From The Bottom Of My Heart.. Thank You Rwg

[V]

Guys,

This is going to be a personal review/sentiments of my last almost two years of RWG (old and new).

It is probably most enjoyable to read for the new members to see how you evolve through time.

Two years ago then I decided to give up of Swatches (had a quite big collection of 10 chronos) and was searching the net for watches. I always wanted a Bond watch, but I never liked Rolex so my research was for the Omega SMP. I have seen of course other watches I liked at that time. I remember a Vacheron Constantin I liked Asian completely wrong etc etc.. I wasn’t doing my research then and I was just liked whatever I thought was pretty. I was aware of the scam sites (it is not very difficult to understand them if you are careful enough) and at the end I was ready to purchase the VC (it was cheap) from a UK website.

THEN.. I found out RWG.

I was fortunate enough to find it just before doing the purchase and asked the guys what they think of the site and watch.

Of course as a newbie I was a bit flamed too (do your research etc. etc.) but because it was a VC (and not a Rolex Sub) the flaming wasn’t that bad to make me go away.

Someone told me that 250$ for an Asian VC is not the amount I should pay so I forgot that purchase and started to read the board.

To tell you the truth, as we should say all, when I first saw the Panerai I didn’t liked them in the photos. Especially the historical models.

PANERAI

THEN and when I have unfortunately JUST missed the GREAT SMP 007 version with the genuine movement (the ultimate rep – bless those who have it) the Pam 196 came out.

It was gorgeous. Love at first sight..

Big with chronos and UNBELIEVABLY accurate even for now.

Isome of you may remember Scotty (some of you want to forget him because after some months disappeared with many people not received their watches). He was one of the first dealer who got the 196. PMed him and he replied 420$ and in 3 days to UK… That was it.. A bit more expensive than I wanted to spend (hhhmmmmm look where I am now)

After 3 days the watch wasn’t at my door. I was started to worry..

He said 3 days didn’t he? Why the watch is not here?

E-mailed him and asked anxiously what happened.. Then I learned about TRACKING NUMBERS.. He gave it to me and checked it will be ready for delivery the next day… Oh what joy…(thank God I didn’t knew then about customs and confiscations.. I was naïve enough to believe everything will run smoothly)

When I got it I immediately put it on my wrist and that was it. The perfect watch for me.

How was the strap then? Perfect !!!

I was fortunate enough to get an Asian 7750 working flawlessly (even till now) playing with chronos all the time etc etc..

Loved the deployment and my Panerai AD had for sale the same exact model at that time and to my eyes it was IDENTICAL.

After a couple of weeks I liked the watch so much that I wanted to take pictures of it… Then it started my other obsession evolved through RWG. PHOTOGRAPHY. Till then I was one of the worst photographers ever but trying to take good photos of the watches I became better and better.

It was not many weeks later that I decided to buy from Paul (Abay then) the Omega SMP I wanted. I received it and liked it quite much but not as much as the Panerai.

At the time I was also started to experiment on straps. I found the croco too dressy for my everyday outfit and decided to buy my first aftermarket strap.

A DON Black Seal for buckle. I just had to fit it to the deployment.

That was the first think I did for RWG.

A tutorial on how you can make a normal buckle thick strap fit to the Panerai deployment.

First attempt of distressing a strap on my MM20:

Then came April.. do you remember April 2005????

YES you guessed right. It was the time of the CRAAAAAAZY SALE of Paul…

What can I say for that time.. Everyone was complaining (me too) worried and waiting for their watch. I have ordered a 183 Black Seal but when Paul got the 036 Marina Militare I exchanged it for that to receive it faster.

At that time I had an incident with Paul. By accident when I returned a watch to him my account and email at Abay has been blocked and deleted!!!!

That was my first flaming on a dealer but as some of you told me at the time.. strange things and mistakes happen and after a couple of weeks Paul contacted me and we found out it was a site error.

My first help from RWG came at that time when a member who was in China offered me to call the guy Paul made me return a watch to ask him if he got it (for Paul to refund me).

