Victoria

I'm game ... but monster sized PAM's aren't up my alley (but maybe a group buy would be all it takes).

Cousteau or Aquaracer for sure.

Maciek's post on his Egyptian hols had an odd effect on me.

I now want his girlfriend's white Seatimer AND his Cousteau Diver. But now that Pix posted the IWC Porto in RG, I want that too.

Basically, I've come to the conclusion that I'm impressionable. And I just like watches.

I have always got the impression that for instance, TWP is a true watch lover. But he may be atypical, as I also understand that this is not his main line of work.

It could well be the reason he likes watches as we do, then. I share your impression about TWP, Dangerman. Glad someone other than I posted it (since I'm his customer).

Come on everyone. What do you think? Are our replica dealers the new porn stars?

Conversely, I once asked a similar question in another thread:

Don't you wonder what watch Andrew, Joshua, Paul, Jay, Ruby, Angus and the rest wear?

Which one do they most favour? Do they have a rotation? Do their wives look like a million dollars, with all that access to Rolexes, Cartiers, and Chanels? How about their kids?

However, since these are a sensitive, personal questions, I would never of actually asking them that -- I just admit I'm curious to know.

Oh and any former or current porn stars, please give us your thought as well.

I was almost a sex phone operator, does that count?

Hey V! Where is my surprise?

Have to go to the bank, run some errands, then go downstairs to the pool and "pose" the watches in new and interesting posishes! I always try a little something special for the Weekend Wrist-checks, but I fear, this week was very special photography-wise for me, and it'll be a tough act to follow.

You are just going to sleep no, Raymond? Ah well. When you wake up, they'll be there! Promise.

so should i keep it or sell it?

Keep it! I like it.

It's a bit rough, but it adds a certain grace to the macho Fiddy (well, it looks macho on you). The stitching is what does it.

@Raymond: YAY! I'm so happy for you. When strapaholics pounce on that perfect strap, it's magic. Will post mine anyway. Later, have stuff to do, alas.

@Jiro: Your rocker emoticons made me ROTFLMAO.

@Wilith: Where did you get that Diver! Really unusual.

Yap yap yap. What I can tell you that the Russian girls are the best!! At least they can dress...

Hey Aleksandra.

@Shura: Yes. ...but most of my male Russian friends choose Sasha, over Shura! I was really hoping you were a girl too, because I've often seen you "around" on RWG, without posting. Ah well. Still me and Rima.

group buys I'm in for:

-some type of PAM -.-

-some type of PVD PAM

Yes, and yes.

-Chopard

Eh.

-TAG AQUARACER daydate (TWP this may be your best bet.. get a group buy going for this and i guarantee you, people will join, i for one am in) seriously.. if you do a group buy for this, most everyone will jump in

Would be interested for my boyfriend.

For me, the Big Pilot 3717 which Defacto also mentioned.

Signs I am still a newbie:

Until now, I wasn't interested in my watches keeping accurate time. I just wanted them to look good.

But as I become more and more detail-oriented, I want them to be accurate MECHANISMS, as well. So far, having used a COSC guide I found, I have timed my DSN Fiddy, and it loses less than 5 seconds per day! I'd call that pretty good.

Also, I upped my nightly wind from 30 winds, to 60 winds, and the power reserve on the Fiddy is 48 hours and counting. Awesome.

How is that versus yours?

It's sad, but that's what I have also seen.

A bad example, but look at Anna Kournikova being a poor tennis player but happy to take the money and make the money off her looks (ok, models do this too, but there are lots more better looking girls, she just got famous for being a good-looking girl in tennis).

I like Anna Kournikova!

...helps that when I was a sports photog intern, I used to photograph her at the Lipton/Ericsson/Nasdaq-100 in Key Biscayne, and she was very nice. I was very very slim then, but she was half me! Very worrisome.

A bygone age, I fear. Russia has had a history of conflict, backstabbing, coups, cynical machinations etc. I guess not much has changed

Sadly.

Maybe they were before, but now it's more cold and calculating. They size up a guy and see how much they can make out of him for nothing. And too many have no idea of planning for the future and live in the here-and-now; probably a result of their country's ever-changing turbulent history - you never know if you'll still be around next year, or dead or in a gulag!

Exactly the case, I fear. I think many Russians realise that they may well be living in a "window" of time where these goodies are possible. Although when you let the genie of consumerism out, it's really hard to put back in...

Remember all those stories of Russians offering foreigners 500 U$ for their jeans, at the height of the Cold War? It was true. My parents lived it.

A friend of mine from Armenia has changed since she came here. Not speaking the language, it was easy for her to fall in with the Russian crowd as she speaks the language. Over time you can see how her mindset has changed and it's all about labels or how much something costs. It has to be the most expensive drink in a club or bar (her favourite drink is champagne...)

