Calling All Vet's .. Roll Call..

[robertk]

Well, I joined up on the predecessor of RWG back in 2003 and than joined TRC. They were heady times. Lots of great discussions and some real characters. Reps were starting to come into their own quality wise. Some of the early sellers were real gems including Eddie Lee and some others. TTK was admired than for his experience and great photo's. I found myself visiting every hour because there was always some controversy or great discussion going on. It seems like most of the characters are gone (Klink?). I miss them all. Jetmid lasted about 15 seconds...but it was fun while it lasted. We watched the sellers go to actual websites, which was great. Of course, they kept getting shut down until they figured out how to stay up (stay in Chna?).

It's been great watching these boards mature. Of course with maturity, they are much more informed but....less drama.

I do miss the drama!

[jeff g]

It is like Deja Vu all over again.

[ehtolcad]

i've bin around for a while and always try to pop my head in now and again

[KB]

i've bin around for a while and always try to pop my head in now and again

Kinda of spooky how you do that buddy

I mean we don't see you for Months, a thread starts about old timers and there you are like you have been here all along

Ken

[Tribal]

I remember that time as I showed my Lugholed MBW 16610 in the old Forum....

At this time in the past MBW was a myth only some members know about MBW.....

Too funny

Now we have it available for everybody and also a lot of other great reps thats a great thing I think....

I love this community

[Logan]

I've been doing this far to long.. I started out reading Andre's board, I guess that must be around 1999 / 2000 / 2001 or so?, I really don't remember the year. Later on Repliacollector.com was formed and we all joined up there and started posting properly. After TRC I've mostly been posting here at RWG, although I drop by the other forums from time to time.

Happily I avoided the scam sites early on, nearly dropped $1200 but something didn't feel right so I passed. My first proper rep purchase was from a dealer called Wade, a Seamaster, I still have it. After that I brought from River for ages. Since I've dealt with pretty much all the guys. TTK stands out, he rang me a few times, we had a great chat about all kinds of stuff. He may have been high maintenance as a dealer but he was a very interesting guy. I often wonder how he is these days? His health wasn't that great last I heard.

I'm also happy to say I've never been seriously scammed, in fact I think a couple of small parts are the only things that have never arrived.

As for the watches.. well that have been a few... I guess probably near to 100, I still have all the good ones, about 40 in the collection now. I'll post some picture one of these days.. should make some of the newbies jealous I expect...

The cost? Well I could certainly own a decent big name watch for the money, but I would never have had as much fun or satisfaction, and I couldn't go a month with a change ever day!! I also wouldn't have taught myself the basics of watchmaking on a genuine Patek or AP.

I'm sure I'll keep doing this for a while yet, although I'm pretty fussy about what I order these days. If I can say anything about the rep history, its that the newbies have no idea how great they have it. no idea at all. The Quality and attention to detail today blows me away ever time I open an EMS package.

[southcoast68]

I've been doing this far to long.. I started out reading Andre's board, I guess that must be around 1999 / 2000 / 2001 or so?, I really don't remember the year. Later on Repliacollector.com was formed and we all joined up there and started posting properly. After TRC I've mostly been posting here at RWG, although I drop by the other forums from time to time.

Happily I avoided the scam sites early on, nearly dropped $1200 but something didn't feel right so I passed. My first proper rep purchase was from a dealer called Wade, a Seamaster, I still have it. After that I brought from River for ages. Since I've dealt with pretty much all the guys. TTK stands out, he rang me a few times, we had a great chat about all kinds of stuff. He may have been high maintenance as a dealer but he was a very interesting guy. I often wonder how he is these days? His health wasn't that great last I heard.

I'm also happy to say I've never been seriously scammed, in fact I think a couple of small parts are the only things that have never arrived.

As for the watches.. well that have been a few... I guess probably near to 100, I still have all the good ones, about 40 in the collection now. I'll post some picture one of these days.. should make some of the newbies jealous I expect...

The cost? Well I could certainly own a decent big name watch for the money, but I would never have had as much fun or satisfaction, and I couldn't go a month with a change ever day!! I also wouldn't have taught myself the basics of watchmaking on a genuine Patek or AP.

