# BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE



## Reno

I wanted an Explo II homage for a looooooooooong time, and of course, I've been drooling over the Alpha version.
I never went for it, because I just couldn't decide between the two dial versions (white or ivory), furthermore, I didn't want another GMT, but a simple 24h hand (like the Rolex Explo II actually).

Recently, I discovered this cheap BAGELSPORT, and I was very pleased to learn it has a 24h hand, and the black outlined hands, like the original :-!










Another good point is the very nice white dial |>



























BLACK OUTLINE on the hands |>













































The buckle is not so good :-x



























The endlinks are dreadful, they just can't be fit properly to the case.













































The crown was unscrewed when I receive the watch, and I couldn't screw it back o|
As I don't plan to get the watch wet, I decided to remove the crown gasket, and it does the trick :-!

Movement pics :




































A very mild engraving inside the buckle&#8230;









For the price of the watch (less than 33$ including shipping), I'm rather pleased, even if the quality isn't excellent


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## Seele

Reno,

At this thread a member who bought one reported that the GMT hand on his example is not functional, but locked to the regular hour hand at an arbitrary angle. Is yours like that?


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## Reno

Seele said:


> Reno,
> 
> At this thread a member who bought one reported that the GMT hand on his example is not functional, but locked to the regular hour hand at an arbitrary angle. Is yours like that?


Indeed.

THIS IS NOT A GMT HAND !

And actually, it was the main reason why I didn't get the Alpha version instead ;-)

It's a 24h hand, exactly *the same* than on the original Rolex Explorer 2.

On this picture, the time is *05:32 PM*










The red hand points between 17 & 18h on the 24h bezel.

The Rolex Explorer 2 was destined for explorers, _speleologists_ and other type of activities where the daylight could not be seen (at least that's what the marketing says), hence the 24h hand, to know what part of day it is (AM/PM).

The Rolex Explorer 2 is *not* a GMT watch.


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## peacemaker885

Oh wow I always thought the Explorer II was GMT lol Thanks Reno!


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## Reno

peacemaker885 said:


> Oh wow I always thought the Explorer II was GMT lol Thanks Reno!


The *GMT Master 2* is, with an independant GMT hand, AND a rotating 24h bezel, for a third timezone.

1 - GMT hand on the Greenwich hour
2 - Local time with the regular hour+minute hands
3 - Third timezone on the 24h rotating bezel.

Here is the Alpha homage :


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## Martin_B

Congrats on this one Reno, it looks great :-!

I have two bagelsports, quality wise these are a few steps below alpha's in my opinion. But considering the cost, you still get quite some value.

Regards,

Martin


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## Reno

Martin_B said:


> Congrats on this one Reno, it looks great :-!
> 
> I have two bagelsports, *quality wise these are a few steps below alpha's in my opinion. But considering the cost, you still get quite some value.*
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Martin


Thanks mate ! 

100% agree with you |>


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## Reno

More pics here : BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE


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## Otto Phan

Nice watch. Where did you get it? I've seen quite a few forum images of these watches but no place to buy.


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## Reno

Otto Phan said:


> Nice watch. Where did you get it? I've seen quite a few forum images of these watches but no place to buy.


Here : Luxury Mens GMT Dual Time Zone S/Steel Date Automatic Mechnical Wrist Watch | eBay

;-)


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## Citizen V

! Nice review. I look forward to one of the Milgauss once you get it .


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## Reno

Citizen V said:


> ! Nice review. I look forward to one of the Milgauss once you get it .


Thanks, Citizen V !

I will post a review, as soon as I receive the watch :-!


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## Mtech

Slap a Nato with red and black on that and you've solved the problem of the end links and made it even better.


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## Reno

Mtech said:


> Slap a Nato with red and black on that and you've solved the problem of the end links and made it even better.


I was planning to put it on a white NATO, actually ;-)

EDIT : I just did !! :-d

BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE


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## Oilers Fan

Nice watch Reno. I got mine about a month ago. Seems pretty good for under $40. I agree that the buckle is not the greatest, but the endlinks on mine seem to fit the case a little better. My main issue with my watch, is that if I choose to hand wind it, it actually causes the second hand to stop momentarily. This is the first watch I have that I noticed this on.


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## Reno

Oilers Fan said:


> Nice watch Reno. I got mine about a month ago.


Cheers O_F ;-)

I think I must thank _you_ for this excellent purchase :-!

I was looking for an Explo II with a 24h hand, and reading your review (I can't find it back nowhere on WUS :-s ), I knew instantly I had to get one :-!



> Seems pretty good for under $40. I agree that the buckle is not the greatest, but the endlinks on mine seem to fit the case a little better. My main issue with my watch, is that if I choose to hand wind it, it actually causes the second hand to stop momentarily. This is the first watch I have that I noticed this on.


The endlinks are dreadful on mine&#8230; there's at least a 1mm gap between them and the case :-x
but for the price, it's really no big deal&#8230;

I have the same "issue" while manually winding&#8230; nothing problematic really.

I'm very pleased with this watch&#8230; so much I ordered the _Milgauss_ homage from Bagelsport a few days ago :-d


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## Oilers Fan

I might have to look at the Milgauss homage. I had been eyeing the orange/white one on Manbushijie. Judging by my Explo II, I might be willing to give the Milgauss a shot as well. I look forward to some pics of yours when they come in.


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## Reno

Oilers Fan said:


> I might have to look at the Milgauss homage. I had been eyeing the orange/white one on Manbushijie. Judging by my Explo II, I might be willing to give the Milgauss a shot as well. I look forward to some pics of yours when they come in.


One thing to know about this specific Milgauss hommage : it's rather small ~35mm (same size than the Datejust/Explorer I models)&#8230; and I just noticed this info on the seller's ad : *Band width : 1.6 cm* :-s

16mm , Really ? :think:

Well, it might ends on the little lady's wrist eventually :-d


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## corn cob kid

Well, I could not resist and ordered one myself. Came today, took 2 weeks. I fully agree with Reno, nice watch for the money. I cannot do good photo's, especially after Reno's masterpieces so here are some thoughts based on this being less than $28 shipped and a few pics of the movement: 

Nice quality overall, feels solid. My crown worked fine, it has a solid feel when I wind it and sets very easily.

Band is good and even has screws instead of pins but like Reno's the clasp is horrible. The clasp does not feel very secure so tonight off it comes. I did expect this but overall it is not incomfortable is as. Adjusting was not the easiest and I could not get the clasp micro adjustments to work because I could not get the bars out (horrible clasp again...). However, I am wearing it now with the band.

The bezel has a bit more overpainting that Reno's. The "16" _almost _looks like "18" but it is nothing that bother's me and actually adds to the charm :-!

I threw it on the timegrapher and was pleasntly suprised. In three positions, it averaged less that +10 off. That said, 2 positions is was near zero (+1 & -4) and the third one it was +15. Still, for the price...nice.I did not adjust it, want to wear it for awhile and see what it does on the wrist.

I did open her up. It appears to my unexperienced eye to be a DG28 clone (?). No markings that I could find at all. It is non-descript, few scratches, but for some reason I don't think I will look at it much. Gasket was in place |> and it looked good. Below are the only pics I took since Reno did not have any movement pics, sorry for the lame quality & finger prints :-(

I am definetly pleased. It's a nice fun watch..with stories. b-) Who else could say that a guy from Normand France (who I have never met) convinced me to buy this cool homage....















Thanks Reno, now I have to wait for the sellers to come back so I can get the Mil-gauss homage.....o|


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## Reno

Excellent ! :-! Glad you like the watch, Kid 



corn cob kid said:


> Below are the only pics I took since *Reno did not have any movement pics*, sorry for the lame quality & finger prints :-(


There were pics, at the end of my message ! ;-)



> I am definetly pleased. It's a nice fun watch..with stories. b-) Who else could say that a guy from Normand France (who I have never met) convinced me to buy this cool homage....


:-d



> Thanks Reno, now I have to wait for the sellers to come back so I can get the Mil-gauss homage.....o|


Oooooooh, you're gonna _love_ this one too ;-)


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## corn cob kid

Reno said:


> Excellent ! :-! Glad you like the watch, Kid


It is Soooo sweet. The last 24 hours...it gained 3 seconds. :-! (which is luck I know)



Reno said:


> There were pics, at the end of my message ! ;-)


I must have been confused with another thread...sorry. :-s



Reno said:


> Oooooooh, you're gonna _love_ this one too ;-)


No, I will hate it, really hate it. (If I keep saying that, will the urge go way :think


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## Reno

corn cob kid said:


> It is Soooo sweet. The last 24 hours...it gained 3 seconds. :-! *(which is luck I know)*


All my <30$ watches keep excellent time&#8230; actually, I'm still waiting for a watch (whatever its price) gaining more than a minute a day :think:



> No, I will hate it, really hate it. (*If I keep saying that, will the urge go way* :think


:-d

No, I'm afraid it won't :-x


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## fatehbajwa

That MilGauss looks good.....where can I buy that ?


