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Ever had an IHD! just walk up out of the blue and Eek! slap ye upside the head? Laughing

Ricky Lee
July 31, 2011 07:17PM
 Registered: April 2005
Posts: 14,265 (2011-09)

That was pretty much the case here!

This watch came to Tom Swift's Watch Repair Shoppe as part of a rare (for TSWRS) online job involving battery changes and misc. general attention to a dozen+ lot of watches. Well, long story short, I was so taken with it that I Made An Offer, hammered out a Trade, and now it's mine. Mine mine mine! WIS Honeymoon

Can ye tell I'm stoked? Wink

Now, fair warning, when you see it you'll think I've gone all Paul December on ye. Eek! Sure, it's a bit "out of the box" for me, and far 'dressier' than my usual cuppa.. Well, heck, here's a photo:


Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

But it checks a lot of boxes for me. I'm fond of Mother Of Pearl dials, blue is a favorite dial color, so how could I resist the combination of the two? Yes, there was a time when 2-tone was anathema to me, but I've long since gotten over that. But this is not just any 2-tone, but rose gold 2-tone, and as such pushes my personal envelope a bit. Wink

The watch abounds in small details that make it seem Very Rich Man's Watch!. Thumbs up! Very nicely..


Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..executed screwdown crown, which - wonder of wonders! - happens to lock with the signed logo being being perfectly oriented. Likewise..


Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..the caseback is quite crisply executed, with this example being #356 of 500. Yes, the strap contacts the case diameter a smidgen, and there's a bit of flaking going on at that specific point. Oops! But it's quite a nice strap, and the deployant..


Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..is a Thing Of Beauty, pure and simple. WIS Honeymoon Fully machined, nicely plated, and operates like Buttah! Clapping! I wish I had a photo with the protective film removed, but the watch wasn't officially mine when I shot these pics, so at that time I dasn't remove it. Wink

It's a nice size, at 40mm X 48mm X 13.5mm thick, with 20mm lugs. Purrrrrrfect! Thumbs up!

The movement is a beautifully-plated ISA 8172, marked "ISA PACIFIC CO. LTD. CALIBER 8172 3-JEWELS". It fired right up with a new SR927SW cell (Energizer #395). Though I did have to do the "Short to AC" thing, plus the Dreaded Quartz Chrono Reset Routine, it weren't no biggie. Note that this is a 1/5th-second chrono, and the central chrono seconds "sweeps" at 5-ticks-per-second, functionally indistinguishable from a mechanical movement.

All in all..


Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..I can't think of a single thing that could have done to improve on this one. Not one thing!

Unless.. Innocent Well, if pressed, I confess that I find the 'RACER PEARL' marking on the bezel to be redundant. I could have lived with that on the dial alone, and might prefer the bezel to be marked 'UNITS PER HOUR', like my Daytona. But that's a nitpick of such picayune proportions Oops! that I hesitate to even mention it! No! Make no mistake, I am in loooove with this one! WIS Honeymoon

Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off

T'anks for readin', y'all!

Cheers!

-Ricky


"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn

Messages In This Thread

Ever had an Is Happy Day! just walk up out of the blue and Eek! slap ye upside the head? Laughing Image Attachments URL

 Ricky Lee 198 July 31, 2011 07:17PM

Enjoy it, Ricky!SmileThumbs up! (n/t)

 IF 16 August 02, 2011 10:03AM

Sweet RL, Congrats!Thumbs up! (n/t)

 jeremd676 14 August 01, 2011 10:37AM

Re: Ever had an Is Happy Day! just walk up out of the blue and Eek! slap ye upside the head? Laughing
Looks great!

 deepak_vg 17 August 01, 2011 09:03AM

Great catch Thumbs Up (n/t)

 JP 20 August 01, 2011 08:53AM

Wow. Beautiful. I think I'll check out the Alpha site and ease my eBay losin' blues. Laughing (n/t)

 SAH407 28 August 01, 2011 08:21AM

Good luck wi' that. Whistle Yeah, I checked. Wink Apparently..
..Alpha discontinued the model several years ago. No surprise.. it does carry markings indicating it's an L.E. of 500 pieces.

I found exactly one for sale on, of all places, a Swiss site. Crazy! Loco! The asking price is CHF 159 (US $205.35 at today's exchange rate Eek!).

 Ricky Lee 26 August 01, 2011 09:22AM

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." URL
I contacted Alpha via their website with a simple inquiry.

