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Micro Review by DrGran Ordered: IWC0339 - IWC Pilot Chronograph Ref.3777 SS/SS Black V6F A7750 from Trusty Description: V6 Top Edition in SS Bracelet! This is V2 Edition Special Upgrade! At first it seemed it was not from V6 factory as decribed, but rather from the ZF factory....... ...but Trusty assured me it is indeed a V6 and that they just put ZF QC stickers on it as they have these lying around. Rep of a rep situation!!! Very odd, but its the replica jungle and who knows!? Now the 3777 10 watch: First impression is that it is about the same quality as the best 3777 01 from 2014 (the version with triple date window). AR: OK Dial: OK Hands: OK Case brushing and rounding of edges: OK Crown: Could be better logo quality (more crisp), Crown, tube and its threads likely a weak spot on this, lets hope it dosent strip... AR: OK Lume: Could be better even if it lingers quite some time (not worth taking the photo) Bracelett: Correct type (and it is different from and more masculine compared to the 3777 01) Clasp and IWC engraving: OK and deeper engraved IWC than on my previous one Microstepper: OK Caseback: Looks very good and engravings deep enough Movement: I have not opened the caseback but it runs on time for the 2 days I have worn it, the reliability of Day and Date change might be an issue.......its a replica Wristshot: Conclusion: This 3777 10 is gen-like to me. This is the kind of watch I like. I find the bracelet comfortable. This will likely become the watch that I will wear often. My daily beater, if it keeps running on time. NB! My very handsome 3777 01 replica from TORO in 2014 for comparison. Notice the triple date and the different style bracelet (this watch will be sent off for service soon):

What do you guys think about the likeness to a gen on the YM2 stainless?

