gioarmani Posted September 5, 2009 Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 (edited) This is a piece I had inquired about to Hont, about a week ago & just got it this morning--apparently my gf decided to purchase it as surprise. I shot this in natural light, in an attempt to get the pics as close to what is actually present on the watch, in the way of the blue's particular color (robins egg blue). And, yes, it is damn close to gen. You'll notice the metal might have a bit more of a sheen to it, as I polished it up quite a bit (including some light buffing with rouge on the brushed parts as well), trying to make it stand out more than straight from the box--knowing that the gen is white-gold. I know white-gold in certain light appears to have more of a white luster (like sterling silver), rather than the cooler tones of steel, and while buffing won't change the reflective color, it will change the reflective properties. White-gold--in it's pure form--isn't "white" at all; it's actually a bit yellow. The surface areas of white-gold are generally coated with a layer of rhodium, or palladium (similar to how platinum is often treated), in order to make it appear less brassy and to give it a better sheen (all of your modern Daytona's bezels are coated with rhodium or palladium--the WGs, the platinums, and even the steel versions). So this buffing will hopefully help it to look less like simple, brushed steel. (I also did a paint-mod on the bezel to get the numbers a bit brighter) First, popped the back to check the movement. I don't know if anyone else has encountered this, but the case-back die that best fits this piece is the 28.3, which is odd because almost every sub I'm used to takes the 29.5. Oh well--everything looks good there: Next, time to grease the gaskets, to get it ready for water: And now, outside: The crown etching sits nice & straight, as it should, at 12 o'clock (I'm noticing a lot more reps are paying better attention to the way they seat the tubes now; they look much better like this): Nice, thick bezel too--sharply cut: Dial details, a little skimping on the ink (notice the bottoms of some letters), but nonetheless, crisp, nice & sharp: Crystal crown etching properly stippled, and not made of solid lines; aligned perfectly over 6, as it should be: Rehaut appears to be the proper height, and the inscription on the rehaut is engraved--not printed--as it should be. It appears the engraving is slightly askew, but that will be easily fixable by simply shifting the movement a hair to one side, inside the case. Some gens are also misaligned as well--you'd think for $23,000, they might employ someone who knew how to double-check his work through a loupe: Gen: Rep: Excellent CGs; accurately sized & shaped--quite nice: Band, clasp, case, and case-back (missing the four case-back engravings on the gen, but that was expected). Clasp markings aren't completely true to gen, but accurate enough--not to mentioned properly engraved, not printed, the way they're supposed to be: Gen: Rep: Proper diver's extension as well--nice to see they quit using the wrong one found on the older body-style of Subs: Factory lume was as expected too--markers lit up nicer than the hands, and definitely better than the pearl (which needs replacing). Lume faded quick, as expected--I played with a few settings to get teh most accurate-to-life pics I could take, and let me say, they're very close (aqua markers, green pearl, with the hands slightly more blue than the markers)--here are 3 shots, each approximately one minute apart, so you can see an accurate depiction of the glow's intensity and how the peak fades to a color change a little more towards the blue side: Does anyone know--for certain--what color the lume is on the gen? I suspect the same color as the DSSD, in order to accentuate the blue dial & insert, as I think green on the gen (or this) piece simply doesn't match, and would look tacky. Anyone? Well, that's pretty much it for this one. Watch is keeping perfect time after syncing it with the atomic clock's website--hasn't gained or lost a single second since 9 AM (published this review 6 hours later, at 4 PM, EST). Hope you enjoy; it's truly a very nice piece, and well put together. Thanks, Hont! Edited September 5, 2009 by gioarmani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted September 5, 2009 Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 Absolutely fantastic review This isn't a watch which has taken my fancy enough to buy, but it was a pleasure to see one so well presented and photographed Some interesting points, you raise as well, such as the bottom of the dial letters being a bit 'light on ink', which I'm sure is only noticeable under macro/loupe inspection, and indeed, the use of a glide-lock clasp. Absolutely top notch review, thanks for taking the time to put it together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gioarmani Posted September 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 You're more than welcome. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fitch Posted September 5, 2009 Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 Great review! Excellent photo's as well enjoy your sub Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted September 5, 2009 Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 Out of curiosity, did you use the same paint on the bezel insert as you did on the other ceramic insert mods? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gioarmani Posted September 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 Of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted September 5, 2009 Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 Of course. That's what I thought Awesome result Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dluddy Posted September 6, 2009 Report Share Posted September 6, 2009 Looks Good Gio. Thanks for taking the time to review it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bundamania Posted September 6, 2009 Report Share Posted September 6, 2009 Tip Top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiker01 Posted September 6, 2009 Report Share Posted September 6, 2009 G-! Another nice review! Thanks for taking the time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormTooper4 Posted September 6, 2009 Report Share Posted September 6, 2009 Fantastic effort thanks for taking the time to put this together. ST4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vlydog Posted September 6, 2009 Report Share Posted September 6, 2009 Always look forward to reading your thorough reviews and viewing your amazing pictorials. Thanks gio! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gioarmani Posted September 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2009 Grazie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valerian Posted September 6, 2009 Report Share Posted September 6, 2009 Your pix are so sharp my eyes hurt! Very nice review, I wish I could pix like those... Thanks for all the work! Val. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverspeed Posted September 6, 2009 Report Share Posted September 6, 2009 Great review Gio, well done The blue Sub is one of my favorites...especially after the "Gioarmani Bezel Mod" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfreeman420 Posted September 7, 2009 Report Share Posted September 7, 2009 Very nice watch and nice review. White-gold--in it's pure form--isn't "white" at all; it's actually a bit yellow. That depends on the manufacturer. Yes in it's pure form it looks a bit yellow because white gold doesn't occur naturally. Most white god nowadays is rhodium plated for that super silver luster. I have had white gold jewelery where the plating wore off and you could see yellow underneath. I think the polishing does wonders for any SS rep. I polish all of my SS reps with a cape cod to remove dirt. If you look at a gen Rolex the SS is much brighter than the reps even on the brushed areas and the polishing definitely brings it closer. The white gold Rolex uses however is totally different animal. You will never see yellow on a white gold Rolex. They have a patented process where they manufacture an alloy that makes the gold white the same as their rose gold called everrose. Even common rose gold turns yellow after time but not Rolex's. You will not find rhodium plating on a Rolex yet it will look whiter than any white gold. I think the polished SS gets pretty close. Good job. You have a great girl there BTW, nice of her to order the watch for you. Last watch I got from a girl was a black dial orange bezel Croton from shop nbc that looked like a PO but uglier. That went back fast and made her cry. Oh well........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted September 7, 2009 Report Share Posted September 7, 2009 Another Superb review Gio !!!! Attention to detail is great. as usual.. Seems like I'm missing this one from my collection..mmmmmmm A~C Lani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllergyDoc Posted September 7, 2009 Report Share Posted September 7, 2009 Seems like I'm missing this one from my collection..mmmmmmm I didn't know that was possible. Don't you have one of everything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twon1212 Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 (edited) I just read the review in Insync watch magazine, and the lume on this watch should be blue. The article goes over the full specs, and what makes this model different from prior submariners. tony Edited September 8, 2009 by By-Tor Please don't quote the full post and large number of pictures. Thx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casanile Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 As usual, what an excellent review!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 Not a big fan of this model (gen or rep) but the review was amazing. Thanks Gio! PS: Blue lume is accurate for this watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 With a Serial Number of M092117, I'm thinking this is a noob factory watch. They're also using the same SN on the new noobs with the rehaut engraving- the 'updated M serial' 16610 sub. Nice review, Gio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demsey Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 Like white duck pants and loafers sans socks, this watch should only be worn between Memorial Day and Labor Day. For anyone at a loss, this would be the look. Please notice correct accessories; Nice watch. I like the clasp and the rehaut detail. Thanks for the contribution! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gioarmani Posted September 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 You're welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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