So I won't repeat the many platitudes about how easy and smooth and fast it is to order from Stan. I will tell you about these two specific watches though...
Background on me: I ride a motorcycle daily in all weather, shoot high caliber pistols and rifles, swim and use a sauna several times a week, and wrench on cars regularly. The only two times I don't wear a watch are when I sleep and when I shower. I do not baby anything I own, and these watches are no exception. I waited until I had done most of the above before I reviewed.
1) The reason I purchased was the blue Submariner. Looks as real as I was hoping it would look. Put it next to my gen and you can tell the fit and finish is off. Wear it and it feels like wearing a gen. Tells time like you're wearing a gen (was extremely fast when received, but is evening out after just a couple of days. Will probably need a slight adjustment). Nothing to complain about here. Bracelet had an issue but Stan immediately offered solutions that were generous. I elected to fix myself, but I did appreciate the service. Has held up to the hot tub once. Who knows if it will hold up longterm - passing it to my buddy to check and grease o-rings before I try too hard. I have a Deep Blue that is rated to 1500m if I really ever want to mess with water, so resistance is more about convenience with this watch. The rotor is hefty - you can hear and feel it when it gets moving, but not to an annoying degree.
On the wrist:
On the pineapple:
2) The deal that was too good to pass up, the retro Planet Ocean. My very first "homage" watch was a Debert that I didn't even realize was a rep of a PO. It was crap, but a very good looking watch. This one is a win. The movement feels the same as the Sub, but the fit and finish is a step or two below (no surprise, I was warned). The bezel isn't as smooth and has a bit more play and the crown doesn't deploy as positively, but it all functions and looks good. The crystal needs some work - reflects badly and has a halo effect you can see in pictures below, but it could just be some residue on the inside. If not, AR coated crystals are cheap and modding is fun. I removed the terrible silicone band immediately and took the Nato off of my Orient. Nothing against the band, I just hate rubber/silicone bands as they grab my arm hairs. If this had been advertised as a 1:1 or any of that crap, I may have been slightly underwhelmed but with Stan's description it exceeded my expectations. Definitely glad I jumped on this one.
On the wrist:
On the pineapple:
On the bed:
Background on me: I ride a motorcycle daily in all weather, shoot high caliber pistols and rifles, swim and use a sauna several times a week, and wrench on cars regularly. The only two times I don't wear a watch are when I sleep and when I shower. I do not baby anything I own, and these watches are no exception. I waited until I had done most of the above before I reviewed.
1) The reason I purchased was the blue Submariner. Looks as real as I was hoping it would look. Put it next to my gen and you can tell the fit and finish is off. Wear it and it feels like wearing a gen. Tells time like you're wearing a gen (was extremely fast when received, but is evening out after just a couple of days. Will probably need a slight adjustment). Nothing to complain about here. Bracelet had an issue but Stan immediately offered solutions that were generous. I elected to fix myself, but I did appreciate the service. Has held up to the hot tub once. Who knows if it will hold up longterm - passing it to my buddy to check and grease o-rings before I try too hard. I have a Deep Blue that is rated to 1500m if I really ever want to mess with water, so resistance is more about convenience with this watch. The rotor is hefty - you can hear and feel it when it gets moving, but not to an annoying degree.
On the wrist:
On the pineapple:
2) The deal that was too good to pass up, the retro Planet Ocean. My very first "homage" watch was a Debert that I didn't even realize was a rep of a PO. It was crap, but a very good looking watch. This one is a win. The movement feels the same as the Sub, but the fit and finish is a step or two below (no surprise, I was warned). The bezel isn't as smooth and has a bit more play and the crown doesn't deploy as positively, but it all functions and looks good. The crystal needs some work - reflects badly and has a halo effect you can see in pictures below, but it could just be some residue on the inside. If not, AR coated crystals are cheap and modding is fun. I removed the terrible silicone band immediately and took the Nato off of my Orient. Nothing against the band, I just hate rubber/silicone bands as they grab my arm hairs. If this had been advertised as a 1:1 or any of that crap, I may have been slightly underwhelmed but with Stan's description it exceeded my expectations. Definitely glad I jumped on this one.
On the wrist:
On the pineapple:
On the bed: