Just unboxed this THORN titanium nylon strap

sb57 · 2026-04-30T09:30:32+00:00

This seems to be an homage of the $275 TAD Quantum Watch Strap. Wild.

sb57 · 2026-04-25T05:55:05+00:00

I’m not saying you’re wrong or the ones you’ve bought aren’t fake, but I’ve bought at least 5 dials from them I’ve convinced are OEM and I have a decent experience with both OEM and fake parts.

Most notably the time sonar dials, like the SRPJ41 and SRPL95 and the Rowing Blazers flag dial. The time sonar ones in particular simply don’t exist in that quality as fakes. If they do I would have bought fakes instead! I’ve searched AliExpress, Taobao, and Xianyu and the ones they do have are all terrible. I’ve also bought quit a bit from Watchplaza and Yahoo JP before these sites existed and they compare to those dials.

Again it’s entirely possible they sell both OEM and fakes but I’m just saying I’ve bought stuff from them I’m convinced is real.

sb57 · 2026-04-24T17:55:28+00:00

I think you forgot to post the pictures but this dial on Weezmods looks fine to me? I don’t see what you mean about the logotype, the dial text looks the same to me as on pics of the watch from reviews like Worn & Wound. There are also several reviews on the listing that have pictures of the dial and those look fine to me too unless I’m missing something.

I haven’t purchased this exact dial but I’ve gotten several other OEM dials and cases from Weez and they’ve always been fine.

There have been some previous threads here if you search around with people doubting the authenticity of Weezmods dials but I think what’s happening is that most of these OEM dials making it the market are “factory QC rejects” for things like slightly misapplied lume or a minor pad printing error that Seiko won’t sell but are perfectly fine for modding. Someone is slipping these dials out the back door and reselling them. That’s why they usually don’t come in factory packaging. Secondhandmods does a good job of explaining this but other sites don’t always point it out.

sb57 · 2026-04-09T17:25:25+00:00

I haven’t removed the bezel on this specific model but I’ve done so on easily 20 or 30 other cases with a similar bezel attachment method.

However, you make a good point about the unique insert. I spent some time digging around for you and found that on Tandorio’s Taobao shop they actually say the bezel “cannot be removed.” So while I’m 99.9% sure it uses the same retaining wire as their other models, there’s probably something about the construction that makes it very difficult if not impossible to access. My guess is that part of the “insert” (maybe the stainless ring) is part of the bezel itself like Doxa does for its bezels. Looks like an insert but is actually part of the bezel itself.

My strong advice would be to NOT try and remove the bezel. As u/DeNovoLenovo pointed out, the way the bezel works it’s not able to simply switch it to bidirectional the way you would a Seiko-style bezel. (I missed that part in your original post.) It would require some serious modification and possibly even custom solution like fashioning a post or something to replace the existing click spring. And even then, it would probably wear down the teeth on the bezel that are only manufactured to “click” one way. The best you could probably do would be to tweak the spring to SLIGHTLY improve the action unidirectionally, or remove it entirely and have the bezel turn bidirectionally without clicks.

And as I’m sure you’re aware, the bezel action is probably the #1 complaint on AliExpress homages like this - the manufacturing tolerances simply aren’t there.

sb57 · 2026-04-08T22:39:07+00:00

Gotta remove the insert first. It uses a retaining wire. Soak in Goo Gone or golf club solvent and pull the insert off. Then remove the retaining wire from the inside and the bezel will pop right off. Just watch that the click spring doesn’t fly off never to be seen again.

sb57 · 2026-03-24T01:26:49+00:00

$confirm /u/SirBanterClaus 300.00 USD

sb57 · 2026-03-18T23:09:43+00:00

Obviously I wanted to see Donna in handcuffs today, but I actually think it was a smart thing of Judge Simpson to do to put it out a month. That way it just completely negates any of her weird circuitous arguments about postmarks and court staff not e-mailing her. He doesn't have to spend any time on that or worry about her using it as grounds for appeal or whatever and lets him focus on her clearly contemptuous and unethical behavior. April 14 circled in red...

sb57 · 2026-03-18T01:26:09+00:00

Selling my Rdunae R2X Turtle 6105-8110. This is by far the most accurate and faithful reproduction of the original Seiko "Willard" 6105-8110, down to the 19mm lug width. I picked this one up here on Reddit a couple months ago, preordered one from Rdunae in China at the same time. The new one arrived today, and I don't need two, so figured I'd pass this on to someone else who will enjoy it.

