TeeJay

Some people order from him, others call him Mr Slimeball...

Hmmm, without the snowflake hands, it doesn't have quite the same feel as the Black Bay... But to each his own

They aren't available commercially at all. The only way to get one is to build it

Personally speaking, I think it should be legalized everywhere. As mentioned above, alcohol is just as bad, if not worse. All the 'war on drugs' rhetoric is pretty much implausible these days, and I think people should be free to make their own choices... Legalize all drugs, tax them, and pump the funds into the health services... Ironically, I don't smoke, do drugs, and rarely drink, but I do think mari ja warna should be legalized

Thanks for sharing, some beautiful watches there Actually not too keen on the blue daytona, and that green dialled DJ made me want to gouge my eyes out, but some of those vintage chronos were stunning The dude's sleeve was nice work too

Such a hard subject... There can be new guys who are totally above board, equally, in the past, there have been times when respected members fleeced people with group buys and AR projects... I don't think there's really any kind of measurement by which someone can be judged 'suitable for transactions', as there will always be exceptions to prove/disprove the rule, I guess all anyone can do, is to go with their instincts

That's great news, Lani was a brother to all, his absence is definitely felt... Here's hoping he's able to return soon

Time for an update Well, it's been an interesting few weeks... My tribunal is Tuesday, and my final letter to them has been sent off. Fortunately, last week there was a parliamentary debate where many MPs considered Atos to be 'unfit for purpose', and the shocking number of deaths following 'assessments' have come to light, most shockingly, one poor woman who suffered from Crohns was told by an Atos 'assessor' that she "could always wear a nappy to work..." I don't think there are words to describe such lack of consideration or dignity towards a fellow Human being, but I am hoping it will help re-enforce my case that I was seen by someone ill-qualified to diagnose or assess with issues I had been suffering from, so while I am trying to keep a positive outlook, I am still very much keeping my fingers crossed... On the job front, things are up and down... While applications have been made and rejected, I am hoping to be able to make some nice straps to sell, and equally, hoping that my tattooing will take off. At the moment, I have an ongoing project with a friend who, as she cannot afford 'business rates', the designs she wants done, are considerably sized and will make excellent portfolio pieces when completed, so by helping her out by doing the work at cost price, I am not only getting some decent pieces in my portfolio, but additionally, professional quality photos of me actually working, which will be as valuable to my portfolio as any designs executed Additionally, another friend has asked me to assist them with a film-making project next month, and will be paying me to assist, and while that will not be long-term work, it will be helpful Do I still need help? To be honest, yes I do, but I do not want to ask... I am keeping as positive as possible under the circumstances though, and after the parliamentary debate, I am really hoping that the previous decision will be overturned, and equally, hoping that once my tattoo portfolio can be uploaded, it will draw interest I must once again say a truly heartfelt thankyou to all those who helped me, I am truly in your debt

Absolutely so Living one's life for others approval or validation, really isn't living

It can have almost the same problem though... "Is that a Rolex?" "No, it's an Invicta..." "What's that?" "It's based on the Rolex design..." "So it's a copy?" .... Sure, a rep is a rep, and only ever a facsimile of the original, but they are at least 'honest' about what they are [trying to be], where homage brands like Invicta, Alpha, Getat etc, simply ride the design coat-tails of the original, and slap their own branding on that design... Equally, a wearer might think "It's nice, but it's still not a Rolex..." (in terms of aesthetics and brandings) and over time, that could lead to resentment of the watch not being the other, and while a rep may be a rep, at least it has the complete aesthetics (to a degree ) of the original, so can still satisfy that want, were an albeit legit homage may not Of course, just my .2c

Cool article, thanks for sharing It's good to see someone in the industry who 'gets it' that a nice watch is a nice watch, regardless of who makes it That said, if he's into Getat, I do wonder if 'the Rolex he usually reaches for' is Chinese, rather than Swiss

As above, for $40, you can't go wrong, it's a really nice piece (I only buy budget on principle (and because I'm broke ) ) As for your age being an issue... I do understand what you mean. I didn't feel comfortable wearing a Rolex till I hit 30. But. That was because it was the latest model 16610, and looked brand spanking new, and I knew nothing about Vintage... Looking back, had it been an older model, or beaten up enough to not look brand new, then I probably would have felt more comfortable. My advice is to buy it, but when you get it, spend some time brushing the entire watch with a green scotchbrite pad to put some artificial wear marks into it (especially on the clasp and underside of the bracelet) Don't go crazy, you don't want it to look totally fucked up, you just want it to look worn. That way, when you wear it, it's going to be less eye-catching. Equally, don't let the watch wear you... Don't wear it like it's a several thousand dollar Rolex, just wear it like it is what it is: A $40 watch. Chances are, no one will even notice or comment on it. Anyone who does... Just say it was a birthday present and leave it at that. No need to lie about it or build a cover story, as that's probably what gets rep wearers a bad name. If anyone asks, just tell the truth. If they have a problem with that, then that's their problem, not yours [Edit to add] If you're worried about being called out, rather than going for a Submariner, which is a very noticeable watch, maybe consider a DateJust with an oyster bracelet and a flat bezel (or an original Explorer) They are seriously low-key, and go with anything, from dress-shirts to T-Shirts, so less chance of attracting attention

It would be a good sex term, LIke Grandpa Simpson's reference to a Swedish Lunchbox I would, but I rarely wear straps myself, and these are purely for sale, as I need the $$s

Thanks for the feedback, I can always do the next one without the box stitching at the lugs

Sorry to hear about your burglary... I can't vouch for the quality of the gold plating, having not had one of these, however, the dealer is fantastic, I would highly recommend them, and at their price point, you'd have more spare for the car

Took a while longer than anticipated to scrounge up the necessary tools, but the prototype is now available for sale

Bush got his watch stolen like that a few years back during a 'meet and greet' I read an article (ish) the other week which said that if you're mugged for your wallet (or whatever) don't hand it to them, toss it onto the floor away from you, and then use that distraction to run in the opposite direction... The other alternatives are to: so you can and the mugger goes Or so the mugger also goes

Excellent recovery

I'd go for the Tudor. A watch like that can be worn any where, any time, any place, with any wardrobe choices and never look out of place

Really sorry to hear that, Ken Here's hoping the brother sees this and reconsiders his course of action

First Class behavior, gentlemen

When I was about 12-13, I badly damaged my right ankle skate boarding. I didn't actually break any bones, but there was a lot of tendon damage, and the doctor said that it was a miracle that the bones hadn't broken... As a result, my right foot is rotated a few degrees clockwise further off centre line than the left one is rotated counter-clockwise. Only really noticeable if I have my knees facing absolutely straight forward, and if I try and sleep on my right side, the pressure makes the ankle hurt. In clock terms, rather than Five past Eleven, they are at Ten past Eleven In other news, when my best friend was about 10, he went over the handlebars of his bike and snapped both wrists. He had his arms suspended in a round the neck sling which made him look like a marionette, and even now, his wrists are quite narrow

The best time keeper in my collection is my Tudor Heritage Chrono, closely followed by the Plastique Noir Submariner. Both run on quartz

Personally speaking, I go with who has what I want at a price I can afford

Many thanks, bro, glad to hear that all is well with you