253 from TWP

[capt_cope]

Well my waiting is finaly over! Talk about suspense, I ordered it right before TWP went on vacation, so I never did get a tracking number. Arrived via EMS today labeled as "socks" lucky me the customs guys never bothered to open the package! On to my mini review:

Right off the bat it looks great. the blue on the chrono hand is a bit odd, more of a metallic paint than the gen looks (though I've only seen pics of the gen) The other big flaws are the "L swiss made L" which covers too many sub second marks, and the font on the subdials, the numbers are too thin. I can live with those. I could NOT however live with the dimpled, inset cg pin, which I promptly fixed. Prior to fixing that however, the cg itself fell off! I'm a bit disappointed with the quality of steel used in the case, it's just too weak to hold threads. One lug stripped as I removed the rubber deployment (I did manage to get my favorite strap on, but it isn't coming off until I've got some screw shaped springbars) Back to the CG for a minute. The pressure of the lever on the crown is enough to strip out the threads in the holes holding on the cg. Being that I am impatient, and I always have some epoxy on me I proceeded to give the inside of the stripped holes a coat of epoxy. I coated the screws in some of my wax polish, and let them dry before this, so as to act as a release agent. Once the holes had a bit of epoxy in them I screwed on the cg and let the new threads dry. Problem solved.

If you aren't the type who enjoys tinkering just to make your watch wearable, I'd advise caution (or get TWP to QC it first. I did NOT do that in the interest of saving time.) I've allready received my acrylic crystal in the event the one on it cracks, so I'm set there. In all honesty I'm sort of bummed. I got a good hours worth of tinkering done, and there isn't anything left to do. my 90 is still in progress, and my 111 is in pieces.

But now that it's happy, and on my wrist... it looks amazing. By far one of the best looking and feeling pam reps I own. It's legitimately the first rep I've seen that I absolutely couldn't tell is fake on someone's wrist. It has plenty of visual flaws, but the physical size of the flaws, and the limited nature of the watch mean that on a wrist (assuming the person attached to the wrist isn't comatose) they are all but impossible to spot. Never again will I have to rip off my PO or my 111 because someone enters the room wearing a real one. (yes I've done it before, and yes I'm getting pretty damn good at swapping to my BM in the blink of an eye)

Oh yeah, and just in case you felt like asking... NO the 7750 doesn't flyback. Shame really.

I'll work on some pics tomorrow at work.

[jmt]

I could NOT however live with the dimpled, inset cg pin, which I promptly fixed. ...

I have been meaning to ask for a while... how do you guys fix that dimpled pin anyway?

[capt_cope]

I have been meaning to ask for a while... how do you guys fix that dimpled pin anyway?

I took a small pin punch, and drove it out from the back (one tap) I then filed it flat, and polished it. installed it from the front using a piece of plastic to get it just a hair below flush.

[jmt]

I took a small pin punch, and drove it out from the back (one tap) I then filed it flat, and polished it. installed it from the front using a piece of plastic to get it just a hair below flush.

Thanks. Off to try it now!

[TWP]

Gla yy\ou like your watch. I will send you some springbars.

Thanks

T

[capt_cope]

Don't send them too fast, I might need to buy a bracelet from ya first!

[bazonkers]

Where are those pics you promised?