klocklind1

That IS a nice watch!

I love my genuine SMP Americas cup ( limited model with white gold bezel ) with both the "bond" bracelet AND the same as Yours and it IS a big difference to have a genuine watch !!

That's great. I'm glad that JAG's sale went to someone who really could appreciate it, and do the new acquisition up in style with this review and photo write-up. Great stuff...and congrats!

Any mods planned?

It is nice to that someone on this forum has a genuine one of one of the "cult " models !!

VERY nice indeed!!!!

Yes I agree with the others that says the genuine is sometime a long way from the replica ones !

It is difficult to make all the edges perfectly smooth on for example the Fiddy that has a lot of difficult areas to machine.

Yes I think that something is strange when they have a Pam 061 with the very sought after full titanium caseback on it and with the right incablock shockabsorber, in stock ( Yes I have got an answer that they had that watch in stock !!! ) but when I ask how he could have a watch in stock ( like the pam 061 ) that no of the RWG dealer can find he did not get back to me again !!!

So I think stay away from that site !!!

I would just say stay away but just for kicks I did an estimate worth of 'Rolex3u.com' which is watermarked on all their pic's, the site is worth.......wait for it.....$284.70 USD

As an example of how new that site must be rwg.cc has an estimated worth of $20,491.10 USD

I suppose I'm still saying stay away.

Ken

Hi all !

Have anyone here on the forum heard anything about the site :

http://www.dearwatches.com/

They have some intresting models!!!!

VERY VERY nice Sub You got there !

But I have a "small" thing regarding the endlinks ( SEL ) on the bracelet !

Is not the middle part of endlinks a little bit to "HIGH" ?

I think it should be a little lower but that is easy fix by sanding it down a bit !!!!

Thanks for that long "link" , It was VERY intresting !

It was a pity that I did not know that the Fiddy was so popular model when I was in Bejing ( jun 06 ! ) on the silkmarket because they had lots of Fiddys but I thought it was to big then !

...just noticed that The Zigmeister had since removed a link to the 'Hybrid 6497-1' review I mentioned above in my post.

Here's the link to another topic started as a parallel discussion back then:

http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showto...t=0&start=0

cheers,

babola

I am in for a white one !

Any chance of a picture of that "super" Fiddy ?

Fiddy geek signing in...

Just to add few more "hard core" bits to this great conversation.

Take this as you wish, this is just a view from a person that owned 5 different Fiddy rep versions from '05 until now.

My 6th Fiddy verion is now a mixture of what I personaly believe to be the best mix of rep Fiddy parts from the last 3 years of manufacture. I was lucky to be in Hong Kong during the opening of Panerai AD there last year. There they had both the original Fiddy from 1950-es as well as a shadow Fiddy from 2002 (no serial on caseback). I actually held the new Fiddy in my hand, and tried to sponge in as much as I could in those few minutes.

Anyway, this is what I found works best as the 'ultimate' Fiddy rep combo. Again, this is my personal opinion, as a person that used to OCD over even smallest bit when it comes to these watches.

FYI, the picture in my avatar shows the 4th Fiddy of mine, which is now long gone.

Preffered specs:

- EddieLee Fiddy from 2005 as a base. These were copied from the genuine piece, and came in two versions, with squared ETA6497-1 bridges and very first edirion of ERAIPANERAIPAN E-series mov't decorated bridges. I bought the suare bridges version, guys like BBB (Big Brad) on RWI bought the one with E-series. While he's not active in rep fora anymore, you still can see his Fiddy pics over on Dark side.

Ehat is so great about EL's Fiddy? Well, as I said it's repped from the genuine Fiddy, all the dimensions are spot on and visually fit the genuine article. His dial was closest to 1:1 of any rep Fiddy dials produced afterwards. An his case is spot on, no re-brushing required here.

- Relumed EddieLee dial to C3 (if the base paint on the bottom brass disc is white, or whiter mixture of C1/C3 if the relumer decides to apply the lume directly to the brass disc without lighter base color. This is simply due to the fact the lume is opaque, and will ultimatly show the base underneath. Hands relume as well, of course.

- DSN Fiddy hands are actually a tad nicer and closer to gen, and if you're not bent on reluming the hands these come already spot on. However I suggest matching the lume color and intensity of the hands and dial.

- Either EL or DSN version 1 or 3 Sapphire. EL was great, and if you have one there's no need to look elsewhere. DSN V1 and 3 are great, correct distorsion break point and lesser amount of A/R blue/purplish hue applied. Version 2 was bad, it made the dial actualy look smaller as it would tend to "squeeze" the dial numerals and marker towards the cebtre of the dial, as well as leaving a misty appearance alongside the xtal edge where it joins the bezel. My avatar shows the Fiddy with DSN v2 xtal, as you can see the dial appearance is sub-optimal. Any xtal you choose would definitely benefit from Chieftangs single-AR treatment, as the AR is better and the hue much lesser in appearance.

