ratchpot

That's right, the dials (I got two) were for the 33mm model. I gave up on that project and am now focusing on swapping out the dial of my Nick Faldo rep, with a Fick Faldo dial, and then replacing the see through caseback with a regular RO caseback. This way I'll have an almost perfect 14790 military dial model.

Back to the "endlinks project", I have just remembered that last year I had a discussion with someone over at TRC about the next step in the process, i.e. once you have the endlinks in place, you need to get a strap to fit correctly.

To cut a long story short, I gave up on the strap conversion project because AP have never made a 36mm (or smaller) RO that has the strap with dual endlinks combo. All of those watches have a completely different case design for their strap models. For example, the regular RO strap equivalent of my 36mm Nick Faldo actually looks like this:

Therefore, unless you want a frankenwatch on your hands, the strap conversion is only appropriate for the larger RO models, e.g. Jumbo, Chrono etc.

I think another RWGer has an OEM dial coming from an Ebay seller so maybe s/he will try the same thing!

That's a coincidence. I sold a RO dial on eBay earlier this week because it wouldn't fit my rep...

can you post a pic of the end links? I may be able to help in the near future.

See below.

The way it stands now if you wan't your RO on leather you have to destroy the bracelt or the end links or both?

As you can see in the picture, the endlinks are designed so that they are removable from the case, but are permanently

fixed to the bracelet. The only options therefore for people wanting to convert to strap are to get the endlinks by cutting

through the bracelet or source the endlinks separately.

This is a picture of a genuine RO, with the endlinks removed. The endlinks are IMO an essential item for conversion to strap.

After poking around a little, turns out you can get endlinks from AP for genuines. Of course, they cost a ton.

It's interesting to hear that AP are now selling end links to the public. When I last checked (last year), AP still had an express policy not to sell endlinks to anyone.

Good luck with the project though, and keep us posted.

Welcome back, Dave!

Looks like everyone is ready to have a happy party time now !

How can you name someone to be the best player in the world who A. Can't Tackle, B. Only Plays Going Forward and C. Only plays when he feels like it. He is posted missing for 80% of most games. He has some fantastic toches and skills but most of the time they come to nothing.

This is tooooo easy.....

European Player of the Year 2005: Ronaldinho

(runaway winner with 225 points to Lampard's 148)

Fifa World Player of the Year 2005: Ronaldinho

(poll of approx 150 international coaches and 150 captains)

Fifa World Player of the Year 2004: Ronaldinho

FIFPro World Player of the Year 2005: Ronaldinho

(poll of 38,000 professional players).

ROFL @ TwoTone pic

Excellent project. Keep us posted.

Lampard on the other hand is involved in everything that both Chelsea and England do, his ability to pass the ball and his vision are second to none.

His passing and vision are second to Ronaldinho and Beckham, to name but two players.

[lots of stuff about how owen and rooney are the most overrated players in the world ever, how they don't score many goals, and how sutton and beattie deserve to be in the team ahead of them]

Reasons why Owen deserves his place in the England team:

A. Proven international track record. Owen has the 4th best England goalscoring record ever (better than Shearer (7th best)). Also 22 goals in 54 European games. B. Current form. 7 goals in 10 games this season. C. Everyone (apart from you) thinks he's a world-class player.

Reasons why Rooney deserves his place in the England team:

A. Proven international track record (taking into account how young he is). 11 goals in 29 England appearances. B. Current form. 13 goals in 32 league appearances this season (also creating 8 goals). C. Everyone (apart from you) thinks he's a world-class player.

Reason why Chris Sutton doesn't deserve to be in the England team.

A. Unproven track record at non-domestic level. 2 goals in 12 Champions' League matches. B. Current form. 2 goals in 14 league appearances this season. C. Everyone (apart from you and Shearer and perhaps his mum and dad) thinks he's a big-headed [censored].

I've already sufficiently destroyed your arguments, so I won't bother with Beattie...

Ok, let's get some things straight before this all gets out of hand

1. Ronaldinho is the best player in the world right now and has been for two seasons. Not Lampard. That's just the way it is.

2. England have a decent chance of winning. They are certainly not favourites, but if their players are fit, they probably have their best chance since '66.

3. Nothing wrong with a fit Owen and Rooney as a first choice strike force. They could justify their place in any world team.

4. Paul Robinson is not a great goalie. I can't argue with that.

Main worry is the lack of ability to finish teams, they will struggle with the south american teams especially.

England 2-1 Uraguay

Argentina 2-3 England

Colombia 1-2 England

The last I heard, HAL was completely operational, and all of his circuits were functioning perfectly.

Bounce here...bounce there...it is kind of like the shell game. You never really know where that little pea is.

Unless we get spiked by the Russians, like in Goldeneye...

That Royal Oak Tradition d'Excellence N°4 is my holy grail watch. I hope it never gets repped.

