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1665 today

I received my gen 703 crown today from eBay. Unfortunately for @themannier, myself or anyone else with high hopes, the gen 703 crown will not fit on the stock MBW tube, nor on the Athaya tube. The thread is wider then both. Even though the Athaya tube is wider then the MBW, it still isn't quite wide enough. This is all true unless I managed to get an incorrect crown but I don't believe that is the case. Look wise though IMO the Athaya from the outside is very close to the gen crown and I think it is a suitable part to use in place of a gen. I think it's best to save the $100+ to be spent in a better way on your build. Here are some comparison pictures: Athena Tube (left with crown) vs MBW (right no caseback) Athaya Crown MBW Crown Gen 703 MBW with stem vs Gen Athaya with stem vs Gen Athaya (left), Gen, MBW (right)

187 on blue logo rubber

New dial and hands installed!!!

Avoid. Stick to our Dealers.

Good catch

From the Legend himself

I like the Perlon

Lol i cant believe you fell for this...thoese are obviuosly gen pateks. Why nobody has spoken up yet? dont expect any package ever. As suggested try contacting your credit card company.

I still have one of his old original 6263's... With the V23-esque mystery movement... It's currently got about an inch of dust layered on it

"I wonder if spring bars for Rolex datejust 16014 will fit into the stock case?" Yes they will work. They are .9mm at the tips and the tube is 1.8mm in diameter. One tip has a 1.25mm shoulder and the other end does not, it's .9mm all the way. The shoulder should rest against the inside of the lug but if the lug holes are a little bit oversize, the shoulder may go into the lug and cause the tip of the spring bar to stick out of the lug and you will need to trim it. Submariner spring bars have 1.2mm tips and 2.0mm tubes so I usually drill lug holes out to 1.3mm to make a little extra 'wiggle room' because many (if not most) hood/bracelet combinations are not made to exact spec...1.2mm is too tight, 1.25 will work if everything lines up but 1.3mm makes it easier to r/r bracelets. You can also slightly taper the lug holes on the insides of the lugs when using submariner spring bars to help guide the tips into the lugs but do not taper them when using DJ spring bars. Do not cut any taper at all on the outside holes in the lugs and polish any burrs left on the outsides from drilling by sanding the sides of the lugs with 600-1000-2000 etc wet or dry sandpaper under running water with the sandpaper folded over or glued to a flat, rigid sanding stick. Also be careful not to sand into the bevels on the lug tops. A small flat aluminum bar about 10 or 12mm wide, 5 or 6mm thick, and 100 mm long +/- makes a good sanding stick as it is flat and rigid. You can usually find aluminum bar stock at Home Depot, hardware stores etc. Do not use steel as it will really put a gash in a case if you slip. All my MBK cases needed to be drilled and if you drill the lugs out, make sure none of the holes are too close to the bottom or top of the lugs. MBK cases are really good about being centered but it is always something to look for. I have seen a lot of cases ruined by enlarging lug holes that were already too close to an edge.

My take on the rolex... "Who'd wanna buy a steel no date sub for over $10K?" ...when you can get a TC 16610 for under $600. Condo = a con man after your dough. All kidding aside now might be a good time to buy a condo in Canada.

Good idea, Arch! I decided to keep this breakout rather simple, with just a brief run down on things I have observed with each model's genuine counterpart occuring in the market and how they relate to the reps. For the 1680's... -Red font - The red 1680 is still priced somewhat affordably, so seeing one isn't impossible, though most collectors know that the fakes are typically of this dial variation. There are some key details (specifically on the dial) with this one that identify it as a replica; hence even more reason why I like the white font variation better. -White font - Most plausible, and easier to replicate using a genuine dial (white font dials are easier to find, and less expensive). This one can be made 99% (in my opinion). For the 1665's... -DRSD - Most desirable, though more common through 6 dial variations and longer run of production. Again, slight dial descrepancies exist that make it easy to identify as a replica. -White font - Rarer in terms of actual numbers; shorter production run and a good portion of the white font dials have been swapped out to create DRSD's. This dial variant is not as desired as the DRSD, but is my preferred dial of choice due to it's plausibility. -SRSD - The rarest of the bunch, though not even closely plausible; case is wrong, dial is wrong, and seeing as how there are very, very few in circulation, this is one that is ridiculous to pull off in terms of credibility. -COMEX - Along the same lines of the SRSD, this one is so rare and valuable that it is extremely difficult to be convincing. Aside from the fact that the dial and caseback is again, incorrect, this one just says fake at a glance to those who know. No Dates... 5512 - As a watch that can still be found relatively easily on the market, the 5512 continues to represent a bargain in terms of vintage rolex watches, as it's at a price point that is still relatively affordable. 5513 - The 5513 is a fairly common watch as of current, with an extremely long production run until the late 80's. This watch is also very affordable, and available at a price that signifies a true entry level into the market of vintage Rolex. Hope this helps! Best, R