jake48

I didn't know the Grinch posts to RWI under the name Polynomial lol

gvln, You should listen to your Dutch friend. Airing out your disappointment about Davidsen before he even had a chance to respond to you may be your "right" as you put it, but it doesn't mean you have good taste, in fact, handling it the way you did demonstrates a lack of proper manners no matter what country you are from.

I love these comparison threads (BTW - thanks Mikellem) and I usually don''t read them for humour, but come on! With a review of one watch we get a bunch of comments about how we have been "Deceived", the watch is full of "Flaws" real C3 wasn't used and we should "Wait for V2" As much as we all love the QC pics sent to us from the suppliers, really? Do you really think there is a factory with a quality control division keeping an eye on things. These watches are put together in a room that is dimly lit by the soft glow of a '70s style TV while the guy doing it is puffing on a clove ciggy with a bowl of noodles on his "Work bench ". Do you really think you can draw all these conclusions based on one watch? I ordered the noob 243L before the CNY and I am with unregistered on this one. Mine came with an awesome clear single sided AR'd crystal and the lume was as good as unregistered showed in his post compared to a gen with C3. I have watches AR'd by Chief and lumed by The Zigmeister to compare it to and I was stoked on how good the watch looked. As far as the lume goes I can't tell you what they used, but as per my usual routine I set my watch on the nightstand with my other watches (About six or or so other Gens or Reps re-lumed with C-3) and sure enough, when I woke in the morning, before I turned on the light, that 243l looked as bright as the rest, if not brighter as it is new. I was definitely happy with the discharge rate. If it wasn't C3 , could someone tell me what it is becuase I am going to request it be used on my next re- lume! What impressed me most was the quality of the fit, feel & finish all the way around. This is something that will never translate in pictures that are posted to the Web and viewed on a computer screen no matter how good the pictures are. Before we get all up in arms from one watch that was reviewed and claim we were "Deceived" and need a version 2, wouldn't it be prudent to remind ourselves these are Reps, not $8,000.00 Gens and there might, just might, be a few bad ones that make it through "QC"? Right now, from the people who actually own the watch, the count is one thumbs down and two thumbs up. Not so sure we need a V2, you just need a little luck. And after all, isn't that life when buying a Rep? I love my 243L and can't believe how far we have come in this little hobby of ours collecting "Fake" watches

So I was cruising through the link to the Paneristi member who is selling all those gorgeous Panerais when my wife walked by and said "Wow - I really like that strap on that watch. You should get one like that for your new watch" Being that is something I never here my wife say, I am thinking I should honor her request Anyway, I have know idea who makes the strap so I thought I would throw the picture up here so the experts can help me make my wife happy I would like to find the exact strap, but it is the red /beige color that she really liked so any strap maker who makes a strap with the same type of leather and color would probably do. Thanks in advance. Here it is: The host the guy uses for his pics had the bandwidth destroyed. If he fixes it, it is well worth the time to admire all these watches: http://www.network54...8paul+thorpe%29

OK - cool find! Makes me a believer! Glad I didn't take a file to my "Ceramic" bezel... Hahahahahaha Sorry I am such a pessimist, but in the Rep world it has served me well. Of the several hundred deals I have done with sellers, I can say I have really only been burned once. Bound to happen, but being a doubting Thomas has it's benefits - and curses too! Oh yeah, as far as crystal removal goes, if it is for a rollie, PM Bk, he wil help you. If it is for anything else you can PM Chieftang or Vac, both have removed a few... For me, I have found that most crystals are removed the easiest by removing the movement and applying equal pressure with both thumbs to the back side of the crystal through the open case over a soft cloth to catch the crystal. Most will pop out real easy. If it isn't coming out that easy, don't keep pressing harder! You can shatter the crystal for sure if it is stuck or tilted sideways a little and binding. I have had some luck starting the removal by using a very thin case knife or a box cutter type blade and wedging it ever so slightly between the case and crystal, going back and fourth 180 degrees apart and lightly lifting the crystal from the case, then using my thumbs to finish pressing the crystal out once it is loosened. Good luck...

