Victoria

Fiddy Driving...

That's still one of my fave straps EVER, Hambone.

I am going out with that Tankissime as mentioned, but here is a quick wrist-check shot of the infamous 'uncle cracker' Fiddy.

Looks totally different on me, than on you, and yet...not too shabby on either. How is this possible?

My first double post...ack, sorry guys. Please delete this.

V i would also use this as a start point to get a nice fiddy built

As I said guys, this Fiddy is going back to its owner, having had the PayPal moneys refunded to me (albeit still pending). So I'm going back to Stage 1.

I would PROBABLY buy a DSN Fiddy, despite the enormous cost which I can't afford now..., but he doesn't take PayPal. And for me, no PayPal, no deal. With anyone. Full stop. I just don't feel safe with WU, having had problems on eBay too many times with it.

Here is the wrist-check before I send this Fiddy back!

SWEET WATCH.

And what is it with me and Panerai, that I can pull off first a 44mm ginormous watch, and then the chicken-house 47mm???

Or am I foolin' myself? Be honest, please.

P.S.: My mother looked at it and said, wow, that looks great on you, which I had to agree. Maybe it's my long fingers, and generally dainty look which doesn't make me look like a lorry driver wearing a walkie-talkie on her wrist?

What can I say..............sorry you are having a bad run but welcome to the rep world.........just another thing I'll bet my house that the crystal cracked in transit and the seller has no idea it has happened.

Just a quick OT.......I live in Victoria Australia and our favourite beer is.......you guessed it Victorian Bitter, more commonly know as VB..................spooky huh

Ken

Who doesn't know the VB series, KEN!?!?

Well, if you like cricket, which most North Americans do not...shame, shame. It's a beautiful game. Mind you, so is baseball, so we all win, yay!

P.S.: Trying to keep it light guys, today. Not posting much since I'm licking my wounds. PayPal funds pending with the member, so all is well along those lines, but the disappointment lingers this rainy Sunday. Anyway, will be back bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on other threads tomorrow.

And don't worry, Lanikai. I would never walk out looking like Bozo the Clownette. Pics to follow, crappy sapphire and all.

P.P.S.: I really dislike "VB" as a rule. Victoria is so lovely, feminine, yet commanding, and Vic or Vicky is lovingly warm. Mind you, VB the beer is excellent, though I'm a Tres Equis girl myself.

I thought Davidsen's crystal was $65, or is that price years out of date? Another member might also have one for trade.

Ahh, but factor in the watchmaker's fees, and shipping and handling...rather just get a new Fiddy. When I'm a little more advanced, and can take apart my watches, that should be more of an option.

Right now, every time I put on a new strap on my watch, I feel like Abraham Louis Breguet himself.

The exploding fiddy saga goes on.

At least it didn't happen in the middle of a restaurant, like with another member! That's not as callous as it sounds! Or is it... *g*

Thats a bummer there VB, the glass on your fiddy seems to be synthetic mineral for sure.

Yeah. The sound is just very different from my father's 007 and the other sapphire rep watches I have.

Davidsen will send you a sapphire version, for replacement. His fiddys do not blow up and they are real sapphire. Because the fiddy glass cover is so large and curved, it has a much higher stress point, hence the explosions, and need for quality materials.

When Andrew quoted the replacement price, I was gobsmacked. So much? He replied, it's domed, Vic. And so it is.

After posting this, I coincidentally saw a thread on this very topic on RWI -- is the sapphire in watch crystals really sapphire? You can read the very scientific reply given there.

Again, would love to go with Davidsen, but will probably stick to the collector I have in mind in order to take advantage of a package being sent Monday. At least this happened before then...

Very nice watch by the way. The Fiddy is a rockstar.

It is also conceivable that it was sold to the seller as sapphire, but that it's mineral. I think quite a few were.

The issue of exploding fiddy's is also a real one (with sapphire).

Blimey. That is bad news. By the way, I am in contact with Andrew about this. I think he originally thought I was blaming him or wanted a refund from him. *g*

I assured him that it wasn't his fault at all. Just wanted some info about the crystal replacement.

You're having some [censored] luck!

As me old Scottish grannie used to say, "Aye".

(Actually, she would never have said that, but it sounds good on paper)

As for replacements, if you take that road, I think DavidsenJPN would be a better route.

I would like to, but cannot afford him despite the fantabulous quality. Also, I want to piggyback on an shipping order I have with a dealer, so will probably buy one with him...

Hey, Cornerstone, thanks too. So very much. You know, it's funny. My recoup time in 'disappointment' is much much better than the first disastrous Paul mini-Fiddy, under a month ago. Then, I was devastated. It sounds silly, I know, but I'm human.

Though I am still so very sad now, I'm better just one hour from when I posted this.

I realised that there is a solution, be it refund, or what have you. And as for the Fiddy, there'll be others.

Shame, because the Fiddy which looks SO BAD on so many butch guys, looked fabulous on my dainty wrist when I put it on, cracked sapphire and all.

- Mineral crystal - I know description says Sapphire, but I don't believe they started installing Sapphire xtals on 'cheapie' reps with Asian mov'ts, that just doesn't make sense from the economic sense, so the best is to ignore the description here.

BABOLA! I didn't see your comprehensive, and wonderful reply until now. Boy, did I wish I had...

I'd go for the Swiss mov't powered one, piece of mind, Sapphire xtal etc...and then at least relume the dial and fix the cannon pin.

I would go for that too, but for the fact that I've bought so much, so soon. I'm like a crack junky on speed and acid and some peyote thrown in.

Ah well. The 005 is obviously going to have to take a backseat for now.

Thanks again!

hey vee.. i thought mineral glass arent as prone to breaking as sapphire? :S.. but as to the water drop test.. from wat i can see that the glass is domed? if this is the case sometimes the water drop test dont work as in the case with my 3717 pilot.. it goes to the side when u drop it.. one other way to tell whether its a sapphire or a mineral is to see the clarity? coz with sapphire u can tell its like a real crystal glass (more shiny and clear, other word the glass itself looks very expensive) as for minerals it feels like plastic (u can see greeny tint on it and its not like an expensive watch).. so yeh im not really sure.. but anyway tap it with ur fingernails and hear the sound

Plastic sound, all the way, now that you mention it. However, to be fair, could it be because the crystal is broken and thus the "resonance" of the sound is altered?

The reverse open caseback sounds similar, but not as plasticky.

I did the one drop test on my father's 007 SMP which I posted in the Omega thread. That for sure was sold as sapphire crystal. The one-drop beaded up and didn't roll or expand whatsoever.

I can't speak to the tint, as it's dark, and my eyes are tired. I'll check in the morning, out of curiosity.

I'm just going to ask for a full refund from the member, and possibly, stick to the RWG Trade area in future...

Thanks for your info, Armin. It has helped me a lot tonight.

This is incredible people. If I didn't have bad luck, I'd have no luck at all.

Excitedly picked up my Fiddy package which I had bought from a member at RWI, and opened it to see this:

#1

#2

#3

#4 Movement (edit)

This was the listing:

"For sale is a PAM 127 Luminor 1950

Worn once, still in mint condition. No scratches or

marks anywhere.

Keeping good time. Crown guard is solid and secure.

Originally from Andrew.

Specs are:

MOVEMENT: Asian Unitas 6497 Hand Wind

CASE DIAMETER: 47mm

THICKNESS: 16mm

DIAL COLOR: Black SandWich Dial

CASE MATERIAL: Stainless Steel 316L

BRACELET: Brown Leather Band with Big Pre-V Buckle

FRONT GLASS: Sapphire

BACK GLASS: Sapphire Display Case Back

BEZEL: Smooth Polished Bezel

HACK MOVEMENT: Yes

CLASP TYPE: Big Pre-V Buckle"

[EDIT: Just read about how to tell if it's mineral glass, or sapphire glass. The "one drop" of water test. Well, it didn't bead up as with sapphire, but "expanded", so I'm guessing this is mineral glass. Which means, if this is true, that the listing was fraudulent...]

I also took a shot of the movement, to prove it's the right watch...

Just behind you can see the beautiful Kostas/V strap and the Greg Straps Crazy Horse on the equally fault-ridden PAM 199 from Paul. So far, V's strap was the best thing to happen to me, in a while. Thanks, darling. It's beautiful...

Contacted Andrew, and he said it's 100 USD to replace the crystal, if indeed Sapphire.

So, question, is this sapphire to begin with? Surely it wouldn't have cracked!??

And it's no where near mint condition. When taking the strap off, I noticed the lower lug screw is worn almost completely. Sigh.

P.S. (edit): For the sake of fairness, his shot of the Fiddy, which I had posted in the Fiddy Strap thread:

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/6898/pam1271ba7.jpg

...looks good there, doesn't it?

Saw Piratedzeus big-upping Trevor on RWI, so had a look-see. Last night, Andrew said the PAM 005s were discontinued. Shame I thought, so when I saw it on Trevor Store, I was elated. Affordable too.