Then it was the time I said goodbye Panerai deployment and welcome buckles. That was an economical mistake because from that time and in one year more than 150 straps have passed through my hands.

Am I a Panerai Strap expert? Hell YES.. I have tried almost every strap on the market so I know better than most of you

Then there was the problems at RWG. I wasn’t involved, neither ordered a RWG watch first because I cannot wear anything else than a Panerai. To tell you the truth I wasn’t feeling the same thing at the old RWG as I feel for this now.

Personally I feel our new home, also my own home.

I had two birthdays here with wishes from all over the world.

I have shared with you everything that happened in my life.. From bad things… to my wedding day.

I wish there were not ‘bad’ people around and I would have flooded the site with photos of the wedding (and not only be-headed bodies )

I started to log on everyday for many hours a day. Yes as an artist I have many hours to kill everyday and most of them I am spending them on RWG.

Do I regret it? NO. I have found out that at RWG I have friends. Maybe not real friends but people who share the same interests with me and people from ALL AROUND THE WORLD so that they make me feel that when I will be in another city I will always have an Rwg-er to call and go out for a beer.

The RWG mini-meeting in London was just the beginning.. they will be more.. they will be bigger ones and definitely they will be worldwide ones. I don’t believe other people from other forums are closer than we are.

HAIL RWG!!!!!

P.S. I will complete missing parts when I will remember them J

[leitztozeiss]

Whew . . . I thought you were leaving the boards or something!! Thanks for sharing K!

[sonystyle]

Great post

I hope Im here for a long time too, it really is a great forum !

[Indyclmbr]

Great post. Watches give us something to talk about, but it's people like you that give back to RWG that make this a community of friends.

Climb on.

[Mano74]

i've enjoyed reading this... hopefully one day i can say the same having had 2 b-day's and all.... while i'm not one of the first members arround here i still feel like telling you that i'm glad you feel this way about RWG.... kinda see it like home too... at least one time a day i have to log on or it's an incomplete feeling...

cheers....

Mano74

Edited July 25, 2006 by Mano74

[KB]

Wow Kostas that was a wonderful post, I'm sure you put in to words how many here at RWG feel.

I take it that we have just passed your 2nd year anniversary with the board so a big congrats and yes if you ever find yourself in my part of the world you will have an RWG member to share a few beers with.

Ken

[watchski]

Guys,

This is going to be a personal review/sentiments of my last almost two years of RWG (old and new).

It is probably most enjoyable to read for the new members to see how you evolve through time.

Two years ago then I decided to give up of Swatches (had a quite big collection of 10 chronos) and was searching the net for watches. I always wanted a Bond watch, but I never liked Rolex so my research was for the Omega SMP. I have seen of course other watches I liked at that time. I remember a Vacheron Constantin I liked Asian completely wrong etc etc.. I wasn’t doing my research then and I was just liked whatever I thought was pretty. I was aware of the scam sites (it is not very difficult to understand them if you are careful enough) and at the end I was ready to purchase the VC (it was cheap) from a UK website.

THEN.. I found out RWG.

I was fortunate enough to find it just before doing the purchase and asked the guys what they think of the site and watch.

Of course as a newbie I was a bit flamed too (do your research etc. etc.) but because it was a VC (and not a Rolex Sub) the flaming wasn’t that bad to make me go away.

Someone told me that 250$ for an Asian VC is not the amount I should pay so I forgot that purchase and started to read the board.

To tell you the truth, as we should say all, when I first saw the Panerai I didn’t liked them in the photos. Especially the historical models.

PANERAI

THEN and when I have unfortunately JUST missed the GREAT SMP 007 version with the genuine movement (the ultimate rep – bless those who have it) the Pam 196 came out.

It was gorgeous. Love at first sight..

Big with chronos and UNBELIEVABLY accurate even for now.