I'm sure I'll keep doing this for a while yet, although I'm pretty fussy about what I order these days. If I can say anything about the rep history, its that the newbies have no idea how great they have it. no idea at all. The Quality and attention to detail today blows me away ever time I open an EMS package.

+1 !!

[Nanuq]

Here's a blast from the past... I remember when ehtolcad decided to change his ID and write it backwards.

TRL anyone??

[jkerouac]

I haven't been around or posted very much the last few months, but this thread just reminded me that I am coming up on my 5-year anniversary with the boards.

Five years ago this month my wife and I took a trip to Switzerland and Italy, and looking in all those boutique windows (including the Panerai showroom in Florence) I was sorely tempted to buy myself a nice watch--but I decided to wait until I could do more research at home.

So I must have come across RWG 1 and TRC in the second half of October 2004. A few weeks later I bought my first rep from ABay (now know as Pam111, sometimes also referred to as Paulmart), a Speedmaster with a lovely Lemania movement that still keeps solid time and that I still wear, although mostly just on "chore" day or during outdoor recreation. On the whole I have had very few reliability problems, except with a few "what the heck" cheapies that I purchased.

Right now I haven't purchased any watches in ab. a year, but I feel the itch, the curiosity starting to rebuild. For now, though, I'm rather busy with work and learning the guitar.

Seagull Maritime

Cheers to all.

[lanikai]

I haven't been around or posted very much the last few months, but this thread just reminded me that I am coming up on my 5-year anniversary with the boards.

Five years ago this month my wife and I took a trip to Switzerland and Italy, and looking in all those boutique windows (including the Panerai showroom in Florence) I was sorely tempted to buy myself a nice watch--but I decided to wait until I could do more research at home.

So I must have come across RWG 1 and TRC in the second half of October 2004. A few weeks later I bought my first rep from ABay (now know as Pam111, sometimes also referred to as Paulmart), a Speedmaster with a lovely Lemania movement that still keeps solid time and that I still wear, although mostly just on "chore" day or during outdoor recreation. On the whole I have had very few reliability problems, except with a few "what the heck" cheapies that I purchased.

Right now I haven't purchased any watches in ab. a year, but I feel the itch, the curiosity starting to rebuild. For now, though, I'm rather busy with work and learning the guitar.

Seagull Maritime

Cheers to all.

Although I didn't join up until 2006 .. it's great to see the ol timers that were here when I was a fresh Noob..

AC

LANI

[jkerouac]

Although I didn't join up until 2006 .. it's great to see the ol timers that were here when I was a fresh Noob..

AC

LANI

Forever Noob, that's me. Perhaps not a very fresh Noob, perhaps even slightly past my "sell by" date, but a Noob nonetheless.

[P4GTR]

Although I didn't join up until 2006 ..

It seems like 2006 is the old school starting point here though.

at least your '06. Us 2007 alumni missed the boat by a year. Sucks, considering I've been into reps for 10 years before joining.

I can't tell you how many attempts I made to find an online community like this, and nothing ever came of it. Then one day WHAM, here you are. It's like true love, you go all your life without it, then all of a sudden it blind sides you. I used to pine away to find one truly great rep, now the worlds our oyster.. case.

Here's to being part of the elite.

[deltatahoe]

i love reading these threads. like lanikai, i certainly don't feel like a veteran -- i found rwg.cc right as the wheels were coming off (highflyingclive of all people took me under his wing and suggested i check out RWG). i nearly bought a watch from some scam site (i can't remember the name of the site, but for some reason i do remember the name of the lady i was emailing with was pamela). anyways, thinking back on rwg.cc i still remember how difficult it was to weed through pages and pages of threads to find a link to joshua's photobucket and his contact information. but to be honest, that was how i expected the replica underworld to operate, with everything being super covert so as to protect the dealers of these high end wares. looking back it is definitely eye-opening how far things have come, with full blown websites and automated payment processors. i will still rarely just place an order via the website without emailing joshua first about it. now that's partly b/c i generally am seeking out random spare parts as part of my purchase, but also because it just feels wierd to order a new watch without some kind of email exchange first.

