TeeJay

I ordered the strap when the watch arrived, but it's not really what I wanted. I'd anticipated a brushed calf, a lighter color, and constant thickness rather than tapered sides. This brown (to the naked eye) it too dark... It looks black... I only put it on the watch to take a photo of it. I'm a bit disapointed, but, it only cost me

So a machine built my guinea pig hutch and I had nothing whatsoever to do with it? An artist's airbrush is a mechanical device, or do you think a Chip Foose should use a straw and puddle of paint to coat a car? The tools used are just that. Tools. They are there to make the job easier and give more precise results. They require skill, and in some cases, training to use. Using tools which require a human hand to guide them take nothing away from any artisan's craft. Now, if you were to be talking about a CNC lathe or Calypso WaterJet, then I would agree, that would not be a hand-made part, but all the time it is a human hand guiding a tool, people are prepared to consider that as 'hand worked' as it is a human being in control of the process. From experience of people's expectations and tollerances. As another poster mentioned previously, even consumers purchassing a 'hand-made' item would not expect the artisan to go to the lengths described above, ie biting through the leather yourself etc. The standard you are endorsing is a dictionary definition, which does not always apply to the practical reality of 'arts and crafts', and, when taken to the point described above, is a ludicrous standard to either apply, or expect an artisan to work to. Good for you. I have made many things more complex than a strap. The fact I have not made that specific item, does not mean that I cannot grasp the concept. It might be what holds the strap together, but it is still not 50% of what is making the strap. As said before, the leather of the main sections of the strap is the majority component. Some people makes straps with hardly any stitching at all, only enough to create the tunnels for the lug pins/screws and the buckle. I don't care about 99% of the things you own, as unless you want to catalogue and justify each example, they are not the issue of discussion. Your insistance on 'hand made' being solely that, as illustrated above, is frankly laughable, so unless you want to make a strap to the methods described above, I'd let the issue drop. If you have that much of an issue with people claiming something as 'hand made' and using tools to do so, then complain to trading standards and get the site shut down, as they are clearly scammers

I couldn't agree more. People on rep boards tend to have way more knowledge and actual appreciation for horology than gen collectors who know little to nothing about the subject.

Interesting article

Not to disagree with you personally, but that is the company's attitude towards sales which I disagree with. They might think that their product is worth X, but if it's really only worth Y, then that's what they should charge. The example I use which best sums this up, is the clasp of a Rolex. Thin, stamped metal with sharp edges... The rep bracelets (if they have the correct links) feel identical to the gen bracelets... Personally, I don't think that on a watch of Rolex's reputation and cost, thin, stamped metal is acceptable as a deployant. Compared to clasps on Omegas, VCs, even PAMs, Rolex's clasps are definitely the most 'incongruous' to the comparitive quality of the overall watch, yet still people (ie the general public ) consider Rolex as The Watch to own... Sure, they're nice, but there are nicer watches... Anyhoo, that's getting away from my point... My point on pricing, is that if a company can outsource their product enough to bring their production costs down, why not adjust the retail cost accordingly? I know they charge what they charge because there will always be someone prepared to pay the price tag, and in marketing and retail, I know that's the overall 'point', but ethically and morally speaking, why charge more for a product than it genuinely costs to produce... (I know, R&D costs as well, but I think it's safe to say Rolex recouped those losses a long time ago ) I guess at the end of the day, I just object to consumerism and corporate greed setting prices for products. Another example of my feeling... Personally, I find Bic Biros the best 'all round' pen. They're comfortable and light, cheap to replace, and, from an artist's point of view, give such a variety of quality of line, that they are incredibly versatile. Now, if I could buy a generic biro which provided a comparable performance to the Bic, at a lower cost, I'd buy the generic over the 'brandname'... Hope that all makes sense Hee hee Personally, I'd be flattered that people liked my product enough to buy a replica. Sure, the money for it wouldn't be going in my pocket, but it would at least mean that the buyer liked it

That'll look awesome Something I have noticed, is that in the main, people seem to prefer brown/red straps on PAMs rather than black. Not that it really matters, jsut something I've noticed That's okay, and no hurry at all. You don't need to apologize for vanity, I'm something of a narcissist, so I quite understand Strange little coinkidink, a jeweller's just phoned to confirm that the el cheapo brown strap I ordered just arrived, so I'll have to go pick it up later In theory, it's brown calf, but having only seen a photo, I can't vouch for the quality at that price, so time (and a wrist shot later ) will tell... Chances are, it'll only be on the watch till this new strap arrives, I have a feeling that that's going to become the permanant strap

No, I haven't. I have, however, worked on many other projects which were 'by hand', some requiring more use of tools than others. Look at the examples I gave previously of where 'power tools' were involved, but the overall project was still done 'by hand'. I notice that the two times they've been cited, they have been ignored... Is a painting not done 'by hand', because an artist uses a brush rather than their fingers? Is a sculpture not done 'by hand', because the artist uses a variety of tools? As I said, I accept that the dictionary definition is as it is, but seriously, in the real world, there are loads of things which people consider to be 'hand made' even when the artisan involved uses labor-saving tools. The tool is not taking anything away from the skill of the artisan, it just improves their productivity. Edging and stitching are 'window dressing' of a strap. They are the 'icing on the cake'. As I said before, the majority component of the strap, is the material the primary shapes are made from. That's not to say that the other things are not important, of course they are. The point I was making, was that stitching, in terms of physical composition, does not make up 50% of a strap. Aesthetically, sure, I'd say it might well contribute 50% of the appearance, but certainly not 50% of the physical composition.

