irolexu Posted August 2, 2011 Report Share Posted August 2, 2011 Received my TW best from BK a few days ago and it is an amazing replica. Very impressed with the CG mods compared it to a real 16610 and basically spot on as well as the pearl. the weight and feel is very good and I could not tell a difference handling the 2 watches. Another great thing to point out is BKs crystals are amazing to the point where the watch maker who used to work for rolex was convinced the glass was genuine also to answer some folks questions about this watch I did have it pressure tested and they basically ran it in a "submariner mode" on there pressure test which passed with flying colors. Mods I am planning: 3135 Clone movement Genuine insert Tube/Crown Genuine Dial Better bezel assembly (out of the box issues with this TW) Genuine minute second hour hands Gen crystal If anyone knows a really good source for rolex parts please don't hesitate to let me know!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted August 3, 2011 Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 Well, it looks good, but I'd forget about the Rolex clone movement, it's not worth it and you can't put gen Rolex hands on an eta movement. If you find a better bezel assembly, we'd love to hear about it. But it sure looks good OTB! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glennmichael Posted August 3, 2011 Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 (edited) IMHO , a Gen crystal, insert and crown , maybe superlume the markers and hands/wait for BK's latest dial, those mods could get you a very ideal sub Edited August 3, 2011 by glennmichael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irolexu Posted August 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 As for the clone movement I have a source that actually gets a 31 jewel cloned movement that takes gen hands and gen dial and he is selling me a gen dial for 110.00 bucks for the 16610 and if it fails I have a 2836-2 movement lying around that I can slap back in there. Now I have a question about these crystals because it just seems like NOBODY! can get these date mags right. side by side the date mag on the TW is a hair off so its like 2.3X not 2.5 so is the cyclops correct just the distance from the date font to the cyclops off? I dont want to spend 150 dollars on a crystal and find out its not the crystal its the depth issue? please someone let me know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pismo Posted August 3, 2011 Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 Trouble with date mag = date window little too thin on all dial Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highoeyazmuhudee Posted August 3, 2011 Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 forget the clone movement, youre better off is BK still using Clarks crystals in his builds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sneed12 Posted August 3, 2011 Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 (edited) As for the clone movement I have a source that actually gets a 31 jewel cloned movement that takes gen hands and gen dial and he is selling me a gen dial for 110.00 bucks for the 16610 and if it fails I have a 2836-2 movement lying around that I can slap back in there. If you can get gen dials for $110 I'll take 30 of them. And a movement CAN'T take both a gen dial and an ETA dial. The feet are in different places. I'd like to know what you think a "31 jewel cloned movement" means. I bet it doesn't mean what you think it means. Edited August 3, 2011 by sneed12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted August 3, 2011 Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 Quit worrying about the date mag. Even Rolex doesn't obsess about it like you do! Your date mag is fine. I agree with sneed, I think someone is selling you a pile of $hit on the 31j clone movement. But we'd love for you to show us one, and prove us wrong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glennmichael Posted August 3, 2011 Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 I heard from BK that for a TW case, if you want to install a Gen insert it has to go along with a Gen crustal in order to maintain the ' Height'... Or I can just install the Gen insert with the Clark? Any comment on that? Many thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
its_urabus Posted August 3, 2011 Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 you could also just intall the gen pearl, and leave the TW insert, then the height of the crystal is fine. and Ill take a few gen dials at 110 too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serotonin Posted August 3, 2011 Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 hi i need a gen dial too:) pm me if you can get more andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irolexu Posted August 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 To answere peoples questions about the 3135 movement the guy is willing to show me all 31 jewels in person before purchase. He says it's not the crap clones that are 25J he sells these clones for 400+ and he says their pretty rare I'll post pics for you guys to decide besides what's the harm in it if I have my 2836-2 lying around it just ads more character to the watch and he claims it's true 1:1 so we will see To answere peoples questions about the 3135 movement the guy is willing to show me all 31 jewels in person before purchase. He says it's not the crap clones that are 25J he sells these clones for 400+ and he says their pretty rare I'll post pics for you guys to decide besides what's the harm in it if I have my 2836-2 lying around it just ads more character to the watch and he claims it's true 1:1 so we will see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tribal Posted August 3, 2011 Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 sorry to say but a 31jewel clone movement is [censored]! I have never seen a movement cloned like a Gen Rolex one in all this years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sneed12 Posted August 3, 2011 Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 To answere peoples questions about the 3135 movement the guy is willing to show me all 31 jewels in person before purchase. To reiterate--I don't think you know what you are talking about. He says it's not the crap clones that are 25J he sells these clones for 400+ Just the jewel count does not a "clone" 3135 make. It's like counting the number of cylinders in a Porsche engine and a Honda engine and finding that they're the same. A "clone" 3135 would be a movement which could take parts from a Rolex 3135 movement. That's almost certainly not what you're going to get--and again, if you are for $400, I want some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irolexu Posted August 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 Well all I can say is it's definitely something to investigate and according to the jeweler it does take 3135 parts and he has put gen 3135 parts on the clone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
its_urabus Posted August 3, 2011 Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 The only 1:1 rolex movement is the on made by rolex. Good luck and post lots of pics though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irolexu Posted August 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2011 Will do and I see no harm in putting a clone in the TW and the gen dial won't fit eta but according to my watch maker buddy his 3135 fits gen dial submariner will post pics on this thread so keep checking back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfer Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 Newbi looking to buy a BK TW sub . ( Dont know much about watches but learning fast about subs thanks to this and another forum! Had a lond term appreciation of the subs though.) It seems that the one in this thread uses the last of his WM9 bits and , as he's out of those, he is not yet able to complete the new ones as he's waiting on dials and hands from China. Hope the wait isn't to long. Just one question on the new one, he's using the flat "S " dial and it has the Rolex*Rolex engraving. Is this correct? I thought the flat "S" version was on the early subs and that the Rolex*Rolex thing was introduced later? Also , are then any essential/recommended upgrades to the newer TWs? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irolexu Posted August 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 As far as wm9 goes I was told the factory shut down and the flat S thing I am not sure. Now as far as mods I would for sure do a gen crystal, crown and tube, gen or good afternarket bezel assembly (mine came really hosed up and jams really bad at 50 position and feels rough since new) I would keep the insert though. And super lume which I left off to save expenses and wait time good luck!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indyberetta Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 I would like to see some pics of the 3135 movement this guy is selling you. I have not yet seen a true clone or exact copy of the 3135 movement. I have seem some true exact 1570 clone movements in the past. There were even some that have shown up on the Rolex forums that have been questioned, but they are so good it is hard to tell. There was a guy in Vietnam back around 2000 that I could buy a gen looking 1570 clone movements for $350. I purchased two from this guy back then. I used them in some water damaged Rolex watches I had bought to repair and sold them. My watchmaker told me they were "gen" movements, but the guy I purchased them from insisted that he "made them". He even offered to sell me 10 or more at a time. If I had only know what I know now I would have bought him out! I lost contact with the guy around 2004. He had the vietnam cases too at that time. The clone movement that most of the forum members here are talking about is a poorly copied ETA based looking movement that has markings that look like Rolex markings. Please show us the pics of the movement. If it is a true copy I am sure you might have some of your friends her interested in purchasing some. Also ask him if he has access to other true clone movements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irolexu Posted August 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 Will do he ensures me they are not eta dress ups etc and they are about 350-400 and he says he has put gen parts in there in the past and has also put them in gen rolex projects he seems to know what he is talking about I should have my hands on one within the week look out on the forum for 3135 clone true or bust? I will post pics. Thanks for not immediately busting the idea down like some other members here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEKS Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 I'd love to see what it looks like as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indyberetta Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 No worries. I have been collecting reps since the early 1980s and have seen all kinds of things including true clone movements. People need to understand the art of copying something is not reached until it is done at a perfect level. Sometimes they might be so good that one might not even know it is a copy. Most people are familiar with the china products, while some are good there are super reps. Vietnam has been the place for high quality "franken" watches for years. I was also told by one of the original MBW/MBK sellers that those cases and such were made in vietnam. In later years (the newer models)I was told they were made in Thailand. I look forward to seeing the pics! PM me with info once you get it. Will do he ensures me they are not eta dress ups etc and they are about 350-400 and he says he has put gen parts in there in the past and has also put them in gen rolex projects he seems to know what he is talking about I should have my hands on one within the week look out on the forum for 3135 clone true or bust? I will post pics. Thanks for not immediately busting the idea down like some other members here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfer Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 As far as wm9 goes I was told the factory shut down and the flat S thing I am not sure. Now as far as mods I would for sure do a gen crystal, crown and tube, gen or good afternarket bezel assembly (mine came really hosed up and jams really bad at 50 position and feels rough since new) I would keep the insert though. And super lume which I left off to save expenses and wait time good luck!! Thanks for the reply iRolexu, I appreciate the mod advice. I also believe the WM9 "factory" has closed but, as i understand the situation from another forum, he had some WM9 parts left and it would seem you got one of those subs. BK tells me the supply of the newer TWs , that he considers a worthy replacement to the WM9s is held up due to delivery of the dials and hands from China. I'm keen to order one as it seems to be the best sub rep out there . It comes with super lume. Anyway, back to the original question, the new TWs have Rolex*Rolex engraving on what I think it's called a rehault that I understand was introduced around 2008? ( DONT PRETEND TO KNOW MUCH!).They also have the "flat" S " on the word Submariner which I thought was only used in the early 16610s? Obviously if I'm correct, this detail conflict is a major "tell" on the rep? Anyway, appreciate the input. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highoeyazmuhudee Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 No worries. I have been collecting reps since the early 1980s and have seen all kinds of things including true clone movements. People need to understand the art of copying something is not reached until it is done at a perfect level. Sometimes they might be so good that one might not even know it is a copy. Most people are familiar with the china products, while some are good there are super reps. Vietnam has been the place for high quality "franken" watches for years. I was also told by one of the original MBW/MBK sellers that those cases and such were made in vietnam. In later years (the newer models)I was told they were made in Thailand. I look forward to seeing the pics! PM me with info once you get it. interesting. i have contacts in Vietnam who are always on the look out for new and high quality rep parts. i believe the current MBK cases are manufactured in TW but who really knows. the guy that sells them claims they come from the EU, which i dont believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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