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Thread: "We're going to need a bigger crown"

  1. #1
    Grand Master ryanb741's Avatar
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    "We're going to need a bigger crown"

    Thought this was interesting. The Alsta Nautoscaph Superautomatic - basically a remake of the watch worn by Richard Dreyfuss in the movie "Jaws".

    https://www.alstawatch.com/watches/a...uperautomatic/

    Funky little thing - at RRP of £795 is a bit 'lively' price wise but can be had online with 15% off

  2. #2
    Master Glen Goyne's Avatar
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    Never heard of a Jaws watch, thanks for sharing. Initial thought: looks like a Vostok mod, especially the case design.


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  3. #3
    Craftsman TAFKARM's Avatar
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    That’s pretty cool and thanks for sharing, although I do think they should have gone with the cyclops.

  4. #4
    Grand Master number2's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Glen Goyne View Post
    Never heard of a Jaws watch, thanks for sharing. Initial thought: looks like a Vostok mod, especially the case design.


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    Just what I thought, give it 6 months and the dial hand set and bezel will probably be available.
    "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

    'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.

  5. #5
    Really cool, would prefer it to be “at least” a 40mm. 43mm is not really a skin diver territory.

  6. #6
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    They look nice enough, and the connection to the film is cool, but the price is OTT for an NH35 powered microbrand offering.

  7. #7
    Grand Master dkpw's Avatar
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    I like it but I suspect it's a little chunky in the height department, which is the one dimension omitted on the sales web site.
    Pinned links too. :(

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by PawG View Post
    Really cool, would prefer it to be “at least” a 40mm. 43mm is not really a skin diver territory.
    It's 38mm which is perfect. The 43mm dimension is lug to lug. It looks very nicely executed to me.

    Martin

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  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by MartinCRC View Post
    It's 38mm which is perfect. The 43mm dimension is lug to lug. It looks very nicely executed to me.

    Martin

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    My bad! It’s been a long day.

  10. #10
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    Looks good. Always fancied an original one but hard to find.

  11. #11
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Interesting that they don't seem to mention the movements they use anywhere, unless I missed it. Also, good to learn from their FAQ page that lying on the beach with your watch on and then going swimming is likely to result in damage due to thermal shock

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by learningtofly View Post
    Interesting that they don't seem to mention the movements they use anywhere, unless I missed it. Also, good to learn from their FAQ page that lying on the beach with your watch on and then going swimming is likely to result in damage due to thermal shock
    If you click buy now you get through to a page with full specs. The movement is a Seiko NH35A.

    Martin

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  13. #13
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MartinCRC View Post
    If you click buy now you get through to a page with full specs. The movement is a Seiko NH35A.

    Martin

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    Ah, thank you. Pretty basic entry-level movement for an £800 watch, it has to be said.

  14. #14
    Grand Master ryanb741's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by learningtofly View Post
    Ah, thank you. Pretty basic entry-level movement for an £800 watch, it has to be said.
    Yep that's what put me off. However an online retailer offered a 15% discount code so that put it down to around £675 which has still got me thinking a bit

  15. #15
    Grand Master TaketheCannoli's Avatar
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    I first saw this a few weeks ago and I really like the retro design, especially on the rubber strap. The bracelet is awful. The price is crazy though. I have two Steeldive watches (and have sold another two) with the same movement and excellent materials and finishing for sub £200.

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by learningtofly View Post
    Ah, thank you. Pretty basic entry-level movement for an £800 watch, it has to be said.
    Hacking, hand-winding automatic with date complication. Lowish beat compared to a 2824-2 but it's not at all clear to me that you are really getting something demonstrably superior in the ubiquitous, boggo ETA movement. As to value, well the rest of the watch looks very well executed. Take a look at the finishing of the hands for example. How much does the movement cost contribute, say, to the RRP of an ETA Tudor Blackbay?

