Virgil Hilts

If anyone is interested in the MM, I may be induced to part with it. PM me if you are.

Does anyone have a good source for a vintage 6152-1 crown guard? I'm looking for one with the "peak" on the inner part of the top of the guard. The DSN, etc, ones don't have it. Any help would be hugely appreciated.

I believe the watch in Goldfinger was director Guy Hamilton's.

PM me with your questions and I'll be glad to give you whatever information I can. VDBroucke, a member here did the work. He's very good.

Here are some pics of my shiny old vintage 6152-1 Pannys. Just got 'em today. Overall, I'm very happy. VDB does fantastic work. The vintagizing (yeah, it's a word now) is top-notch, especially the dials. I love the aged brown on the Luminor. The MM has a Mod. Dep. buckle. And of course, vintage leather straps, nice and thick. The movement in the Luminor is a genuine Cortebert with re-engraved bridge. Works great. Runs like a top. As for disappointments, I'm a little disappointed with the crown guards not having the "peak" on the inside of the top. The MM crown guard is way too thin. And the font on the display-back bezel is pretty bad, as is the engraving. Hoping to work those out - if anyone has better vintage crown guards, please let me know. And the solid case-back was supposed to be engraved, which I'm sure was just an oversight I'm sure we can sort out. I can't recommend VDB highly enough. Bit of a language barrier, but his work is spectacular. Hope you enjoy the pics. Comments and suggestions always welcome.

REP THE VINTAGE. No datewheel. No lume issues. A little aging and...Robert's your Father's Brother.

Ugliest. Watch. Ever. Ok, maybe not, but it's in the semi-finals.

Wow. You get a free bowl of soup with that Concord? Clown watch.

That is one of the single most unattractive watches I've ever seen. This size/complication thing is literally getting out of hand.

Hey, whatever happened to this project?

Sent some more $$. All y'all who have benefitted in any way, shape or form from this forum, you better send some dough. Bad watch karma if you don't.

No datewheel? Orange hand? SOMEONE MAKE THIS SUCKER NOW. That is all.

My guess? Alien blood.

Man, I love this place. You guys are great. Thanks so much for the kind offer, R, but another member has already offered to swap my Cort winding gear for his plain one. I figure we both help each other that way. Hopefully, I'll get my VDB MM Destro in the next week or so to hold me over until he works his magic with this one. I'll be sure to take plenty of pics once they arrive.

The project is to build a watch as close as possible to this gen 6152-1. Thought about a 3646, but I'm not really that big a fan. Loves me the gigantic crown guards. Faded tobacco dial. Properly aged. Big 'ol plexi. Brevettato display back. Engrave "Rolex" on the bridge. Swap out "Cortebert" winding wheel with plain one. Here's the gen: Here's a shot to see just how brown the dial is:

Thank you eBay Turkey. As in the country, not the seller. Grail project on the horizon. Time for VDB to work some magic. Oh, and that sound you hear is my bank account emptying.

Do you have the ebay listing still? I'd love to see how that one snuck on. Unbelievable score. Can wait to see the Uber-Frank.

That, my friend, is some funny, funny [censored].

I'll trade you straight up for some magic beans.

I'm having VDB make me a vintage 6152-1 MM Destro. I'm also starting to dream about a Cortebert/Rollie/Angelus-powered 6152-1 with a tobacco Luminor Panerai Dial and Grail-like vintage accuracy. I'm willing to sell just about every rep I have (except my VJ72 Daytona), or maybe even my Gen Tank Francaise to get it. If anyone's got one they want to sell... But most of all, I hope to get MY DAMN GEN 5512 BACK FROM MY WATCH GUY. HE'S HAD IT SIX @#$^% MONTHS.

Ok, here's the deal. If it can be definitively proved that our watches are being made with underage labor, I'm done with the rep game in Asia. We can rationalize all we want, but if the tables were turned, we wouldn't want our children doing those jobs. It really is that cut and dried. I'm not a Pollyanna and I know that the act of one person won't make a difference, but we all have to draw the line somewhere. This is where I draw mine.

No worries, Sir. Sent you an email.

Also, thanks to Porsche356A for a great watch at a great price from a great member.

Freddy, Thanks for the good wishes. Very happy with the watches. But that dial is gonna drive me nuts. I've got a regular 6263 DW dial I'll put in there until I can find an exotic I'm happy with. The minutes totalizer isn't resetting to 30 all the way - not a big shock with the MM's. I'll be sending this one to The Zigmeister, too, I suppose. I also have an extra, failed MM for parts...doesn't everyone? Here's a picture of the donor VJ23 case. It was a vintage Croton Chronomaster which definitely had the VJ23. As you can see, it's asymmetrical. The movement is in the DW and I can't get the case back off right now. If it won't fit in this case, maybe it'll fit in the DW I just picked up. Either way, they're headed to The Great White North. Thanks CBR! Man, I love this place.

Hey, all. Just got the DW Daytona that Porsche356A sold me last week. Thought I'd post a few pics of the collection. The PN dial with the black minute markers is the new one. It's got a MM that's still keeping good time. Whew. The middle one is my baby, a VJ72, non-DW case with Timeman dial and a rally strap with gen buckle. The third one is a VJ23 project that still needs work. My watch repair guy here couldn't get the chrono pushers to line up with the movement. So either he's not that good (which I'm inclined to believe - he didn't even put the right subhands on the thing) or the guy who sold me the watch wasn't truthful about it being a DW case. Either way, it's going to find it's way up to Canada for some Zig love this summer, I hope. If anyone has a spare 6239 dial they'd like to sell, please let me know (Tony, I'm looking at you, bro). I also need a stainless tach bezel (or two). I've got a gen Tropic to put in the 6239. Also, isn't the black on white minute-marker dial a fantasy dial? I've never seen that on a gen. It's usually white minute-markers on a black background. Anyway, enjoy the pics.