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## Reno

fatehbajwa said:


> That MilGauss looks good.....where can I buy that ?


PM sent


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## Se7enDSe7en

Got my *STEEL BAGELSPORT* :-d Submariner style today.. I expect to give it a brief review in a few days.


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## corn cob kid

I look forward to hearing how it is. Looks rather good.... Invicta better watch out!

(just kidding folks!)



Se7enDSe7en said:


> Got my *STEEL BAGELSPORT* :-d Submariner style today.. I expect to give it a brief review in a few days.


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## RedneckVostokGuy

Se7enDSe7en said:


> Got my *STEEL BAGELSPORT* :-d Submariner style today.. I expect to give it a brief review in a few days.


You know, I was thinking of picking up one of these to play with. Lemme know what you think of it!


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## sdibler

I was persuaded to order one of these beautiful Bagelsports by all of the pictures and positive reviews. My watch arrived earlier this week, and I'm wondering if I got a dud. The watch face visibly wiggles when I hand wind it. Also, the watch randomly stops when the crown is screwed down. It will only keep running if I let the crown in the unscrewed position. Is this normal operation for this bargain watch, or should I look into a return?

Thanks,
Steve


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## oldskoolboarder

Where do I buy one of these Bagelsports? Couldn't find any on ebay.


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## RedneckVostokGuy

sdibler said:


> I was persuaded to order one of these beautiful Bagelsports by all of the pictures and positive reviews. My watch arrived earlier this week, and I'm wondering if I got a dud. The watch face visibly wiggles when I hand wind it. Also, the watch randomly stops when the crown is screwed down. It will only keep running if I let the crown in the unscrewed position. Is this normal operation for this bargain watch, or should I look into a return?
> 
> Thanks,
> Steve


I think you got a dud, but with the simple fact of how much it would cost to send it back for an exchange, you're probably better off just buying a new one. You can always save the dud one and use it later on should you decide to try your hand at watch repair.


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## RedneckVostokGuy

oldskoolboarder said:


> Where do I buy one of these Bagelsports? Couldn't find any on ebay.


Try this one; I purchased my Bagelsport MILGAUSS from him, and he seems to have a pretty decent selection.

Mens Watches, BEST Summer Swimming Watches items in WATCH VS TIME store on eBay!


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## corn cob kid

The one I received has no problems. Sounds like you got a dud. Have you opened it to look? It kinda sounds like the movement holder may be missing or not seated correctly (purely a guess on my part). I'd contact the seller to see what you can work out.



sdibler said:


> I was persuaded to order one of these beautiful Bagelsports by all of the pictures and positive reviews. My watch arrived earlier this week, and I'm wondering if I got a dud. The watch face visibly wiggles when I hand wind it. Also, the watch randomly stops when the crown is screwed down. It will only keep running if I let the crown in the unscrewed position. Is this normal operation for this bargain watch, or should I look into a return?
> 
> Thanks,
> Steve


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## sdibler

Thanks for the feedback. I assumed it was defective, but I wanted to confirm.

I contacted the seller. Limited English communications are challenging. He suggested I change the battery. :-( I'll have to wait until after the New Year's celebration is over to continue pursuing the exchange.


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## Quint1980

I also have a Bagelsport Explo II Homage in the mail which I ordered after reading Reno's review. It looked really good. I f I like it I might order the Submariner too. I'm fairly new to the world of watches and I have found that these inexpensive Chinese watches are a good way for newbies like me to discover their taste by trying out a variety o different styles. Up till now I have been pleasently surprised by the quality of these watches for the money but most of the time they need a direct replacement of the band or straps since there is always something wrong or too cheap about them...

*Se7enDSe7en: *I'm curious to know your opinion on the Submariner. Is the band worth keeping on or did you replace it with a nato strap already?


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## Se7enDSe7en

Quint1980 said:


> *Se7enDSe7en: *I'm curious to know your opinion on the Submariner. Is the band worth keeping on or did you replace it with a nato strap already?


As a whole, it's not terrible for $30. I will say that it sparked my interest on how much watch you can get for the money, so much so that I ordered a $15 Soki brand sub from eBay. I'm going to post a more in depth review of the Bagel in a few days, but in the meantime I'll tell you about the metal band..

It would have probably been fine for someone with bigger wrists.. The main problem for me is that a screw holding one of the links in was stripped, the screw would turn, just not come out. In order for the band to fit, I had to take out an end link.. Im not sure what the proper name of it is, but it's this one..










So, currently, the attached band looks like this..










With this piece out, the clasp kind of digs into my wrist, and it doesn't seem too secure, so currently I have it on a Nato.

Other than the sizing issue, my biggest gripe with the band is the clasp. It seems pretty thin and easily deformable. The links are solid, but the spacing between the links aren't uniform... Not something you'd notice from a normal distance, but up close, you can tell. I don't have a picture of what I'm trying to describe yet, but I will in the full review.


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## Quint1980

Thanks! I'm looking forward to your full review.


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## Se7enDSe7en

full review is up


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## Tsar Bomba

Looks like that $30 is now running around $100...


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## billatq

I bought one of these the other day for $32 shipped, and noticed that the seller increased the price after the fact. I suspect they're doing that so that when people look at the completed listings, they think that people paid $80 for them instead of $30.

Sadly, after a few hours of use, my secondhand started stoping at the 50s mark and it stops ticking. I can get it going for a while again by shaking it, but I'm wondering if something's messed up with the internal spring. When I wind it, it never gets tight. Is it supposed to be loose?


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## Reno

billatq said:


> When I wind it, it never gets tight. Is it supposed to be loose?


Well, it's an automatic watch, not a _manual wind_, so the crown won't 'stop' (don't know if that's what you mean) :think:

So yes, in this regard, it's normal.


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## Triton9

Se7enDSe7en said:


> As a whole, it's not terrible for $30. I will say that it sparked my interest on how much watch you can get for the money, so much so that I ordered a $15 Soki brand sub from eBay. I'm going to post a more in depth review of the Bagel in a few days, but in the meantime I'll tell you about the metal band..
> 
> It would have probably been fine for someone with bigger wrists.. The main problem for me is that a screw holding one of the links in was stripped, the screw would turn, just not come out. In order for the band to fit, I had to take out an end link.. Im not sure what the proper name of it is, but it's this one..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So, currently, the attached band looks like this..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> With this piece out, the clasp kind of digs into my wrist, and it doesn't seem too secure, so currently I have it on a Nato.
> 
> Other than the sizing issue, my biggest gripe with the band is the clasp. It seems pretty thin and easily deformable. The links are solid, but the spacing between the links aren't uniform... Not something you'd notice from a normal distance, but up close, you can tell. I don't have a picture of what I'm trying to describe yet, but I will in the full review.


Hi Bro,

How is the Soki sub? I have order one for less than $15 bucks plus shipping.. Is the case plated or real SS. I plan to mod this watch but it can't be too shabby,right?


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## billatq

Reno said:


> Well, it's an automatic watch, not a _manual wind_, so the crown won't 'stop' (don't know if that's what you mean) :think:
> 
> So yes, in this regard, it's normal.


That makes sense, though I'm guessing the second hand being stuck at the 50s mark and stopping the watch isn't normal. I have no clue how I'd fix it other than returning it, sadly. I'm guessing that the build quality of these watches is usually a bit better than that?


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## Reno

billatq said:


> That makes sense, though I'm guessing the second hand being stuck at the 50s mark and stopping the watch isn't normal. I have no clue how I'd fix it other than returning it, sadly. I'm guessing that the build quality of these watches is usually a bit better than that?


Well, let's put it this way : if there are QC flaws on > 3000€ watches, you can reasonably expect to meet some on < 50$ ones ;-)

Lucky me, all my _ultra cheap purchases_ have been working perfectly fine til now ; but honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to receive a malfunctioning watch from time to time ;-) (that doesn't mean I wouldn't be pissed :-| ) but I've read sellers generally agree to exchange a malfunctioning product.

Regarding the 50sec stuck second hand&#8230; if you feel brave enough to open the watch, you may want to check if one the hands (most likely the minute hand) isn't *bent*, hence is blocking the second hand. It's pretty hard to notice just by looking behind the cristal.


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## Scotes

Reno said:


> The Rolex Explorer 2 is *not* a GMT watch.


Just to correct an earlier post - the Rolex Exp II is indeed a GMT watch and uses the same movement as the Rolex GMT Master II the 3185/3186. The Rolex movement, and the Omega GMT and IWC Spitfire UTC movements, function with a quickset 12 hour hand as opposed to a quickset 24 hour hand - this is typically better for travelers as the GMT hand can be used to track home time and the quickset 12 hour hand can be adjusted for local time. The only difference between the Exp II and the GMT M II is the rotating bezel on the GMT M II that can be used to track a third time zone.


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## Quint1980

My first bad experience with a cheap Chinese mechanical is finally here! I guess I had to run out of luck some time, haha.

