The TWM Darkside Awards 2024 - And the winners are . . .

[trailboss99]

It's time to announce the winners of The Watch Mansion Darkside Awards for 2024. Winners will be announced in individual posts below and the prizes announced for the awards that have them. As you know, The Watch Mansion has sponsored the awards to the amount of $5000 allowing us to give gen watches as prizes for the four main awards.

In addition, AMF have kindly donated a custom AP allowing us to also award Thread of the Year a pretty cool prize.
We will leave voting open for the Mod of the Year Award for another couple of days to give everyone a chance to vote in the final round, if you haven't already done so, please go here and vote: https://forum.replica-watch.info/threads/2024-moderator-of-the-year-final-poll.11004158

Photo of the Year is also still open: https://forum.replica-watch.info/threads/best-still-shot-of-a-watch-no-wristie-2024.11003361/ and here: https://forum.replica-watch.info/threads/best-wristshot-2024.11003360/ so if you have a really great watch photo, please go post it.

 

[trailboss99]

First up I am pleased to announce that the winner of the RWI Member of the Year is . . . @KJ2020

As numerous posts have said, KJ embodies the spirit of RWI, his many tutorials have helped countless members as has his noob-friendly attitude and all-round willingness to assist people with projects and knowledge. Thank you KJ2020.
In appreciation for his efforts we are pleased to award KJ not just a fancy banner and badge but, thanks to The Watch Mansion, this Gen TAG F1 Chrono valued at $2020 MSRP. Please contact @daytona4me to arrange delivery of your prize.

 

[trailboss99]

Without new blood any forum will wither and die. For this reason Rookie Member of the Year is a very important section and new, enthusiastic members are a vital part of RWI so I am pleased to announce that the winner for 2024 is . . . @themaxx25
Congrats sir, please enjoy your new Hamilton X-Wind valued at $1300 MSRP thanks again to The Watch Maison.

Now,you may never need to calculate a cross-wind unless you fly, shoot, sail or race on the salt but it's still a pretty cool complication on a pretty cool watch.

 

[trailboss99]

Moderator of the Year
RWI would not function without our moderation team, they are vital to the running of the forum whether they be sales, global or section mods.
We split the voting for MotY up into three initial groups, Sales, Global and section and asked you (the members) to vote for your favorite in all three groups, we then took the top 3 from each of these and held a final vote and I am pleased to announce the winner of the final vote is @C Master.

Patrick has been a member of RWI for 10 years and has been on staff for the majority of that time functioning as a sales mod followed by global and then as Chief Moderator, a role he still performs today. He has proven himself to be a popular and vital member of the RWI Team.
To thank him for his service to the forum The Watch Mansion have kindly donated a very special 150th anniversary limited edition Seiko Prospex valued at $1300 MSRP.

Thank you once again to all our mods in all the various roles, we wouldn't have a forum without you.
Thank you also to The Watch Mansion for their massive sponsorship of The 2024 Darkside Awards.

The Watch Mansion, your one-stop shop for everything from a stock rep to a 20k plus PP, AP or RM. Check out their section or PM @TWM Concierge 1 for details.

 

[trailboss99]

Dealers, those great guys (and gals) who provide us with our trinkets. All of our dealers are good dealers, I've used all of them over the years but there can be only one DOTY and for this year it is . . . @CTime

CTime came on the scene only a couple of years ago and quickly established themselves as a quality dealer and became one of our most popular very quickly indeed. Obviously, that reputation is a lasting one as we see them walk away with this award and well deserved it is too. They can now join a select band of dealers who can call themselves an RWI Dealer oft he Year. Congratulations CTime!

 

[trailboss99]

Strap dealers are a vital part of any watch forum, no use having a nice shiny watch if you don't have a decent strap to put it on, is there?
In this case, the winner is a dead set cert for me, there are no better custom straps anywhere in my opinion. @Tan_Go is a world-class strap maker, Tanya does superb work at a more than reasonable price and I cannoty recommend her highly enough. Congratulations on a well deserved win with almost 44% of the vote. The next closest custom maker had a little more than 2%!

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The runners up were very clear in this award (accounting for around 43% of the votes between them) and I think they re worth a mention as they are in a different class than Tanya being off-the-shelf retailers albeit with unique, in-house product. Horatech has grown a large following in the RM community and we know how obsessive these guys can be with quality. The third placegetter, @ziczacleather are a great choice for an off-the-shelf OEM replacement strap, especially for dress watches and like the first two, we NEVER hear from these guys because we never get complaints about any of them.

 

[trailboss99]

Why would we be here if it wasn't for the subject of this award? The RWI Rep of the Year Award is by far the most valuable award a factory can win and this year it goes to the brilliant AP 26240 with clone movement from APSF. This was a highly anticipated release and the wait was well worth it.
You can read @puretime's announcement of the release and the 124 pages of comment and member review here: https://forum.replica-watch.info/th...4401-super-clone-movement-is-coming.10993272/ This is a perfect example of how far reps have come, it is a quality timepiece in its won right and APSF should be very proud of what they achieved.

