• Tired of adverts on RWI? - Subscribe by clicking HERE and PMing Trailboss for instructions and they will magically go away!

TAKA AR SMP Chrono and UPO

angkikee

Known Member
14/12/10
106
0
16
Just thought I'd share some quick pics of my modded SMP Chrono and the UPO45mm. These were done by Taka.
SMP Chrono:
Gen hands
Gen subdial hands
Gen datewheel
Taka double AR rep crystal

UPO45mm:
Gen dial
Gen hands
Gen datewheel
Gen crown and tube
New bezel insert (still rep cos the old one was dented)
Taka double AR rep crystal

Enjoy! Big thanks to Taka for the ace job!

These are the Gen subdial hands but they still look short. did i buy the wrong ones? are there even wrong ones? i'm now wondering if the rep subdials are bigger on the rep dial.. ok but at least all the orange tips on the hands are the same color. when the A7750 gives up i might do dial and ETA7750 together.
img5993fd.jpg


I'm really loving the AR coating Taka did!
img6005f.jpg


The UPO.
img6007q.jpg


tried to catch some reflection to show the tint of the AR...
img6014o.jpg


I am about to pick up my second UPO (this next one has white numbers) later. fingers crossed! i'll post group pics when i have the chance.
 

chromed.

I'm Pretty Popular
26/5/10
2,460
0
0
wow! real different frm e one i saw.. nice stuff..

taka's AR is kick-ass man..

wear ur frankens in gd health, my friend..
 

angkikee

Known Member
14/12/10
106
0
16
Thanks man!
I'm happy. It's been so long I can't wait to see the other one
 

rolly_olly

Renowned Member
DO NOT TRADE WITH ME
25/2/11
726
0
0
Love the UPO. Thats another added to my reps I want list!!
Jeez my Mrs is gonna kill me :)
 

angkikee

Known Member
14/12/10
106
0
16
yeah the UPO is really nice. i collected the second one and i think there may have been a slight oversight. instead of white numbers i was sent one with red numbers so i have two identical ones. once has the gen crown and tube and the other has a really nice ETA2892-A2 in it

gosh the difference is pretty noticeable. the ETA movement is so much smoother when adjusting time, date and generally winding it. it's just buttery smooth compared to the A2824 in the other one.

I'm beginning to think the SMP Chrono rep dial has slightly larger subdials than the gen
this may be why after swapping the hands for the gen items they still don't touch the edges of the subdials. i assumed (possibly wrongly) that the gen subdial hands would be longer. upon close inspection with the rep parts they are the same length so logically this would lead me to think the gen dial has the same spacing but with smaller subdials.

hmmm... should i go Gen dial for the SMP Chrono with a ETA7750?

i originally thought the SMP Chrono was perfect or at least tolerable as-is, but this watch addiction is dreadful. it's got me by the neck and it won't let go!
 

automatics

Active Member
4/11/10
376
0
0
yeah the UPO is really nice. i collected the second one and i think there may have been a slight oversight. instead of white numbers i was sent one with red numbers so i have two identical ones. once has the gen crown and tube and the other has a really nice ETA2892-A2 in it

gosh the difference is pretty noticeable. the ETA movement is so much smoother when adjusting time, date and generally winding it. it's just buttery smooth compared to the A2824 in the other one.

I'm beginning to think the SMP Chrono rep dial has slightly larger subdials than the gen
this may be why after swapping the hands for the gen items they still don't touch the edges of the subdials. i assumed (possibly wrongly) that the gen subdial hands would be longer. upon close inspection with the rep parts they are the same length so logically this would lead me to think the gen dial has the same spacing but with smaller subdials.

hmmm... should i go Gen dial for the SMP Chrono with a ETA7750?

i originally thought the SMP Chrono was perfect or at least tolerable as-is, but this watch addiction is dreadful. it's got me by the neck and it won't let go!


haha... it's a never ending journey this.
but i can assure you.
it's likely going to be infinitely more satisfying
than just dropping into the AD & buying it from the get go.
 

angkikee

Known Member
14/12/10
106
0
16
you're absolutely right. With the three modded watches i now have if i bought the Gen i think i would still wear the frankens more often as i would be somewhat less willing to bash the gen. i'm sure i would eventually get a gen PO soeday but it may be the liquidmetal generation and not this one.

my atention is now focused on the SMP Chrono. over in Singapore it's within reach for me already and i'm so tempted to pick one up on my way out of here on a business trip. at the airport it's the usual dealer discount plus no tax which makes the watch about SGD$4250. retail is SGD$4950.

in the meantime These will keep me very very happy!

nice job nice watches ...

