Your Biggest Disapointment

[deltatahoe]

@usil, i had a similar feeling re: my chrono avenger until i put it on a panerai style sportivo BOB 22/22mm strap w/ brushed OEM style buckle (see pic below). give it a shot -- i think the strap makes the watch on this one. btw, this strap option was inspired by repaustria, who originally put a caramel colored strap on his chrono avenger.

dt

I had to have my Breitling Chrono Avenger and after wearing it a few times it sets in my watch case. I still look at it and consider it every once in a while but never put it on. Don't want to sell it though. I might change my mind some day.

My Breitling Navitimer 'Series Special' was a must have and I do try to wear it every once in a while but it just seems too small any more. I guess that my wearing PAMs has changed my perspective on what size watch I like. This may also be what is effecting my not wearing the Chrono Avenger. There must be a Breitling solution for me but I don't know what it is right now.

[manuel]

Red 1680 from luckyyy.

I ordered white. Got red instead. I dont like red because I cant read well submariner

However I felt "luckyyy" after hearing some stories from members here.

A good friend of mine lost 300 usd for the special two tone sub.

He never got it. I think paying for a watch and not receiving it is the biggest dissapointment.

I wore very little that red 1680. I must say it is a watch with a huge potencial, and I like the raised and thick crystal. I traded it to vintage lover repaustria.

I now have a white Wm 1680 and I have 2 genuine crystals, but I still have to perform some mods. Maybe my good old friend repaustria can help me.

[kanerich]

I have to go with the Cartier Santos 100 TT . . . it looked awesome in pics and even though I'm not a TT guy or a dress watch guy, I just loved the look (DANGER WILL ROBINSON, DANGER!). I got it, hated the cheap strap and convinced myself that's why I didn't wear the watch. So I had Aaron Tan build me a nice gator strap for $200 - and now having put $500 into the watch I realized nope, it wasn't the strap. I always feel like I'm wearing a gold hubcap on my wrist, it's not that comfortable, and the dial isn't spot on either, although it's pretty good. But when the dial is so simple and the size of a dinner plate the fact that's not spot on seems more glaring. I really, really wish I hadn't sold my Double Eagle rep to get this . . . that was a MUCH better TT dress watch.

Second would have to be the YM -- it's actually a more accurate rep than most Subs out of the box and there aren't nearly so many self-appointed "experts" trying to pick it apart, but I don't know, the "too frou-frou to be a sport watch but too plug-ugly to be a dress watch, and hard to read" thing has me scratching my head in terms of why anybody would want this watch over others, rep or gen . . .

[archibald]

Having owned nearly every non-sub Panerai rep, I'd say that since the recent fast and furious run of PAM production began, "objective" accuracy has increased but quality has decreased dramitcally. In fact, even though the crowns are thicker, the dials are better lumed, and the crown guards are a little more accurate, I think the watches generally look much less convincing on the wrist because the fit and finish has gone down hill, the cases seem cheaper, and the workmanship has declined. The flaws on the older versions can be modded away--the parts and finish problems on many of the newer ones are there to stay, so no more PAMs for me until the "put the quality back in."

[jeff g]

Like most of us that have been buying these watches for a few years, I have had a fair amount of dissapointing pieces. However I think a few of those previously mentioned are the prime dissapointments for me as well.

1. IWC GST Chrono - Like Ubi, the case IMO is way disproportionate. 40mm case - but it felt like the thing was 3 inches thick. So nice to look at, but not fun to wear.

2. Cartier Santos 100. I didn't like the strap, and tried to change it, to no avail, and after wearing it once or twice, sits in the box.

3. As much as I like many of the PAM models - the 196 is the biggest disappointment of all. Bought it as it was released - paid 340.00 with a cheap strap, bought a sourced SS PAM bracelet for 125.00 (now of course they come with the SS bracelet) - 7750 problems immediately - won't reset correctly, etc. I can never sell it, in its present state. Haven't bought any of the newer PAM models since.

Most impressive rep? The look and feel (weight and fit) of the 2006 TAG LINK chrono is as nice a rep as I have ever purchased.

[pollux1]

The only one to be a disappointment, and not from a quality viewpoint, was my 16610, just too small for me, especially after being smitten with Panerai.