All that glitters isn't gold my friend... When the first run of new (And several of the subsequent updated runs) case 50th Rolex "Ceramic" GMT II's first came out all of the "Ceramic" bezels were just coated aluminum. They didn't crack, but they sure did scratch real easy. Like I said, truthfully, I don't really trust a one of the rep dealers - when the first "Ceramic" insert Roliies first came out and the Rep dealers were questioned as to the authenticity of their alleged "Ceramic" inserts, they all said - "I think so, but I am not sure" In the Rep world I have found that this usually translates into "Probably not" I have not been keeping track for a while and I have not done a search, but I find it interesting that when I asked if anyone cracked one of these "Ceramic" bezels in half to see what it is really made of (First hand experience)- so far all the posts have been from people posting "I know of" or 'I heard of" - no first hand experiences. Certainly I do not know for sure and given the speed at which things develop in the Rep world I have every reason to believe they could be ceramic, I still go with the "Seeing is believing" principal...

Good to know. As I said, I have not removed one of the DSSD "Cermaic" bezels. All of the "Ceramic" Rep bezels I have removed in the past have been coated aluminum. I would be curious to know if any of the bezels are really ceramic, as the Rep manufactures are sure creative when it comes to making their copies. Has someone actually broke one in half to see what the bezel is made of? If it is truly ceramic I would use sandpaper (or emery cloth) like Lani said and not a file, that's for sure. I file will crack ceramic no doubt.

AHHHH... double post - sorry...

Oh man... My first quest for the "Perfect" piece was a TT Submariner (Yes I succeeded) My second quest for the "Perfect" piece was a 111H! You would not believe how much money I put into that thing (The Zigmeister lume/cannon pin fix, Jimmy Fu crown guard, Palp crown, Davidsen dial, Mario Paci PAV strap) and it is still one mod short (Dagger regulator not needle) - I gave up and gave it to my daughter... Anyways, despite it all, it sure has been a blast and it beats putting dollars down a girls.... well you know what I mean Ha! Knew that would be coming! I have not removed the insert yet, but aside from WM9, I have yet to find a Rep Rolex insert that wasn't affixed with double sided tape. In Lani's comparison thread he mentioned replacing the insert in his Noob DSSD. He felt he replacement insert sat a little high and mentioned he was going to use sand paper to take it down a little. I use a very fine file to do mine. I can tell you for sure that you should resist the urge to speed the process up with a dremel - it almost allows ends up in disaster as these bezel inserts are just coated soft aluminum. I get my parts from one of the "Cartel" guys and most often for free. I guess it is the benefit of spending lots of $$$$$ and referring lots of customers over the years...

Mike - Your are all right in my book. I enjoy passionate spirited debates, but I enjoy a gracious man who realizes that this is all just for fun even more. You Sir, are some one I am sure I could share a beer with as you are both passionate and gracious. Thank you for the complement on the pearl. It actually turned out much better than the picture shows, but... You guys got me looking really close and truthfully, I didn't take note of the "Flat top" triangle marker that comes on Trevors' watch until I received it. I have a source who can get me the latest replacement bezel insert and I have been thinking... The curse of trying to make it "Perfect" can be a bummer at times. Maybe I should just let it go... I will try and get some Gen vs Rep pictures up, but truthfully parga did a great job in his thread. Thanks for being so gracious Mike.

I was hoping it was due to the extra platinum or white gold LOL...

Heres' a couple of quick shots. I tried to capture how the modded pearl looks. I will try and get some side by sides with my friends Gen up later. You can definitely tell it has the "Bright" SS...

Got the watch today. Checked with three of my Rep collecting buddies and all three of them got rid of their Noob DSSD's. One of my friends has a Gen DSSD and I thought it would good to post a few pictures of the two side by side, but it got late so we had to schedule a meet in a few days. Don't worry though, HERE is a great review that just went up and I think this is one of Trevor's watches. Sure does look exactly like mine. Parga did a great job of highlighting the differences between the two watches and I concur with what he wrote. It really is just a few minor things that make the watch less than 100%, but it is dang close. I too noticed that the hour marker rings, as they are SS and not white gold, do not quite have the shine of the Gen. Additionally, for me, I noticed the polish on the edge of the Gen bezel has that little extra shine that you just can't seem to get 100% with a Rep. Some one in parga's thread mentioned the bezel insert hight in relation to the bezel (Rep insert sits a little too high). On mine it really is not that much different than the Gen. If it were any higher I would just pop out the bezel insert and shave it a little to lower it. I have done this to many of Rolex Reps, it's real easy, but this one would not be worth the effort as it is so close. It would take a 10x loupe to see it, or running your finger nail across the insert to the outside edge of the bezel to feel it. Not really much of a deal, especially when you compare the pearl to the Gen - and none of the watches have this right. Trevor's pearl is a little flat, but I used an old trick to fix that already. Hold the watch upside down and with a 10x loupe and a steady hand, lightly touch the brush from a clear lacquer finger nail polish bottle to the pearl. Keep the watch upside down for a few minutes to allow the lacquer finger nail polish to dry and you will end up with a very nice domed clear coat over the pearl. the more layers you add, the more domed you can make the pearl. Mine took one application. This simple mod makes the pearl really close to the Gen look and if it ever gets damaged, it is real easy to redo. Make sure you use LACQUER polish not acrylic as lacquer is much harder and when it dries you can even polish it a little to give it that extra shine. As far as the rest of the watch, it is a "Good one" Trevor delivered as promised, the watch has the latest and greatest upgrades and certainly has the "Bright" SS. The date is centered perfect in the date window on all dates and the only real issue I saw was some minor scuffing and light scratching on the left side of the case. The scratches polished out easy enough and it wasn't that big of a deal. I guess I am just used to always finding something wrong with a new Rep watch as it seems to go hand in hand in the Rep world - there's always something.... Overall, Trevor deliver as promised. The transaction was straight forward, he answered his emails promptly and I got exactly what I had asked for. Given that Trevor has one of the better prices for a DSSD with all the latest and greatest upgrades, I feel you can't go wrong with ordering from him if you are in the market for a DSSD and I am very pleased. I am sorry I didn't get the pictures up today, but I will post a few before the end of next week for sure.