Hi guys! Today I’ll be reviewing the Rolex Deep Sea Sea Dweller (DSSD) Ultimate. I want to preface this review by saying that this is my first review on this forum. I’m a relative newbie when it comes to reps, but I have been a lover of fine watches for many many years. Being new to this there may be things I fail to cover or simply do not know, so please don’t hesitate to ask me other questions. And I am always open to suggestions on how to make my reviews better and more valuable to others. Background: I am not a Rolex enthusiast. In fact, I don’t care for the looks of most models of Rolex watches. There are a very few of them that I like, but the DSSD is certainly one of them. I love the look of this watch. It’s hard to pick out exactly what it is that makes me like this model when I do not like most Rolex watches. The ceramic bezel, the caseback, the rehaut and the face are some of the things I like most about it. I have never seen the gen of this watch in person, so my only comparison to the real thing is through photos and YouTube videos. The Dealer: I purchased this watch from Andrew at Trusty Time. He has been outstanding to work with and I plan on leaving a thorough review of my experience with him on his section of this forum later today. Please check it out if you plan to purchase from him. Here is the link to the watch I purchased: http://www.yourtrust...roducts_id=6579 This is the detailed description of the watch copied from the website: ROLSD017 - Deep Sea Dweller SS Blk Asia 3135 Ult V The Ultimate Version of DeepSea ...Same Deep rehaut as Genuine. Crisp Engraving within Lugs, Excellent Pearl and Lume on Dial... Correct 10 on bezel.....Updated Bevelled Edge Date Window....Parts interchangeable (Except Dial and Movt) interchangeable with the Genuine. Made with a Genuine watch as Sample... MOVEMENT: Swiss Eta 2836-2 Movt CASE DIAMETER: 43mm THICKNESS: 17.5mm DIAL COLOR: Black Dial, White Dot Markers, Blue Lume on hour markers and needles and Bezel Pearl. CASE MATERIAL: Solid 316F Stainless Steel BRACELET: SS Oyster Brushed Bracelet with New Design Divers Extension FRONT GLASS: Dome Sapphire crystal BACK GLASS: Solid case back with Titanium Seal, 2 piece case back BEZEL: Full Ceramic Bezel With sandwich numeral insert (modded to Correct "10", bezel RLACC01001, maintaining the Ultimate V's Pearl). Unidirectional rotating Bezel. HACK MOVEMENT: Yes CLASP TYPE: Flip Lock DATE INDICATOR: At 3:00 position (set via crown, beveled edge date window) OTHER REMARKS: Close 6 and 9, one-piece screw down crown with o-ring with thick crown tube (same size as genuine). M Serial numbers and model numbers between lug and rehaut. Waterproof from factory to 5 atm...50m Ordering/Shipping: I ordered this watch (along with a Panerai reviewed elsewhere) on Jan 13th through Andrew’s website. I received a confirmation email immediately. I received QC photos on Jan 15th. The watch arrived on Jan 28th but it had spent a full 5 days in the possession of customs at JFK, so taking out that delay the order-to-receipt time was 10 days which I consider to be excellent processing time from China to the US. The watches came well packaged. Each had a rubber bezel/case guard, was wrapped in thin plastic sheet, then folded up in a lot of bubble wrap and placed inside a thick Styrofoam box. The Styrofoam box was shipped in a standard cardboard box. You could drop this package off a 10 story building and the watches would be fine. First Impression: Talking the watch out, I carefully cut away the plastic film and removed the rubber bezel guard. I was amazed at how nice this watch looked in my hand. The quality of the appearance, and the fit-and-finish of this watch was way better than website photos or QC pictures could represent. This is a beautiful watch. I find myself sitting there like an idiot just staring at it. The watch is heavy and has a very solid feel to it, which I like very much. The top of the case and bracelet are brushed while the sides are polished. This contrast gives it a nice, quality appearance. The ceramic bezel is gorgeous. It is very shiny and the numbers and hash marks are crisp and clean. The case back is awesome and is one of the reasons I bought this watch. I thought that maybe the titanium alloy back would look cheesy in person, but I was wrong. It looks very cool. The band also looks very good. All of the links swivel nice and freely without having a loose feel to them. The Solid End Links (SEL) fit nicely into the case. The clasp works well and is easy to operate and adjust, but this is the first place I noticed a slight lack in quality. More on that later. Here's some photos: Further Investigation: The Crown - The first rep I purchased had a serious issue with the crown and the stem not engaging the movement correctly, so I had to send it back. So the first thing I did was to pull the crown out and test it. The crown unscrewed from the case very smoothly, and had a very solid feel. The crown pulled out nicely and had a nice tactile “click” at each position. Manually winding the watch (in the first position) is smooth with a nice resistance to it. Setting the date (with the second position) was also very nice with each day clicking by with a little snap at each change. The hands also operate very smoothly and without any slop when adjusting the time (at the third position). The Rolex Crown emblem (I think there’s another name for this, but I can’t think of it) looks good on the tip of the crown, and the grooves around the side of the crown are crisp and nicely machined. The Bezel - I then checked the operation of the bezel. It turns nicely without the very stiff resistance I’ve felt on other bezels. Not too tight, but not too loose. The clicking sound as you turn the bezel is also nice. I know it sounds strange, but I’ve turned some bezels and the clicking sounds hollow and tinny which gives an impression of cheapness. This bezel does not have that. The ceramic on the bezel is a deep polished black with a very high-gloss shine to it. I was concerned about the numbers on the bezel looking sloppy on the edges where the white meets the black, but with the naked eye, they are razor sharp. I’ve noticed that some pictures that are blown up very close will show some very slight irregularities, but this cannot be seen with the naked eye. The pearl also looks well constructed. It is perfectly centered in the triangle at the top of the bezel. It is raised with a tiny steel tube and filled with the lume. The top of the lume is rounded and polished and despite its tiny size, looks well made. The grooves around the outside of the bezel are also very nice. I will admit that this is one area I can tell the different between the rep and the gen. The gen’s grooves seem to be more precisely machined with sharper edges. However, in person they are so small that I think it would be very difficult to tell the difference without a loupe. With a high-res photo comparison, this will be one of the parts in which you can see a difference. The Case Back – Like I’ve mentioned, this is one of the things I really like about this watch. The dark titanium alloy back is held to the case with a stainless steel ring. It has a unique look that I’ve not seen on any other watch. The ring has engravings along the edge with “ROLEX OYSTER DEEPSEA – SEA-DWELLER 12800 ft = 3900m” written on it. The engraving is relatively deep and black in color. I don’t know how accurate the font is to the gen but it is crisp and spaced evenly between the edges. The grooves around the bottom edge of the ring are sharp and look well machined. The Bracelet – Like I mentioned earlier, the bracelet is brushed on the top and bottom and polished along the edges. It has nice quality feel to it. There are small screws holding the removable links vice pins, which made sizing the bracelet very easy. I was very careful in removing the pins because I didn’t know what the quality would be like. But when they were out I took a good look at them and they appeared to be solid and well made. The bracelet on the wrist is very comfortable and did not pluck the hairs off my arm like so many other watches do. The Clasp – The clasp on the DSSD is very cool. It folds down on itself and secures with an authoritative snap. Then a smaller clasp folds over the edge of that one to hold everything secure. On mine, this second clasp has a slight defect as can be seen in the photo. The top right arm of the clasp is bent slightly outward and leaves a small gap from the edge of the larger clasp. I think that I could probably wrap it in cloth and tap it lightly back in place with a hammer, but right now it doesn’t bother me very much. I also don’t want to risk damaging it so that it doesn’t work. If anyone has had experience with anything like this before, I’d appreciate your advice! This clasp has a very cool “Glidelock” feature where you pull out the top of the clasp and pull the end of the bracelet in and out for fine adjustment by 1.8mm lengths. Pushing it back down engages teeth in the clasp that holds everything steady. It works very well. It is designed for divers to quickly adjust to the thickness of a wetsuit sleeve, but it also works extremely well to fine tune the precise fit of the bracelet. The very edges of this “glidelock” clasp are not machined very precisely and have a sloppy edge to it. This would be extremely hard for anyone who is not specifically looking for it to notice. The fold out parts of the clasp is probably the one area of this rep that I think could be improved. The build quality is fine, but the printing of the Rolex emblem looks very cheap. You can judge for yourself in the photos. This concerns me very little because the only way anyone would ever see them is if I removed the watch and handed it to someone to inspect. Even then, I’m not sure it’s bad enough to immediately draw attention to it. The Crystal – The crystal looks beautiful. It is not as “domed” as I had anticipated, but it is slightly domed when looking at it from the side. Visually, the crystal sits perfectly. However, if you run your finger around the edge of the crystal (where it meets the bezel) it is not seated exactly flush. I had heard that this was common with this rep, so I was looking for it. Had I not read about it, I may have never noticed. I think that this might be able to be fixed with a case press, but that’s just a guess. Anyone else who’d like to chime in on this, please do. I may try to fix it in the future but as it is now, no one would ever notice this in a million years. Before I received this watch there was some question of whether the rep or the gen had the small “Rolex Crown” etching on the crystal. Well I’m here to clear that up. They both do. It is very, very difficult to see with the naked eye, but if you hold a powerful flashlight at the right angle, it’s there. I managed to catch it in one of the photos. It’s hard to see, but when you can see it, it looks well done. The Face – The face of this watch is gorgeous. It’s very simple which I like. I’m no expert, but everything looks nicely aligned and positioned. I cannot speak to the accuracy of the fonts, but the quality is excellent. Everything is crisp and clear. The lume has a nice blue color when freshly charged, but is not very bright. There are really three levels of brightness on the lume of this watch. The brightest is the hour markers, then the hands, then the pearl. I charged the lume with an extremely powerful aviation flashlight (185 lumens) for 30 seconds. The hour markers were adequately bright and the hands were also adequate but noticeably dimmer than the hour marker. The pearl was barely lit at all. If you wanted to mod this watch, I would say the lume is the first place to start. However for me, it’s not that much of an issue. I will probably leave it as is for some time. The lume also dims down to nothing within about 30 mins. My attempt at the lume shot (I need to get better at these!) The Fit – I have exactly a 7” wrist. I’m not sure how that fits in to the world-wide average, but I feel my wrist is average to slightly below average. The watch looks very well proportioned on the wrist to me. Unlike some of the larger watches such as U-Boat and Panerai, I would imagine that just about anyone could wear this watch without it looking too big in diameter. I will say that the watch is fairly thick and if anything, the watch sits up high off your wrist. But it’s no show stopper. You’d have to be analyzing it to notice this fact. Conclusion: I spent $408USD on this watch. Considering the gen costs more than $10,000USD I’d say I hit a gold mine! I’ve heard that Rolex watches are among the most widely (and cheaply) repped watches around. Even people with gen watches are constantly asked if their watch is real. However, this watch screams quality. I think just about anyone who wasn’t a Rolex enthusiast or AD who took a close look at this watch would have to determine it was real. The watch is absolutely beautiful. The things about it that are not accurate are so minor that they almost don’t warrant notice. I am very happy with this purchase, and very happy with my experience so far with Andrew at Trusty Time (www.yourtrustytime.com). Again, if there’s anything in my review that wasn’t clear or if you have any additional questions I can answer, don’t hesitate to ask. I hope you've all found this review informative and helpful!

This is the v6 Noob sub (NOY the v6S), apparently the same as the v5 but with an upgraded dial. This one runs an A2836. I picked it up from Toro in his pre-CNY clearance sale for about $250. First things first this is a really, really nice watch. Out of the box it looks and feels genuine, it's as solidly built and smooth as my genuine TAG Aquaracer, with the exception of the rotor which is a little noisy. The dial is stunning, with colour changing from dark to light green and sparkling as the light catches it. The ceramic bezel also looks good although the colour seems a little washed out compared to the dial. I have no idea what a real one looks like but this looks stunning. The bracelet is very well made and solid feeling. One link had a fouled screw, which I simply removed - and I always have plenty of spares. There is the tiniest of SEL gaps which is well within my tolerance and better than some I have seen. Otherwise all seems in order. Markers look straight to me, date wheel looks nicely centred and the pearl is good to my eyes. I'd definitely a step up from my last Hulk, which was one of Reg's from a while ago and which had the old white numbers (now they are platinum, lovely!) and a 21J movement instead of the asian 2836 in this one. It's a grade A, which is good news. Not as good as AAA but still worthy! And it ha a bezel protector on it with N for Noob on it! Plenty of protective plastic, over every single edge and every single surfacePearl and triangle are well alignedNot had a platinum numbers model before. These are actually better finished than the ones in my genuine TAGThe crown is really crisp and well finishedNew dial with 'correct' 300 m spacing (Apparently, I can't tell the difference...)Date wheel alignment is the best I have had. Cyclops is really nice, easier to read than others I have had, maybe the AR coating?And a wristy:

Inside is a 'high beat 2813' which I understand to be the clone of a clone ETA 2824. Who knows about its longevity but it is ticking smoothly and date change is perfectly clicking at midnight so I am happy for the price. Bezel is Crisp, text is sharp enough for a watch at this price point and all the markers are on square, as is the cyclops which magnifies perfectly. I've never been interested in lume but I noticed this one lighting up brightly in a dim room so presume this is super lume, as described. Very nice. Overall I'd have been happy with this watch if it had been twice the price. For the money I paid its a steal. This is from Perfect Clones and cost £110 delivered.

