automatico

Genuine T/H Link...

Ham Day! Hamilton 7750 Khaki chrono... NOS titanium Hamilton 'Code Breaker'... Hamilton Electrics from the 1950s/1960s... The Hamilton Electric Watch was introduced January 3rd, 1957 at the Savoy Plaza Hotel in New York City. Do they still run? You gotta be kiddin'.

"Lots of guys wear a "toy watch" in chambers between active shifts so they can retain a little sanity, keeping a connection with the outside world." I can believe it. I would go the rest of the way nuts in an underwater pressure cooker. The deep water kid lasted 10 or 12 years before he quit for good. He said the stress and danger was not worth the $$ to him after he got married and I can't blame him. He was a cool kid, one of my wife's favorite students in the fourth grade and I got to know him when he came by, still in High School, every week or two wanting to ride or buy my 'nos' Cagiva Alazurra aka 'Fake Ducati'. I couldn't let him ride it because it would no longer be 'nos' (it had never been titled or prepped) and he did not have any $$ to buy it. He took off to California for dive training after HS and I sold the (still nos) fake Duck to a museum. Have not seen him in a few years. Rest of the Cagiva story: A few years back a guy called and asked if I owned a Cagiva 650. I told him I had one in 1987 but sold it to a museum. He said he bought it from the museum and the bill of sale was in my name and it had never been registered. He mailed the MSO etc to me and I registered it and 'sold' it to him for $1, thirty years after I bought it new. I sold a 'nos' yellow/black 'Kenny Roberts' Yamaha RZ 350 to the museum at the same time but do not know what happened to it. Had a black 1977 Suzuki 750 Le Mans aka 'Water Buffalo' at the same time with 3000 miles on it but the museum buyer did not have room in his trailer for it. The Suz had a Walter Strader 3 into 1 expansion chamber, Koni rear shocks, flat bars etc. I could post a list of the MC I have owned but no one would believe it. I have zero now. A friend offered me his low mileage HD 'Garbage Wagon' (free!) but I declined...too big and heavy, could not hold it up. Had a Yamaha Royal Star with the 'full kit' and that was bad enough. All my so-called friends called it 'The Good Humor Ice Cream Truck' when I rode it because it was Big and white. Garbage Wagon = full touring kit...shinweild, battlesags etc. Here is a Cagiva exactly like the one I had: Here is a 1985 'KR' RZ: Royal Star...Ha!

"...you don’t need a 300 metre depth rating on your watch because you will be using a proper dive computer and not an obsolete piece of man jewelry." True. A friend was a certified sat/deep water diver/welder and the company he worked for said if they caught anyone wearing a 'toy dive watch' on the job they would be suspended for X number of days. He wore a company supplied dive computer when needed. He was told 'toy dive watches' were for off duty when hitting 'dive bars' looking for _____. Fill in the blank. Had another friend that did a lot of recreational diving and he wore a Jules Borel Mallard 'Dura Diver' quartz watch.

"I brought a genuine Franck Muller like that back from the UK and was walking on eggshells for awhile, those bloody things are EXPENSIVE!!" I guarantee mine to be 100% replicas. Ha! I have gathered up a lot of this stuff over the years and admit to being a 'replica collector' of a sort. FM Watchland was running a high profit scam until they got busted in the early 2000s. For one, they got caught putting fancied up Russian Poljot chronograph movements in some/many of the watches along with various other scams. Most of the info has been taken down in the past 18+ years but some of it can still be found. Here is some FM info posted on The Ripoff Report: Ripoff Report | Montres Franck Muller Review - Geneve, New York A big swiss watch robbery/scam: Arrest of Jaquet S.A. boss stirs Swiss watch business – JCK (jckonline.com) Here is a link to a You Tube video about the Jaquet robbery/scam (I posted about this scam a few years back). It starts around the 3:50 mark and again around the 10:00 mark. Fake Rolex Watches & Stolen Gold: The Jaquet Affair And Watchmaking's Greatest Scandal - Bing video

"Wow, pretty." Thanks! They'd be 'pretty' up north and 'purty' down south. Ha! I forgot to add...they're not genuine, I'll add it up top. I will dig a few more of my greatest hits misses out as time goes by. I kept a lot of it. I do not know why. My wife calls me a hoarder. I told her I stopped runnin' 'round.

