jake48

Chris - Nice Kobold! I had lunch with Mike in So. Cal. a while back when he showed me the prototype of that watch. Between my brother and I we have four Kobolds. I see your in Pittsburgh. Say Hi to Mike for me! Sorry to hijack the post trekracer - It's just that you don't see many Kobolds out there!

Chronus- I assure you - you have misjudged Elliot. I am not sure how someone's desire to have a profitable business (why else whould you be in business) somehow equates to your implication that Elliot has less than top quality. Given that I have purchased numerous straps from both Elliot (TC Straps) and '"BOB" I feel I can speak with some authority on "quality". Both strap suppliers have excellent quality straps, but without question, Elliot not only has a broader range of straps/prices, his top quality straps blow "BOB"out of the water. I have found Elliot a pleasure to deal with as well as "BOB" and I find it extremely distastefull that someone would read and repeat "gossip" without any first hand knowledge. LeGambleur - Like always on the net - be carefull of the "advice" some one gives you when thier first instict is to repeat gossip for no apparent reason other than to put someone down. Whomever you choose between the two I am sure you will be happy with the quality and service. My advice would be to email both suppliers and go with the one that you feel is most responsive to your needs. Good Luck!

The last I heard was that an attempt was being made to use an ETA 7753 with a power module and that the project has been shelved untill after the new year? Anyone else?

I too would prefer the limited version!!! My biggest concern, however, if they decided to offer it would be that they would use the cheezy faux PVD coating that scratches and wears off instead of the real deal - like Davidson uses on his PAM's.

Thanks Kenberg. I am known for my tell it like I see it way, but is is never personal and I never try to aim a "kick" at anyone. I realize when you tell it like you see it you are not always right and I hope I don't come across as going after anyone specific. It's just my opinion. Overall, I have really enjoyed these boards - It's just that some time when I come on I feel like I am listening to a bunch of hens cackling!!!

Well - I am not an uber poster and if you add up all of my posts on RWG, RWI, TRC and WT it probably comes up to less than 100. What I can tell you is - I read, and read a lot I have over the last few years. I am not sure what all the commotion over Joe has been about as I saw it as real simple - somebody got some work done on a watch and they should have gone back to the person who did the work and ironed it out with them first. They didn't and the whole thing ended right there for me (they lost the right to b!tch) From what I have come to understand over the last few years it is that most people (and especially the people who have been belly aching the loudest) seem to be a proponent for working out issues with people (dealers/modders) privately. This brings me to my point. Joe has worked on at least four of my watches and several of my friends watches. If you do a search under my screen name you will probably find a few of the watches Joe did for me that I posted about. This is what I know about Joe: He trully enjoys what he does and seems to get great pleasure from helping other people. I had a watch with Joe when he wasn't feeling well and truthfully, I became concerned I might not see my watch again, but because Joe had been so honest with me in the past and had always made sure I was happy with the work he had done, I waited it out and didn't jump on the boards trying to lay him out. Time went by and yeah, I wish I would have recieved my watch a little faster, but boy was I happy when I got it. Joe's mod work is and has always been top notch. As far as what it costs me for to get what I consider the best rep modder to do work for me - It is exactly what I am willing to pay. (key word- WILLING). If I didn't think it was the best I wouldn't go back to Joe and from my experience, it has always been good. This is not to say I haven't had some problems with Joe's work, but when I did, I went back to Joe and he ALWAYS made sure it was right. I have spent alot of time talking to Joe over the phone and through emails. The line of work I am in constantly requires me to be a judge of character and often my life depends on that judgement. Over the last 22 years I think I have gotten pretty good at it. One thing I can tell you for sure about Joe is he is sincere and honest. Things may not always go perfect when you deal with someone, but if the person you are dealing with has sincerity and honesty as some of thier strongest traits, you can always work it out. Joe's work speaks for itself and if you were to ask him, I am sure he would tell you as good as he is, he is only human and every once in a while mistakes are made. What counts for me is that Joe will always work to see you happy and for that he has become more than just someone who does work on my watches - he is a friend as well. THANK YOU JOE FOR ALL YOUR GOOD WORK. (now let's get that LV going - I can't wait....)

Longshot is 100% correct. I have reliable information that not only will the date wheel problem of the current BP rep be fixed, this rep will have a working power reserve as well. The rumor is that the watch will be out before the end of the year

What is it they say... Your eyesight is the second thing that goes... I have to agree with you on that one though.

This is a good thread. Through the sharing of everyone's opinion we came to a clearer understanding of the watch. I look forward to sharing some photos and thoughts when I get mine - I am still wating for my order to come. I ended up ordering both - the Panda and the gold hands version.

Good observation, but that topic has been worked over on the boards. The gneral consenses from people who have seen both dials (Rep & Gen) in person is that the Rep is dead on. The dial color seems show differently depending on wether the photo was taken with a flash or natural lighting.

Another illustration of the different way the dial looks or is put together. This Rep clearly has raised markers. This is TTK's version

Yes, I can see that we seem to be saying the same thing - I think we are going down the crazy path of trying to exam a rep with a microscope when in reality it will always be a rep - and a damn good one at that!! When you look at the Gen you realize no matter how good a rep looks in a photo, in real life, there are always little things that make the gen a gen. One of the things that I noticed on almost all of the SS IWC's is the way the steel looks. Especially when you look at the crown. The metal isn't as porous (probably due to a higher quality of steel used) and it seems to shine like a diamond. The knurling on the crown always seems to look crisper on a gen. too. This watch would be a good canidate for a gen crown.

