ubiquitous Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Let me dig around and see what I have. If I come across anything that looks interesting... I'll send it your way... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Let me dig around and see what I have. If I come across anything that looks interesting... I'll send it your way... That would be fantastic, thankyou Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www_watch Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 I also remember the "old times". I have never been posting too much. But I always have been an avid reader at last. The reps became so much better over the years and so has the board become "cleaner". TTK and Cousteau, the so called "Maria" aka. "luckyyy" aka. just some big german guy living in Thailand. It may have been more exciting, but there was also a much higher risk of getting scammed back then. It may be more "civilized" or "boring" right now. But it's also much safer for buyers. I always have been more the buyer and collector. Not so much the poster. So if I would be asked today if I would trade in the present quality of the watches for the attitude back then.... I would say "No... thanks!" There have been good times and we had lots of fun. But maybe today it's more the time to sit back and enjoy the results. I also agree with Rolexman. I owned the so called Honpo-187 some years ago. Don't ask what I paid for it. People were absolutely drooling over it. Nowadays the new 187 is bashed for "faults" that I can't hardly notice on a side-by-side comparison with the gen. If we had that current model back then, we would not have believed it was a rep. Maybe some of the newer members would do good with a bit knowledge of the way we - the older members - went before we got here. 5 years ago we would have been HAPPILY paying five, six, seven or maybe even eight times the money for a 111 of the quality our dealers offer right now. Yes. The boards have gone through some changes. But for me the current watches are worth the sacrifice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 TeeJay- I have this case, dial and 2824 movement if you want them: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertk Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 (edited) By-Tor, you said what I've been thinking. It was much more fun in the old days. Maybe because it was all new and underground. You'd see a new release and drool. Compared to what was out there they were gems. The original forum was so underground you felt a camaraderie with everyone on the boards. We had some interesting characters that created some great debates and retorts (I do miss TTK). I remember many members posting they had just purchased a rep and WONDERED whether they would ever get it! I remember everyone obsessing over customs. .....and the great debates over dealers and those feeling insulted!! I was one of those who never obsessed over flaws. They all had flaws. If I liked it I wanted it. I actually purchased close to 80 watches, just for the thrill of having the new models. I still have them......still wear them. Of course, they were all under $200 bucks. and they all still WORK. Well, now that things have evolved.....multiple forums, going mainstream...but my interest in watches is still with me. I change watches the way I change clothes every day, I still get a thrill putting on a different one. The one difference is that the "character" of the forums have changed. For all the advancement in reps, this was always about community. It's still here, it's just gone mainstream. I used to spend hours here. Now, I just come by for a visit. Part of that is due to my own time constraints, part of it is due to the change in the character of the forum. I do miss the unique place the forum of yesterday had. Edited July 22, 2011 by robertk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Movementum Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 I too remember the "olden days". And I agree things are different now. The watches I own are all running great and keeping accurate time. But I have to be honest too... I don't really want any other watches. The allure has worn off, rep or gen. Don't get me wrong, I still really dig watches... But I like the one's I have.. Maybe price-point is a factor. Forking out $500 for a rep is steep and requires careful consideration. And with the high price-point the flaws become a bigger factor. At $500 the lume-dots ought to be put on by someone with less shaky hands. Maybe it is just the lack of innovation in watches in general. The gen makers have done all sorts of things with the uber-pricey watches. $100,000 K gets you a movement that can do some very funky things, belt-driven "digital" watches with analog movements. But they're Fugly as can be. Out of Basel world I honestly can't see anything new that holds much appeal. Maybe it is that my interest has turned to vintage pieces? Well, sort-of.. I like researching them and I may on day buy a German WWII Kriegsmarine watch... But I'd never wear one. The wee little dials just don't work for me. As for the forum... I still enjoy reading here.. But I miss the way the posts used to be. Guys actually going diving with a diving watch rep... Guys blogging their trip to Guangdong. The posts were more like magazine articles than forum posts. I'm also fatigued by the "wrist checks". "Friday 2:05 wrist check". "Friday 2:10 wrist check". "What is on your wrist this exact picosecond". Meh now I am just rambling and feeling nostalgic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 For me, I toast the good old days of today. They will be just as precious tomorrow... Couldn't have said it better, Pizz. Cheers! *klink* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bike Mike Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 I miss the old days of The Replica Collector. The red light / green light dealer ratings. Not really being sure you'd even receive a watch after you paid. Natalie's A+++++++++++++ subs. (I still have a Natalie watch). Hmmm, what else from those days... +1! Sub $500 Pam reps with Gen 7753s! Whole lot less people posting "Where can I buy the BEST 1:1 Rolex/Breitling/Omega, etc...?", and never being heard from again. Ah yes, loved the TRC days. I fell out of the hobby for a short time near the end of TRC, but got back into it and don't ever find myself leaving. I think the biggest thing for me staying in this hobby, is that I took up watchmaking out of a love for solving mechanical problem and always having to fix some thing....oh and build pieces for HackR! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praetor Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 (edited) I'm hacking away at a $70 inaccurate Rolex rep with some needle files heheh. Will also be putting some aftermarket parts in it. will post pics when I'm done with it. Edited July 22, 2011 by praetor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 TeeJay- I have this case, dial and 2824 movement if you want them: Wow, that would be fantastic, thankyou, I could definitely put those parts to good use, especially the 1655 case, as that will provide a fine base for creating a homage to Oliver Shepard's custom 1655: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmg Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Many of you have the same sentiments that I do -a bit saturated, bored, or have most of what I want. On another hand, I've stayed away on some levels as well since I'm trying to curb my watch spending and this place is a bad influence for me... I found lately that I gravitate to a handful of watches and many sit in the watch box. Perhaps a thinning of the herd is in order. Maybe collectors of all sorts hit this funk or point where their passion wanes. I've been giving thought to primarily fine tuning some pieces I haven't been 100% happy with and just spend some time with the friends I've made here and missed from my long RWG vacation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KB Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Better hurry TJ, I'm guessing Ubi just got 50 PM's. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Better hurry TJ, I'm guessing Ubi just got 50 PM's. Ken PMs have been sent Such a gesture really meant a lot to me, and totally brings home just what a truly awesome community this forum has On the subject of PMs, any time you're free to email me that other thing you mentioned a while back, I'll take care of it for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltatahoe Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 i've noticed a bit of a change too, with people generally being less interested in posting in threads about anything but top notch uber-expensive projects or the newest 95%+ super rep. admittedly i'm busier these days and have less time to contribute / participate in discussions, so i can't blame folks. but i was a little surprised when i started two threads about a couple different projects i've been working on (one with two rolex projects, and one with a custom panerai), and got less than 10 replies between the two threads i feel like back in the day threads like that would have generated a bit more interest. or maybe my projects are just kinda boring anyways, like pizzanooo said, here's to focusing on the now deltatahoe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z80 Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Yeah, back in the day there was River and EL for "the good stuff", Paul for the cheap stuff and a few other forgotten names.. Chinatown (who seems to have been replaced by WBK). MBW was the best of the best in the vintage world, TW Best for others. I was very happy with many of the reps I got back then, one of my favs being a old style VC Overseas from Paul. A few from my TRC years were: TW Best Sub (actually had a few, one modded by Bryan) Full plated 18k TW Best blue Sub VC Overseas from Paul EL 127 TW Best Day-Date TW Best Masterpiece (haven't seen as good of one since) 1st gen secs at 6 Daytona from TTK (Still running by the way, but doesn't look so nice now) Yacht-Master from Paul Almost ordered from Natalee, but she went on a post rampage and kind of scared me off.. Those were the days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteM Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 I cant say I understand.... I werent there.... but I do remember how excited I got finding this site and reading all the great threads and seeing so many reps..... and wanting them regardless of accuracy... it was more about the fun then for me... but as I learnt on this forum about reps compared to gens.... and became more knowledgeable I found myself becoming more fussy/anal about watches especially specific models (COpamUGH).... But to be frank and with respect... I think, inadvertently, its the fault of you older members.... you have helped push the envelope... in a way the monster was created here....admittedly there are other factors in terms of what new members/visitors want from this forum and the reps they buy... just look at the QC queries etc but the fact remains if it wasnt for the discussions, the reviews etc that members like B-T etc have done over the years then we wouldnt have these super OTB reps we have now or the attitude reps like that create.... so in a way... and I mean this most humbly..... a lot of the comments here are a creation of the original enthusiasm and excitement you all seem to crave or miss... I suppose the same analogy could be about how your Dad use to say how a particular way of doing things was easier or was more appreciated in his day... like Xmas presents etc... I do the same myself now with my kids... !!! Hopefully that makes sense and dont cause offence... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baryonic Matter Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 I'm fairly heavily involved in another (expensive) hobby and many of the things said here could be easily applied to that one. I don't think it matters much what the actual activity is, stay in it long enough and the interest level is going to go down. I also run a forum for my other hobby, and one thing I've noticed is that you constantly need new blood, so to speak, to keep things moving along. You also have to make the newbies feel welcome. Ignoring them or telling them to "use the bloody search" every time they ask a question is a great way to get rid of them quickly. The old timers can then log into the forum, see nothing new, have nothing new to say themselves and the forum slowly fades into insignificance and essentially dies out. Somebody up above mentioned clearing out old info. Good plan IMHO, nothing worse than looking for relevant, up-to-date info on something and only finding stuff that's 3 years old or more. Keep stuff up to date if you want to interest new people. Obviously there is old stuff that is still relevant, but there is a lot that isn't. If you're getting bored, take a rest, go away, do something else, come back when you get the urge and it might be interesting again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Carl Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Thanks, BT for posting what I had been trying to formulate for a while. Something has been lost, and it is difficult to put a finger on it. Lack of focus, perhaps (this thread's evolution is an example). Lack of some of the former "personalities". I think the sense of the "hunt" for the next rep is gone. It has gone from "who sells the best rep" to "who is the best modder" on the forum. That leaves 95% of us who don't mod beyond a strap change out of the conversation. Carl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornerstone Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 For sure things have evolved. I'd be interested to find out how newer members feel about the hobby, I think that's part of it. When you joined years ago everyone was all part of something new, nothing had been figured out. Now it's all pretty safe (here), problems have been sorted out, and in that sense it's perhaps more transactional for those newer members (perhaps they don't need to interact). They arrive looking for a watch, find one, move along. Watches are more expensive, that does take away a lot of the fun. Not so many ETA movements either. The recession happened too, it has to be said. Less discretionary income for some people. The internet has evolved as well. There are fewer post whores now, I think Twitter is part of that. And people also interact more on Facebook than they used to, as a daily update kind of a thing. People like Pugwash and Victoria are Twitterites these days, but like them or loathe them, they kept conversations ticking over. There was a big soap opera element back in the day too. SOLUTIONS! I'm not one to be glum though. Yes it evolved but there's a lot of fun to be had all the same. There is still a demographic of great people that seems to be drawn to the hobby, and most of all of those older member and all of the newer ones are still here. Perhaps there's room not to take all that for granted so much. It's a great community. Perhaps there can be more focus on that pool of great members. We make our own entertainment at the end of the day, the more people put in, the more they'll take out. Suggestions: Expand from replica watches to include replica parrots. This is a brand new area, everything would be new. Also likely to be pirates involved. Argh.Create a community replica parrot, run by Blade.Cocaine debts, embezzlement, fake raffles, fake raffle winners, and fake member numbers seem to be popular on other watch forums....More boobies.If Hublot ever bring out a new watch that might be helpful.A new trend into tiny, teeny little watches.A love rival for Miss Understood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor Posted July 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Obviously there is old stuff that is still relevant, but there is a lot that isn't. Ironically, most of my brand guides are still 95% relevant. Many "best versions" are years old, or even out of production. Plus there haven't been many interesting new watch models (rep or gen). Perhaps that's one reason why things seem to be a bit boring. It's quite difficult to get excited about anything Breitling or Rolex have put out recently. I've been planning to update the guides but haven't managed to do so. Mostly because I haven't followed the newest replica models that much. That's where I could use some members' help. Importr already promised to take a look at the Breitling Guide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor Posted July 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 I too remember the "olden days". And I agree things are different now. The watches I own are all running great and keeping accurate time. But I have to be honest too... I don't really want any other watches. The allure has worn off, rep or gen. Don't get me wrong, I still really dig watches... But I like the one's I have.. You described my "problem" here perfectly. I have all the watches I want. So what's next? Perhaps the problem is that people always want something particular... but when they get it, it doesn't bring them satisfaction anyway. Maybe the main motivation behind collecting anything is greediness? We always want something more. And when you have everything how can you demand more? We could even expand this to life in general. Does this sound Zen-Buddhist or what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxman Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Great post By-Tor,thought provoking to say the least Although Im not a old timer I do agree with most,If not all of what you said. Some might say that the rep hobby has evolved,and Indeed It has. But thats not always a good thing. Take cars for example,they pretty much drive themselves now days. Thats all fine and well,but If you trully enjoy driving a car,well not so much. All the electronic nannies suck the soul out of a true drivers car. Have the supper/frankin reps done the same to this hobby,I dont really know. Again good post,thanks. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchnuts Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 BT, I'm new here and without your fantastic pictures reviews and insight I would be nowhere. I always loved watches, bought my first Roles DJ from my first salary. Got a Breitling from my wife and than I needed something new after several years. Bought a few boutique divers and collected a few Invictas in the meantime. But these where not really the watches I wanted. (Sold already most of them) Having a family now stopped me from buying the real stuff. Now with having my first rep on it's way I feel rejuvenated. I love to tinker with things and this is exactly what I'll be doing with the new watches. Things I would never do with a gen. I already have a big list of tools I have to get and all thanks to you oldtimers. This is all fresh for me and I'm really excited. I already spend countless hours on this forum into the early morning hours. So thank you and all the other guys who made this forum work. I really like it here!! Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KB Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Hey cornerstone...you know you still got it. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor Posted July 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2011 @Andy: Thanks man. I appreciate your compliments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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