Hello. This is my first thread on RWI, so if this is posted in the wrong area, please tell me. I posted this over on /reptime yesterday:
W2C
Album link (with video)
The Buying Process
after deciding on intime as the TD, i researched various options (316 vs 904 steel/ETA vs 3132 movement/UB vs BP). given that 316 is visually indistinguishable from 904, that the ETA movement is easier to service (and cheap to replace), and that the BP has the wrong lume color, i went with the UBF version with the 2836 movement. after creating an account on intime and going through the process (put the watch in your basket and check out, just like amazon or ebay), i received an email with payment instructions (i used bitcoin because it's safest and you get a 6% discount). basically, you get yourself a bitcoin app such as shakepay and transfer money from your bank account into it. you then send that money to the address provided in the intime email. like paypal, but with bitcoins. very easy.
a few days later, i received QC pics, requested a few more pics (always ask for timegraph pic!) and approved the watch. It was sent out promptly, and although the EMS tracker still shows my package as being in china, i have received it. total time from checkout to delivery was exactly 2 weeks. the process was smooth and quick, and i received great service from ryan.
now, the watch:
The Case
flawlessly finished. evenly brushed, beautifully curved, bezel polished to an almost mirror finish. a bit thinner than the njshao due to its slimmer caseback (as per gen, remember that the njshao has a thick movement).
The Dial
stunning. i have a $50 njshao (in blue), and the sunburst effect is nice. when i unpacked the UBF i expected the same but in red, but i was positively shocked by what i saw. the markers and hands reflect and shine and dazzle in sunlight like you wouldn't believe. the gen ones are white gold of course, but i didn't expect these steel markers to have the same effect. the njshao looks flat in comparison. the sunburst effect is more subdued, but "deeper" in the paint somehow. maybe the dial is a touch too dark compared to a gen, almost purple turning to brown when held at an angle, but it's absolutely gorgeous. just looking at it for the first time gives such an impression of quality that it's hard to describe if you haven't seen it and compared it with a dhgater. the lume is also strong (and the right color). the number 4 and 5 markers are ever so slightly misaligned (i noticed in QC but figured i couldn't get any better at this price), but it doesn't bother me.
The Bracelet
unbelievable. the njshao rattles and has a bit of play in it (side to side), and the clasp has tons of play in it. the endlinks don't fit exactly, and there is an unsightly gap under the bezel where the center link should rise to meet it. on the UBF, it seems to have similar weight, but everything is rock solid. no play at all, immovable end links that meet the bezel; everything seems milled from a solid block, yet it is supple. nice clasp action, no burn marks from the engravings, and no sharp edges anywhere. it does make a bit of noise when moved (but not on the arm), so i will give it the baby oil treatment. one thing to note is that the bracelet is a bit small. i have 7.75" wrists and i like a tight fit, and i did not remove any links. if your wrists are +8", this might be a bit too small for you.
The Movement
hasn't lost a second in the half-day that i've had it. butter smooth winding and time setting action, comparable to my gen tissot (which uses an ETA movement, so no surprise there). of course, the crown sits a fraction of a millimeter lower on the case side than on a gen due to the different stem height of the ETA, but that won't keep me from sleeping at night.
Overall
i spent at total of $400 CAD on this, and i feel that i could not have gotten a better watch, gen or rep, at that price. the chinese produce insane quality for the money.
W2C
Album link (with video)
The Buying Process
after deciding on intime as the TD, i researched various options (316 vs 904 steel/ETA vs 3132 movement/UB vs BP). given that 316 is visually indistinguishable from 904, that the ETA movement is easier to service (and cheap to replace), and that the BP has the wrong lume color, i went with the UBF version with the 2836 movement. after creating an account on intime and going through the process (put the watch in your basket and check out, just like amazon or ebay), i received an email with payment instructions (i used bitcoin because it's safest and you get a 6% discount). basically, you get yourself a bitcoin app such as shakepay and transfer money from your bank account into it. you then send that money to the address provided in the intime email. like paypal, but with bitcoins. very easy.
a few days later, i received QC pics, requested a few more pics (always ask for timegraph pic!) and approved the watch. It was sent out promptly, and although the EMS tracker still shows my package as being in china, i have received it. total time from checkout to delivery was exactly 2 weeks. the process was smooth and quick, and i received great service from ryan.
now, the watch:
The Case
flawlessly finished. evenly brushed, beautifully curved, bezel polished to an almost mirror finish. a bit thinner than the njshao due to its slimmer caseback (as per gen, remember that the njshao has a thick movement).
The Dial
stunning. i have a $50 njshao (in blue), and the sunburst effect is nice. when i unpacked the UBF i expected the same but in red, but i was positively shocked by what i saw. the markers and hands reflect and shine and dazzle in sunlight like you wouldn't believe. the gen ones are white gold of course, but i didn't expect these steel markers to have the same effect. the njshao looks flat in comparison. the sunburst effect is more subdued, but "deeper" in the paint somehow. maybe the dial is a touch too dark compared to a gen, almost purple turning to brown when held at an angle, but it's absolutely gorgeous. just looking at it for the first time gives such an impression of quality that it's hard to describe if you haven't seen it and compared it with a dhgater. the lume is also strong (and the right color). the number 4 and 5 markers are ever so slightly misaligned (i noticed in QC but figured i couldn't get any better at this price), but it doesn't bother me.
The Bracelet
unbelievable. the njshao rattles and has a bit of play in it (side to side), and the clasp has tons of play in it. the endlinks don't fit exactly, and there is an unsightly gap under the bezel where the center link should rise to meet it. on the UBF, it seems to have similar weight, but everything is rock solid. no play at all, immovable end links that meet the bezel; everything seems milled from a solid block, yet it is supple. nice clasp action, no burn marks from the engravings, and no sharp edges anywhere. it does make a bit of noise when moved (but not on the arm), so i will give it the baby oil treatment. one thing to note is that the bracelet is a bit small. i have 7.75" wrists and i like a tight fit, and i did not remove any links. if your wrists are +8", this might be a bit too small for you.
The Movement
hasn't lost a second in the half-day that i've had it. butter smooth winding and time setting action, comparable to my gen tissot (which uses an ETA movement, so no surprise there). of course, the crown sits a fraction of a millimeter lower on the case side than on a gen due to the different stem height of the ETA, but that won't keep me from sleeping at night.
Overall
i spent at total of $400 CAD on this, and i feel that i could not have gotten a better watch, gen or rep, at that price. the chinese produce insane quality for the money.
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