- For visual atractiveness and closeness to the gen, E-series Asian 6497-2 mov't if you can find one these days, these were the closest to 1:1 withthe gen, but now very difficult to procure as new. For that gen mov't feel and satisfaction, Swiss ET 6497-1 E-series mov't with "incorrect" looking balance wheel spokes and incablock anti-shock assembly. Again, just as Asian ones these are now long gone with the wind. Alternatively use what you can find, really...

- caseback and crown/CG...well, this is the bit that you just have to accept as the fact. Casebacks have been made in 3 serials so far, e0851, e0117 and the third of which the number escapes me at this moment, but the engraving along the rim was much wider and deeper compared to gen. Rep crown miss 4 teeth compared to gen's, and the CG while very 1:1 is a little slimmer at the outher edge (part where the lever pin sits).

My Fiddy is now a mixture of the best parts described above, it wasn't an easy feat and it will only get tougher for peeps getting into the game these days, but the ride was both frustrating and enjoyable

So there you have it, this is all my personal experience as I said, took a long time to get there but I'm now more than happy with Fiddy rep I currently own.

cheers,

babola

Yes it is anice watch but I can agree with "omega" that the :

The teeth on the bezel are not deep enough !

I compared it with my genuine seadweller and it IS quite obvious that it is not deep enough !

Nice watch, congrats!

But do I have other pics than you guys? A few points I think has to be even for a newbie visible:

- The CG's are looking not good to me, they are too long (seems OK because crown is too big!) and there are some bevels on inner side visible, it has to be reshaped!?

- The teeth on the bezel are not deep enough, looks like the V1 bezel.

- Endlinks too long, and there is some space to the lugs (for me unacceptable at this price, biggest giveaway on a Submariner!)

- Is the rehaut really deep enough???

- date mag maybe 2,2, not 2,5

That glows like it is superlumed !!

Is it an standard noobdial / hands ?

LUME:

That really is the most beatiful looking 0036 I have ever seen !

I am building my 061 at the moment, the tobaccobrown dial IS VERY nice looking!

Just a question: Should it be 60 or 48 teeth on the crown ?

VERY nice watch !

Any pictures of the movement ?

Nice sub !

Is it a noob-bracelet ?

The WM9 ( from PT ! ) endlinks is a little tighter I think !!!

Got my euromariner v4 today from Chris:

More pics to follow in the next week.

Quick impression:

Great= crystal, bezel, dial, hands, movement (Gen ETA), pearl, crown, cyclops

Good= case (scuffs on lugs-easy fix though, crown guards need modded), date wheel

Bad= bracelet (big scratch on SEL) - Chris is already shipping a new one! (he replied in less than a hour to this concern), Lume is mediocre.

"Nice" test of a watch !

I will do the same test with my UPO when I have put the genuine crown and tube on it !

It is a very nice watch !

I have tesded my IWC ingenieur ( steel, non chrono ! ) in the sauna with NO problem at all but it is important to check that the seals are siliconed and that the case is tighten enough !

Hia guys ..

Took my UPO 45 up to the mountains in Norway this weekend.

I knew I was doing the following at risk as I have of yet not checked the caseback seals or crown seals. This is a 2 month old UPO worn only for a week. Anyway here goes..I checked both crowns were secured (Not overtight) and away it went right from my arm at body temp and placed on a stump in the woods for five minuts and then in the river with 1 deg celcius water temp. I left it there in abt 35 cm depth of water for abt 5 mins. Then took it out and placed it in the snow for another 5- 10minutes.. Now the air temp that day was minus 12 deg celcius! Then later took the watch indoors to climatize for abt 20 mins and put it on my wrist and wore it in the sauna at 95 deg celcius for abt 15 mins. This brings the watch right into another extreme condition. Shock heat with high humidity and then right out again into minus 12 deg c!! (Did this twice!) Not bad at all! I was impressed!

Here are some pics of the watch on the stup before put in the river.. and then after thrown in the snow...

Thanks for that info, BUT DSN does not have any OP6535 casebacks left only for other

Do anyone have a loose caseback ( just the caseback ! ) in all titanium with OP 6535 ( 44 mm case ! ) on the back to sell ?

VERY good job, "work of art"

That was the most modded sub I seen here !

You said that the bezelinsert will not snap in without mods ????

On the WM9 case it is possible is it not ?

OK, let's start:

Some of you come near on the point, the others not - ant that's good!

