Pre V

Let's make it happen. If you really want one, let me know anytime.

Maximo, you are going to be spending quite a bit, so get those reserves chalked up. dluddy, was TTK still in Bangkok or Thailand regions when this rumor was out?

All boils down to the fundamentals of supply and demand. Some parts are harder to source, install, and often and then, require an acute level of watchmaking expertise to make it happen. $$$ is just a gauge and by no means factor in the waiting times, the mistakes involved, and need for a replacement, shipping costs, parcel costs, transportation costs to the PO and back....good lord, if you want to factor right down to the minuscules, there are dime a dozens that will add up the final amount. Expensive by what measure? against what value? that is the real question.... for some...this hobby is priceless, as are the precious modded(s) on their wrists right at this moment ~

It ain't over till it's over. Rest well my friend. You will always have another opportunity. Strangely enough, after a late night's read of your thread, I went back, and I was bedridden for more than 72 hours....was down with a severe bacterial infection of the stomach. In our books, you have already accomplished Everest....by taking that very first step.

What an amazing exploration trip HikeUSA! *Bows down incessantly* I have been on your thread for a good 1 hour now, and am still enjoying every bit of your Everest report. You must have planned this "Everest Escalation" decades ago, and with every vicarious Day X I am reading, I am feeling your excitement, joy, sorrows and pain. An inspiration is an understatement. Everest is no fcuking joke, and I am glad to have stumbled on your article and pictures. Somehow right at this moment, or the next few dreams I will have over the next few nights, your progressive climb will be swirling in my head like a 7750 rotor. This is IT! Everest is the true testament of living a full-life. IMHO. I had a dream, and it was similar to yours about 12 years ago - but I doubt I will have the bloody balls to do it. Thank you for sharing your once in a lifetime Everest experience. By the way, how much did this whole expedition cost in monetary value? *subscribed, bookmarked, and waiting eagerly waiting for your Base Camp adventures and Everest climb updates* ^one extended bows and exits^

Amazing bronze project you have completed Eric. One thing about bronze cases, the patina accelerates much faster than any other metal materials. In time, you will have a vintagized look faster than you can imagine. Especially with the sun exposures you have at your location, can't wait to see the development in a couple of months, even weeks.

I have skinny wrists myself...about 6.1 inches Experimented with 40mm rollies, 44mm and 47mm Panerais...decided that any size above 44mm just looks ridiculously clockish...that's just me~ if you are able to go to a Hublot or B&R authorized dealer (AD), go try it out with the sales guys.... It's all relative on sizes...some like it big, others smaller...

Interesting thought right there. I was just thinking the other day on how RFID technology can be incorporated as a unique identity tool. Maybe someday...

"Passe" of a brand occurs when products get distributed out to the masses - a phenomenon which will eventually lead to a "jump" onto others of interests. Panerai has longed been worn and celebrated by people in the media - with Stallone at the forefront in the 90s, and many others as we witness today. Has the brand been successful in their network of distribution through various marketing tactics? I would say that any 20something would love to spot a 44mm on their wrists. The form of the luminor case follows the function indefinitely, in such a way Rolex have followed suit in its 44mm DSSD creation. No doubt, visibility to both the wearer and the "watcher" aka outsider, has taken the horology world by storm. A revamped brand, bought over by a group who has succeeded in selling more Panerais today, is the situation. If it had been left to the known Prevendome-era few, and the reality of a bankruptcy, a 201/A will still cost at least more than 50% of today's market price. The game that the Post-Vendome Panerai played was still one that was founded on supply and demand, coupled with excellent eyeball-visibility in the market, one that will keep the prices afloat. As collectors, we are all very in tune to the notion of intricate details, be it refined or as a gestalt (whole). Truth of the fact, the watch engulfing our wristbones aint' going to get much notice. It's the attachment of our emotions to things, that we have developed over a period of time - that is you and I. Let's face it, our passion for these wristies are revolved around "brand jumping" - this is what I define as the "Phases of a Watch Collector". Today I may be so in love with Panerai, tommorrow Rolex, the day after AP. We tend to "hop around" as the passion for one brand dies down, always in search of the next best thing that will strike an adjusted accelerated heartbeat that will spark those ocular visions up with fire. Having spoken to reputed watchmakers from the 70s era, and their faces are always cringe up when I ask them about their thoughts on Panerai. "Too big, clunky and looks like a clock." ...."Is there a need for such magnified pieces on your wrists?" ...."My 34mm or 36mm tops do just fine, and they are darn light, Isn't a watch supposed to be functional? Whatever happened to the considerations of perfection within the watch case? Like a movement fitment without a cage?" Today, a youth emerging into a man will beg to differ and diss the notion of a "34 or 36mm" - thats for sure. I can't picture myself rolling with such small circumferences. At the same time, I can never go back to any case that is bigger than 44mm either. A few series of 47mm PAMs have knocked some wrist senses into me. "Proportion" is the word. Some Machos can carry U-Boats, put them on a Smallie, and you have a Clock Formula. These days, going back and forth with the love and hate for Panerai, I still find myself wearing my 44s every now and then, with 40mm Rolexes claiming most of wristbone times. There's no right and wrong in choices or jumping ships of brands, its a natural progression. Our wrists are Forever Inexperienced, just like our Heart. We dive right down into the deep end of the pool, only to catch ourselves coming up for a breather or 2. That said, I just caught a breather on a recent gen Pam acquisition after a long long hiatus, and I am happy to be back infatuated with this Italian that once rocked my world. How long will this re-Love last, I wonder....