here's another one of my distinct memories from when i first got started (that i'm sure most people can relate to): despite the rave reviews i read about joshua, i'll be honest it was certainly a leap of faith sending that first paypal payment. i sat there thinking, so i'm going to send a couple hundred dollars to this guy in china, and he's going to send me a high quality replica -- despite the fact that i don't know him from adam and he could just as easily pocket my money and ignore all my future emails. i just had a hard time wrapping my brain around the idea of an trustworthy replica watch dealer. then when the watch showed up 5-10 days later, i have to admit -- i was absolutely floored. the rest is history.

keep the stories coming folks

deltatahoe

[lanikai]

here's another one of my distinct memories from when i first got started (that i'm sure most people can relate to): despite the rave reviews i read about joshua, i'll be honest it was certainly a leap of faith sending that first paypal payment. i sat there thinking, so i'm going to send a couple hundred dollars to this guy in china, and he's going to send me a high quality replica -- despite the fact that i don't know him from adam and he could just as easily pocket my money and ignore all my future emails. i just had a hard time wrapping my brain around the idea of an trustworthy replica watch dealer. then when the watch showed up 5-10 days later, i have to admit -- i was absolutely floored. the rest is history.

keep the stories coming folks

deltatahoe

B. ... that's funny cause I was directed to RWG by a friend after I ordered a Pepsi GMT from some Replica site and the gal's name .. I'll remember this one.... was Pam.. cause it took over a month to arrive..

then my first purchase here was from Joshua (photo bucket)... the B-ling Bently .. still have it .. and Ssurfer was the first member to guide me in the right direction (my first post was asking what to do about a proper date wheel for a Pam).. with Kruzer giving me the run down on the rep world as it was then..DBR showing me with pics how to remove a movement and so I could swap crystals...

And I remember you during that first year when the Pav MP's went on special and we gabbed them for 150usd.. which at the time was a deal..

and I (like many noobs) made the mistake of crossing swords with Neil (TTK) and then after my first purchase with him.. he kinda calmed down since he gained my $$ but everything was pretty much "Fast Eddie"

Waited about a year until my first mod appointment with ZM ... and never regretted it since !!!

It has not been as long for me as the vets. .. but just as enjoyable ...

There was a lot more drama then.. maybe that made for more traffic... checked out the other sites.. but I never felt comfortable and will always remember the warmth and support I received whilst in the hospital a couple of months ago...

RWG was always supportive with this hobby.. that's why I try (like many others) to give back..

It will be etched in my minds eye when I was lying in ICU .. kruzer and Ubi on conference calls with more than a dozen IV's in me .. and Kruzer always commenting how I sounded like "death" .. I can laugh about it now obviously..... and TT(big M.) calling to check in on me..RobbieG calling even when he himself was in wicked poor health..

Nanuq and the Admin Teams gesture of kindness.. Nanuq has always been an inspiration with what he accomplishes with the Youth ..

Watches ???? and I thought when I registered here, that this place was just about timepieces and replications..

It has been proven time and again to be about friendships.. bonds.. like Nanuq says.. "We band of Brothers" ...and for that I will always strive to do the same ..Long live RWG and thank you to all of you who made the Community what it is today !!

AC

Lani

[JoJo35]

Lots of '06 guys here. I was on the original RWG as a newb, where I can remember a member with an avatar of a naked girl with a bicycle handlebar on her back was very helpful....

Since then it was Josh's reps to frankens to all gens

[deltatahoe]

well put lani

i think your enthusiasm has allowed you to make a mark on this place well beyond the amount of time you've been here; as others have said before (and even more than usual when you were in the ICU) -- the place wouldn't be the same without you

deltatahoe

ps, i definitely remember the mp PAVs; the start of a great friendship

[fotoman]

Phoband, Born July 1974

Started on RWG 1, in may of 05

first watch was from trusty june 05

Died October 2040

it sucks my member number here is WAY to high. i was on a hiatus when the board blew up. after the board was up for a few weeks i guess, some asked hey, remember phoband, maybe we should invite him over. I got the email, and joined up.

i wish i had a cool number like 32

good people, good times,and experiences

[dluddy]

Well I think I found the boards in 2003 searching for someone other than an AD to repair my gen Air King from Dad....

That led me to TRC and the original RWG run by Blade...

After reading hours worth of posts, I eventually discovered Eddie Lee and the TW Best SD. As someone else said, it was a bit scary sending $265 at the time to someone named Eddie, who you don't know, and hope to receive the beautiful watch you see the reviews of...