So I decided to bring an old watch that was gifted to me, back to life. This watch is not the most fantastic time piece, however it has great sentimental value to me, this is why I thought I would invest a little into it. The watch itself is a Invicta 9211 Speedway Collection Chronograph, which itself comes with a stainless steel bracelet as seen in the pic below. I figured a nice way to give some taste to the watch would be to change the strap and man was I right (Opinion of course). The strap I chose to purchase was a Hadley-Roma MS913 Tan which retails for $49.95. I went to digging in the search engines and found it for $38.95 so I made the purchase. The goal was to find a quality strap that didn't cost more then the watch ($70.00 USD). Overall impressions are great! The material is solid, the build quality is precise, and the fit is even better. All in all I'm very happy with this purchase, I would highly recommend this strap to anyone on a budget. Please enjoy the few pictures below: From the factory Front Packaging Back Packaging Front buckle Back Buckle Front of Strap Back of Strap Strap on the Invicta 9211 Watch Mounted Rear of Watch Mounted Side of Watch Mounted I hope you've enjoyed this review.

Hello everyone, Several months ago I have received a promotional email from Trustytime and learned about their new replica product sites: FinerLabel.net Andrew claimed that the website is operated by his brother Ben, and AAA+ quality of bags and service will be a standard of them. Since I am interested in getting a replica bag and I have seen some nice reviews about them on the forum, I have decided to give them a try. The overall communication and purchase process went smooth; I have made the payment on Sept 27th, and I have received the item on Oct 7th. Around 11 days to have the product shipped to me. However, the product I am receiving has seriously disappointed me AND I will never purchase anything from FinerLabels or even Trustytime. The product I am receiving have different patterns and colour of interior, and Ben has refused to send any QC photos throughout the purchasing process. Review of the same bag from FinerLabels.net : http://www.rwgforum.net/topic/173240-my-experience-with-finerlabelsnet/ The Chanel Bag that I have purchased: http://finerlabels.net/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1081&search=30172 Photos of the bag and comparison begin here: I understand that you cannot compare a replica bag with genuine bag, but the quality from FinerLabels is below standard, it is same quality as the 200$ RMB chanel replica bag. I can even locate the 200$ RMB chanel replica bag that FinerLabel has sold to me. 200$RMB Replica Chanel: http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.222.hTZGeL&id=40842929037&ns=1#detail Comparison of the screws A photo without red lines: To me, the shape looks really bad. Poor quality bag I am receiving AND here is probably the "BEST" part of the BAG: Product I am receiving is even different from the one presented on their website: Currency Exchange Prove: FinerLabel is charging you 268$USD (1645$RMB) for a bag that is originally selling for 33.91$USD (208$ RMB) 208$ RMB Link: http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.222.hTZGeL&id=40842929037&ns=1#detail You cannot compare replica product with genuine product, but FinerLabels is selling POOR QUALITY PRODUCT and MAKING LOADS OF PROFIT FROM YOU. I am not an active member, and I am used to research on reviews and comments only. I have bought several watches from TrustyTime and InTime before, all of the watches are impressive. But in comparison, InTime Ryan is awesome to deal with. I have contacted Ben about my concerns and dissatisfaction, unfortunately I still have not get any reply from him after 24 hours. The quality of service they are providing is horrible, and they are not a HONEST seller. To me, THEY CANNOT BE TRUSTED AT ALL. Thank you for reading the review, and sorry if there is any inappropriate or offending language used.

Dear fellow RWG members, Before I start, I would like to thank all of you who participated in this thread http://www.rwgforum.net/topic/162344-sick-of-tcs-subs and pushed me into purchasing TC Sub. You did a good job I finally placed my order at the end of the august 2013. After numerous considerations about which TC Sub to choose I decided to order classic 16610. At that time Thomas started a new thread on his blog about new KH dials, so my choice was clear. I asked him if he could build for me V5 16610 with KH dial. However he had no idea about turnaround time and said that the wait will be longer compared to usual order. On the other hand the new KH dials were looking so good from the initial pics that I wanted to give it a chance. The wait was on and after nearly four months I finally received a nice small box There were many unpacking/unboxing photoshoots, but I have to honestly confirm, that this packaging is just perfect. Sorry for the pic quality, they were made by a coconut. My first thoughts after unboxing this little piece were WOW. Even if there were crappy lowlight conditions in my room, I could clearly see the stunning level of detail. Only think I could think of at the moment was that the wait was worth it. Overall build quality is just awesome. DWO is perfectly aligned with cyclops, SEL fitment is nice imho, there were no scratches on the bracelet or case, crystal was bearing protective film as well as the caseback, bracelet and clasp. I remember some threads over on RWI where some guys were complaining about some dings, scratches, dust under the crystal, dial tilting to either left or right, misaligned DWO and some other things. None of these happened with my piece and Thomas did a really good job on this one. I have nothing to complain about. My only disappointment came when I tried to install gen insert. Gen insert is a piece of craftsmanship itself if you take into consideration that you need no glue because insert is hold in the bezel thanks to its shape that provides tension that holds it in the bezel. However I could not persuade that small piece of s**t to click in even if I used the edge of the table. Bezel press was needed so I had to ask my local watchsmith to do this one for me. If you are interested how much he wanted for just pressing the insert in, he charged me 25 EUR which is about 30 USD (I hope he dies in a terrible longobongo death). Now let’s go to the details. TC Sub is not a gen, but it is very, very close to it. Dial: KH dial is awesome, but there are few differences compared to gen. Almost everyone knows, that TC Subs are based on V Series case, but with rehaut engravings sanded off the case is closer to Z or Y Series 16610. If you compare gen Z Serial dial to KH dial, you will find the first difference in “1000ft” script as number 1 is different as well as the “ft” spacing, which bring the dial closer to pre-2008 models (according to Submariner Story book). However I did a little research and found out that there are variances in Z Serial dials and most of them look exactly as KH dials. But you can make your own idea: (from top: first three are Z Serial dials, last two is my KH dial. If you wonder why the font is bolder on one pic, Nr. 4 was made with ISO 400, Nr. 5 was made with ISO 100) Swiss Made script looks good itself, but I see that it should be positioned little lower. The two on the top are Z Serial dials; the last one is my KH dial. I would like to point out also the difference in positioning Swiss Made script between the two gens – the first one has more space under the script. From this pic you can also see that Z Serials have LEC crown on 6 and no AR on cyclops. You can also see that minute markers are correct – bolder markers on the left, middle and right and thinner markers under W and A. The difference is not that noticeable, but you can see it. Also there is nothing like “slightly grayish colour” of the minute markers between 5-min markers. They are just thinner. If you have ever seen how a dial is printed, you know, that nobody would care to print it with two different colours. They are all of the same white colour all around the dial. Here is another one: Finally Rolex logo looks the same to me as well as OYSTER PERPETUAL DATE spacing. No problem here. (gen Z Serial on top, TC KH under) So in my opinion KH dial looks with no doubt very gen like and even all those indices are just perfect. Forgot to mention that lume is strong and evenly applied all over the dial, so no problem (and it looks amazing). So all in all maybe the only thing that would make it different from gen lumi dial is position of the Swiss Made script. Also I do not recommend comparing the placement of indices at 6 between LN and LV dials as LV is not only bigger but always placed significantly closer to Swiss Made script (please refer to Submariner Story book). Crown: Crown is OK. No need to write much here. I did also 0 shots of it as I could not get a single satisfactory photo of it. But there is no need to change it. Bezel: Bezel teeth need some wear to be more gen like. New TC Sub bezel is also very stiff and is not very willing to turn. You have to use significant force to make it turn. After 5-10 circles it turns like a charm. But the first turn is pain in the a**. You need also bezel press to install gen insert in it (at least I did, but many other members used just their fingers). Bracelet: Bracelet is one of the things to improve. With no doubt V4 is currently the best one available on the rep market, but … There I thing I like, and also few that need to be improved. I like V4 clasp, as the coronet is nice, nice stamping on the blades and also the diver extension looks great. The brushed finish could be slightly better imho. SEL need some work, shave it a bit. And also 93250 number on the back of it may be missing. I understand that maybe Chinese are not willing to stamp it, but it surely is one of the things that make it easy tell from the gen. Everything other is spot on. There are so many details like diver extension circle marking on the bracelet link, clasp holes on the side of it, nicely brushed caseback, clasp blades are the work of art itself, TC 2824 movement with H4 cannon pinion that makes the gap between the hands more gen like, Cyclops magnification, DWO print, dial print quality, so many details. You have to see it in person to know what I am talking about. It is few days since I have it and I am getting still blown away by these little things. I had no problem with movement as well and it is running at +1 sec per day (real average rate after 5 day testing – dancing, jumping, running, oils, sweat and watter ). Good boy. On the last word, for those, who are picky about crown guards. There are so many differences between them, that nobody can tell if it is gen or not. All of them are 16610 and there are many differences not only between M, V, Z and Y case but also between the same Serial cases. Whatever you think the look OK to me. But feel free to discuss this and maybe we will find out something new (from top: 1-3 are Z Serials, 4-5 are M Serials, 6 is Y Serial, 7 is V Serial and 8 is TC reviewed here) That is all folks. TC is king. Bracelet needs some work. And I hope you enjoyed this little review and maybe it will help somebody. And big thanks goes to TC for this wonderful piece.

