automatico

"I know the rep casebacks won't fit a genuine 1680, if that helps."

 

Yep, and I tried 8 or 10 replica DJ case backs on a 1601 case and every one had threads smaller than the 1601 case.  Even tried a couple repsub case backs and the threads were also too small.

Tried a rep 'tooter' case back for a 36mm toot and it was same as the rep DJ except for the writing on the back.

Found a tutone DJ look-alike with 'Bubbles' on the dial and the back will screw down on the 1601 case but the threads seem to be a hair small so I did not try to tighten it.  If you want it, send a mailing address...USA only.

 

Btw...I always lightly lubricate case back threads after I had a 16xxx DJ case back seize up solid on a case many years ago.  Finally got it to turn loose in a Bergeon 5700 case back remover but the threads stripped.  Hard to believe how tight it was stuck, it screwed down like normal except for about half a turn.

I use Chemours Krytox 205 on the threads and gasket.  You can find it reasonably priced on eBay, Amazon etc.

 

 

Product Description

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"...natural ageing is more than just scratches and dents!!  It is not just mechanical but chemical as well."

 

You have a good point there.

 

No one would believe how many genuine vintage and modern rolex watches I have owned over the past 40+ years so I won't say but I have seen a lot of high mileage rolex watches up close and almost all of them seemed to be 'comfortable with their condition' for want of a better term. 

Not many of them have suffered damage indicating a catastrophic event.  The ageing nearly always appears to be unremarkable and totally random with years of accumulated nicks and scratches providing a natural patina.

 

Most of the serious damage has been from case corrosion, not rough usage.  In some instances the watch was not good for wear around water and I had a 16xx DJ with a hole all the way through the case under the bezel from corrosion.  Other than the hole, the case looked pretty good with only mild corrosion between the lugs and in the case back gasket area.

Moderate cosmetic damage has not been a deep concern to me but I usually pass on buying severely damaged watches unless they are cheap enough to use for parts. 

 

I have seen quite a few DJ type cases with lugs that were slightly spread or tweaked together though.  How they got that way I'll never know.  Also saw a few that would rock quite a bit when placed on a flat surface because one or more of the lugs was bent up or down.  No idea how this happened either.

 

I only had one rolex case laser welded because of damage and it was a 14k gold case that had been chewed up between the lugs by a Speidel Twist-O-Flex bracelet with spring loaded end links.  I have seen a lot of vintage gold case dress watches with 'Speidelitis' but the ongoing 'Gold Rush' has really thinned them out.  

 

 

'Thinned out'.  Literally.  Like a guy I know who buys scrap gold flattens watch cases etc with a body shop hammer to save space when he ships 'scrap gold' out to be melted. 

Not many watch cases are showing up now. 

"My 1655 attempt with low budget."

 

It does not look low budget to me. 

 

My 'shortcut' 1655 is also low budget except for the movement.  The watch I started out with had a DG 3804 in it.  It was oem spec inside the case and I already had most of the movement parts so the project took off from there.

First time I tried the 1575 movement in the cartel case it would not slip into the case but a day or two later I tried again and it went right in.  I did not have the movement level the first time and it stuck in the case.

"Also for the Vietnam bezel is necessary shave down the cartel and also the gen spec plexi sternutz or whatever the name is..."

 

I will probably end up using an aftmkt crystal that fits the case neck properly and polish the OD of the crystal down so the 'too tight' bezel will slip down over it.  I have a few crystals that fit this description and I will mount them on an empty case and sand and polish the OD down to fit.  I mount an empty case in a lathe with the crystal pushed down over the case neck and sand/polish it while it spins.  The crystals almost always fit the case neck tight enough to stay on but if the crystal is too loose on the case neck, I can put a piece of watch paper between the case neck and crystal to tighten it up a little bit so it will not come off.

I decided sanding the crystal OD down is easier and better than machining the ID of the bezel.  Rule #22:  "Make the part fit the watch, not the other way around."  Ha!

 

I have a Phong '1655' case and there is really not much difference at all between the two cases except the cartel case has the slightly oversize dial and dial opening in the case...and the very good engraving on the Phong case.  All I did to the cartel case is clean out the case tube threads, put a new case tube in it, drill the lug holes out, and change the crystal/bezel.  The crystal that came on it did not suit me so I changed it out and got in a mess matching the crystal/bezel set to fit.