I puchase the Explo II Bagel from the bay and first it did not arrive at all. After 30 days I contacted the seller and he said it was probably lost in the Chinese New Years peak which sounded acceptable enough. He apologised a thousand times and offered me the choice of a refund or reship. I choose the latter and today it finally arrived...another 2 weeks later.


The first thing I noticed when i unpacked the watch was it wasn't running, nor did it start running when I shook the watch which is weird for an automatic. I decided to wind it and see what happened. when I pushed the crown back in it started running...but unfortunately the second hand came to a stop between the 7 and 8 markings. No matter what I tried it keeps getting stuck on the same spot. First I thought the hands gor tangeled up due to poor installment but the position of the hour and minute markers do not seem to effect it, the second hand always stops in the same spot and when I pull the crown back out and start winding it will gradually move through the "difficult" area and then start running again...until it reaches the spot between 7 and 8.......


I was kinda disappointed because I have to say the watch (excluding the bracelet) looks pretty decent as Reno already said before and it does look really cool on a NATO.


I contacted the seller and he apologised a thousand times and made the unrealistic suggestion for me to take it to a local watch repair shop and he will refund the cost. I guess he doesn't realise that our labor cost are a bit different in EUrope and to have a watch maker look at it would probably even be more expensive then buying a new watch.

I guess this is a lost one...


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## Martin_B

Too bad, but as you say, this is the risk we take by buying these fun/cheap watches.
You could always tell the guy that you had it fixed for $30 (or whatever you paid for the watch), and have him refund it


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## Triton9

Quint1980 said:


> My first bad experience with a cheap Chinese mechanical is finally here! I guess I had to run out of luck some time, haha.
> 
> I puchase the Explo II Bagel from the bay and first it did not arrive at all. After 30 days I contacted the seller and he said it was probably lost in the Chinese New Years peak which sounded acceptable enough. He apologised a thousand times and offered me the choice of a refund or reship. I choose the latter and today it finally arrived...another 2 weeks later.
> 
> The first thing I noticed when i unpacked the watch was it wasn't running, nor did it start running when I shook the watch which is weird for an automatic. I decided to wind it and see what happened. when I pushed the crown back in it started running...but unfortunately the second hand came to a stop between the 7 and 8 markings. No matter what I tried it keeps getting stuck on the same spot. First I thought the hands gor tangeled up due to poor installment but the position of the hour and minute markers do not seem to effect it, the second hand always stops in the same spot and when I pull the crown back out and start winding it will gradually move through the "difficult" area and then start running again...until it reaches the spot between 7 and 8.......
> 
> I was kinda disappointed because I have to say the watch (excluding the bracelet) looks pretty decent as Reno already said before and it does look really cool on a NATO.
> 
> I contacted the seller and he apologised a thousand times and made the unrealistic suggestion for me to take it to a local watch repair shop and he will refund the cost. I guess he doesn't realise that our labor cost are a bit different in EUrope and to have a watch maker look at it would probably even be more expensive then buying a new watch.
> 
> I guess this is a lost one...


Sorry to hear that.. But think about it, after all its only 30 bucks. That is the magic of Chinese watch. LOL...

If you want to try Chinese watch again. You can get the alpha sub. I believe they are more reputable. At least they are a decent set up company online. Still has a reputation to protect. I believe their QC is much much better than mushroom brand of bagelsport.

I bought an alpha grenade watch. Running perfectly after few months. Still work great now. And it doesn't cost a bomb compare to other brand of automatic watch.

By the way, I order a Soki sub which cost even less, $14 but its not here yet. I intend to use for a mod project. If it doesn't work, it just cost me $14 bucks but I have a standby movement. So it will sure work.. :-d


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## Reno

Quint1980 said:


> My first bad experience with a cheap Chinese mechanical is finally here! I guess I had to run out of luck some time, haha.
> 
> I puchase the Explo II Bagel from the bay and first it did not arrive at all. After 30 days I contacted the seller and he said it was probably lost in the Chinese New Years peak which sounded acceptable enough. He apologised a thousand times and offered me the choice of a refund or reship. I choose the latter and today it finally arrived...another 2 weeks later.
> 
> The first thing I noticed when i unpacked the watch was it wasn't running, nor did it start running when I shook the watch which is weird for an automatic. I decided to wind it and see what happened. when I pushed the crown back in it started running...but unfortunately the second hand came to a stop between the 7 and 8 markings. No matter what I tried it keeps getting stuck on the same spot. First I thought the hands gor tangeled up due to poor installment but the position of the hour and minute markers do not seem to effect it, the second hand always stops in the same spot and when I pull the crown back out and start winding it will gradually move through the "difficult" area and then start running again...until it reaches the spot between 7 and 8.......
> 
> I was kinda disappointed because I have to say the watch (excluding the bracelet) looks pretty decent as Reno already said before and it does look really cool on a NATO.
> 
> I contacted the seller and he apologised a thousand times and made the unrealistic suggestion for me to take it to a local watch repair shop and he will refund the cost. I guess he doesn't realise that our labor cost are a bit different in EUrope and to have a watch maker look at it would probably even be more expensive then buying a new watch.
> 
> I guess this is a lost one...


Quint1980, first, sorry for the bad experience(s) :-(

Second, I encourage you to open the watch, remove the stem, take the movement off the case, and just look *if the minute hand is not bent.

*It's really nothing to do if you have a basic horological kit :-!

Most likely, if you just bend the hand as it should be, the second hand shouldn't stop anymore |>


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## Quint1980

Reno said:


> I encourage you to open the watch, remove the stem, take the movement off the case, and just look *if the minute hand is not bent.
> 
> *It's really nothing to do if you have a basic horological kit :-!


Reno, thanks for your reply and suggestion. I happen have a set like that but have never actually opened a watch. From the outside the second hand looks fine but I might just give it a go as I have nothing to lose.

Maybe you can help me out here in some more detail. How would you open a case of this type since it is not the type of scew down case that you would open with the standard watch opener tool? Second, how would I remove the stem, or should this be obvious once I have the case open? Maybe I am asking the obvious but like I said I have no experience in opening a watch at all. 

Thanks!
Quint


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## Triton9

Quint1980 said:


> Reno, thanks for your reply and suggestion. I happen have a set like that but have never actually opened a watch. From the outside the second hand looks fine but I might just give it a go as I have nothing to lose.
> 
> Maybe you can help me out here in some more detail. How would you open a case of this type since it is not the type of scew down case that you would open with the standard watch opener tool? Second, how would I remove the stem, or should this be obvious once I have the case open? Maybe I am asking the obvious but like I said I have no experience in opening a watch at all.
> 
> Thanks!
> Quint


You need a Burgeon set to open oyster backcase... But seems it might be a lose homage, chances are they will not screw the backcase that tight. Get a cheap backcase ball and may do the trick. As for hands removing , you need a special hands remover pryer.

But I never has that equipment. I get a $0.50 penknife and pry it out. Slowly twist it out.


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## Reno

Quint1980 said:


> Reno, thanks for your reply and suggestion. I happen have a set like that but have never actually opened a watch. From the outside the second hand looks fine but I might just give it a go as I have nothing to lose.
> 
> Maybe you can help me out here in some more detail. How would you open a case of this type since it is not the type of scew down case that you would open with the standard watch opener tool? Second, how would I remove the stem, or should this be obvious once I have the case open? Maybe I am asking the obvious but like I said I have no experience in opening a watch at all.
> 
> Thanks!
> Quint


As Triton said, use a squash ball (or any rubber ball or even dish gloves) to open the caseback.










Remove the spacer, then press this little button to remove the stem. It's simple as that.

Then you can flip the watch (keep on hand under the watch to catch the movement+dial ;-) ).

Check the 3 hands to see if they're not bent.

If it so, which is very likely, just push _lightly_ on the faulty hand's extremity, til it's on the right position :-!


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## Quint1980

Thanks for the help! I will try this later tonight and let you know the outcome! Fingers crossed ;-)


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## Quint1980

I just opened up the watch and bent the second hand slightly down as Reno suggested. Also there was a molding blur on the plastic ring surrounding the movement that seemed to push the movement into a bad position I cut off the tiny piece of excessive plastic and put everything back together again.... and....

Its ticking away again...twice normal speed unfortunately...lol


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## Quint1980

Update: it now randomly stops too...when I pick it up it starts moving again sometimes...

I guess this one is history. :-D


----------



## Martin_B

Probably junk in the movement, that made the watch stop and got caught up in the hairspring making it faster. You could try to blow it out with some compressed air.


----------



## Se7enDSe7en

Triton9 said:


> Hi Bro,
> 
> How is the Soki sub? I have order one for less than $15 bucks plus shipping.. Is the case plated or real SS. I plan to mod this watch but it can't be too shabby,right?


Hey man, sorry, i havent been on the forum in the last couple of weeks.. The Soki I believe is plated, not real SS. The bracelet is the worst part of the watch: folded links... that you cant even take out! No lume whatsoever, and the date magnifier is a joke. Other than that, it's just ok.


