Watchmeister

I prefer the marbles.

Actually according to La Cote des Mortes chart it is the difference between the 87A and 87B, The A has the shorter marker and bluer (less black) dial. 87A: 87B: The 10 o'clock marker is still askew though.

IMHO, you have it backwards. The rep industry isn't coming to an end. It is only beginning. Manufacturers are only now finding that there is a market where they can make more money selling high end reps rather than their own low end brand names. Reps have been around for as long as there have been expensive branded goods. As ETA starts to choke off production the Chinese manufacturers are stepping up to the plate. The new tourbillons are a great example. Even if China ever sucessfully shuts down production of reps in its country there are 200 others.

Love the strap.

I noticed the series issue as well. Can you really straighten the markers? That would be great.

The suspense is killing me.

Quarks- Looking very good.

10 vets to try and convince that Noob to stick his finger in the socket.

10 to debate whether the bulb is gen or rep 10 to debate whether the vintage ceiling fixture is original or rep 25 to debate whether you can fit that bulb onto a rep fixture (the MBW question)...

Where there is a will there is a way. If consumers demand and are willing to pay for better reps the manufacturers will make it. We are already seeing reps which are put out in more limited quantities than the gens. I am with Finepics that the makers will get away with whatever they can to maximize their profit. Our dealers serve as an invaluable resource for us whether simply acting as middleman providing customer support or sponsoring limited runs of differentiated product.

I am with Archi on the personal rule.

No I would not buy a rep of a gen I already own. What is the point? Unless you own a real red sub or some other rare piece that is appreciating in value you may as well wear the gen. After all, since finding this forum I no longer have to pay AD repair prices to repair the gens and I know they are fixed properly. I also have not bought a gen based on a rep. But if I add up what I have spent on reps I could be wearing any number of gens. Then again I wouldn't have that wonderful choice of WM's, MBW's, DW's, Original Movement PAM's, Breitlings, VC's, etc.

What he said. As it gets closer to September email him.

I may have to give that a try as I gave up and put the rep dial back in.

Chief- Thanks for your kind words. Manus I would add one other thought if it makes you feel better. When you go to the earlier models like the 036 the consistency within the series varied greatly. In many instances PAM went to different sub-contractors which resulted slightl differences. Crown guards are no exception. Also the number of units of earlier models (200 in the case of the 36) makes it unlikely that anyone will notice. Provided of course that you relume and put in the longer cannon pinion.

Someone on the forum walked into Lenscrafters or one of the other major glasses chains and got it done for $40 or $50. I asked my local eye doctor who has his own lab and he was willing to do it as a personal favor for about the same price.

What was the first question?

No worries. More customers lends itself to better product. Reps have existed for quite awhile. It is only in recent years that the market for high end reps has bloomed. It is still tiny though relative to other luxury reps (handbags, etc.). IMHO, the only downside is when idiots manage to kill Paypal accounts for better dealers.

If you are a do it yourself'er pull the crystal out and walk into any optical shop. You can pick whatever coating you want. Alternatively, Finepics offers that service. He has an excellent optical coating source who is very reasonable. It also can be a good excuse to get that relume you have been longing for.

But I love it when you do and I always want to be on that short list.

Don't quite understand what you are getting at. Posting prices is good for the consumer. In general, dealers will improve on the general price if you are a frequent customer so you are not losing that. Also cuts down on folks who are not so scrupulous. It even helps individual sellers understand what is a reasonable price to ask. If working on unique projects or ideas a number of folks including dealers here will often reach out to the forum or select members to gauge interest. If you are trying to get a premium because it is a differentiated product just say it.

Congrats. the best is yet to come. And you can't rep that.

It looks great. And now that I see your pics it is interesting that the crown does look so good from the top but not from the side. Kind of weird.

No rep is perfect (we call that a gen ). All have tradeoffs and if you are determined to make as close as possible you will be reluming and depending on the version changing the crown. On the 36/118: I have not seen a version with the pin in the right direction and changing it would require very careful reboring. You can improve it by reseating the pin higher in the crown guard. Some come with great crowns and other don't. Depending on the model it may also have a shorter (recessed) cannon pinion but that can be remedied with elongated cannon pinion set. On those with the better crown the biggest giveaway is the lume and recessed cannon pinion, not the crown guard. On the 118 which comes with engraved PAM bridges you can get it with the swan neck movement. On the 36 it comes with L Swiss L dial and there is some debate as to whether it came in that form versus T Swiss T. I think the general consensus among folks here and on the gen sites is that there were a few with the L dial. On the 177: All the same issues. If inclined you can get the swan neck movement. The H version which comes with the CDG bridges is also available with the swan neck but has the additional problems of the gen having a thicker crown guard with lever centered in the guard and a deeper back. Neither of those problems are rectifiable. Pick you're dealer and then your poison.

C3 Super Luminova is what Finepics, Palpatine and Ziggy use. It is also what PAM uses.