Group-think is awful, even if for foreigners out of their element, it's understandable.

I grew up with "Sloanes" and the green wellie crowd in the UK. What foreigners see is that set's love of the good life, and being able to afford all that; consequently, they merely digest the "money" part -- not the heritage part.

It's the heritage, and that natural British restraint that will take some time for them to acquire. Hopefully, one day.

She has a Vauxhall car that she parks a few train stop rides away so they won't see it! It's nuts! When they go out, it's some members club where the guys will buy them all champagne etc and you would get nothing in return. Oh and the Ru$$ian girls she knows all live in Central London, no doubt paid for by daddy...

I can't talk about anything being paid for daddy.

But having said that, it's better than being suppported by taxes from strangers. If you can take care of your own, you should. That's why you made the money in the first place, IMHO.

This girl gave me a lift from the laser eye clinic after I'd had my eye done. I'd never thought she'd even agree to that, as everyone else was unavailable, and I was going to get a cab. I found out a long time later, a bunch of my friends got money together and she said she'd do it in return for this "cab fare" ... I still can't believe it. Especially when she brings it up as a favour she's done me...

GASP.

That's horrifying. I'm so sorry, Chronus!

I know it may not seem like much to some, but this is a complete lack of innate goodness which she has transformed her values system into the highest bidder. It's one thing to trade your time or skill for payment. That's called a job.

But not friends, or alleged friends. That's wrong...

Small anecdote, as these last posts become ever more OT:

One Cuban-American boyfriend's family arrived in 1962 in Miami. Not a penny to their names, and no English. In time, they became restauranteurs, and extremely well-regarded in the community. When the Cold War ended, Cubans started hitting to the seas again in rafts, and there came his cousin on a raft -- who of course, they immediately put to work in their restaurant. He was a waiter, but they had plans for him to run one restaurant or two, one day, naturally.

Until one Christmas, when my then boyfriend gave him a pair of custom-tailored Italian shoes, especially bought for him in Rome.

A few months later, when he noticed his cousin was no longer wearing it, he inquired about them, jokingly.

"Oh, I sold that to Fulanito for $200."

"What? You're kidding. They were 10x that much and I gave it to you as a Christmas present!"

"So, they were a present weren't they? I can do whatever I want with it, so don't bust my balls about it!"

Somewhere along the line, his value system had been corrupted, because that's what you do to survive in Cuba today. You sell anything and everything, including yourself.

Eventually, he was caught stealing money from his relatives. I don't know what happened because we broke up...

And now my friend expects guys (even "just friends") to pay for her if they go anywhere. I've always refused that and she calls me tight Maybe I am, but I'm also poor

We can be poor together.

We might have better watches than she does, at that!

And finally, why do Ru$$ian women age so much? One day you could be waking up next to a woman with the face of Ronald Koeman (for those that know him) !

Because life is hard for them, and possibly they might have bad genes to begin with. *g*

Seriously, my grandmother always told me to never get emotional about a boy, until I had met his parents. "You'll see what he'll turn into twenty years hence." She was always right, my Omi.

Give me a sweet Canadian girl anyday, but I'm biased, that was where my ex was from

Being with a Canadian guy right now, I can totally relate. They're so sweet, it's heart-melting.

sorry... I am a little confused...

does everyone on this forum only purchase from collectors on this forum??

That's pretty much what happens, Anon. Most of the time, we find these rep forums just before, or more likely, just after getting burned by one of the many rep watch sites out there. I ALMOST, can you believe this?, bought an USD800 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore for my dad on one site, now defunct.

That's when I was pointed to this forum, and I have never been outright scammed since. Problems yes, but always fixable, or workable. The collectors' reputation is on the line, after all. That's the whole point of having reputable collectors here.

Please note that there are always issues, such as is waterproofing really done, and is this really as "Ultimate" version as one can get, etc. Read, hit the search button, a lot before you purchase. PM people who review watches, if needs be.

And lastly, should this forum have saved you money, please consider upgrading to VIP. It helps the community to carry on with the info by paying for its continuity.

I am just starting out and I am not looking for a super expensive replica to purchase from a collector, just something from a website in the range of 2 to 300 hundred dollars.

Though rep watches are starting to climb in prices, especially the more covetted ones, you can easily get many watches under USD200, even half that, depending on the model and what you want inside its innards.

EDIT: Come to think of it, I do think you can find "reviews" of rep watch sites. But they are not official or in a special section. You just have to hit the search button. E.g.: Globalreplicas.com with their "Italian" movements, might turn up a few hits...

Is it an OEM Panerai strap?

Don't think so, BUT what is important is that Raymond likes it, and it sure looks good on that PAM 113. The white-stitch is a nice touch.

Ray, I will post the "surprise" anyway, although I see DuDro beat me to it, very helpfully.

