It will be interesting to see when the unit arrives. Then I will be able to assess how "noisy" it is compared to my silent PTP6 Lenco 75. Also I am interested in seeing if it has some of the mk ii "upgrades" already installed. That would be great. The tonearm can be "upgraded" to mk ii with a retro-fittable anti-skate upgrade kit, it seems. If I can find one.
Another interesting Thorens model is the US-only Thorens TD121 where you have to remove the platter in order to change speeds. It has the same smaller bearing of the Thorens 135, whereas the tonearm is on a separate board like it is the case with the Thorens 124.