WHICH 1680 Case? Yuki, Phong or NDTrading?

[dbane883]

Wowwww, Phong case looks beautiful, pointed crown guards look good, but I sure as hell don't want to spend $1,250 for a case. I am going to reach out to Yuki but not sure how those crown guards look from the pics....Do you know if Yuki is friendly to us rep guys? I want to ask if an Asian or Swiss ETA 2836 Auto movement would fit the case....

Carol is very easy to deal with. Yes. Eta adapters are available.

[eduardor]

Wowwww, Phong case looks beautiful, pointed crown guards look good, but I sure as hell don't want to spend $1,250 for a case. I am going to reach out to Yuki but not sure how those crown guards look from the pics....Do you know if Yuki is friendly to us rep guys? I want to ask if an Asian or Swiss ETA 2836 Auto movement would fit the case....

Yes Yuki is a very freindly guy and he is a TD over at Repgeek, his cases sre not as expensive as Phongs or NDT, his prices round the 500-600 bucks and are great as well, not as good as Phongs but very very nice.

[GWP123]

Yuki just responded....$600 bucks! damn idk why i thought it would be in the 200-300 range. I am going to buy a 1680 rep and if I am not happy with the crown guards and crown I will prob pull the trigger and buy the case from Yuki, but damn, wish it was less expensive. 

Also...Yuki says there is a 25 day production time per my order? I would have thought these would be premade...

[automatico]

"Yuki just responded....$600 bucks! damn idk why i thought it would be in the 200-300 range."
I could live with $300 but not $600.

"Also...Yuki says there is a 25 day production time per my order? I would have thought these would be premade..."
Maybe it takes 25 days to make a $600 case out of a $50 case.
Just kiddin'.
Sorta.


"...I sure as hell don't want to spend $1,250 for a case."
That's a hellofa lot of moolah for a buck worth of 316L.

As for genuine:
"It takes a year to make a rolex."
...but there is a buyer born every minute.

[redxds]

I'm in the same shoes as you are and I've decided to go with Yuki. I've read up on the case issues of the more recent production. But I think those reviews were pushing 4 years old now, so maybe something is different. I would be happy to go with the MBW, but the serial engravings and Polex is a deal breaker for me as I want this accurate.

Sent Via Tapatalk HD

[Max_JCW]

I'm in the same shoes as you are and I've decided to go with Yuki. I've read up on the case issues of the more recent production. But I think those reviews were pushing 4 years old now, so maybe something is different. I would be happy to go with the MBW, but the serial engravings and Polex is a deal breaker for me as I want this accurate.

Sent Via Tapatalk HD

 

 

I heard about the yuki cases for the ref. 5513/1680 that they are overpriced because the CGs have still for 600$ the wrong shape.

The best bet is trying to find a MBW (not MBW) and use it as a base.

 

Regards

Max

[redxds]

I heard about the yuki cases for the ref. 5513/1680 that they are overpriced because the CGs have still for 600$ the wrong shape.

The best bet is trying to find a MBW (not MBW) and use it as a base.

Regards

Max

Thanks Max. What do you mean by trying to find a MBW (not MBW)? The MBW CG's will also need touching up as well so no big win there. And you still end up with the wrong SN and the beautifully engraved Polex. Phong charges $300 to correct this so add that to the cost. As far as the MBW's case I think it's a great case depending on the build and what you wish to achieve. The only real big issue to me is the low crown position and to accept a 1570 the case will need machine work further adding to the cost. I have a 94110 based in a MBW case being built now by PBdad then to JMB and I love it. Just understand the limitations each brand offers.

Sent Via Tapatalk HD

[cc33]

Imo phong's case is the best and worth the premium not just because of what you get, even though that's a big part of it, but also because when it comes time to sell it, the guy that's paying for a Franken build with a 1570 in it, wants a phong case and will pay for it. I'm one of them, I won't buy a watch with a reworked mbw or yuki case. That doesn't mean you shouldn't go for whatever you want I'm just saying that the resale market is diff for a phong case vs any other. It's not hard to sell for what you paid when it's a phong case.

[redxds]

Imo phong's case is the best and worth the premium not just because of what you get, even though that's a big part of it, but also because when it comes time to sell it, the guy that's paying for a Franken build with a 1570 in it, wants a phong case and will pay for it. I'm one of them, I won't buy a watch with a reworked mbw or yuki case. That doesn't mean you shouldn't go for whatever you want I'm just saying that the resale market is diff for a phong case vs any other. It's not hard to sell for what you paid when it's a phong case.