--- 2011年8月1日 星期一，Steve 寫道﹕

寄件人: Steve
主題: Enquiry for
收件人: alphawatch898@yahoo.com.hk
日期: 2011年8月1日,星期一,下午11:21

Enquiry
name: Steve
email: xxxxxxxxxxxx@yahoo.com
telephone:
address:
comments: Is the ALPHA DAYTONA ROSE GOLD CHRONOGRAPH BLUE MOTHER OF PEARL DIAL MANS WATCH still available for purchase?
Product 1: ALPHA DAYTONA ROSE GOLD CHRONOGRAPH BLUE MOTHER OF PEARL DIAL MANS WATCH

Alpha's response:

WHY NOT !

==================

Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off

So I'm calling shenanigans on Alpha's Limited Edition claim. Check out this nice ALPHA HEAT-RESISTANT TUNGSTEN STEEL MANS WATCH WITH SILVER DIAL with the claim EVERY WATCH HAVE INDIVIDUAL SERIAL CODE. LIMITED EDITION FOR ONLY 100PCS. At $60.99, that's a gross sales of $6099 for the entire run. I know China has a different scale with respect to cost, but you don't build a skyline like Shanghai's on $6k production runs.

 SAH407 23 August 01, 2011 09:38PM

Well blow me down! Eek! Image Attachments URL

Quote
SAH407
I contacted Alpha via their website with a simple inquiry.

--- 2011年8月1日 星期一，Steve 寫道﹕
..
Alpha's response:

WHY NOT ! Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off
In my defense, it never occurred to me to check the Alpha site directly. Blushing And their site did not come up in a Google Shopping query! I am confused

It certainly is..

'net photo

..the same durned watch, though! And at that price it's a helluva deal IMHO! I recommend that you order one straightaway. Laughing

Thanks for the help wi' me Homework, mate.. Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off
Quote
SAH407
So I'm calling shenanigans on Alpha's Limited Edition claim.
Oh, Alpha plays fast and loose, no doubt of that! And sure they'll 'spin' you in a heartbeat. Eek!

In the case of this specific model, the L.E. claim may well be a steaming pile of cabbage fertilizer. Wink

However, in other cases their L.E. claim seems to be accurate. Take my all-time favorite Alpha Watches, for instance:

Photo by Ricky Lee
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for Watch or Accessory Review

Never mind finding one for sale, simply google me up another photo of that exact same model (other than one of me own Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off) and I will concede that you are a Googlemeister First Class, WIS Division. Wink

Cheers!
 Ricky Lee 21 August 02, 2011 05:53AM

Re: I recommend that you order one straightaway. Jpeg Attachments
A fine recommendation, and your chrono is a great design, but the Alpha sun/moon watch on sky blue MOP is even more perfect! (Come on, a sun/moon indicator on a dial that looks like sky?) But who needs two watches with sky blue mother of pearl dials? Crazy! Loco!
'net photo

 SAH407 20 August 02, 2011 07:41AM

That IS a pretty watch! WIS Honeymoon

Quote
SAH407
..a sun/moon indicator on a dial that looks like sky?) But who needs two watches with sky blue mother of pearl dials? Crazy! Loco!
Well.. the Sun/Moon Indicator is the deal-breaker for me. Frowning If it was an actual Moonphase Indicator I probably wouldn't be a able to resist, overlap with the Racer Pearl notwithstanding. Wink
 Ricky Lee 13 August 02, 2011 09:04AM

Congrats Ricky. Looks great.Thumbs up! (n/t)

 Mark C. 17 August 01, 2011 07:49AM

Congrats. I'm sure the dial isstunning in person. Smile (n/t)

 Adam in NYC 30 July 31, 2011 10:59PM

Good on yer, Mate! Congrats!
Enjoy it! looks like a RLMB Keeper to me..

 Flasharry 19 July 31, 2011 10:12PM

Even a big old paw like yours is light as a feather with a new watch strapped on it! Cheers!
Congratulations!

 itschris 18 July 31, 2011 10:10PM

Congrats Rickey!Laughing (n/t)

 DRFP 20 July 31, 2011 09:59PM

It seems it was meant to be! Congrats Ricky! (n/t)

 Timemiser 18 July 31, 2011 09:49PM

Wow! Very nice score there ricky.....and....a bit of a rarity too!!
500 pcs is a low production #, and the Rose gold really sets that watch off and apart from other Alpha Daytona's.... Congrats!!! Clapping!

 dano0 29 July 31, 2011 08:37PM

Congrats Ricky! Smile (n/t)

 Jimmy50 24 July 31, 2011 07:34PM

Thank you! Bro. Jimmy! The ironic thing is..
..it's not a watch that I'd have given a second glance, if I'd just seen photos. I am confused

But, in person, it grabbed me by the throat Eek! and wouldn't let go! Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off

 Ricky Lee 29 July 31, 2011 07:43PM

You're preaching to the choir Ricky! Laughing (n/t)

 Jimmy50 21 July 31, 2011 08:36PM


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