 

From a previous post:

"I just build a 1655 with BP Base watch and inside is engraved 1675."

 

I have an Abay '1655' from 15+ years ago and it has '1680' between the lugs and inside the case back.  It also uses a 127 spec crystal, 26.5mm dial, and has too much space around the 6mm crown.  Back then they used any case that was handy.

Most of them came with new swiss ETA 2836 and non adjustable china 24 hour conversions.  Two of mine had new ETAs and one had a used ETA. 

All the sapphire GMT II I got back then had new swiss ETA 2836 with non adjustable china 24H conversions.  The GMT cases were properly sized and laser signed.  'Replica Classics'  Ha!

 

 

"If you did the "Jar of coins" aging, then polished it, then wore it hard, you would achieve a believable aged case."

 

I have heard of putting a watch in blue jeans side pockets along with some coins during active wear for a few days.  It would probably ruin an acrylic crystal but the marks would be random.  Also heard of putting them in stone polishers/tumblers along with small parts...nuts, washers etc.

 

I never wore a watch long enough to beat it up and I guess the longest I have ever worn the same watch is the 'shortcut 1655' I stuck together a while back out of parts from here and there...wore it 3 or 4 months just to see if it would make it without any trouble although I admit putting it on a winder a few times when I did not want to fool with it.

It made it.  I was surprised. 

 

Today...wore a steel 30+ year old quartz TAG Heuer Formula, paid $75 for it years ago.  It looks pretty good for its age, the case is matte finished, not polished with an 'all glow' trit dial, yellow plastic bezel, rubber strap, (rep) deployant clasp with TAG triangle. 

A kid watch.  

Mini rant.   

 

I have owned a lot of watches over the years...new, used, genuine, and replica.

One thing I have never owned (afaik) is a replica watch with an 'artificially aged' case.  I have purchased some beat up watches but not one that got that way on purpose (afaik again).

 

Why?

1...Because it never looks like natural ageing.  Never.

2...I have seen some very nice watches killed by 'artificial aging'.

3...If and when you decide to sell it, the watch will usually be worth quite a bit less than a 'naturally aged' or pristine example.

Why is this?

Because everyone wants a cherry or wants to bruise their own cherry.   

 

Chime in.      

 

Btw...artificially aged dials are a different matter to me because they are usually cheaper and easily replaced.  Besides that, on vintage watches a scratched crystal can hide a lot of mistakes.

 

 

Fine looking watch!  Well worth the time and effort.

 

My '1675' stories:

Had a genuine 1675 like it in 1997, black insert and all but I traded it away.  The fellow I traded it to had his house robbed soon after and they got it along with 20 or 30 other watches. 

It turned out his doper niece and her boyfriend did the robbery and they got caught.  Most of the watches were still in their possession when they caught them but the GMT was missing and they would/could not tell where it went.  The County Sheriff's Department held the watches for evidence and it took a year or more before he got the rest of the watches back.

 

Have a replica '1675' from 12 or 15 years ago that came with printed hour markers, acrylic crystal, Pepsi insert, pretty good 'aged' markers, pierced lugs, and a new (not referb) swiss ETA 2836 with china non adjustable 24H hand conversion.  It was supposed to be a '1675' but with the 28.8 ETA 2836 it is closer to a 16750.  So...now it is a '16750'.  They look alike anyway.

 

I can not remember where I got it (River?) but it is still new and unworn with a jubilee bracelet.  I just now looked and it has a 6mm crown (not 5.3) and two way friction (no notch) bezel with no numbers between the lugs or inside the case back.

It is still unworn because It has one major flaw that jumps out...it says 'Oyster Perpetual Date' on the dial and it should have 'Oyster Perpetual'.  I have looked through at least 100 images of rlx 16750 with printed marker dials and have never seen one with 'OPD'.  Otoh all the 16750 with applied markers have 'OPD' on them.

I doubt many would notice this flaw but it has always bothered me.  I could buy a dial but just do not want to spend the $$.

 

"Very tasty!"

 

The nips or the watch? 

I vote     for both.

"You have, or try it?"

 

No, I thought about making one but never did.
 

"Hmm from China."