Nice built burnz! For your current endlinks on your 7836, what endlinks do you have on there? 358s? 1970s [380] endlinks are one piece endlink with no centre holes, so you will need a proficient guy to install the 380s on your 7836s. Excellent condition 380s will sit slightly more flushed to the case, but from your pics, your current endlinks look just fine! Got a pair of not so good condition 7836 with 380s and the endlinks will not sit so flushed to the case. Always love the MC, and this is a beauty I must say - recessed 2-registers is what I was hoping to see on the revised dials. Great work done by Spin!! Gotta call him when I fly back into the Lion city. I will help you hunt down a pair of gen 380s, to make this more complete. Email me alright?

I wear my Rolexes, not because I am assimiliated with sportsman/movie stars on billboards or magazines or any of those "imagery-induced marketing ploys" to trigger "Buy this piece of Stainless steel tool that tells time and I can be "closer" to Federer's status. That said, any Rolex pieces that I chose to be on my wrist is for a variety of reasons that are personal to me, myself and I only. Do I need someone to check what I am wristing today, be it supermarketing, shopping or just a stroll in the park or beach front? Hell no, better yet, don't look or I will get some queasy idea that you might want to chop the wrist bone out of me, and rob me of my Rolex. If I want a comment on my watch(s) to feel so-much-better, then I might as well attend a GTG specific to watch enthusiasts, and perhaps, there will be non-stop commentary exchanges on watch talk. Otherwise, let that Rolex hide beneath that sleeve. I don't submariner-wrist a Rolex to get attention, I don't sea-dweller-wrist a Rolex to feel like I am on top of Monaco, nor do I explorer-wrist a Rolex to Hillary-climb an Everest. I wear a Rolex because I want to. Every human being is programmed to feel emotions towards non-living things - be it Vuitton bags, IWC watches, Panerai diving instruments, Dell PCs, Apple iPhones - insanely stupid programming of our living minds to feel for materials but its a known fact, and its the prime reason why brands succeed in margining profits from the consumers via BRANDS, LOGOS, taglines etc. Visual beings we are since the day of birth, stimulating our eyeballs till death. Do I classify myself an Elitist for buying Rolexes? WTF is an elitist? Holier than thou kind of feeling? Higher than the those at the bottom of the coporate or social hierachy? Hell no. I reiterate - I feel Rolex because I want to, the purchase of a Rolex is not a bloody channel to making myself feel any better than buying a Patek, Omega, Tissot or Casio. The notion of distinguishing one brand from another, other than technical & movements presentations, lies within the building blocks behind the brand's history. Why has Officine Panerai exploded into the watch scene, commanding an exponential growth under Richemont's ownership? Was it pure marketing at work, or was it a coincidental trend of "bigger watches" that helped Panerai's presence due to the consumer's pysche of "to hell with size 40mm and below watches?" The new 40mm is 44mm, the new 44mm is 47mm, the new 47mm is 52mm and the list goes on. Think U-Boat. You want visual presence from the general public on your wrists? Try wearing a 250mm clock over your neck, and trust me, your desires have come true. Better yet, carry a Rolex Dealer's clock wherever you go - People can't miss you for sure. There you go, a solution for your appetite for Status Symbol, courtesy of Rolex and its trademarked Crown. A Crown to Feel like a Clown. Would you? Hell no, not me. You want to feel like a Star? Go on and BE a Star, movies, sports or songs etc if you got the talents. Until then, no amount of damn Rolexes you own is going to make you feel like a Star. You are only commanding attention because you think you got some stainless steel or plated gold pieces. Truth of the matter is, you ain't getting no attention because a 40mm sized Submariner or Sea-Dweller isn't going to bestow you none of those status-symboliques. Most of those on Forbes Fortune 500 are usually sported with digital Timex'es as their daily wearer or some family heirloom vintages - just as dependable tools of time. Yes, they absolutely have collections of Rolexes, Pateks, FP Journes, Hublots from gifts or personal purchases. Do they feel like these timepieces are a close match to their lifestyles? Fact of the matter, is in this day and age, you can be rich and be sporting a Timex, or a low-middle income class sporting a genuine or rep Ceramic Submariner. Does it matter? Perhaps to some, not to me. Of course, the way you dress, what you wrist, what you belt, what you accessorize is a reflection of your personal financial well-being. It's an overall visual that allows the opposite party in front of you, to deduce in his/her mind how well-to-do you are. On the flip side, in many countries where CASH is KING, and visual presentations don't matter, it is only when you take out Stacks of Cash to purchase outright a real estate property, car, watch or jewellery that shock the sales person out of their living daylights. My point: You can spend your 1 or 3 months' salary on a Rolex, and have no liquid cash in your pockets, or you can wear a 20 yr old Casio, and have tons of cash in your pockets, each and every day. Does one need to exhibit your status via channels? Sadly, some still do. Others don't, and many others don't give a hoot. Once again, I wear a Rolex because my neurotransmitters send out euphoric and elevated messages. I don't wear a Rolex for others. If I was, I might as well drag anyone into a Rolex AD, and say hey, I will pay for your Rolex, take your pick. There is your status symbol exhibition right there - just because I can afford.

