- 7/8/16
- 2,597
- 800
- 113
Hi there,
So i thought it would be nice to share my experience owning a TC Sub V7 with everyone here on the forum. I hope this would be a nice contribution and a helpful guide especially for beginners. I will cover not only a review of the watch but also a review of the whole ordering process. I'll share as many pics as i can and in the ending i'll make a in-depth photo comparison between TC's watch and a genuine rolex 16610LN.
I think we should help eachother as much we can and also encourage people to self-educate . I guess just the fact that you've become a member here means that you have already began the self-education process so i wish you a nice trip.
As most of you know, many if not all of the Rolex fans are eventualy pointed to either a TC 5 digit SUB (older model made till 2010) or a noob Sub C (6 digit sub from 2010 onwards) due to their high replication quality.
I hope this thread should help you chose between the two as well.
So here is my step by step review of the whole experience:
1. Coming to know about TC
So from the start i was intrigued about this guy. I've read a lot about him and about his wathces and after finding out all details i was kind of thrown away ( i disliked the entire hard to reach/approach story) . It seemed like a real hussle to even talk with the guy. I even read some comments like " You shouldn't send more than one message at a time or he will be offended" and other BS like that.
The good news is that i quickly found the exact oposite. He replyed my every mail very quickly, faster than many of the trusted dealers here. He answerd all my questions but i have to admit i was pretty concise, i mean i didn't ask about anything already written on his blog for ex. No need to worry, he's a very nice guy. Just don't ask stupid questions, do your homework first.
So from the first email i was given the total cost and the number of days i have to wait before i receive my watch. 25-30 days in my case.
2. Opening the package - first impression
I live in EU. 29 days after the order was placed the watch arrived. It was very nicely and securely packed in bubble wrap in air seald bag along with a little card with the 24h variations.
First impression:
I have to be honest here. I was super hyped about this watch, i've admired it on every wrist i saw it on but when i actually held the watch i was a bit dissapointed. First of all you should know that i haven't hold a genuine 16610 before holding the TC. The only rolex gens handled were some 2012-2016 models.
The watch felt kind of cheap compared to the gen datejust 2 for example. It is defenetly lighter and flimsier than the DJ2. So my initial reaction was like... i don't understand what's all the hype around this watch. Yeah it looked fine, nicely finished and all but overall felt like a Seiko SKX007 for example. My daily beater is a breitling superocean steelfish so i'm used to wearing heavy watches.
I don't want to be rude or anything but this was truely my initial impression. And i know many of you will jump and say the bracelet has hallow links and the clasp is made of pressed thin stainless steel sheet, not like the 116610 wich has solid links and the clasp is made of solid steel. Well i knew all that but still was a bit dissapoited... Fortunately in a way this relaxed me as i said before in another thred. It made me treat the watch like a ...well ..a watch as it should be, not as a museum artefact.
Here are the 1st shots:
Some of the things that put me away as soon as touched the TC :
- bracelet rattled
- bezel almost didn't turn (PAv1 bezel, so not the extreme version here)
Here is a video that shows just how hard it is to turn it:
https://vimeo.com/184882885
I really hope the bezel gives away or otherwise this is a really big issue, one that i've never encountered on any of my reps regardless of their quality...
- clasp looked cheap but not due to quality but rather than to the way it's made - thin metal sheet
- not specific to all TC's but mine came with 2 light scratches on the midcase. will post pics. no big deal here.
Here are the scratches:
So this is very good to know if you're one of the guys like me looking for a perfect rep . You can actually get the perfect rep but of a watch that you're not really that in love with. Or at least have other expectations like i had .
3. A short quality review :
So it's been 2 days now and the watch is starting to grow on me even if i promised to give it away to my father.
I don't find it that light anymore, actually i find it more comfortable on the wrist.
I spent some time spinning the heck of that bezel and it looks like it is giving up.
The watch defetly looks like a GEN, it has that shine that i was hoping for and the detail and finish are very nice.
One of my biggest fears was regarding the bezel assembly and the scallop design . I have to tell you that this certainly is not an issue!! The scallops look to be a little deeper that the ones shown in pics on TC's blog so YEY, i'me very excited about this.
Trust me the teeth shine so nicely especially in a room full of interior lights.
The sel sits very nicely recessed between the lugs.
The date is perfectly centered and jupms exactly 3-5 mins before midnight.
4. Being period correct
You probably already know this but if don't here it goes: The TC is a replica of a 16610 model of course, but wether this is a rep of a 2003,2005 or a 2007 version still remains a debated subject here on the forum. Some purists will want the watch to be as close as possible to one of the versions, so some modifications are required to achieve this.
Well... here's my 2 cents on this matter: Forget about it! The watch looks as good as it gets. Don't warry about it .
If you want to know more on this issue please do a search here on the forum.
5. Conclusion
First of all i think it's very importat to choose a watch that you truely like and not go for the best replicated one.
The watch is amazing. The attention to detail is amazing. The polising on the sides of the clasp really got my attention, it's a perfect plain surface, perfectly polished, mirror like. Overall a great watch, a super replica for sure.
Here are some more pictures:
6. GEN vs REP
So as i wasn't sure if the problems found with TC's watch were related to the replication quality or the gen not feeling as good as i hoped so, i asked a good friend to lend me his Gen 16610LN to do a side by side comparrison.
I'll let you be the judge ( Gen's date is 11):
And now here are some videos:
1. Bezel turning - gen first, tc second and gen again:
https://vimeo.com/184885950
2. Bracelet rattleing - TC first, Gen after:
https://vimeo.com/184886186
My final conclusion and his was... just WOW! The watch is practicly the same. Actually the gen was polished a few times and looked even worse
) . I didn't manage to find any significant flaw and even where you can see some very slight differences it might be due to the GEN being polished. Great work TC, i can confirm based on my own experience this is a unique super replica just as it is, straight out of the box. It may not be as solid as the newer 6 digit Submariner but you can take my word for it, this watch looks and feels exactly like a genuine rolex 16610LN. Even the bezel movement was almost the same!
I really hope you like this thread and find it helpful AND IF YOU DO I'D APRECIATE SOME HELP:
My friend that gave me the gen wants an AP rep, not a specific model but one that is as good as it gets to being as close as possible to the gen ( a super rep) .
So i'd apreciate if some of you AP lovers could chime in and give me a hand here and spare me some time making research myself. I'm very busy and tired and not that big of an AP fan anyway.
Thanks and have a good day!
Sent from the RWI mobile app
So i thought it would be nice to share my experience owning a TC Sub V7 with everyone here on the forum. I hope this would be a nice contribution and a helpful guide especially for beginners. I will cover not only a review of the watch but also a review of the whole ordering process. I'll share as many pics as i can and in the ending i'll make a in-depth photo comparison between TC's watch and a genuine rolex 16610LN.
I think we should help eachother as much we can and also encourage people to self-educate . I guess just the fact that you've become a member here means that you have already began the self-education process so i wish you a nice trip.
As most of you know, many if not all of the Rolex fans are eventualy pointed to either a TC 5 digit SUB (older model made till 2010) or a noob Sub C (6 digit sub from 2010 onwards) due to their high replication quality.
I hope this thread should help you chose between the two as well.
So here is my step by step review of the whole experience:
1. Coming to know about TC
So from the start i was intrigued about this guy. I've read a lot about him and about his wathces and after finding out all details i was kind of thrown away ( i disliked the entire hard to reach/approach story) . It seemed like a real hussle to even talk with the guy. I even read some comments like " You shouldn't send more than one message at a time or he will be offended" and other BS like that.
The good news is that i quickly found the exact oposite. He replyed my every mail very quickly, faster than many of the trusted dealers here. He answerd all my questions but i have to admit i was pretty concise, i mean i didn't ask about anything already written on his blog for ex. No need to worry, he's a very nice guy. Just don't ask stupid questions, do your homework first.
So from the first email i was given the total cost and the number of days i have to wait before i receive my watch. 25-30 days in my case.
2. Opening the package - first impression
I live in EU. 29 days after the order was placed the watch arrived. It was very nicely and securely packed in bubble wrap in air seald bag along with a little card with the 24h variations.
First impression:
I have to be honest here. I was super hyped about this watch, i've admired it on every wrist i saw it on but when i actually held the watch i was a bit dissapointed. First of all you should know that i haven't hold a genuine 16610 before holding the TC. The only rolex gens handled were some 2012-2016 models.
