Hollow mid link bracelet, how does it compare? Options

[Thor]

Hi gang,

I'm thinking of going with a couple more reps (merry xmas to me), but have a couple concerns.

After visiting an AD this week and handling many gen Rolexes, I'm very concerned about the weight of our reps. Specifically when it comes to the new hollow mid-link bracelet. I handled a couple with the HMLB, and thought they still felt very hefty. I've got a TT sub rep that has a HMLB, and the bracelet feels extremely light. Almost unbelieveable, if someone else were to handle it and question the authenticity..

Now, it may be different for the ful SS rep bracelets, but how to they compare with their genuine counterparts, weight wise? Do they feel pretty close to the real thing? I've never handled an all SS rep bracelet with the HMLs, so don't know what to expect.

Thanks,

-Wes

No one has a rep with this bracelet...?

I have compared my ss sub rep with real ones. I brought it to my local dealer and handled them side by side. The bracelets are very close. The weight is very similar, all the markings are correct, and the hollow mid links are identical. The gen does have a certain polish and feel that the rep lacks, when you hold them together, but I think you would expect that. If it didn't, the 5k usd price difference would be absurd.

The gen looks and feels like it has been treated more kindly during its life, kind of like a person that has been schooled in good manners and has that je ne sais quois air about them. While the rep looks like it is really trying hard, but has some rough edges to work out and isn't quite comfortable in polite society yet.

The rep is a great watch and good enough for my purposes. The hollow links just add a nice touch. I think that we are rather spoiled here and don't realise how new that feature is. They're getting better every year.

There's not much difference in the bracelets... AFTER you have throughly polished and oiled the rep bracelet. The reps use lower grade stainless steel and are unbelieveably dirty out of the box. Buy some jeweler's stainless steel polishing paste, rub and polish it using MAXIMUM force you can (without breaking anything of course). Then oil it throughly with seed machine oil or something similiar. You won't believe the difference in aesthetics and feel.

Some rep Oyster bands have too sharp outer edges but those can be easily filed smoother. Genuine Rolex band and clasp feel like [censored]. My father's genuine GMT Master bracelet feels just as cheap as my reps.

Welcome to Rolex world. Omegas run circles around Rolex when you just compare the weight and quality "feel" of the bracelets. I still kinda like the Oyster band, it's very comfortable.

PS: I'm talking about rep stainless bracelet, not 18K gold Oyster band. The rep bracelet can't be compared to the real deal in the TT models.

Thanks guys, that's all I needed. :smile:

Now it's time to spend some money

The two tone 18k/ss plated rep bracelet will never compare to a genuine 18k/ss Oyster bracelet as far as weight is concerned. Like comparing apples to a brick.