Alright guys I finally took some proper shots of my HBB and ROO so here ya go! First let me give you my opinion of these pieces first now that I've spent some quality time fiddling with/wearing them. The AP: Easily my favorite visually and functionally of the two. The forged carbon material is amazing to behold in person. Nice and lightweight, very solid fit and finish on everything, and the lume on this is ridiculous! (as pictured) The hands are very legible which makes it simple to tell time during the day or in a pitch black room. Only issue I'm having with it is the strap is too big for me, so while I wait to come up with some XS straps, I punched an extra hole in my existing strap and that works for now. I do eventually need a replacement though because I think I made it a bit too tight, so if you have a spare XS strap for a 44mm ROO (if such a thing exists) let me know! Final Verdict: 10/10 even though I need a smaller strap! The Hublot: Absolutely love this watch! Not too much to report here. Great look, great fit, the Donerix strap Legend fitted to this is gorgeous, albeit not my cup of tea for everyday wear. I ordered some tyre rubber straps online today along with the H screwdriver so I can swap those out as soon as they get here. I can definitely see putting them back in though for a more formal event. Having tried on a genuine, I'm happy to report that this watch is virtually identical in look and feel! The lume is also very good, but not as bright as the AP, it's also a little harder to precisely tell the time on this watch since the hands are so wide. Also I'm not sure how to wind it. The crown feels like I'm winding it when it's pushed all the way in, but I'm unsure if that's what it is. Anyone out there know? Other than that, I have no complaints whatsoever! Final Verdict: 10/10 Both of these pieces are incredible! They both have an unparalleled wrist presence, especially on a small wrist like mine. I haven't had people approach me yet, but I've definitely seen people look from a distance, and they seem pretty impressed haha. They're also very nicely weighted and feel very similar to, if not identical to their genuine counterparts...and they keep great time! I love fiddling with the chrono too! Not sure why, it's just fun Overall I love these watches, Legend is awesome to work with as well. The guy is a wealth of information and knowledge about our fun hobby and I see him as a great mentor and friend to me. Bottom line, I'm totally broke now but couldn't be happier!

Check out the item posting on Trusty Time at ttw888.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3407 Ok, so, onto the review. I unwrapped this beautiful rep today and couldn't have asked for more. It's made from a genuine used as sample (not 100% sure what that means, but assuming the casing is gen?) and it weighs in at just under 150g, so very substantial. It is, without a doubt, flawless. The detail is extraordinary, and the mechanism/complication works without an issues whatsoever. There was a light blue film on the crown and the start/stop, but this came off with my thumbnail, and as it was visible in the QC I have no issues with it. In addition to buying the watch, I also splashed out on a Tag Heuer box, as I feel an item of this quality needs a good home when it's not on my wrist. Again, I wasn't disappointed, and the leather/wood finish was indistinguishable from the real thing. My only little niggle, and it is a little one, is that the strap feels a bit plasticky, but this may resolve when the leather softens over time. Now, I can't finish this review without saying a few words about Andrew and Trusty Time. I have been absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the incredible level of customer service. Every response was dealt with almost immediately, he has been courteous, helpful and efficient. Oh, and the item was delivered within 10 days of being paid for. What more could I ask for? And now, on to the pictures...

A few days ago I received my GMT II ProHunter (Gold) A2836 and I would like to leave a review. - Ordered 7th June approximately - First one offered did not match order spec, declined it - PTA Located nice looking example on 16th. Pictures looked great - however one in the bench to determine its accuracy etc did not match other photos, it having a gold second hand. Accepted it anyway. - Shipped on 17th June - Arrived in UK 23th June - handed over to Customs - Released from Customs 1st July - Delivered 2nd July The appearance is extremely impressive first off, looked highly accurate to a Gen. even accounting for the customisation variabiliity: http://www.discoverprohunter.com/collection/gmt-master/gmt-master2-steel-gold Closer inspection reminded me of the QC Pictures that showed a different colour second hand - but that had been changed here, or it was an error, this watch the hand is gold ..which is what I preferred; but either way would have been fine. The casing is gloss black - perfect. The dial is what I expect a new'ish GMTII to look like, with PROHUNTER as one word as requested, not hyphenated either. Gen PHs can come in a variety of configurations; All accurate as far as I can tell. Number markers, seconds, lettering all look right to me. Date looks the correct font - havent checked all numbers on it yet. And it toggles over nicely overnight. Can be adjusted separately. Second hand sweeps beautifully. Crown offers adjustment of all hands, the 24hr hand separately. Winds nicely, a little stiff initially to pull out to correct settings, but okay. The bezel is superb - numbers look perfect in inset, right font, like it even more than those on the 'discoverph' link above and others. 24 clicks and both ways. Doesn't centre perfectly when arrow is at the top tho', otherwise okay. Cyclops looks right. Crown shoulders look right. Gold looks like gold...don't know what it is. Strap pretty flimsy but funtional. I have five arriving soon from the US, all NATO, some with gold furniture and one leather Rear casing has number and is nicely black, not so glossy. Weight feels right. Haven't opened it up to look at the movement but will do if it needs adjustment after settling. It currently gains approximately 30 sec per day. To me it looks like the #16,000 watch in the link above and elsewhere, and feels like it is too! Frankly I am amazed at the quality, level of accurate detail, the finish, that it works and is fairly accurate - and that it DIDN'T cost me what would have been charged at Gen. retailers! This may be of slight annoyance to them.. I thanked PTA very much and promised to return and buy another. I hope this review is useful and is of general interest too. Kind Rgds