[omni]

2) Metalic blue hands. I just hate the way these things look. Again, they always feel super cheap to me and scream FAKE WATCH! I know some gens have them and I cannot put my finger on it but somehow they seem different and I have never seen a fake with blue hands that I like.

tvt:

The hands are different because all the blue genuine hands I've examined are "blued" steel while all the replica blue hands are usually painted making them look cheaper.

[rsv123]

For me it was all Panerai submersible reps - with the exception of the Arktos (dont' ask me why). I couldn't wait to get these watches and pestered the dealers for info, voted for them in every poll and even considered buying gen (very glad I didn't!). They just don't feel or look 'right' on my wrist. I didn't like the 187 when it first came out, and then after staring at it long enough became mesmerised by it, bought one and still couldn't love it when it was in my hands; it was a great watch, but did nothing for me. My foolish trigger-happy buying has at least brought some advantage to other members when I have sold my less loved watches!

[rqthrottle]

Being a Pam lover, my biggest disappointment would have to be the WM white SD. Hands down the fastest watch I have ever flipped. As soon as I opened the package I knew it wasn't for me. Quality seemed good, but it was tiny on my wrist, and still needed a few modifications. The watch was on the post office on its way to the new owner about two hours after I got delivery of it.

On the other side of the spectrum, the watch that I keep going to is my lightly modded 063. I have gotten it to the point where I am satisfied with, and I just love that watch.

[archibald]

tvt:

The hands are different because all the blue genuine hands I've examined are "blued" steel while all the replica blue hands are usually painted making them look cheaper.

Hands down, the biggest downer, especially if you're a muller fan. Ofrei sells gorgeous blued hands for as little as 8 bucks a set (but none accurate for Mullers), which means the chinese could produce them in large runs for a penny a piece. Nothing in repdom as bad as having a Muller that some Chinese repmaker went through the cost and hassle to make 99.9% perfect except for the hands, which he slathered with blue finger paint to save a dime. As always...the mind of the repmaker is mysterious and sometimes amazing dopey.

[Richard Tracy]

Being a Pam lover, my biggest disappointment would have to be the WM white SD. Hands down the fastest watch I have ever flipped. As soon as I opened the package I knew it wasn't for me. Quality seemed good, but it was tiny on my wrist, and still needed a few modifications. The watch was on the post office on its way to the new owner about two hours after I got delivery of it.

On the other side of the spectrum, the watch that I keep going to is my lightly modded 063. I have gotten it to the point where I am satisfied with, and I just love that watch.

Hmm,.. this seems to be a recurring theme... mbw vintage, though sought-after and loved by some,

are a huge dissapointment for those that are not aware of how they look, feel and fit in real life...

I know it must seem pretty ignorant to those that know how rare they are,... but,..one man's diamond

is another man's glass...

[tvt]

A lot of the complaints about the MBW pieces show that this thread is NOT about "your worst piece of junk" or something like that but rather "Your biggest didsapointment".

I think people build up a LOT of ecpectations for MBW watches and perhpas nothing can meet those, and thus the disapointment. You can get a perfectly fine watch and STILL be disapointed simply because it was not what you had expected or had hoped for. This is in keeping with the spirit of this thread... It is also very interesting to see that certain brands are commonly pointed to as the most dispointing for people.

[cosmosblau]

The IWC FA Jones with silver hands and decorated movement. The numerals on the dial are so overprinted it just screams fake. I can't wear it.

[dangerman]

For years I have wanted a Speedmaster Moonwatch. When reps finally allowed me to get one I was surprised to be a little disappointed. Strange because there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

I think the problem was my previous rep was the Seamaster Professional Chrono. That is such a magnificent bank vault of a watch. It's an almost perfect combination of accuracy as a rep as well as build quality. Not only big but attractive as well. The size, weight and thickness are just so nice. This gives the SMP Chrono a really authoritative masculine wrist presence.

By comparison the Speedmaster feels thin and light like a toy. It looks great up close in photos (thanks Pugwash!) where you can see all the interesting details, but on the wrist it just seems so much smaller and thinner and looks a bit anonymous.

I should ad that I've mostly changed my mind. Not really fair to compare such dissimilar watches. Having worn it for few days now, I have come to appreciate it as a dressier option, though I will probably still opt for a leather strap and maybe a NATO strap if I want to toughen it up a bit. It really is very nice, but it's likely that nobody will ever notice that it's not just another Citizen.

Edited December 15, 2006 by dangerman