Watchmeister

I don't have the answer but I suspect you are asking a question which no one has the answer to. Not that many people have Jimmy cases to start with and since Jimmy has excellent crown guards most people buy both at the same time. Your best shot is V as I kow he has bought Jimmy cases and Homer crowns - perhaps he bought a CG as well.

TT- You lost me. He does have a few dials for sale.

Got it.

I am hoping vacation. The store hasn't totally disappeared.

Pug- You lost me. Are you referring to the texture of the subdials. I am still looking back and forth to see if the font matches up on the subdials but I think the markers within the subdials look good. Correct me if I am wrong please.

We are calcuating cost now to come up with price and setting up payment and shipment arrangements.

Fair point. We have probably been too cautious but we don't want any subsequent disasters. We are all aware of projects that have both gone well and been a disaster. Nothing is sold before being tested on multiple watches by our QC person. The other problem is we have real jobs. I hate it when that happens.

Pug- Here is the MBW version. http://www.rwg.cc/members/Watchmeister-V30...els-t16311.html That one is fully tested on four different watches and will be offered this week. We also have just completed setting up the payment and shipment arrangements. Similarly the PAM Asian 7750 is now done in prototype form as well but we are in the process of testing on numerous PAM's as we did on the MBW's before offering for sale. In truth we had already done the IWC art work and have the dies made up for it but backed off when we saw Lello was going to offer this. If he elects not to do it we can gear up in a period of a few days. What I don't know is if all IWC datewheels are the same as we used the datewheel from a different IWC as our model. Kruz

Follks like Ziggy and V always give people the benefit of the doubt initially. But if someone turns out to be a jerk he should be outed as V has done. It is no different than alerting people to bad dealers.

Thanks for the pics. It makes it evident why the MBW can take genuine parts.

Mine is on the way. A welcome addition to the GST. I do hope the trend toward smaller more exclusive projects continues. As the large manufacturers and distributors try and "Walmart" the high end of the rep industry with 1,000 piece minimums I suspect it will be the smaller dealers who come up with the more interesting projects. Even if they start with the high volume base parts and go from there.

Yeah, the news is we are torturing you. Actually the news is we have them up and running in four MBW's (two are mine - . As those of you who own more than one know, no two are exactly alike so we just needed to try them in a number of different ones to be sure. So far batting 100%.

On the 188 dial I will be experimenting dulling down the dial with a matte spray. Ziggy did it for me on my white Panda and it made a big difference. I am also hoping it will bring out the two recessed dials on that one.

On the crown guard his supplier who he worked with to get it right went out of business. His other suppliers would routinely lie (remember the sapphire crystals which turned out to be mineral - he paid a wholesale sapphire price for mineral). Also suppliers kept boosting prices. He concluded it just wasn't worth the hassle.

Good catch. I recognize the crown. I bought a couple from him and am going to have Ziggy mount one or two up. The crown looks good but you shoud be aware that it has 48 tines rather than the 60 on a gen thus it looks a little more primitive than the gen. AThe case looks like an A-G case with shallower back. The other question is how the holes on the case are drilled. I would guess it is for manuals since he sells manual watches complete with Unitas movements. But I do hope someone has bought one.

Flav- You're a better man than I. Is the Cousteau the same size?b

Right on Both. That Breitling looks fantastic. I may have to try and reassemble that darn bracelet. Tried to take a link out. I don't think I am going to take on the Rubik's cube any time soon.

Wow, looks really good.

Avitt brings up a good point. They have historically ad substantially better resale value. And folks will pay a premium for properly modded ones.

Pug- Don't waste your breath. Those who get it and don't already have the models they want will jump on this. Those who don't won't. I have spent well over a year getting my hands on my two favorite MBW vintages and modding them to the extent my wallet and parts permit. MBW's are a labor of love. Unfortuntately my new holy grail is the APP ROO with proper subdials (running seconds at 12) and that is not going to be out until after well after Chinese New Years.

Agreed. But I would never buy a vintage Rolex rep without the intention of modifying it. And its not because it is or isn't noticeable. A few choice items like a proper crystal,bezel insert or genuine crown and tube can give the watch a whole different look or feel.

I am with tourby. UN and Chronoswiss have not been repped particularly well. And you will need a better strap.

I am with Archibald on this one. As I sit here writing this I am staring at a genuine Breguet sitting on my wife's wrist and reflecting on the number of times it has been in for service at a minimum of $800-$1,000 per pop. I will stick with reps. Nothing wrong with gens though. Just not for me. And here is the oxymoron - the more I spend on a gen the higher the liklihood that it will need frequent attention. The Breguet is more problematic than the AP that ultimately died which is more problematic than the Red Sub which I got in high school and ultimately lost. Yeah, I am that old.

And here is a countervailing theory. A rep is not a rep and a gen is not a gen. A watch is a watch. Several of my reps after visiting Ziggy are now better put together than my gens. In fact, I have had more trouble with my gens then my better quality reps. The most troublesome watch in my household (other than $100 reps) is a $20,000 Breguet. It is nice to own gens and everyone who can afford them should buy their holy grail. After all, it reminds you that you are successsful enough own a gen. Otherwise there is nothing to it. Make the money. Spend the money. When it needs servicing spend twice what the service is worth from your AD. This is based on experience with gen Rolexes, Breguet, Cartier, Ap, etc. And yes, I own gens but my pride and joys are the better reps. And on the topic in this loop, IMHO, a good number of reps are improving dramatically aesthetically but are suffering mechanically as there are fewer and fewer ETA movements and quality control seems to be getting worse not better.

I don't know that it is taking a nose dive. It is just continuing to evolve as the high end grows. IMHO, folks like Watchonpo proved that it could pay to buy a genuine non-Rolex watch and have a factory rep it. Now it is increasingly looking like the standard for any better watch. As the rep factories have improved their tooling it has also enabled them to think outside of the box and make some fairly interesting reps even requiring dedicated movements. Unfortunately, the quality of the movements is often not up to snuff alongside of the aesthetics. And from my buying perspective that is the achilles heel of the rep industry. I do think we have seen the heyday of original movement reps. Those are my passion and better ETA's are in short supply. And yes, I mod most watches I buy. The movement is the soul of a watch and with a good movement I always feel comfortable that the rep can last a long time and "deserves" those mods. My buying habits have changed as have many who have already posted. I am more patient. I know what my 2-3 holy grails are for this year. I am sure I will pick up another 3 or 4 along the way. But that is a far cry from past buying habits. In terms of the growth of new brands I am amazed at how quickly the rep industry has expanded. If you had told me a couple of years ago that there would be a high end rep of a Roger Dubuis or IWC I would have scoffed. Now it is the norm. And it makes sense. There is a finite amount of high end Rolex and Omega reps one can sell. I mention Rolex because they very rarely come out with new models. Now rep makers are often coming out with watches close to the time that the actual gen comes out. The improvements now come fast and furious - better dial, proper hands, AR coat. So patience is even more of a virtue. Finally, I agree with those who prefer that RWG remained more underground. But that was true at RWG 1 as well.