First to say, I spent a lot of time to build this watch, because nothing went like I wanted to go! The gen tube and crown are the only thing that was to install without some extra modificatins. The first sticking point was to found SEL's which can be used. I tried it from all models, but only the CN SEL's were close to the holes (and to the gen with the wide opening). But the CN bracelet is not good, the first few links are too big! So I took a SSD bracelet and I brushed the sides, also I changed the last link to the clasp from foldet to the small link. The clasp is the best what you can get on current rep-market. Only the inner clasp has to be changed to the correct one with 93250 stamps. The stamped last links I took from a noob too, with 93250.

The next problem was the crystal gasket system, a gen gasket don't fit without a modification of the retaining ring! That took a lot of time to shave the inner side of the RR to 100% to get it pressed over the gasket/crystal - a few

If it is 1:1 constuction You not have to glue the bezelinsert, it should just "snap in" and that is it 1

I say go fo the WM9 supreme subs and You will get a 1:1 constuction and a good decorated swiss eta movement in it.

I got pictures of the actual watch that he was going to ship to me BEFORE he send it !!!

But he only has a few left ( last week ) !!!!

^^^^well, what I do know is that he took care of most of the probs with my watch, which includes:

1. rotating movement so the dial is not crooked

2. rotating the crystal so it is no longer crooked

3. resetting the stem line

4. reglueing the bezel insert

5. removal of glue around the pearl.

He is sending me a new bezel to replace the one that came scratched and with glue around the pearl, and also a noob caseback as a nice gesture.

Some things that I did not expect (and are expected) on a +$300 watch are a uncentered datewheel, super noisy movement and a low quality crown tube.

good luck!

Wich one do You mean is heavier ?

The WM9 bracelet should be heavier because it has solid midlinks.

And Rolex has now after 25 years done a GOOD bracelet and clasp ( on almost ALL their watches but NOT for the Submariner, but the new sub will of course have it ! ) , I mean the original bracelet for a rolex is so bad when it comes to "feeling" because it is NOT so solid sounds so cheap when moving Your wrist fast !

It works OK BUT the quality of it is so LOW if You for example look on the IWC braclets where the bracelet IS a WORK OF ART !

I like the braclet on my WM9 MORE the on on genuine Seadweller !

Is the actual weight of a gen Rolex bracelet heavier than a rep? If a compare a gen sub with for example a wm9 you can feel the difference in weight.

The weight of the watch is most of the times the give away.

Is this because Rolex uses different steel i.e 904l instead of 316l?

I bought a Sedweller in Singapore at www.passions.com.sg and that is a really good shop that ALL the nice top watches !

Monster-time is reliable.

I will post some pictures of it later !

It still has the crystalheight above the bezelinsert a little bit to LOW so I am not sure that I will change to a Clark one !

Is the Clark crystal HIGHER than the original WM9 crystal ?

pics!

(please)

Hi there !

I just got my Supreme sub ( WM9, without the engraved rehaut ! ) from PT and it looks very nice AND the laser etched rolexcrown ( at six a clock ! ) is almost invisible, it is like the one BK showed on his WM9 V2 modell. You have to look very very close to see it !!

He only has 5 left so buy one NOW if You want that modell !!!!!

The best replica made !!!!!???

Tha looks great !

Where did You get the genuine movement ?

I have been working on a Pam127 project for sometime now and I have received a few items so I have had put together, looking for some feedback.

Thanks

Bean

I think it is a real one !

The engraved rehaut is so much better than the replicas and the serialnumber also matching the warrenty card but You never be 100 % sure nowadays !!!

Greetings Folks,

I wondered if any of you good people could take a look at an LV on the Bay and tell me if anything shouts out "rep" rather than "gen"?! I'm keen to make a bid on it, having test driven a Noob for a while.

Sub LV

Time is of the essence on this one and really appreciate whatever help you can give!

Many thanks,

Paul

Thanks for the info !

I bought a separate dial and hands from Puretime that he did a VERY good superlume ( superlume from modder Flav ! ) on for 60 $ .

I have still not fit the dial on my fiddy as I am thinking of ordering a new crystal from DSN !!!

My case ( 0117/1950 ) is the one that You have to take out the movement from the crystalside ( i think it exsists two ways of fitting the dial on the 0117/1950 case ??!! ) so I am a little afraid of taken in and out to many times with a risk of breaking the crystal an perhaps also the dial !!!!

The case where You take out the movement from the dialside has the MORE accurate ( more genuine like ! ) screws ( BIG round onea instead of the ordinary "plate" ones ! ) that holds the movement ( like the genuine one ) !!!

I had a exploding fiddy once and i got Finepix to do a crytal swap for me, the crystal was a touch too small for my o581 case so the crystal had to be glued in, no problems with exploding any more but i dont think i would swim with it now!

if you are doing any mods on a FIDDY get some DSN hands and a high canon pin at the same time and it will look like this