----------



## Triton9

Se7enDSe7en said:


> Hey man, sorry, i havent been on the forum in the last couple of weeks.. The Soki I believe is plated, not real SS. The bracelet is the worst part of the watch: folded links... that you cant even take out! No lume whatsoever, and the date magnifier is a joke. Other than that, it's just ok.


Hi thanks for the info, sad to hear that it's not SS case , shall have bought the bagalsport one although it cost twice but 316L sure will be more lasting.


----------



## Quint1980

The case of the bagel is actually pretty good quality. Solid SS as far as I can judge. The case and hands alone are probably worth the price if you are going to mod it. I'm not sure about the bezel on the sub homage though.

The seller of my Explo II homage is sending me a new watch...for the second time! Talk about good customer service. I will just keep this one for parts...or who knows maybe I will get creative and start a little modding project of my own. Thanks to you guys I had my first watch tear down experience ;-) Wasn't that hard. Maybe I will just practice taking out the hands and dial from the movement and putting it back together...


----------



## corn cob kid

This would be the perfect watch to thinker with! Go for it! You should spend a few bucks and get a hand puller and maybe a hand setter of ebay....



Quint1980 said:


> The case of the bagel is actually pretty good quality. Solid SS as far as I can judge. The case and hands alone are probably worth the price if you are going to mod it. I'm not sure about the bezel on the sub homage though.
> 
> The seller of my Explo II homage is sending me a new watch...for the second time! Talk about good customer service. I will just keep this one for parts...or who knows maybe I will get creative and start a little modding project of my own. Thanks to you guys I had my first watch tear down experience ;-) Wasn't that hard. Maybe I will just practice taking out the hands and dial from the movement and putting it back together...


Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


----------



## Greggy

Just bought mine! I will let everyone know how it is in a couple weeks when I receive it!

Greg


----------



## Quint1980

I received my second Bagel Explorer II yesterday. This one was actually running! ;-) There where a couple of other issues with it though. First the 24h markings on the bezel looked like they where painted on by someone that was drunk. Then there was the same issue Reno had with the crown not being able to screw back on because of an inproperly installed rubber ring inside the crown. Also the end lugs fitting on this watch was horrendous...the previous one was actually fitted pretty good compared to this one. Oh yeah, they forgot to brush one side of the case between the lugs, it looked really nasty and gritty.:roll:

To make a long story short: I took the best (and working)parts of the 2 watches and swapped the bracelet for a nato strap and now I have one working an actually pretty good looking watch! :-!

Hobbies are supposed to keep you busy right? ;-)


----------



## Undisclosed

What's the source of these Bagelsport offerings?


----------



## corn cob kid

Mostly from Ebay, they are a bit hard to find but they are there. Try this search string...

*Luxury Mens GMT Dual Time Zone S/Steel Date Automatic 
*


Undisclosed said:


> What's the source of these Bagelsport offerings?


----------



## Triton9

Hi guys,

I'm too join on the bagelsport watch bandwagon. It a step up from Soki, although its twice expensive at $30 but it has a quality finish on the casing(real 316L and weight heavier). Bracelet is better than Soki but is not good enough. I had a hard time adjust the bracelet and I threw it away and replace with Nato strap.

I used this blue watch for a mod project, replace dial with another after market snowflake and paint the second hand red. I will prefer a dial with marking and brand. Looks more professsional than the brand less dial. everything relume with super luminova. Now, it has more personality. The blue is really attractive.


----------



## Quint1980

That looks really good, nice job!

Mine last one has been running really accurately for the last couple of days!


----------



## corn cob kid

Very nice mod. Can I ask where you got that dial? I keep looking for souces for a mod project and likeyou I prefer the dial with logo.



Triton9 said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> I'm too join on the bagelsport watch bandwagon. It a step up from Soki, although its twice expensive at $30 but it has a quality finish on the casing(real 316L and weight heavier). Bracelet is better than Soki but is not good enough. I had a hard time adjust the bracelet and I threw it away and replace with Nato strap.
> 
> I used this blue watch for a mod project, replace dial with another after market snowflake and paint the second hand red. I will prefer a dial with marking and brand. Looks more professsional than the brand less dial. everything relume with super luminova. Now, it has more personality. The blue is really attractive.
> 
> View attachment 660953
> 
> 
> View attachment 660954
> 
> 
> View attachment 660955


----------



## Triton9

corn cob kid said:


> Very nice mod. Can I ask where you got that dial? I keep looking for souces for a mod project and likeyou I prefer the dial with logo.


Thanks for the compliement.

I bought from ebay seller onlinestorehk. But his is only snowflake, no seamaster or Rolex style dial.


----------



## Greggy

Greggy said:


> Just bought mine! I will let everyone know how it is in a couple weeks when I receive it!
> 
> Greg


Got mine in the mail Saturday evening. Right now, a touch less than 2 days later, it's running 8 seconds slow. Obviously, so far mine is running well. I like the bracelet. I think it's decent quality on the watch although as mentioned in the original post, the links don't line up with the case flawlessly. I will try to tinker and see if I can get it close. The lume on the watch isn't great. On par with the MQJ sub. The bezel is slighly off. The 24 resides more right of the 12 position rather than dead center. The cyclops is straight to my eyes. The GMT had lags behind, I've found. It runs about 15-30 minutes slow. The good things are that it looks stunning. The dial is excellent quality and the black hands really pop. It's certainly far exceeds it's price in the looks department. Overall, I would buy another of these in a second. For 30 something bucks shipped, the flaws it has can likely be expected.














Excuse the fur... I'm coming out of hibernation

Greg


----------



## Triton9

Congrats. For $30 bucks, you got. You got nothing to lose. But if u gain it will be much more.


----------



## dcdude

I've got a Bagel black Sub on order. I'm seriously considering the Explorer II version as well, but I'm a bit concerned about the failure rate. To me, the obvious choice would be to spend the extra $45 and get an Alpha MA1019G-PNP-WHITE: http://www.alpha-watch.com/details.php?myid=13

Problem is, the Bagel looks better. More "Rolex-like," with the black outlined hands rather than the Alpha's lume hands. And it's less than half the price. I don't really care if the bracelet or clasp is better, as I'd probably "NATO" either one. Does the Alpha have a Sea-Gull movement or Miyota or something else that makes it worth the difference?

Any other models to consider from Tao or Parnis, for example? I haven't seen Explorer II homages from them.


----------



## corn cob kid

dcdude said:


> I've got a Bagel black Sub on order. I'm seriously considering the Explorer II version as well, but I'm a bit concerned about the failure rate. To me, the obvious choice would be to spend the extra $45 and get an Alpha MA1019G-PNP-WHITE: http://www.alpha-watch.com/details.php?myid=13
> 
> Problem is, the Bagel looks better. More "Rolex-like," with the black outlined hands rather than the Alpha's lume hands. And it's less than half the price. I don't really care if the bracelet or clasp is better, as I'd probably "NATO" either one. Does the Alpha have a Sea-Gull movement or Miyota or something else that makes it worth the difference?
> 
> Any other models to consider from Tao or Parnis, for example? I haven't seen Explorer II homages from them.


I confident it is not a Seagull movement, probably a "generic" DG/ST in the Alpha. But likely better than the Bagel. The kicker for me was the Alpha is 44mm which does not really work for me in this style.


----------



## dcdude

corn cob kid said:


> I confident it is not a Seagull movement, probably a "generic" DG/ST in the Alpha. But likely better than the Bagel. The kicker for me was the Alpha is 44mm which does not really work for me in this style.


Great point. I'm holding off on the Alpha. I would like to see a white dial Steinhard GMT, which is way out of budget for this discussion...


----------



## rpstrimple

Well, just pulled the trigger on the Explorer II homage by Bagelsport! After about two hours of researching and comparing with the milgauss...my decision is made. Thought I'd post this here 'cause reno sold me on it haha. Can't wait to get it. They are on "sale" at the bay, by the way, just in case you need another...:-d


----------



## ribra

Thanks for the information here guys. I just pulled the trigger on one of those "Bagelsport" Explorer II homages. Would any of you guys who owns one of these things mind throwing up a Youtube video review of some sort? I Just want to see the watch running a bit.


----------



## slowcoach

My second Bagelsport Explo ll arrived DOA, won't wind, it had a perfectly fitting bracelet and the crown screwed down really easily. Bummer! o|
Sorting out the replacement as we speak.....


----------



## ribra

slowcoach said:


> My second Bagelsport Explo ll arrived DOA, won't wind, it had a perfectly fitting bracelet and the crown screwed down really easily. Bummer! o|
> Sorting out the replacement as we speak.....


Let us know how that goes. You scored one from eBay I assume?


----------



## slowcoach

ribra said:


> Let us know how that goes. You scored one from eBay I assume?


 Yes I ordered it from the usual source on eBay, dengjun2010.
He was very quick responding, the replacement will be sent off to me tomorrow.

I wanted to keep the dead watch rather than send it back. 
He asked me what I wanted to do, I thought it fair if we both lost out a little and he agreed. I would have held onto it to use as future spare parts anyway, one of the benefits of buying cheap watches.


----------



## m0rt

Just wanted to add that the Alpha is actually not 44mm, but rather 39-40mm. They are not entirely truthful on their site, to your benefit.


----------



## CheapThrills

m0rt said:


> Just wanted to add that the Alpha is actually not 44mm, but rather 39-40mm. They are not entirely truthful on their site, to your benefit.


Is that 44mm supposed to be the measurement from lug to lug?


----------



## slowcoach

A couple of friends expressed their desire to acquire their own cheap Chinese watches after seeing mine, as neither had a PayPal account I said I would order them on their behalf.
One wanted the Bagelsport Explo ll and the other friend wanted the Bagelsport plus the SOKI.
After explaining the possible pitfalls of buying from the other side of the World together with the obvious benefits of more choice and lower prices they both decided they wanted me to go ahead and place the order.

Both packages arrived together yesterday, the Bagelsport's took three days longer than normal which gave the SOKI a chance to catch them up in the mail.
All watches arrived running.
I opened the SOKI package first, not expecting any problems based on my previous purchase experience.

Taking the SOKI out of it's box the bracelet let go of one of the lugs, I also noticed that the crown was not screwed down. Screwing the crown down took a lot of effort but once it had seated once it subsequently became much easier to screw down. Attaching the bracelet took some fiddling until I got the knack. One down, two to go....

A quick glance of the Bagelsports and everything appeared OK, both crowns were screwed down and the bracelets fitted to the cases perfectly. After setting the time and date both crowns screwed back down very smoothly with very little effort required.

After running them on the winder for almost a day all watches appear to be keeping good time so far.
I am quite sure that neither of my friends have 10" wrists so I will have to remove some links from the Bagelsport bracelets when they come round to collect the watches later today. :-d

Altogether quite an enjoyable purchasing experience this time, I am looking forward to my own Bagelsport Explo ll replacement arriving now with a little more confidence.







Update:
The watches have now gone to their rightful homes, both of my friends were really pleased with their new toys. 
As expected I had to resize both of the Bagelsport bracelets and thankfully I had no problems with stripped link screws so the job only took a few minutes.

What is it about the Bagelsport's, I felt a sense of loss as they flew the nest yet I didn't give a second thought about the SOKI leaving with them.


----------



## rpstrimple

Well, after ten days of anticipation, my Explo II homage is here!!! I was nervous at first because recently the posts here have contained "DOA" in them. But I was very happy to see mine running out of the packaging. So lets hope it stays running! So here are some thoughts on this watch: 

1) My bracelet lines up nicely with the case, (I was surprised from what I've read) 
2) The crown screws down without any problem, just takes a couple of tries to line the threads up. 
3) The F&F pleasantly surprised me. 
4) The winding via crown sounds kind of rough. 
5) The rotor is SUPER loose, causing it to spin with the slightest movement. 
6) The springbars are cheap and bend very easily. (may want to swap them out in future) 
7) The 24hr bezel lines up pretty well, but is off at the 6 o'clock position. 
8) Cyclops is worthless (isn't it always?) 
9) Clasp on bracelet is sort of annoying, diver's extension?
10) The lume dot at the 8 o'clock position is off-center. 
11) You need a small flathead screwdriver to size the bracelet! (forgot to add this the first time) 
12) Opened her up, movement looks nice a smooth, we'll see about binding/timing/life span (will stop momentarily if hit too hard.) 

Overall, VERY nice watch. Ten day shipping from China? Can't beat that for nearly $34. I will give an update on the lume when it's dark. Very nice piece, goes well with the 100 degree heat we're having


----------



## demag

100 degree heat?!! We are having floods and thunderstorms! Glad you like the Explo II, I have one on my wanted list.


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## slowcoach

I'm sure the “will it/won't it” when opening the package adds to the excitement. :-d


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## rpstrimple

@slowcoach-I think it does haha, I was worried until I saw the second hand ticking through the bubble wrap. Then I could breathe!


----------



## buddyx7

@rpstrimple - My experience with the bagel explo II is identical to yours, except the clasp on mine was really badly finished. Had sharp edges that had to be sanded down to wear. I've had mine a few months and it's been accurate, no binding or jumping like the bagel milgauss posts. 

I have not opened mine. Did it have an o-ring? I'm wondering how water resistant they are, if at all. I haven't had the guts to put mine under water.

I hear you on the heat wave. It's hotter than the blue blazes of hell in Atlanta today!


----------



## m0rt

CheapThrills said:


> Is that 44mm supposed to be the measurement from lug to lug?


I tried to ask Alpha that, but they stopped e-mailing me. Story here.


----------



## buddyx7

@m0rt - Are you saying the Alpha Explo II is actually 40mm or less? That my main sticking point with buying one. I thought it would be over 40mm.

The reason I ask is your link referenced the Daytona.


----------



## slowcoach

buddyx7 said:


> @rpstrimple - My experience with the bagel explo II is identical to yours, except the clasp on mine was really badly finished. Had sharp edges that had to be sanded down to wear. I've had mine a few months and it's been accurate, no binding or jumping like the bagel milgauss posts.
> 
> I have not opened mine. Did it have an o-ring? I'm wondering how water resistant they are, if at all. I haven't had the guts to put mine under water.
> 
> I hear you on the heat wave. It's hotter than the blue blazes of hell in Atlanta today!


The Bagelsport Explo ll does indeed have an 'O' Ring sealing the screw back.


----------



## dcdude

m0rt said:


> I tried to ask Alpha that, but they stopped e-mailing me. Story here.


So by your measurements, the Alpha case is about 38mm, excluding crown?


----------



## rpstrimple

@buddyx7: slowcoach is correct, it does have an o-ring. After wearing it for 24hrs, mine is about -2sec. That's with winding it about 15 times this morning and just daily wear. I don't plan on getting this one wet, I may invest in another one to "experiment" with. (I want to see if the cyclops is easily removed as well as WR). My case back wasn't tight at all, so if you plan to get it wet, crank that baby down for sure. But with all this rain we're not having here, it shouldn't be an issue haha. 

Also some general info for potential buyers: Only the hands are lumed, the indicies are not on mine.


----------



## rpstrimple

Here's a couple pics of mine if anyone is interested:


----------



## m0rt

buddyx7 said:


> @m0rt - Are you saying the Alpha Explo II is actually 40mm or less? That my main sticking point with buying one. I thought it would be over 40mm.
> 
> The reason I ask is your link referenced the Daytona.


The Alpha Explo II is the same size as the Daytona, as most of Alphas watches. They say they are 44mm, but they are not. I've been thinking about a Explo as well, and really tried to look it up in different forums. Everywhere people say how large their Alphas are, it is 40mm, and sometimes 39mm.


----------



## m0rt

dcdude said:


> So by your measurements, the Alpha case is about 38mm, excluding crown?


Yes, 38.5mm if I measure correctly.


----------



## Dave Van den Eynde

I got one off eBay, and after finding out that the minute hand was bent enough that it caught the second hand I emailed and got a replacement deal for the "cost of shipping".

The replacement didn't wind and didn't run, so I gave up on them and used the bracelet pieces of the two Explo's to make one decent bracelet for the Bagelsport sub homnage that I first bought that runs pretty well but had a crap bracelet. 

Now I wear a second hand Hamilton with a Swiss movement and that
is a whole different experience and the Explo's are in a parts and the Sub I wore for painting the house.

I don't think the standard Chinese GMT movement is worth a damn, but the DG2813 is a lot better. I bet the 2824 clones are even better, but I don't own one.


----------



## slowcoach

While waiting for my Bagelsport Explo ll replacement to arrive I was passing time looking on eBay at watch straps when a rubber diver caught my eye, I have never owned a rubber strap so I started to imagine what it would look like on the Bagelsport. The strap was only £5 so yesterday I ordered one and today it dropped silently through the letter box.









The first thing I noticed was that the watch actually looked bigger on my wrist than it did when it had the original steel bracelet or a leather strap fitted.

















Personally, I think the rubber strap suits the Explo ll quite well, better than I thought it would look actually, you may beg to differ.... ;-)


----------



## ribra

My Explo ii just came in. Unfortunately, it is as I feared - the bracelet is pure trash. Does anyone know the lug width of this thing? I'm thinking of just throwing a nato strap on it.


----------



## slowcoach

ribra said:


> My Explo ii just came in. Unfortunately, it is as I feared - the bracelet is pure trash. Does anyone know the lug width of this thing? I'm thinking of just throwing a nato strap on it.


20 mm


----------



## dcdude

ribra said:


> My Explo ii just came in. Unfortunately, it is as I feared - the bracelet is pure trash. Does anyone know the lug width of this thing? I'm thinking of just throwing a nato strap on it.


Be sure to show us what you decide on. Black seems so boring to me, but maybe that's your plan, in which case it will look great!


