LHOOQ-PM

I will look for that thread, freddy. In fact, I had also scheduled a meeting with DW in Shenzhen, back in 2010. He unfortunately cancelled a few weeks before my trip to Hong Kong, so I instead used my PRC visa to take the train to Guangzhou, where Mary (of Watch International, back in the day) gave me a guided tour of the watch and watch parts markets. She was fantastic, but the whole GZ experience was a bit of a mixed bag for me!

When DW got something right, he'd get it incredibly right. Unfortunately, dealing with him was like walking through a minefield--and I consider myself one of the lucky ones!

CK2915 time.

Hey R! You know I've still got the Bulova 11BLACD that I bought after our discussions from way back when? Never did end up using it for any projects, but it's a fine movement. Unfortunately inside a gold watch, so it doesn't get that much wear... It's been nice taking a peek into this world again, but really not keen on starting any new builds. That time has passed, the characters have changed, and the prices got much, much higher. That being said, I have a younger co-worker who loves watches, and recently discovered the joys of buying parts from Raffles Time and putting them together. I've been giving him a lot of helpful hints, without revealing the full extent of my past obsessions! Felt nice to see that enthusiasm spark up in someone else, though, so let's not count out the next generation just yet! Really glad to see you still on these forums and that your posts are still pinned. There's so much precious knowledge on these fleeting websites.

tomhorn: Thanks! Glad to see familiar old faces—and your avatar might be the oldest! miquel: Hard to go wrong with either of those, but sad to hear that the Great White got away from you. I was in Bangkok last year, and Nah Piek is long gone, unfortunately.

Can you believe that I've been back to Calgary only once since then? Visited a client last November (very cold!) and still remember going over your MBWs. I hope you’re both still well. That 5512 is such a one-of-a-kind masterpiece!

This is a very healthy attitude to have, but I cannot tell a lie: I love sweating the small details! It's not so much the thrill of fooling a crowd of "experts", or the fear of being called out by that one actual expert (so annoying). The main object of the deception is me! I want to glance down on my wrist and convince myself for even a second or two: "So that's what that feels like." I think this black 6239 will be it for me, though. It's become so much harder and more expensive to pull off what we were doing in the glory days! But it's nice to keep tabs, and to reconnect with familiar names.

Thanks, horologist! I understand what you mean about the term "replica", but most people who have spent even a bit of time on the forums will know everything that it entails. Yes, there is that shady thrill of the forger's art, but pretty much everyone I've met is good and honourable. I've long given up on trying to do anything but the most basic tasks on the watch (seeing a 7750 slip out of my hands and fly through the air will do that), but I still get a big kick out of working out how and where to get parts for a project watch, and finding the right people who can help. Consequently, I have far more sentimental attachment to these reps (or "frankens" or "projects") than I do with my genuine pieces--with one or two exceptions, due to family ties. Which is my roundabout way of saying that none of the pictured watches are for sale! But thanks for asking, and I'll be glad to answer any questions regarding your own projects.

Yes, that's the one, J. The outlook for selling that one is not so good. Great to see you here! This place is not the hive of activity that it once was.

Thanks, Freddy. I just read the "To whom it may concern" post from 2022. Never met Nanuq in person, but he was always such a cheery personality on this forum. I'll miss seeing that polar bear.

Hi everyone. I know it's been some years since my last posting, but I wanted to check in to let everyone know that LHOOQ is still alive, healthy, and still in possession of all of his beloved project watches. Maybe I'm being an egomaniac, or maybe I know that this is a pretty tight-knit community of good, helpful people. I was spurred to write this post due to certain recent events. Recently someone recognized the dial on one of my few Panerais, bolstering my belief that the rep crowd is so much keener-eyed than your average WIS. He pointed out that he was almost certain that my dial was one of a small run produced by one legendary German Paneristi. It was nice to chat about this after we'd established our rep bona fides to each other, but then I learned that the German in question, Rolli, had died five years ago. And I felt terrible. Rolf wasn't a close friend, but we had exchanged many messages in the past and I always appreciated his rigorous, crabby pursuit of the perfect finish, the perfect lume mix. Who else have we lost, and who else will we lose, and never find out about? Two unfinished items pulled me back in: 1) To fix a jmb-cased 1016 project that has never quite worked right ever since I took it to my watchsmith in the Philippines for assembly, and 2) To finish a Daytona project that really started 12 years ago. (80% of the parts were just sitting in a drawer.) I couldn't have done either of these without good old alligoat, who took those parts to the right people, and even tossed in a few from his own collection. (BIG parts, at that!) And that's why I have this lovely black-dialed 6239 sitting in the pile. I can't promise a full-on return to the rep world, or that I'll be especially active on the forums again, but I will do my best to respond to PMs. Especially now that my access to the original LHOOQ account is borked, making my stuffed inbox irrelevant! Quick thank-yous and hellos to the following: alligoat: I owe him at least a couple of steak dinners by now! jmb: He smoked me a brisket! Unfortunately my current job doesn't take me to Texas as often as my last one. Chiman12: Met him once all too briefly in Calgary so many years ago. The MBW 5512 that prepared for me still gets a lot of praise, and unsolicited offers. Akira: Spent an afternoon with him in Arnhem last summer. I would have gone to see him in Germany, but that was a bridge too far. (No, really, we were in Arnhem.) Donerix: I'd love to catch up with this strapping man of mystery again! ubiquitous: My original inspiration for all this extravagant foolishness. And a top guy. There are so many others. Please don't be upset if I forgot to mention you here.

Really nice job on both, and I love the Mercedes hands on the second one!

Welcome back, Kotter! I mean ubi!

Hello, everyone! LHOOQ here, after an extended absence. My main account is still up and running, but my mailbox is stuffed and it may be some time before I offload years of messages. So if you need to reach me for anything, please send a PM to this account.