current best SMP

[chou]

hey guys just looking into where i can pick up the best SMP 300 (non chrono) in blue (non james bond) as i cant seem to find any decent ones on any of the TDs, for example Hont out of stock, MR only has bond or chrono, the pearl on the one from andrew is pretty bad along with case.

i tried searching the forum here and on RWI but no luck......

Edited March 8, 2012 by chou

[om3ga_guy]

They all need to be modded. None of the out of the box SMP's are really good...

WBK's (TD) a21j is a good budget SMP if your interested.

[chou]

dammit! was hoping there was a similar/equivalent of the UPO! hard to search the forum as well as smp and 300 dont make it through the search! and its not very popular as it is so sifting through pages is real slow!

[chum_2000_uk]

Don't be rubbish... go for the chrono... superb out of the box, and IMO look so much nicer than the non-chronos. Have owned gens of both chrono and non-chrono. Now just own rep chrono and love it to bits.

[chou]

hah yeah but the chrono has the 7750 which id rather stay away from (although at least its not running modded sec @ 6)

Would it be a straight swap out with a normal 7750 if i were to encounter any problems? i do like black chronos but like i said, usually more costly, and more risky in terms of reliability!

[madmex]

The straight out of the box a7750 is quite reliable. I haven't had as good luck with the Daytona iterations due to the obvious drag issues. But the a7750 is perhaps more robust than the 2824 clone and other Asian movements.

The way I see it it's a matter of design. These things are robust and that's why I think it's used on rugged watches like panerai non chrono. Why would they put a native chronograph movement without the chronograph module? Because it has torque and reliability. Quite remarkable IMO. A pain in the ass to assemble and disassemble but not that bad if you're careful.

Edited March 14, 2012 by madmex

[demil118]

Good to know im not alone on the SMP hunt.......Ive checked everywhere, out of stock in most places, checked with Joshua, he said the standard SMP non chrono "is no longer made ." Guess ill have to wait for someone getting rid of theirs.....Heads up if you know anyone selling a decent one : )

[chou]

yeah it is a massive shame because there are alot of smp fans out there but plenty who arnt going to buy because of the lack of a decent option! I myself would buy one in an instant if there was a decent option!

[ryaku]

The SMP chrono is a much better rep, more accurate for sure.

Personally I like better the standard SMP, non chrono version, it's one of the most comfortable and well balanced watches I have ever had.

SMP chrono is too chunky for my taste.

WBK and Mary's are not bad starting point but you need to invest time and money if you want an outstanding final result.

Many people reckon it's not worth the effort considering the price of a 2nd hand gen SMP and it's a good point if you're very detail oriented.

If yoo can live with small flaws...grab a SMP from WBK, they look a real best bang for the buck.

[chou]

The SMP chrono is a much better rep, more accurate for sure.

Personally I like better the standard SMP, non chrono version, it's one of the most comfortable and well balanced watches I have ever had.

SMP chrono is too chunky for my taste.

WBK and Mary's are not bad starting point but you need to invest time and money if you want an outstanding final result.

Many people reckon it's not worth the effort considering the price of a 2nd hand gen SMP and it's a good point if you're very detail oriented.

If yoo can live with small flaws...grab a SMP from WBK, they look a real best bang for the buck.

yeah i agree the non chrono versions are way better! thing is a gen second hand smp is still in the £800 region, which is why when i first started looking i was hoping to find a more decent one for £150ish (like the UPO),

shame really! but yeah as for franken least then you get a new on that youv built and can take pride over!

[atomic_doug]

The Chrono SMP is pretty darned accurate, more so than any three-hand SMP ever was. The A7750 and Swiss 7750 are almost direct swaps; there's a minor difference in hand size in some cases. However, a simple dial/hands swap (both are readily available and inexpensive) and a crown will make it effectively a perfect rep...a franken at that point.

The problem like Chou said, with SMP 300's is that the gens can be for really cheap on the second-hand market. In addition to being discontinued models, this is a factor in why the rep factories stopped making them. Consider for the price of two or three APROO or Hublot reps, you've got a gen SMP.

Edited April 17, 2012 by atomic_doug