Isome of you may remember Scotty (some of you want to forget him because after some months disappeared with many people not received their watches). He was one of the first dealer who got the 196. PMed him and he replied 420$ and in 3 days to UK… That was it.. A bit more expensive than I wanted to spend (hhhmmmmm look where I am now)

After 3 days the watch wasn’t at my door. I was started to worry..

He said 3 days didn’t he? Why the watch is not here?

E-mailed him and asked anxiously what happened.. Then I learned about TRACKING NUMBERS.. He gave it to me and checked it will be ready for delivery the next day… Oh what joy…(thank God I didn’t knew then about customs and confiscations.. I was naïve enough to believe everything will run smoothly)

When I got it I immediately put it on my wrist and that was it. The perfect watch for me.

How was the strap then? Perfect !!!

I was fortunate enough to get an Asian 7750 working flawlessly (even till now) playing with chronos all the time etc etc..

Loved the deployment and my Panerai AD had for sale the same exact model at that time and to my eyes it was IDENTICAL.

After a couple of weeks I liked the watch so much that I wanted to take pictures of it… Then it started my other obsession evolved through RWG. PHOTOGRAPHY. Till then I was one of the worst photographers ever but trying to take good photos of the watches I became better and better.

It was not many weeks later that I decided to buy from Paul (Abay then) the Omega SMP I wanted. I received it and liked it quite much but not as much as the Panerai.

At the time I was also started to experiment on straps. I found the croco too dressy for my everyday outfit and decided to buy my first aftermarket strap.

A DON Black Seal for buckle. I just had to fit it to the deployment.

That was the first think I did for RWG.

A tutorial on how you can make a normal buckle thick strap fit to the Panerai deployment.

First attempt of distressing a strap on my MM20:

Then came April.. do you remember April 2005????

YES you guessed right. It was the time of the CRAAAAAAZY SALE of Paul…

What can I say for that time.. Everyone was complaining (me too) worried and waiting for their watch. I have ordered a 183 Black Seal but when Paul got the 036 Marina Militare I exchanged it for that to receive it faster.

At that time I had an incident with Paul. By accident when I returned a watch to him my account and email at Abay has been blocked and deleted!!!!

That was my first flaming on a dealer but as some of you told me at the time.. strange things and mistakes happen and after a couple of weeks Paul contacted me and we found out it was a site error.

My first help from RWG came at that time when a member who was in China offered me to call the guy Paul made me return a watch to ask him if he got it (for Paul to refund me).

Then it was the time I said goodbye Panerai deployment and welcome buckles. That was an economical mistake because from that time and in one year more than 150 straps have passed through my hands.

Am I a Panerai Strap expert? Hell YES.. I have tried almost every strap on the market so I know better than most of you

Then there was the problems at RWG. I wasn’t involved, neither ordered a RWG watch first because I cannot wear anything else than a Panerai. To tell you the truth I wasn’t feeling the same thing at the old RWG as I feel for this now.

Personally I feel our new home, also my own home.

I had two birthdays here with wishes from all over the world.

I have shared with you everything that happened in my life.. From bad things… to my wedding day.

I wish there were not ‘bad’ people around and I would have flooded the site with photos of the wedding (and not only be-headed bodies )

I started to log on everyday for many hours a day. Yes as an artist I have many hours to kill everyday and most of them I am spending them on RWG.

Do I regret it? NO. I have found out that at RWG I have friends. Maybe not real friends but people who share the same interests with me and people from ALL AROUND THE WORLD so that they make me feel that when I will be in another city I will always have an Rwg-er to call and go out for a beer.

The RWG mini-meeting in London was just the beginning.. they will be more.. they will be bigger ones and definitely they will be worldwide ones. I don’t believe other people from other forums are closer than we are.

HAIL RWG!!!!!

P.S. I will complete missing parts when I will remember them J

Sheezzz, I could have purchased three more replicas in the time it took me to read this... Just kidding..

Welcome home.. We love you too

[lancelot]

Hey V, great post

[Chronus]

[V]

This post was a result of the other topic I have seen from a guy asking how he can avoid paying 5$ to sell his watches.

I think some of the new members MUST understand that here we are a community of people and not just a site who will lead you to the best 'Sub' and then leave it.

This is a reason why I CHOSE to be part ONLY on this community and not any other Rep forum.

(Sorry guys there is only one TRUE RWG )

Now back on my two year adventures and...:

Chapter 2 of the book.

DEALERS

Don't worry I am not gonna flame anybody, not a single one dealer..

WHY? Because of the dealers we are all here enjoying our watches and discussing about flaws and mods.

The dealers are doing the most they can to provide us with the best service and merchandise available having the risk of loosing everything to imprisonment.

I have bought from 'almost' every dealer in this forum and I have only good words to say for each one of them.

-Were they all the time perfect transactions? Hell NO.

-At the end everything worked out? YES

I cannot forget my LOOOONG nights chatting with a dealer on msn (sorry cannot tell who he is ) getting to know him very well (and find out some more personal things)

Do I have favourite dealers? Of course.. You just click with some people and you prefer them from others.. Of course it will be gullible to say that I don't check the prices.

I know all the dealers will provide me with a satisfactory product hence I sometimes I decide to go with the cheapest one on the current market.

So please even if the dealer pisses you off, think what I said for a second time... We need them as much as they need us

Chapter 3:

PHOTOGRAPHY

As I said in my main post photography is one of the things RWG made me better. I was always interested of taking photos but my end result was not satisfactory.

TRUST ME trying to take good photos of watches make you such a good training that a protrait seems soooooo easy afterwards.

From this:

I ended up taking these photos:

[Chronus]

You are right about the photography... maybe I need to give it a shot

[Quarks]

This is a great read Kos, to know how far you have come. I'm sure everyone of us here has their own story to tell and it was a pleasure knowing about yours.

[artoero]

He man,

You speak from your heart, I like that!

Go on!

[dluddy]

Nice walk down memory lane Kostas. Thanks for sharing and being part of the "Family"

[jonthebhoy]

Well said Kostas. I'm sure you speak for us all.

JTB

[ubiquitous]

Excellent post, K! This was inded a great read!

[coolfire]

You are right about the photography... maybe I need to give it a shot

Hehehe.. You sure do, dude...

...And Veni was the one who also influenced my decision to get a milgauss...

[V]

Hehehe.. You sure do, dude...

...And Veni was the one who also influenced my decision to get a milgauss...

Ahhhh the Milgauss.. still have it in my watch box

It was my last summers beach-watch. This year I decided to throw in the water my 111

The traditional sink photos :

[coolfire]

Ahhhh the Milgauss.. still have it in my watch box

It was my last summers beach-watch. This year I decided to throw in the water my 111

I also remember that at one point of time, you almost sold it... It'sa good thing you kept it dude...

[Richard Tracy]

Thanks for posting this K,....

I'm really glad you decided to stay with us !

We feel the same..

[premiumdesigners]

V, this shirt, go throw it out right now, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!

[V]

Thanks for posting this K,....

I'm really glad you decided to stay with us !

We feel the same..

I decided to stay because with most of the members here we share the same path the last two years and they understand me and I understand them.

'Philosophy' is one of the most important things in my life and I just feel that with many and I mean MANY of the old members here we share the same philosophy.

It will happen with the newer members too but it needs time to know the other person deep.

Unfortunately Internet is a very tricky medium where everyone can pretend that he is someone else and maybe never understand the true individual.

The generosity and the good intentions of our members is what makes just a community of people, a REAL community of FRIENDS.

It is just a thin line that needs time to understand that you crossed it

[V]

V, this shirt, go throw it out right now, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey.. said that to Clive.. He will be really pised off you said bad things for Paul Smith

[V]

Maybe with all the hastle between dealers and members THIS is the right time for all of you to read this topic....

We don;t ned that bad energy to RWG

[dadog13]

Nice read V....and yes we are a big happy "virtual" family!