Ah - Good eyes mj - didn't see that. Glad to know BK's watch is is sourced from the same place as Lani's. One step closer to figuring it out. Lots of words, but I am still not sure what your point is. Earlier you said "The Trevor's is brighter than BK's" argument is a myth, and unless someone can show me a comparison of Trevor's watch and BK's watch, which shows Trevor's is, in fact, brighter, I don't believe it." I am not sure how you came to that conclusion since no one knows for sure and even BK agrees it could be true. Not to mention that I do read what your write... and I am still wondering why, after earlier in this thread having been admonished about coming on a thread that is about Trevor's watch, questioning his quality and providing directions to BK's site, you don't understand that it is just plain bad thread etiquette to come on a thread about one dealers watch, question it and make statements inferring that anyone considering the watch should go to another dealer. May I suggest you make your comments HERE in your BK ROCKS! thread. It is obvious you don't read your own thread. Notice no one is going on your thread and saying you should really consider Trevor's watch....

Yeah, Lani's review is a good one HERE, but unless we know whether or not Lani's DSSD in that comparison shares the same serail number as BK's watch, it really doesn't prove anything. No one said Trevor's watch is the only watch with the bright stainless steel, but that we know for sure Plaifenders' watch (trevor's version) has bright stainless steel and we know for sure that the serial number in Plaifender's watch is different than the one in BK's watch. When I emailed BK and asked him about the steel in his watch and if he knew if it was the brighter 316F stainless steel, in typical Bk style, he was a straight shooter. He said all he could tell me is that the steel is the same on all latest noob DSSDs. He went on to say if Trevor's is not a noob DSSD, the steel can of course be different/brighter on Trevor's watch. So right now the only thing we know for sure is Trevor's watch, serial number M660304 has been verified to have the bright SS. We also know BK's serial number is M646829. Obviously two different watch sources. We do not know the serial number of the watch in Lani's comparison, so we do not know if BK's watch is the same source as Lani's so we would only be guessing if we tried to say BK's watch is the same bright stainless steel as the one in Lanis comparison. Could BK's watch be as bright as Trevor's - sure it could, but still that would only be a guess, even BK himself has said as much. Could all three, BK's, Lani's and Trevor's have the same bright SS - sure they could, but that would still be guessing... For me, I go with the strongest known and that is Trevor's watch. If I knew for sure BK's watch had the bright stainless steel like Trevor's, even for the extra $140.00, I would take BK's all day long, but we don't. Anyone saying they know for sure is just guessing at this point. And that is how "Myths" are started. I look forward to trying to figure it out and I hope BK's watch has the bright SS - guess we will have to wait and see... Also, good news, checked USPS tracking and Trevor's watch has cleared Customs. Should have it tomorrow. I will check with some of the guys in my area and see if anyone has a BK DSSD or a DSSD that shares BK's serial number. Hope I can find one to compare