But I'm tired of fantasy watches, so after hitting the search function and finding out Trevor's rep is a little spotty (good comms, not so good if something goes wrong, a kind of Paul-lite), I'd like to ask, what is your experience buying Panerai from him, and is this 005 decent?

http://www.trevorstore.info/index.php?main...9a46fdc66882de2

Pam 005 Logo Marina Solid Case Back - Asia Unitas 6497

$120.00

Model: SS Black Logo Marina Dial with Strap + Buckle

Movement: Asian Unitas 6497 17 J Manual Handwind movement

Functions:

Hours, Minutes, Running Secs at 9.00 subdials

Dimensions: Dia 44mm x 12.5mm Thk

Material: 1 piece forged case construction, solid 316 stainless steel

Back: Close case back with detail Logo engraving

Crown: One-piece solid pullout crown with o ring

Crystal: Sapphire crystal with light AR Water-resistant

There's also one for $100, and another Swiss ETA one, but not willing to spend that kind of money for spotty customer service.

(EDIT-- Already been told the logo is all wrong, and the caseback should be checked to see if it matches the gen. Ah well. Next up in price is the Swiss ETA, so never mind...)

That's the best close-up I've ever seen on RWG.

And the watch is MAGNIFICENT. I know there are some super reps of this, which many members here wear. But the gen is just on a different level, don't you think? Love it. Wish I could wear it...

@Lazarini: Thanks, Laz! A few people already PMed me with the sad news that it's discontinued. But I have my contacts, and I am getting one just for me. So there!

Chalk another up for the Big Bang Bus

Nice one!

Is it me, or did you guys look at this Hublot and were very briefly reminded of the AP T3? Minus the crown guards, obviously, but the design is remarkably similar in this photo.

I know there are some watch models that are meant to compete with each other directly (Omega Seamaster/Rolex Submariner, e.g.). Is this the case here? Did AP challenge Hublot?

THANKS TO ALL WHO REPLIED, WOO!

Makes me happy and encourages me to do better in reviews, in future. Now, let me just reply to this member, since it's funny:

Mrs Vbarrett:

Miss Miss Miss! Plllllease.

You like watches , pens .... now if you also like swords ... we welcome the first lady into a "100% males ony" club.

(no ... I am not a macho man .... I help doing the cleaning , cooking etc.. .)

I LOL'ed on the phone with my boyfriend, when I read him this.

You know why? Because I LOVE SWORDS! I said in another thread that I collect militaria, and of course, I've mentioned a few times that I come from a military family on both sides -- so I have a lot of military items in my personal collection.

My pride and joy is my great-grandfather's Pour Le M

Then for sunday I'l go with the 005

I've seen many PAM/strap combos in wrist-check threads so far, but this was THE BEST.

An 005, and a strap the colour of light buttercup yellow mixed with chantilly creme. Just perfect. May I ask you, b16a2, where you got either item? PM if you'd like.

Other faves pictured today:

@m4rcus: If that's Trusty's Repgeek special one, it's a bargain. Looks awesome.

@robertk: All 3 watches pictured. You're fast becoming one of those members I mentioned in that thread, whose taste I admire.

@evildee: That Fiddy looks great on you, not ridiculous! Lose your nerdy chums though.

@TeeJay: Ahh well, there's always an exception. P.S.: Been trying to PM you, but your Inbox is full. Psst, check out my Pens in Pics post all the way down. You may be amused.

Got my SC Legend strap today. So far so good. See for yourself. Pics came out a little darker then I expected.

MP, Historic Brown#1 w/ Beige Stitch, 130/80mm

Is it me, or is it really HOT in here?

GORGEOUS pic, P4gtr. What a combo! Love the Cohiba one, but I dislike anyone who gets real Cubans as a point of philosophical honour so I can't compliment you on that. ...

How can I get me one of these here straps, pardner?

P.S.: Loved the other guy's similar thread about his own PAM 177H. PamMex, I believe. Very nice strap, as well.

I'm sinistral and wear my watch on the right hand.

I'm dextral (dextrous), and wear my watch on the left-hand.

Actually, this is an interesting phenomena: right-handed people wearing their watches on the right side. You see, I write right-handed but I am left-side dominant in almost everything.

I believe I might've been born left-handed, but was trained to use my right, as is sometimes the superstitious custom in some cultures. Being left-handed was frowned upon, and even thought to be the sign of being possessed by the devil.

