morgan123 Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 I compared, if only briefly, my rep link chrono against the gen (brand new in the store) and the only difference I noticed was the "shininess" of the gen... The gen seemed to catch the light better and was more brilliant.... Mine looked like it had been worn in comparison. The dealer didn't seem to flinch or ask any questions when I compared the "blue one" with my "black one". Then I tried the Carrera on which I ordered next from Joshua whos's been very good to me, but that's neither here nor there... My question is why is the gen shinier? Is it because the polish it before it goes on display or oil it lightly or something? Or is it simply better stainless steel material? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdo2milger Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 this is a very good question... I would assume the gen is polished...Also it may be the grade of stainless steel as well. I always see dealers advertise 316 ss. I beleive gens use a higher grade. I ordered the blue face link chrono, it should be here sometime this week. I will throw a quick polish on it and post pics in the wrist check. would someone confirm this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAMman Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Most reps are not cleaned or polished after machining. A good polish with a cleaner such as 'Autosol' helps enormously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan123 Posted January 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Most reps are not cleaned or polished after machining. A good polish with a cleaner such as 'Autosol' helps enormously. I ordered it. I love this list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OiRogers Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Was your crown correctly marked to the gen?... I've got the blue dial link chrono and noticed when I looked closely at the gen at a local store that the crown had a different insignia on it. I think By-tor posted a great review of this watch a few monthes back and he addressed the crown being incorrect. Is this a big issue to me? nope. I still love this watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supermanx Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Steel should be the same, but the rep is very very dirty when new... Use a good polish (rub very lightly on brushed steel). You'll be amazed at how black your rag gets, and in turn how brilliant your rep can be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobs1971 Posted January 27, 2007 Report Share Posted January 27, 2007 Today I went to the AD to see possible differences between gen and rep. I have the mushroom Link Chrono. I too noticed that the gen 'shines' more than the rep on the dial. When I looked closer it seemed to me that the color of the outside ring of the dial is more 'silverish' than mushroom while on the the rep the whole dial has the same mushroom colour. I don't know if this is the same with the blue version. Has anybody else noticed that their are 2 colours on the gen mushroom dial? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan123 Posted January 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2007 FYI, in case anyone else finds this thread, be very, very carful. I just took the brushed effect off and on another thread they're telling me how to put it back since I polished off so much metal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddiep Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 Where does one get "Autosul?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan123 Posted February 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 Where does one get "Autosul?" I wouldn't do it over again, and it's still too shiny if I were being totally nit picky about it even after I brushed it with steel wool. (I also ordered a fiberglass brush, hopefully that will be the final touch I'm looking for)... But here you go: http://www.eastwoodco.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan123 Posted February 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 Where does one get "Autosul?" I wouldn't do it over again, and it's still too shiny if I were being totally nit picky about it even after I brushed it with steel wool. (I also ordered a fiberglass brush, hopefully that will be the final touch I'm looking for)... But here you go: http://www.eastwoodco.com/ I wouldn't do it over again, and it's still too shiny if I were being totally nit picky about it even after I brushed it with steel wool. (I also ordered a fiberglass brush, hopefully that will be the final touch I'm looking for)... But here you go: http://www.eastwoodco.com/ And it's Autosol, not Autosul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddiep Posted February 4, 2007 Report Share Posted February 4, 2007 Thanks..placed my order on Saturday. Any special instuctions on how to polish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan123 Posted February 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2007 Thanks..placed my order on Saturday. Any special instuctions on how to polish? I have another thread somewhere else about the polish... They said to use dish soap and a tooth brush, or jewelers cloth. I think the idea is not to polish, but to clean since it's a satin finish... Ultamatly you can make it look like whatever you want though since I compleatly polished it and the re-satin finished it with Satin finish bars (fine and medium) I bought at ofrei... I think it looks better than every now because of all the different things I did to it, But I'm not sure if I'd recomend you doing the same. There's got to be an easier way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 Take it easy fellas. I remember obsessively cleaning a gold plated watch until I scrubbed off the plating in 6 months. The tag is a remarkable rep but it's not a genuine. When you lay it down next to a genuine you will notice differences in fit and finish. But.....why are you doing this and what would cleaning your watch every day so it maintains that "genuine shine" do for you?????? Hate to break it to you but no matter how much you rub your Tag, the genuine genie will never appear. Enjoy it for what it is...one of the best replicas ever produced. Don't spoil the owning experience by obsessing over showroom shine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrgod Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 Take it easy fellas. I remember obsessively cleaning a gold plated watch until I scrubbed off the plating in 6 months. The tag is a remarkable rep but it's not a genuine. When you lay it down next to a genuine you will notice differences in fit and finish. But.....why are you doing this and what would cleaning your watch every day so it maintains that "genuine shine" do for you?????? Hate to break it to you but no matter how much you rub your Tag, the genuine genie will never appear. Enjoy it for what it is...one of the best replicas ever produced. Don't spoil the owning experience by obsessing over showroom shine. Well said! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hyster Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 Take it easy fellas. I remember obsessively cleaning a gold plated watch until I scrubbed off the plating in 6 months. The tag is a remarkable rep but it's not a genuine. When you lay it down next to a genuine you will notice differences in fit and finish. But.....why are you doing this and what would cleaning your watch every day so it maintains that "genuine shine" do for you?????? Hate to break it to you but no matter how much you rub your Tag, the genuine genie will never appear. Enjoy it for what it is...one of the best replicas ever produced. Don't spoil the owning experience by obsessing over showroom shine. Very good point. Even the gen will get dirty after wearing it after all. I love mine, I think its a great looking watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan123 Posted February 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 I guess now I have to take pictures because it really did make a difference, and it really looks like Gen with all my fussing around with it... I mean why buy a rep if you don't want it to look like a gen? Why not buy a Tudor? Or something that doesn't say "Tag" if you don't want it to look like the real thing. Don't be silly. you want it to look real and that's why you bought it. No one want's a gen that doesn't look like the real thing or you wouldn't talk about them all day on this list! My point in all my posts have been that I'm thoroughly impressed with some of these Gens... (the link Chrono, the SMP chrono) that I love them so very much and am so happy with the $1000's I've saved by not buying the gen versions, but that if the factories can get them as close as the smp/link, I don;t understand why they can't keep to that high standard and stop producing bad reps like the SMP GMT I wasted almost $400 on (including the oiling and waterproofing I had done to it). I would buy reps all day if they were the same quality as the link and the smp chrono. Seriously. Not trying to get in any flame here, so that will be my last comment on the subject Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryaku Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 I share almost the whole post, exept the point regarding the Tudor brand. They ain't that cheap, else i'd buy one Tudor chrono in a flash. Actually I'd buy a good Tudor replica either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan123 Posted February 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 Actually I'd buy a good Tudor replica either. I don't really know anything about Tudor except that they copy they sub and it doesn't say Rolex. Oh, wait I said I wan't going to talk anymore... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 I guess now I have to take pictures because it really did make a difference, and it really looks like Gen with all my fussing around with it... I mean why buy a rep if you don't want it to look like a gen? Why not buy a Tudor? Or something that doesn't say "Tag" if you don't want it to look like the real thing. Don't be silly. you want it to look real and that's why you bought it. No one want's a gen that doesn't look like the real thing or you wouldn't talk about them all day on this list! My point in all my posts have been that I'm thoroughly impressed with some of these Gens... (the link Chrono, the SMP chrono) that I love them so very much and am so happy with the $1000's I've saved by not buying the gen versions, but that if the factories can get them as close as the smp/link, I don;t understand why they can't keep to that high standard and stop producing bad reps like the SMP GMT I wasted almost $400 on (including the oiling and waterproofing I had done to it). I would buy reps all day if they were the same quality as the link and the smp chrono. Seriously. Not trying to get in any flame here, so that will be my last comment on the subject My point is you have already narrowed your "it doesn't look like a genuine" focus down to a resolution sensitivity that putting genuine link chronos side by side wouldn't be able to pass. There is manufacturing variability in genuines across the board. The fact is, your Tag looks close enough to the real thing that you can wear it with confidence that only a rep owner, who has knowlege of what's bought and sold in our dirty little secret, would know that a replica of this watch even existed. Sure, rub your toy to your heart's content,...love it ..enjoy it. I get a kick out of shining up my toys too but not in the pursuit of perfection. It's not a real Tag Heuer Link Chrono!!!! It never will be! Even if you get the outside looking 99 44/100% like the genuine, isn't the fact that an ASIAN 7750 lives on the inside going to eat away at you???? You know, Ofrei sells ETA 7750 movements with Tag Heuer on the rotor!!! Another $325, and your watch is almost there.....Oh yeah...the crown.....OK, just another $75 and I'm almost there....oh yeah, no lume.....$50.....and so on and so on and so on..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan123 Posted February 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 You know, Ofrei sells ETA 7750 movements with Tag Heuer on the rotor!!! Another $325, and your watch is almost there.....Oh yeah...the crown.....OK, just another $75 and I'm almost there....oh yeah, no lume.....$50.....and so on and so on and so on..... That actually sounds like a good idea to me But then I'm just addictive/obsessive by nature. My co-worker with the smp gen asked me to stop coming over to his desk to compare and just to buy a real one if I care so much... Kind of funny but really just a little crazy. My girlfriend asked me to stop talking about watches. Forever. She's had enough too. But I've gotten my friends all hooked, at least 3 of them have bought reps too now. Anyway, I should get back to real life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 Guys the difference in finish is nothing to do with polishing. Its because TAG have used a finer grit wheel when applying the brushed finish. Imagine the difference between fine and course sand paper and you've got it. Also when you polish a watch the black stuff isn't dirt, its the metal of the watch being removed and it goes black on the cloth. You can polish the cleanest stainless item and you still get black on the cloth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nietzsche0904 Posted February 8, 2007 Report Share Posted February 8, 2007 I think tis a combination between the finer grit brush and the lack fo cleaning of reps from the factory. Even the high polish surfaces of reps seem to lack "shine", but soak it in WD-40 (dissolves a lot of hte contaminants/looses a lot of tarnish) and use some toothpaste (mild abrasive) and you wil be surprised how much more it shines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Category 5 Posted February 8, 2007 Report Share Posted February 8, 2007 If you want a super clean watch, just do a quick water resistance test (take the watch into the bathroon during a hot shower and see if it fogs) then... Spray wd40 onto a rag and use it to clean and polish the whole watch. this will remove almost any type of grease or grime imaginable. Then, wash the watch in warm water and dish soap (do not submerge, just wet quickly, lather and scrub, and rinse quickly. Your watch will have a completely new shine you've never seen. Then, periodically repeat the dish soap cleaning. WD40 will remove any grime, help lubricate the bracelet links and when you wash in dishsoap (which is gentle) it will remove the greasy layer from the surfaces leaving a sheen. Then, if you so desire for protection, a little car wax will help keep up the shine and protect the finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rxus Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 This is defintely going to be my first rep, and from the reviews and the comments posted here, I am certain I will be happy with my choice. Ohh and for details sake, I plan to order the polished bezel with blue dial face. And interesting enough, my second rep will be a Breitling Navi in all white...but that one will have to wait another month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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