Gw4k Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 Reps have come a long way since I last played. What can $128 buy you? Lets take a look (Green arrow for Gen, Red for Rep): First Tell is the Pearl of the Bezel Insert. But to this day, it is the most common mistake on a rep: I bought a Clarks Replacement Bezel insert : http://www.ebay.com/...#ht_1240wt_1396 But I do not know yet if I am only taking the pearl or replacing the bezel. Because the Bezel Font is spot on: 0-15 minutes: 20 minutes: 30 minutes: 40 and 50 minutes: In fact, most of the watch face is spot on: Slight angle to show the Hour Marker Surrounds are correct thickness: Even the lume is accurate: Bezel Teeth is correct: Now on to the case: The second biggest tell is the Escape Valve. The Gen is polished while the Rep is dull: [bLINK]CORRECTION:[/bLINK] I have been informed that later SDs have matte escape valves, so this is accurate per serial #M of the rep. Crystal is just slightly taller: Crown position is lower than gen: Lugs are pretty close: The Caseback is the closest/ best I have ever seen, correct font and Rolex Crowns: On to the Bracelet: This is where it fails, but no one will see it: Clasp: Weight and feel is EXACTLY the same: Video of Movement sweep: https://vimeo.com/42226379 CONCLUSION: Overall a GREAT OUT OF THE BOX BUY FOR $128 + shipping from ANDREW of Trusty. I bought it here: http://www.trustytim...roducts_id=9252 With minor modding, Change the Pearl (or Pop it out) you have a great rep. I liked it so much, I ordered a 2nd one as a backup. I always have a backup to my favorites. Others have swam in the pool with it and have no problems. I have not tested that, yet. UPDATE: NEW PEARL ON FACTORY BEZEL I just changed the Pearl. Took the pearl from an ebay aftermarket bezel for my 14060: CHANGING THE PEARL I used an exacto knife to lift the old pearl out of the bezel. I chose to do this over taking the whole bezel out. I am really good at mauling inserts trying to insert them back. BEFORE: After "lifting" the bad pearl out and comparing to Gen and the New Pearl New Pearl sat too high, hand drilled with a drill bit, ONE TURN AT A TIME. Shave and test set the pearl, shave and test set. Try to shave while forcing more pressure on the BASE of the upside down triangle so you can keep most of the TIP of the triangle. Took me 2 turns only. You want the friction of the bezel vs the cup of the pearl as the main source of holding it in. I added a dab of crazy glue around the cup for insurance. AFTER: 5/29/12 UPDATE: POOL TEST Whats Memorial Day without BBQ and Pool time! I swam with the SD shallow and Deep End, NO PROBLEMS whatsoever. I just checked again (day after) and no condensation inside. BUT ALWAYS RINSE your watch (gen or rep) after going into the pool to wash off the salt or chlorine from the O-rings. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highoeyazmuhudee Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 i gotta say thats pretty damn nice ! and for $128! one thing that bugs me on this new wave of reps is the stumpier crown guards appearing across several models Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefcook Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 Crown guards are an easy fix on this one imo. The crystal would bug me a lot more. Rehaut is a little fat, too, but nothing that couldn't be turned down. If it would take a gen crystal this would be an awesome rep! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sneed12 Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 one thing that bugs me on this new wave of reps is the stumpier crown guards appearing across several models Yeah. I have this watch in the clone ETA, haven't gotten around to trimming the CGs yet but it is on the list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gw4k Posted May 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 Crown guards are an easy fix on this one imo. The crystal would bug me a lot more. Rehaut is a little fat, too, but nothing that couldn't be turned down. If it would take a gen crystal this would be an awesome rep! Thats the funny thing about us reppers, we are a paranoid bunch. The Regular Joe Schmoe would not notice the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAHLER Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 great review Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielv2000 Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 Now that's useful information! We do worry about the little things a tad too much... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datlore001 Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 Wow. Wasn't planning on adding a Seadweller to my collection, but now I just might. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valty Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 This clearly shows : - You made an amazing comparative works Thank you very much ! - We are a way too much anal with these details - Rolex prices are indecent ! For $128, it is clearly awesome to have this level of details... PS: I do not agree with the teeth of the bezel... there are absolutely not machined the same way :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woof* Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 Nice writeup and comparison Thats a bargain at that price. Overall it's very close. The main thing that bothers me is how tall the crystal is. I guess it's the first thing that I noticed when this one was released. It's a shame none of the modern SeaDwellers can take gen crystals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valty Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 It's a shame none of the modern SeaDwellers can take gen crystals. 1:1 bla bla bla ... gen fully disassembled bla bla bla ... You remember ? The day the Chinese will take care about the real specs of the case... and not only the visible specs... it will be a great day for sure !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datlore001 Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 I think this is a great example of making one small change (the pearl) and no one could ever tell when it's on your wrist. No way anybody will see that the crystal is too tall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBattler Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 Great review. I had a feeling it was very close, now I am pleasantly surprised and I'm glad I picked this one up. To those that take issue with the crystal height, just know that it is absolutely stunning on the rep. Maybe the only "flaw" on any rep that makes it superior in some aspect to the corresponding genuine. The Pearl is abysmal. The beat rate is meh. Does anyone know if a Sellita SW200 will drop into this SD? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickey Padge Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 Great write up, thanks for taking the time Seems the rep's crown guards are much, much shorter than the gen (see pic). That would not look right to me, same with the crystal/rehaut issue, Still great value though for a daily beater.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sneed12 Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 Seems the rep's crown guards are much, much shorter than the gen (see pic). Not much shorter actually. Stumpier, and a tiny bit shorter, but not much shorter. It looks "much shorter" in that pic because the CGs are a tiny bit short, but mostly the crown is way too big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utheman Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 Great write up, thanks for taking the time Seems the rep's crown guards are much, much shorter than the gen (see pic). That would not look right to me, same with the crystal/rehaut issue, Still great value though for a daily beater.... I think it may be a partial illusion since the rep crown looks bigger than the gen. If you replaced the crown with gen, it may not be that bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datlore001 Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 The beat rate is meh. Does anyone know if a Sellita SW200 will drop into this SD? From what I've read the ETA movements (and the SW200) will not drop in place of a 2813. Maybe worth going for the Asian 2836 version for a more robust movement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickey Padge Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 With the crown guards being so small, any difference will be noticeable, and for me, this is quite a big differnce, unfixable too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickey Padge Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 Looking at the other pics closely, the CG's are realy poor, wrong shape and angle, way too stuby and unpronounced, that is a bigger issue to me than the crystal or rehaut. The factory need to revise the case Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sneed12 Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 The beat rate is meh. Does anyone know if a Sellita SW200 will drop into this SD? It'll physically fit, no problem. Just like every other 21J to ETA swap, you'll need movement, hands, and stem. You could cut the dial feet and glue it, but it's easier just to source a dial as well. Movement holder, screws, clamps, and DWO can be re-used. Honestly, the easiest thing to do would be to buy another one. You can mix and match parts, keep what you like, and assemble what's left into another whole watch and resell it. You can probably do the swap a lot cheaper that way. That's what I usually do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 For a while I'd thought that the SD wasn't being made anymore... Fantastic to see that they're still available Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbjoer Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 (edited) For a while I'd thought that the SD wasn't being made anymore... Fantastic to see that they're still available For a while you were right. It is available - again. This is a new version. (BTW: This is a GREAT comparison. Only ................I really, really do not need another Rolex.................really...........) Edited May 17, 2012 by mbjoer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 For a while you were right. It is available - again. This is a new version. (BTW: This is a GREAT comparison. Only ................I really, really do not need another Rolex.................really...........) Collection redundancy? For me, I want one of these as the base for a custom project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grifter Posted May 18, 2012 Report Share Posted May 18, 2012 Thanks for the great comparison! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolwatchdude Posted May 18, 2012 Report Share Posted May 18, 2012 Great comparison and attention to detail. What the heck. Gonna put in an order on this SD, thanks man. Was really going to use the money for an AP. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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