So after a shaky start with my BP Omega PO Cr Ti, I have finally got round to replacing the bezel insert and taken some pics now I’ve got rid of the awful original pearl. I’m not going to post a full review as khashayar has done an excellent job of that here, but would like to share a few thoughts. The titanium weight is great. At first it reminded me that it was a rep in the way that a lightweight quartz model would, but now I find it so comfortable that I can’t imagine wearing anything else as my daily beater. The lume is exceptional, I’ve never seen anything like it. The AR is excellent. Crystal disappears at most angles and has a pale blue hue from others, which is apparently true to gen. Only slight disappointment is that the crystal or AR has picked up a few scratches. The rubber strap is honestly the smoothest rubber I’ve ever felt. In fact the inside of the band doesn’t even feel like rubber, it has a sort of powdery feel. Apparently some gen bracelet owners have purchased the rep strap and I can see why. The detail on the stitching is exceptional and the clasp is very solid feeling. The bezel. This is my favourite part of the watch now that I have updated it. I bought my PO in October 2013 and a new batch was introduced by BP in November 2013 with a much improved ceramic bezel. The original was aluminium and a bit dull/dark. This new version completes the watch and is incredible. BP has done a fantastic job to replicate the Liquidmetal finish on the gen and the way it changes colour from a bright blue to a grey in different light. I have tried to show this in my photos, hence why there are so many. The only slight disappointment is that the grey paint is still liable to be scratched off the bezel. You can see on the triangle on mine that it’s already had some damage in the factory. This is only a minor negative though. If you bought your BP Ti PO before November 2013, I definitely recommend updating your bezel insert. More info here: http://www.rwgforum.net/topic/167544-how-to-replace-bp-omega-po-ceramic-titanium-bezel-insert-updated-batch-november-2013/ I have had a few issues with the ‘ETA’ 2836-2 movement (documented on the forums), resulting in the date not changing under its own steam. This is something I will be fixing when I get time. I always wanted a ‘Swiss’ movement though, so no regrets there. It keeps great time. Overall, the detail on every part of the watch is incredible. Now I have updated the bezel insert, for me this watch is a super rep. Everything is gen-like. I took it into an independent watchsmith and they thought it was a gen, particularly due to the decoration on the rotor and movement. Obviously this was ironic as it is the biggest tell to those who know their Omegas, but it shows the quality finish of this rep. A few of my friends have gens and they are all envious of this watch. I should note that I have changed the bezel insert myself and it now sits slightly unevenly, meaning the rim of the bezel sticks out, particularly above the pearl. This is shown in some of the photos but new purchasers won’t have this problem as this isn’t how they come from the factory. I need to work out how to remove the insert without damaging it so that I can re-fit it correctly. Please also excuse the slightly scratched caseback. When you’re a noob, use a stickyball, not a caseback opener like me – d’oh! My next project is to repair the movement so that the date changes under its own steam again (problem with the calendar wheel/gear) and file the hands slightly. I’ll post a tutorial once I get time to do the job. A big thank you to everyone who has posted their experiences or helped me directly, I have had quite a few issues with my first rep but am now extremely pleased with my purchase. Here is a short video showing the reflective qualities of the bezel. It would be great if more members could make video reviews, as there is really no substitute for getting a feel for a rep. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KNyUl5r7oE A selection of my photos are below. I have taken loads to show the colour-changing of the bezel in different light, but can’t really post them all! The full set is available on Flickr here: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjSULzk9 . If you want to save any full-res photos from there, just click on the full screen icon, then right click and select ‘original’. You should then be able to save the image. Enjoy!

Just received this watch a few hours ago. Had to post a few pics and first impression thoughts. Now i cant compare this to a gen, so all observations are general. I compare fit/finish against other reps like Pam111 and SOSF v2. Bracelet: Was very "rattely" upon arrival. I soaked it in Rock n Roll lube and washed it off. Now if feels very good. No hard edges. Clasp snaps in as it should. SEL fit and endlinks are just great. Case: It collects fingerprints like an iphone screen! I find myself polishing the case with my shirt all the time. The inside corners on the lugs are razor sharp. Maybe its possible to sand thoose down. Otherwise the case is good, sits great on the wrist. Crystal: AR is good. Better than my Noob 111, but not as good as the SOSF v2. Its raised but i don't think its as doomed as the gen. I think.. Color hands/indexmarkers: We know they are not the same color. But you wont notice this on the wrist. This is a non issue. Dial: Just great. Pure class and good execution. Bezel and pearl: Biggest letdown of the watch. It turns pretty easy, but its a 60 click bezel. Maybe it should be like that, but im so used to 120 click bezels so it feel strange. It also feels "sheap" when you turn it, it has a bit of play and the pearl does not center 12 marker with a click. Its between clicks if you know what i mean. pearl is centered and looks good. I know an updated pearl will be released, i don't see any reason to change this pearl. A non issue for me. Conclusion: I have waited for this watch for over a year. Been following the RG thread daily. I had high expectations. But when my boss bought the gen i told myself that this would be a C&R. But im not so sure anymore. Its a stunning watch with a lot of character. The grey dial and gold hand is just purse sex. Its a small watch, but wears pretty big. This is something ppl notice. The feel of the watch is very good, im starting to really love it. I highly recommend this watch. Go get it Now on to the pics.

Hi, so this will be my first post here on a replica Tag Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 36. I thought i would share my thoughts on this low-end replica watch. And of course post some pictures I bought this watch from Priceangels as an experiment, but because of its superb design (for me the dial and brown and white contrast) I started using it as my daily "beater". So for the first months it held up great and it harvested lots of compliments. But suddenly the dial-ring (turning part located over the watch-face) pusher/control fell off and rendered useless. But I liked the design so I made some effort to repair it and kept using it. Another sign of the low-end watch was that the Chronograph function never worked - Hence it being a a21 movement. On the positive side, the whole dial was beautiful with nice details and good print and carvings. Whenever my friends checked it out they didn't even consider that it was fake. And i was impressed as well. And maybe not in the replica world, but otherwise the most important function: Timekeeping was very precise a few seconds +/- each day and i could comfortably trust its timekeeping. In addition the power reserve surprised me with about 16h. Otherwise the watch lens produced almost no reflections which made it great in sunny conditions, but i think a plastic material was used so scratch resistance wasn't great. Furthermore the date function was fully working and easy to adjust. Which meant that the two key elements of this watch was working and the watch was doing its primary job. In conclusion it was/is a great looking watch with an elegant leather strap (though not of highest quality) an exquisite dial and accurate timekeeping. This was a great short term daily beater, but due to its quality this watch is not in it for the long run. I'll leave my first post with some pictures for you to admire its design. Best regards -C/P Ps. Is there a review of the Omega Seamaster 300m chronograph Ceramic, in BLUE?