Needless to say, that was the start of a beautiful relationship

When Blade went AWOL and the team started up this board, I immediately jumped - and I did so because of the intentions, credibility and integrity of the team behind the move. I'm honored to be a part of that team today

[Nanuq]

It was way back in the Fall of '97 or '98 when I got the bug for a really good fake Rolex. I'd bought a few from street vendors in Puerto Rico and for the most part they didn't go "tick tock" they just went "tick" and died. So I knew I needed something special.

I eventually stumbled across the early boards and did a LOT of reading. I sniffed out a small and secretive undercurrent of people with bad German accents and cigarette holders, and knew I was onto something good. You had to do it right... make the right approach, utter the passphrase, place your order by leaving a slip of paper under the correct rock at midnight, keeping it brief and succinct, pay the man with small nonsequential bills, hope against hope that you didn't screw up, and then wait. It was hellish.

Eventually the day arrived when The Package landed on my step, replete with cognac stains and smelling vaguely of sauerkraut. Inside lay the love of my newly hatched rep collector life, a real, live, genuine, honest-to-God Maria Best 1665. And it was running.

I eventually worked up the nerve to post a photo on the rep board, and their jaws dropped. They didn't know something like that was available (???) and several asked me "Is that a real DRSD?" Man I was tempted to lie, but I didn't. I said it was from Maria, acting like I was part of the Inside Cadre, like "Yeah me and Maria ... we're like this" (holding up two crossed fingers) when in fact I was a pathetic newb.

Things picked up after that, I put Paul on speed dial, and the watches started rolling in. It was about that time CrazySaleMan was born, and the giddy freedom of inexpensive, fairly high quality watches took root. I experimented with contemporary "flat crystal" models and hated them all, ultimately resulting in The Test. Did you know a mineral glass crystal would melt? Neither did I.

And now here we are! Gone are the days of sneaking around with passphrases and false moustaches (except in the case of TT). We're a much more refined and educated group now, and MUCH more accepting of newbs. And that's all good.

[wheaton26]

lol. i'm just seeing this post now. i was introduced to rwg-1 in 2005 by my father. he has many gens and reps in his collection and because of this, i have always been intrigued with watches. around the same time, he turned me on to the brand panerai. i instantly fell in love with the pam 091. after joining the site, i decided to make the pam 165 my first rep. it was a no brainer for me as it was the closest to the 091 at the time and was only $150. i still have this watch today. and even better, i now have the gen 091. it's been great buying, selling and getting to know the individuals here. it truly is a sickness that most people out there would laugh at. but that's what makes this community great. it's our passion and we're here to help each other. thanks for having me rwg!

[Nanuq]

Uh oh, TT is here! Okay everyone knock off the mentions of false moustaches!

Wait... Am I the only one...? Uh oh...

Looks like I better take the lad out to dinner! Where's the digs tomorrow night, Chief?

[TwoTone]

Looks like I better take the lad out to dinner! Where's the digs tomorrow night, Chief?

I had to change my itinerary because I have to fly to Billings Montana tomorrow for a funeral...

Any chance of hooking up this evening for din din...

TT

.

[Nanuq]

You bet. We'll make it happen. Give me a jingle when you're ready.

[slay]

Been on board since '04. Why? I needed help because I bought a shitty watch for a lot of money

Made quite a few personal friends here, enjoyed numerous GTG's all around the globe. Was really nice to put some faces to names, especially seeing T was a bit of a surprise

Hope this community will stay alive!

[alligoat]

I found TRC and RWG1 in '05, thanks to Richard Brown. Luckily, before that I never got ripped off. My first rep purchase was from Replica Factory- $420 for an eta sub- not cheap, but a decent watch.

After finding RWG1 and TRC, it was on to Paul and a $139 DRSD w/ eta and working HE valve. Now days I'm just hanging on to the watch for the movement! Oh, also got a Red Sub from Red Big Joe, got some mods done, maybe paid too, but someday soon I'll move on to phase 2 w/ that watch. Now days I have a fair stable of gens, quite a few knock-offs, and lots of reps and frankens. I guess the nice thing about this place is that I learn something new here everyday.