The watch felt kind of cheap compared to the gen datejust 2 for example. It is defenetly lighter and flimsier than the DJ2. So my initial reaction was like... i don't understand what's all the hype around this watch. Yeah it looked fine, nicely finished and all but overall felt like a Seiko SKX007 for example. My daily beater is a breitling superocean steelfish so i'm used to wearing heavy watches.
I don't want to be rude or anything but this was truely my initial impression. And i know many of you will jump and say the bracelet has hallow links and the clasp is made of pressed thin stainless steel sheet, not like the 116610 wich has solid links and the clasp is made of solid steel. Well i knew all that but still was a bit dissapoited... Fortunately in a way this relaxed me as i said before in another thred. It made me treat the watch like a ...well ..a watch as it should be, not as a museum artefact.
Here are the 1st shots:
Some of the things that put me away as soon as touched the TC :
- bracelet rattled
- bezel almost didn't turn (PAv1 bezel, so not the extreme version here)
Here is a video that shows just how hard it is to turn it:
https://vimeo.com/184882885
I really hope the bezel gives away or otherwise this is a really big issue, one that i've never encountered on any of my reps regardless of their quality...
- clasp looked cheap but not due to quality but rather than to the way it's made - thin metal sheet
- not specific to all TC's but mine came with 2 light scratches on the midcase. will post pics. no big deal here.
Here are the scratches:
So this is very good to know if you're one of the guys like me looking for a perfect rep . You can actually get the perfect rep but of a watch that you're not really that in love with. Or at least have other expectations like i had .
3. A short quality review :
So it's been 2 days now and the watch is starting to grow on me even if i promised to give it away to my father.
I don't find it that light anymore, actually i find it more comfortable on the wrist.
I spent some time spinning the heck of that bezel and it looks like it is giving up.
The watch defetly looks like a GEN, it has that shine that i was hoping for and the detail and finish are very nice.
One of my biggest fears was regarding the bezel assembly and the scallop design . I have to tell you that this certainly is not an issue!! The scallops look to be a little deeper that the ones shown in pics on TC's blog so YEY, i'me very excited about this.
Trust me the teeth shine so nicely especially in a room full of interior lights.
The sel sits very nicely recessed between the lugs.
The date is perfectly centered and jupms exactly 3-5 mins before midnight.
4. Being period correct
You probably already know this but if don't here it goes: The TC is a replica of a 16610 model of course, but wether this is a rep of a 2003,2005 or a 2007 version still remains a debated subject here on the forum. Some purists will want the watch to be as close as possible to one of the versions, so some modifications are required to achieve this.
Well... here's my 2 cents on this matter: Forget about it! The watch looks as good as it gets. Don't warry about it .
If you want to know more on this issue please do a search here on the forum.
5. Conclusion
First of all i think it's very importat to choose a watch that you truely like and not go for the best replicated one.
The watch is amazing. The attention to detail is amazing. The polising on the sides of the clasp really got my attention, it's a perfect plain surface, perfectly polished, mirror like. Overall a great watch, a super replica for sure.
Here are some more pictures:
6. GEN vs REP
So as i wasn't sure if the problems found with TC's watch were related to the replication quality or the gen not feeling as good as i hoped so, i asked a good friend to lend me his Gen 16610LN to do a side by side comparrison.
I'll let you be the judge ( Gen's date is 11):
And now here are some videos:
1. Bezel turning - gen first, tc second and gen again:
https://vimeo.com/184885950
2. Bracelet rattleing - TC first, Gen after:
https://vimeo.com/184886186
My final conclusion and his was... just WOW! The watch is practicly the same. Actually the gen was polished a few times and looked even worse
) . I didn't manage to find any significant flaw and even where you can see some very slight differences it might be due to the GEN being polished. Great work TC, i can confirm based on my own experience this is a unique super replica just as it is, straight out of the box. It may not be as solid as the newer 6 digit Submariner but you can take my word for it, this watch looks and feels exactly like a genuine rolex 16610LN. Even the bezel movement was almost the same!I really hope you like this thread and find it helpful AND IF YOU DO I'D APRECIATE SOME HELP:
My friend that gave me the gen wants an AP rep, not a specific model but one that is as good as it gets to being as close as possible to the gen ( a super rep) .
So i'd apreciate if some of you AP lovers could chime in and give me a hand here and spare me some time making research myself. I'm very busy and tired and not that big of an AP fan anyway.
Thanks and have a good day!
Sent from the RWI mobile app