Me love you long time!!! That strap looks absolutely fantastic, I can't wait to see how it looks When you say diver strap with deployant, do you mean the SS bracelet, or a rubber strap? I only ask as I have the SS bracelet on its way to me now, along with a watch I ordered for Emily's mum's birthday next month As for my color preferences, they are firmly in the brown ranges, from light tan, all the way through to dark chocolate. I do have a black strap for my 111h, but it just doesn't 'look right' on it, so I always wind up taking it off again Thanks again for such a generous gift, it really means a lot to me, I can't wait to get it fitted so I can put up some wrist shots

Might be time to try a new dealer, amigo

Do you still have the insert, or did it fall out unnoticed in the street? If you've still got it, some superglue or two part epoxy will hold it in place

That is very true. Other watch enthusiasts (0.01% of the population) might have an idea, if they can see the watch for long enough, but the majority of the viewing public aren't going to have a clue. There's a hell of a difference between unlimited viewing time of a high def image 5 times the size of the watch, and catching a glimpse of someone's watch as they pass on the street or on the bus PS Welcome to the party

It could just be a difference in what's written down. After all, the Planet Oceans are often described as both 42mm, 42.5mm as well as 45mm and 45.5mm. It could just be a case of one listing being 'dead on' accurate, the other being 'general term' accurate...

For me, that'll be a no. I buy replica watches for the same reason I buy generic clothes: I refuse to pay the artificially inflated price tags attached to 'brand name' items. That's not to say that I don't like the products, I just don't think they're worth as much as their parent companies do

'Swiss Made'... Watches where parts are outsourced and fabricated in China and shipped to Switzerland for assembly... Not exactly the best analogy. Stitching does not make up 50% of a strap by any stretch of the imagination. at least 80% of a strap is the material it's made of, then there's any filling, glues and stitching to hold it all together. While I agree that there is certainly a dictionary definition of what is 'hand made', there is also, as mentioned, a tollerance for using labor-saving tools to make that 'hand job' ( ) easier. As I illustrated with tattoos, or the hutch I made last year... At the end of the day, it's a matter of semantics and personal interperetation.

I'd suggest a few... Chanel J12, but, as Hyster suggested, on a bund strap which goes beneath the caseback. I did this with my fiance's J12, and she never took it off, until a Hublot Big Bang Aspen arrived for her step-sister's birthday present, and she decided to keep it for herself On that line, an HBB might be suitable, but, they're not light on the wallet. I think the watch which would suit her best, would be a titanium Panerai

That's a fantastic strap, I think I'll have to get myself one of those, likely to use as a contrast with my planned PVD project

There is a mid-sized SMP available... At a guess, I'd think that's what the other bezel is for.

That's an awesome piece

Here's another couple of examples of 'hand-crafted' things which are done with the aid of mechanical tools... Tattoos. Unless one is having a tattoo done in traditional Japanese or Maori manner, the tattoo artist uses a mechanical needle to insert the inks. They are still however, personally in control of the machine. It does, not only what they want it to do, but what they make it do. Another example, is a guinea pig hutch I build a few years back. I used a jigsaw to cut the wood panals to size (easier than using a hand saw) and then used an electric screwdriver to put the screws in (easier than using a hand screwdriver) The hutch was still 'hand-crafted', even though power tools where used, and that was the point I was trying to illustrate with regards the straps. As for the misunderstood comment, I suspect what was meant, was that the strap maker was happy for people to see his methods of manufacture, and was being 100% open with his methods, rather than simply saying he did something, and then doing it in a different way.

As World Traveller said, that's a crazy amount to pay for a replica. You could get at least a dozen equally nice watches for that price. At the end of the day, it depends on how important it is to you that the watch be 100% accurate to the original watch. If fidelity to the original is an issue, then you will have to pay a premium for it. If you're less concerned about 100% fidelity and just want something with the 'overall look' (bearing in mind that the people here are a 0.01% of the population, the majority of the viewing public will not have a clue as to what's on your wrist) then I'd suggest browsing sites like CQout, where you can get reasonable levels of replication for a fraction of that $2000 price tag... Best of luck with your purchases

I was stupid enough to absentmindedly scratch an itch without washing my hands first. Ironic that I do so five times a day, but the one time I get my hands dirty, I scratched before washing them Oh well, I have creams and whatnot, it'll heal up

Looking good The 112h was the model I really wanted, but had to settle for the 111h. Oh well, maybe I'll be able to get one in the future Wear it well

At least it's not PlanetOceanitis Haven't had a flareup of that in a while, I think I'm over the worst of it I can't top the medical advice you've been given, but, as someone with a 6mm diameter wound in their forearm (that'll teach me not to scratch) trust me when I say I sympathise Get well soon

Wow. That is one tasty watch.

Absolutely. I've had watches come from China, Malaysia and Thailand, all came through without problems