I can't play this time, By-Tor. Never was on my radar, even in Morocco.

HI,

Thank for the review.

Thanks for reviving the thread.

I love nice pens too, and just recieved 3 MB's from Trevor.

They look nice, besides a few light scratches on one, but I can liver with that.

Hmm, see, this is what has always made me stay away from Trevor. I realise people often mention imperfections when posting, and the ones who get the flawless stuff stay silent (the way of the world), but it seems to me that I've read too many of these minor "problems".

They feel quiet heavy, and write well....So see how they hold up over time.

That's what counts!

If I have time I will see that I take some nice pics.

(Can anyone tell me please how to put the pics directly on the page for everyone to see, without an url to click on first??)

Surely. I personally use Image Shack. When you upload the pics (I tick the "resize" to 640 x 480, as my default) make sure you copy/paste Hotlink #1.

I also take out the second url linking back to Image Shack, if there, because it's not a "clean" look for me, but that's up to each.

Alternatively, but more cumbersomely, you can go to the last link, "Direct link", c/p that in the reply panel, then look up to the "Image" box near the emoticons (smilies). It's right next to "url". It'll embed the link for you.

ALTERNATIVELY. *g*

Just add [ img ] and close it [ /img ] yourself.

Good luck!

I suffer from the same disease.

As far as diseases go, I'll take it! But I worry about boring those around me with my incessant patter about watches:

"No, I think that maybe is a Breitling. But which? Oh, it's Steelfish! Or an Emergency?? (next actor comes unto the screen) And the Rock is wearing a Panerai. How can a juvie football coach earn enough to get a PAM GMT? Jeez!".

Poor guy (my bf). Fortunately, he finds it vastly amusing. Love is blind...

@DuDro: Wish I had the DVD, but I haven't even seen the film! Hey, what did Tony Marrero wear in Scarface, to go with his lillo friend?

http://jitteryjim.com/?page_id=432

Was watching "Shooter" with my bf (on the phone!), and during the whole time, I was wondering what watch Marky Mark was wearing.

"Shooter (2007)

Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg wears a Suunto Vector)."

Great. And here I thought it was a Sinn EZM2 or so. I still have loads to learn...........thanks Fitmic!

P.S.: Since becoming a really active watch hobbyist, rather than erstwhile enthusiast, all films are now "spot the watch" moments -- since I'm a cinephile, that means daily. It can be VERY distracting, unfortunately. Ocean's 13 was a nightmare!

Thx for your information; can u show me where actually I could found "Tan OEM MX deployant strap on Risti"?

Yes, sir!

hxxp://www.network54.com/Forum/353393/thread/1187279441/last-1187279441/NEED+TO+SELL-+NEW+OEM+tan+calf+for+deployant

That was the exact sale. You can check the pics there. I had a Risti member authenticate the strap as OEM before bidding. Generally, though, I have found that Risti members are good about not offering a switcheroo (sending you a fake).

If they say OEM, you'll get one.

Also; Is there any method to clean our leather-straps? Leather-straps absorbed the sweat on daily-wear & became dirty & smelly...

Tootall once replied very comprehensively about that, in the Stains for Straps thread here in this Panerai area. I believe he suggested Lexol for actually cleaning the straps. Please check or PM him -- he's BRILLIANT at this.

Clive told me to get Lord Sheraton as a conditioner. The owner of Timeconnection suggested Meltonian Neutral, but sparingly. Lanikai said to use Hide Care from Connolly (used by Jaguar, etc.).

All of these do a wonderful job at actually BUFFING the straps. HOWEVER, I only use them on certain straps. Never on the PAVs, but yes on the Maniffature Firenze ones.

I used the Meltonian Neutral on the tan OEM, and it came out beautifully. All 3 conditioners I bought on *bay, at very reasonable prices.

And PM replied to! Still at 98% Inbox...I get tonnes of PMs, and it's hard to archive.

Good luck!

Kru, as ever, impeccable. You've got such great taste. I would love to see that watch cabinet of yours...

BTW, poll closes unofficially tomorrow at 2 PM EDT.

IT'S GONNA BE A NAIL-BITER SO PLEASE VOTE!

Sorry to disappoint but that was the best I could do. A mind blowing experience can happen here, from time to time, but the event you describe was pretty much just happenstance IMHO. The board has a variety of constituencies, all interesting at some level.

Oh, I was replying tongue-in-cheek, of course, Carl.

In many ways, I'm happy RWG is not the freak show I've seen on other forums (not talking watch forums). Easy as she goes, is plenty fine for me.

Would be nice to beat that record, one day soon.

