lhooq Posted August 16, 2010 Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 Yes, it's finally here: This is the review you've been waiting for all year long! The "Steve Freccione Orange Hand" is a fine watch, but when Josh first released pictures of his new 1655, I was more excited about the bracelet than anything else. I love the look and feel of folded links, and I nearly blew $400 on a genuine 7836 just a few months ago. When ~$100 7836s started showing up on Honpo's site, I racked my brain trying to figure out how to order from it. And then this showed up. Reviews of the vintage Explorer II have raved about the bracelet, but I was concerned about an early review by pismo, who said that he had to modify the band for genuine spring bars. However, the bracelet does have detachable endlinks, so I wasn't too worried about the whole assembly deforming if I attempted to widen the loops inside (as they would on, say, Yuki's old 7206). I don't want a 1655 just yet, so I asked Mary of Watch International to source me the 7836. She didn't find one until weeks after the Exp II's release. But when she did, the price was right. So, does a "gen" springbar fit? Maybe mine came from a different batch than Josh's, or maybe I got lucky, but... yes, and without any modifications. There's plenty of clearance within both the endlink and the middle loop. Both springbars pictured are 2mm in the middle. The Yuki bar on the left has a 0.9mm pivot vs the 1.2mm pivot on the right. Now, onto the rest of the pictures: The coronet is reasonably defined for a rep, but there's a bit of an "aura" around the stamping. Not too bad. What looks like dings on the sides of the clasp are actually residue from sticky tape. The only downside that I observed -and a minor one, at that- is that the "358" endlinks don't fit too great on my Datejust case. Observe the pronounced mid-lug bulge below... ...and compare that with the perfect fit of our old friend, the "455 B" endlink. The sharper-eyed among you might suspect the needle-nosed Yuki springbar as the culprit, but I assure you that it makes no difference. (Also, that scuffed-up crystal has got to go.) Verdict? Great rep of a very desirable bracelet at a reasonable price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brightight Posted August 16, 2010 Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 Nice one! And nice informative review. I'm looking forward to receiving mine from Mary after the Yuki fiasco! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolfire Posted August 16, 2010 Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 Glad that Mary is able to source these! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiman12 Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Great to see that there is a cheaper alternative to the Yuki 7836. I just might have to pick one up for my 1655 Franken! Thanks M! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Great review and great pics LHOOQ! Thanks for sharing this. That's a great looking bracelet you got there! One question - why do the spring bars look too small in the lugholes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 For that photo, he's using the flea-sized Yuki bars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highoeyazmuhudee Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 this looks good. i was looking at folded link bracelets for my vintage sub the other day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted August 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 One question - why do the spring bars look too small in the lugholes? As Jkay noted, that's a Yuki bar--also 2mm thick, but with 0.9mm pivots. Bad mistake on my part, as it hurts the comparison. However, it does clearly demonstrate how much nicer a properly sized bar -one with rounded, 1.2mm pivots- looks in the lugholes! Note, also, that this spring bar is a 23-9293, which is shorter than the 23-9291 found on Subs. The ends of the bars should be recessed on 1016s, though you will find gens with protruding tips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Wow it's amazing what a 0.3mm difference makes in the pivots when you zoom in that much. Thanks for the explanation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Nice review, M! Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolexaddict Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Folded bracelet end parts from Josh'Explo have to be enlarged to 2 - 2,1mm to accept gen springbars Great review and great pics LHOOQ! Thanks for sharing this. That's a great looking bracelet you got there! One question - why do the spring bars look too small in the lugholes? IMHO Many reasons. Most of the time reps drilled lug holes are not well aligned so the springbars shoulders can stray a little compressed on one side of the case. Also enlarging lug holes by drilling at 1,3mm instead of 1,2 correct this problem allowing the springbar shoulders to full extend. Often when you look on gen pictures, when you see springbar shoulder overtakes the case sides, the case is thinner due to re-polishing this looks good. i was looking at folded link bracelets for my vintage sub the other day My personal experience: I started to cure this by buying in quantity the cheap Explorer with the asian movement. Now I have bracelets for projects and I have sold dials and cases as I don't have any interest for this watch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmj Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Great review LHOOQ! I have one from Josh and I must say that apart from the endlink/ spring bar issue, the folded bracelet looks great albeit rattly. I must try Mary's one. Thanks again for the great review and pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flex Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Great photos. LHOOQ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
what2 Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 I had the chance to play with one of these and a gen in the same day... the gen was older of course but the only thing I noticed was "stiffer" steel in the rep, the gen was easier to bend and shape, where the rep held its shape to a greater degree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosnik Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Do 'Watch International' got a web URL were to see products? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted August 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Thanks for all the compliments, guys. This is a much bigger reaction than I expected to get for a rep bracelet review! (And the biggest reaction I get out of the major rep forums, I wager...) rosnik: Watch International's dealer section is here, though this 7836 isn't listed as a product for sale. When I visited Guangzhou earlier this year, Mary said that I could contact her not just for reps, but for spare parts, tools &c. So I did, and she delivered! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stilty Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Nice write up, review, and pics. I have one of these from the Josh EXII. The one flaw that really jumps out, and I'm surprised no one has commented, is the last center link that connects to the endlinks. it is bent downward around the springbar. Same thing on the Josh bracelet. On my gen 7836, the link is flat across the top to match the other links. Also, on the Josh 7836, I am not able to fit genuine 2mm bars to either the bracelet or endlinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted August 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 The one flaw that really jumps out, and I'm surprised no one has commented, is the last center link that connects to the endlinks. it is bent downward around the springbar. Same thing on the Josh bracelet. On my gen 7836, the link is flat across the top to match the other links. Maybe this center link was improperly copied from the version of the 7836 that has non-detachable endlinks? I can only compare it with the final center link on my 7835, which is a similarly pinched loop that fits into the endlink's narrow slot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 Do 'Watch International' got a web URL were to see products? Mary at WI actually goes out to the Watch Bazaar and hand-picks anything you need. The site is more for looks than for effect. You just email her and she goes and hand-picks them for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosnik Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 rosnik: Watch International's dealer section is here, though this 7836 isn't listed as a product for sale. When I visited Guangzhou earlier this year, Mary said that I could contact her not just for reps, but for spare parts, tools &c. So I did, and she delivered! Mary at WI actually goes out to the Watch Bazaar and hand-picks anything you need. The site is more for looks than for effect. You just email her and she goes and hand-picks them for you. thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Okay, the really salient question here is, how long is the 7836 when fully extended? I reaaaallllly want a couple for my 6536 and 1675 but I have trouble getting bands to fit. Yuki's 7206 was just too darn tight even on its biggest setting. How does the 7836 compare? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted August 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Nanuq, I'll break out the measuring tape when I get home. But realize that you could buy 2-3 of these 7836s for the price of one Yuki 7206, and fashion a bracelet that would fit the wrist of Andre the Giant (RIP). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 ...a bracelet that would fit the wrist of Andre the Giant (RIP). How about Popeye the Sailor? Seriously, how cheap ARE these things? I see them over on Yuki's for about 100 clams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 The lo-beat A21j model is $128 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted August 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Okay, the really salient question here is, how long is the 7836 when fully extended? From spring bar to spring bar, it's 6.125 inches. That's at the longest clasp setting and with all the links in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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