That's a very strong point and one that's hard to argue. I've had some of the guys that's been around for quit some time recently PM me and recommend the Yuki case set with cost between not a factor. However for me my biggest question is how much better case shape is the Phong over Yuki? Is it a dramatic and obvious difference?

Sent Via Tapatalk HD

[cc33]

I don't know the difference for this particular model but a phong case is special, all genuine parts fit and his caseback and inner lug engravings are really good. The metal he uses seems of a higher quality and feels genuine. The finish he does is second to none.

[highoeyazmuhudee]

both the yuki and the phong case are stamped from a mold then hand shaped on a lathe by an unskilled worker who could care less about tolerances.

the human touch is reflected in the price. Consistency from one piece to another will never be the same.

e.g

some cgs from one case to another will be different thicknesses and have a different profile yet have the same general shape. same for the beveled lugs, lug thickness and bottom of the CGs, even crown tube height varies.

 

i havnt been impressed with the CGs ive seen on a lot of the yuki pieces, and there is a chance you could get a concave rehaut. $600 also does NOT include any engravings.

the yuki case is about half the price of the phong, and the mbk is not an option unless you want to trim your dial or try and expand the dial opening in the case. you would also ahve to buy the whole mbk watch at $450+ now from what im hearing, and then still mod it (lug holes, crown tube, cgs, dial opening) at least $150 in added expenses. plus the mbk, youre not going to be using the movement or the inaccurate bracelet or insert.

 

try yuki, see what you get, if youre unsatisfied, return it.

 

biggest problem with both cases; you'll usually get a case like this (instant tell the second someone sees the inverse)

 

the $1250 phong case

 

\

 

instead of this (a GEN 1680 case)

 

 

thats a huge reveal if youre going for accuracy and if youre paying the big bucks to still have errors like this.

Edited December 2, 2013 by highoeyazmuhudee

[redxds]

Nor do I. And no doubt Phong uses a superior grave steel. Now you've got me reconsidering Phong it's inly a $200 dollar difference...

Sent Via Tapatalk HD

[cc33]

The pics in his site are really old and need to be updated, his cases are a bit better these days in terms of the rear cg area. 2 phong cases, last is a 5514 that belongs to ubi and you can kind of see that it's better than his website stock pics..

[Max_JCW]

Thanks Max. What do you mean by trying to find a MBW (not MBW)? The MBW CG's will also need touching up as well so no big win there. And you still end up with the wrong SN and the beautifully engraved Polex. Phong charges $300 to correct this so add that to the cost. As far as the MBW's case I think it's a great case depending on the build and what you wish to achieve. The only real big issue to me is the low crown position and to accept a 1570 the case will need machine work further adding to the cost. I have a 94110 based in a MBW case being built now by PBdad then to JMB and I love it. Just understand the limitations each brand offers.

Sent Via Tapatalk HD

I'm sorry, it was my Auto correct.

MBW watches (Marias Best watches) differ from MBK watches.

Unfortunately I can't tell the exact differences

Regards

Max

[automatico]

"both the yuki and the phong case are stamped from a mold then hand shaped on a lathe by an unskilled worker who could care less about tolerances.

the human touch is reflected in the price. Consistency from one piece to another will never be the same."

 

Thanks! This really needed to be said by someone who has been in the repcase trenches

.

I have worked on enough replica watches to know that the difference between a $1000 case and a $50 case is most often the price, not the quality.

Evidently people simply do not know (or care) how bad they are getting screwed. For the prices these guys are charging, their cases should be absolutely identical to genuine...no flaws at all.

 

Today's high prices for some of these cases are being driven by the astronomical prices of genuine watches...and you ain't even gettin' a genuine case. You're getting a 'pot luck' case that might or might not be worth Jack Sheet.

Btw, enough 316L to make a 1680 case will cost about $2US at the most and automated factories in HK and TW can crank them out by the hundreds in a few hours. The problem is consistency and honesty, a major problem with replica goods.

 

As for $300 engraving...imho the price is absurd, especially if it is only for numbers/letters between the lugs.. If I was not so 'over the hill' I could buy what is needed and do the work for a fraction of that price...but I'm not looking for work and do not need the headache, same reason I do not take in any work.

 

"MBW watches (Marias Best watches) differ from MBK watches.
Unfortunately I can't tell the exact differences."

 

I have a late MBK 5513 and a pair of late MBK 1680s and the cases are 100% identical except for the numbers. Never compared early MBW/MBK to late MBK though.

 

Stop buying this high priced stuff and the price will come down real damn fast....take Beanie Babies for example.