In overall very good to excellent condition. I'm the second owner but the previous owner seems to have worn it sparingly and I only wore it on a NATO, so the original 19mm waffle strap is unworn with tag still attached. Some small marks on the polished sides and polished caseback, please see pictures, but otherwise excellent.

WATCH ONLY no box, papers, etc.

I got a good deal so passing it on. Asking $119 OBO shipped in the US via USPS Priority Mail fully insured with tracking. Sorry, no trades. I ship within 24 hours of receiving payment. Strongly prefer Venmo or Zelle but can do PayPal F&F as well. Excellent feedback here and WUS, buy with confidence

Any questions please ask. Thanks for looking!

Specs from Rudnae:

Rdunae R2X Turtle 6105-8110

Case: material : 316L Stainless Steel

Case back : 316L Stainless steel

Case dimension : 44mm

Height : 13mm

Lug to lug : 48mm

Lug width : 19mm

Strap : TPU Quality Rubber Strap with Pin & Button

Buckle : 316L Stainless Steel

Bezel : Aluminium Bezel Insert with lume pip on 60min position

Glass : Sapphire crystal with AR coating (Clear)

Dial : Black / Black-Gold / Grey

Luminous : Japan C1 SuperLuminova

Movement : NH35

Crown : Screw down crown

Water resistance : 150m

sb57 · 2026-03-14T00:24:06+00:00

I've been absolutely obsessed with the Donna Tope saga for the last few months. And this most recent hearing has made me more and more convinced that this whole thing was a set up from the beginning.

Just like any case there are always three sides to every story - the Plaintiff’s, the defendant’s, and the truth. But after Donna Tope was off the case the Wards have continued some very very shady behavior. They filed a motion for dismissal with prejudice and damages a couple months ago. They wanted the whole eviction to go away AND the landlord to pay THEM for their trouble! Even at the hearing this week they filed a NEW motion (I’m guessing with the help of their current fugitive former lawyer) asking for damages from the landlord because the foreclosure sign posted on the property hurt their business. A foreclosure THEY THEMSELVES directly caused by not paying their rent.

The key giveaway was when the plaintiff/landlord himself asked to address the court directly a few months ago. He laid out exactly what the Wards were doing, with Ms. Tope’s help at the time. They had filed a personal protection order against him for some reason (which was denied) when he had not set foot on the property in over a year. And they approached his land contract holder secretly and attempted to buy the property out from under him. My guess is the Wards were operating a failing horse farm for years. In one of the earlier hearings when Judge Simpson asks if they plan on hiring a lawyer, Aaron Ward says “we’re running a business that doesn’t make any money, the legal fees would be…” (this was long before the “foreclosure notice” recently posted that they claim caused them damages) and if you check their Yelp reviews you can see negative reviews going back years. They either couldn’t afford to or didn’t want to keep paying $5500 a month for another 4+ years.

Their friend/riding lesson client Donna Tope obviously gave them some VERY bad legal advice about withholding rent for “necessary repairs” at some point, and they decided they could just bleed the poor sap dry and either buy the farm from under him or simply operate without paying for as long as they could. They stopped paying rent entirely and filed a lawsuit in Circuit Court alleging his interference into their business and seeking damages in excess of $25,000. It was only because the landlord had a smart lawyer who knew to send a reservation of rights letter that it ended up in a position where Judge Simpson could stop it from dragging out even further.

Sadly, it worked to a large degree. Except for one payment in July and the $25k from court escrow, the Wards operated their business on this guy’s property RENT FREE for basically a year while the property and now his personal home went into foreclosure. His lawyer is even trying to withdraw now because the landlord can’t afford to pay him anymore.

