who is still in the game?

[Chicago1122]

Coming back from the dead here - but curious, who is still active - I'm from the time of Eddie Lee, Neil, Angus etc - who are the up and comers and new favs?  

[automatico]

Dealers...

I remember all the guys you named plus my favorite...'Paul' from Pam111/Abay etc.  He was a character, always delivered what I ordered, included a 'Birthday card' and sometimes an extra gift of some sort.  Who from back then can forget his $159 and $99 'Crazy Sales!'  Last I heard from him was 12 or 15 years ago when he sent a picture of himself in a miniature Mercedes.  I remember Eddie Lee posing on his motorcycle (Honda CX 500/650 iirc) reminiscent of  Prince in Purple Rain (Hondamatic CM400A). 

Still have a few watches from 'River'...a couple sapphire 'lug hole' SD and one Ex II.  I got a 'cream' dial somewhere for the Ex II but never put it on the watch.  That might still be a good project. 

 

I never bought anything from Neil but read his witty and often insulting  posts...insulting only to the posters who had it coming (most of the time).  Word is he went RIP but do not know for sure.

David Wong (DW) was Ok too but he has dropped under the radar.  Wish I had bought a few of his Daytona cases.

Then there was Watchlover David aka WLD.  He started out Ok but got in too deep and stiffed a few buyers...maybe more than a few.

Bought a few watches from a guy in Chicago back in the RWCC days (Replica Watch Collector Club), one of the first replica forums and a few years before TRC, but can not remember his name.

There was a guy going by the name 'Cal' back then and I bought a few of the steel Ex II and GMT with working 24 hour hands, the first with working 24H hands that I had seen, probably 1996 or '97 (Asian NN/DG mvt).  Still have a couple around here somewhere.

An added bonus back then was the 'swiss' watches I bought had new swiss ETA movements, no ratty etaclones or half and half junk like today.

 

As for the current dealers, the only two I have used in a the past few years are Reggie and Mary, both were A-1.

 

[horologist]

Although I don't post as often as before, I still lurk here as I feel part of a great unique and esoteric community. Old habits do tend to die hard.  Once addicted to this, it is hard to break the  chain!

 

i too found Paul to be one of my favorite  dealer who was he very first person I bought from some 15 years ago and everything he sold me was flawless unlike he myth that these places lack quality control.   Although I did have problems with  genuine watches in the past.  So much for the hype!

 

Since the swatch group have clamped down on who the prefer to sell, I also wound down and decided to build my own as I was buying case kits from yuki and sticking in genuine eta movements in them from older genuine watches!  Thus also came to an end when they ceased production of the traditional submariner case and began production of the bulky new style case with the ceramic bezel that  practically does nothing for me!

 

As a result, I no longer as active  but f the right deal comes along, I sometimes take the plunge!

[automatico]

"This also came to an end when they ceased production of the traditional submariner case and began production of the bulky new style case with the ceramic bezel that  practically does nothing for me!"

 

I know what you mean about today's modern chunky tuna cases.  I have a few submariner style cases from back in the 1990s/early 2000s and they look pretty good but all have 60 click spring wire bezels and are made for 'press into a gasket' MG/sapphire crystals and plastic movement spacers.  They are Ok for low ball projects but do not compare with the cases that came with better grade watches in the era of the noobmariner etc.

 

A few dealers still offer 16610 type watches that are probably better than ever but I have not seen one up close.  Mary Watch has a 'JF Factory' 16610 but it comes with a semi reliable 3135 clone.  At least with an etaclone you can swap it out with a swiss movement when it goes south.

Can't do this with the 3135 clone...the dial feet/hands will not fit an ETA, plus you would need a DWO for the ETA.

 

It would be nice to have a few nos TC submariners.

Not NOS4A2 submariners.  You have to go to Christmasland to get them... 

 

 

 

[horologist]

12 hours ago, automatico said:

 

A few dealers still offer 16610 type watches that are probably better than ever but I have not seen one up close.  Mary Watch has a 'JF Factory' 16610 but it comes with a semi reliable 3135 clone.  

 

It would be nice to have a few nos TC submariners.

Not NOS4A2 submariners.  You have to go to Christmasland to get them...

 

 

 

True true true!!!

 

very valid points!  I am not sure who sells the older type submariner cases any more!   Yuki had very good case kits at very reasonable prices and were my favourite.  I thought they would be around forever.  His last email reply to me was "sorry no longer in production". I foolishly sold off most of what I had purely because of the spare parts issue which was bestowed upon us by the swatch group's Draconian decision to make our lives miserable.  Not only for eta parts but even to replace a $20 plexi on my late father's omega watch that sits in my top drawer in its  gravely state.

