- 14/10/10
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My love for the Yachtmaster started whilst going thru BK's section..soon after I started doing some research on this timepiece..to the untrained eye, it looks like just another 'bling' watch, in fact my missus said it looked like just a Tag Heuer
What I love about the YM was the fact that the dial sparkled and that red seconds hand stood out very smartly against the light greyish textured dial..
That set me off on my mission to find a YM that would make me happy wearing it, without paying gen dollars for it..The BK WM9 YM would easily cost about US$1k but even then, pieces put on the sales section were few and rare..
I look elsewhere to other Trusted Dealers in hope that there would be a YM that would fit the bill for me but none managed to..I kept on searching and did so for a few months, until I stumbled across this thread from PatekFreak (RG):
http://repgeek.com/showthread.php?t=152534
He did a nice review on this and I got hooked almost immediately..could this be better than what was offered by the cartel?
I PM-ed Angus and soon enough, with his assurance that the SA3135 movement was reliable, I placed my order and awaited the arrival of the watch..
5 days later, the watch was on my wrist and looked the part..I am now currently contemplating installing gen dial and hands..
Another geek, speedyralph, had gone this route..you can click on his thread here:
http://repgeek.com/showthread.php?t=153735
The movement is currently gaining about 10secs per week..or about 1.5secs/day..that's good enough for me..I couldn't be happier
Enough said, here are the pictures of the SA3135 Rolex Yachtmaster 'Rolesium' 16622 from Angus (PureTime)..
Rehaut thickness and depth seem alright to me..no wokky rehaut here..
Dial looks really good and whenever I'm wearing it, I always am trying to catch that sparkle on the dial..this happens almost everytime I wear it..
Datewheel and cyclops are where they should be..although the datewheel could be adjusted just alil to the right to be more centered..
Bezel is bi-directional and has the triple-lock, like the gen..seems well-machined with defined edges..
Crystal height is slightly higher compared with the gen..
Gen:
Rep:
Bezel insert is very nicely done..this shows the polished and satin finish on it..
Gen:
Rep:
Crownguards (in my opinion) are quite well replicated..this pic also shows that the rep Crown is slightly thicker than the gen..
Gen:
Rep:
Clasp is also well made and engravings are quite deep..SEL bracelet fit perfectly onto the case and screws are nice and flushed..
This is the same with the caseback and its engravings..
Here's the SA 3135:
Power Reserve has easily gone more than 36hours..didn't test it any further though..
Handwinding the movement is slightly louder compared with my gen 3185 movement..date and time changes feel very solid and firm..very comparable to a swiss ETA in my opinion..
Lume shot taken after 10secs exposure to UV light:
Daylight
Semi-dark
Dark
Shutter speed for the lume shots are between 0.5 and 2secs..
Gen Lume Shot:
This clasp will go in to match the YM..I think it'll look great..
am also looking for a SS Daytona Clasp..so if you have any you can spare, pls PM me..
Some additional facts about the Gen Yachtmaster 16622:
Date of production:
. 1992 - present, Mens models
. 1994 - present, Ladies and 35mm models
Case (mm) - 41.5
Thickness (mm) - 11.6
Bezel (mm) - 40
Crystal (mm) - 30
Bracelet width (mm) - 20
Clasp width(mm) - 16.5
Power Reserve:
. ~44 hours (on caliber 3135)
Weight:
40mm - 146 grams
Rep weighed in at - 147grams
This is just 1gram heavier, but do take into consideration that a different clasp is being used..In my opinion, using the original clasp would make the rep even closer to the weight of the gen..
Here's the obligatory wristie:
And this to show the dial texture in the sun:
Happy Holidays!!