We're in the air, or the sea, but ..... Under the surface. Rolex Explorer II History. In 1971, Rolex launched the Explorer II (ref. 1655). This watch tool, incorporated a large orange needle for a 24-hour display, bezel engraved and graduate. Only sold with stainless steel case and black dial. The needle always remained Synchronized 24 hours with the hours ... in other words, the Explorer II 1655 was not a clock "GMT", since it could not be adjusted independently needle 24 hours .. The hand 24 hours - is used to indicate whether the time refers to AM or PM example 10 hours or 22 hours, combined with 24-hour graduated bezel, especially useful for cavers, that spend most of their time in dark caves , resulted in losing all sense of day or night. For the design and size the Explorer II 1655, was remarkable in its release. Due to the large orange needle 24 hours, was nicknamed "Freccione" (arrow) by Italian collectors. In the black sphere model, the needles create the "ghost" that effect is achieved by painting in black the tail mimicking well with the black color of the field and therefore not see a clear connection between the arrows and cannon of needles, so that appear to "float" on the dial. Here are the two versions of the Explorer II 1655: The first version (1971-1974). Needle stick seconds Second version (1974-1985). Needle seconds blip In 1985 and 1655 the reference disappears place is occupied by the Explorer II ref: 16550. Although still 40 mm in diameter, this Rolex was radically different from the previous model, as the 24-hour hand was now decoupled from the hours, making the clock hand could move 24 hours in 1 hour, independent hour hand. In other words, 16550 Explorerr II could now be used as a clock "GMT" In addition, the design of the dial and hands was changed, leaving almost no resemblance to the Explorer II 1655. 16550 Explorer II now had the typical skeleton Rolex in the hands (known as "Mercedes") and a red GMT hand with a smaller triangle. There were two options, white or black. The glossy bezel looks bigger and bolder numbers bezel engraved with a deep .. Interestingly, some of the first 16550 tubieron a failure in the paint mixture, so that the white dial, eventually became Cream (Known as the "Dial Cream" Explorer II). The black dial version sometimes developed a "spider web" effect due to other faults in the mixture of paint: "Cream "Explorer II 16550: "Spider Web" Explorer II 16550: Production of the Explorer II 16550 lasted only three years: In 1989 16550 reference disappears and gives way to the reference 16570 almost like the previous model, also with black or white dial, same needles, same size, but the end is added armis closing or security tab as the previous model was smooth Explorer II 16570 In the year 2011 marks the 40th anniversary of the birth of the first Explorer II reference 16570 disappearing and presenting at the Basel fair of that year the reference 216570 an Explorer II adapted slightly in size, to the "demands" of a sports watch of the century, the box goes just about 40 mm to 42mm, while keeping the ratio of typical lines Oyster case maxidial incorporates the "hands and indices larger" third needle GMT All times increases the size clearly referring to the 1971 original model. Now let's take a closer look at the replica Rolex Explorer II 216570 of the Noob: - Steel case 42 mm x 13mm high - Automatic Movement Asian 2836 28800 bph - Sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective coating on 2.5x cyclops equal to Gen. - Semi-invisible crown engraved on the glass at 6 (same as Gen) of the best I've seen. - Sphere and arrows with Super lumen (surprisingly) in blue as Gen. - Steel Armix 316F (the best rolex bracelet so far) l - New style flip-lock closure (super high quality) - Space between 21mm handles box Carved from a single block of steel with a satin finish and polished Oyster Box usual compliments the background thread and fine striations characteristic profile. .................. ..............................