----------



## Torsten

Dave Van den Eynde said:


> I don't think the standard Chinese GMT movement is worth a damn, but the DG2813 is a lot better. I bet the 2824 clones are even better, but I don't own one.


I would agree. My Alpha GMT with the Shanghai "B" movement died a rather quick death. My DG 3804B GMT in an ebay mushroom brand that I got for US$20 still runs very well within a few seconds a day. If I was ever to build or mod a GMT and had to look for a movement I would pick the DG 3804B in a flash. I mate of mine has had one for ten years in a fake (which is wrong) and you simply can't seem to kill it.


----------



## corn cob kid

dcdude said:


> Be sure to show us what you decide on. Black seems so boring to me, but maybe that's your plan, in which case it will look great!


One of the cool things about this watch is its versatility with Nato Bands. Black works (I have tried both leather and nylon), but just about any combo works. I have tried a Red/White/Blue, Khaki, White, Skunk, Black & Red and they all worked. I have a couple of different brown nato's and they all work as well. Makes for a very flexible look!


----------



## slowcoach

My replacement Bagelsport Explo II arrived yesterday all working perfectly (original replaced because it would not wind).
Today a President bracelet arrived for the Bagelsport from Alpha, really well packaged. I opened the envelope and got into the bubble wrap, I suddenly thought 'This feels very light for a S/S bracelet', anyway, I searched through all the poly chips and found, not a bracelet but a see through screw on back item #110900894114 nothing whatsoever like the item number of the bracelet I ordered, so.... as I am preferring to use a rubber band I thought I would see if the back fitted the Bagelsport and it did, I will keep the new back and remember not to order anything from Alpha in the future.
I don't know what model Alpha the back is for due to the fact that Alpha don't appear to list descriptions and item #'s together anywhere so all I have is the item # above as written on the plastic bag.
And here it is, fitted to my dead Bagelsport showing the exotic mechanics in all their glory. ;-)


----------



## Les Wright

I am waiting on one of these, and a couple of other Bagels (Yachtmaster, Sub). My first Bagel, just arrived, is a two-tone Day-Date. It has the exact same non-flush end-link issue the OP here reports, but the fit is not severely bad and I can live with it. I have small wrists but the bracelet was not hard to resize--had to remove 4 of the 5 screwed links. See my recently started thread if interested in my very early experiences. Really looking forward to the rest in the series. Also on the lookout for a nice Bagel Daytona.

Les


----------



## Kevg

Just to add a little encouragement this is one of the early Bagel Daytona now about 3 years old and still running strong at about + 3 sec a day, never had the back off as it's never failed in any way.










The MQJ bought about the same time still going at about the same 3 sec a day, only fault crown won't screw down now and that's only happened in the last couple of weeks. When it did I swam in the ocean with it just to see like and it was fine (try it at your own risk I don't endorse it).










Kev


----------



## Les Wright

Kev, your black-face Daytona looks lovely. I am expecting a white-face any day now. My only criticism of the Bagel Daytona is that it is the only one in the series that isn't a completely faithful homage (the mini-dials and tourbillon buttons have day-date functions only), but I suspect that it is just not cost effective to produce a true mechanical chronograph on the cheap.

Your MQJ looks great. I have a Bagel Sub, and aside from a stripped bracelet screw, discussed at nauseum in another thread, I am delighted with mine.

I have gone a little hog-wild with the Bagels. So far I have two-tone Day-Date (two, actually, due to a shipping error) and a Sub. I am expecting a Yachtmaster, Milgauss, Daytona, and Explo II. That's a lot of homage watch power for well under $200  I have spent a lot more money in the past on much dumber things. This is a great hobby!

Les


----------



## Kevg

Les Wright said:


> Kev, your black-face Daytona looks lovely. I am expecting a white-face any day now. My only criticism of the Bagel Daytona is that it is the only one in the series that isn't a completely faithful homage (the mini-dials and tourbillon buttons have day-date functions only), but I suspect that it is just not cost effective to produce a true mechanical chronograph on the cheap.
> 
> Your MQJ looks great. I have a Bagel Sub, and aside from a stripped bracelet screw, discussed at nauseum in another thread, I am delighted with mine.
> 
> I have gone a little hog-wild with the Bagels. So far I have two-tone Day-Date (two, actually, due to a shipping error) and a Sub. I am expecting a Yachtmaster, Milgauss, Daytona, and Explo II. That's a lot of homage watch power for well under $200  I have spent a lot more money in the past on much dumber things. This is a great hobby!
> 
> Les


The Daytona is quite nice and wears well, it's a shame it's not a true chrono but that would shove the price up considerably I think. If it does ever break I may have a look at using the case for a proper job, but no sign of that happening any time soon AND it's getting close to a first service who'd a thought that a year or two back.

I did think of sterailising the MQJ as that was the done thing when I got it but the markings looked ok to me. Shame about the screw down I might have a go at fixing it when I've the time.

All this talk of Bagels has got me looking again I can see me having to spend my pocket money on a couple more. Quite fancy an Explo 11

Luck with yours when they all arrive and l hope you get that bracelet sorted, been reading the threads seems a pain.

Kev


----------



## Les Wright

Just got mine today, from the eBay seller qypeng (who has provided me excellent service).

Cosmetically, mine seems more satisfactory than Reno's. The curved end links are seated flush, firmly, and symmetrical enough for me.

The bezel had the tiniest speck of overpainting between the 2s in the 22 that was flicked off with a fingernail without disrupting the black paint that belonged there.

The engraving and symmetry of the numbers and hash marks on the bezel is very slightly off, but only a purist would care, and it certainly is accurate enough to make the reading of the 24 hour hand useful.

The crown screws down properly, hacking works as it should, the date flips over correctly, the 24-hour hand is properly in sync, and the watch arrived ticking after a three-week journey from Asia, which is a good sign for an auto-winder!

The watch has the same bracelet as my Bagel Sub, and in that one I have the dreaded spinning screw issue. I am at work and don't have a mini-screwdriver, but I hope when I get this thing home I have better luck sizing it.

I agree with Reno that this is a great piece for the money. This is my third Bagel so far (I have a Day-Date and Sub) and have three more on the way (Yachtmaster, Milgauss, Daytona), and apart from that dang screw on the Sub I am just delighted with this series of budget homages.

But I am already ready to move up! Just scored an Alpha GMT Master for 70 bucks including shipping. Now I am into REAL money!

Les


----------



## Les Wright

Deleted


----------



## Les Wright

Deleted


----------



## Kevg

Well I've finally bit the bullet and pulled the trigger on an EXPLO11 from golalago for the princely sum of £21 delivered so we'll see if it measures up to the old Daytona.

Also ordered a Parnis PVD Black Case Black Dial Power Reserve Automatic for £22.50 inc pp, but I'm having problems paying for it his PP account isn't accepting payments??. I've mailed him and he says he'll get back to me when it's fixed, also mailed PP to let them know the problem but got a sneaking feeling it's not going to happen, we'll see!!

Kev


----------



## Les Wright

Just wanted to follow up. My original Explo II Bagel began soon to manifest asynchrony between the 24-hour hand and main hands that was really beginning to annoy. Indeed, I figured the red hand lagged behind the main time by a good 20 minutes. I tried to adjust myself, made a mess of things (I do that a lot, so I must cut it out before I wreck a pricier watch). Seller offered me a partial refund, and the serviceable bracelet is now on another watch, so I salvaged something.

I rolled the dice and ordered another. Still the hand asynchrony issue, though not as severe, and I am coming to accept that in these cheapies things like hand alignment and proper date switchover--I have an otherwise lovely KS that flips completely by 1045pm--are Achilles heels.

That said, my recently acquired Alpha GMT Master which has a similar concept has much more accurate hand coordination. The Alpha Explo II homage actually shares the GMT movement so the red hand can be set independently. If I really want a better homage in the Explo II form factor at a later date, I will go with the Alpha. Either that, or I transfer the GMT Master movement into a Bagel Explo II case, if it will fit. Looks the same, even if the ability to independently set the 24-hour hand is not "true" to a real Explo II.

More money than brains, methinks...


----------



## Haf

I picked up my Bagel today, the shipping was quite fast, a week and a half. The watch looks great, apart from some tiny black paint smudges on the bezel. The bracelet is kind of a mixed bag, in the process of removing 3 links a couple of the screws got stripped, something that seems to be the norm for these bracelets. All in all, I managed to size the bracelet to a perfect fit.

Here's a quick and dirty phone pic, I'll post better pictures later


----------



## Les Wright

Haf said:


> I picked up my Bagel today, the shipping was quite fast, a week and a half. The watch looks great, apart from some tiny black paint smudges on the bezel. The bracelet is kind of a mixed bag, in the process of removing 3 links a couple of the screws got stripped, something that seems to be the norm for these bracelets. All in all, I managed to size the bracelet to a perfect fit.
> 
> Here's a quick and dirty phone pic, I'll post better pictures later


Yours has the same issue that my (two) had--that close to 2pm, the red hand should be much closer to the 14 (7 position on the clock dial) for proper alignment. I opened mine and the red hand is actually a bit loose, and in some time positions lags behind.

