Sogeha

This hobby is quite a broad church. Different members seek different things from a rep and to some extent the fora each have a different focus. We have always been the home of franken builds and I guess we have a high number of guys who like building things almost indistinguishable from genuine. Some go for visual appearance on the wrist, others obsess about dial details, some are gearheads and need the right movement, a few do all of that. Some are happy with a cheap rep that looks somewhat like an iconic model. There is no right or wrong in my opinion

Not a 1675, but I love everything about this new Tempus Machina other than the price. Vintage looks, modern practicality. The bezel insert is sapphire.

Spider-Man outfit is probably more practical for the gym than my Jedi Knight robes. On the other hand the force is strong with sogeha? A lot of Asians are lactose intolerant, if you can drink milk, drink a pint and three raw eggs on the mornings you train. It definitely gives a boost.

The genuine does and it has a 2628 calibre movement. Apparently his doesn't. I think I might have made it my business to know that before I went looking for a genuine version to buy, wouldn't you?

Not active on the forum for a long while and not hitting the gym. Only one thing does that to a man, you have children don't you? The good news is that with determination you can recover. I was very fit in my youth, then children and a demanding job came along. I reached my late forties with a very middle aged, high mileage and damaged body, but I hit the gym again and now I am very fit, my gut has gone, my back pain isn't bad. I'm less than 75Kg and bench press reps at 120kg

I suspect the answer to that is that we, the members of all the forums are a tiny section of the market and Chinese domestic customers are the biggest buyers. We want vintage, they want current models. Current models are therefore where the money is

Some random guy on the interweb has just had some bad news about his recently purchased SMP GMT. He can't believe it is fake, look it says Omega on the movement, nobody is going to fake that on a closed back model??? It also says 1120 on a co-axial GMT??? A very poor fake all in all. Amazing what you learn hanging around here for a while. Enjoy this beauty in the pictures below

Beautiful work, as always

Welcome to our corner of the community. I use the same name on all fora too

JF is one of the factories producing replica watches and it is said that they bought a genuine watch to copy for their replica

Well if I'm in a hurry I put it on the lathe

Redneck watch winder right there

That has been my experience. After many years with the plasma cutter, I have developed quite a delicate touch, but some remedial work is always necessary. The first time I used one was long ago on my apprenticeship, when we successfully cut a fellow student's car in half. The look on his face when he saw it in the car park was something I will never forget. Another apprentice had rebuilt an old car and was very proud of it. We thought it might be a bit of a wheeze to wrap the whole thing in industrial clingfilm. Then some bright spark suggested we got a fork truck and lifted the whole car into the air and left it there. Jolly funny that was too, until the fork truck fell over........ I don't think apprenticeship involves such a deep understanding of the limits of tools and machinery these days sadly

If vice grips don't work, I have a lump hammer and a plasma cutter. Getting the replacement to fit can prove tricky

Pictures have been posted. Our man in Alaska also has a double red

Happy Bastille Day to all our French members. Most of my own French ancestors were on the other side and legged it across the Channel, it is only post WW2 that we have started to quietly creep back? I have family in Paris and Cahors.

I love SMP models gen or rep, and it's good to see you posting again?

Today has been my usual busy mix of activities. Breakfast and across the fields with the dogs, walking around two cities, driving, buying fuel, shopping, a workout and a factory visit. I remember checking the time on my watch before leaving the house. Mid evening, I'm finally approaching home and called in on a friend. As we were talking, glanced down at my watch. After a long moment of disbelief I realised the bezel was missing. Recounting all the places I had been, the chances of finding it were approximately zero. I was annoyed because I have spent the last twelve months giving that watch some wear and tear so it looks like a well cared for 1962 model. On the other hand it is a rep, so I could just order a new part from Phong and away we go again. I was very lucky, as I opened the car door, I spotted my bezel in the gutter. Saved! But it might not have been and what if it had been genuine? The insert alone could run to four figures and how easy would it be to find a bezel? I'm feeling very smug wearing reps tonight

I'm a supporter over there, but those guys have no idea how to knit a jumper???

Sharing a bit of watch porn now and then is heartily encouraged

There is a difference between a franken or replica and what you are aiming for so most of our sources won't be suitable for you. Perhaps if you give us some idea of the style of watch and case size you are aiming for we can tell you what to look for. Chronograph, automatic, Quartz, date, GMT or over size watch. These things clearly affect what you need to source. It is an interesting project, I will help to the best of my limited ability and of course we would like to see the results please. For hands, I might be able to find a contact in I think, the Ukraine, who can make hands to any design you wish. I can probably hook you up with a couple of custom dial guys. Movements in quantity, I don't have anything in mind, but if I have a better idea what you need, I can ask a few contacts and see if anything turns up. Designing your own case is laudable, but at least first time around a lot of microbrands have found it more fruitful to use an existing case. Nothing is ever insurmountable, but be prepared for lots of frustration and parts that weren't what you wanted. Every microbrand owner tells that story.

Essentially what you are proposing is to become a microbrand. I would suggest that you need to do a lot of homework before committing money to a project like this. Overseas in this game generally means China and is fraught with problems. There is the language difference and the difficulty of getting a clear understanding of what you exactly expect. Many who have tried have become disillusioned. Really this forum is not really focused on projects like this and we can give only limited advice. By by chance I was looking at these guys last night, I'm not sure how useful they would be to you, but it is something to look at for a start. http://www.fullswing.com.hk/collection.html

Here:- https://rwg.cc/forum/230-watches-clothing-parts-accessories/ Also www.puretime03.com

Any of the Trusted Dealers in the link I provided. I've used all of them, eventually most people find a favourite, but I don't believe there is very much in them and they can all source the same watches.

I just realised I poured water on your fire on two threads, sorry? Here's is a possible way forward. Some time ago I discovered Omega had used a calibre based on the Valjoux 7750 in some Speedmaster models. It has sub dials at 6,9 & 12. This is easy to replicate because there is a Chinese clone 7750. I started to look into it around Christmas and discovered that it had been replicated. I was going to track one down and buy one, but with work and family, it's still on my to do list. It would take a little detective work, but might be a lead for you