anton

Union Glashutte/SA had been supplying base movements to Glashutte Original until they decided to produce their own timepieces.

The "Purists" who I asked at work today were aghast that their beloved watch manufacturer isn't quite the innovator they one thought it was. Society allows us bragging rights when we purchase watches from the "Big Three", but what fun is it when they received their movements from the "little fourth"? And you're right JLC's represent a HUGE value in the second hand market. They never cease to amaze me, but unfortunately they haven't reached the type of demand that they should be receiving. Funny thing, though: they thought that the LeCoultre watch brand was the same as Jaeger-LeCoultre watch brand.

I wish. Then I'd go pick it up for myself. The AMVOX2 is still in my shoret list, though. Been hinting at the wife for a couple months now. Hope she gets the hint.

If he knew his BR01's he would have known that the lugs are a separate part from the case. But then again, with the PVD you can never tell anyway.

Dog, you are half-correct. Giorgio, you are 100% correct. Most people would assume that the "Big Three" manufactures and produces their watches in-house, but that is not so. In fact, the Big Three have one thing in common, though: They all used the JLC 920 (surprisingly JLC never used it themselves) during the late 60's-early 70's.

I'm sorry. Breguet used the Lemania 1350 in their Type XX Chronograph.

Incorrect, my dear. Blancpain has used the F. Piguet 1185 in their chronographs.

I was having a conversation today will some so-called "experts" about watch movements and so I paused them for a brief moment when I brought up the topic of the ONLY manufacturer that has NEVER used another's base movement. I quizzed them and only ONE person got it right. I know the answer. But I will ask you: Out of the choices below, which watch manufacturer has NEVER used a base movement (or ebauche) from another manufacture? 1) Patek Philippe 2) Breguet 3) Blancpain 4) Audemars Piguet 5) Jaeger-LeCoultre 6) Vacheron Constantin Notice I did not include A. Lange & Sohne, so I beat whoever was going to post that! And I repeat, Base movement. Most of us know that Manufactures sometimes use chronograph modules from other houses.

If I were to use your reasoning, then one can also say that IWC also repped a 7750 in the making of their Da Vinci.

oh how we ogle over the pics of our favorite celebs and their watches. How bout we turn to the flipside and instead of wristshots, let's do pictures of us doing similar thing the celebs would do (faces blurred or cropped out, of course )? I've always dreamt of handing a giant check over to someone!

Letely I've been in a buying frenzy with watches. It could be that the holiday season is coming up, happier developments have come into my life, a bonus from work, or maybe even a combination of the three. Rather than be like your average and run down to my local AD to go apes**t over watches (okay, I admit I did purchase one gen), I took a trip downtown to see my regular dealer and saw what he had in stock. Prior to that, I woke up in the middle of the night saying to myself, "I need a gold watch"; and this is what I picked up: Those who recognized it from TTK's pictures will know it as the Ferrari 008, the Granturismo Chronograph. It's rose gold in color and its' diameter is 45mm, about 61mm from lug to lug. It comes equipped with an Asian 7750 in a bicompax configuration, with seconds @ 9 and minutes @ 3. Here's a closeup shot of the dial: As you can see, the crystal is coated a pretty heavy coating of AR (think HBB) and on both sides. The dial sports a "Clous de Paris" pattern, virtually invisible from most distances except close-up. The subdials give you a visual effect of them bring recessed, but they are in fact flat on the dial; it's the dial rings that are raised. Dial printing is superb, with no notice of apparent inconsistency or "print bleeding". Side Profiles: I don't know what else to say other than the pictures explain it themselves. You can see that attention is paid to the aesthetic function to the watch, from the lines to the patterns, shapes and finish of the screwdown pushers. I am glad to say that I was fortunate to own a Panerai rep where the lug screws don't need to be replaced as they are flush with both case ends. Caseback: Deployant Buckle: Again, attention to detail is displayed here. Compared to your standard Rep buckle, the fonts finally look correct in the "OFFICINE PANERAI" and I like how the rear of the buckle has a hexagonal pattern. The manufacturer could have easily left that out without complaint from any of the buyers. The wath comes standard with a black croc strap with white stiching and a red underside. The ferrari insignia is stamped into another patch then sewn onto the strap. It looks great. Only the test of time will tell how well they hold up. Flaws: I would say that this particular model belongs in the elite group of the "SupeReps" (I know it's Super Reps) because the watch in itself doesn't have a glaring flaw unless one studies it. I could have sworn I was wearing the real thing, until: Obviously, this should be made of solid 18kt gold. Since the rep is only plated, it doesn't have the heft that the gen has. But might I add, however that the manufacturer DOES have the correct tint down. The caseback is missing some numbers, like actual reference numbers and series production run. I knew the numbers on my caseback looked familiar, since they also come from the caseback of the Panerai 212/253! The gen buckle should have the stallion engraved, not the insignia. The only evidence I have to support my claim is what is shown on Panerai's website. Until then, go with what you got! And last, but not least: If it's rose gold, then why is "STAINLESS STEEL" on the buckle?!?!?! A simple answer would be that the manufaurer pulled the buckle from the parts bin and plated it. Overall impressions: This is one serious timepiece. It's finely crafted and superbly constructed. It is compared to be almost flawless when putting it up against other PAM reps and it well deserves to be. Sure, you may have your little flaws here and there, but it's a rep, right? You kind of expect that kind of thing. On the other hand, it IS one of the most accurate and best "out of the box" reps I have EVER seen. Who do I have to blame as the cause for me giving in to the gold supply? Two people: JFreeman420 and Flavor_Flav.