The coordination between the time and the 24hr hand on my Alpha GMT is much tighter. But I would expect that for a watch that is the next step up in quality.

Try seeing if you can rub that paint off with a fingernail. Worked for me.

Les


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## Haf

The issue regarding the 24h hand's placement isn't something that bothers me in any way, most of the time it is pretty accurate, here's another photo taken much later, where the 24h hand seems to be properly positioned:


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## Les Wright

Haf said:


> The issue regarding the 24h hand's placement isn't something that bothers me in any way, most of the time it is pretty accurate, here's another photo taken much later, where the 24h hand seems to be properly positioned:


At exactly 2100h, the red hand should be aligned exactly half way between 9 and 10 on the clock face. At 2112h, as it shows here, it should ideally right on the third hash mark past the 9 position, as each hash mark corresponds to 24 minutes. So, technically, your 24hour hand in this shot looks to be lagging behind the displayed time by between 12 to 24 minutes.

Yeah, I know, I am displaying my OCD here! I do keep an eye on mine and I notice that the accuracy of the alignment drifts in and out throughout a 24h period.

Mine is about the same as yours with respect to this issue. My previous one had the issue in a more glaring way.

The 24h/GMT hand alignment on my Alpha GMT is excellent, in contrast. I have given in and ordered an Alpha Explo II, only with a black dial and jubilee bracelet. That homage deviates from being a "pure" homage of the Rolex by using the GMT movement and allowing for independent setting of the red hand. Which, of course, feeds right into my OCD proclivities 

Les


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## Haf




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## Les Wright

Haf said:


>


I have that exact NATO! Thanks for posting--I should give it a try.

The obsessive in me notes that the 24hr hand still lags. At 1208pm it should be a little less than half a hash mark past the 6 o'clock position. The misalignment in mine is about the same. My antidote for this has been to splurge on the Alpha version (only with the black dial), which is actually a GMT watch permitting independent adjustment of the 24hr hand.

Les

P.S. I also see you cleaned off that paint speck near the 18. Nice!


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## Les Wright

Reno said:


> The endlinks are dreadful, they just can't be fit properly to the case.


Reno, I have been working on modifying an extra Bagel oyster bracelet to fit on the thicker case of a Parnis Milgauss, and in the process have learned that this issue can be remedied.

Inside the end link the spring bar is held in place by a couple of little tabs at the centre about 4mm apart. If the spring bar is a thinner one or if the tabs have opened up a bit, there is some play of the end link around the spring bar. This is the main, if not only, contributor to a loose end link, causing misalignment and the unsightly gap between the top edge of the link and the case.

I have learned that the little tabs are actually pretty malleable, so using a thicker spring bar and pressing the tabs down upon it with a blunt tool so that the bar isn't completely fixed but encounters resistance when I try to move it back and forth does the trick. Since everything now has less play in it it is a little tougher to get the end link back on--taking the bracelet a part at the clasp temporarily so I can deal with everything on flat surface helps--but once it snaps into place the alignment is better, there is little or no wiggle, and the dreaded gap is barely visible under the bezel or gone altogether.

A lot of hassle for a cheap watch, but I hope this helps anyway.

Les


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## Haf

Les Wright said:


> I have that exact NATO! Thanks for posting--I should give it a try.
> 
> The obsessive in me notes that the 24hr hand still lags. At 1208pm it should be a little less than half a hash mark past the 6 o'clock position. The misalignment in mine is about the same. My antidote for this has been to splurge on the Alpha version (only with the black dial), which is actually a GMT watch permitting independent adjustment of the 24hr hand.
> 
> Les
> 
> P.S. I also see you cleaned off that paint speck near the 18. Nice!


I cheated a bit and removed the paint spot in Photoshop:-d, but after I had seen your comment, I took a key out of my pocket and successfully managed to scrape the paint, without doing any kind of damage to the case. The other specks of paint (between the 2 digit numbers) are kind of tricky to remove, I guess I will need a needle and a magnifying glass to clear them out.

The watch feels amazing on a NATO strap, it's like it was designed with this aspect in mind. I'm really starting to enjoy the watch more and more and it has been growing on me in the past days at an alarming rate, so naturally I think that someday I would get my hands on a proper Rolex. I'll be putting up for sale in the near future a couple of watches, these will hopefully provide at least 50-60% of the amount required to enter the pre-owned Rolex territory.


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## Kevg

Well my EXPLO11 arrived a couple of days ago and the strap is good no stripped threads. The "GMT" hand lines up pretty well not far enough out to bother me anyhow, it's a gnats left one out at midday near enough. The rotor is a bit noisy but it works, watch was running when unpacked. Now the bad bit it gains 5 minutes an hour. Not cracked it open yet waiting for a reply to my mail with an offer to take it to a local watchmaker for regulation ie me with my multi screwdriver set. If it's anything like one of my Goers it'll be an eyelash on the hairspring. No pics everybody knows what they look like.

Has anybody moved the fourth hand to a different time zone thinking I might set it to European timeand have the normal hands at UK.?

Kev


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## Les Wright

Kev, I opened up my first one, and it seems the 24hr hand is "hard"-aligned. To do what you want I think you would have to take the movement out, take things apart, and reassemble so the hands are synchronized as you wish. You could move the hour and minute hands and keep the 24hr hand on Euro time, but if you did that the date would change over according to the 24hr hand, not the main hand.

I'd recommend just splurging the $70 bucks (that's what I offered and paid) and get the Alpha Explorer, which is actually a GMT watch allowing the independent setting of the 24hr hand.

Les


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## Kevg

Thanks Les

Might give it a go with my first one when the new one arrives, got to have ago at sorting it anyhow, I mean it's only gaining 5 minutes an hour. If I've got it open it I may as well have a play. Moving the hour hand could be an option, not awake at midnight that often now for it to be a problem, certainly worth a thought.

cheers 

Kev


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## dcdude

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*

I just got mine a few weeks ago. It was $35 shipped to my door and arrived pretty quickly, maybe just 2 to 3 weeks. Pretty fast, considering the cost and distance. Bought it on the Bay from qiangyan2010, the same guy with whom I had the good experience with my Sub homage.

Finish is beautiful...I love it! It may be my favorite watch, and it's getting lots of I find it to be very accurate. It's loosing about 6 seconds per day. The dual time hand just does its thing, pointing wherever, whenever, so what. There seems to be zero lume to speak of. Still don't have the guts to put it in the water, but the stem seems to seal slightly better than on my "Substitute."

As many of us know, the band is just OK. Not as good as my Vostok, a comparison which may terrify some of you. I was able to size it "OK." Got two screws out on one side. The other side, not so good. Both of those screws just turn and turn. One poked his head out to say "hi," so I thought I had screwed it back in, but it neither tightens nor loosens. I used the micro-adjustments on the clasp to get it just right. Fortunately, a 20mm steel band is super easy to upgrade, like to a "band doodle" or whatever it's called. It would also look sharp on a black or even red NATO.

But here's a *shout out to qiangyan2010*: fast shipping and no DOA or malfunctions after 2 separate Bagels...go for it!


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## Les Wright

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*



dcdude said:


> As many of us know, the band is just OK. Not as good as my Vostok, a comparison which may terrify some of you. I was able to size it "OK." Got two screws out on one side. The other side, not so good. Both of those screws just turn and turn. One poked his head out to say "hi," so I thought I had screwed it back in, but it neither tightens nor loosens. I used the micro-adjustments on the clasp to get it just right. Fortunately, a 20mm steel band is super easy to upgrade, like to a "band doodle" or whatever it's called. It would also look sharp on a black or even red NATO.


I got several Bagels, meaning that I ended up with a couple of Bagel oysters that were fine to adjust. Still I prefer this watch on a NATO--olive green or black/grey Bond striping, typically. Also willing to look at black or even brown leather, either buckled or clasp. I have several affordable bands on order from a seller I like, and even clasps and spare buckles in various sizes. Will look forward to experimenting.

Les


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## poorANDcheap

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*

does the bezel on the bagelsport turn like the alpha (shown on their website, i don't have one)?


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## Reno

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*



poorANDcheap said:


> does the bezel on the bagelsport turn like the alpha (shown on their website, i don't have one)?


No it doesn't. But neither the Alpha's.

The rotating bezel can be found on the *GMT II* :


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## dcdude

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*

At least one screw on the steel bracelet on my Bagelsport Explo II was stripped at the factory and refused to seat. I was a bit concerned about the watch falling off without notice. The clasp package also never seated flat enough for my taste.

So I recently replaced the bracelet with a Seiko 5 steel deployment that I saved from another watch. I used scotch tape to hold the spring bars in place on the bracelet while in storage, so pardon the tape residue on the end links. These hollow end links actually came in handy, as I had to open them up a bit to accommodate the Bagel's slightly thicker case. Looks a bit less "Rolexy," but works _much_ better!