 

Yeah, it makes my alarm bells go off.  I've had bad luck with some of the china Bergeon lookalikes etc.  If it was around $75 instead of $229 I would give it a shot.

Otoh Esslinger has one for $419.95.  Probably better quality but waaay too much $$ for me.

 

Rolex® Oyster Watch Bracelet Link Remover Tool (esslinger.com)

 

I could probably make one using a small drill press vise with clamps mounted on the tops of the jaws for $100 or so...after 8 or 10 hours of mistakes.  Ha!

I have a small lathe and milling machine but I'm too lazy to jump on it right now.

 

Here are images of all types of small drill press vises etc:

 

images of small drill press vises - Bing images

 

You could start with one similar to this:

Then make a couple screw down clamps to mount on top of the jaws.  It looks like the jaws are thick enough to drill and tap.  It is made by Wilton and their vises are good quality...about $75USD, p/n 12800.

Pressing the links back together is easy after a bit of practice, I've done quite a few.  I have a knurling tool for my lathe if I need new or oversize pins but by the time I drag it all out and get it ready...I'm out of the notion to fool with it.

 

I'm gettin' old and lazy.   

 

Stainless Steel Watch Bracelet Remover Installation Tool fit Oyste Jubili Band | eBay

 

 

6-26-2021

An oem 1600 type case has a flat case back gasket that mounts on the case back.  The case has a flat step machined in it to accommodate the gasket when the case back is screwed down.

 

An oem 16200 type case uses an O ring gasket that mounts in the case.  The case back has a flat sealing surface that presses against the O ring in the case to seal it.

 

Most replica 16200 type cases use the O ring gasket mounted in the case.  Some may not.

 

The threads may or may not be the same, I never tried them.

 

6-27-2021

I tried a genuine rlx 1601 case back on a couple 162xx type replicas and it would not fit either one. 

Both cases were made for O ring gaskets mounted in the case.  One had a groove for case clamps, one did not.  They look like the same basic case with slightly different finishing.  Both had oem spec case necks and blind lug holes.

 

The 1601 CB is 32.35mm OD and my rep 162xx case backs were both 33.0mm in diameter. 

 

The 1601 CB threads are approximately 30.8mm and the replica 162xx CB threads are 30.0mm.  

 

Next, I tried the 1601 case back on a genuine rlx 162xx case...no go.  The 162xx CB threads are approximately 30.25 and the 1601 threads being approximately 30.8mm are too big. 

 

So...it will be hit or miss.

Btw, I was using a cheapo digital caliper so the measurements may be off a hair...maybe a hair and a half.

Besides that, there is no standard for replica cases so you never know what you might get. 

 

(J551) Option 1  "Maybe i Keep the TC movement and try to repair it."

 

(SS) Option 2  "I have Swiss ETA movements in stock."

 

No one asked me but I vote for option 2. 

From my past experience, many/most china etaclones are prone to be Junk in the long run. 

A few of the china etaclone parts are Ok though...ETA 2836 non adjustable 24H conversions for example.  Some of the autowind assemblies can be Ok if cleaned and oiled before use.

 

China 3135 rlxclones...I never had one but a few issues come to mind from what I have read:

None will interchange with ETA 28xx swiss or etaclone.  Different dial foot location, different hands etc.

There are a few different designs of the 3135 rlxclone.  Some Ok, some not so good.

Movements may arrive dirty and dry or dirty and over oiled.  Need to be $erviced.

No parts = A Big Problem.  Some genuine parts may fit but they cost a lot of $$.

Auto wind assembly problems. 

Calendar problems.

Etc.

 

The Plus...they 'appear to be' genuine.   

The Minus...rlx watches have solid case backs.   

 

Rolojack

You are right about vintage 'classic' rolex watches imho.  Compared to the past 30 year's output they were just a few drops in the rolex bucket.

 

I bet rolex watch co absolutely hates vintage rolex watches because they are in reality their main competitor.

I also bet there is only one thing RWC hates more than rolex vintage watches (imho)...the people who buy, collect, and wear them because they have the $$ to buy them and can afford parts and service to keep them running.

So...what does RWC do to retaliate?

Cut off the parts to starve them out. 

 

I guess vintage watch cases were not rotting out fast enough to suit them.  Ha!   

 

"Sir, is that a vintage rolex 5512 on your wrist, powered by the famous calibre 1570 that is currently selling for $20,000?"