J - Good info. I have no idea how you keep track of all this stuff! I have been buying Reps for over twelve years now and have bought at least one watch from every major dealer and a lot of the smaller unknowns. I can say this for sure, other than BK, I don't trust any of them. I have become close enough with some of the major dealers that we have exchanged pictures of our families, kids and all - but I still don't trust a one of them. Nice guys, but they're all business men and in it to make money. For me, I have always gone with the wait and see belief. When I get the watch I know what I have, until then, well , who really knows... I guess I am back to hoping I get a "Good one" from Trevor LOL Should know in a couple of days. The tracking number shows it is in Customs as we speak...

mj - Truthfully, neither you nor I can say if Trevor's steel is "Brighter" for sure, but instead of guessing and proclaiming it a "Myth" why don't you believe someone who has held both versions in his hands and provided the pictures that show the difference? Plaifender compared both and it seems pretty clear - not sure why you can't see it in the picture. The real question right now is not whether there is a brighter SS version out there or not. Nor is the question whether or not the watch Plaifender got from Trevor have brighter steel (It does). I guess you could question whether the watch in Plaifender's comparison vs Trevor's watch has the same color steel as the noob, but the real question is will the watch you get from Trevor will be the bright steel version? Instead of guessing and proclaiming a "Myth" why don't we wait and see what happens? A few of us have ordered Trevor's DSSD. We all know what the noob SS looks like. When we get Trevor's DSSD we will know for sure. If the watches are bright like Plaifenders, I think it will be pretty obvious that Trevor is the real deal. If they are not, well I guess we can call BS! Got my fingers crossed, that's for sure!!!! j - When I spoke to BK he basically said forget what dealers or anyone else for that matter is calling their watch - V3, V4, V5, 2009, 2010 Super Duper V1000 - doesn't really matter. Where the watch was sourced from is what is important. And the tell regarding where the watch was sourced from is the serial number - the noob has a serial number of M646829, Trevor's is M660304 - two different sources for sure...

See below... Yes, you are correct Flipster, the Stainless Steel used by Trevor's watch source is much closer to the bright silver look of the Gen. As far as "The point" goes, simon, BK is one heck of a guy and you are right, what BK says you will get, is what you will get and less risk is always a good thing. For the record, I like BK and we go way back. I have bought several watches from him and have sent him plenty of business. I knew George at Wm9 and stood up for him on this board before BK even knew him. BK and I are still friends and I currently have a watch on order wth him, but.... No matter how good BK is, he can not "Mod" the Stainless Steel on his watch to be the same color as Trevor's... To some, like me, this is important as the duller shine of some Rep stainless is a dead give away vs the Gen. You can always polish and condition Rep stainless to be close to the Gen look, but nothing beats starting with SS that is brighter and higher quality. My experience with watches made from this higher quality stainless (Most of which came from Thailand not China) is that not only do you not have to labor as much to keep the SS shiny and bright by polishing it all the time, but the higher quality SS is harder and less rssitance to scratching. Next time you are at a Rolex AD look closely at the bezel. Take specific note on how shiny the SS around the edges of the bezel is. Go back and look at your Rep. It's not even close... And if your Rep is not made of good high quality SS, no matter how hard you shine, buff or polish you will never get that bright diamond like shine on the bezel edges of your Rep. Did you check the prices of the two watches? Trevor is about $140.00 less than BK's. For me, this makes the "Risk" of buying Trevor's watch worth it. If Trevor sends me a "Good one" (One with a centered date and correct bezel insert) the lower cost and brighter stainless makes it a better choice than BK's as all of the other important features of both watches appear to be equal. If it does not have the date wheel centered, well then, the answer is obvious... Off to BK it goes. I have already contacted BK about doing the date wheel mod and checking the watch out. He said he would install the date wheel and return the watch for less than $100.00. That still leaves me with $40.00 + in my pocket if I go with Trevors' watch and get the date wheel fixed by BK. If I get lucky and the watch is a "Good one" I get to keep $140.00 in my pocket vs you if you buy BK's and I have better stainless steel than you do. No doubt about it, buying Bk's watch is still a good deal and I can easily see how some, who would do not lke to fiddle around with a watch after they get it, would be less comfortable taking the chance on Trevor, but they're Reps man! If ANY Rep dealer had QC like the Gen factories then we would be paying thousands of dollars for these watches instead of hundreds like we do. Then there would be a bunch of people b!tching about the prices. I never have really have been one to understand how someone pays a couple hundred dollars for a knock off of a ten thousand dollar watch and then whines that the QC is not that good on their knock off. Kinda funny actually... LOL Anyways, good luck. You can't go wrong with BK, but when I weigh it all out, Trevor is worth the "Risk" on this one.

