Up date on Cartel 93150 Bracelet

[Nanuq]

Call me old school, but I think four digit Rolex should have hollow link bracelets.  All of mine do.  That tinny jangly cheap rattly sound as you wear them is just part of the scene you occupy as you take yourself back 40 years and strap them on.

 

There's just one flaw with Mary's band, and it's easily fixed.  Et voila' voici un très bon sosie de 9315.

 

 

[automatico]

"I just spent $380 buying a 93150 rep from MQ but it’s really shocking quality, I’ve asked to return it."

 

I hate to say this but I have some replica 'submariners' that I paid $40 for about 15 or 18 years ago sporting the same bracelets with solid mid links and no 93150 stamping.  I can spot them by the ratty clasp coronets, the deep notch by the flip lock lever etc. 

 

"Wondering how MQ dares to ask a $300 and more."

 

A guy would really need a set of bowling ball size nutz to pass off that $10 bracelet for $380.  I sometimes wonder if some of the 'sellers' have ever seen the genuine article.  They must think we are stupid..er than we are.  Ha!

MQ is getting a baaad report card.  

 

Mary has some solid link '93150' bracelets for $65USD:

Posted May 15  (2020)   

https://www.rwg.bz/board/index.php?/topic/155908-rolex-93150-braceletin-stock/

 

I went down a rabbit hole a while back trying to turn some of the Abay blind hole (hollow) screw links into links that appeared to have 'through and through' screws like genuine instead of blind holes by drilling through the blind end from the top side with a 1.0mm cobalt drill and pressing short 1.1mm diameter stainless steel pins in the holes and polishing them to a satin finish. 

It worked Ok except for a few 'hassles':

1...It took 3 or 4 hours to make five.

2...Pressing the 1.1mm pins in the links was a real pita.

3...Grinding/polishing the pressed in pin was a chore because the link had to be kept flat and not remove excess metal.

4...When you run the screw in from the top side it can push the pressed in pin out of the other side if the screws are not cut to fit.  I finally just put super glue on the slightly shortened screw threads and ran them in far enough to make the screw head even with the link.

They look Ok but it was not worth the trouble.  I thought about just drilling the screw holes out to 1.4mm all the way through and making non threaded push pins out of steel rod, knurling the end and pressing them in but cutting screw driver notches in the centers of the rods would not be easy.

 

Before that fiasco I had made up a few pretty good '93150' bracelets using 93150 stamped bracelets with hollow mid links from Abay/Paul and substituted the removable links that came with blind screw holes on the Abay bracelets for ST hollow center links.  The ST links used to be $15 but now they are $17.50 so you are looking at close to $100 for five links but the ST links are higher quality than most replica parts.

 

If you go with the ST links it narrows the hunt for a good '93150' down to:

1...Finding two sets (of four) hollow mid link 93150 signed permanent links.

2...Two proper bracelet to spring bar connecting links.

3...A good clasp with a rivet where the clasp is joined to the bracelet (not a spring bar).

4...A proper dive extension.

5...A set of the correct type of bracelet hoods (solid skirt for pierced lugs or notched for blind lugs). 

It is very hard to find all that in a ready made replica bracelet so it usually ends up being a long drawn out do-it-yourself project.

 

ST links are higher quality than most replica parts.

P/N  RMOSS-LINK/OP  $17.50

 

[Pombok]

Thanks guys for the support, I bought from MQ expecting to receive top quality, since a few people have recommended him. I’ll give MQ reasonable chance to return/refund, otherwise he’ll get flamed.

I think I’m going to go for the JKF since I’ve already got a gen clasp. Will have to learn a little more about the ‘hollow’ links.