    I would also note that the MkII ready-to-wear stuff costs between $600 and $900, all of which fitted with Seiko NH variations, and you have to add shipping and VAT/admin fees on to those prices. £700 landed in the UK for the Alsta looks ok by comparison (and you don't have to content with all of the usual MkII angst). Having said all that, it's still too rich for me but if Ryan buys one and then flips it for a couple of hundred off, then I might be tempted!

    Martin

  17. #17
    Grand Master Passenger's Avatar
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    It's billed as 'the long awaited Jaws watch'...was anyone really waiting for such a thing...does seem you're paying 300 plus gbp extra for an almost entirely 'confected' old film tie in. I read the book, admittedly quite a while ago, but I don't think the characters watch even got a mention, might be wrong.

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Passenger View Post
    It's billed as 'the long awaited Jaws watch'...was anyone really waiting for such a thing...does seem you're paying 300 plus gbp extra for an almost entirely 'confected' old film tie in. I read the book, admittedly quite a while ago, but I don't think the characters watch even got a mention, might be wrong.
    That pales by comparison to folk paying massively over the odds for an unremarkable chronograph just because it happened to be worn by Paul Newman. Or the current Black Bay gravy train for Tudor, built on the back of the iconography Sean Connery's 6538 in Dr. No. The watch industry routinely exploits these associations and plenty of people buy into it. And why not? It's all part of the fun.
    Martin

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  19. #19
    Grand Master Passenger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MartinCRC View Post
    That pales by comparison to folk paying massively over the odds for an unremarkable chronograph just because it happened to be worn by Paul Newman. Or the current Black Bay gravy train for Tudor, built on the back of the iconography Sean Connery's 6538 in Dr. No. The watch industry routinely exploits these associations and plenty of people buy into it. And why not? It's all part of the fun.
    Martin

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    Fair points, just struck me as an especially 'flimsy' example of its kind due to how long ago Jaws came out and the 'watch' having no role in the source material, at least that I could recall. Also the Shark was the real star and I don't think he actually wore a watch.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Passenger View Post
    Fair points, just struck me as an especially 'flimsy' example of its kind due to how long ago Jaws came out and the 'watch' having no role in the source material, at least that I could recall. Also the Shark was the real star and I don't think he actually wore a watch.
    The Aston Martin DB5 didn't feature in the Goldfinger book either and Bond generally drove pre-war Bentleys in the other books. Yet we all routinely associate Aston Martin with Bond. The Seiko 6105 is held in such high esteem because Martin Sheen wore it in Apocalypse Now. I can say with confidence that the 6105 did not get a mention in Conrad's Heart of Darkness!! With respect to Hooper's watch in Jaws, there has been very long-standing speculation about the identity of that watch and I suspect plenty of folk interested in this new release as a result of the identity of original having been revealed.

    Martin

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  21. #21
    Grand Master Passenger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MartinCRC View Post
    The Aston Martin DB5 didn't feature in the Goldfinger book either and Bond generally drove pre-war Bentleys in the other books. Yet we all routinely associate Aston Martin with Bond. The Seiko 6105 is held in such high esteem because Martin Sheen wore it in Apocalypse Now. I can say with confidence that the 6105 did not get a mention in Conrad's Heart of Darkness!! With respect to Hooper's watch in Jaws, there has been very long-standing speculation about the identity of that watch and I suspect plenty of folk interested in this new release as a result of the identity of original having been revealed.

    Martin

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    I'll readily admit I was unaware there was ever any speculation about Hooper's watch, so that's interesting.

    Yup, fair points.

    Still seems, to me, to be a coupla hundred more than it should be, just my view, each to their own of course.

  22. #22
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Passenger View Post
    I'll readily admit I was unaware there was ever any speculation about Hooper's watch, so that's interesting.

    Yup, fair points.

    Still seems, to me, to be a coupla hundred more than it should be, just my view, each to their own of course.
    Yes, that's the crux of it. Notwithstanding Martin's defence of the movement it's still regarded within the industry as entry level and suitable for sub-£500 watches. Any interest in Hooper's watch in the film is certainly limited to die-hard Jaws fans so when all's said and done I think we can agree that the watch is somewhat overpriced with a tenuous connection to an old movie.