(Most people know the Islamic traditional distaste against using the left hand, too, though obviously not the cultural distaste I mentioned in my case)

This side-dominance includes golf, tennis, and any sport which requires two hands on equipment (there's a naughty joke in there somewhere) -- like Phil Mickelson in golf, for example, who also writes righty, but swings lefty. Interestingly he said that his brother is the mirror opposite of him.

To return on-topic, no I wouldn't wear my watch on the right, but I will tell you one thing: the PAM 217 and other Destro models like the PAM 115 are my dream to own.

Coincidentally tonight, I was told by a collector that the guy who did Destro casings phased them out a while ago.

Yeah, I have used Precious Time because I don't want to take the customs risk.

I have to say that I really liked ordering from Narikaa because of that lessened risk. But it seems as you say, that US-based members are more fortunate in that regard. Can it be that it's a question of winking at a practise they know they are powerless to stop?

(This is very sensitive talk on this forum; i.e., anything about Customs. Please let me know if I ever overstep the boundaries of what we should or shouldn't talk about. I remember one time someone posted a photo of the package he received, and the mods removed it!)

My track record with Asian dealers is pretty sad. 2 reps and 1 genuine TAG ordered from Asia, all stopped by the customs. Not confiscated, since it's not illegal to purchase reps for your own use (in my country). But they want the proof of the purchase price and (22% vat)... and generally it's a lot of hassle. I've heard the Canada customs is similar in that regard.

Yes...we don't have a lot of Central and South American members, do we? Having lived in Brazil for a while, I know their Customs officials are mordantly corrupt. They open everything, and let you keep it, so long as you pay them...but what a hassle, and honestly, it makes you feel scuzzy. At least, it did me.

However everything I've gotten from the US have arrived without any problems at all. But actually I think the customs problems were more related to the commercial shipping companies. All come through when you use just registered, standard airmail.

I never use Fedex, but have heard of the problems with them from China. Like most people know here, USPS is prefered by most American residents.

My all new 7750-watches have been good. I have no doubts about the movement... and we always have The Zigmeister if something goes wrong. ETA Valjoux would make the price so high that it wouldn't make any sense to buy the rep... I mean, this is a 1.5K watch.

OH! Well, slap a silly sticker on my forehead! Didn't know that. Thanks for letting me know about the Valjoux quality.

hi was just wondering ^

No, it is a good question. I was thinking of posting a similar poll too, but felt it might've been asked before, or was too newbie for a 500 post member (1 month people!).

<vent>

lol, i know i'm whining...its all part of the rep game, but damm i'm having some crappy luck recently...... (my ETA sfso was flipping the date at 5am instead of 12)

</vent>

Wow, cableguy...me too.

I was really down in the mouth today, and told a collector that I was thinking of quitting rep watches altogether, and consequently spending less time on rep forums, because of my crappy recent luck of late with them.

I told him that I'm not expecting a perfect science, but now my "success rate" is...1 watch delivered that didn't have some kind of issue, whether minor or major. Out of 16/17. I lost count.

(edit-- 2 out of 17. I forgot the HBB I just got. Fingers crossed...)

Of course I'm over-dramatising this, and I'm sure my mood will pass the moment I fall in love with a watch all over again, but damn. It's not just me that feels this way today!

Not sure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing, though. Sorry for your bothers.

Yeah, I've been waiting 2+ years to get a rep of this one. I will get mine as soon as the bracelet version is finished. Precious Time says it's out in 2-3 weeks.

Ooh, interesting. I'm guessing since you're in the EU, By-Tor, it behooves you to buy it from PT. Stupid Customs.

Very cool watch...and yes, the rep is excellent. They did this right, just like the Link chrono.

YAY! I was hoping someone might comment on the quality, since my boyfriend is worth it, but USD 288 is still pricey if it would have serious flaws. I'm sure this is one of those "where can I get a Sub?" questions, but does no one have hesitations about the Asian movement?

Okay, it's the New Asian Valjoux 7750, and I still don't know about movements, but ETA would've been nice...

You people are something else. Even you got me excited about this watch, and I had never even considered buying a TAG before!!

Well, as soon as I received this from Andrew, I raced to post it here just so that you guys know it's already out there, in alleged 1:1 conditions. He's selling it for 288 as a special..........