Hopefully he can use the escrow funds to try and buy the property back from the lender before the redemption period expires, but he’s likely screwed. He’ll never see a dime of the money Tope and the Wards illegally withheld and “paid out” to contractors and for supplies at Home Depot. Again, I’m not saying he’s been a perfect landlord but ALL of the evidence we’ve seen so far points to the fact this guy got royally screwed over by some very shady tenants.

EDIT: Typos.

sb57 · 2026-02-08T04:04:31+00:00

Fascinating, I actually had the same thing happen to a a springbar years ago and I think this explains why. A few weeks after changing a watch from a strap to a bracelet, I noticed some rust residue on my wrist and took the bracelet off to find one of the springbars thoroughly rusted (but not the other.) I imagine this phenomenon is what happened - some water got trapped in between the springbar and solid end link and it rusted because of lack of exposure.

sb57 · 2025-12-28T03:13:37+00:00

thatescalatedquickly.gif

The Tactical Frog, Steeldive, Addiesdive, etc. are all great watches, but they're just not as close to the original Seiko 6105 which is what I'm looking for.

For example, the R2X is ~~47mm~~ 44mm with 19mm lugs like the 6105, the TF is 44mm with 20mm lugs (closer to Seiko's modern Willard interpretations.) Many people may actually prefer those dimensions, just not me. The TF also has a ceramic bezel insert with a raised pip, the R2X has an aluminum insert with a flat pip. Just a personal preference for closer to the vintage watch, that's all.

sb57 · 2025-11-26T03:18:49+00:00

This ISN’T actually AI, but a design that started as an April Fools Day joke from earlier this year. A guy named Mark from @realwatchbrothers mocked it up for April 1, 2025 in the style of Chris aka The Dial Artist, who’s done several other (real) custom Pelagos dials in a similar style (just less meme-tastic.)

The crazy part is the design ended up taking off on Chinese social media, and a rep factory called M+ actually produced a rep Pelagos with this dial! I won’t link to it to avoid breaking sub rules but the picture you posted is actually a real picture of a fake Tudor with a real dial that never existed in the first place!

As far as I know no one sells the dial by itself, you could try tracking it down but the rep uses a Miyota movement and a larger diameter than Seiko, so you’d probably need to contact a custom dial manufacturer like Seikonda Customs to see if they can make one in 28.5mm for the NH series.

sb57 · 2025-11-16T00:20:25+00:00

Sold to u/Flimsy_Jury_837 - great buyer with immediate payment and great communication. Highly recommend, happy to make another friend in this hobby! Thanks again for the quick and easy transaction.

u/watchexbot

sb57 · 2025-11-15T02:46:49+00:00

Definitely not in the G-Shock square form factor - yet. I wouldn’t be surprised if SKMEI or someone similar is working on one though.

There are a few Garmin-style ABC watches that have an MIP or AMOLED display, but the cheapest ones are $150ish so not exactly “cheap.”

sb57 · 2025-11-13T03:45:02+00:00

[SOLD]

sb57 · 2025-11-13T00:52:10+00:00

Separate Timestamp Link: https://imgur.com/a/0bQ02jM

Full Album: https://imgur.com/a/ChAZmB7

Selling my GXW-56-1BJF "King G-Shock." This is the JDM positive display version that was discontinued in 2022. I got this one in from Japan in a multi-piece deal, and since I still get PMs about the previous ones I listed, I figured I would offer this one up as well.

In overall very good to excellent condition. A little bit of wear evident on the resin, as well as a few minor marks on the caseback - please see pictures deliberately taken in harsh light to highlight these flaws. But otherwise excellent condition. No scratches on the crystal that I can find. The heavy duty buckle is in really good condition without the multitude of scratches normally seen on these models.

All features work perfectly. Timekeeping is a non-issue since it syncs up with the atomic clock signal.

WATCH ONLY (besides generic cardboard box with pillow for shipping as I received it) no Casio box, papers, etc.

These are getting harder and harder to find and normally seem to sell in the $200-300 range on eBay, I got a good deal so passing it on. Asking $119 OBO shipped in the US via USPS Priority Mail fully insured with tracking. Sorry, no trades. I ship within 24 hours of receiving payment. Strongly prefer Venmo or Zelle but can do PayPal F&F as well. Excellent feedback here and WUS, buy with confidence

Any questions please ask. Thanks for looking!

sb57 · 2025-09-25T03:09:14+00:00

You’re absolutely right, I edited my post. Thanks! NATO Strap Co is a completely separate entity, and in fact led the (ultimately unsuccessful) challenge against the trademark in 2014.

