Little Steps

[Dave2302]

So, returning to the hobby, after a long lay off, and because the reps I bought and kept 15 years ago had all died after years of good service, I have been reading everywhere and genning up on the up to date scene !!
I soon learned that everything I had learned previously was now historical myths. I still know naff all, just a smaller naff all now !!

Thank you to all the members, traders and staff who have already made me feel very welcome, helped me along the road and given me advice when needed

Hellfcuk I haven't even had a rollocking yet, that's a bloody miracle compared to a certain Car Forum I now (through my own choice) decline to attend
I like this place, my limited experience suggests it to be a nice 'non snowflake' community feeling with a common interest at heart. Many aren't.

This evening I have taken a wee plunge and dipped an aged toe in the water, by buying a very very cheap "kit form" DIY replica from a really great guy on here. I will leave review once it's arrived, my gut says he's a nice sound guy and it will be a perfect transaction. I fully expect to be asking him to source me a nice Daytona rep after Christmas

Being used to the better factories of the older replicas from mid 2000's, of which most folks couldn't tell the difference by naked eye, I am quietly confident that cheaper reps of today will be up to my realistic expectation in comparison.

Lets put that into perspective on my own turf, as a lifelong Garage Business owner / technician, now semi retired but still running a small local garage business..............
"There is no such thing as a cheap Mercedes" !!

The "Kit form" rep will be posted tomorrow, I'll keep updating as the Transaction unfolds, "fear ye not" I have a fair clue what I'm doing right now, the most daunting thing for me was trying to learn the "modern" acronyms, getting accepted as a half sensible but mental new member, and seeking out few contacts to develop a good relationship with as my return to collecting progresses

To be continued .........................

 

[Cigarlvr313]

Welcome Dave, I'm looking forward to reading your posts............

 

[Cooper627]

Sounds super interesting..... commenting to follow results. please post updates as your project progresses, and welcome (back!)

 

[Feefo]

I really enjoy your posts, keep it up!

 

[Dave2302]

Thanks for the kind comments folks, I have always tried to add some light hearted colour to posts I write

 

[Dave2302]

LOL, now I remember how this hobby goes, a feeler has been put out this evening, I'm hopefully gonna buy a Tag rep this week too

G'nite !! Boing sed Zebedee

 

[Dave2302]

So yeah, now I deffo remember how addictive this hobby is
"I accidentally bought it now"


Bought the Grey Bezel TAG F1 this morning from the same TD as my Nubmariner kit, but not content with that I also bought Tag Box set from Flea of the Bay

To get this into perspective, Mel and I had been to hell and back over the last 15 years with a close elder family issue that finally resolved itself last year.
So now we have got our lives back and are both enjoying getting into all the hobbies and things that we didn't have time for before, as we both still work part time ish.

Pixels ....

 

[p0pperini]

Caution Dave... You're treading a well-worn path here (although having read about your previous hobbies/obsessions, I doubt anyone here needs to tell you this).

It'll start with these inexpensive reps. Then before you know it, you'll be sucked down the rabbit hole... and in, say, 2 to 12 months time you'll be wondering why you bothered with the budget stuff, as you pounce on another lovely Franken built by one of the forum maestros...

 

[Dave2302]

Thanks @p0pperini

You speak very wise and true words

My Noobmariner arrived today, 1.5 days from initial contact to delivery to our remote NW Scotland address.

I can thoroughly recommend the TD experience and in particular living in UK, RepSource is a real quality experience

It was a clearance item, paid £59 and just needed bracelet at that price, which also arrived with Postman Pat today

For what it is, it compares to mid range Subs of my 20 years ago, in fact I'd go so far as to say it is better, and so far so good, it is keeping time well.

I thank the Forum for giving me this opportunity to buy from a UK seller, and I thank RepSource for his professionalism and prompt attention.

I actually cannae wait until tommoz now, hopefully the Tag F1 will arrive to cheer me up ....................

I was taking Mel to work in our AMG E Class Estate this morning, and hit a stupid bird, (a bird of the feathered variety) bit smaller than a seagull, didn't think anything of it at the time. It has been raining all day, and when I went to pick her up this afternoon, up came messages on the dash Running Light and Dip Beam faults

I knew exactly what that meant, and when I got to her workplace I checked, yeah, broken lens, headlamp guts wet. This car has LED smart technology Headlamps, yeah that's gonna cost my sorry ass !!
Phoned our localish, (Inverness 130 mile round trip), MB parts dept, almost £1100 inc VAT So all in all not a great day, second hand lamps are all scratched and broken shite on the likes of EBay, so I've just had to bite that bullet.

Not worth claiming as all our cars are comp on my trade policy, and the excess is £500.

So to say I am pi55ed off is an understatement, but each time I look at my pretty little black Sub sat on the desk I smile.
I'll wipe my chin and walk away with my bill from the Mercedes stealership parts dept , btw, that headlamp price is with my 20% trade discount taken off retail

But it is a beautiful and extremely quick car and a great daily driver all rounder.

Some pix of my wee Noobmariner ..........