This one:...

Looks the part but i'm not sure what is. I'm sure kenberg said that a good rep was now available but can anyone verify this (and who indeed possesses it)

Spitfire Chronograph Automatic, reference 3706. 39mm case diameter, 14.6mm case height.

The item of choice is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, white dial, ss screws. (Beautiful watch, seems like it could go with any occasion. I've never even heard of this brand before I found RWG!)

Hey, welcome on board. It's nice to have another AP fan here - we are in short supply so you had better not desert us. I became an AP fan about 3 years ago and have followed the brand closely ever since. Hopefully most of the AP posts from the old board will make it across here, as there's a wealth of useful info that you should read.

APs have NO removable caseback like other watches. The Royal OAK is opened at the front.

But the reps are built like "normal" watches. (with removable caseback)

The genuine RO features a monocoque case design and, as you say, the caseback is not removeable. However to open the case still have to unscrew it from the back first, so in that sense it is opened from the back (I suspect we are saying the same thing though). Personally I don't mind that the rep is differently built, as I would much prefer them to perfect the aesthetics first...

Well, yeah, I want "the best" but I also dont want the Jumbo. That extra few mm makes a difference. So, what would you guys suggest?

If by "best" you mean accurate, then sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but with the current offering of 36mm RO reps you are not going to get the level of correct replication that you would get with the latest Panerai, Omega or Rolex reps. The best RO rep in my opinion is the (now out of production) Nick Faldo model that Ubi posted..... but even that has some major flaws. However, having scrutinised the genuine model for about an hour or so, I can say that the rep is still a fantastic watch. I will be putting mine in for mods soon and hope to post the results here when it's done.

As far as suggestions go, you may want to try and source a second hand Nick Faldo. Otherwise you're pretty much limited to the other 36mm model that Ubi posted, or perhaps the Fondation model that some dealers still sell.

Maybe he really is sick.... in the head.

Well, since I decided to browse the kinda lonely IWC sub-forum, I figured this is as good of a time as any to complain yet again:

Why the hell are there no accurate reps of the classic MK XV? And I'm not talking about that Spitfire crap. The Mark XV is simple, perfect and in direct lineage of great aviation/military watches such as the MK IX, X, XII... So much history. It is such a shame that there are no correct MK XVs repped.

Eunomians, in keeping with your previous IWC rant topics, I'm there to try and help unravel this seemingly eternal mystery.

My thoughts are that we will never see an improved Mark XV rep. The current rep is what we'll forever be stuck with (and on that basis, there might be some twisted logic in buying it before stocks run out, so we can stare at it, in amazement at how the rep manufacturers totally dropped the ball on this one).

I really hope I'm wrong, but I think we'll never see a proper MK XV rep for two reasons:

First, the MK XV is such a simple watch to rep compared, for example, to the GST. Given that they still haven't repped it properly by now, and there has been no change in circumstances in our favour, I cannot see them revisting this watch.

Second, the Mark XVI is coming out this year, and it will get more attention, so the rep manufacturers will just continue to ignore the MK XV. I can however see them repping the Mark XVI, and *if* there is enough interest in it, perhaps they'll see this as an easy money-making exercise and milk the customers' wallets until they get it right by the third or fourth generation...

Of course, on the other hand, the rep manufacturers might decide to do with the Mark XV what they did with the GST, i.e. wait 2-3 years after IWC has discontinued it, and then make a nearly perfect rep of it. If that's the case, I'd rather buy a second hand gen right now than wait all that time.

Some further info on this FP Journe watch, from the Wristwatch Annual.

Model

Tourbillon Souverain a seconde morte

Movement

manually wound, FP Journe Caliber 1403; diamter 32mm, height 6.35 mm; 26 jewels; 21,600

vph; one-minute tourbillon; escapement with "second morte"; patented remontoir; plates and

bridges made of 18-karat gold.

Functions

hours, minutes (off-center), subsidiary seconds; power reserve display

Case

platinum; diameter 40mm, height 10mm; sapphire crystal; exhibition window case back

Band

platinum, folding clasp

Price

US$121,500

Variations

in rose gold with crocodile skin strap (US$96,200).

I also have the same model from River, which thedoctor and Ubi kindly advised me on before I purchased it.

I have the same from River. It's a very high quality watch. I polished the bezel with some metal polish to make it look more like the genuine with it's polished bezel.

I remember when you did that. The picture you posted of the polished bezel was excellent. It would be great if you could put it back up here (the link to the picture is broken on the old RWG).

I did jury duty a few years ago. I was happy to oblige; but then again, I was only required for two weeks...

Hmmm... you seem strangely familiar, but I can't quite place where I've seen you before....

Anyway, a warm welcome from me...!

Just dropped in to say hello from Old Blighty !

looking forward to being actively involved in many AP and IWC discussions, and more !