hologramet Posted June 17, 2021 Report Share Posted June 17, 2021 RJ.Bivintagestore is the go-to Guy for cases (he makes the base cases with custom engravings and the whole shebang).Regarding inserts ”crownartcustoms” is the go-to guy nowadays.PM me for contact info to both. Thank you so much !!!! Hope to chat soon mate !You too J!We’be been missing you!Yeah… I sold parts to taiwanese/hong long the last 2-3 years for absurd sums. No doubt about where the cash is currently. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperDanX Posted June 17, 2021 Report Share Posted June 17, 2021 Welcome back sir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
altesporsche Posted June 17, 2021 Report Share Posted June 17, 2021 42 minutes ago, hologramet said: RJ. Bivintagestore is the go-to Guy for cases (he makes the base cases with custom engravings and the whole shebang). Regarding inserts ”crownartcustoms” is the go-to guy nowadays. PM me for contact info to both. You too J! We’be been missing you! Yeah… I sold parts to taiwanese/hong long the last 2-3 years for absurd sums. No doubt about where the cash is currently. Who are these contacts you mention for cases etc ? I’ve never heard of either before, but in saying that I’ve also not been on the forums much in the past year or so. 😅 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolojack Posted June 17, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2021 1 hour ago, hologramet said: RJ. Bivintagestore is the go-to Guy for cases (he makes the base cases with custom engravings and the whole shebang). Regarding inserts ”crownartcustoms” is the go-to guy nowadays. PM me for contact info to both. You too J! We’be been missing you! Yeah… I sold parts to taiwanese/hong long the last 2-3 years for absurd sums. No doubt about where the cash is currently. Wow there are new players indeed !!! I'll shoot you a PM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horologist Posted June 18, 2021 Report Share Posted June 18, 2021 I have to agree with the earlier response that since the parts issue has become a huge problem, there has been very little happening in the replica world. I have a lot of unfinished projects that I took up prior to parts market drought. In particular with eta movement parts that are not only expensive but also hard to find. I have been in limbo as to whether to wait and see until something that I need comes along, or just dismantle everything and sell for parts myself. This is a difficult one for me as I am in different minds on different days. How much worse for those that have invested a lot more into this game than myself!!!!!! I too believe that the short supply parts issue has also been an agenda in the horology world, purely to stop repairs and in particular to destroy the replica market as nothing else has deterred people from buying replicas. Then there has been the big raids on the factories!!! Too much happening to say its just ' coincidence!!! Nobody is going to spend big $$$$ on a replica that may break down early in its stage and then there are no parts for maintenance. This is a good plan for the big brand company's to put a stop onto this hobby of ours and also so that genuine watch buyers buy new watches all the time. One watch repaired is one watch less sold!!!! What the big brands fail to see is that in a way the replica world is indirectly providing them free advertisement as replica buyers will always ponder on the fact that they may own the genuine product and I assume some already do!!! What puzzles me is that the same way we hobbyists have found this forum to share our like minded interests, so too can others that are not on our side. Who knows what spies the big brands are using to monitor what is happening out in the real world and also what we do and therefore plan ways to make it harder for us? Has anyone ever thought of this? It is sad to acknowledge, because this hobby has given me a lot of emotional and mental therapy when I have been at my worst and I have never done it for financial profit, just as I can assume with most of others here who have purely lost money to enjoy what keeps us ticking (excuse the pun). Money isn't everything, but the way the trend is going, it appears to be that Big watch brand companies are not interested in the satisfaction of their consumers but purely PROFITS, PROFITS & PROFITS!!!! Just my opinion only!!!!! BTW Welcome back Rolojack, this has been the best news so far!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolojack Posted June 18, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2021 Interesting point of view. I for one don't think there's such a big picture... I think we vintage watch lovers are not so many. Most people want plain bling and a 100K€ vintage Daytona just isn't visible enough on the wrist to thrill the uneducated crowds. There are two kind of reps : modern and vintage. Modern is mass made and yes brands are fighting against it. It's perfectly understandable. Vintage on the other hand is a totally different picture. Never was it mass produced (for quality items. The only mass produced are jokes really...) and that very fact shows the clientele pan is limited. So they are handmade. And pretty much always by afficionados. Even the vietnam made ones are made by people who were collectors at first before it became a business. And I might add : not a lucrative one. If I count my labor for example I must make someting like 5 to 8 euros an hour... Hahahaha !!! Yeah... What a joke when in my real line of work I won't lift my pencil for less than a hundred an hour. So it isn't for the money at all: there isn't to be made. Just the thrill of creating dream pieces and cracking the small details that makes a piece a great piece. That patina, that unique lume color, that unique dial shade of brown... All those makes every build a thrilling experience. Personally: creating those timekeepers is a real therapy away from the real life. I meet you there . Your head must be free of anything else to achieve a good job. Mostly now that my sight is slowly decreasing.... I now need to pay more attention and I can't work a weekend straight on a watch. Let's all fight for our hobby to live despite that hostile world my friends !!!!! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
automatico Posted June 18, 2021 Report Share Posted June 18, 2021 Rolojack You are right about vintage 'classic' rolex watches imho. Compared to the past 30 year's output they were just a few drops in the rolex bucket. I bet rolex watch co absolutely hates vintage rolex watches because they are in reality their main competitor. I also bet there is only one thing RWC hates more than rolex vintage watches (imho)...the people who buy, collect, and wear them because they have the $$ to buy them and can afford parts and service to keep them running. So...what does RWC do to retaliate? Cut off the parts to starve them out. I guess vintage watch cases were not rotting out fast enough to suit them. Ha! "Sir, is that a vintage rolex 5512 on your wrist, powered by the famous calibre 1570 that is currently selling for $20,000?" No, it is a new MBK with the famous ETA 2879 that goes for about $1000." What may I ask is the difference?" "Not much, at all." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted June 18, 2021 Report Share Posted June 18, 2021 1 hour ago, automatico said: "Sir, is that a vintage rolex 5512 on your wrist, powered by the famous calibre 1570 that is currently selling for $20,000?" No, it is a new MBK with the famous ETA 2879 that goes for about $1000." What may I ask is the difference?" "Not much, at all." "Sir, is that a vintage 1963 Land Rover Series 2A you're driving, with cross-your-fingers drum brakes and powered by the 2.25L petrol engine making 65 horsepower?" "No, it is an aftermarket galvanized chassis with a turbo-diesel Mercedes engine, on Range Rover axles with disc brakes, power steering and coil suspension, and uses 2 original body panels and steering wheel." What may I ask is the difference?" "It's much faster and safer. Otherwise it looks identical." 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSebWC Posted June 25, 2021 Report Share Posted June 25, 2021 Agreed with Rolojack on the vintage watches. Those are created by the truly obsessive. However its not the brands that have an issue ..its the second hand vintage dealers that have the issue with aftermarket and rep parts..since vintage watches are a minefield and you really need to know your stuff to spot a franken piece. I find that the rep community in most cases has a sharper eye to sus watches as we obsess over the details more than most gen owners do 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolojack Posted June 25, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2021 Absolutely ! I am amazed sometimes by the lack of attention to details by some only gen owners…. The rep world has a way to train real experts. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolojack Posted July 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolojack Posted July 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watchguyusa1 Posted July 11, 2021 Report Share Posted July 11, 2021 On 6/11/2021 at 2:25 AM, rolojack said: It looks like the forum isn't as active as before or is it me? I see the post dates are quite far apart thats because you left! welcome back ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlytoss Posted July 20, 2021 Report Share Posted July 20, 2021 Knowing you're back is the best news we had in the Rep world since a very long time, hope you'll be ready to get order again soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erinoush Posted July 31, 2021 Report Share Posted July 31, 2021 On 7/11/2021 at 10:44 AM, rolojack said: That one was really beautiful, congrats .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sub007 Posted July 31, 2022 Report Share Posted July 31, 2022 Great to see you’re back! One of the reasons I started out with this hobby was the thrill of finding vintage parts to build those grail vintage watches. And glad you were around at that time to do your magic and build amazing watches. Trust this place will get a bit busier with you being back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolojack Posted July 31, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2022 I'm partly back actually :-) Some of my machines are still in storage but I can accept some jobs. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tribal Posted July 31, 2022 Report Share Posted July 31, 2022 Nice to see some old-timers back!Gesendet von meinem 2107113SG mit Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noumenon Posted December 29, 2023 Report Share Posted December 29, 2023 Hi rolojack! I sent you a DM, it would be great if you could take a look once you get the chance! Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now