Hi guys! Today I’ll be reviewing the Panerai PAM177 on the rubber strap. I want to preface this review by saying that this is only my second review on this forum. I’m a relative newbie when it comes to reps, but I have been a lover of fine watches for many many years. Being new to this there may be things I fail to cover or simply do not know, so please don’t hesitate to ask me other questions. And I am always open to suggestions on how to make my reviews better and more valuable to others. Background: I am new to Panerai’s. It has only been in the past few months that I’ve gained an appreciation for their simple but elegant beauty. Some of the things I looked for in picking out this watch were a sandwich dial face with superlume, a small seconds hand, and an exhibition back. I really like the PAM-386M as well and I will probably end up purchasing that one down the road. I have never seen the gen of this watch (or any other Panerai for that matter) in person, so my only comparison to the real thing is through photos and YouTube videos. The Dealer: I purchased this watch from Andrew at Trusty Time. He has been outstanding to work with and I plan on leaving a thorough review of my experience with him on his section of this forum later today. Please check it out if you plan to purchase from him. Here is the link to the watch I purchased: http://www.yourtrustytime.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_49&products_id=8784 This is the detailed description of the watch copied from the website: PN177NRU1 - Pam 177 N TI/RU Black Asia 6497 21600bph H Factory Best!!! Pam 177 N Series Upgraded!!!... Platinum Plated Bridges/Dagger Swan Neck Regulator Movement!!!!..... Made with a Genuine as Sample... Original C1 + C3 Super Luminova on Dial ..The Best 1 : 1 Pam to Date .. Swiss Quality Colourless AR Coating ...No Mods Needed.. All Parts Directly interchangeable with the Genuine. Immediate Delivery!!!!! MOVEMENT: Asian 6497 Manual Handwind Movement, Platinum Plated Cortes de Geneve Decoration on Bridges, Correct Shape Dagger Swan Neck Regulator, 17J, 21600bph CASE DIAMETER: 44mm THICKNESS: 15mm DIAL COLOR: Black Dial, Black Subdials, Numeral/Stick Hour Markers, Original C1+C3 Super Luminova Applied on Markers and Needles CASE MATERIAL: Full Solid Titanium Case 1:1 (Same color tone as genuine) BRACELET: Rubber (Antidust Quality) strap with Pre V Titanium Buckle FRONT GLASS: Sapphire Crystal Colourless AR Coated as per the Genuine. Done by Vendor who does for Swiss Genuine Brands BACK GLASS: Sapphire Display Case Back, Individual N Series Serial NXXX/800 nos and Matching Individual BB nos , Every Serial Number is Individual Engraved with Individual Scan Film, Not by Running Computer Program CLASP TYPE: Titanium Tang Buckle OTHER REMARKS: Water Resistant, No Recess Central Pinion, Polished Head flushed Lug Screw, Flush Polished Head Lever Pin, Notch for Bezel Prying at 5:00 Ordering/Shipping: I ordered this watch (along with a Rolex DSSD reviewed elsewhere) on Jan 13th through Andrew’s website. I received a confirmation email immediately. I received QC photos on Jan 15th. The watch arrived on Jan 28th but it had spent a full 5 days in the possession of customs at JFK, so taking out that delay the order-to-receipt time was 10 days which I consider to be excellent processing time from China to the US. The watches came well packaged. Each had a rubber bezel/case guard, was wrapped in thin plastic sheet, then folded up in a lot of bubble wrap and placed inside a thick Styrofoam box. The Styrofoam box was shipped in a standard cardboard box. You could drop this package off a 10 story building and the watches would be fine. The watches came well packaged. Each had a rubber bezel/case guard, was wrapped in thin plastic sheet, then folded up in a lot of bubble wrap and placed inside a thick Styrofoam box. The Styrofoam box was shipped in a standard cardboard box. You could drop this package off a 10 story building and the watches would be fine. First Impression: Talking the watch out, I carefully cut away the plastic film and removed the rubber bezel guard. I was amazed at how nice this watch looked in my hand. The quality of the appearance, and the fit-and-finish of this watch was way better than website photos or QC pictures could represent. This is a gorgeous watch, especially the movement, and I am extremely pleased with this purchase as my first PAM. Here are some photos: Further Investigation: The Crown - The first rep I purchased had a serious issue with the crown and the stem not engaging the movement correctly, so I had to send it back. So the first thing I did was to pull the crown out and test it. Unlocking the crown with the lever proved to be a good first impression of the quality of this watch. The lever was tight, but not overly tight. I pulled it out and wound the watch. The winding of the movement had a nice resistance to it with an almost inaudible vibrating sound as the watch is wound. It has the feel of quality. I then pulled the crown out to the first click which had a solid tactile snap to it. The hands turned smoothly without any play when adjusting the time. The Case – I absolutely love titanium. I couldn’t have enough titanium parts on my mountain bike when I raced them in my 20’s. They were strong and light, but I also loved the color and texture of the metal itself. This case is made of titanium and has a high-quality look to it. The one thing I will admit is that fingerprints and smudges are harder to wipe off than on stainless steel. The case is nicely machined. All the lines are precise and sharp. The crown guard looks solidly constructed as well. The screws that hold the crown guard to the case look to be high quality stainless steel (maybe I’m wrong about the SS part, they could be polished titanium). There are screwed in bolts that hold the straps in place vice the normal spring bars. I also like this feature a lot. The Crystal – The crystal looks very nice and has a nicely colored AR coating. There are some Panerai’s that have a big rounded looking domed crystal. Some people may like that look, but I purposely avoided it on this purchase. I don’t like how much they distort the face (particularly the numbers) when viewed from off-angles. I can see how this may be something that some people find interesting, and maybe someday I will too, but this watch has a relatively flat crystal. The crystal seats uniformly around the entire front of the case’s bezel. The Face – The face of this watch is very nice looking. As with most Panerai’s, it is very simple. I cannot speak to the accuracy of the fonts, but the quality is excellent. Everything is crisp and clear. It has numbers at the 12, 3 and 6 o’clock positions and a small sweeping seconds hand at the 9 o’clock position. Every other hour has a simple hash mark at the hour marker. One of the specs for my search in this Panerai purchase was the sandwich dial. For the newbies out there like me, this just means that instead of having one face with the numbers lumed onto it, this watch has two separate faces sandwiched together with the numbers cut out and the lume in between. The lume on this watch is outstanding. It glows extremely bright (much brighter than it looks in my photo) and lasts for a couple of hours. Here's my attempt at a lume shot (I need to get better at these): The Strap – The watch I bought has the rubber strap with “Officine” on the bottom part and “Panerai” on the top part. The strap seems very tough, but also flexible. I have a rep Bell & Ross that has a rubber strap that is very stiff and wants to push the watch away from the wrist. This strap fits nicely and comfortably right out of the box. The buckle is also machined from titanium. It is nice looking but the edges are a little too sharp. Normally sharp edges would be a plus, but these seem just a tad too sharp and catch on the strap a little more than it should. It has a nicely engraved “Panerai” on the top. I’ve seen a photo of a titanium Panerai on the forum that had a nice black suede strap with black stitching. I plan on buying one to alternate with the rubber strap on this watch because it looked so nice. If anyone knows where I can find a good deal on one please let me know! The Movement – This is where this watch really shines in my opinion. I love looking at a nice movement through a crystal exhibition case back. I started off looking for an automatic Panerai, but once I saw the look of this manual wind 6497, I changed my mind. The photos on the website and the QC pics do not do this movement justice at all. I was concerned that the movement would look cheap in person, but it does not. It looks very nice and I couldn’t be happier. My only complaint is that under extremely close scrutiny, you can just make out some fingerprints on the bridge. I plan to remove the back and clean these off very carefully with a q-tip and tiny amount of alcohol. I don’t plan on touching any other surface, but if this is not recommended, someone please let me know how I should go about this. You can see for yourself the beauty of this watch's movement in the photos. Trust me when I say that it looks better than even these photos make it look. There was an option for an 18,800BPH version of the movement that was $70USD cheaper, but I was told the 21,600BPH movement that I chose was more reliable in the long run. I doubt you could tell much of a difference in the beat rate between the two, being that the seconds hand is so small, but I didn’t want to skimp and purchase what might be a lesser movement. I chose the 21,600 movement, but in all likelyhood, the 18,800BPH movement would have been just fine. I will say it swings around so smoothly that you cannot see any beating of the seconds hand. The watch back has the words “OFFICINE PANERAI – BB1446039 – OP 6725 – TITANIUM – (OP LOGO) – (PAM FISH) 300m - N106/800” nicely engraved on the edge. The engravings are relatively deep and very sharp. The back crystal looks nice as well. The Fit – I have exactly a 7” wrist. I’m not sure how that fits in to the world-wide average, but I feel my wrist is average to slightly below average. The watch looks very well proportioned on the wrist to me. Unlike some of the larger Panerai’s, this 44mm looks just about right. Some of you with smaller wrists may shy away from the bigger watches, but I think this one is a nice compromise. It’s a large watch with a lot of presence, but it does not look awkward or out of place on my 7” wrist. Conclusion: I spent $288USD on this watch. I’ve found the gen selling for around $6700 online. Panerai is not as well known a brand to the general public as other watches, so I doubt most people will even know what it is much less whether it is rep or gen. But something I do believe is that anyone looking at it will recognize it as a beautiful watch. I would not hesitate to take it off and show someone the movement either. Overall the fit-and-finish of this watch are outstanding and well above my expectations. I am very happy with this purchase, and very happy with my experience so far with Andrew at Trusty Time (www.yourtrustytime.com). Again, if there’s anything in my review that wasn’t clear or if you have any additional questions I can answer, don’t hesitate to ask… I hope you’ve enjoyed this review and have found it helpful!

