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Some of my favorite things...


w0lf

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My babies are back from the Great White North and I'm happier then ever! Huge thanks to the mega-talented R&J team and Watchmeister for helping these projects come to fruition :clap3: While there is still one more on the way, I'm no longer PAMless :drinks:

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Build/Parts lists:

o PAM29B

Honpo base w/ ETA2893 (OFFICNE full deco)

Finepics relume (with amazing refinish by The Zigmeister)

Finepics 2893 DW

Chief Cyclops

MM104 crystal (much clearer than stock Honpo or old cartel)

OEM crown / Custom The Zigmeister tube

Full OEM handstack

OEM semimatte calf

o PAM28A

Honpo base w/ ETA2892 & Soprod 9040 (OFFICNE full deco)

Original Honpo 1st gen dial

The Zigmeister 2-color relume (white base + aged Tritium mix)

Lello 2892 DW

DSN 1st gen 1-piece crystal

Genuine PVD crown / Custom The Zigmeister tube

Genuine handstack

Genuine semimatte calf

Custom double-screw A-series buckle

Honpo PAM27A Caseback (Correct millesimation/serial range for PAM28A)

PVD by Jack@IWW

o PAM48K

MBW base

EL 1st gen PAM48 dial relumed by The Zigmeister

MBW matching relume hands

Taka 7750 v2 DW

Hi grade A7750

The Zigmeister custom fab polished & flush CP

OEM antique brown gator

A few more shots of the 28A since it's a huge crowdpleaser :) I'm debating whether I should swap the DSN 1-piece crystal for an MM104 crystal with SSSurfer cyclops or leave it well alone, I know it's a slippery slope.

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I featured this 29B in my Honpo writeup awhile back. It has since then been fitted with OEM hands, the dial has been refinished by The Zigmeister and since it's an older watch the movement received a full teardown service.

Later I'll try do small a writeup comparing my wife's gen dial/gen handstack MBW PAM48K franken to this one with a masterfully relumed EL dial.

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Well, the new 29 isn't going to be quite the same. Aside from the lack of dial minute markers and other changes like a historic roller lever crownguard, it also looks to be slightly different in the profile. I can't quite put my finger on it but it may have to do with case/bezel design. The older Honpo was designed with ETA2893 in mind, whereas the new upcoming model will be based on an incorrect and thicker 2836 movement. I initially thought that there's not enough difference in the movement thickness @ ~1mm, but more shots have been posted, and the new model's profile does look a little chunky. I'm not sure if it will be a showstopper when on the wrist, but thinner cases do wear nicer and look more gen-like. I'll know for sure when I had a chance to put them side by side and measure their thickness with a caliper.

The 29B is actually spot on in terms of thickness and lug configuration, to the old honpo:

honpos-2.jpg

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W0lf - amazing stuff as always. Strangely I never saw too many completed pieces with my cyclops even though they sold out.

Anyhow, enjoy these new pieces. They look fantastic.

Thank you, Chief :) Your cyclops is simply a must, many times I wished that I stocked up when they were available but I didn't have a watch to put it on then. Later I was only ever able to find two pieces with Bwhitesox and Dluddy's help.

Though not many of these high end models were made and most have settled nicely with their owners, I would like to suggest one more mod to everyone with old school ETA28xx models. I've talked about it before but I think it can bear repeating. Folks with original factory crystal should absolutely swap their crystal with MM104 crystal, transferring their Chief and SSSurfer cyclopses of course. This crystal comes from Jackson Tse / Military Time

It's stock P/N: MM104- http://www.jacksontse.com/mm104.html

It's one of the best rep crystals I found, very clear, neutral and with great refraction so it's a total must have, unless you were able to get a gen crystal and had the rehaut & crystal bed modded to fit. It works with all old Eddie Lee, River and Honpo 2836-2, 2893-2 and 2892 + 9040 based watches and costs only $35. It's truly a night and day difference as many of you now learned with top shelf crystals from N & H factories.

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Give it a shot, D, you won't regret it. And the great news is those crystals are exactly the same today (just ordered a couple recently) as they were when I got them 2 years ago for my 63 & 29, now that's a rare occurrence in the rep world.

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Wow , Wow, Wow M! Its amazing how certain features, or details leap off the page.....

The Honpo/The Zigmeister CG is just the business on the 028.

The side perspective shot of the 029 crystal is awesome - what a thing of beauty to look through - look at the clarity in that cyclops from side on?

We can all see why these are your faves!

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