Please look here for the following informations

Thanks

http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showto...&st=0&#

The Cousteau Diver is not a big priority, so it would all personally depend on price. Tentatively, though, I'm in.

i am glad you like the mesh strap, i bought it from the same seller, i just ordered a 22mm one for any of my other watches. maybe i will try it on my eta steelfish?

A bit daring. I like it! Posts photos if you do, Frank, please.

when my gf works i am always having a steak.

Aww. BBQ or on the cooker?

If I marry an Italian, as looks possible..., he's already told me I don't ever have to order out at night again. He'll do the cooking, since Italian men are fantastic cooks.

That would be the OEM Tan calf strap. If the buckle has the OP logo, then it might be an OEM MX strap. The problem with that strap is that the standard length is 115/75 and I find it to be a little small for my tastes. Lately, I prefer a much longer strap. But deals can be found on the common OEM Tan. An OEM thumbnail buckle will cost you about $125 or so. I think they sell for $150 at retail.

I bought a 99% tan OEM MX deployant strap on Risti for USD95, if that's any help, Raymond. *

As Skcheng said, they do run at 115/75 standard size, but I notice that you and I both have slim wrists, so that should be no problems for you. I wear it precisely on my PAM 113, and it looks awesome.

I know most people who get their gen PAMs take off the OEM strap real fast (as fast as we do our rep ones), but I happen to like mine. The black OEM is great, too, and I use that on the DSN PAM 112. That was about $75, same place. Risti Accessories Forum. Great bargains there!

*Thanks to all who replied to that seller, when he asked for a reference check ON ME. Imagine! Buyers usually do that, of course. But first time I heard of that on selling a strap.

We were dealing with Turn-O-Graphs back then.

Colour me jaded, but that wasn't the mind-blowing response I expected. Oh well. Thanks.

Agreed. Cape cods rule. You can really take out pretty solid scratches/dings that you'd otherwise be going insane over. On the flip side, remember how that kind of power can affect anything other than SS. If you're doing just SS though, keep on enjoying them!

Tangentially, I almost ruined my PAM 177 by using one of those Titanium scratch-remover pens I bought you know where. The scratch pad made it even worse. AND I WAS GENTLE.

Do you guys think the Cape Cod would take out the glaring Titanium "silver" or just ruin the entire look by stripping the Ti?

I don't care about the scratch at this point -- I'm angry at the difference in colour. Really, it's tiny and probably most people don't see it, but I do, and it drives me insane.

@Ahchard: Yes, you can use it on steel shafts. Pretty much anything really, that is non-tarnishable, like gold and stainless steel. As for buying them, I went with to the *bay again, and bought a tin of 16. It came with gloves, and some other goodies inside. It was worth the price, and I believe that merchant does international shipping.

@Lanikai: WELCOME BACK! Missed you. Thanks so much for the tip. Will do as you suggest.

@Defacto (hope you see the reply here! Trying to keep post counts down):

"Am I correct in assuming that you gave it a whack with some Scotch brite?"

Well, I used one of those Titanium scratch removal "pens" one buys on *Bay. Bostonwatchexchange, I think they're called. Fantastic merchants, but my Andrew PAM 177h titanium watch was not improved at all by it. Their Titanium is silvery, whereas mine is coppery -- thus the difference is very telling.

I had also bought a titanium scratch pad, which I used after applying the pen. Didn't help. Au contraire. STAY AWAY newbies.

BTW, love your "Curses! Foiled Again" dramatic chipmunk avatar. Never fails to make me laugh, Defacto.

A few shots of various wathces I own with NATO straps.

That's beautiful, Predfan2001.

If you have a hi-res shot of that, I can take out Puggy's Big Pilot wallpaper, and put this on instead. Either way, awesome combos -- I just ordered the all black G10 on *bay for my watches. Also an orange military strap for the Pumpkin PO!

yes Vic, i dont think you like the mesh strap on the 024,

Oh no! I do like it. In fact, I have my eye on buying one from a HK vendor on *bay. I was going to sling it on a Radiomir though, but you had the right idea on that big PAM.

but thats the one i chose for my dinner, anyways, i was alone to eat tonight.

My parents and I have different schedules, and since I don't cook, I order out. If I am home for dinner and not at a restaurant, I'm usually dining alone. No TV on. That's uncivilised.

have a nice one

Mahlzeit, Frank!

This is a great thread idea! Watches at dinner.

Coincidentally, just last week I ordered pizza, which I love but don't often have. I had posted two weeks prior to that, another pizza shot, and I noticed -- hey! I am also wearing a Radiomir! Different strap though.

August 12-13 Wristcheck, TWP PAM 190 with Woj black strap, Pizza Margherita

Last week, TWP PAM 210, GeF strap, same pizza, only no basil this time

And tonight, 13 September, my favourite Minestrone soup, with the HBB "Yacht Club de Monaco" just arrived from Narikaa.

...I love soup! See, I AM Russian.