I try not to succumb to the neurosis of sentimentality too often, but I had set forth with the task of purging a slew of pics from my photobucket account this afternoon, when I realized--after really paying attention--how much history I had stashed away in the confines of their servers. And after that, I realized I simply shouldn't walk away so wantonly from what I had learned and experienced in the past few years.
I first found these forums in the summer of 2006, starting with TRC, then RWG, and onto RWI, then most recently RG, and would just like to take the time to share my experiences and fondness with the other members here, both new and old.
I must first say how thankful and grateful I am to have found all of you; I went from being a complete novice--only ever having one watch before then (a gen '98 Rolex 16610--the ownership of which was so wrought with problems that I swore I'd never buy another Rolex)--and through research and contribution, wound up gaining an immeasurable amount of horological knowledge from all the fantastic and skilled members on each forum. I would like to flatter people individually, but to anyone who's spent enough time on these boards, you will know that the list of people one could pay respect here is also immeasurable, so in an attempt to be even & fair, I'll refrain from naming any members, admin, dealers, etc. Thank you very much--to all who have ever lent me a helping hand or a kind word. Thank you.
So, as pictures can only tell a certain kind of story...
In the beginning, my first rep purchase was a 16610 rep Sub from a now defunct scam site, swisswatches.net, and this piece wound up getting me 50% off an over-priced, non-existent Zenith El Primero:
(and was promptly sold)
Naturally, after discovering I'd been had, I started reading & posting. My first ever thread was the typical newb query, "hey, what do you guys think of this piece?...", to which I promptly learned the meaning of the term "fantasy piece", and that the quality of the Rolex itself was not so bad as was the price I had been raped for. Not to mention what I received was not in fact a 16610, but rather a 16610 LV maxi-dial with an incorrect black bezel-insert...
And thus, the interest in modifications began.
After acquiring my first insert for the LV from one of the dealers (the pics of the incorrect piece and the insert construction are unfortunately deleted forever), I had proudly constructed/modified my first watch:
Of course, as my education grew, so did my knowledge that the pearl was garbage and I had an insert that I had inadvertently sat above the lip of the bezel.
Envious of other members dazzling photography, I decided to correct my mistakes, get a decent pearl, a better insert, learn how to round edges and buff steel, and snag a newer genuine box set to shoot them with:
By no means perfect, but after this I was so pleased with the results (and the look of the new case without the lug-holes), I wound up selling my gen.
To replace the gen I had just dumped on the Bay, my next acquisition was a regular 16610:
This too was quickly modded with new pearls, inserts, shaved CGs, etc.
Having slaked my typical Submariner thirst that drives so many new members to these fora, I set my sites on a Daytona, and wound up with this one:
Another lesson learned: (and I've beat this horse to death in my posts) do your homework...look before you leap.
An incorrectly colored 116520 with non-functioning chronos, mis-spaced subdials, and a perpetually running stop-watch hand that doesn't stay put @ 12.
(this one I actually held on to for a bit (for aesthetics) before it was sold)
I love the look of the Daytona in all steel; and to be honest, I love the monochromatic look of the all steel dial--incorrect as it may be--more so than the white or black dials on the 116520. If I was completely fair to myself, I'd buy the version of this piece that's available with the steel dial, proper spacing, and functional chronographs; unfortunately, my knowledge of the gen prevents me from doing so...
Which led me to my next purchase, a gen-looking 116520 off a tenured RWG member:
This piece ate most of my wrist-time for the next few months, until the notoriously faulty movement started crapping out. It was at this point that I learned of the services of a well-known (and rightfully well-respected) watchsmith on RWG, who masterfully serviced the movement and froze the seconds @ 6 sub-dial to make it run more accurately. I must admit, I was impressed enough to use his services repeatedly to service almost every watch I purchased after that.
