TeeJay Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 PLease... if you have found a cheaper source with the same or better quality let us know so we can take advantage of... Sorry, I wasn't sure if it was good form to mention dealers what with the rumors of dealers getting shut down... I was going to get the bracelets from Joshua. He's selling them for $35 US with free shipping, which is quite a reduction in price from 40 Euros... The bracelet's you've sourced look amazing, but given my unexpected pet emergency last night, I did a panic search for something cheaper, and Joshua seems to be the man with the goods Sorry for not saying anything sooner, I wasn't sure if it would've been frowned upon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmena Posted February 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 Sorry, I wasn't sure if it was good form to mention dealers what with the rumors of dealers getting shut down... I was going to get the bracelets from Joshua. He's selling them for $35 US with free shipping, which is quite a reduction in price from 40 Euros... The bracelet's you've sourced look amazing, but given my unexpected pet emergency last night, I did a panic search for something cheaper, and Joshua seems to be the man with the goods Sorry for not saying anything sooner, I wasn't sure if it would've been frowned upon. I'm still wandering if the rubber band this seller is selling is the same than Joshua sells. In this case, I would cancel this group by and inform the rest of people interested that they can get Joshua's one. At least, with the info from NAVI you know how it looks like and the way to improve it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 I'm still wandering if the rubber band this seller is selling is the same than Joshua sells. In this case, I would cancel this group by and inform the rest of people interested that they can get Joshua's one. At least, with the info from NAVI you know how it looks like and the way to improve it. Without the two straps side by side 'in hand' to compare, it's hard to be 100% sure. However, rom the pictures, I would say that they appear to be identical. Out of curiousity, does the contact you had do the same level of business as Joshua? It's possible that they get their straps from the same source, but Joshua is able to offer a better price due to his overall business levels... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwygant Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 Without the two straps side by side 'in hand' to compare, it's hard to be 100% sure. However, rom the pictures, I would say that they appear to be identical. Out of curiousity, does the contact you had do the same level of business as Joshua? It's possible that they get their straps from the same source, but Joshua is able to offer a better price due to his overall business levels... The rubber strap joshua sells doesn't not fit well on the 4th gen or 5th or whatever. I was under the assumption that's what this entire "Test" was about to try this new version rep strap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chronus Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 A few things so that people are clear: -apparently Josh's band does not fit well, and has gaps when there should be a tight fit. -This is a Seamaster band and not Planet Ocean (which has a different buckle and the holes are a different shape), even though they look similar. Therefore this should work for other Omegas, such as SMPs, Seamaster GMTs etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archibald Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 Here's the OEM PO strap....can be yours for 169. Even if the rep strap is slightly different it beats paying what you can get OEM patek croc for. EDIT: can't get the pic to load. See it here: http://www.ofrei.com/page750.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chronus Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 Here's the OEM PO strap....can be yours for 169. Even if the rep strap is slightly different it beats paying what you can get OEM patek croc for. EDIT: can't get the pic to load. See it here: http://www.ofrei.com/page750.html The buckle is sold separately and they don't have the OEM buckles for the Planet Ocean strap, so anyone wanting to buy should get the Seamaster strap with buckle. Probably be an extra $20. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 A few things so that people are clear: -apparently Josh's band does not fit well, and has gaps when there should be a tight fit. -This is a Seamaster band and not Planet Ocean (which has a different buckle and the holes are a different shape), even though they look similar. Therefore this should work for other Omegas, such as SMPs, Seamaster GMTs etc. This is also very true. Neither this (nor Joshua's) straps are the Planet Ocean strap. I actually tried on the LE 45 PO today, and to be honest, it's a nice watch, if a little big. It dwarfs a 42mm watch when compared together. As for the strap. The Planet Ocean strap does not have rectangular notch holes, but a kind of off-round hole. It also has Planet Ocean imprinted on the inside. To be honest, I did not like the shape of the notch holes, I think that the rectangular notch holes looked much nicer. I'm still going to order mine from Joshua as the price is right, and I prefer how they look compared to the gen PO strap. However, I would advise people not to try and pass a Seamaster strap off as a PO strap, as anyone who knows will spot the difference instantly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmena Posted March 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 Guys... I'm not going to continue with this group buy since seems that Joshua's one is the same as this dealer is selling. TeeJay, please... once you receive the band, post pics like NAVI did. If the bands are not the same and this one looks better, then I will ask again the dealer and if still available I'll let you know. Ok? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chronus Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 This is also very true. Neither this (nor Joshua's) straps are the Planet Ocean strap. I actually tried on the LE 45 PO today, and to be honest, it's a nice watch, if a little big. It dwarfs a 42mm watch when compared together. As for the strap. The Planet Ocean strap does not have rectangular notch holes, but a kind of off-round hole. It also has Planet Ocean imprinted on the inside. To be honest, I did not like the shape of the notch holes, I think that the rectangular notch holes looked much nicer. I'm still going to order mine from Joshua as the price is right, and I prefer how they look compared to the gen PO strap. However, I would advise people not to try and pass a Seamaster strap off as a PO strap, as anyone who knows will spot the difference instantly. Well I am returning my rep Seamaster strap to the dealer, so I could always send to you if you are in EU... otherwise it goes back with the Chrono Avenger (wrong dial colour sent!) and the Ultimate 45mm PO (wrong bezel colour sent!) for replacements! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 Guys... I'm not going to continue with this group buy since seems that Joshua's one is the same as this dealer is selling. TeeJay, please... once you receive the band, post pics like NAVI did. If the bands are not the same and this one looks better, then I will ask again the dealer and if still available I'll let you know. Ok? I'll be happy to take pics of the strap once it arrives, although with regards to 'watch shots', I am without my Planet Ocean at the moment, so the only watch I could put it on will be my 2531.80 project watch, but I will also do this to demonstrate it's fit on a 20mm rep. Well I am returning my rep Seamaster strap to the dealer, so I could always send to you if you are in EU... otherwise it goes back with the Chrono Avenger (wrong dial colour sent!) and the Ultimate 45mm PO (wrong bezel colour sent!) for replacements! I'm in the UK, so that would be awesome. How much would you want for the strap? My funds are a little stretched at present, but I would definitely be interested. Would you be prepared to hang onto it for a few weeks till I can get the spare cash? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spatten1 Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 (edited) OK: If Josh has the same straps, why not negotiate a volume group buy price with him? I guarantee he will get many more orders if people are motivated by the group buy. Edited March 1, 2007 by Spatten1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spatten1 Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 (edited) What I am wondering is: Do Josh's straps fit well or not? The ones in the pictures on this thread looked good, but we keep hearing otherwise. Edited March 1, 2007 by Spatten1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 Without the two straps and whatever version of the Planet Ocean to make comparisons, I can only speculate. However, I would strongly suspect, that the straps Joshua is selling are a uniform 20mm. I would suspect that the inconsistency lies in the watches themselves, not the strap. I would also stronly suspect that the straps mentioned in this thread are the same as the ones Joshua is selling. From the pictures available, I cannot distinguish any differences. With regards to accuracy and perfection, even gens get screwed up. Recently, the AD in town had two watches (one Planet Ocean 45mm and one 007 40th Anniversary SMP) which had defects in the finish of the bezels. These were fresh from the factory, but one was a definite manufacturing flaw, the other was clearly handling damage. When I tried on the LE 45 PO today, I noticed that the tongue of the buckle was wider than the holes in the strap. It was not untill I saw the above linked page to Ofrei that I found out the differences in not only the strap, but also the buckles. Whoever put that watch together, clearly put the wrong buckle on the strap. So all those little flaws people whine about with their reps, just remember, you can still get them in the genuine article... (probably even assembled in the same factories) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmena Posted March 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 I wouldn't want anybody feeling reaped off because he's paying 15 USD extra for the same band hat can be bought from Joshua. Nevertheless, being honest, at the moment I can ensure the band my dealer is selling fits the way you see in pics. It would be nice having pics from Joshua's band... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chronus Posted March 2, 2007 Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 I'll be happy to take pics of the strap once it arrives, although with regards to 'watch shots', I am without my Planet Ocean at the moment, so the only watch I could put it on will be my 2531.80 project watch, but I will also do this to demonstrate it's fit on a 20mm rep. I'm in the UK, so that would be awesome. How much would you want for the strap? My funds are a little stretched at present, but I would definitely be interested. Would you be prepared to hang onto it for a few weeks till I can get the spare cash? Contact me - use the email link from the profile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 2, 2007 Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 (edited) Contact me - use the email link from the profile. It's saying your PM box is full, and it won't let me email from this board... If you email me at xxxxxxxxxxxxx@Hotmail.com, I'm sure we can work something out. Thanks again for the offer of the strap [Edited to remove email for stalking concerns] Edited November 26, 2007 by TeeJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r11co Posted March 2, 2007 Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 I wish I'd intervened sooner, guys, but photobucket is filtered where I work so I couldn't see the initial pics to confirm my suspicions. I treaded this ground a year ago, and established the strap in question was a bad/non fit on the PO. The only way to make it approach acceptable was to drill a second set of lug-holes to make the strap fit closer to the watch case, plus drill a hole to accept the locating pin, rather than cutting it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 2, 2007 Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 I wish I'd intervened sooner, guys, but photobucket is filtered where I work so I couldn't see the initial pics to confirm my suspicions. I treaded this ground a year ago, and established the strap in question was a bad/non fit on the PO. Could this be because the strap is a Seamaster strap, not a Planet Ocean strap? The Planet Ocean does not have the same case as the Seamaster, and although I would understand if the lugs were machined to the same dimensions, it would also not surprize me if there were minor differences. plus drill a hole to accept the locating pin, rather than cutting it off. Silly question, but would it not be easier to cut off the locating pin rather than drilling a hole in the case for it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r11co Posted March 2, 2007 Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 Could this be because the strap is a Seamaster strap, not a Planet Ocean strap? The Planet Ocean does not have the same case as the Seamaster, and although I would understand if the lugs were machined to the same dimensions, it would also not surprize me if there were minor differences. That is exactly why, as I mentioned in another thread. Silly question, but would it not be easier to cut off the locating pin rather than drilling a hole in the case for it? Not really as the strap then sits with a gap between its top edge and the watch case when you actually bend it round your wrist. The genuine Seamaster and Planet Ocean straps have a solid end-link piece embedded into the rubber to prevent this happening, whereas this locating pin was the cheaper rep solution. Get rid of it and you have nothing to stop the rubber flexing and leaving the gap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 2, 2007 Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 That is exactly why, as I mentioned in another thread. Bearing that in mind, would it be possible to modify the strap (cut in a second set of 'holes') rather than drilling a second set of holes in the lugs? I've no problem modifying a rubber strap, but drilling a watch case... I'm not that brave Not really as the strap then sits with a gap between its top edge and the watch case when you actually bend it round your wrist. The genuine Seamaster and Planet Ocean straps have a solid end-link piece embedded into the rubber to prevent this happening, whereas this locating pin was the cheaper rep solution. Get rid of it and you have nothing to stop the rubber flexing and leaving the gap. Gotcha, so as the strap is tightened, it seperates away from the case... What kind of size gap are we talking here? Ironically, my POS 2531.80 actually has holes pre-drilled into the case, so it'll probably accept the locator pin fine, but getting one for my new Planet Ocean (I have one on SS being fixed, and have decided to treat myself to one on resin as an alternate) will clearly require a bit of modification to make it work... No way I'm paying Ofrei prices for a Planet Ocean strap when I don't even like the look of the holes and the buckle tongue is too large Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chronus Posted March 2, 2007 Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 Ironically, my POS 2531.80 actually has holes pre-drilled into the case, so it'll probably accept the locator pin fine, but getting one for my new Planet Ocean (I have one on SS being fixed, and have decided to treat myself to one on resin as an alternate) will clearly require a bit of modification to make it work... No way I'm paying Ofrei prices for a Planet Ocean strap when I don't even like the look of the holes and the buckle tongue is too large The Asian PO is designed to take this rubber strap as well with no modification, and it sounds like your 2531.80 may well do so as well. Oh yeah, check your emails, and junk mail etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r11co Posted March 3, 2007 Report Share Posted March 3, 2007 The Asian PO is designed to take this rubber strap as well with no modification, and it sounds like your 2531.80 may well do so as well. The Asian PO was modified to accept this strap after I ordered one with rubber strap from Andrew/Trusty approx 1 year ago and it arrived from his drop-shipper disassembled because it didn't fit. I informed Andrew, who promptly had another one modified with the correct holes and shipped out. The modification then became part of the production run. See here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spatten1 Posted March 3, 2007 Report Share Posted March 3, 2007 Well, I'm now convinced it's not worth screwing with. I do no want to drill my case. So....I bought a thick flat black 20mm leather band at my watchsmith's shop. It looks GREAT, similar to rubber from a distance, but much dressier up close. It is water resistant too, as should be for a dive watch!!! I have the black bezel and orange numbers, and the black strap looks 100% better than the original bracelet. I can't believe the difference. Kudos to the manufacturer of the bracelet though, I was surprised that the end links were solid, rather than the type that you can bend. Nice quality touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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