Jawo Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 I have personally held a Flying B and it is truely a watch to behold. I didn't feel like forking over 30k so I decided to buy the next best thing. I bought the Flying B from Joshua and got to me in 4 days. There are all sorts of comments floating around the forums about this rep being way overpriced at the $550 marker. Andrew has stated that the dial alone costs nearly a $100 to make. How does it stack up to the super rep and super value Skyland? The first thing you will notice about the Flying B is it's enormous size. The case diameter measures in at a whopping 41mm X 58mm. It totally overshadows the Cartier Santos 100 Chrono. It is definately not for someone with 6" wrists. I chose the ss bracelet which seems just like the one that came with my 6.75. I also have the brown leather deployant strap in case I want to switch it up. Here are some side by side pics of the Skyland and Flying B The dial is quite striking and I can see why it would be costly to produce. It features mother of pearl markers that are hard to capture with a camera but is really striking to look at. The inner checkered ss dial is recessed and looks very close to the gen. Subdials are also recessed and feature see through open design hands. The Chrono pushers and crown seems very faithful to the gen and are highly polished. The crown stem seems also very sturdy and does not wobble. The watch is quite heavy and the factory did a very good job polishing the case. The case back has all the proper markings and the engraving of the Flying B is excellent. One of the biggest gripes I have is the color of the date font. You might all remember the first Bentley 6.75's that came out with the bright red date font. The date font used for the Flying B is the same as the new 6.75's with the darker maroon date wheels. It is better but still not dark enough like the gens. I still don't understand why the factories can not get this right. This is the one big tell on this watch. The lume on the hour and minute markers is a little too green if you compare it to the gen. The gen looks like it might use a luminova close to C1. Luminosity on the Flying B is like any typical mainstream rep and is not very good. Certainly something that The Zigmeister can fix up. Side by side comparison of gen and rep. Overall I am fairly impressed with the Flying B. It measures up quite well to the gen and feels very substantial. The dial is gorgeous to look at and will be sure to draw attention. So is the Flying B worth the $550? I think so. It is remarkable on the wrist and feels like a tank!! Pros:- Beautifully crafted dial w/gen MOP markers - High polished case giving the gen like appearance - Fantastic bling bling for you big wristed individuals - Nice and sturdy crown stem - Handy self-defence tool Cons: - Pricey - Date Font not dark enough like gen - Lume on markers too green with poor luminosity - Not suitable for individuals with small wrists Overall Score: B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
italiano17771 Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 great review! i am still on the fence about buying this one, but yours looks fabulous. big congrats on your new breitling! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave123 Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 Again,excellent work,Allan....alot of what i expected,that dial can't be captured in pics,enjoy it man....i look forward to mine tomorrow....thanks for putting this up.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchmeister Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 Great review. It is one heck of a watch. At the risk of being presumptuous could you post a pic of yours with the date set to 25. I am curious as to how far the date font is off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P4GTR Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 Amazing to see the comparisons. Thanks so much for sharing. The grotesque size of this watch is proven with your pics. I don't think that was apparent otherwise. lug size is very off (in the length), there is the immediate tell. -A- for effort on this, but this one just doesn't hit the mark for me. I'm in no mood to pick it apart, but if I had to, i'd start with the price. Have you taken any mvmt pics? Thanks again for a great update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jawo Posted August 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 Here ya go: Great review. It is one heck of a watch. At the risk of being presumptuous could you post a pic of yours with the date set to 25. I am curious as to how far the date font is off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jawo Posted August 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 The lug length is actually pretty close. The side by side pic did not capture the lug angle. Amazing to see the comparisons. Thanks so much for sharing. The grotesque size of this watch is proven with your pics. I don't think that was apparent otherwise. lug size is very off (in the length), there is the immediate tell. -A- for effort on this, but this one just doesn't hit the mark for me. I'm in no mood to pick it apart, but if I had to, i'd start with the price. Have you taken any mvmt pics? Thanks again for a great update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P4GTR Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 I stand corrected, lugs are much neater than I originally presumed. Thank you for the additional pic, its a very substantial piece. Wear it well Ja. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samurai Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 Fab review! This watch is not my type though. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corgi Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 Thank you for the size comparison! You're not kidding when you say this thing is massive. One would have to be quite generously proportioned indeed to pull off wearing a near 60mm watch without drawing negative attention. Even in terms of thickness it looks bloated like a constipated whale, nothing at all like the sleek timeless elegance of similar styled timepieces from Jaeger Lecoultre, Parmigiani Fleurier, or Maurice Lacroix. The placement of the hour markers seems to have been inspired by Franck Muller, but the lack of lume given the opportunity to really "light things up" is disappointing. Given that Bentley is now a division of Volkswagen doesn't help, and makes the watch feel more like a marketing gimmick than anything else. Hey buddy, you got the car to go with that watch? The greatest shock to me is the MSRP: $30,000. That is absolutely insane. Personally I'm glad the rep exists, because I can't even think how any sane person could give $30,000 for a gen. Thanks for taking the pictures and writing the review, and I'm sorry if my opinionated snippet sounds a little rude - but there are so many things about this watch that seem so wrong (not your replica, the design and distribution of the gen rather) it disturbs me somewhat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elisiX Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 Looks great. Thanks for the mini review mate. Would love to see a blue dial!. Looks like the brown is the go-er though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 Thank you Jawo !!! It is a Classy looker !! great review and pics.. the retro look.. love it.. I'm still pondring this piece.. but you may have made up ma mind.. Aloha L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mentalist Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 I am really concerned about the durability of the movement. I am nursing a friggin hard on for this watch but would be really [censored] off to have the thing die on me after dropping near $600 on it. I'm going to wait and see what happens with the price before I shell out the corn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jawo Posted August 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 I am assuming that this movement will be the same as the 6.75. The Zigmeister did a review of this modified movement a few months back and had a lot of good things to say about it. I have a 6.75 and it has been great so far. I have never had any dealer refuse to repair any of my watches so I hope this is the same for others as well. I am really concerned about the durability of the movement. I am nursing a friggin hard on for this watch but would be really [censored] off to have the thing die on me after dropping near $600 on it. I'm going to wait and see what happens with the price before I shell out the corn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolexman Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 Great review Jawo. Nice pics and clear descriptions. Square watches are not my taste but this one looks mighty fine! Wear it well and thanks for the effort! Andrew has stated that the dial alone costs nearly a $100 to make. Only a ferrari costs this amount of money in China..... Believe me, 5 bucks tops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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