    Still, hardly a unique scenario.
    Last edited by learningtofly; 22nd May 2020 at 12:32.

  23. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by learningtofly View Post
    Yes, that's the crux of it. Notwithstanding Martin's defence of the movement it's still regarded within the industry as entry level and suitable for sub-£500 watches. Any interest if Hooper's watch in the film is certainly limited to die-hard Jaws fans so when all's said and done I think we can agree that the watch is somewhat overpriced with a tenuous connection to an old movie.
    I don't disagree it's expensive, but most watches are over-priced, some massively more so than others. I wouldn't place this one in the 'massively over-priced' category - just sufficiently over-priced that I am not interested in buying it! But as I said earlier, there is more to watch pricing than the cost of the movement.

    Quote Originally Posted by learningtofly View Post
    Still, hardly a unique scenario.
    e.g. The Rolex 6538

  24. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by learningtofly View Post
    Notwithstanding Martin's defence of the movement it's still regarded within the industry as entry level and suitable for sub-£500 watches.
    I am no fan of any of the 7S-derived Seiko movements. Soul-less machine-built movements with no aesthetic appeal. But they are robust, last for years, are reliable and can be regulated to run very accurately. Some of that is also true of the ETA 2824-2. As vanilla a watch movement as you could possibly hope for. A white goods off-the-shelf "Swiss movement" routinely used to add a sufficient degree of Swiss cache to justify asking unreasonable amounts of money for otherwise unremarkable middle-of-the-road horological output.

    Martin

  25. #25
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MartinCRC View Post
    I am no fan of any of the 7S-derived Seiko movements. Soul-less machine-built movements with no aesthetic appeal. But they are robust, last for years, are reliable and can be regulated to run very accurately. Some of that is also true of the ETA 2824-2. As vanilla a watch movement as you could possibly hope for. A white goods off-the-shelf "Swiss movement" routinely used to add a sufficient degree of Swiss cache to justify asking unreasonable amounts of money for otherwise unremarkable middle-of-the-road horological output.

    Martin
    Possibly, but also something of a mainstay within the world of watch manufacture. Not sure where we'd be without ETA movements/ebauches, but it probably wouldn't be a very good place.

    Anyway, i think we can agree that watches are generally overpriced

  26. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by learningtofly View Post
    Possibly, but also something of a mainstay within the world of watch manufacture. Not sure where we'd be without ETA movements/ebauches, but it probably wouldn't be a very good place.
    Certainly a mainstay. We can get an idea of where we would be by looking to see what small manufacturers are fitting to their watches now that ETA has stopped supply: the answer is Sellita, Soprod, Seiko, Miyota (and yes, I know that the first two by and large produce ETA clones but whatever vacuum is created will be filled and we will get on with it).

    Martin

  27. #27
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MartinCRC View Post
    Certainly a mainstay. We can get an idea of where we would be by looking to see what small manufacturers are fitting to their watches now that ETA has stopped supply: the answer is Sellita, Soprod, Seiko, Miyota (and yes, I know that the first two by and large produce ETA clones but whatever vacuum is created will be filled and we will get on with it).

    Martin
    Well, I don't want to argue the point unnecessarily, but the alternatives have themselves flourished off the back of ETA clones.

    As an aside, did I read somewhere that Rolex bought a stake in Sellita some time back?

  28. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by MartinCRC View Post
    Hacking, hand-winding automatic with date complication. Lowish beat compared to a 2824-2 but it's not at all clear to me that you are really getting something demonstrably superior in the ubiquitous, boggo ETA movement. As to value, well the rest of the watch looks very well executed. Take a look at the finishing of the hands for example. How much does the movement cost contribute, say, to the RRP of an ETA Tudor Blackbay?

    I would also note that the MkII ready-to-wear stuff costs between $600 and $900, all of which fitted with Seiko NH variations, and you have to add shipping and VAT/admin fees on to those prices. £700 landed in the UK for the Alsta looks ok by comparison (and you don't have to content with all of the usual MkII angst). Having said all that, it's still too rich for me but if Ryan buys one and then flips it for a couple of hundred off, then I might be tempted!

    Martin
    They are fitted with seiko movements but not the NH35 which is identical to 4r35.

    Instead they are using the NE15 which maps across as the 6r15.

    The 6r15 is considered superior to the 4r35.


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  29. #29
    Master
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    "We're going to need a bigger crown"

    Quote Originally Posted by MartinCRC View Post
    Certainly a mainstay. We can get an idea of where we would be by looking to see what small manufacturers are fitting to their watches now that ETA has stopped supply: the answer is Sellita, Soprod, Seiko, Miyota (and yes, I know that the first two by and large produce ETA clones but whatever vacuum is created will be filled and we will get on with it).

    Martin
    Yes, voids will be filled indeed, but at a higher cost or a lesser quality than the 2824.
    R&D requires a huge outlay that is now not applicable since the IP run out and hence sellita and Soprod can offer the clones at such prices. Imagine what would happen if they had to develop a movement from the ground up...


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    Last edited by Ar.parask; 22nd May 2020 at 18:44.

  30. #30
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    Regardless of whether or not the bog-standard ETA2824 and it's clones are any better, or more desirable than the bog-standard NH35/4R35, the fact remains, you can get them much cheaper. And you can get watches with them in much cheaper. I just bought an NH35 powered, titanium cased, well built field watch with 200m of water resistance and great lume delivered from Hong Kong by way of the Netherlands for £250. Which makes the £800 for one of these feel like a lot to pay for the tenuous film connection.

    But I understand that this is really the wrong hobby to be overly concerned about perceived value.

  31. #31
    Craftsman Euan Begbie's Avatar
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    So cool


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  32. #32
    Really like the look of this, and the film tie in is cool but it would need to be <£500 for me personally to consider it

  33. #33
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    38mm is great, but beyond that, I'd rather buy a Vostok and have a whole lot of cash left in my pocket.

  34. #34
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    I’m the biggest Jaws fan going. Literally jaws memorabilia all over my house, and two Jaws tattoos, but this is still far too much money, and far too tenuous a link to the film for me to consider purchasing. £350 and I’d consider it...maybe.

  35. #35
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    I was put off by the decision to fit their earlier models with mineral crystals, as much as I liked the designs. It would be acceptable in a a Seiko SKX but not a watch costing nearly £700.

    Dave

  36. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by CaptainRockNRoll View Post
    I’m the biggest Jaws fan going. Literally jaws memorabilia all over my house, and two Jaws tattoos, but this is still far too much money, and far too tenuous a link to the film for me to consider purchasing. £350 and I’d consider it...maybe.
    You've done it now!!!
    I need to see the 2 jaws tattoos

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  37. #37
    Quote Originally Posted by Peter franks View Post
    You've done it now!!!
    I need to see the 2 jaws tattoos

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    Me too , I’m intrigued now!

  38. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter franks View Post
    You've done it now!!!
    I need to see the 2 jaws tattoos

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    Quote Originally Posted by DANH View Post
    Me too , I’m intrigued now!
    Do you think he’ll bite? 😃

  39. #39
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    Ha! Will attempt to post shortly. My images have a horrendous photobucket watermark on, any way to get around that? Or I can PM to someone?

    I’m certainly not shy about showing them. They’re both on my left leg, and it’s always a good excuse to drop trousers in a pub!

  40. #40
    Quote Originally Posted by Filterlab View Post
    Do you think he’ll bite? 😃
    Ha good one!

  41. #41

    Smile

    Hi guys, I've been lurking and decided to register so I could share my take on this watch, as I own one.

    Disclaimer: Jaws is my favorite movie. That being said, I was drawn to the watch before it was even identified, as I thought it was a very cool & unique looking 70's diver.

    The case is impressive and very well finished. Excluding the movement, they are Swiss made, and it shows. The bezel is 120 click, very precise, albeit a bit stiff. Zero wobble or back-play.

    Very nice boxed sapphire crystal and excellent lume on the dial & hands. I'm glad they excluded the cyclops over the date. I think it would look strange on such a highly domed crystal.

    It seems as though they took the time to regulate the NH35. Mine is running a consistent + 2 seconds per day. I don't have any issues with the movement choice. It hacks, hand winds, keeps accurate time, and would be very affordable to have serviced or replaced some day.

    I see why some people would dislike the bracelet, but for me, it's one of my favorite styles. I have two other watches with rally style bracelets. The bracelet on the movie watch was a Speidel Mach 1 twist-o-flex expansion. Very inappropriate for anything beyond lightweight watches. If you wear one on a diver, it will flop around and drive you crazy when you move your arm around. I think they did a great job of creating a bracelet that looks nearly identical, yet is a link bracelet. It's solid and well thought out. The clasp is not milled, which would have been nice, but it makes for a lower profile clasp when closed.

    Some sellers are offering them for around $800 USD. I get the people that think it should have an ETA movement even at that price, but the overall quality of the watch is excellent.

    For me, the watch is a definite keeper. And it's a serious diver... "I'm not talking about day sailing or pleasure boating, I'm talking about working for a living, I'm talking about sharking."

    20200520_180647.jpg

  42. #42
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    About 7 years old now, so doesn’t quite look quite as fresh as that these days, and it’s a lot hairier!



    Not the best photo, but you get the idea!
    Last edited by CaptainRockNRoll; 24th May 2020 at 13:07.

  43. #43
    Grand Master ryanb741's Avatar
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    Thanks for the feedback gents and welcome roverguy78 - the watch looks great on you :)

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by CaptainRockNRoll View Post


    About 7 years old now, so doesn’t quite look quite as fresh as that these days, and it’s a lot hairier!



    Not the best photo, but you get the idea!
    Wow / VERY cool!!!

  44. #44
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    Quote Originally Posted by roverguy78 View Post
    Hi guys, I've been lurking and decided to register so I could share my take on this watch, as I own one.

    Disclaimer: Jaws is my favorite movie. That being said, I was drawn to the watch before it was even identified, as I thought it was a very cool & unique looking 70's diver.

    The case is impressive and very well finished. Excluding the movement, they are Swiss made, and it shows. The bezel is 120 click, very precise, albeit a bit stiff. Zero wobble or back-play.

    Very nice boxed sapphire crystal and excellent lume on the dial & hands. I'm glad they excluded the cyclops over the date. I think it would look strange on such a highly domed crystal.

    It seems as though they took the time to regulate the NH35. Mine is running a consistent + 2 seconds per day. I don't have any issues with the movement choice. It hacks, hand winds, keeps accurate time, and would be very affordable to have serviced or replaced some day.

    I see why some people would dislike the bracelet, but for me, it's one of my favorite styles. I have two other watches with rally style bracelets. The bracelet on the movie watch was a Speidel Mach 1 twist-o-flex expansion. Very inappropriate for anything beyond lightweight watches. If you wear one on a diver, it will flop around and drive you crazy when you move your arm around. I think they did a great job of creating a bracelet that looks nearly identical, yet is a link bracelet. It's solid and well thought out. The clasp is not milled, which would have been nice, but it makes for a lower profile clasp when closed.

    Some sellers are offering them for around $800 USD. I get the people that think it should have an ETA movement even at that price, but the overall quality of the watch is excellent.

    For me, the watch is a definite keeper. And it's a serious diver... "I'm not talking about day sailing or pleasure boating, I'm talking about working for a living, I'm talking about sharking."

    20200520_180647.jpg
    Great first post. Welcome to the forum.

  45. #45
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    Whoa! Those are some tattoos!

  46. #46

    Cool

    Thanks for the welcome!

  47. #47
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    Have to agree! Fantastic first post Roverguy, and always nice to “meet” someone else who appreciates Jaws

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