"AquaRacer Chronograph Day-Date - Asia 7750- New Valjoux Asia 7750

(28,800bph)- Sapphire Glass- This is the same high quality 1:1 from the Tag

Carrera & Link Chronograph Maker- Detailed 1:1 engraving on caseback-

Uni-directional Bezel- OUR PRICE: USD288"

Main Link (didn't work last time I clicked):

http://www.ttwristwatch.com/index.php?main...d=TAG0019SWThis

Secondary Link: http://www.ttwristwatch.com/index.php?main...roducts_id=1801 (blue dial, it also comes in black & white)

Already emailed asking if he has the SS bracelet. We'll see. Sweet watch though!

Oh, and I would take the one on the right. The braclet on the left one just does not look quite right for some reason.

Thanks for the replies! Please keep them coming, but the consensus seems to be in tune with my gut instinct -- keep the one on the right (darker blue bezel).

This is what happened:

We bought this Swiss ETA 2735.80 from Andrew. It arrived DOA, the pearl was completely misaligned (you can't see it in photos, but it's instantly visible in person), and the bracelet didn't have the tell-tale "007" on it.

No problems. It's Andrew. One email, and we had a new, working one the very next week, on Tuesday.

Please note that in his website the more expensive Swiss ETA -- by over an U$100 -- one is listed as larger than the Asian movement, 42.5mm to 41mm if memory serves, which my father liked.

The bezel colour was lighter in the Swiss ETA, but he had no opinion about that, and in fact, not even now. To him, blue is blue.

We received the new one, and later that day, I happened to put the two side-by-side. I immediately noticed the darker bezel and smaller size matched up with the Asian version on his site, not the one we thought we had paid for. Did his staff goof, and send me the wrong Omega?

So, I emailed him and told him I'd have my watchsmith open it up. I'm sure it would be fine, but just wanted to check to see if it was SWISS ETA, or Asian.

I also noticed that in By-Tor's and other's reviews, the bezel blue is a deep blue, so I instantly calmed down about that.

If it's Swiss, I think we'll keep the new one to the right, because it looks great. The bracelet is a LOT better. And also, I wouldn't want to inconvenience Andrew for a further shipment, just because it's smaller.

What do you think?

Thanks for reading this far.

that's the Big Bang effect, it's entirely enthralling and people just can't help themselves! ^^

The Panerai marque watch grows on you. I've never seen a watch which people SO dislike in the beginning, and tell themselves, never never for me -- and then slowly, like a lover, they cave in and buy one.

The Hublot is different. It's the kind of hootchie mama watch you know going in, is attractive and will call attention to you because it's so BIG, so dramatic.

The effect is similar: suddenly, you MUST have an Hublot Big Bang!!

But once you do, then what? No straps, nothing. One day, I'm going to buy a real Panerai. Maybe two. I don't think I'll be buying a Big Bang. That's the difference.

LOL@non-working chronos and faux subdials... DAMN , total tell!

CAVEAT EMPTOR!

Besides, most people can't tell anyway, as most people know. One thing though. I would wear even my worst Panerai watch with head held high in Worth Avenue. I would NEVER wear this even to the loo, there. Even using my mother's "trick".

still... HBB

-gettins jealous and impatient cuz his HBB ain't here yet-

From Paul?? Good luck...

Seriously, though, it's the best version I could find (did you see the correctly-placed date, and Hublot-type screws?), and was a steal at $119, no shipping.

But at this moment, mes amis, I cannot recommend Paul anymore. He's a more than usually bad drop-shipper, than the rest.

(EDIT 6 AM EDT 28 July: 4 days later after emailing him with the problem, asking for some kind of action/response, he emails back a vague statement of "let me check, will reply later too". Sigh. Okay, at least it's progress and better than the silent treatment. I never want to be unfair to anyone, but really, I was at my wit's end with him. Sorry about that)

FRIDAY

My new fantasy HBB in yellow gold/black, with non-working chronos, and faux subdials, minus the 6-o'clock 24-hour dial. I got it from Paul in the same order as the crapola PAM 199 (he's ignoring my emails asking for redress, so if you want this, do it at your own risk -- I mean, more than usual).

HBB in YG/black Close-up:

Let me tell you, it looks great. It doesn't have real ceramic, and the gold may look a bit dodgy very up-close, but within hours of putting it on, I've had two compliments at Starbucks and from one of my neighbours. I'm still a Pannie girl, though!

SATURDAY

Going to watch The Simpsons wearing my beloved PAM 111h (Andrew) with brand-new custom-made croc strap, bought from Rolli. DOH!

SUNDAY

Have a formal do on Sunday, so might as well go with the authentic-looking Cartier Tankissime from Josh.

P.S.: One more week of red nails, then I'll switch to French, Pix.