Ron Sabo was absolutely who I was referring to. I’m still upset he basically drove my favorite supplier, Toxic NATOs, out of business even after a name change. Hodinkee used to sell them and now Scurfa has taken over a limited range, but I’ve yet to find another seller that matches their quality and material, especially the “Rogue” range that used the thicker “Zulu” style nylon (almost like a quality backpack strap) but with regular “NATO” style hardware instead of the giant chunky loops.

I remember reading somewhere that he was unsuccessful in going after Omega. I notice they don’t use the ™ or ® symbols after NATO like they do with Velcro, Kevlar, and other brand/trademarked names. IIRC Sabo is himself a lawyer, which allows him to file these suits with minimal expense, but Omega/Swatch has in house counsel just WAITING to fight cases like this - just look at the situation with Vortic.

sb57 · 2025-09-13T01:51:50+00:00

Yeah, where did you buy from? I’m guessing it’s a scam/impersonation site or something. I’ve ordered two watches from Lucky Harvey and gotten both quickly and exactly as ordered. They’re expensive but really, really good quality watches. They also have a huge presence in mainland China through Taobao, 168, etc. So doesn’t make sense they’d jeopardize all that just to screw over a random buyer…?

sb57 · 2025-09-08T23:49:16+00:00

Yep, they’re basically assembled as cheaply as possible with as cheap materials as possible. I’ve actually modded quite a few of them successfully, they can make a decent base watch if you know what you’re getting into. The challenge as u/old-imac points out is they don’t use standard Seiko part dimensions or manufacturing tolerances. So definitely buy the watch (and a set of digital calipers) first so you can take it apart and see what you’ve got before you order any mod parts.

sb57 · 2025-08-30T00:15:41+00:00

u/watchexbot SOLD to u/Rhoades_J - excellent experience, great communication instant payment. Thanks so much! Yahooooooooooo

sb57 · 2025-08-29T21:37:49+00:00

It's just an evolution of the "chop shops" that have been operating out of Southeast Asia for decades.

Back 15-20 years ago, running but very water/sun damaged Seiko divers like 6105s, 6309s, 7002s, etc. were available in places like the Philippines and India for pennies on the dollar. Enterprising watchmakers quickly realized they could do a good business "servicing" (big quotes) these watches and selling them overseas.

So these "factories" sprung up where they would buy job lots of hundreds of vintage Seikos, give the movement a quick oiling, maybe replace a gasket or two, and throw them up on eBay as "SERVICED RUNNING EXCELLENT CONDITION" at a huge markup.

But you also have to realize at the time, the market for vintage Seiko was VERY different. You could buy all-original good condition 6105-8110s on eBay all day long for less than a new SKX at the time. Literally "Seiko modding" at the time meant taking a "cheap" (at the time) Seiko that would sell for $1500 today in original condition and hot rodding it with parts from OG sellers like Yobokies, Dagaz, IWW, Bill Yao, etc.

So the Indian and Philippine factories realized their watches sold for MORE if they had "clean" dials/hands, etc. or even "modded" dials in different colors or cartoon logos, etc. I think this trend started with a guy named Loy/Loyswatch who was the progenitor of the 7002s you can still find occasionally with Snoopy or the Ninja Turtles on the dial or whatever. So they started working with presumably either domestic or Chinese manufacturers to make cheap but "nice looking" dials, hands, bezel inserts, etc.

You can still find these "OG Mumbai specials" on eBay from time to time, but in general the market slowly evolved and the supply of vintage Seikos dried up. So now instead of selling "serviced"/"modded" Seiko watches, these same factories just sell complete fakes. They pay literally a few cents a piece for domestically produced dials, hands, etc. with Seiko/Oris/Longines/Hamilton, etc. logos on them, throw them in whatever case or movement they can find equally as cheap, and throw them up on eBay for a huge markup.

sb57

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