 

[trailboss99]

The RWI Raspberry Award. Well, what can I say? So many deserving members for this one but there can be only one winner, asusundevils1971.
I'm not sure you were graded as more annoying than @GingerBubba but apparently you are.

PS: everyone should tag @GingerBubba and tell him how you felt he should have won this hands down.

​

 

[trailboss99]

Watchmaker/Modder of the Year is another that has been won by someone that few would argue against clearly deserving the award. @Belkin12 builds some of the best custom pieces to have ever graced the pages of this forum. His work has few equals and I am yet to see anything of a higher standard. I really need to commission a piece from him one day, it's a must in any decent collection. A well-deserved win indeed.

 

[trailboss99]

The (Rep) Abject Fail of the Year

 

[trailboss99]

Post of the Year has been won by what was the most popular single "How To" of the year, and one that featured one of the most popular watches of the year, @derjenigewelcher's tutorial on fixing the bezel click on the Clean GMT, a well-deserved win.

To say thanks for his hard work, AMF Modding have donated a fully modded AP, the winner's choice of either a 15500 or a 15202 (winner's choice) in the winner's preferred dial colour. This watch will be built as detailed below. @derjenigewelcher, you need to contact @AMF and choose your prize.


15202:
Hand base shaved down and improved width
Bevel, brush and polish case and bracelet, make the bracelet feel smooth and nice
Silence the rotor (Miyota base movement)
Bezel screws realigned and polished
Alignment of markers and hands

Updated mods
Dial rework to be better and more correct in colour to gen. Stock dial is a little too dull and this further enhances the fully modded version of this. This is meticulous and very intricate work but we have strive for this upgrade to further improve the 15202 offering to be better .

https://clickpix.org/images/zUO8n3.jpg
https://clickpix.org/images/zmz2No.jpg


15500:
Dial mod
Bevel, brush and polish case and bracelet, make the bracelet feel smooth and nice
Silence the rotor
Bezel screw realigned and polished
Alignment of markers and hands
Pressure test to 6ATM
Movement service

https://clickpix.org/images/jVCQiQ.jpg
https://clickpix.org/images/jVCPL8.jpg

 

[trailboss99]

Rookie Dealer of the Year was a hands down win, with the winner receiving well over 50% of the vote there is no doubt about the popularity of @Elliot Black's Andiot Watches. For a dealer less than a year old, Andiot have performed beyond expectations with almost zero issues being reported and the couple that were fixed instantly. Only a handful of dealers have a reputation like that and it never happens with a brand new dealer, there are always issues in the beginning as a dealer gets used to what we expect from them. Not in this case, Andiot were pretty much perfect from day one and it shows in the loyal and strong following they have gained. I would put them in the top 3 or 4 dealers on the forum and that's amazing work in less than a year!

Congrats Elliot, this is an award and an achievement to be proud of!

 

[KJ2020]

First up I am pleased to announce that the winner of the RWI Member of the Year is . . . @KJ2020

As numerous posts have said, KJ embodies the spirit of RWI, his many tutorials have helped countless members as has his noob-friendly attitude and all-round willingness to assist people with projects and knowledge. Thank you KJ2020.
In appreciation for his efforts we are pleased to award KJ not just a fancy banner and badge but, thanks to The Watch Mansion, this Gen TAG F1 Chrono valued at $2020 MSRP. Please contact @daytona4me to arrange delivery of your prize.

Wow this is such an honor, I am so grateful to be recognized as an esteemed member of our family. I truly am just doing what I love so much and it brings me great joy to see others taking on and succeeding at new and bigger watchmaking and modding challenges.

There is so much to learn and do in this hobby. I've always had a "Never say die" attitude but that can mean failure after failure. So when I finally figure something out, I want to pass it along so others can get there without suffering so much along the way. It humbles me greatly to know that I'm reaching so many members. Rest assured I will do my best to live up to this award.

My heartfelt thanks go out to the staff for keeping this zoo running so well and for organizing these great events. I cannot imagine a better team of people or a better place to spend my time. Utmost respect!

Major shoutout to @TWM Concierge 1 for their hugely generous prize package and their great prize selection. What an enormous gesture of commitment to our way of life. I see great times ahead for you. Well done!

And last but not least, a great THANK YOU to all my friends and fellow members who share the great trials and joys of the watch world with me. This forum is such a great place! Besides the wealth of knowledge available on every watch from every era, gen and rep, there is always friendly banter and good conversation going on among some of the smartest, funniest, and most caring people I've ever known. Wait, I think I'm gonna cry... Hah, j/k. I love you guys!

Thanks to everyone and oh, yes I LOVE this TAG chrono. I don't have one at all so it's a most welcome addition and well, gen is gen.

 

[asusundevils1971]

Congratulations to KJ2020, themaxx25 and CTime for winning their awards. All three are well deserving...

Would also like to give a big shoutout to @TWM Concierge 1 for donating such amazing prizes.

