Watchmeister

See PM.

I am with Freddy. I would never bother with a gen movement build without it. For all our OCD'ing over flaws it just is not a superfranken without a gen dial. And this one is worth buying to build a gen movement franken if you are up for sinking $6k+ for the franken.

I haven't followed the TC developments. Do both versions have proper crown positioning? Do they both take gen or pseudo gen movements?

Couldn't think of a better place to start. Go for it.

Reps will never be gens. And with the move by virtually all of the more expensive brands to clear casebacks it is now even more difficult. The funny thing is that it isn't that reps aren't getting better. It is the gen manufacturers raising the bar. Let's face it, it is inevitable that gens will have some form of RFID tag or other thing which instantly identifies them as gens. I am amazed they haven't gone there yet.

I think the V6's which are often referred to by the Dealers as best 44mm Evolution are around $400. The Lites are around $250 and probably the best choice in that price range. Hopefully others will chime in as I am by no means an expert but have bought them on occasion and follow all the posts.

this is a good (and understandable) question for someone just starting out; i'll weigh in and say that for me, for the 1:1 panerai versions that are under $300, i think it is definitely worth it. the fit and finish of these watches is most definitely a notch above -- having owned a genuine panerai, they certainly feel significantly more like the real deal.

as for which version to get, i personally would go with the zero (000); with the closed caseback, it is remarkably accurate to the genuine.

good luck and be sure to post some pics when you end up deciding

deltatahoe

+1> Hey B, good to see you.

That was easy. If you are looking for an automatic I like the 29M GMT too.

Great stuff. Can't wait to see them mounted. I see the bezel and the chrono pushers and how they are used. What is the last piece for?

Welcome to the forum. Hublot is an extensive subject as there have been so many versions (6 or 7). Lites are an excellent value. You might also look at the more recent V6's. I have been impressed with them as well.

Thanks guys. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the rep. I tried the gen on and really liked it as a weekend wearer. And that is what it will be.

The weight difference will be the inner case. Like all Big Bangs the genuine is titanium but the reps always use steel.

Thanks. In this case it makes a fairly big difference. The watch still sits on the wrist as nicely as the gen but the weight is significantly higher. Live and learn.

I do tend to opt for the better rep because you can always resell it - even if at a slight loss. If you take care of a $300 rep and manage to avoid denting it you can always sell it. I actually think there is a greater risk on resale on the "beginner" reps.

Just received my Diver 4000 from Joshua. And I have to say that it is a stunning rep. It is also very large. To give you some sense I have a 7.5" wrist. It is a gorgeous watch but it isn't fitting under any shirt. Here are the pics:

I am amazed at the quality of the rep. The aesthetics are fantastic. I can't shoot lume pics but the lume is even and strong (unlike the original prototype pics). The movement has also been keeping COSC time for the last two days and the second hand is not suffering from the typical A7750 stutter. The one thing I found of note is that the weight seems to be substantially more than the gen. I can't figure out why as the case is made of titanium like the gen. The only thing I can think of is that maybe the case back is made of steel. But who knows? In any case it is my first rep in a while and I am very happy with the outcome.

I would say something different. I do think it is worth spending the $300 or so to get the "1:1" version. It is noticeably better and the flaws are not immediately obvious. With a closed caseback you are really doing fairly well. If you are not trying to achieve some level of accuracy than I would suggest buying an unbranded watch. You can get a real warranty and something that looks close in your price range.

Fully agree. It would be relevant if you knew they were testing the watch properly.

In my limited experience amplitude results from the dealers have never had an impact on how my watch runs. They either never bother to partially wind it prior to adjusting or fully wind it when testing. What I do know is that if it comes in the door and is not properly keeping time it is going back to the dealer And I never think twice about investing the $25 to ship it back to them.

Correct and rate adjustments should be made at half wind as well perhaps giving the lower amplitude rate.

I wouldn't trust dealers for a service. I would buy knowing that Zig or another competent watchmaker would need to give it a once over.

That is where I come out. I look for a reasonable secs per day but even that doesn't faze me. If I like what I got aestheitcally and the watch is running reasonably I send it out for a once over on the movement.

Can't wait to see the finished project. That is a heck of a parts list.

Welcome to the forum. AP's are one of the exciting brands in the rep/franken world. I have been playing with the Offshores since the original seconds at nine came out 5 or 6 years ago. The reps have come a long way.

Welcome. Nice to have you on board. Inquiring minds want to know....what is your grail watch?

Okay, I am the dumb one here I think. If some days line up and others don't doesn't that mean it is misprinted? And I thought our original Ubi vintage overlays were difficult.

The CG comes from a small batch done quite a while ago. They went to various folks who had participated in the project along the way so they never were offered for sale.

First I heard of it. But everyone I know has used V1 or V2.

What are you looking for? Do you need CG, caseback, etc. or just mid-case?