Hi
I was encouraged to check out your site by an existing member and decided to join. I am based in the UK and am a watch nut. I have been servicing and repairing watches for a number of years and have reached the stage where instead of breaking everything I touch, I can usually get a watch to run to original spec (or better) including Chronometer grades. I wasted way too much money on watches and equipment, tools etc but hey a guy has to have a hobby and now also enjoy making parts and building watches. I have to confess I have little knowledge of replicas, I tend to restore/refurbish genuine items but have worked on a number of replicas where friends (or friends of friends) can't get them repaired or serviced by usual means. I have to endorse the guides on chinese replicas and add another lie, none that I have ever worked on stood up to a pressure test above 2 bar and most leaked like a sieve, usually from the crowns, pushers or the crystal, luckily by replacing these parts with genuine parts they often could be made good for 3-5 bar. Oh and another lie, a lot of chinese sapphire crystal looks a hell of a lot like mineral glass to me. Still for the price, as long as you know, its o.k.
Still I joined because talking to fellow watch enthusiasts has to be a good thing and I'm impressed by some of the stuff you are building. My main areas of knowledge is Tudor/Rolex, ETA movements , vintage Swiss movements and then Omega and TAG. I enjoy buying totally f****d watches and then wasting weeks getting theem to run like new (most of the time). My latest two builds are a genuine Chase Durer Combat Command case and strap & dial fitted with a genuine Swiss top grade valjoux 7750 movement (so better than the original which has a basic grade movement) and a Rolex submariner style sterile case/strap watch fitted with an ETA 2836-2 which I build from a pars movement (i.e. movements supplied new in parts).
The thing I do know is that there are probably more replicas being sold on ebay every day than on the whole of this site. Credit to you all for an open hopefully honest approach. I look forward to chating and have posted a reply under Francisco's power reserve guide. Please let me know if I have written anything which is out of order.
Cheers to you all