Hmmm... The Portuguesers I am looking at have Arabic numbers - What kind of Portugueser are you looking at? We can play this game all day. Here is a gen that looks like the markers(including the markers at the hours) are clearly recessed. Here is a picture of a Gen where it is hard to tell, but it looks to me that the markers at the hours are raised. I guess you can believe what you want. I looked at no fewer than three Gen Autos and a rattraponte. They all looked like the minute markers were at the very least flush, with the hour markers clearly raised. Try looking at the Portugueser with Aribic numbers

PM Sent

Shultz, This is just a guess - as I have not recieved my IWC yet (any day now) but, I too noticed the difference between the Rep & Gen on the minute markers. I just returned from my AD and looked at several auotomatic Portuguesers and no doubt about it - the minute markes are raised. I have carefully examined pictures of the Rep from several dealers and several individual owners who have posted pictures on several rep sites. It looks to me that on some of the Reps the minute markers are sunken a bit, some are flush and some are raised. I have seen combinations of flush and raised on the same watch. It could be the angle some of these pictures were taken from, but I would guess it will depend on the watch you recieve and how well it was assembled. It looks like they are trying to "replicate" the gen dial but as is in most replicas the watch ends up being a little off.

RT - Thanks for the superhuman effort you have put forth to make this deal happen!!! It makes no difference to me where I sit in the pecking order. I am ready to go and await your instructions. Thanks again, Kevin

Sorry for the late entry, I have been following this thread for a while and waiting on a quote from another dealer for the same watch. I have bought over 20 watches from this well known dealer and he couldn't even come close. Trust me - no one is going to beat this deal for a while. Count me in!!!!!! Kevin

A couple of my friends and I sent our subs to RBJ and this is the recipe he came up with: Start with a Cn sub from Joshua and take it completely apart Then have Joe work a little of his magic. Since the goal for all three of us was to have a waterproof sub that we could surf in, Joe went through all the O rings, sealed the crystal and replaced the bezel insert. While he was in there, we went ahead and had him slim down the Cg's a little, tighten the bezel and give it good polish. We also soaked the bracelet in silicone lubricant. Here are some pictures from Joe: The slimmed down Cg's Comparing old Cg's with new Cg's Add a little water: Another: And of course the real test I am happy to report, even though Joe warned us that "waterproofing" has no real guarantee, all three subs are holding up fine. I have been surfing with mine, swimming laps in the pool and even wearing it the jacuzzi to see if I could get a leak and it is passing with flying colors! It took Joe a little while (health issues and all - hope you are feeling better Joe) but it was well worth the wait. For me this is the "Perfect" sub - One I can wear when I am having fun and not worry about the watch. If and when it does leak - I'll just buy another one and i am sure I will have recieved my moneys worth... Thanks again Joe, Kevin & friends.

LUVPAN - I am with you on the fact that every time I look at the watch it bugs me, but I have to tell you, I live in So. Cal and within just a few miles of my house there are at least five Panerai dealers. I also have numerous friends that collect watches and each owns more than a few gen Panerais. When I put my 111 up next to these gen's, for whatever it is worth, no body, and I mean not one time, has any one ever noticed the font being off below the 6. I think you are probably somewhat of a perfectionist, like myself, who enjoys researching for the knowledge and we have become products of the microscopic nit picking that goes on at these rep boards. Don't focus on such a small detail and enjoy your watch, after all, it is and will always be - a REP! Here is a picture of my 111

Yep - I noticed the "L SWISS MADE L" on my 111 was high and touching the 6. I asked Josh for a new dial and in a matter of a few days, no questions asked, I had a new dial at my doorstep. ALLRIGHT - I thought, I anxiously opened the package and what did I find? The same damn dial! Oh well, at least the lettering is centered. I decided that I could live with the look of $3,000.00 watch that only cost me $250.00. It's kind of a strange world when we start to expect the rep to be exact as a gen...

Dank schön

Nice watch! Talk to you when you get back from Vac. Can't wait to see how my sub comes out. Oh, and by the way - you changed the size of the hour markers on the dial !

No need to guess on the crown lever - Since it is my crown I can tell you that the watch came from Joshua (great guy, by the way) and went almost directly to The Zigmeister. I wore the watch for a few days and that was about it. The crown lever is exactly how it came from the factory. Now, if I were to guess, I would say I got a bum crown/1st run crown. Especially since it was obviously drilled crooked and not threaded deep enough. If the 2nd run crowns are requiring some of the crown levers to be ground down because they are less recessed, wouldn't it stand to reason that the crown I recieved may have been a 1st run crown with the greater recess - or someone at the factory ground off a huge chunk of steel from the end of my lever? (probably the less likely scenario) Oh well, either way I hope Pam can ship a good one to The Zigmeister for me. I can't wait to get the watch back and after I recieve it from The Zigmeister I will post some pictures. It is going to look aewsome!!!!! Also - Bodo you are exactly right. I recieved my Davidsen 195 with the extra thick crown guard and crown two days ago and the gap between the crown & guard is definetely wider than it should be. Also, if you look at the lever as it sits in the new crown guard in the locked position, the tip of the lever is noticably too far away from the case. Davidsen has a good eye for detail and it would not suprise me if he is not already woking on the third generations of his PVD PAMs. They sure are beautifull watches!

Well Zig, got your email and read the review. The crown you have is the one I recieved from PAM and I was told it was from his second batch. Palp - I contacted you about the crown as there were some delays in recieving the crown and you were going to look into it for me and contact Marcus (Pam), but of course, as soon as I asked for your help, the crown arrived. Anyway, I sent my watches and the crown to Zig and it looks like after reading the other post in this thread, I either got a first generation crown or a bad crown from the second batch. Any chance I could get a GOOD crown expidited to Zig? Thanks, Kevin

Tmark, I was wondering the same too. I think your post is a great idea. I hope people who have verified their new 7750 Movm'nt will add to this post. Kevin