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## HarleyJameson

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*

I tried this bracelet on the Bagel, and I think it fits just fine. I liked it so much that I am wearing this watch more than I would normally do.

I must also say that, despite my bad experience with the Bagel Milg..., I must have won the lottery with this one. After wearing it for an entire day, I left it on my desk. Two days later, it was still running, showing its superb power reserve. That's why this one is one of my favorites.


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## chronoman23

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*

I recently got one of these Bagelsport Explo' II. It keeps great time,
better than +- 5s/d, and has great power reserve, about 42 hrs. My puzzle
is the autowinder. The mechanism looks like DG3804. When manually winding,
the rotor spins fast enough to make the watch wobble. Strange !! I have
also a Heinrichssohn GMT Master II, which looks like the same mechanism,
but the Heinrichssohn autowinder operates as expected, free spinning one
direction, and winding in the other direction, and doing nothing on manual
wind. Has anyone else experienced this wildly spinning rotor on manual
wind? Also, the rotor seems to operate normally in the wind direction,
but operates stiffly in the non wind direction.


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## J J Carter

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*

Mine arrived today, for £23.95 landed it's great, fit and finish is spot on for the price point, screw-down crown works.


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## asfletch

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*

Thanks to everyone in this thread for convincing me to get one of these - arrived today and I'm blown away for the price! Only flaws I can find are a bit of pitting between the lugs and some small scratches on the crystal (odd that they protect the bracelet so well but leave the crystal exposed). So far everything works and it's keeping time just fine (fingers crossed!).

As you can see, I've decided to buck the trend and go black dial/nylon strap. Recommended purchase 

















UPDATE: Set it one week ago, today it's 44s fast (so 6s/day) . Not too shabby; doubt I could regulate it much better. Tried setting it face up/down overnight a couple of times - didn't seem to make much difference.

Not sure whether there's a lug-to-lug measurement elsewhere in this thread, but I couldn't find one, so just in case anyone's wondering I measured it myself - 48.3mm.


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## dcdude

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*

^^Very sharp right there on the black NATO!^^


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## asfletch

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*



dcdude said:


> ^^Very sharp right there on the black NATO!^^


If you're referring to my pics, thanks  It's not a black NATO though, it's an Olive 2-piece strap from a Seiko SNK805. Probably could've done with an exposure bump to make pics less dark sorry 

Oh and I've removed the cyclops now - looks cleaner and slightly less 'homagey' IMO.

What do you think of this rally-style strap? I like how it picks up the red of the 24h hand, but I can now see that my lugs are uneven (20mm at top of watch, 21mm at bottom - hence the gap you see here). Oh well, could be worse!


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## Hrvoje Gudelj

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*

Mine finally came today, exactly 3 weeks after the purchase but the day before my birthday. Almos mint condition, crown and dials working properly and looking sexy on a wrist!;-) It's basically what I've expected, awful bracelet but everything else is great for just $36,25 shipped. Don't know yet how accurate it is, because I had to hide it in a closet so my twins can give it to me tomorrow. Cheers guys and thanks for great advices!


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## Hrvoje Gudelj

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*



Hrvoje Gudelj said:


> Mine finally came today, exactly 3 weeks after the purchase but the day before my birthday. Almos mint condition, crown and dials working properly and looking sexy on a wrist!;-) It's basically what I've expected, awful bracelet but everything else is great for just $36,25 shipped. Don't know yet how accurate it is, because I had to hide it in a closet so my twins can give it to me tomorrow. Cheers guys and thanks for great advices!
> 
> View attachment 1502444


Update: after a half day of wearing it, it made it through the night, +6-7 sec! Nice!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Hrvoje Gudelj

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*

With the brown leather strap


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## Capital_Ex

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*



Hrvoje Gudelj said:


> Mine finally came today, exactly 3 weeks after the purchase but the day before my birthday. Almos mint condition, crown and dials working properly and looking sexy on a wrist!;-) It's basically what I've expected, awful bracelet but everything else is great for just $36,25 shipped. Don't know yet how accurate it is, because I had to hide it in a closet so my twins can give it to me tomorrow. Cheers guys and thanks for great advices!
> 
> View attachment 1502444


Nice looking one you got there, mind posting the link where you bought it?


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## Hrvoje Gudelj

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*



Capital_Ex said:


> Nice looking one you got there, mind posting the link where you bought it?


Glad you like it, here's a link:
Fashion Men 24 Hours Date White Dial Automatic Mechnical Wrist Watch | eBay


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## Capital_Ex

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*

Thanks a lot, that's one of the cheapest price I've seen so far, below 40$ & free shipping.


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## Hrvoje Gudelj

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*



Capital_Ex said:


> Thanks a lot, that's one of the cheapest price I've seen so far, below 40$ & free shipping.


Yes, I was looking for it a couple of days and I beleive it's the cheapest. Go get it, it's a bargain. Cheers!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Wilmi

*Re: BAGELSPORT "EXPLO II" HOMAGE: mine looses just 6 seconds per day!*

Does anyone know where to get this these days? I'm trying to find it on eBay but it seems like it's not over there at all. Have been looking for this watch for a while now - I like the look of it and at the moment it fits my price range better than the Alpha Explorer 2 homage, and the SOKI quartz one kinda looks like trash. Please respond if anyone knows something about it. Thanks!


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## Wilmi

Bump...


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## Wilmi

Bumpidump...


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## Okapi001

It's probably not available at the moment. It happens from time to time. The seller I bought it from in March doesn't have one anymore.


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## Wilmi

Okapi001 said:


> It's probably not available at the moment. It happens from time to time. The seller I bought it from in March doesn't have one anymore.


Thanks for the answer. Does that mean that some of these chinese sellers will get it back in stock again or is the "bagel era" over? I've been looking at this watch for a few months and when i finally decided to pull it of - it was gone from eBay.

If someone do have a working Bagel Explo II (white dial + original bracelet ) that works and wants to sell it, please PM me


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## Okapi001

I'm pretty sure the bagel-era is far from over;-)


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## Hrvoje Gudelj

Wilmi said:


> Thanks for the answer. Does that mean that some of these chinese sellers will get it back in stock again or is the "bagel era" over? I've been looking at this watch for a few months and when i finally decided to pull it of - it was gone from eBay.
> 
> If someone do have a working Bagel Explo II (white dial + original bracelet ) that works and wants to sell it, please PM me


Maybe you should try to contact this seller because I see he still has some other bagel models? Perhaps he can order an explo II for you? Worth a try imho, good luck!


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## Wilmi

Hrvoje Gudelj said:


> Wilmi said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for the answer. Does that mean that some of these chinese sellers will get it back in stock again or is the "bagel era" over? I've been looking at this watch for a few months and when i finally decided to pull it of - it was gone from eBay.
> 
> If someone do have a working Bagel Explo II (white dial + original bracelet ) that works and wants to sell it, please PM me
> 
> 
> 
> Maybe you should try to contact this seller because I see he still has some other bagel models? Perhaps he can order an explo II for you? Worth a try imho, good luck!
Click to expand...

I'll give it a try! Thank you


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## mrphotoman

Automatic Mechanical Stainless Steel Day Date White Wrist Watches | eBay

Luxury Automatic Mechanical Date Week Stainless Steel Mens Wrist Watch | eBay

New Date Auto Mens Multifunction Stainles Steel Watches | eBay

Multi Display Auto Mechanical Date Men Watches Stainless Steel | eBay

Mens Womens Automatic Mechanical Day Date Week Stainless Steel Wrist Watch Gift | eBay


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## Wilmi

mrphotoman said:


> Automatic Mechanical Stainless Steel Day Date White Wrist Watches | eBay
> 
> Luxury Automatic Mechanical Date Week Stainless Steel Mens Wrist Watch | eBay
> 
> New Date Auto Mens Multifunction Stainles Steel Watches | eBay
> 
> Multi Display Auto Mechanical Date Men Watches Stainless Steel | eBay
> 
> Mens Womens Automatic Mechanical Day Date Week Stainless Steel Wrist Watch Gift | eBay


That is not the model I'm looking for but thank you anyway.

I wrote to the wang-seller but they replied that the item was out of stock so I guess I'll just have to wait until it gets back in their list of items for sale.


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## Hrvoje Gudelj

Orange nato strap just arrived, love the combo!










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## gneyman

Reno, 

is the Alpha Explo II also locked non-independent "GMT" hand? 
Also, what about Invicta 9400 Date Master? 
Though Rolex original is independent GMT, I think


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## Reno

gneyman said:


> Reno,
> 
> is the Alpha Explo II also locked non-independent "GMT" hand?


Hi gneyman,

I don't own the ALPHA Explo II, but I've read it has an independent GMT hand indeed (the Bagelsport is a simple '24h' hand).


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## Elcapiyan

Anyone have any idea where I'd still be able to snag one of these?


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## Reno

Elcapiyan said:


> Anyone have any idea where I'd still be able to snag one of these?


Here you go : https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/STEE...lgo_pvid=9382dd54-7e98-4c9b-96be-30b5a8e782a0


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