Next up, seeing the flurry of new Sub reps hitting the market in '06/07--"best" this, "perfect" that, "ultimate" this, "1:1" that--I decided to purchase the "perfect" model from a board dealer I had a pleasant experience getting my 16610 from, and was not too favorably impressed with the supposed "perfection" (forgive the incandescent lighting and poor white-balance):
I first found these forums in the summer of 2006, starting with TRC, then RWG, and onto RWI, then most recently RG, and would just like to take the time to share my experiences and fondness with the other members here, both new and old.
I must first say how thankful and grateful I am to have found all of you; I went from being a complete novice--only ever having one watch before then (a gen '98 Rolex 16610--the ownership of which was so wrought with problems that I swore I'd never buy another Rolex)--and through research and contribution, wound up gaining an immeasurable amount of horological knowledge from all the fantastic and skilled members on each forum. I would like to flatter people individually, but to anyone who's spent enough time on these boards, you will know that the list of people one could pay respect here is also immeasurable, so in an attempt to be even & fair, I'll refrain from naming any members, admin, dealers, etc. Thank you very much--to all who have ever lent me a helping hand or a kind word. Thank you.
So, as pictures can only tell a certain kind of story...
In the beginning, my first rep purchase was a 16610 rep Sub from a now defunct scam site, swisswatches.net, and this piece wound up getting me 50% off an over-priced, non-existent Zenith El Primero:
(and was promptly sold)
Naturally, after discovering I'd been had, I started reading & posting. My first ever thread was the typical newb query, "hey, what do you guys think of this piece?...", to which I promptly learned the meaning of the term "fantasy piece", and that the quality of the Rolex itself was not so bad as was the price I had been raped for. Not to mention what I received was not in fact a 16610, but rather a 16610 LV maxi-dial with an incorrect black bezel-insert...
And thus, the interest in modifications began.
After acquiring my first insert for the LV from one of the dealers (the pics of the incorrect piece and the insert construction are unfortunately deleted forever), I had proudly constructed/modified my first watch:
Of course, as my education grew, so did my knowledge that the pearl was garbage and I had an insert that I had inadvertently sat above the lip of the bezel.
Envious of other members dazzling photography, I decided to correct my mistakes, get a decent pearl, a better insert, learn how to round edges and buff steel, and snag a newer genuine box set to shoot them with:
By no means perfect, but after this I was so pleased with the results (and the look of the new case without the lug-holes), I wound up selling my gen.
To replace the gen I had just dumped on the Bay, my next acquisition was a regular 16610:
This too was quickly modded with new pearls, inserts, shaved CGs, etc.
Having slaked my typical Submariner thirst that drives so many new members to these fora, I set my sites on a Daytona, and wound up with this one:
Another lesson learned: (and I've beat this horse to death in my posts) do your homework...look before you leap.
An incorrectly colored 116520 with non-functioning chronos, mis-spaced subdials, and a perpetually running stop-watch hand that doesn't stay put @ 12.
(this one I actually held on to for a bit (for aesthetics) before it was sold)
I love the look of the Daytona in all steel; and to be honest, I love the monochromatic look of the all steel dial--incorrect as it may be--more so than the white or black dials on the 116520. If I was completely fair to myself, I'd buy the version of this piece that's available with the steel dial, proper spacing, and functional chronographs; unfortunately, my knowledge of the gen prevents me from doing so...
Which led me to my next purchase, a gen-looking 116520 off a tenured RWG member:
This piece ate most of my wrist-time for the next few months, until the notoriously faulty movement started crapping out. It was at this point that I learned of the services of a well-known (and rightfully well-respected) watchsmith on RWG, who masterfully serviced the movement and froze the seconds @ 6 sub-dial to make it run more accurately. I must admit, I was impressed enough to use his services repeatedly to service almost every watch I purchased after that.
Next up, seeing the flurry of new Sub reps hitting the market in '06/07--"best" this, "perfect" that, "ultimate" this, "1:1" that--I decided to purchase the "perfect" model from a board dealer I had a pleasant experience getting my 16610 from, and was not too favorably impressed with the supposed "perfection" (forgive the incandescent lighting and poor white-balance):
