Jump to content
When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

TeeJay

Member
  • Posts

    10,951
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    7

Posts posted by TeeJay

  1. +1 for the DJ. One of my favorites and, arguably, the most recognizable watch of the planet. The reps are pretty good, as well.

    I had a generic TT DJ clone when I was younger (not real gold, so no issue with my allergy) it was a really easy watch to wear, and I must admit, I've found my new DJ to be equally wearable :) Once I can get it off my wrist long enough to get the lume upgraded, I can see myself wearing it much more than I originally planned :tu:

  2. While I don't claim to be an expert or even particularly knowledgeable about this particular model of watch, the DateJust has recently won me over, and I wanted to share a few feelings and observations about it. According to Wikipedia:

    "The Rolex Datejust is an officially certified, self-winding chronometer wristwatch manufactured by Rolex. The Datejust was the first wristwatch with a date function, released in 1945."

    dj4.jpg

    I've always been a fan of divers watches, the luminous markers, the timing bezel, the water resistance, the overall ruggedness of the watch: They all provided functions I needed and aspects I liked. I never really gave the DateJust range much credence, thinking them a PlayBoy's watch, a trinket/status symbol for the wealthy, rather than a serious 'daily wear timepiece'. A year ago, I bought my first DateJust, a simple model with a plain black dial and un-fluted bezel. Upon its arival, I immediately removed the oyster bracelet and fitted a black leather strap, recreating the watch worn by John Barrowman in his portrayal of Captain Jack Harkness (movie/tv memorabelia is one of my key interests) As Barrowman is a keen collector of watches, especially Rolex, I have long suspected that this watch was part of his own personal collection rather than simply costume provided by the wardrobe department.

    jb2.jpg

    DSCN4074.jpg

    Not trusting the watch for wet wear was not an issue, as water would ruin the leather strap, but I found the watch a pleasant change from the divers watches I had worn. I was surprised to see that at night, the tiny dots of luminous material, reflected against the rehaut to create a luminous indicator almost equal to the hour markers of an Omega Planet Ocean :o This was obviously not the impractical watch I had initially dismissed the DateJust as. Not long after, I received parts for a unique DateJust project which is still on the drawing board (thanks for those parts, J :drinks: ) and I started to think of the DateJust as a watch better suited for suit wear. Fast forward a year, and my wife and I were invited to an 80s theme birthday party. What better wrist wear (other than a Casio) than a DateJust (or maybe a DayDate) I've never warmed to the DayDate line, and I knew that I wanted to avoid any gold, so I ordered a new DateJust with the same black dial as before, but with a fluted bezel and a Jubilee bracelet, the kind of watch worn by many 80s Executives.

    quiz1558outcome2.jpg

    DSCN4428.jpg

    Initially, the watch was too shiny and polished for my taste. The flutes on the bezel reflected too much light, drew too much [of my] attention, just generally didn't 'feel right' for me to be wearing (maybe deep down, I felt like I'm not worthy of the privilege such a watch represented :pardon: ) The bracelet, on the other hand, was the epitome of comfort and understated elegance: With some gentle filing, I softened the edges of the flutes, reducing the harshness of the reflections, making the watch appear older and worn, and all of a sudden, it was perfect.

    DSCN4427.jpg

    :victory:

    With its stainless steel bracelet, the watch could be worn while bathing, giving me another watch which could easily serve as a Daily Beater. The size of the case means that the watch was ideal for wearing with a suit, while the dial remained as clear and visible as that of a Submariner. The styling of the watch creates a versatility of wear which many larger watches lack. I admit, the fluted bezel does look more towards the showy side of things, especially when worn with casual clothes, but the flat-bezeled version would certainly wear as well with jeans as with a suit without looking in any way showy. In summary, I would suggest the DateJust to anyone in mind to try a smaller watch, or simply looking for something more dressy. Also, given the massive variation of options across the line, there is a wider freedom of finish and hardware which makes it is less likely to get called out than a watch with a more limited range :)

    dj3.jpg

    dj2.jpg

    dj1.jpg

    Thanks for reading :good::drinks:

    [Edit to add]

    photo-6.jpg

  3. Raymond Weil Nabucco, thing is a beast and stunningly well made!!

    Thankfully TeeJays standards in ladies is far higher given his gorgeous bride a couple of years ago!! (you owe me for getting you outta that one T!!lol)

    PAM reps are incredibly good OOTB, the latest ones that is.

