wonder of 'economy'

Depending on how easily you could source the parts, it might be as easy to buy a watch and then have someone touch up any flaws you felt needed attention. The one thing I will say about PAMs, is that they don't attract the same "Is that real?!?" attention which Rolexes do, so I'd say only have mods done for flaws which you can't live with. Don't worry about others picking up on flaws, most will just think you're wearing a 'big, ugly watch'

Welcome to the jungle

Other than my visits to the fair, I've been wearing my 127. My favorite watch in my collection.

On visits to the fair, I wore my 029a. One of my favorites aesthetically, but one I seldom actually wear...

As it's getting given to a friend on Saturday, I'm going to spend 24 hours wearing this Radiomir, as a last minute check of the regulation. For about 2 weeks, it's quietly sat on my shelf, ticking merilly away, getting wound daily.

If it wasn't for the silver hands and sausage dial, I'd keep it for myself But I won't I'll get one with a nice sandwich dial instead

As a side note, my research into the A380i has revealed that it has a motion-sensitive control, and wallpapers can be changed with a flick of the wrist As interesting this might first seem, I wonder how many people will wind up launching their phones across the room while trying to demonstrate this function to their friends after one too many...

Excellent review!

Thanks, coming from the review maestro, that really means a lot

I'd like to hear what the web browser and email client are like.

At present, I don't have any credit on the phone (I don't pay sucker monthly tarifs ) so I can't actually get it online (o2 pay as you peasant access requires 15p to get online) however, when I top it up mid-week, I'll get some more shots of those aspects.

What's the browser like for compatibility with, say, this forum?

As mentioned, there was that wierd behaviour with Google.Com. However, connecting to the o2 homepage was absolutely fine, and accessing a networking site brought up a reasonable interface. I didn't get to explore this function much, as the operator was only kind enough to put 15p onto my account so we could test to see if the net functions were definitely connecting.

And is it just GPRS or does it do Edge as well?

Not Edge, just GPRS/WAP.

I don't think this phone will beat the iPhone at its own game, but I get the impression it's an excellent fun alternative if you don't need the iPhone's features/interface/integration. If the internet browser is good, it looks like a handy little web-in-your-pocket phone.

I agree, the P168+ is not in quite the same league as the iPhone, but, by league, I mean as in say boxing divisions. Someone might not be a Super-Heavyweight (iPhone), but, they can still be at the top of their own division, and that's how I'd class the P168. I didn't really have a problem with the internet access for what I was wanting to do with it, with the available period of access, but, as mentioned, once I top the phone up, I'll be able to review that feature more extensively.

In terms of 'web-in-your-pocket', as mentioned in my review, the buyer really needs to think of the functions they require a phone to have to be of use to them. If they want full internet access, then no, it might not be what they need. However, if internet access isn't such a high priority, and they need something with a load of scheduling functions, or easy to use still/video cameras, then it's more geared towards those needs. I suspect, from what access I did get online, it will be sufficient for things like checking emails etc.

TJ, great writeup. This phone should prove to provide excellent bang for the buck. Just to confirm, though: No WiFi?

Thanks As you say, it's excellent bang for the buck, if all that is required is some generic functions, rather than specialist applications, and indeed, no wifi... That said, what it does do, it does very well

Excellent review !

I wonder how two SIMs function ? Can you use both simultaneously (e.g. can you be connected to two different networks at the same time) or you have to switch between them ?

regards

Thanks The two SIMs can only be used one at a time, rather than simultaneously. However, unlike early twin SIM devices, the P168+ does not require shutdown to switch between the SIMs, it has a 'switch SIM' function available under 'extras' in the 'entertainment' menu. Just a case of tabbing the control, and the phone does the rest

Absolutely awesome watch

Had you considered putting it on a carbon fibre strap to complement the dial?

To be fair the p168 is quite old, they have newer versions, like the a380i, which is a lot better looking.

In regards to the real Iphone, order it from the apple store to somebody in the states and have them ship it to you. The prices on ebay are still absurdly high considering unlocking them is extremely easy.

That's an interesting suggestion That said, I'd say that the A380i is further away from the iPhone visually than the P168, and I daresay, less attractive than the P168. It also has the exact same functions, they have not even kicked the phone up to two megapixels... If it is indeed, doing the same things as the P168, (although the menus appear slightly different (but that could just be a wallpaper, as demonstrated in my review) ) then it is without doubt, probably an excellent smart-phone. In terms of it being an 'iClone', however, personally, I'd still say the P168 is the visually closer candidate

Thanks for the comments guys

I've just made an edit to include photos of some functions I'd actually forgotten to document (including the telephone function )

If anyone has any questions or wants to see another aspect of the phone documented, just let me know