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U-Boat 50mm on a grey calf strap

Surgical could refer to 0% Nickle content as some people can have allergic reactions to Nickle which is sometimes added to certain stainless steels. Besides that, I don't know what else it could be.

Very nice, very nice indeed. That NATO strap complements the watch well and the fashionistas would also approve of the style coordination with the driving gloves.

I always maintained grilling with the door closed until I got this new oven/cooker. In the instructions it states that all grilling must be done with the door open much to my disapproval

Good choice going with the DSSD and with BK. Post some pictures up when you get it.

Yep, I have to concur. The BigBang reps are exceptionally close to the gens and considering that there is no way in the foreseeable future that I can afford the gen I think I might just be getting myself a Big Bang rep.

Would it be safe to assume that the circa $300 two tone Gold and Black Big Bang reps from the TD's here are similarly near identical in appearance to the gen as the version discussed above?

Did Omega actually make a model with a crystal back? I'm not so sure they did!

I believe they did, or rather, have. I'm not sure how recently they brought out the crystal rear but it's on their site for the latest model.

Bravo.

I actually found that very useful myself. Thanks 1680.

Looks very good there. The attention to detail is spot on. Once the movement is in, it'll be nigh-on indistinguishable from a gen!

Very nice wrist shot Derik429, think I may order one soon.

Mr. Doug, I'd assumed it was a bit of a faux-pas to take a rep into an AD.

Maybe I'm just getting old and my eyes are letting me down but I can't tell the difference between the gen and the rep in any picture bar the first (excluding the strap).

Wow, really does make you think. With the reps so good and getting closer with each iteration I'm getting sweaty palms just thinking about all the money I'll be spending in acquiring these. Still, a darned site less expensive buying a dozen quality reps than even one older second had gen.

Funny thing is, I'm waiting on a PO with double AR coming from Andrew and I would probably have been one of those new people who just do that very thing. Thanks for the heads-up, I'll now reconsider using that as my "sports" watch (I don't play sports unless golf counts!)

AR is easily scratched. This is Rolex's excuse for not using it for so many years. Gen and replica double AR marks up if you don't baby it.

It's just a thin chemical coating.

The good news is that you can always strip and re-coat ruined AR.

Huh, didn't know that but it does add up. Shame that Rolex owners need to contend with glare especially considering many of their competition are using it. Wonder if Rolex are secretly developing their own "diamond AR coating". Now that would be awesome!

Single AR is always applied to the inside of the crystal to ensure it is never damaged.

That makes sense, thanks for that info Jkay. Is there such a thing as scratch resistant AR? Afterall what type of AR do the gens tend to have?

thanks for the reply khashayar. so would a trusted dealer specify on there website if a watch has been made in a "noob" factory or not, or do certain dealers have exclusivity to watches made in noob factorys? im waiting on this watch you have, cant wait to get it. think im gonna need a third wrist for all these delights available haha

Generally from what I have seen, yes they do tend specify if a particular version is a "Noob version". I don't believe there is a TD who has any kind of exclusivity when it comes to Noob watches however there can be various TD's with stock from different batches, versions, etc.

Welcome from another new UK member. I'm not an expert on Rolex reps by any means however I have now bought two reps (neither a Rolex mind you) from Andrew (he's a TD) and I have been very happy with the entire purchase process and the one watch I've received so far (the other was only ordered a few days ago).

Welcome dude from another new UK member. From hat I've seen so far RWG contains a wealth of invaluable information. Just like you, my bank balance is already feeling the effects. Think a divorce may be imminent!

Welcome from another new UK member though I'm quite possibly a little further North.

Still waiting on mine to arrive before I can be sure however it seems that movement is unlikely to be a new ETA, more likely an older one that may/may not have undergone a refurb (with Chinese parts). Either way I think (hope) a service will return it to as-new condition meaning it'll work well for several years.

I've ordered a wood Omega box from Andrew. Couldn't really tell how good the quality was from the pictures but will update with pictures once it arrives.

If the AR is only on the outside wouldn't that mean that over time, with normal wear-and-tear, the AR would slowly rub off leaving the watch with no AR?

If it's not available as a SW200 (sellita), then chances are the ETA is an old lady painted on with lipstick and rouge to look 20!

I guess to be very sure, you should buy an ETA yourself and get it fitted

That makes sense. Would a service suffice in returning the movement to a somewhat reliable condition for at least 4-5 years?

This may be a crazy idea, but could you not just use a little matte clear coat finish on the pearl to seal it? DMS did this to his pumpkin bezel though I don't know if he used any on the pearl. You could always PM him to find out what type of clear coat he used and whether it would be advisable to use it on the pearl.