Highflyingclive

The last time that I was in HK, (October last year) I was saddened to see that there had been a police crack-down on replicas. The usual places - in the Temple Street market and the Ladies Market were bereft of all replicas... even clothing and belts. The rep watches did come out, very late at night... but not many of them. The same was true of the big shopping mall in Luwo (just over the border in ShenZhen).. usually a rep paradise, this time almost all the reps had gone under the counter. Maybe things will be different when you get there... but do not expect to find high end reps in HK. For that you need to go to Guangzhou (Canton)... and even there you need to search dilligently. On the plus side, in Lowu you can get OK reps at very good prices. This sapphire GMT ll will not satisfy the purists but it only cost me £20 in Lowu. Of course, that was the tourist price... in Guangzhou, I bought a Colamariner for £7.50 :-) But HK does have other attractions. Go to Lantau Island (that is the island where you come into HK, so you can get the MTR (subway) there from anywhere in HK) and visit the monastry - there is is the largest seated bhudda in the world there... bloody huge. But the astmosphere in the monastry, which covers several acres is just sublime. They are building a cable-car run to it from the airport, but I don't think it will be completed until the summer. No sweat, take a taxi, or if you are really on a budget, a bus. When I visit HK, I usually stay at the Intercontinental on Kowloon. The view from the bar of the Intercontinental at night is probably the best man-made view in the world. Have a Tsingtao beer for me. If you will be in HK on a Sunday, book a table for Sunday Brunch at the Intercontinental. All you can eat... from a huge range of food from Western, Japanese and several Chinese cuisines... plus bottomless Moet & Chandon for a fixed price... about £40... I think, I usually start wirh a few lobsters, then head for the sashimi, then hit the Chinese buffet, then have a few more lobsters, sushimi and scallops before settling down to the desserts. I had six, last time I was there. Then I had to have a little lie down :-) If you company is paying for the trip, you could do worse than stay at the Intercontinental. Ask for room 800 - it a fantastic suite. I got upgraded to it, once... it has unbelievable harbour views and a jacuzzi that you could swim across. The Peninsular Hotel is also very good... heads of state tend to stay there. I have done and it is astonishingly good... but I prefer the friendly atmosphere of the Intercontinental. Or you could try the Four Seasons. I have not stayed there yet, but I understand that it a six-star hotel. so should be quite nice. Happy landings! Clive

The Pam 147 is exempt from this problem. It does not have a screw-down crown. Problem solved. Happy timekeeping! Clive

Pam147 from Jos Nana... of course Happy timekeeping! Clive

Tmark, There is a wonderful site that sells everything that a watch repair guy needs - tools, movements, hands, bezels... Here is what they have to say at the head of their section on watch movements. Remember, their livelyhood depends on theim selling this stuff... "If you are not a watch repairperson you have no right or sane reason for purchasing a movement. Before rocket science was a science watches were considered man’s finest most delicate machines to date. Watch movements should not be handled by anyone who is not prepared to repair it or pay a trained professional to find and fix the problem. Those who have never worked with watches before and think they can install a movement in a watch case, without any training or professional help, well you better be prepared to buy 3 or 4 movements or at least pay some one to repair the first one you broke". Of course, if you would rather take that as a challenge, rather than a warning, go straight to www.ofrei.com Happy timekeeping! Clive

The bloke that punched you in the mouth... can I buy him a drink?

It takes surprisingly little wrist movement to keep an automatic wound. I have a couple of low-end Chinese reps that have a working power reserve indicator. I can put one on, cold, when I leave the house in the morning - by the time I have reached the office, about 40 minutes drive - the watch will be fully wound. I'm a sedate driver and use major roads... so not a great deal of wrist movement is involved. Yet it is enough... Happy timekeeping! Clive

My bank keeps writing to me, asking if we can revert to the arrangement whereby I banked with them...

Love or Lust is a wannabe dealer that was posting low-end stuff at high-end prices a while ago. I think that he is an innocent, who has swallowed the sales pitch that his supplier has fed him. Sad, really.

Great to see you back at the keyboard, Gunnar! I'm looking forward to your future posts. Happy timekeeping! Clive PS. ETC sends hugs

Call me crasy if you like, but I actually prefer the look of the Chinese "fantasy Patek" to the original GP Worldtimer: Happy timekeeping! Clive

Contact Andrew - the rusty watch guy - and tell him of the problems. You don't want to keep a watch with a rusty movement. That's just asking for trouble.

Quote from the auction: "Q: Is this watch guaranteed genuine Jeager LeCoultre? Are there any obvious blemishes on the watch when it is worn on the wrist? 31-Mar-06 A: HI,it is in good condition,however it looks like a replica, thankyou. " I'd laugh if it was not so sad. I used to patrol ebay, warning bidders or reporting reps. I don't bother now. The end came for me when I saw a low-end Pam GMT attracting some big bids - it was up $3000! I knew, for certain, that it was a rep... I have the exact same model, complete with the misplaced small second subdial - and a dozen other faults. Mine cost me $30 in Hong Kong. So I warned all the top bidders that they were bidding on a fake, told them not to take my word for it but suggested that they do a little research before deciding what to do next. Next time I looked at the auction, about eight of the top bidders had withdrawn. And I received several messages thanking me for my concern. Nice. I went to my pub with a warm fuzzy feeling inside. When I returned from the pub, the auction had finished and to my astonishment, the watch had sold for $3500 - to one of the bidders that I had warned, and who had previously withdrawn his bid! Perhaps he thought I was also bidding on the watch and wanted to scare him off. Or perhaps he was just plain stupid. Either way, I it cured me of interfering with auctions. I won't waste my time on dumkoffs. Happy timekeeping! Clive

That's an understatement. I'm gobsmacked!

I wish that one of the Panerai replica factories would consider making a Radiomir GMT. There are several models to choose from... but the 184 and 185 should pose no great problem for a competent replica manufacturer: What new models would other members like to see this year? (Please don't mention the Freak... keep your suggestions within the realms of the possible :-) Happy timekeeping! Clive

C'mon, Watcher... don't beat about the bush. Tell us what you really think

Still experimenting with my upturned lever-arch file "light tent"... Here are two shots, same watch, same set-up, same lighting, with and without the lever-arch file: Still some way to go before I am a threat to TTK... but I'm getting better at this Happy snapping! Clive P.S. The watch being photographed is a Panerai 147 ... rep!

Indoor barbeques are very popular in Thailand. I thought everybody knew that

Here is another pic of my 147. Such a difficult watch to photograph - the different planes all reflect light in different directions... although the colour of the hands is the same as that of the case, they always look different in photographs. Oh well. I'll keep trying. Happy timekeeping! Clive

I don't think that the pic is fuzzy. There is some flare which has softened the image... experimenting with the direction of the lights and the position of the watch will deal with this. Here is a crop from the centre of the image... no cheating, no PhotoShopping. Not bad for a hand-held shot. The object of the excercise was to find out if a lever-arch file would work as a light tent. I think it shows promise. However, your further advice would be much appreciated! Happy timekeeping! Clive

It regulates swans. By the neck. Oh, for goodness sake. Look at the photos. Clear to see that the "swan-neck" spring will prevent movement of the regulator lever... unless adjusted by the fine-tuning screw. Which, in the reps, does not have a slot, ha ha. In the real thiing, it is probably deadweight. In the rep, there is no dispute about this. But it does look pretty.

Rappapantie, surely?

Congratulations on some excellent photos. Getting the lighting right on one watch is hard enough... getting it as good as you did on a trayfull takes real skill.

What a good job I didn't use the word "bottom".

Whilst a professional light-tent will give excellent results, I don't have one. But I do have a polypropylene lever-arch file... Here is the setup. As you can see, it couldn't be simpler: Here is the first shot taken with this set-up (hand-held - I was too lazy to erect the tripod) As you can see, using two different light sources, fluorescent on the left and tungsten on the right was not a good idea. Never mind: The image would have been better if I had used a small reflector to bounce some light into the shadows... and there is plenty of room for further improvement and experimentation. I would have carried on but my camera battery chose that moment to expire - and, of course, the charger is at my office. But I am not ashamed of this first attempt at using a budget light-tent... nothing more than an upturned lever-arch file. Happy timekeeping! Clive P.S When you purchase your Lever Arch File - be sure that it has a "frosted" finish. The one that I used was made by Snopake.

Learn to tell the time?