rgn - I ordered one from Trevor just a few days before you did. I did not ask for a picture to be sent prior to shipping as I know when I say "Please provide me with one that is the same as Plaiefender's DSSD Serial number M660304 and make sure it has centered date numbers in the date window" - Trevor knows exactly what to send. I have been collecting reps a long, long time... One thing I can tell you for sure, no amount of scrutinizing magnified pictures of a watch will ever guarantee you get a "Good one" They are what they are, cheap copies of the real thing. This is not to say I am not completely blown away by the unbelievable quality you get for the price and I am not saying it's not worth checking to make sure you are being sent what you are asking for, but trust me, you really won't know what you have until you get it into your hot little hands. For me, I think it is more important to confirm in writing with the dealer exactly what it is you expect and then confirm with the dealer that if you are not completely satisfied, you may exchange the watch for another. Do this before you send the money. This way, when you receive the watch, you can examine it and be very specific as to what did not meet your requirements if there is a need to send it back. A lot of what makes a watch a "Good one" can not be seen in a picture. Things such as finish quality, scale / depth, definition, and colors do not translate well in pictures and are dramatically effected by focus and lighting. Sometimes pictures work in a way to make the watch look better than it really is and sometimes a picture makes a watch look worse than it really is, magnifying minute details that no one would ever see anyways. Flaws on a Genuine can be magnified through photography as well. I have taken pictures of some of my Gens and later when I went back to look at them thought, Holy smokes! - I didn't know my watch was so beat up looking... Yet it was a watch that was hardly worn. Bottom line, communicate in writing EXACTLY what is that you expect the dealer to send you, confirm his exchange policy and then order away. From the States to China it is only about $25.00 to EMS a watch back A good dealer should (And I have no reason to believe Trevor will not) take the watch back and exchange it. If the dealer does not send back to you what it is you asked for, move on to another dealer and count it as a lesson learned. There are plenty of credible dealers here. For what it is worth on the pictures you were sent of the watch above, it is hard to tell if the date is centered. If you look at the different pictures the 6 moves around a little and this is most likely due to camera angles. As far as the "Rust" I would go with the guess it is just a little dirt trapped between the protective plastic wrap and the bracelet. Trevor's watches are stainless for sure and it would be next to impossible for that to be 'Rust" Good luck. My tracking number was sent to me a few days ago and I should have the watch by the end of this week. Maybe Trevor sent me the watch from your picture... LOL I will post up when I receive it.

Plaifender - Thanks for all the info on Trevor's DSSD. After careful consideration and comparing all the DSSD's out there - I went with Trevor. Sent Trevor an email this morning and literally, in less than 1 minute he responded to me. I confirmed with him that he has your exact style DSSD (Serial number M660304) and in less than five minutes and several exchanges of emails, he was paid and said he would get the watch out ASAP! So far - great! If all goes well I will post up some pics by next week. Thanks Plaifnder. I really do appreciate you answering my questions on all those PM's... Fingers crossed for a "Good one"

Yes it is - and it ROCKS! I upgraded from the 1st generation and this one blows my old Iphone away! The camera feature with zoom is amazing. Now lets get this thread back to avitt's beautiful work....

Hey Avitt - what a coincidence. Guess what watch I am wearing today? Still looks great and not a scratch on it. Here are a couple of quick IPhone shots I just took... Thanks again. You are the man!

Speedy Your forum name fits your choice to a "T'. You have saved yourself years by "speeding" up the process of searching through dealers and variations of the infamous Submariner in your quest for the best (Both in the watch itself and the dealer selling it). Over the past 10 years I have been on a journey questing for the "Ultimate" Submariner and you found it with one quick choice. Now, with that said, if you love watches, like most here, I am sure you would understand that although it took me almost ten years to find the "Ultimate" Submariner, not a single minute was wasted. I had the pleasure of buying watches from just about every dealer here, I met countless friends and learned more about watches than I ever dreamed was necesarry. Not everything was rosy along the way, but I always counted my misfortunes as learning experiences and if anything, buying Reps took me to levels of patience reserved for the Saints (You either learn this lesson or go strark raving mad). Although you may have been robbed of the Rep "Experience," may I suggest you chose another watch to quest for and this "problem" can be cured. You have chosen wisely with BK and if you were to go to the next level, it would be a Gen.

Did someone say Zulu? Does this count as a strap?

I gave the watch to Avitt for a few more detailed pictures in a light box. He will be posting them as soon as he takes them. There will be some very detailed shots of the bracelet. The clasp came out reeeeealy good. I think he will try and have them up by the weekend.