Pugwash Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Preface This review has been a long time coming. Back in June, we were informed that we'd have it in two weeks, but the tales of this replica date back even further. One year ago, almost to the day, I proposed this watch as the "Dream Watch" candidate where whichever replica we voted for would be made. This watch was the clear winner and we all settled down to wait for it to be built. Nothing came of that, but six months later we were informed that a different replica factory, the one that brought us the so-called Ultimate Planet Ocean, would be releasing this watch in two weeks. It took a further six months for this to become a reality. So, the most anticipated replica to date? I hope not as I doubt anything could live up to the hype. History of the Aquatimer The first Aquatimer was made in 1967 and even then it had the famous rotating bezel, operated by a crown at around 4-o-clock, but it wasn't until 1997 that they released the GST that would evolve into the IWC3719 Aquatimer Chrono we have in front of us here. This watch featured prominently in the film Lucky Number Slevin, which is where it earned its nickname The Slevin. The Purchase I got my Aquatimer from Precious Time in the UK as I wanted to be sure I got a good one and that if there were any QC issues, I could deal with them in the EU as opposed to crossing customs dozens of times. If you've dealt with Precious Time, you know what service to expect - the usual high-quality packaging and speedy responses with great products. Precious Time, I'm sorry if I'm glossing over the purchasing aspect, but it's so straight-forward and painless there truly is nothing to say about it, and that's a good thing. If you're in the EU, give him a go. The Replica Ok, first impressions. If this were December 2006, this would be fighting for best replica of 2006 and holding its own. A year on, does it cut the mustard? We'll come back that. The Case Wow, solid and well-built. It feels like a proper watch. It has heft and clean edges. The crystal, while not being up to the standards of an after-market AR job, is decent enough with the AR giving the dial a blue hint from certain angles. Features For those who don't know the famous Aquatimer bezel, it's unique enough to merit its own section here. The chrono reset button also serves as a rotator for the bezel that's on the dial, much like the slide-rule on a Navitimer. It's a clever idea and the replica reproduces the original almost perfectly. It clicks positively in one direction and ratchets in the other. The alignment isn't absolutely perfect, but it can be made to line up (as can be seen in my photos) with very little effort. The Dial Two years ago, the IWC GST was heralded as one of the most perfect replicas available, yet the dial had no lume and the text was slightly wrong. This replica improves on the tradition, with near-perfect printing. reading between the lines, that means the Lume sucks. Why does lume on replicas suck so much? Well, let me tell you. Superlume is worth more than gold and can be stolen so very easily by an unscrupulous counterfeit labourer that the factories simply cannot afford to use it. It's a shame, but we just have to accept that we will never ever get good lume straight from the factory. This watch is an extreme side effect of that. Still, the dial and hands look beautiful. The Movement The Asian 7750 fitted in this watch feels better than any other one I've had. The 7750 in my Chrono-Avenger was until now the cleanest feeling, but this one has better ratcheting in the winder, the keyless works feels more positive and it feels and sounds solid. I realise I'm using unscientific terms, but it's all about the feel. The Chrono runs perfectly and it's as good as you can expect from an Asian 7750. Yes, the datewheels could do with replacing with genuine parts, but we're used to that. The Strap Perfect. It's the right feel, the right material and the right quality. Nice and soft and it doesn't attract dust. I don't feel at all upset by the lack of steel bracelet. Conclusion A well put together watch. Yes, it has its issues, like no lume and insufficient AR, but these are things I can live with very easily. Does it stand up to the so-named super-reps? Is it a good 2006 rep or a good 2007 rep? It's a winner, but not outright. It's up there, but not at the top. All it needs, and I mean all it needs, is an AR job on the crystal and it'd be a class-leading 2007 replica. Out of the box, it's worthy enough and I'd recommend it highly, but if you get an AR coating, Valjoux datewheels and a relume (although I will not be bothering with the relume myself - it's a minor consideration), you will get a replica that is indistinguishable from the genuine and is a modern classic. Without mods, it's still a damned fine watch, even for 2007. The test will be how long before I put one of my other reps on my wrist, and I suspect it'll be a while now. Please excuse the lower than usual quality of photos, but I was relegated to the kitchen without my light tent due to the impending festive season requiring a large tree in the living room. Any questions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Great Review. Thanks Pug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryaku Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Nice review Pug. My question: are you selling your Gst Ti now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a german in denmark Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Great review Pugwash and a fine watch, thanks. And you are absolutely right, Precious Time is THE man for QC and service, when you're living in Europe. Cheers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted December 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 My question: are you selling your Gst Ti now? That would be a no. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadweller4000 Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Great, I really enjoyed this. And damn, another IWC on my list... Thanks for writing this, linked to the community guide! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Great review, and nice pics (as usual). I'm glad that you finally received this long-awaited watch. For you this was probably like the Aquaracer Chrono for me. Enjoy my friend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordRasta Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Outstanding review and awesome pics. (of course) I wondered where the name "Slevin" came from and I saw the movie but did not connect the dots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephane Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Congratulations on your purchase. Very happy for you that you got this one finally Pug. It's a beauty, much better looking in my opinion than the Cousteau. Do you think it can host a genuine 7750 ? Cheers Stephane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tech Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 thanks Pug...methinks I will have to give IWC a go.... good looking rep.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jb Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Great review Pug. I like this version of the watch a lot better than the Cousteau. I knew there was a reason I held off on that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted December 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 It's a lot classier than a Cousteau and will not date as quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jb Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 It's a lot classier than a Cousteau and will not date as quickly. I agree 100% on both counts. The black and white color scheme will NEVER go out of style and will work in a variety of situations. The blue color of the Cousteau is all sporty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 I would have chosen the Cousteau orange, or the black/yellow version over this. Not because they're classier (they certainly aren't) but I'm a fan of crispy colors. But of course, black is the classic, safe and conservative choice. Natural choice for the 40+ guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobs1971 Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Great review and excellent pics..... Thnx for sharing with us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jb Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 I would have chosen the Cousteau orange, or the black/yellow version over this. Not because they're classier (they certainly aren't) but I'm a fan of crispy colors. But of course, black is the classic, safe and conservative choice. Natural choice for the 40+ guys. C'mon By-Tor, you just added 10 years to my life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenmasters Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Nice pics..!! i still have my slevin but its going back to Trusty... little things bother me on it.. and i think i would be happier with the Cousteau, but they're all very similiar in design. If there was better lume and AR, i may have kept it. But given the price of this watch, its not my favourite, but its still a nice watch overall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dluddy Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Great write-up Pug. I agree with everything you said about it. I did not go for the Cousteau and waited for this Aquatimer and am happy that I did. I will probably do the datewheel swap and get the lume and Ar done but I'm wearing it as is proudly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchmeister Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Pug- Nice review as always. On the inner bezel, do you line it up by leaving the ratchet in between clicks on the rotator? If you do, do all the minute markers line up and the hours are properly centered. Lastly how does the spread between the digits on the "10" and "15" on the inner rotating bezel compare with the gen. On the Cousteau they "cheated" by widening the numbers. These were all flaws on the Cousteau so I am curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k2222 Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Great review Pug, i will order one for sure, btw how is engraving on the caseback? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted December 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 The caseback is fine. I've still got the TRL on mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victoria Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Gorgeous watch. Looks just the thing on your wrist. Thanks for the review! Please excuse the lower than usual quality of photos, but I was relegated to the kitchen without my light tent due to the impending festive season requiring a large tree in the living room. Not at all. They were more human, more full of overspilling genuine love for the watch, because of it. Any questions? Yes. Why does an atheist have a Christmas tree? Actually, I'll ask about something I know, straps -- it may be the angle of the shot, but it doesn't seem to hug the contour of the case as one would expect. Is that the way it is, as the screenshots of the gen are in SS bracelet? Either way, one phenomenal watch. Glad you can wear your dream watch before year's end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted December 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Yes. Why does an atheist have a Christmas tree? ... why do Christians have Patron trees at Christmas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudfish Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 excellent post... I love the watch... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted December 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Actually, I'll ask about something I know, straps -- it may be the angle of the shot, but it doesn't seem to hug the contour of the case as one would expect. Is that the way it is, as the screenshots of the gen are in SS bracelet? I'll take another shot. The strap fits nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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