LastDiplomat

Hmm. No waves?

These are two different watch models. The easiest way to spot the rep is knowing that an accurate rep of the 2220.80 has yet to be made. Heh.

I've never understood these posts asking for suggestions on a watch. For starters, if there isn't a watch you can think of that you want, why would you want to buy one at all? It seems that if you're really in the market for a watch, you might already have one in mind that you'd like to buy; otherwise, you're just spending money for the sake of it and won't really care about whatever you purchase. And secondly, after everyone makes a suggestion, the original poster generally thanks them and then makes up his/her own mind on a watch and many times it's not a watch that was recommended by anyone else. (Example: "Thanks for suggesting the Air-King. While I like the look, I think it's just too small for me. I'm going to go with a Sea-Dweller.") No one here can really suggest an appropriate watch for someone else since tastes vary widely and we don't all know each other personally. Why not cut out the middle man and let us know when you've decided on a watch instead of asking everyone else's opinion on their favorites? I'm not mentioning this here to single this post out but I'm just making an observation I first noted several months ago. These threads tend to pop up quite often and I just don't get them. This entire forum is made up of watch suggestions and lists of pros/cons of various models. Why start a thread about something so general when all you have to do is read the forum and make up your own mind? [/soapbox]

Not a bad rep for the price. I've started seeing this one for sale here and there along with the new Daytonas. It even has the "Rolex" writing on the rehaut, which I thought rep makers would have missed the first time around. The only obvious downside is that "Air-King" is written in the wrong style font and it's missing the all-important hyphen.

It could be a broken date wheel, but here's something else to consider: The date could be changing at noon instead of at midnight. Automatic watches work on a 24-hour system. So set the date to yesterday's date and keep advancing the hour hand until the date changes. As soon as it does, you know that you're at midnight and not noon. Then just set the time from there keeping in mind that you're starting at 12:00AM. So if you want to set the time to 3:00PM, you have to go all the way around the dial once to get to PM. Just something to consider before trying to repair it.

This has all been discussed quite a bit on the forum. The SMP is a very popular watch. So it's worth doing a search about to get more info. The short answer is those 3 dealers are selling the exact same watch. One isn't any different from the other. So you're best bet is to go with the dealer offering the best shipping option or one you think you'd like to buy from again. Also, I believe Silix sells the exact same SMP for a better price.

Do you mean Charley Boorman from the "Long Way" series? I don't know what he wears on their bike trips, but I saw Boorman wearing a black Sub on the first episode of "Long Way Down" last week. But I'm pretty sure he's wearing something else in the second ep during their trip. Probably the watch you mention. And that looks like Bear's Emergency watch on the cover of "Outside." The b&w image may be throwing you, but you can clearly see the digital display screens. I used to be a much bigger fan of Bear's until I saw this video clip: Now I watch "Survivorman."

Ha!

I agree it looks nice and matches well with the SMP design, but personally, one of the main selling points for me on the SMP is the gorgeous SS bracelet. I can't be the only one who loves the design on it. Classy yet sporty.

I wouldn't worry about buying something that's worth thousands as a gen. I can't tell you how many rich kids I ran into at college who didn't dress the part. Also, never underestimate the "graduation gift" story. You can always walk into an AD, tell them you're graduating in May and that your parents promised you a nice watch and you're interested in browsing their selection. They'll show you anything under glass.

I'd just like to add that it's a little unfair to view super close-up images of a dial and say the lume is flawed or that it's ruined the watch. The fact is, when viewed from the wrist, whatever slight flaws may exist are virtually invisible. Another reason why slight flaws like "Seanaster" on some Omegas are generally unimportant to the overall look. You can barely spot them unless you're using a loupe. Great job, Zig.

I agree that Photoshop should be avoided in trades/sales. Unfortunately, many dealers use Photoshop on their pictures to some degree. Softening reflections and giving watches a polished look that they may not have in real life. While it's usually easy to tell when an image has been manipulated, it still makes it difficult to see what you're really going to get when you order.

I have a hard time believing watch companies work in any way with replica makers. It sounds a little too Fox Mulder/conspiracy theory for me. I think replicas sometimes have obvious errors because there's no QC and the people who work on these watches aren't the same during each variation. One guy in one building may make a great Omega rep in March while another maker in another building makes a poor one in May. Also, these watches are probably sourced from parts that are available. Maybe they had everything needed to make a new Daytona except the correct 3, 6, 9 markers. If you were running a bootleg operation, I think you'd just slap it together and put it out on the streets. My .02 dollars.

Good point, freddy333. I agree. I also wonder how many gen Rolex owners try to get the battery replaced after a few years? Heh

Indeed. I do the same. Much like drinking the proper wine out of the proper glass, I'm appalled by anyone who does it any other way. Snob? Perhaps. But it is a replica. And my wine is cheap.