 

[trailboss99]

I don't have one at all so it's a most welcome addition

They are a great daily beater, very clear, great lume and it's a quartz so it's always ready and, as the great Fakemaster once said, "If you absolutely have to kill someone on time, wear quartz!".

 

[themaxx25]

Without new blood any forum will wither and die. For this reason Rookie Member of the Year is a very important section and new, enthusiastic members are a vital part of RWI so I am pleased to announce that the winner for 2024 is . . . @themaxx25
Congrats sir, please enjoy your new Hamilton X-Wind valued at $1300 MSRP thanks again to The Watch Maison.

Now,you may never need to calculate a cross-wind unless you fly, shoot, sail or race on the salt but it's still a pretty cool complication on a pretty cool watch.

WOW, just WOW! I’m truly blown away, honored, and so grateful to all of you! A huge thank you to @trailboss99, all the amazing mods, and this incredible community. Being a part of this group is truly something special. The friendships I’ve made here are the real reward. My only regret is not finding this forum sooner! It all started with wanting to learn about reps so I’d know what to avoid when buying on the secondary market, and now I’ve dived headfirst into the rep game!

@TWM Concierge 1, you're truly a class act! Thank you for generously donating these amazing timepieces. You weren’t on my radar before, but that’s definitely changed!

A big thank you to everyone who took the time to vote—not just for me, but for all the incredible members. I’m honored to be among such a talented and inspiring group of people that I deeply respect and look up to. As I continue to navigate this community, I hope to offer value, humor, and heartfelt support to my fellow members in the years to come.

Cheers to all of you!

 

[derjenigewelcher]

Post of the Year has been won by what was the most popular single "How To" of the year, and one that featured one of the most popular watches of the year, @derjenigewelcher's tutorial on fixing the bezel click on the Clean GMT, a well-deserved win.

To say thanks for his hard work, AMF Modding have donated a fully modded AP, the winner's choice of either a 15500 or a 15202 (winner's choice) in the winner's preferred dial colour. This watch will be built as detailed below. @derjenigewelcher, you need to contact @AMF and choose your prize.


15202:
Hand base shaved down and improved width
Bevel, brush and polish case and bracelet, make the bracelet feel smooth and nice
Silence the rotor (Miyota base movement)
Bezel screws realigned and polished
Alignment of markers and hands

Updated mods
Dial rework to be better and more correct in colour to gen. Stock dial is a little too dull and this further enhances the fully modded version of this. This is meticulous and very intricate work but we have strive for this upgrade to further improve the 15202 offering to be better .

https://clickpix.org/images/zUO8n3.jpg
https://clickpix.org/images/zmz2No.jpg


15500:
Dial mod
Bevel, brush and polish case and bracelet, make the bracelet feel smooth and nice
Silence the rotor
Bezel screw realigned and polished
Alignment of markers and hands
Pressure test to 6ATM
Movement service

https://clickpix.org/images/jVCQiQ.jpg
https://clickpix.org/images/jVCPL8.jpg

I can hardly put my gratitude and surprise into words.
My job here in the forum could easily be done by a well-trained monkey, or so I thought.

I know this post of mine may have helped some people, but for me, it was also a way of sharing my fetish for imitating that damned gen-click sound as best as possible on the OOTB best GMT Master on the market, Clean, with some tweaks and not spending tons of money on franken-parts.

Thank you so much for all the votes and the sensational prize, which will be a keeper. People who tell me that replicas cant store emotions simply lie.

Thanks to everyone in my digital living room.

Congratulations here too to @KJ2020 for the award and @Belkin12 for the award.

Of course, I also have to tag @GingerBubba , as the boss demands.

 

[asusundevils1971]

The RWI Raspberry Award. Well, what can I say? So many deserving members for this one but there can be only one winner, asusundevils1971.
I'm not sure you were graded as more annoying than @GingerBubba but apparently you are.

PS: everyone should tag @GingerBubba and tell him how you felt he should have won this hands down.

​

Would like to thank the RWI staff and members who voted for me. The Raspberry trophy will be shown proudly sitting on the tank of the toilet in my main bathroom.

@trailboss99 the only reason I won the award over @GingerBubba is because I had to make promises to the members to get their vote.

Some of the promises I made:

1. Karbon74 will open up the Pika factory shipping worldwide.
2. Unlimited use of Feefo's alignment tool plus one year supply of Veselume. Think the member I promised this to might have misunderstood what Feefo's alignment tool is.
3. RWI will open up the private jet and island for one week this year. The date will be in the off season and the few members I promised this to will contact Storm. to set it up.
4. g00n must post at least six nipple pics in the Looney Bin daily.
5. DiggerOfWatches to host a two week surfing school for four and will include accommodations at his estate.

Thank you again RWI for the platform to interact with the best staff and members on the internet.

 

[Jossé]

Congratulations and well deserved to all the winners I appreciate you all!

 

[cotti-rottie]

well done everybody…. worthy winners