Thanks Inushuk! I've followed your franken thread too! Thank you for the wonderful information you shared!
 

automatics

Active Member
4/11/10
376
0
0
you're absolutely right. With the three modded watches i now have if i bought the Gen i think i would still wear the frankens more often as i would be somewhat less willing to bash the gen. i'm sure i would eventually get a gen PO soeday but it may be the liquidmetal generation and not this one.

my atention is now focused on the SMP Chrono. over in Singapore it's within reach for me already and i'm so tempted to pick one up on my way out of here on a business trip. at the airport it's the usual dealer discount plus no tax which makes the watch about SGD$4250. retail is SGD$4950.

in the meantime These will keep me very very happy!

Same here. Except it's the other way round. I have had a few gens, but have gradually come to realise that the gen industry has taken us for a good ride. I have effectively lost my desire for overpriced Gens, unless they're priced within a reasonable range.

Sure $2-3k is justifiable considering the fit & finish of the watches.
But any much further, you're really just paying for their billboards in NYC & Tokyo, plus celebrity endorsements. Especially when prices dance around the 5 digit region.

Picking up the SMP Chrono in DFS sounds like a good idea. My brother bought his in KL from the AD there for about RM9k+ I believe there were some savings back then given the FX advantage. Not sure if the spread is as noticeable anymore.

Oh, btw I'm from the big little red dot as well. :)
 

ehfour

Known Member
6/4/09
124
0
0
Love the 2 frankens!!

Does Taka stock the crystal for the SMP?

or

Did he/she custom A/R it?
 

jsuperman17

You're Saying I Can Sell?
DO NOT TRADE WITH ME
24/6/09
49
0
0
wow i had both at some point and they are keepers! i went gen for the smp chrono though... but the difference is minimal...
 

angkikee

Known Member
14/12/10
106
0
16
Custom AR

Love the 2 frankens!!

Does Taka stock the crystal for the SMP?

or

Did he/she custom A/R it?

Taka (he) did happen to have a spare rep crystal for the SMP Chrono at the time that I sent my watch in for the AR service.

I had one UPO and ordered another with parts from Ofrei on the way. He does them in batches so there's a cut-off date for all watches to reach him. My second UPO arrived just in time for the AR batch and other work, however my SMP Chrono came much later. I managed to get my SMP Chrono to taka with the agreement that he would first AR his pare crystal, then swap out mine and keep my rep crystal. This allowed my SMP Chrono to be worked on in the same batch. I collected all 3 watches last week and i'm still way way chuffed with how they look.

wow i had both at some point and they are keepers! i went gen for the smp chrono though... but the difference is minimal...

I can totaly understand this. i want these two gens so badly, but at this point in my life i could probably afford just one and i'm hesitating because I have other plans for the money. I would sooner put the gen dial and franken up the SMP Chrono a bit more.

Out of curiosity did you keep the SMP Chrono after you went Gen? which one gets more wrist time?

I'm very curious to know what most people do when they go Gen. i always imagine i would keep the rep as a stunt double of sorts that i would wear for daily use, and for special occasons or for a dressy dinner or work meeting i would use the Gen. then again not many would even notice the difference. it's kind of like women wearing nice lingerie underneath their clothes. not many would notice and the few who do pick their words carefully when they do say something about it.
 

Kal Vilmer

Active Member
24/1/11
205
0
0
Brother, that sucks big time that you bought the hands from Ofrei and STILL didn't get the right fit. You still have thehappy feet on the dial too.
 

angkikee

Known Member
14/12/10
106
0
16
Brother, that sucks big time that you bought the hands from Ofrei and STILL didn't get the right fit. You still have thehappy feet on the dial too.

Personally i'm not losing sleep over the happy feet at all so to me it doesn't "suck" big time. The SMP Chrono dial is a busy looking place and very few notice the tells (except here of course). The uneven lume (gen hands, rep dial) is bothering me a bit, but I am likely to put in a Gen dial into this with a bezel.

I want to wear the watch for a while and decide if I want to spend more money on the watch. If I still love it as much say 2 mths down the road as I do now I might just go for it.
 

lzvagias

Looking Around
30/4/12
3
0
0
hi, newbie here. i keep seeing the term "happy feet" and i don't see any penguins so i am pretty sure thats not what you are talking about. What ae happy feet?
 

Mr. Pap

Section Moderator
Section Moderator
5/6/08
7,350
171
63
hi, newbie here. i keep seeing the term "happy feet" and i don't see any penguins so i am pretty sure thats not what you are talking about. What ae happy feet?

Can you see that at the end of the omega logo the lines going up? That's the happy feet...

I put the red arrow also to help you more...