 

[p0pperini]

Aaaaah man, that's a classic Sod's Law event eh?

For several years now I've counted every unwanted/unexpected expense in terms of how many watches I could have bought with the money...

 

[Dave2302]

Aaaaah man, that's a classic Sod's Law event eh?

For several years now I've counted every unwanted/unexpected expense in terms of how many watches I could have bought with the money...

Again you are bang on

Yeah, I was actually planning on seeing if I could find a mid range Daytona with full working chrono in the next few weeks, might have to wait until new year now

Gotta add a £300 ish module to that Headlamp price, because the module fits on bottom of H/Lamp, plugs in inside H/Lamp and so when water gets in H/Lamp it screws the Module too...........

New H/Lamp doesn't come wiv the naffin Module. I've left the Car in workshop over night, left heating on in wkshp, but if dip beam and DRL doesn't work in the morning it will be Module FUBAR

C'mere, there's more .............. Absolute orifice of a job, to remove Headlamp, first put car on lift, remove front wheels, wheelarch liners, undershields, gawd knows what else, then can remove front Bumper and Grille assy and Headlamp ....................................................................... etc etc etc yak yak yak

To say that I'm slightly peed off would be understatemet of the millenia, I wouldn't mind at all if it was a customers car then l could charge at least the price of a hi end Daytona for it

 

[Dave2302]

TAG F1 arrived today, I will write up wiv pixels later or tomorrrow, no sleep last night and busy day today, my view is for a cheapie it's a bloody good Seiko mvt kettle for £100 and a £9.00 postage charge.
Realistic expectations and patience is a virtue in our hobby

Joe Pub would pay more for a Timex in a retail shop

Stellar service from @RepSource - UK once again, so a big thank you from me

 

[Dave2302]

My second purchase, so far RepSource-UK has proved to be an extremely good seller, very helpful.

And yes, it has cheered me up

i finished off a couple of customers Cars yesterday, and today the E Class is in the workshop ready to rip it apart to change the Headlamp and Module when it arrives in the week, total cost for a poxy bird strike well over a grand ££££ and remember I don't have to pay a labour charge, and the parts from Mercedes main dealer are trade discounted, 20% in this instance





Initial contact re TAG purchase Wednesday night 21:30 hrs, Payment made Thursday morning 08:20, my watch was received via Royal Mail first post Friday.

Once again I am very happy.

Having been in the replica scene 20 years ago, I do not expect instant replies. I do not expect 100% perfection for a Rep watch that costs a small fraction of a new Genuine.
I can be long winded with my own comms, in an effort to be precise, but this seller has been patient with me, prompt and courteous, and the "overnight" service for a stock item is simply stellar !!

Items are well packaged. I hope we will do business again.

The Seiko movement has kept perfect time over the last 27 hours, (measuring by network time to the second) it has kept + / - 0, which is no surprise to me as it is a Seiko Mecha Quartz movement which should be accurate, and the added bonus with these is it does not need to be worn or kept in a winder box to stay running.

Again a budget watch, again extremely good for the £109.00 inc postage.

Pixels, lol I am NOT a photographer :-











Chow fer tha noo, (That's a londoner speaking jockish)

Dave

 

[flashu]

Subscribed, enjoyed reading the stories
Enjoy your watches!
Very curious how this will evolve

 

[Dave2302]

"Very curious how this will evolve "

Thank you sir, for your kind words

Well, our Car will be fixed and I'm gonna buy a Daytona sometime in December or January depending how quickly I recoup the money wot the f'king poxy eyed mo-fo suicidal bird cost me to repair the aforementioned and (IMHO) rather beautiful AMG E Class Estate which is the pride and joy of ma wee fleet

 

[Dave2302]

Mods please delete if you wish, it was a double post cos I'm in the workshop suppin' coffee and my freezing fingers dun shit and pressed summat they shouldn't have

I'm gonna go put the Space Heater on

 

[Dave2302]

So after a bit of deliberation and checking up on how to get the correct size to buy a Bracelet (in other words thanks to @Feefo) I now know it is measured by lug width as opposed to across the clasp. I was getting confused because of the plethora of 20mm straps and bracelets, and being a bit brain dead today, it never occured to me that might be B coz there are gazillions of watches with 20mm lug spacing

I have just procured a nice new TAG solid link bracelet for my newly purchased Grey Dial F1, for just over a hunnerid sqids inc postage, be here at some point during the week

Not that there was anything wrong with the one that it came with, excepting it just didn't feel right to me, it just felt "a bit tinny", which is to be expected bearing in mind the price I paid for the Watch, and the fact that the watch itself feels and performs great, it seemed like a logical step.

Well that's what I'll tell Mel, not that she'll notice the difference bless

Ahhhhh well, the bug has well and truly set in again

 

[Cooper627]

Love this thread so far, the joy is truely infectious, reading the updates (good and bad) are now a daily highlight for me.

much love from across the pond

 

[Dave2302]

Thank you kind sir, I really enjoy documenting my adventures for forum members and it keeps me outta (too much mischief)

 

[Greeneyes88]

Story time with Dave #GOODREADS
Thanks bud