Well, it could be worse
The gilt dial Smiths (actually Timefactors) Everest PRS-25 isn't bad. It's nice to wear, it's legible, and the gilt dial is very pretty. I could almost forget that it's also the worst purchase experience that I ever had, of wait...I can't.
But taken separately from the seller, it's actually quite nice and is the perfect solution for the enthusiast seeking to own an 369 dial watch which is as close as possible to a vintage Explorer, one who isn't interested in either owning an actual vintage watch or paying the price asked for one.
Luckily for me the PRS-25 is powered by a standard off the shelf Miyota 9039 movement, which should make it easy to service or repair without having to rely on Timefactors.
And if the worse happen and it gets totaled, well it's just a loss of £345.00 which might hurt but isn't going to be a life shattering experience. It could be worse. Think of the loss, emotional and financial, that can incur in the case of a real 1016 getting KIA.
The PRS-25 is going to be my companion for the day, and I know that I'll enjoy wearing it for its comfort and legibility, together with the the ability to spend idle time during meetings watching the light play on its excellent gilt dial, something which is way more interesting than watching PowerPoint slides with the drone of someone in the background reading the text aloud and calling it a productive meeting.
I'm a big fan of watches that are interesting because they are either unique, have interesting features, well designed or simply offer a great value for their price.
Beauty. 💯
It's a shame I keep hearing such negative things about Timefactors -- I very much like the design of the PRS-29A.