 

i was lucky enough to build a noobmariner thanks to Alligoat supplying me tha case!   I stuck an eta in it and am even worried to wear it if it were to fall off my arm and am in the  dilemma of spare parts ordeal.  Didn't even feel like this when wearing a genuine Datejust.

 

the new tuna can cases made both by rolex and rep makers  are as interesting to me as watching the paint dry!

[arkx07]

Dealers...
I remember all the guys you named plus my favorite...'Paul' from Pam111/Abay etc.  He was a character, always delivered what I ordered, included a 'Birthday card' and sometimes an extra gift of some sort.  Who from back then can forget his $159 and $99 'Crazy Sales!'  Last I heard from him was 12 or 15 years ago when he sent a picture of himself in a miniature Mercedes.  I remember Eddie Lee posing on his motorcycle (Honda CX 500/650 iirc) reminiscent of  Prince in Purple Rain (Hondamatic CM400A). 
Still have a few watches from 'River'...a couple sapphire 'lug hole' SD and one Ex II.  I got a 'cream' dial somewhere for the Ex II but never put it on the watch.  That might still be a good project. 
 
I never bought anything from Neil but read his witty and often insulting  posts...insulting only to the posters who had it coming (most of the time).  Word is he went RIP but do not know for sure.
David Wong (DW) was Ok too but he has dropped under the radar.  Wish I had bought a few of his Daytona cases.
Then there was Watchlover David aka WLD.  He started out Ok but got in too deep and stiffed a few buyers...maybe more than a few.
Bought a few watches from a guy in Chicago back in the RWCC days (Replica Watch Collector Club), one of the first replica forums and a few years before TRC, but can not remember his name.
There was a guy going by the name 'Cal' back then and I bought a few of the steel Ex II and GMT with working 24 hour hands, the first with working 24H hands that I had seen, probably 1996 or '97 (Asian NN/DG mvt).  Still have a couple around here somewhere.
An added bonus back then was the 'swiss' watches I bought had new swiss ETA movements, no ratty etaclones or half and half junk like today.
 
As for the current dealers, the only two I have used in a the past few years are Reggie and Mary, both were A-1.
 

Hi very useful share thanks. How can I get a hold of Reggie and/or Mary? Website? Email?
Thanks


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[torobravo]

Most of us still in the game, changing url 2 times a year 

[notofyours]

For more than 10 yrs, just lerking and absorb knowledges

[tomhorn]

I've been here for over 11 years now. Hard to believe it's been that long.

 

My first rep was an Eddie Lee 3717, although I din't buy it directly from him. I have a DW cased 6263, a WM9 16610 LV from BK and bought/sold pieces and parts from a lot of the "old timers" here.

Wish Ubi was around more (although he still stops by now and then). His builds were legendary. Also wish The Zigmeister was still doing work. Great craftsman. I consider myself fortunate to have a piece he worked on in my collection.

[Timelord]

I have been around in this rep game since 1991 when I was working part time for a cobbler that changed watch batteries in the quartz watches.  From time to time we got customers asking to attend to mechanical watches which needed attention and some even left them to us as a trade for a cheap time teller which is all they really wanted.

 

one afternoon a gentleman asked me to look at his late fathers  omega presentation watch from GM that had been water damaged.  It was an automatic and wanted a feasible fix just to get it working, not caring about if I could replace the internal guts with anything that would make it tick.  Then it struck me that I would put in a quality quart mvt from a citizen dress watch where I was able to use the case ring and hands.  A few modifications and presto, he had a working heirloom watch.  

 

I then got the idea to do the same with all the DJ cases that were coming up for sale with their original dials, so in my spare time, I bastardised them (term I used before Franken watch became the norm) by fitting eta 2783 mvts from your generic unknown brand watches such as Lator for example.  I did this with a couple of date justs, and fitting quartz mvts into good looking watch cases from other vintage timepieces that deserved a second chance in life.  Then I discovered the internet replica forum (one that is now no longer active) and the rest is history! 

 

The owner from the presentation watch still recognises me in the streets of the city centre and when he stops to say hello, he brings the subject up all the time having last mentioned that his daughter has given the watch to her son as  he loves the watch so much.  What a pleasure it gives me to put on a smile on someone's face even from some 30 years ago!

 

I don't want to overlook any artisan modder here, but I wished people like zingy and even jackjo were still as active as before as I have had some great bespoke work done that the term replica watch would be an insult to the masterpieces created!

Edited September 4, 2019 by Timelord
Spelling errors

[loboacan]

I never got Mary to answer my emails because her email address no longer existed.