"Don't you wish you would have bought a box of em?" I bought a few dials back when they were affordable but did not buy enough judging by today's prices. Same for trit hands etc. A couple guys at a watch show in Orlando FL were buying 162xx watches and removing the movements/dials and selling the cases and bracelets cheap. That's where my 162xx cases came from. Bought 4 iirc, should have bought a dozen. Btw...where you been? I'm wearing a JMB '1016' right now.

There are quite a few stray rep-mutts in my 'collection'. Stray rep-mutts = oddball watches that no one wanted. Here are three I've been feeding for 10 or 12 years... Anyone else feeding stray mutts?

"The Gen clasp is actually thinner gauge and a hair longer." Something else... Genuine clasp caps should have seven adjustment holes and many replicas will have six. There will be exceptions no doubt as I have seen a few old rivet oysters with six adjustment holes.

I first put this in 'Gen Wristies' but it is not really genuine enough to qualify so I moved it here. Ebel SS/18KYG 'Sport Classic'... Specs...came with a worn/short metal bracelet screwed to the case and I cut the metal web between the lugs away, drilled spring bar holes, and mounted a strap. It needed a crown and all I had was a Cartier 'blue cabochon' crown and since Ebel made many Cartier watches back then, they used same case tube so a Cartier crown fits. High $$ Ebel/Cart movement was toast so I stuck an ETA 256.031/2 in it after removing the dial feet. It has to be a very thin movement with the detent button under the dial so this movement was one of very few that would work because of the detent location and the watch being only 5.1mm thick. To change the batt...remove the 5 gold screws, bezel, and crystal. Remove the hands and pull the dial off with Rodico. Push the detent button and remove the stem/crown, drop the movement out and r/r the (315) batt, and put it all back together. This project was started in 2007, put away, and finished in 2013.

Old Yeller with Glow dial. This watch has been around since 1994 has been 100% reliable. It now sports a new aftmkt bezel and strap plus a new crystal.

"Hi, can you help me to identify if this bracelet is genuine??" I have been fooled too many times to say 'genuine or replica' but you might go to this address and compare your bracelet with supposedly genuine examples. You can go to the seller's site on any bracelet pictured to see if the seller is more than likely legit or not. Folded Oyster Bracelets... Regular Clasp = Bracelet Code: 7835/7836 Bracelet End Link Width: 19mm/20mm Introduction Year: 1967 Folded with Diver Clasp = Bracelet Code: 9315 Bracelet End Link Width: 20mm Introduction Year: 1969 Folded with Diver Clasp (Sea-Dweller) = Bracelet Code: 9316 Bracelet End Link Width: 20mm (Sea-Dweller) Introduction Year: 1969 I will say it looks like the bracelet has been screwed with quite a bit and if it is in your possession, scrub it vigorously with a brush in hot soapy water.

Imho a fair price for a first class aftmkt 1016 dial should be between $125 and $250. 'High line' replica dials may go much higher but the quality may or may not be much better. The dial in your pic is probably toward the lower end of the price scale as the lume looks like it was applied with a putty knife...imho. Below is an average or slightly above average example that sold recently on eBay: ~ Vintage Rolex #1016 EXPLORER I Matte Black Repaired Dial ~ Pre-Owned $191.00 or Best Offer +$19.80 shipping from Canada Genuine examples go from $200 for a scrapper to $2K or more for a 90% condition trit dial. I have seen a few very good used later 1016 Luminova dials with the SWISS-T<25 scrip at 6 going for $1000 or less and that is not really a bad price in today's market. The 'tritiluma' dials I have seen had the rolex coronet stamped on the back side along with rolex spelled out. I've seen maybe a dozen. These dials were made after rolex bought Beyeler Dial Co out. My guess is a few have been sold as being tritium to unsuspecting buyers at watch shows, on the 'net etc. Afaik they are still available with 'swiss made' at 6. From Bob's Watches com: In 2000 Rolex purchased the dial producer, Beyeler and now makes all of their dials in-house. While Singer and Rolex may no longer have any business together, their historically important relationship not only paved the way for today’s thriving vintage Daytona market, but it was also responsible for the world’s most expensive wristwatch. The 1002 case is 34mm and has a smaller dial than a 36mm 1016 case. I stuck a 1003 (same as 1002) together with a Yuki 'Air King Explorer' dial and it turned out pretty good (details below). Updated 1-11-22... Dial sizes... AK 5500 27.0mm. OPD 1500, 15000, 152xx etc 26.9mm. AK spec dials should work in 1002/3 and OPD cases. Rlx 16xx, 160xx, 162xx, 1016 and some other 36mm models have 27.9mm dials. I measured the dial seat outside diameter in a genuine rlx 16220 case and it is 28.0mm. I used a case like this in 1997 to stick a '1016' together with a rlx no date 1570, genuine 1016 dial, and used oem 1016 bezel and a GS PA 464-66 crystal (same as rlx T22 with 'sharp top edge'. I drilled the lug holes to work with 1016 spring bars and there is plenty room to do this in a low mileage 'unpolished' 162xx case. The L852xxxx case came with lug holes so all I had to do was enlarge them. Just for fun, here is what I paid for the parts back then... 'Like New' 16220 case...$150. Tritium 1016 dial...$67. Genuine tritium hands...$28. Used genuine 1016 bezel...$50. Movement...$650 for a running tutone 1005 OP watch on a strap. This was the 'trading price' the guy was asking for it. After trading it was less...I traded another 16200 case ($150) with an ETA 2824 etc on a leather strap, probably around $400 total. Iirc, I still have the 1005 case and bezel somewhere, they might be in the box of cases under the first pic. Btw...it is Against The Law! now in Genuine-Rolex-Looney-Land to use the terms 'Unpolished' and 'Like New' but for some obtuse reason 'Laser Welded, Ground Down, and Re-Polished' is Ok. Rolex 34mm 1003 case made first quarter 1964 with cal 1560 chronometer movement. Yuki dial/hands with 'round top edge' GS PA 459-37 crystal (same as older rlx Tropic 11). ZRC leather strap with .925 Sterling silver buckle, oem spec spring bars and oem case tube/crown. Finished in May 2014, unworn since then.

"...a Frankenstein is a mix of genuine and aftermarket/replica parts. That's how I see it." Me too, but it needs more than a crown or crystal imho. Something else: Older AK 5500, 5513, gold filled oyster snap-back look-alikes etc came with non-chronometer 1520 movements without serial numbers so anyone can buy one of the earlier cases and put a no number movement in the case with genuine dial/hands and get by with claiming it is '100% genuine and original' because there is no way to prove it is not 100% G&O. I have an old 5500AK with a no number 17 jewel 1520 (25 year presentation watch in 1972) and my guess it is 100% G&O but no way to prove it. Besides that, it has a 1002 case back like some AKs came with but many Rolex Purists do not know that. A Purist might call it a 'geninstein' and run away screaming into the night. Here is an example: "Rolex Airking Precision in stainless steel on an Oyster link bracelet with factory original black stick dial. Movement caliber 1520, automatic 17 jewels with caseback Ref. 1002 & case Ref. 5500. Sweep seconds. 34 mm case size. With box & original Bucherer sales receipt. Ref 5500/1002. Circa 1981." Used Rolex Air King "Precision" 5500/1002 Stainless Steel Black dial 3 (grayandsons.com) Info on 5500/1002 cases: For Your Reference: Rolex Air-King Reference 5500 — Rescapement. Have a 34mm 1002 with 1560 and Yuki 'explorer' dial/ST hands. Is it a Genuine or a Frankenstein? It may be a Frankenstein but that sorry Rhyme is Gen-u-wine.

"Been about two years trying to get this watch together." It took me about that long to put my 'shortcut 1655' together but if it was done with nothing else going on, it probably took at least 60 hours. Have another '1655' project with a J$Wcom case/dial and all correct 1575GMT movement and it has been on the back burner for about 11 years. Maybe I will finish it this winter.

"But then we have the term geninstein lol what constitutes as a geninstein?" You ask some hard questions. This might be pretty close... Or not, thought you said gininstein. It's all gone, but there was some of this left...