Here's a closeup 7032 pic for references. The naked-eye comparative differences I can spot are : 1) The numbers on the outer-Chapter ring (in orange on black base) are like lume-applied textures with slight puffs. - on DW's the numbers are flat out 2) The number 4s inside both registers should have a slight extension with the horizontal strokes. - on DW's, the 4s seem to have missing extensions 3) The TUDOR fronts - Shape and Boldness - on the gen dial, the U has more paint on the left vertical stroke down, less paint on the right vertical stroke. - on DW's, the U seems out of shape : with the right stroke seemingly longer than the left stroke 4) The Orange Tone - on the gen dial, the Orange colours are more pronounced and brighter - exudes a more contrasty exhibition between the blacks, grey, white and orange. - on DW's, the orange tone seems offish with a lack lustre - thereby not as contrasty 5) Register / Sub-dial Rehaut aka Depth - if you could now take your attention to the 2 registers / sub-dials, you will notice that these sub-dials are in fact an additional added-on cut-out pieces, with a film-like application encompassing the sub-dials. Notice the thin transparent film around the registers, where the 2 homeplate indices meet at an angle. - on DW's, I can't see any, so I can't speak much. Of course, there will always be differences. However, I applaud DW's efforts in realizing that a 7031/7032 project. These are magnificent pieces which in the early 1980s, no one seems to care for such psychedelicatessens colour-combinations within a watch. Produced for a short 2-3 years, the gens are now commanding deep troughs of cash. I am sure in time to come, with The Zigmeister's lume skills, and some after-market projects revolving the perfection of the dials and hands, this could be a close resonance to the one and only Monte Carlo of the 1970s.

Rep purchasing used to be a test-drive for me before I embark on gens, only to find that the gens (overtime) does lose it initial touch. what andreww said about linking your emotions with a certain watch purchase through a notable life event, is what I subscribe to these days. its the passion that keeps driving your wallet & watches...that swoons us like no others - hard to explain in words, better in acquisitions. think about it, in this life, will you be able to purchase 1000 or more gens, and wear them? perhaps. how about a 1000 more reps + 1000 more gens after.... When numbers get crunched, it ain't that many - its just part of the consumption process. Collectors, buyers are always intrigued by new design inventions - with statements of "Finally! They got it right!" As long as watchmakers keep producing, this process of buy and sell will continue on....with every beating second. If only they Reproduce Vintages, but then again, with Basel's 2010 Monte Carlo remake, it seems inevitable that new elements will be incorporated, whether we love it or not....can live with or without....

Gilttering Radium Love for a Summer Tropical

As far as Shanghai is concerned, if you go back in time to 2002-2005, there is an abundance of Rolex reps at Xiang Yang Market along Xiang Yang Road. (defunct) Since the collaborative efforts by 20+ top brands to shut down the open sales of "branded" reps, you will not find much good ones around these days. These days, there are still "Yellow Bulls" (HUANG NU) aka Street Soliciters along streets targeted at Caucasians/Europeans/Americans, who will bring you to their undisclosed warehouses - usually 2-3 storey tall buildings where the stockpiles of reps are. If you are looking for average reps + reps of all sorts, they are still available at a building called TAO BAO CITY (converted to mandarin: TAO BAO CHENG) This locale is along Nanjing Road (NANJING XI LU). Have fun shopping!