What you ultimately make as your purchase decision should be no one else's but your own. Not to sound negative, but please don't expect your fellow bretheren to hold your hand through the buying process and lead you to the rep that closely resembles the gen. At the end of the day, a rep is a rep and if you are looking for perfection, then you are in the wrong forum. Most of the seasoned members here make their buying decisions based on what watch speaks to them; not what they seem to think is the most accurate, or what others tell them to buy. With that being said, you kinda remind me of those n00bs who ask which dealer(s) has the best sub.

RWG, you've let my impulses run wild again... Review to come!

Perhaps you've all heard of him. He hosts a website, the "Replica Watch Report" and publishes a book of the same title; apparently keeping consumers informed of the quality of reps over the years. He's mainly the reason why I started visiting and commenting on the forums. I'm a member of TRC and RWI as well, but noticed that I am here exclusively because the atmosphere just seems "better". But who is he? Is he a member here? And is he playing both sides of the fence?

I've appreciated all your responses; even more so of the seasoned and savvy members. According to the replies posted in this thread, many of you bring a whole new meaning to watch collecting and what it takes to appreciate the style of the times and/or the designs of the watches. Perhaps it's your lifestyle that determines what kind of watch you wear. It could be the movies you watch that make you feel like the "hero" of the moment when you wear that watch that Mr. Superhero wears on TV. It could be your fantasy. Or maybe it's just the emotional euphoria you receive when you look at the art involved with the watch. All of you are unique in the watches you choose and how you choose them. I've realized that in my personal collection that my collection is slowly growing into an aviation theme. Perhaps it's that I've been flying quite alot over the past couple of months; but one thing I do know is that it's always been my fantasy to be some type of renowned pilot, traveling across the globe at will while being an ambassador for Breitling or IWC. But then again, *sign*.... I'm not John Travolta. At least I can live out my fantasy within my watches.

Defacto, You are an exception to the rule. And (I think) you are from the Financial Capital of the World. When you speak of Miele dishwashers and Subzero fridges, then you are in a different league than let's say, someone in midwestern Pennsylvania. But I agree to your point. Case in point is myself recently purchasing a Bang & Olufsen system for my living room. Other than it looking great, for its' price range I could have gotten a Sherwood amp and McIntosh speakers. But the B&O looks beautiful, always evokes comments from people that come over, and from its' release eleven years ago have still fetched about 60% of retail price.

Prince, But what kind of collection do you have? I just can't assume that you're a frogman of some sort.