"I think this may be my issue on the thickness. Or maybe something along those lines." "This movement has been working in another GMT Watch it’s a genuine GMT movement, but I changed the date wheel to the open 6 and 9 for the 1655 and then it started to act funny on the date change." The DW are the same for GMT, 1680, DJ etc, p/n 7961 but aftmkt DWs may not be exactly on spec. My 'shortcut 1655' has an aftmkt DW and it does not flip all at once but goes about half way at 12 but it is always centered the next morning so I left it alone. Mine may be a weak 'calendar yoke spring' but I do not want to r/r the hands and dial to get to it. Lay the DW on a sheet of glass or flat metal and see if it is flat to begin with because it does not take much to hang them up. Something else that can cause the DW to hang up is if the inside diameter of an aftmkt (or genuine) DW has rough leaves (aka teeth) and it hangs up when the little index arm tries to center it after a change. This might also be the cause of mine hanging up. If the teeth are rough, you can roll a piece of 1000 or 1500 sandpaper on a toothpick and run it through the gaps in the teeth and roll it over the teeth to smooth them down a little. If the numbers do not center in the dial window after the date changes, you can adjust the little screw on the end of the index spring/arm to center the numbers.

Something I wonder about concerning Frankensteins... Is a 1970s rlx 55xx/1680/1655/DJ etc still 'all rolex' with a replacement '444' or '777' case? It may be 'all rlx'...but it sure ain't 'all original'. Where do the 'genuine' rlx replacement cases come from anyway? The few 55xx/1680 examples I have seen could be from Yuki etc a few years back with the '444' prefix special ordered for all I know. If the owner does not have 'official rlx documentation' how would anyone know for sure? My guess is...there ain't no way. Is a '444' case with everything else original really 'worth' as much as the same guts in a Yuki/Phong/Ruby etc case? Not in a sane world it ain't. Imho.

I looked at a genuine rlx 1565/1575 GMT DW spacer ring and it does have the small crimp exactly like yours. A genuine rlx 1565/1575 date movement spacer ring also has the small crimp. Iirc a 1565/1575 date spacer is .9mm thick and the 1565/1575 GMT spacer is 1.0mm. I can look at them again tomorrow if you need the measurements. The GMT DW spacer has to be a little bit thicker so the dial will clear the 24H wheel etc.

AG: "A Swiss 2836-2 can be modified (typically by the chinese) into a GMT- this should be a little more reliable than the asian clone 2836-2 GMT." I have owned a few of them with swiss ETA 2836 and Asian 24H conversions plus a few 100% Asian 2836GMT clones. The hand stack was 24H 12H, M, Sec from dial up and the 24H hand was not adjustable on any of mine. All were trouble free except the swiss models are a pain to install a DWO because of not having much room between components. You also may need to trim one of the DW hold down plates just a hair or use one from a clone. It is easy to do using the clone part for a pattern. My Asian GMT clones came with rlx type numbers already printed on the date wheel. Afaik you can swap the 24H parts (and probably the DW) from an Asian 28xx etaclone GMT to a swiss ETA 2836 as I have done it a few times. You need to use a swiss ETA 2836 or etaclone 2836 base movement so there will be enough space between the 24H hand and dial and 24H and 12H hand...2836 has taller CP etc. The 2836 types also have dates that flip immediately, not gradually. Never worked on a swiss ETA 2836 GMT with an adjustable 24H hand. The ETA 2893-2 is a factory GMT but they are $300 and up new. AG: "The DG 3804 is a chinese GMT- I've got a couple that have hung in there well." I've had good luck with them too. They are aggravating to work on because the fit and finish is not too hot but they are tough and reliable. Turn the crown in one direction (in the first notch) to change the date and the opposite direction to advance the 24H hand. Do not know if the 24H hand drive gives trouble when reset over and over or not.

