denimhead Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Any thoughts on buying a complete 1655 from Phong at Jewelry and watch, any experiences etc? I have had in the past a DRSD case from NT Trading which my watchmaker spotted a mile away as not being a genuine case, are these cases the same product or is Phongs stuff really that good.All thoughts greatly appreciated. Denimhead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star69 Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Any thoughts on buying a complete 1655 from Phong at Jewelry and watch, any experiences etc? I have had in the past a DRSD case from NT Trading which my watchmaker spotted a mile away as not being a genuine case, are these cases the same product or is Phongs stuff really that good.All thoughts greatly appreciated. Denimhead IMHO : Jewelry, Phong , NDTrading = not worth it try yuki watch ? but 1655 is a special case want to use a gen movement ? cheers, Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denimhead Posted October 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 IMHO : Jewelry, Phong , NDTrading = not worth it try yuki watch ? but 1655 is a special case want to use a gen movement ? cheers, Frank Hi Frank, I am really after a complete watch with the 1570 movement etc, i know they occasionally come up for sale on here as complete Frankens. Cheers DH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailboss Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Hell, it's only money! I'd love one of his PN 'tonas myself but several grand is just a bit rich for me. Col. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flex Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 I actually like NDT and Phong's better than Yuki because they can do better engraving and have much better parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thl Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Well, I just changed to a Phong case from an old MBW and difference is remarkable, sure it's not cheap... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Remember the adage - If you want it done right, do it yourself. Phong's (J&W), NDtrading & Yuki all use essentially the same component sources in their watches. The primary difference is price (Yuki is often cheapest). If you are unable to build a watch yourself, then these assembled frankens are a great alternative. However, you should beware that, like rep watches themselves, QC, from what I have seen (& I am sure Ziggy will concur), is next to non-existent from any of these commercial franken builders. Further, whenever a corner can be cut during assembly, it usually is......& not in ways that a proper watchmaker (or knowledgeable watch collector) would exactly appreciate. With this in mind, I would recommend that if you plan to buy an assembled franken, also plan to have it fully serviced by a professional watchmaker as soon as it arrives. This will allow you to catch most potential disasters before they occur (or before the seller's guarantee runs out) & help to insure a long, serviceable life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 If you hold on something is in the works.. you could save a ton of $$.. we'll see .... AC Lani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadtorrent Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 If you hold on something is in the works.. you could save a ton of $$.. we'll see .... I know I'm waiting for the new 1655 project coming down the pipes. I hope it works out well!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 I got my Tudor 7032 from Phong but he gave me very good price on it.. some of his other vintages are nice.. but ohhhhhh .. you could buy a nice genuine for the price.. .. sheesh I could of bought a nice genuine for the price I payed for my 7032.. but ahhh... I'm happy with it.. AC Lani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcoxxx1984 Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 I know I'm waiting for the new 1655 project coming down the pipes. I hope it works out well!!! You mean Andrew's 1655 project??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadtorrent Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 That's the one I'm thinking of... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Any thoughts on buying a complete 1655 from Phong at Jewelry and watch, any experiences etc? I have had in the past a DRSD case from NT Trading which my watchmaker spotted a mile away as not being a genuine case, are these cases the same product or is Phongs stuff really that good.All thoughts greatly appreciated. Denimhead I am curious what was his, mile away, tell? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWG Technical Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Do NOT buy any movements from them, they are JUNK.... Everything else seems ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flex Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 I just changed my 5513 to a NDT case from Yuki because of the better case back & mid case engraving & finish. The finish of the lug is much better as well. The engraving between the lugs because it is so close to the geninue - this gives me an option to put on a nato. The only thing from the Yuki's case that I kept was the insert. I think they are the best I have seen so far (as an aftermarket insert). One of the things I don't like about Phong is his case-back. I always have trouble opening his case back, even with a Bergeon. As mentioned above, I would not buy a complete watch from either of them. It is my experience that sometimes they have really bad craftmanship. They all use their suncontractors based in Vietnam! Truthfully, I cannot tell any difference between a ND trading DRSD case, Phong DRSD case, and a Geninue 1665 case. Remeber people were (and probably) are selling these frankens as geninue in the grey market. Yes, experienced vintage collectors can tell the differences. But when it is a complete watch on a 93150 bracelet, I really don't think you can tell the difference. (OK - Phong's bezel is not that good) In summary, I would just buy parts from these people (choosing the best parts) and get a 2nd hand 1601 (given that these vintage Datejust are much cheaper now) and send to The Zigmeister for assembling and services. Flex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJo35 Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 1655's are nice IMHO... Save your money and buy the real thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolfire Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 1655's are nice IMHO... Save your money and buy the real thing You know what? I Agree! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denimhead Posted October 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 I know I'm waiting for the new 1655 project coming down the pipes. I hope it works out well!!! Is this the talked about perfect clones one? Very interested in getting some info on any future 1655 product. Cheers DH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadtorrent Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 There was talk of either Andrew or Josh I believe working on a project for a 1655. We'll see what comes of it. I've been tempted to buy a gen one for awhile...but always get cold feet given the price tag on them. A decent rep would be great with the proper case thickness. Zig can work the dial with his usual magic, Omega hands. Slick!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denimhead Posted October 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 There was talk of either Andrew or Josh I believe working on a project for a 1655. We'll see what comes of it. I've been tempted to buy a gen one for awhile...but always get cold feet given the price tag on them. A decent rep would be great with the proper case thickness. Zig can work the dial with his usual magic, Omega hands. Slick!! Morning Toad Andrew emailed me yesterday confirming that ther is a new 1655 rep on the way(eta based)He has sent his own watch for replication. He was clear that there were going to to be other models first.Couldn't get anymore out of him. Lets see what they come up with. Cheers DH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highoeyazmuhudee Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 5512/13! C'MON! 1680! 16800! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 5512/13! C'MON! 1680! 16800! Huh? Is this a statement or question? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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