Historical day: Kingston has been cloned!

[gonzomantis]

I think I have seen that before. Can't remember where though.

Maybe it was right here in this forum! But I can understand if you didn't remember, that was a month ago. ;)

[Fullers1845]

I admit being tempted by these as a placeholder while I was considering the Kingston. Glad I didn't cave.

[Yao]

To me it looks like a re-badged fake Rolex.

I'd like to see it survive a 5,000 meter pressure test though :D

[enkidu]

LOL, you beat me to it, I was going to post about the DOOM lens as well! It's the lens of DOOM!

Ha ha sorry about that. I like the capitalization. I can just hear Blofeld saying that "Why, it's the lens of DOOM! Mr Bond, prepare to die."

[TheDude]

To me it looks like a re-badged fake Rolex.

I'd like to see it survive a 5,000 meter pressure test though :D

Unless it's oil filled quartz, I don't see how it possibly could.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

[Arthur]

Most of these watches are poorly made with zero quality control. I doubt it would survive being immersed in a glass of water, much less 5000 meters. Possibly the got the numbers wrong it should have read .0005meters.

The gilt model is a pretty nice looking watch though. It would be interesting to see what it looked like up close and personal.

Possibly the member who poster earlier that he bought one as a "placebo" until his Kingston was delivered, could weigh in and let us know how his Tiger is fairing.Is it still growling, just barely purring, or has it turned belly up and given up the ghost?

[sunster]

Just thinking about this, it might be a handy way to acquire a 'spare rivetted bracelet' though there are probably better bracelet options in the market

[gonzomantis]

Most of these watches are poorly made with zero quality control. I doubt it would survive being immersed in a glass of water, much less 5000 meters. Possibly the got the numbers wrong it should have read .0005meters.

The gilt model is a pretty nice looking watch though. It would be interesting to see what it looked like up close and personal.

Possibly the member who poster earlier that he bought one as a "placebo" until his Kingston was delivered, could weigh in and let us know how his Tiger is fairing.Is it still growling, just barely purring, or has it turned belly up and given up the ghost?

I've had it on 3 quick 4750 meter dives with zero issues!

But seriously, it is running just fine. I did pay a few extra bucks to get the "automatic 2836" movement, and it has been a very decent timekeeper. The sweep is also pretty smooth. And no, I don't hold any belief that it is an ETA movement.

The bezel operation is, well, interesting. This is complicated by its terrible grip.


The domed acrylic crystal is cool, and has much better viewing angles than I thought it would.


The case finishing is passable. The top and sides are nice, but you need to be careful near the lug ends so you don't get scratched on the sharp edges.

There is a hint of lume on the hands and bezel pip, but the dial has very near zero.

The date tends to ride high in its window.


Conclusion: It is a fair timekeeper and has a look that I like. I wouldn't rave about it or recommend it to others unless they view it as I do - cheap thrills. Something to give me a grin while I wait for my Kingston.

[Arthur]

I've had it on 3 quick 4750 meter dives with zero issues!

But seriously, it is running just fine. I did pay a few extra bucks to get the "automatic 2836" movement, and it has been a very decent timekeeper. The sweep is also pretty smooth. And no, I don't hold any belief that it is an ETA movement.

The bezel operation is, well, interesting. This is complicated by its terrible grip.


The domed acrylic crystal is cool, and has much better viewing angles than I thought it would.


The case finishing is passable. The top and sides are nice, but you need to be careful near the lug ends so you don't get scratched on the sharp edges.

There is a hint of lume on the hands and bezel pip, but the dial has very near zero.

The date tends to ride high in its window.


Conclusion: It is a fair timekeeper and has a look that I like. I wouldn't rave about it or recommend it to others unless they view it as I do - cheap thrills. Something to give me a grin while I wait for my Kingston.

It really is a neat looking watch, and If my Kingston wasn't looming in the near future, i would probably spring for one.

As far as the movements, their is an Asia clone of the 2836 which is a pretty good copy. It just doesn't have the fit and finish of the Swiss 2836's . Another thing that the homages and replicas (Counterfeits) from China have in common as far as the movement, is the lack of lubrication. They take these bulk packed movements and cram them in the cases, if they have oil fine, if they are dry, well, that's fine too! The problem here is it's pretty hard to justify sending a 150.00 USD watch to a watchmaker for a 75-100 dollar movement service.

Looking at yours closely, I have seen quite a few variations of this watch on some of the lesser known auction and sales sites. One variation is a "Big Crown" 6538 that looks exactly like yours except it has an 8mm crown and a fake Rolex dial. It also has the coin edge bezel like yours, as well as the domed crystal that sits very high. All of them must share the same case, as they all have those very pointy lugs. looks like you could cut a steak with the edges!

[toxicavenger]

so this is a clone to a watch that is a homage of another watch? how is that so...........