Let's all sit down and look at our collections. Over the course of time, I'm sure you all have been crazy enough to drop some serious money on 10-20 watches (rep and gen). You have some that made you think, "that thing is so hideous! why did I buy that?"; others that you are in love with more than your SO (Significant Other) that they stay in the winder or box; and those who are part of your rotation. What kind of theme have you molded as your collection? Are you a wannabe: Pilot? Naval Frogman? Diver? Bomb Disposal Expert? Racercar Driver? Mountain Hiker? Socialite? Middle-Aged man going into retirement with alot of money to spend on travel and his children and possibly moving down to Florida? (that last one was somewhat of a joke, but they only buys the best kind of watches.) And yes, it is possible to fall into multiple categories. I'm eager to hear all your responses; especially yours, Miss Strap!

One thing I never have seen is the relation of watch buying to other things that one may have in the home. When one purchases a TV or a Refrigerator (even a cell phone), they mull over the features of the product, their longevity, after-sales service options, advantages (or disadvantages) and then make a buying decision. A watch is just as operative as a product like above, but it's sad to see that rarely anyone makes their watch purchases based solely on those factors. Lanikai put it best when in Japan, appearances are everything. Well here in the States, it's much the same way too. I remember reading a story of one man who worked in a very large office building and passed by one of his colleagues, who wore a Cartier. The man writing the topic wore a Zenith Defy Extreme (bear in mind that his model went for $22K). They both engaged in a light conversation when he commented on her watch. She replied and raved about the watch and then commented on his. She then quickly debunked her comment by saying, "maybe when you earn as much as me, you can buy a Cartier." A perfect example of how a name is unjust cause for ego.

Rep does NOT have the ESA/ETA movement, but instead a Ronda 5030.D movement. I opened mine up just to see what was in it. The movement is marked: "Ronda 5030.D, 6 SIX JEWELS, SWISS PARTS THAILAND MADE" So anyone considering purchasing this rep just don't because the advertisement by dealers alone is a flaw in this rep.

Other than this great forum, I like to frequent other watcher forums out there. Perhaps many of you know PMWF/SCWF, ThePuristS, TURF, WUS, TZ (and TZ-UK), and who could forget TBWF? I've read so many arguments and debates about what is better value, prestige, "bang for the buck", etc. So, during my travels, I see so many watches that look like clear knockoffs of others (or hommages); Invicta is a known culprit in this. But there are some people who swear by their brand as the brand of choice, and most others are just paying a premium for a "name" or to be some part of "elitist" club. My question for you is: How can such an argument be justified? What's in a name? What can you get from purchasing from one brand that you can't get with another? Please don't include reps vs. gens or HBB vs. ROO is this argument. The reason why I chose to ask my question here vs. other forums is that many of you have given unbiased responses to questions and I'm sure an overwhelming number of you are gen owners, from the simplest Luminox to the most extravagant Breguet.

Well, the B&R is a "love it or hate it" design. But I like that few people purchase the BR01's; whether gen or rep. I have two gens and two reps. They are beautifully crafted and like me, they are unique and "not just another watch". Everyone who says it's a fashion watch is wrong solely because it has "tool watch" written all over it!

Today I noticed that my status changed from "VIP" to "RWG Supporter". Also, a new hirerarchy has been added: "Supporter". What's the difference; or in American: Hey, what gives?

Movement fooled me. It didn't look like glued on plates. Also, the "R" in "PANERAI" is correct unlike the Swiss 6497 movement you also have a pic of.

Thanks again all for your replies! Many of you that replied to my thread answered the question with a great deal of rationalization; others solely based on aesthetics. I've noticed that the hobbyists are rep purists, as they're the "core" of the game; it's them that caused the reps to come this far in terms of accuracy and newer innovations in terms of the movement or construction. Some have said that the gens' cost will never be justified and that they are grossly overpriced; though I would like to say otherwise for some of the marques. Sure, one can purchase (example) a Chrono Avenger rep for $250, but the gen costs $3,000. But what do you get for $3,000? Peace of mind. Reliability. Superb construction, QC, and (possibly) better materials. The reason I say this was that a friend of mine had taken it apart to replace the dial (from blue to white). I looked at the case and just the construction of the pushers itself shows that the quality is evident on the gens. Then again, there are also those other manufacurers who think they can charge $5K+ Just because they think they could. Ever heard of Bertolucci?