POTR

Nice watch, enjoy... Once the "new" wears off, ask me why the pick SSS posted is my favorite.

I have heard, more than once at ADs and at other watch groups, of ROLEX sending back exceptional "franken" watches, sans coronet & logo, with a plain winding crown. However, among the stories, it is consistently a GEN movement.

No, that is rotation. Note they both have notches at each 5 minute interval. Andy's bezel is turned between the given intervals, therefore his bezel tabs are not covering the notches at 3, 6, 9 and 12.

Hell no. A little more than double the price of that Rep will buy a nice Gen Rolex Viceroy if you look hard enough. Why buy a asian powered copy of a HBB, copying a AP RO, copying a Viceroy? It might not be a chrono, but it's the undeniable original.

If I wasn't stictly "unobtainable vintage" with Rep watches, I might consider investing about four thousand bucks in setting up a couple of EMD rigs to produce properly 'engraved' stainless foundations for a certain other ceramic bezel... you know, the one that looks so good surrounding a "Maxi"... Of course that might lead to things like a "proper" looking ceramic "Clown" bezel (if you can call that proper)... and perhaps tooling for a hybrid movement plate using only a few parts for one function from a 7753 and a quite a few more parts loosely based on a 7737. You know, something that might actually add something closer to $200 in real cost to a Rep, although, I don't know who would want to buy that ....

I know my camera sucks, but the Ocean Ghost is already wearing it's scratch. The offending gem is resting on the Ghost between 12 and 1. I haven't found the right setting for it as of yet. Maybe it should be kept in a cage?

Nah, Anton the economics are simpler, especially if you have a machinist mill a form to stamp out the ceramic for you (after you take proper measurements allowing for slight shrinkage)... One time cost: Properly milled form about 10hours @ $60/hour US Consumable expense: $0.45 per half ounce of ceramic for each bezel stamped and maybe a penny to bake it (in quantity) Labor: Maybe 1/2 hour total each (at CN wages) being hand formed before and finished after. So, a ceramic bezel adding about $200 to a watch? Bull.

Since you mentioned it was your favorite Invicta, my Blue Ocean Ghost shall wear a scratch at 10 in solidarity, till your watch is restored.

Sculpey is about $14 a pound. Knock yourself out.

I wouldn't be surprised if it did come straight from J&W, after a bit of antiquing... it has the same (but missing on the bay) off center pearl on the bezel as the photo J&W has for their "Labor assembly Sea-dweller 1665" (most of the rest of J&W bezels look right, and that is a less common error on decent quality Reps these days, even more so when the alignment on the numbers is actually right)

ofrei.com

Heh, it's the 40th of August?

ok, I admit it, I have a Hubert and a couple of Union Carbide freebies safely tucked away...

You should grab another couple of hobbies, then you'll have at least three things to talk of. Mine top 3 are Horology, Fine Single Malt Scotch and Computers. Works for me. I can bore my friends and family in at least a dozen subjects in nearly as many languages, although sometimes rather poorly. Just ask Ryy. My Wife doesn't put on the brakes until I absentmindedly suggest that I really need 3 Bergamo 40 winders.....

Damn, that looks like a tutorial on how to get everything absolutely wrong.

Then why would he f* up his GMT's lugs with sand paper, and put on a mis-aligned dial ? For a joke? I think he has simply used the thread for some backwards 'validation.' Show me the movement.

No dealer carries it. The bracelet is real, with a milled flip-lock (no dent), the crown is real, but probably a Twin-lock (can't tell for sure from the blur), the bezel and insert look really good, probably real or good bezel with real insert. The crystal looks good, but can't tell if it is after market, mis-directed service replacement, or gen, but the bit of nastiness around the cyclops could be anything from simple crud, to left over residue from a repositioning (can't tell for sure from the blur), the indice at 12 IS off, the CG ARE Polished to a different finish from the rest of the case, and if you look at the bottom lug on the 'top' oriented pic, the grain of the steel of the case is huge compared to the grain of the steel in the bracelet, and the two are of different hues, both of which mean, different steel. The case could be just about anything "modern", but from the nasty big grain, slightly dull luster and the longer lugs... I'd say it that the case (and maybe the bezel) came from "Paul", and his "Perfect Sub." Most of the rest, probably came from many a butchered Rolex.

By-Tor, you've got a great talent for writing reviews, and are developing quite an eye... However, I will disagree with you. The Sub is an obvious fake, the GMT is a nearly-brilliant, and less obvious fake. Yes, the hand stack is correct. ( I know you've seen fakes with the correct handstack.) The bracelet is PERFECT. The Crown is Perfect, but doesn't it look like a TWIN LOCK in the one photo where you can almost see it?) The case looks right, except, let's get to that in a second .... The photos are blurry, the watch is at unusual angles, to minimize the flaws. I am sure, that if this were in your hot little hands, and not partially obscured, you'd immediately notice that while everything about this GMT is nearly perfect, the things that aren't, AREN'T. The Triangle indice at 12. Look past the blur, close one eye, squint, whatever it takes to concentrate on it... It is off. The bottom is centered on the nice looking coronet, but the top left corner is inline with '59-sec' while the top right corner extends well PAST '1-sec', where, if it were centered correctly it would start a little before '59' and finish a little past '1'. Blurring makes that hard to notice, no? Not enough? Ok, look at the CG's in the "nice" shot from the 'top'... Mirror finish, right? Ok, stop drooling on your kb, and redirect your attention to the lugs.... Mirror finish, righ..NOPE. The case isn't finished consistently. The CG's obviously have been extensively reworked and polished, while the rest of the case is still brushed finish. Both niggling little issues on an otherwise nearly perfect FAKE, obscured by blurred photos, undoubtedly in hopes that they would go unnoticed.

Excellent breakdown of a beautifully tooled Goldberg machine.

Still wearing black..... But feeling a little brighter.....

Fine.... you just seemingly advocate "compulsive, merciless punishment of roundeyes through 'blowing' without end." 잠 우물.

Welcome Back Zig! How ya fixed for parts? Oh, and nice to meet a watchmaker with a chance of living "outside the 30 sq cm".

Ah, the pain... My Rado Starliner 999 died yesterday, so I am wearing black. Blame Tag for the choice.

Dun be a Pug! Oh wait, that was someone else's opinion. I BE STEALIN' YUR BUCKET! Or at least reading your interesting reviews. Well worth the price of admission, and I'll even save a bit o me Speyside for ya if you ever make it to the colonies....

Ryy, you get my vote as the "Best Toast-Master" since Uncle Milty... :clap3: