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Is it the size that's making you hesitant? What do you normally wear? I share your opinion that the 1016 is the most beautiful Rolex. That doesn't however mean I feel like wearing it every day. Sometimes it's just "too classical/classy" looking, at least when worn on bracelet. At least try leather before selling, it roughens it up a bit.

Thanks Kilowattore for your grown up input. I'm also hacked off with the less than friendly tone in this thread ....I thought RWG was supposed to be the Friendliest Watch Forum on The Planet ! As Rolli's "silent' partner on these projects I choose to stay in the background, but there's been a pretty miserable assault on Rolli's motives and character here and that's not on. I don't control Rolli or try to , neither do I necessarily agree with everything he says or believes. We've had disagreements but understand each other better as a result , that's how partnerships work. I do know that his desire to make dials is because he is absolutely and totally passionate about Panerai and is about as true a hobbyist you'll find on this forum or any other. This 000 dial was a labour of love for Rolli , not my personal taste as I have ample base dials in my collection and there is only one "King" 201/A as far as logo dials go. He had the desire and means to do it , so he made a very very limited run and made available to those who wanted it. There's been a few assertions that these are copies of a Noob dial , Asian made dials , large profits being made , people being misled etc etc, but as partner , I invest half of the production costs and have records of every single invoice and payment received so it's time to state a few home truths for those who are bothered to know: - Every single step of the manufacturing of these dials is done in Switzerland , the only parts made in Asia are the Pre-V hands from Helenarou - which I purchased without lume many years ago. - If you take the money Rolli and I have invested and divided it by the number of dials we have each received from these projects - we have paid more than double per dial than what we sell them for ! - I conservatively estimate that Rolli has invested over 1000 hours of his own time in the last 12 months to make these projects a reality and paid meticulous attention to detail every step of the way. - In each production run , despite the highest standards and precautions, there are dials with flaws , so on these very small runs, the yield is far less than expected and as such there has not been enough dials to make a profit. - All the money that has been raised from sales , has been re-invested in the next dial production, which is why these dials are made WITHOUT pre-orders and requests for deposits from people. We actually don't want to take anyone's money until we're satisfied we have a dial ready so pay all the costs upfront ourselves. As FGD , I made hundred of dials and hands for the members of this forum and due to my inferior production methods was to able to offer these are far lower prices than Rolli's. In the end though, poor yields , production problems , delays and the deluge of PM's and emails you receive made me call it a day. I just could not get the standard of dial I and others wanted this way. Rolli took up the gauntlet and used his engineering and business skills to build a network of high end Swiss contacts and asked if I wanted to go into partnership with him. The results are what you see today. So there you have it . For those of you who have been great supporters , bought dials , gave advice but most of all enjoyed these projects , thank you. For those who want to b1tch and moan about someone's "charity" work then try Jack Warner , he's got a lot more questions to answer....... FGD

