DocBotanus Posted March 3, 2010 Report Share Posted March 3, 2010 I've been away for a while-life and a new business will do that to you- and have been vacillating about choosing a replacement for the watch I sent back to Joshua(last summer I bought a "Bond" rolex from Joshua that was not exactly as pictured and had a dead movement)> I had wanted a replacement to go with the Corvus watch strap, but Joshua tells me he has issues with this watch's supplier. So... I started looking at the Sea Dweller- the watch I fell in love with in college- and had narrowed it to a few on perfect-hour.com. The two I've narrowed it to are http://www.perfect-hour.com/rlsd00089-super-dweller-black-asian-3135-p-7921.html http://www.perfect-hour.com/rlsd10003-super-dweller-black-swiss-28362-p-3585.html I am not exactly sure which style/era SD these are a replica of, so I can't fairly assess their accuracy. I was considering the second watch, with Asian movt at $50 less(my other Swiss ETA was doa after all), but Joshua tells me the 316F stainless of the $298 rep is in a different league. So, I am asking the indulgence of the experts here- which model is this, and is it a convincing replica? Do you think the Asian Rolex-copy movt is a poor choice over the common 2836? Are there obvious flaws in these copies, and which would you choose? Thanks for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paneristi_man Posted March 3, 2010 Report Share Posted March 3, 2010 Some have commented that the Asian Rolex copy movt has some issues. Do a search. I do have the DSSD with the Asian Rolex copy movt and has no problems with it so far. The winding for the Asian rolex movt is very smooth and there is no noise when you shake the watch. I also noticed the power reserve to be excellent. Again with reps your mileage may vary. I got mine from polo and I requested that he tested it prior to sending it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted March 3, 2010 Report Share Posted March 3, 2010 Accuracy is in the eye of the beholder. What may be inaccurate to me, will likely pass for perfect to many others. When it comes to the accuracy of a given rep, your best bet is to research the model you are interested in (there are tons of sites & books about gen watches that will provide all the info you need) so YOU know what to look for when gauging the quality of a given rep. I can say that I have never seen a rep that does not contain a number of mistakes & that includes these. In the case of these 2 (as is often the case with reps) they are essentially the same case & dial with different movements. As to movement reliability & rep watches - all rep watches come with used or unserviced movements, so they are, functionally, ticking time-bombs. For this reason, it is always recommended that you ignore sellers' claims of movement quality &/or in-house servicing & factor in the cost of having your watch overhauled by a professional watchmaker if you want it to keep running (properly) for 5-7 years (the recommended time interval between recommended overhauls for all mechanical watches - gen or rep). A cheap non-name Asian movement can run forever if it is properly serviced on a regular basis. Similarly, just about any movement in good condition can be made to run within COSC specs. It all comes down to proper servicing & maintenance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbh Posted March 3, 2010 Report Share Posted March 3, 2010 I'd go with the second one, The Swiss Eta. That's the exact same first watch I ever bought since playing with reps and it's still my favorite. I'm still wearing it almost every day. I've also heard problems with the clone with the fake Rolex bridges. I'd stay away from that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorilladame Posted March 3, 2010 Report Share Posted March 3, 2010 I'd go with the second one, The Swiss Eta. That's the exact same first watch I ever bought since playing with reps and it's still my favorite. I'm still wearing it almost every day. I've also heard problems with the clone with the fake Rolex bridges. I'd stay away from that one. Same here! Bought it June 2008 and it is still running fine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted March 3, 2010 Report Share Posted March 3, 2010 I'd go with the second one, The Swiss Eta. That's the exact same first watch I ever bought since playing with reps and it's still my favorite. I'm still wearing it almost every day. I've also heard problems with the clone with the fake Rolex bridges. I'd stay away from that one. I agree, also. Although there's no guarantee you'll actually get a 'swiss' eta, at least it's going to be an eta clone and you can always swap in a true eta fairly easily if you ever need to. The biggest flaw on this watch is that the crystal sits a little too high, but it's proved to be a good beater and typically has good WR. Some people epoxy the HE valve on the inside of the case as an added safety precaution before swimming, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocBotanus Posted March 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2010 Thanks for the advice- I was originally leaning towards the more expensive rep- assuming that the 316F ss would give a richer appearance than the 316 specced on the less expensive watch. That metal difference is what Joshua touts. I had some respect for his opinion, especially as we was not overly encouraging about a Paul Newman Daytona ( not really down on it, just noting that it is not top-shelf, but a beater that'll look OK- when was the last time you saw a gen on someone's wrist?) If there was a noticeable difference in person, I'd probably pony up for the more expensive one. As far as judging its accuracy, points well taken- to someone very familiar with these watches, a fake is easy to spot a mile away, just because it "feels" wrong. I was just looking for obvious errors. I am not sure what vintage this rep is attempting; I am just not that familiar with the SD. I bought a book on vintage (pre-1980) clones when I was looking for a Bond Rolex, and frankly that's the vintage I'd prefer. Unfortunately, the rep on Josh's site was not as good in the flesh. I assumed I'd end up distressing it, and having the markers redone, but as the pictures in a previous post showed, the whole face was painted in a lemon-cream yellow. Pretty crappy, and Josh has no replacement from another more talented maker. The point about the movement makes sense; I have no need to try to replicate a Rolex movement, since nobody will be looking in there anyway, and anyone of knowledge would laugh their ass off anyway. An ETA, original or knock-off , should be pretty reliable since they are so ubiquitous. On the other hand, the rattling "Swiss" movement in my first clone was DOA. I may very well order the second watch, with the Asian movement that I'd prolly get anyway. One more thought- I was going to get the Daytona for my dad, but how does this Milgauss look? I like it for something different, something more unusual.http://www.perfect-hour.com/000000rlm00102-milguass-green-sapphire-swiss-2836-p-6546.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorilladame Posted March 4, 2010 Report Share Posted March 4, 2010 I think By-Tor made a nice ref on this one. It is really nice work. I personally don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorilladame Posted March 4, 2010 Report Share Posted March 4, 2010 Sorry it wasn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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