"I wonder where can I find a Frankenstein (GMF) watches do you know any TD who sells it?" When I posted the lead on this thread three years ago a 'GMF' vintage rlx 55xx was still somewhat affordable. It is most likely not that way now because of the rapid rise in rlx 15xx movement prices. A 1520/60/70 rlx movement could be found three years ago for around $1200 in good running order but the same thing today is often $2000 or more and may not be in very good condition. This makes a '5512/13/1680' GMF-stein go up over $3000 counting a high grade case, dial, and a pretty good bracelet...plus labor if you can not do it all yourself. Keep an eye on the 'for sale' posts and maybe one will show up, complete or a project with most or all of the critical parts. Other than that, some parts dealers have complete GMF watches for sale but they are highly priced. Btw...the '5512 GMF' mentioned above now has a nos ETA 2879 in it and it performs about the same as before and is more reliable in the long run because of the worsening rlx part$ situation. This makes a similar watch project cost around $1200 or $1500 instead of around $3000 and it looks exactly the same. Modern rlx watch projects are quite a bit different because good cases can be found for around $75 to $100 and 3135 clone movements are $200 or so. They are a different kettle of fish, like sardines compared to New Zealand King $almon. Ha!

Rule of Highly respected brand name watches...200M = 200 Meters Vertically, under water. No name watches/most replicas...200M = 200 Meters From The Boat Dock Horizontally, above water. All kidding aside, I have not (knock on wood) had a rlx type acryic or sapphire case leak after resealing (or replacing) the case tube/crown, crystal, and gaskets. One exception is case corrosion...it might not leak today but it never gets better. All cases were tested at 90psi to 100psi without the movement after lubricating the gaskets/case back threads with Krytox etc. Always perform the first test w/o the movement because with 'Dunkin' Donut' type water testers...any small leak can sometimes blow the crystal off and flood the case. Also with 'DD' type testers...properly working He valves will usually let air bubbles OUT at first if there is a leak, sometimes followed by water if the case is not pulled out of the water quickly. Defective He valves may let water IN. He valves can be a problem if not maintained, checked for corrosion and gasket defects.

"I am really intrigued with the idea of getting a nice Rolex clone movement and modding the outside in the same way...a unique watch that keeps precise time (+/- 6 seconds per day....max -10/+15 seconds per day, plus hacking) and does not require a safe to store it." There are a few different rlx 3135 Chinaclones and iirc one in particular stands out and the others fall by the wayside. I have never owned or been inside one and this is from remembering some of what I have read...you might read back in the older posts and see what's what. Besides that, most need cleaning/oiling upon delivery and this is not going to be inexpensive and many/most repair shops will not work on them. Since there are no spare parts available for these movements, sooner or later no parts = a non-running watch. A few genuine parts may work but genuine rlx parts = $$. "ETA will likely keep better time than a Chinese clone if you’re that way inclined." I agree. Many of the Chinaclones of any type can turn out to be junk (putting it politely). China 28xx etaclones are hit and miss and the only parts I have had much luck with are the auto wind assemblies. Nuc's Seiko advice is a safe route to take and will not start you out on the wrong track. Starting out with a rlx 3135 Chinaclone dud can sour you on the whole experience. A swiss ETA is also a good choice and since the prices have gone waay up on them you might look for one in a nos or 'like new' watch from the 1980s/1990s at a lower price than a new 28xx ETA movement. Nos ETA etc movements usually need c/o but any competent watch mechanic can work on them. Ask friends and relatives if they know a retired watch repair guy and see if one might still be working at home. That way you will not get the 'doctor price'. Franchise mall stores/chrome and glass sideshows etc usually charge too much for repairs because they farm the work out and add 40 or 50 percent for their trouble. 'C & G Sideshows' = the average jewelry store that sells a few (mostly quartz) watch brands and advertises 'we repair all brands'. Few will have a repair guy on site other than an employee who changes watch batts armed with a dull case knife and hammer. Ask them what color of 'Rodico' they like best (green or blue) to test their expertise. Ha! I like blue but my 'specialty' is watch-botching. "Boy, welcome to the rabbit hole." Frame these Wise Words and mount them on the wall.

Superfine Daytona! Hang on to it. I missed my chance to buy one new years ago when they cost a whole lot less and I could afford one. Bought a 1603 and did not wear it much at all, the last time was over 40 years ago. Missed an affordable used vintage Daytona in the mid 1990s.

"Ho Ho Hoooooooooo!!! Merrrrrrry Christmas!" Back atcha! No snow here, partly cloudy and 60 degrees. Downright balmy for the second day of winter.