First of all, thank you for tolerating the numerous posts regarding this build. The whole build process is detailed here http://www.rwgforum.net/topic/176345-6538-build-progress-movement-discussion/ When I joined the forum, I always thought certain vintage Rolex models were out of my price range. I have been wearing a Rolex since 1987, but just bought a new one every few years and traded in the old one. I found this place doing research for a new Rolex; this was near the end of 2013. So initially I was just looking for information about the new models and stumbled on this forum and figured I could try out some rep models for minimal cost and figure out which gen I would buy. So over a few months I tried about every modern Rolex I liked the looks of—found out I really do not care much for modern Rolex’s. One thing happened that I did not expect, I became part of the community and started participating in discussions and became friends with some of the members here. I really had no idea that I was diving into a new “full time” hobby. As time went on I became more fascinated with the vintage models that members were building and displaying. This led to a few of my own vintage builds. Made some mistakes and had many learning experiences but have been mostly happy with the results. My wife notices how much peace and joy I get from being part of this community and the hobby and actually encourages the “watch thing” as long as I do not go into details about builds as that puts her to sleep. She thinks it is funny that I am a WIS… No one ever really notices my watches. About once of year I run into another WIS and talk watches but really as most of you know this hobby is for yourself and these communities. One of the models that really grabbed my attention was the 6538 Big Crown Submariner, always thought to be too expensive for me to ever afford. Mainly I am talking about Nanuq’s, CC’s and more recently Dbane’s builds. My first real reading as a kid was Ian Fleming’s Bond series and 007 and his 6538 have been favorites of mine for a very long time. I tend to like watches that are simple with no dates and minimal text/distractions. So I did some research and figured out to do one right it would take some knowledge, a lot of help, and it could easily exceed the cost of a nice gen Rolex. Being that I had never worn one, I decided to start with a more conservative approach and bought a nice modified HR 6538 to see how she felt and looked on the wrist. I was pretty much hooked from there. Right away I started doing more research and developed some connections with some of the great members here who had completed these builds. Developed a build plan and a spread sheet to track costs, and then started sourcing parts. Dbane helped throughout this process as for the most part I still an unsure at times of the authenticity of parts and what part is correct for what model. I am learning but always good to have another opinion. It took a while to source all the parts… Dbane is really responsible for putting this together. He has helped me throughout this project. He did the case shaping, the beautiful bevels, lumed the hands, had the movement serviced and did the complete assembly. He is an amazingly skilled and intelligent person who seems to take great pride in whatever he does whether it is building watches or handmade speakers. I have nicknamed him the “case whisperer”. Thank you my friend! Thanks to CC33 and Nanuq who shared their knowledge and experience freely and whose builds were initially responsible for the inspiration. This project was only possible because this forum exists. Specs: Minh Quy case set (mid case, bezel, case back) shaped by dbane and custom engraved by NeckyZips—serial number is period correct but has significant value to me. Genuine spec real gilt dial—hand produced by the nameless one Classic Watch Parts hands lumed by dbane Genuine cal 1030 movement fully serviced Genuine NOS 8mm crown, tube and stem Genuine T-17 dome plexi Genuine MKII long 5 insert. Genuine 7206 bracelet restored by Classic Watch Parts . Thank you so much for being here and for all the help on this project. I really find much enjoyment spending time and sharing with you. This is really the culmination of all the years of collecting watches and my time here so far. Needless to say, I am very happy with the way she turned out. The dial and hands reflect light like no watch I have had. Truly a work of art. I think Mr. Bond would approve. Pics coming from my phone:

I though i'd share this with you since this proved to be a very useful info for many people. I'm constantly getting pms asking what size is the strap for model z,y,x; will a strap x fit a watch y; will the diver buckle fit 44mm ROO strap and so on, so i decided to write a small memo. Diver strap (all divers from v2 onwards, including FC, Ceramic, QEII and fantasies) : width at the case is 28, taper to 24 at the buckle has oblong holes for the pin of about 7.5mm each. Noob and JF diver straps are interchangeable. Regular length is 115/75, XS 105/65 42mm noob straps: width at the case is 28 and then tapers to 18mm at the buckle (deployant) has round holes 2mm in diameter. Don't fit well on divers or Jf 42mm roos, so they are not interchangeable if you want a perfect fit. (isn't it the most important thing in a good strap ?) Regular length 105/70 novelty (SIHH 2014) 42mm from JF: width at the case 28, tapers to 20 at the buckle, has oblong holes for the buckle pin of about 5.5mm. So the buckle has the same style but it is narrower than diver buckle. 44mm ROOs(also schumis and GPs): width at the case is 30, tapers to 24, same buckle as the diver. Regular length - 115/75, XS 105/65 Feel free to add.

Last week I was luck enough to pick up a great MK3 FF Ghost Insert for my 1680 My wife knowing how much I loved the Diablo, surprised me with a Bulang & Sons Distressed Denim strap today as an early Fathers Day gift. Sorry for the horrible phone picture, but I'm waiting for a pearl from Dbane and once installed, I'll take some better pics with my DSLR.

So I just replaced the only aftermarket part left on my 1675; the crystal retaining ring. Before I put it on, thought I'd take a couple of comparison photos for those that care. Other than not fitting the bezel quite right, there some minor details that can help you with identifying a rep from the real thing. Tough to tell just by looking at it quickly: But under a loupe, the rep (on the right) is milled with slightly larger grooves. The gen on the left, is milled much finer and reflects light in a rainbow hue at certain angles: The underside of the gen is slightly beveled/chamfered where the rep is not: Now that it's installed, I feel much better now! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ha ha, I hear ya loud and clear. I've been having one of those days myself! [emoji1] [emoji106]

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PAM 604 in the sunshine for me! AJ

Haven't worn this one in a long time!! The "poor man's Big Crown" Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And they are available! Wooohooo!! Great

That looks great. Gilt gloss dial? Hard to beat the 1016, I have one mooded by Rolojack and I never take it off!

For me Miyota automatic is the most reliable these days, it´s a pity they don´t make a chronograph movement

Nice start! Welcome to the forum.

Well said FGD and Kilo. As a Franken builder and modder I am always seeking things to make my watches special. To take them to the next level. And the Rolli/FGD dials more than suceed in that mission. I have a tremendous amount of reverence and repect for the amount of time and MONEY that's invested by R and S in these projects. If you feel the need to troll or poke the bear keep that in mind. How would you feel if you had just invested tens of thousands of Euro and years developing contacts to produce these gorgeous dials... Probably a little defensive. Let's keep it positive (on both sides) and have a little respect for the effort invested.

Studying with my Tudor 7928 on the wrist

I just re-read the whole thread and what I see here is a parade of grumpy egos, nothing less nothing more. Sad to see this coming from long, established and reputable members. On the other hand it's funny how those who defend rolli are those who bought his dials and those who detract him are those who didn't. Is that really a coincidence? I could care less to compare 20.000 pics that are shot in different light conditions, with different cameras, lenses and distance from the object, enlarged or shrunk to appear the same resolution when they aren't, and besides showing dials of different series. Even in the same series a very tiny variation in the finer detail is possible, even for the mighty swiss makers. The indices appear to be fatter than some of the gen pics shown, so what? This remains the absolute best result achieved so far in replicating a 000 dial. You might want to buy it or not, nobody is forcing anyone. Fact is that every batch has been sold out despite this awful job of bashing the seller. I get that rolli could reply in a less harsh way, but I also get he dedicated years (and most likely a discrete sum of money) to achieve these results and sell them to a few enthusiasts, not to defend himself from these repeated accusations. Please stop the mud slinging and enjoy the hobby

5512 on "9315" bracelet. Will probably keep it this way for the summer.

Most of the reps sold by trusted dealer can go in the water and even diving, I took a Tudor last month to Belize to 133 feet into the blue hole. I have dove with omega, Rolex sub and sea dweller 1665, bretling, omega, panerai even gmt Rolex. none of them have an issue going under water and I am not talking about a shower.

Another Big Dazza masterpiece!

Spectacular!

First off, you used the word "tolerating" in your opening sentence. My friend, we are all honored and blessed to be right there experiencing this masterpiece along side you. Seriously, reading all of the updates and seeing the pics of the various parts, reading about the process you went through to source them, and watching this all come together was very exciting for me and everyone else, I'm sure. I got a chance to live vicariously through you, and this really helps define the goal I have for my own grail. If my business were back to where it was pre-recession, I guaranty you I would have taken on this very same project. Without a doubt, this is on my grail list and I know for a fact I am going to do this at some point. I just wish it was now. Enjoy this beauty and please, please, please keep sharing pics of it. I will never grow tired of seeing this.

Their site is swiss3awatches Do not buy from this shop. They use descriptions full of lies. I bought a watch from them and paid 372$ expecting a 1:1 perfect rep of a Portuguese. The description and the pictures made me think so. I did get the watch but it is like a much cheaper average rep. It looks much different than the pictures they are displaying (I think they are using pictures of the gen). It says Swiss standard AR coating. Mine doesn't have any AR coating. Seconds and power reserve circles are in wrong place compared to their pictures. They charged me at least 150$ more telling lies in their descriptions. And they don't reply to messages.

Looks great What a nice watch

interesting... I actually find the phong and MQ bezels a hair too wide for gen inserts.. so my guess is that the OD of the Yuki's are slightly wide... if you have a caliper, measure the OD.. It should be around 36.55mm. If its 37.00+, then it will require some trimming. Alternatively, you could slighlty bend the inside of the insert higher, so that the insert becomes more "conical". As a result, the OD will become slightly narrower and might fit then. If that doesnt work, fall back to Option A and trim it slightly... you might have to trim both the OD as well as the bottom to top thickness but sliding it flat on some 800-1200 grit paper. Rather you mod the rep insert than one of your bezels.

Well, I think I have taken this engraving project as far as I'm financially able to. I feel it should satisfy 90% of the folks that want some lug engraving at about half the Phong price and for the other 10% I envy you for having more money laying around than you know what to do with! Here's my final results: