Hello everyone, here's the background to this small review. A couple of weeks ago I ordered a nice SMP from WBK. It arrived quickly and with no fuss to Europe. Communication was great, both before and after the purchase, and overall I was impressed with my purchase from WBK. He's definitely a dealer I wouldn't hesitate to recommend, especially to buyers in the US.
To be picky, perhaps the only issue I have with this order is that when I opened the package an intense smell of cigarettes invaded my home, as if 50 heavy smokers just lit up in a telephone booth. But 24 hours later the stench was gone.
The rep cost me 110 bucks plus shipping. It comes with the Miyoata auto movement with the red gear, just like the one pictured here:
Sorry, I couldn't be bothered popping the back open and taking a pic of the actual movement. But it's the same as that one.
Anyway, I loved this rep so much that I started considering what mods I could do to it to make it better. The datewheel particularly bothered me (as it does in a lot of reps). Then it dawned on me that the gens of this watch are not that expensive, so I picked one up on eBay from a reputable seller.
So, here's a little comparative review between the rep and the gen. Sorry but I didn't have much time to take good pictures etc. I opted for speed of posting over quality of pictures in this instance. I also don't know whether other posts have reviewed this rep before. This is just my humble contribution.
This is a very accurate rep, and the feel, thickness, weight etc are not much different from the gen.
The hands are quite accurate, though perhaps a bit wider in the gen (especially the hour hand).
The He valve is in a better position than most reps of this watch, though as you can see the valve tends to look like it's still a bit higher relative to the "50" on the bezel of the gen. But the difference is marginal. There are also tiny differences in the construction of the bezel (definitely not noticeable unless you take a macro picture of it!).
The bezel is quite accurate. The blue of the gen is slightly lighter than the blue of the rep, but overall, it's a good match.
As you can see from the next picture, the crown is not correct, but it's hardly noticeable.
The pearl on the rep is pretty good, though a bit bigger than in the gen, and protruding rather than recessed.
The bracelet is a stunner on the rep. Just as good as the gen. Sadly the links are not interchangeable with the gen, so it is not a 100% copy. And it uses screws instead of pins in some places, which is wrong. Yet, it's still quite impressive.
There are a few differences in the writing on the clasp and in the back case engraving. But overall, they are subtle differences.
The dial of the rep is pretty good. The visible difference is the thickness and intensity of the fonts. The writing and markers on the gen stand out more and are crisper. The waves are actually quite good in the rep and do catch the light like those of the gen. The AR of the rep is of course non existent.
Also, the lume on the rep is not as accurate as in the gen, and it's not always properly centred. The lume is also quite weak compared to the gen, as you would expect, of course.
As for the date wheel, it's completely wrong, which is what initially bugged me the most. But I guess this is moddable (or bearable). The datewheel also seems to be slightly (very slightly) off-centre, especially for some of the numbers. But no biggie, of course.
Overall this is a truly outstanding rep. I have been picky here of course, and have the benefit of a macro lens. But the truth is that no one would spot this rep when you have it on your wrist. And the feel is also on par with the gen. I am very impressed with what 110 bucks can get you today. This is truly one of the best value reps out there. And with WBK, you can't go wrong.
One final thought: so much for the rep industry being bad to gen makers... This is the third time this year that I buy a gen purely based on a rep purchase. Buying a rep is in the end the best way to decide whether you want to buy the real thing or not.
To be picky, perhaps the only issue I have with this order is that when I opened the package an intense smell of cigarettes invaded my home, as if 50 heavy smokers just lit up in a telephone booth. But 24 hours later the stench was gone.
The rep cost me 110 bucks plus shipping. It comes with the Miyoata auto movement with the red gear, just like the one pictured here:
Sorry, I couldn't be bothered popping the back open and taking a pic of the actual movement. But it's the same as that one.
Anyway, I loved this rep so much that I started considering what mods I could do to it to make it better. The datewheel particularly bothered me (as it does in a lot of reps). Then it dawned on me that the gens of this watch are not that expensive, so I picked one up on eBay from a reputable seller.
So, here's a little comparative review between the rep and the gen. Sorry but I didn't have much time to take good pictures etc. I opted for speed of posting over quality of pictures in this instance. I also don't know whether other posts have reviewed this rep before. This is just my humble contribution.
This is a very accurate rep, and the feel, thickness, weight etc are not much different from the gen.
The hands are quite accurate, though perhaps a bit wider in the gen (especially the hour hand).
The He valve is in a better position than most reps of this watch, though as you can see the valve tends to look like it's still a bit higher relative to the "50" on the bezel of the gen. But the difference is marginal. There are also tiny differences in the construction of the bezel (definitely not noticeable unless you take a macro picture of it!).
The bezel is quite accurate. The blue of the gen is slightly lighter than the blue of the rep, but overall, it's a good match.
As you can see from the next picture, the crown is not correct, but it's hardly noticeable.
The pearl on the rep is pretty good, though a bit bigger than in the gen, and protruding rather than recessed.
The bracelet is a stunner on the rep. Just as good as the gen. Sadly the links are not interchangeable with the gen, so it is not a 100% copy. And it uses screws instead of pins in some places, which is wrong. Yet, it's still quite impressive.
There are a few differences in the writing on the clasp and in the back case engraving. But overall, they are subtle differences.
The dial of the rep is pretty good. The visible difference is the thickness and intensity of the fonts. The writing and markers on the gen stand out more and are crisper. The waves are actually quite good in the rep and do catch the light like those of the gen. The AR of the rep is of course non existent.
Also, the lume on the rep is not as accurate as in the gen, and it's not always properly centred. The lume is also quite weak compared to the gen, as you would expect, of course.
As for the date wheel, it's completely wrong, which is what initially bugged me the most. But I guess this is moddable (or bearable). The datewheel also seems to be slightly (very slightly) off-centre, especially for some of the numbers. But no biggie, of course.
Overall this is a truly outstanding rep. I have been picky here of course, and have the benefit of a macro lens. But the truth is that no one would spot this rep when you have it on your wrist. And the feel is also on par with the gen. I am very impressed with what 110 bucks can get you today. This is truly one of the best value reps out there. And with WBK, you can't go wrong.
One final thought: so much for the rep industry being bad to gen makers... This is the third time this year that I buy a gen purely based on a rep purchase. Buying a rep is in the end the best way to decide whether you want to buy the real thing or not.