OVERVIEW IWC Mark XVI Spitfire was the watch that actually brought me to RWG, so I feel obligated to "give back" to this wonderful community and thank everyone here. I've been on the market for this particular piece solely because I consider this one of the best all-around watches. It is elegant and wears great with a suit, while being manly enough for a daily use. It is a very light watch, one you can wear all day without ever noticing it on your wrist. At 39 mm it is also not a as noticeable as some AP or Hublots or even Ingenuiers, so I believe you will not be called out, unless you will try to show it off. If you are interested in IWC Pilots watches history and heritage please read a wonderful review of the black version of this watch by chrgod. That review is a must for all IWC aficionados. TECHNICAL INFO Movement: Nickel Plated 2892 Automatic Asian Clone. Insignia Rotor with Cortes de Geneve. Dimensions: Diameter 39mm; Case height 11 mm; Width (including lugs) 48 mm; Crystal: Sapphire crystal with colorless AR Case: Stainless steel Crown: One piece screw down with O ring Lume: Markers, Hands and Numerals CASE The case is constructed and polished well, and dimensions are extremely accurate. The only issue I saw was with the internal parts of the lugs, which are as sharp as a razor. The engraving on the case back is at the correct position, although a bit more rough than on a gen. DIAL The dial seems to be of a good quality and just stunning. Unfortunately it isn't accurate. As you can see there is a 1mm space between the minutes numbers and the case. This isn't a major issue, though, and unless you compare this watch with a gen or have a really good knowledge of this rep and the gen you will not be able to spot it. Under a magnifying glass you can also see that the hour numerals, especially the silver part of them, is a bit thinner that on gen. Again not a major issue and you will not notice that unless you compare it to gen under a very good lighting and a magnifying glass. Unfortunately there is one major issue with the dial. The dial is not fully "silver" plated. The stripe that holds the numbers is white and has no ridges as per gen. This is a serious blow for this rep. I have contacted the dealer about this issue and he replied that this "was the way these dials were made", so there is no better dial for this watch. Personally I like it this way and I wish IWC actually made the watch with a white stripe, as it differentiates the silver parts of the dial and allows the numerals to stand out and really shine. So if you are looking for an exact rep this will probably be the biggest tell. I think the issue here is that the factories simply printed the Mark XV dial layout on a larger (39mm) Mark XVI. HANDS The hands are very accurate and well executed. My only concern here is the hour hand which is place way too close to the dial. I'm not sure if this is also the case with the gen, but once I open the watch for service I will definitely have it raised half a millimeter from the dial. The seconds hand is half a millimeter shorter than on gen, (again, I, personally, like it better this way). CROWN The watch features a screw crown with Probus Scafusia on it and O ring, and screws down very smoothly. The crown is, by far, my favorite part of the watch. It feels as genuine as it gets. DATE WHEEL The date wheel is really good. The font is a bit thinner than on gen, but ever so slightly, probably by a few microns. Good luck spotting that. Again, unless you are comparing this rep to a gen under a proper lighting you will never notice the difference. LUME The lume, as expected, is very weak. It doesn't hold up more than a couple of hours after "charging" in the sun. I'm not that concerned about it and I can't see myself re-luming this watch, but for those of you who like great lumes, I guess this will require a visit to Zigmeister. AR As you can see form the photos the AR is very good and has a slight blue(ish) hue. Nothing to add here except that I'm very impressed with the AR job the factories have done with this watch. BUCKLE CLASP The clasp is poorly constructed. Even before we start with the shallow and off center “IWC” engravement, I have to say that the overall feel of the clasp is very “reppish”. The clasp is as sharp as a razor as well, to the extent that when you wear the watch it rubs against the strap and damages it. I’m sure the factories can do a better job at polishing the piece and removing these sharp corners. The clasp has all the engravemnts as per gen, but the most important one, as I mentioned earlier, is too shallow and off-center. STRAP I opted for a Croc strap and it is very comfortable, thin, soft and feels of a good quality. Although the dealer sweared by the god-all-mighty it was a genuine Croc, “a real croc for sure”, I'm not that convinced. Nevertheless, I’m not a leather expert, so I’ll give our trusted dealer a benefit of the doubt. MOVEMENT I didn't open the watch so I have nothing to say about the movement, except that it's a 2892 Asian clone and is widely used in other reps and has been reviewed here time and time again, so I can't say I have more to add. SUMMERY All in all I'm extremely pleased with the watch, the dealer and the transaction. All went smoothly and without any issues whatsoever. I also enjoy the overall look and feel of this watch. Sure it is not 1:1 Ultimate Extreme Super As-Per-Gen replica, but I actually like it even better than the genuine watch. The issues with the dial are definitely fixable and in any case the drawbacks are only visible under a very good lighting and can be spotted only if compared to a gen side by side. Having said that I will definitely try to franken this watch with a gen dial in the future (or as soon as Concepta will answer my PM ). Hope you will find the review useful and any additional thought and comments are welcome. Let the nitpicking begin! On a side note: If you are looking for a similar watch with a more correct dial, I'd recommend trying the Mark XV form Trusty or another dealer, as it seems to have the correct dial for that model. And the last shot: me, wearing it well...

It took me awhile before the rep strap came to me, but finally it arrived today. So here comes the pictures. Before you look further, I'd like to point out that there IS a huge difference between the Rep straps and the OEM strap. Not only does the quality of the leather look different externally, it actually feels different when you have it on your wrist. Furthermore, it just brings a different feel towards your rep. The fact that you know that a part of it is gen, really makes you treasure your rep more. At the least, thats what I felt. In fact, I started wearing my rep as my daily beater instead of my gen just because I was wearing that new Gen strap of mine, in which I purchased off a member here. So for those of you who are debating of whether to get an OEM strap, I highly recommend it. For those of you who already use an OEM strap, you know what I mean Just a different satisfaction altogether. Hopefully this comparison or review is comprehensive, feel free to ask any questions as we go along. But obviously, the disparity in price says it all. ~$400 for the OEM and just about free with a purchase for a PAM from one of our TD's. Without further due, here are the pics as promised. (Commentary on top, pics right below it) 1. For those who are new, the gen or OEM strap is the one on the top, with CNG. It is obvious that the quality of the interior leather is different. The OEM gives a firm, but flexible feeling, making the watch really apart of your wrist. Whereas the rep is somewhat stiff. And as you can see, the gen has a fine engraving it, whereas the rep is just different. 2. The thickness is somewhat similar. 3. Again the gen has a more detailed and "perfect" finishing to it. Notice how the rep strap has the Panerai logo alittle misaligned. What I'm really trying to point out here though, is the holes. For those who want to compare the difference, the finishing in the holes are of different width and shape. 4. Again, the holes are very different. The quality of the leather is different, the gen being less stiff, although the color of the rep here seems brighter. In real life, it is somewhat indifferent, its difficult to tell even side by side just by looking at the color itself. 5. Same comments as the top ones, just to further clarify. 6. Notice the difference in stitching. The OEM uses thicker threads than the Rep. 7. Notice the texture, with the gen you can see the creases better than the rep, its deeper and more consistent. (Gen is the one on the bottom) 8. Notice how the Gen has a square "strap thing", while the rep resembles an oval. Again, the difference in the finishing and quality of leather. 9. And those of you who want to see the tubes. The gen's tube fits better into the gen strap. It slides in and out easily, whereas the rep requires some more effort to pull it in and out. Furthermore, the rep tube's finishing is not as good. Hard to see from the pics, but its quite evident in real life. 10. Finally, my assistant who is helping me hold the rep strap. I guess the strap has an odor or something, she puked after biting the strap. Maybe its the leathery chemical on it, but at that moment shes happy stealing it from my table. Well hope you enjoyed my short review. And to add on, I bought my rep from Toro, great seller, patient despite my picky nature in purchasing a watch from him. Rejected 3 QC's, and although he wasn't very happy with it, he remained calm and patient, politely asking me to pick another model if I could not settle with the next QC pic. But fortunately, things went well

I bought this in February, and for a $300+ replica, the crystal AR was non-existent, and the lume was awful. I sent it out to Vaccum, and here's the result. I am quite pleased. - 7ATM WR test passed - Double sided clear AR coating - Shaved off the cyclops (many Gen owners do this!) - Full re-lume Thanks for everything, Vac

Wondering if anyone here has experience with Peter @ iwatchstore.com Old threads from 2007 to 2008 recommend him as a partner of Angus. I'm about to make a purchase and any advice would be appreciated. Cheers, -civic4982