Love how you have aged the inserts so well R!

Perspectives are merely of one's own, and although the relation of the brand Rolex with the status quo it has landed establishes a fair bit, but it does not represent everyone wearing a Rolex. A being (in that of a human) feels differently, and individually when a "brand" is strapped onto one's wrists. Who is to say that an AP, or Hublot is more up-market than a Rolex, just because of the more endowed-fashionista'ish hexagonal designs deviates from the regular circular dimensions? You perhaps - an AP or Hublot lover - one who has attached the likes, the satisfaction from wearing one. I wear my Rolexes with pride, and although the general population feels that its an Old Man's watch, out of fashion, too common and an infinite number of reasons to bash, and to evade the brand, it don't diminish my sensations a single bit. Bearing in mind, I gravitate myself around the likes of friends and collectors who appreciates Rolex, not only as a brand but of an Art - a progressive love affair that only elevates with every beating second. Art is Subjective, just as Rolex or AP or Hublot, and other established brands. Spoiled for Choices we all are, Exposed to different Brands this reality will always be. Passion for a brand comes and goes, this is how this world has been marketed to machined us this way - love it or hate it, we (as consumers) often leap from brands to brands - from clothings, bags, wallets, sunglasses, CARS...the list goes on and on.... Bashing a brand is of one's eyes and pulsations...I've read enough to filter out argumentative bullocks which don't assimilate with my perspectives. If you haven't read enough to rattle on about the richness of Rolex's history, you don't know the brand enough to make any argumentative statements based on social perspectives - it will just make you look like a Fox's anus out of a Winter-Wonderland. There's a reason why Rolex sells...I don't claim to say I love all the models coming right out of Bern, but enough Vintages to keep me craving for more...and more....

nice.pebbles on ebay goes by Axel many years ago on VRF - defunct status since the ban Operating on eBay with the wifey. Bearing in mind, I have purchased a couple of Superdomes tropics from him, and now comparing with the apparent inconsistencies, this may have been true with the originality of why VRF admin decided on the ban. Research lies in the eyes of the learner - unless you can produce an arsenal of genuine (and I mean genuine as in certified by someone in the Vintage game for over 20 years) and compare with the goods purchased, how does one distinguish the differences? Beats me...with the factories having stopped production of Tropic crystals for quite a while now, it surprises me how many NOS Tropic, and especially Superdomes are still available in today's market? Perhaps some factories are cashing in on the Vintage Rolex game, and "repping" these high-quality tropics and passing them off as NOS. Build your credible as a seller, and time to play both sides of the fences, and you've got your credibility to rest on....after all, who knows? You have enough testimonials from real individuals who can vouch for you.... Clear as chicken broth, I would boil the soup again to see how clear it is once again....after all the activities in the bowl - that Vintage Bowl.

I had a 1st batch Jakob's 201/A CB and comparing it to EL's 201/A, although both are off in their own ways, I stuck with EL's in terms of weight, thickness, and depth of engravings.

What an amazing project Ubi! What a difference an SS bezel and Cyclopic Tropic does to the overall watch Stay with that Oyster I would, if going for gen Oyster - go for a 7836 folded with 280 endlinks! (although quite rare birds these days)...a set of 380s will work too. Now, this is one 7032 that I really, rea-lee, realily want! more than the new Heritagiago MC. Lovin' it!!

Nice Comparison Study of Inserts Ubi! Here are some fresh off the press.... LEFT: Modern 5513 Insert (aka Thin Font) RIGHT: Vintage 5513 Insert (Fat Font MK2 Variant: Little Serifs with Long "5") BOTTOM: Early 60s Vintage 5513 Insert (So-called True Fat Font MK1 Variant: With No Serifs, Numbers very close together and almost touching) ::50:: ::40:: ::30:: ::20:: ::10:: ::12 Triangle Pearl Area:: ::MK1 Variant Fat Font:: ::MK2 Variant Fat Font:: ::Modern Thin Font:: ::Faded MK2 Variant Fat Font with Tritium Pearl (Long 5)::

Simply a fantastical Monte Carlo project you got there Ubi!! I really love it! Keeping the Tudor Love in the RWG House

I have Spinmaster's version of DW - older version I reckon, and the rep 571 endlinks fit fine. Not sure if this fit is defined as fine but there is very minimal gap: As I have my 6263 on a bund now, I may put up the DW 78350 with 571 endlinks for sale soon. Thanks for the link, LHOOQ! Good referencing!!