    Some Breits and Tags are staggeringly good OOTB these days too!

    Sixx :bones:

    You're right about that one, bro, still trying to think of a way of doing it :D

  4. That's the real Silix. Never had the best experiences with them myself, and others have reported similar issues which're common to all drop-shippers. On the other hand, other members have had flawless transactions and been happy with the product... This truly is a hobby where "YMMV" couldn't be more accurate... One person's 'go-to dealer' is another's arch-enemy, one person's 'unacceptably crap watch' is another's prize possession... That's just how it is :pardon: To sum up, I would say this... You can feel safe in ordering from that site, you won't get your pants pulled down and scammed. Chances are you will get what you order, but equally, don't be surprised if you do get sent the wrong thing by accident :whistling:

    PS Welcome to the jungle :good::drinks:

  5. My expectations/standards have always been pretty low, so if it doesn't flood, tells the time accurately, and has everything on the dial printed clearly and spelled correctly, chances are I'll like it :) It really depends on what someone wants OOTB: Do they just want a watch that 'looks okay', or are they expecting something to look 1:1 like the original and then be disappointed when the shape of the S is wrong or the crossbar of the A isn't high enough...

    I think the simpler a watch is, the easier it is for it to be replicated properly :)

    These're my two favorite OOTB watches.

    DSCN4441.jpg

    I'm hesitant to class the DJ as OOTB, as it has been subjected to a little buffing to 'take the edge off' the blingtastic quality it had OOTB. Other than that, it is untouched, and to be fair, I did not do anything to it which 25 years of straight wear would not eventually achieve. The Heritage is untouched, and also 'untouchable'. There aren't any mods I can think of performing which would actually be of benefit :pardon: A bracelet/clasp replacement would bring the watch closer to gen, but the dial and movement will always be a give away which would negate the points gained by a gen bracelet/clasp :bangin: I figure that it's good enough as it is, so I just enjoy it :) Might treat it to a more accurate NATO strap for next summer, but other than that, it really has become my True Beater, likely in no small part that before finding its way to my door, it passed through the hands of two fine gents, and the watch traded for it was a generous gift from another friend, so it has a lot of history (for me) already :)

    With regards price, when it comes to an OOTB which has no plans for modification, it doesn't hurt to spend a little extra on it, simply because there aren't going to be additional costs spend on mods. Equally though, I'm a fan of cheap stuff, so if something cheap looks good enough (as with the above DJ) chances are it'll be fine :good:

  6. I was just wondering if anyone knew of any good online suppliers of rep scents? I got myself a can of Hugo Boss Night for my birthday, and love how it smells (been told by a lesbian friend that I smelled gorgeous while wearing it when she gave me a hug :wub: ) but can't really stretch to £20 a can of spray every few months, so wondered if there was a decent 'smellalike' out there (not found anything yet in my research) TIA :good:

  7. Took a bit of getting used to for sure, but I can't think of a more functional or economic garment :) I also look at it this way, if it's good enough and Manly enough for the Samurai (and every other Japanese :D ) it's good enough for me :) As for sushi stains, that's what the mother in law laundry service is for ;)

  8. I call BS on the claim you inherit baldness from your mothers side, my mums dad, brothers and his dad all had full heads of hair. My dad and his side were all bald as far back as you can go so I guarantee I didn't get my baldness from my mum's side.

    I've heard that it's inherited from the mother's side as well (gives me another thing to add to the list that I blame my mother for :whistling: )

    I probably started thinning out at the crown about 14-15. Nothing major, but enough to know that it was the beginning of the end... I always said that when I started to noticeably lose my hair, I would go for the Avery Brooks look, and a couple years back, I was shaving my head almost daily for that Agent 47 look, but stopped for a few reasons:

    - Cost to maintain totally smooth.

    - Effort to maintain totally smooth.

    - Hated the feel of my scalp on a pillow (I found it got hotter than with hair)

    - Hated having a goatee rather than a full beard

    So I got my shit together and just let my hair start growing out again. Sure, it's receded at the temples, and the crown is seriously thin, but, I can at least now run my hand through my hair and feel hair (and some skin) again, and wear a full beard again. By choice, I'd have my hair down to my shoulders like I did when I was 20, but I've got to wait another 10-15 years to be able to pull off that 'old bald guy with long hair look' (Where some older guys look okay being thin on top but still with long hair, rather than the younger guys who try it and just wind up looking like a comb-over/Status Quo reject) Stay strong, amigos :good::drinks:

  9. Sacrilage to some, I know, but personally, I view this like the cars on Overhaulin, which get modernized rather than 'simply restored' (not that there's anything simple about true restoration, of course) and put it under the 'different strokes for different folks' folder... It'll be interesting to see how it looks once the work is finished :)

  10. That's interesting to know, I didn't realize that the original inserts were lumed, but when JMB displayed his insert the other day, I was thinking that lume would be a neat addition in terms of function, but also that using the color of the lume would be an easy cheat to create that nice vintage off-white color of the numerals, so that's neat to find out that they originally were lumed :lol: Best of luck with the sales, when I can spare the cash, I'm going to have to put in order with you :good::drinks:

  11. That photo does make it clearer, and I do see what you are refering too, but as above, it's not something which I personally would find an issue, but, it is your watch, so it's a matter of what you find acceptable and if it renders the watch unwearable (bearing in mind that after a few days on the wrist, you will be wearing the watch rather than scrutinizing it, so you may begin to focus less on the flaws, but appreciating the positive aspects) As before, it might be worth asking Andrew for a replacement dial, but again, the construction may be no better... Definitely worth asking though, the worst he can do is say no :good::drinks:

    [Edit to add]

    With regards the lack of 'final finishing' remember that these are replica goods, not overstocked originals, being made under less than ideal conditions. The time spent putting that final touch could be the same time taken to put another dial together...

  12. This might not be what you want to hear, but personally, I can't see anything unnacceptable about the manufacture of the dial... I think it looks fine :pardon: Bearing that in mind, I can't see Andrew being able to 'make things right', as I can't see anything to be made right :pardon: If you're happy with the quality of the watch itself, you might try asking if he can supply a replacement dial, and seeing if the manufacture of that is more acceptable to you, but I must admit, from a retail perspective, I view this as , not exactly buyer's remorse, but 'buyer disappointment', rather than the item itself actually being 'faulty' or unnacceptable, and as such, it is not really something a seller should be expected to correct :pardon: Of course, that is just my feelings and .2c on the matter, and I hope you can come to an agreement with Andrew to resolve things :good::drinks:

  13. I must echo Brother Sixx's words of wisdom on this one. Not only is the SOSF no longer in production, when I tried on a gen a few years back (and I appreciate this is just my perspective) I felt that given the size of the case, the dial was undersized and miss-matched. The Planet Ocean is probably one of my favorite watches around, and it is only my own neuroses which prevents me from obtaining another in replacement of the ones I sold to pay for my wedding two years ago :bangin: The case is a masterpiece of elegance which puts the Rolex Submariner to shame, and the clarity of the arrow hands and large dial markers is easily the best combination available on a dive watch. I would also agree about the color scheme. Pumpkin numerals with a black bezel is the one combination I have not yet tried, but it always looks spectacular. The one thing I would add, is to consider your planned uses and associated wardrobe. If you're going to be wearing it primarily with suits and long-sleeve shirts, then go for the 42mm on SS bracelet. If it's going to be more casual and jeans and T-Shirts, then go for the 45mm on rubber strap :good::drinks:

×
×
  • Create New...
Please Sign In or Sign Up