Watchmeister

I am feeling better about being on CDMA. As it is I have to keep an extra GSM phone for international travel as my carrier who does offer BB World kills you on roaming. I end up picking up a sym card on the way into the country and forwarding my base line. Big hassle but I have gotten used to it.

You will have to tell us how good it is. I assume that it is the world's coolest phone/ipod. My kids are all dying for it. At the moment it does not work with most corporate email or blackberry. I do hope that will change.

Well I outsmarted myself and need to order a few more as I am down to only one for me. This is last call as he has agreed to sell me one more smaller group at the same price in light of the 50 we have bought so far. Please let me know at watchmeisters@gmail.com by Monday morning Eastern Standard Time so I can make the order and finish up.

I will know shortly. My CD is with Rob for a movement swap and relume (including the inner bezel). If it looks as good as I hope I am in. If you have ever gotten onto an elevator with a gen one then you know that Lume has to show like a torch - inner bezel included. I am not at home at the moment where I have my IWC reference materials so I will duck on the comments until next week. For all you IWC fans the Company made a fabulous 300 page reference book at the end of 2006. It is a must have for IWC fans (rep and gen alike - ). An AD was nice enough to give it to me while on vacation.

I just returned from the Carribean and on the better islands between the various jewelery stores there is a really good selection. One store had 20 or so Panerai's and not only the 40mm's or Radiomirs. Another store had every type of IWC imaginable. They were so nice that I walked out with the brochures for the Cousteau we all own and the Big Pilot as well as a 300 page book on IWC which is a fabulous reference manual. In the islands they too subscribe to the theory that you never know what that next customer looks like. Everyone is in shorts or bathing suits.

Wow!

I would take Ziggy up on his offer. On the customs issue - there is none. I probably have 25 packages going back and forth every year. Just follow his instructions. By the way, you don't want to be on his banned list. Trust me, you make that list and you will never hear from him again.

E- Looks great. I am right behind you. My Ingy is off to Ziggy along with the datewheel.

I prefer the latest BP as well. I was in an AD while on vacation recently and I came close to pulling the trigger. Heck, my wife was urging me to buy it. What a great wife.

Well, I couldn't resist so I took both style dials and wandered over to Tourneau to try and decide in my mind which I liked better. You may not like the answer. My conclusion is that the most obvious giveaway is not the date window, cross or number sizing. It is the fact that the 3,6,9 and 12 are polished on the new version versus flat on the gen and original rep. So original dial wins on that score. The cross is significantly better on the latest of course and as for the date window I think the original one looks better. The positioning of the date window between the markers gives the illusion of a trapezoidal date window. So on the date window the gen looks closer to the first version rep than the second. It is very difficult to see that date window bevel on the gen. And of course there is that damned microscopic accent mark. My conclusion is I am using the original dials with the bigger cross from the new ones. So in short, I am right back where I started. The 3,6,9 and 12 just shine on the latest rep dial. On the gen the numbers brushed numbers contrast nicely with the polished bezels of the smaller hour markers. Could it be echoing the brushed/polished contrast of the bracelet? That is what makes Gerald a genius. And I do love Jay but I am waiting for my white dial as well. I need that cross.

Looks fabulous. Wear it well.

And now it all becomes clear.

I think you have answered your own question. But if you show a little patience: This one has the original cyclops, not Chieftang's.

They come up for sale fairly often on the bay. I paid $80 each for blue and black. I have no idea what it costs from an AD.

Too funny. My takeaway is that all noobs should declare themselves women.

Assuming it is appropriate for the 222 (and I am 99% sure it is the same movement) I am in for 2. This will take quite a while for us to ship watches to watchsmiths to get the date wheel pulled though. Basically I would require 3-4 weeks notice if you go this route. I assume Lello has all the ETA datewheels from his past projects and so he has checked in the off-chance that one actually fits. I would doubt it though,

Gunnar- Fabulous watch. That is my new favorite JLC. At 46.3mm it is JLC's 187 with a fabulous movement. The pink gold with that blue dial iis a "too cool for school" combination. I noticed the other model is 44mm and has a built-in depth gauge. Here is an interesting link: http://jlc.watchprosite.com/show-nblog.post/ti-367432/ And here is way cool rocket technology from JLC: http://basel.watchprosite.com/show-nblog.post/ti-360982/

Looks fabulous. To the owner of this piece - you have joined a select club.

My read regarding the Big Pilot was that they have not even done the movement so it could be quite a while (read as possibly never).

Live and learn.

Mickey is right that for the swap pick up the older movement. But you don't have to. I have already swapped out the movement on the original version and transposed the hands. About to do another one right now. This whole thing about not being able to use the hands is usually not true. It just takes someone with skills - read as Ziggy. I haven't asked but I would also suspect that you can buy the hands only from the Swiss version. They are usually $30-40 or so. I have done that for two oher watches just in case...

Yeah, but he was on LSD at the time.

I believe the issue is .9 versus 1.2mm stem hole. Although you can get an adapter I believe there is not enough room between the movement and the case tube to fit in the available adapter.

I wonder if they will get the GMT hand size right finally. They typically look like spachulas. That is what has turned me off to all PAM GMT's since the 2893's. That and the movement may be suspect as to quality.

Very weird listing. "I will not meet with anyone. Don't know who is who." WTF. I see the seller is listed in New York. Did any of the group buy go to New York?