No, it is a new MBK with the famous ETA 2879 that goes for about $1000."

What may I ask is the difference?"

"Not much,      at all."

Rolex 1016 case changes over the years:

 

Case – Rolex Explorer 1016 

"But on the other hand the gen Rolex prices have skyrocketed too. 1675 was a 4000-5000$ watch 10 years ago. Now it's a $14000 watch."

 

A 1675 was $450 in 1975 (!!).  Otoh $450 was a lot of $$ back then.  

Here is a partial price list from 1973:

 

 

Image from:

https://www.bing.com/images/blob?bcid=Tm-zrNoCG90CEA

 

Prices 1957 to 2020:

Rolex Price Evolution (minus4plus6.com)

"It looks like the forum isn't as active as before or is it me?  I see the post dates are quite far apart."

 

Yeah it's a ghost town compared to a few years ago.  Sometimes there will be a flurry of posts but the flurries seem to be getting farther apart.

Seems to me that mechanical watches in general are losing steam, not just replicas and the 'born digital' generation does not seem to care very much about mechanical watches.

 

Watches are a hobby with me and high prices and no parts is a definite hobby killer.  I used to buy/sell/trade mostly 1530 base rolex watches but they are no longer affordable (to me) so they are of little interest now.  I'll wear one now and then to road test it but that's about it.

 

I am back to where I started...wearing an Accutron.

Make that an Accutron II.   

 

 

"So do you mean that the gmt hand over the time change the length of the tip gmt hand ?"

 

Yes.  It probably depends on the supplier and which batch of hands any given 24H hand came from.  RWC was not overly concerned with small details back when these watches were made like we are today. 

I am not familiar with the Raffles 36mm case but the first thing you need to determine is...was the case made for the older type 6mm case tube that uses a regular 6mm crown or the newer type that uses a 5.3mm case tube that takes a later 6mm diameter crown made to fit on a 5.3mm case tube?

 

Both crown types are 6mm outside diameter and look alike but they use different case tubes.

In my experience most of the newer cases are using the 5.3mm case tube but you must know for sure before getting a crown.

 

I looked on eBay at genuine used 6mm steel crowns and the crowns that were $35 to $50 a couple years ago are now over $100 so that sort of knocks them out of the race.  Besides that, some may not have much more than a half turn of threads left and you will not know until it arrives.

After you determine which type of crown you need, you might ask around locally and see if a retired watch repair guy or a repair guy still in business has any good used rolex crowns.  You never know what you might find.

 

As for replica crowns, they come in three basic flavors:

1...All steel cap and inner part.  Usually pretty good.  

2...Steel cap crimped over a base metal inner part, similar to originals except the inner part is almost always brass instead of nickel silver like used on genuine crowns.  Usually pretty good.

3...One piece cap and inner part made of pot metal of some sort.  Low quality.

 

Genuine steel crowns come in two basic flavors:

1...Steel caps crimped over a nickel silver base.

2...Later model all steel one piece aka 'monoblock'.

 

Also beware that many inexperienced (or crooked) sellers call all silver colored metal 'stainless steel'.  Many 'stainless steel' items are silver colored pot metal, plated pot metal, or plated brass.

'Pot metal' = cheap cast zinc alloy etc.

I know the info above is not much help but it tells what is out there.

 

Here is some info when using a genuine rlx 16000 type case:

 

Rolex 1016 Explorer- the rolo modified 16000 case - The Rolex Area - RWG

 

With VN cases around $500+ a genuine rlx 160xx case might be an option if you want to drill the lug holes, do a bit of reshaping etc...watch out for case corrosion, many are in bad condition.

An ETA 2836/2846/2879 etc should fit as the 160xx cases are made for rlx cal 3035 and they are thicker than the 3135 used in later 162xx cases that need the thinner ETA 2824.

A no date rlx 1520/1530/1560/1570 movement is a good fit in a rlx 162xx case but not in a rlx 160xx case.

 

From 5-26-2021:

"Which GMT hand do you have ?"

 

It is an 'OEM spec' aftmkt hand and it fits Ok after it was broached to fit...the ID was a hair too small, mostly paint.  Do not know where it came from, it was included with the shortcut kit.  The tip comes pretty close to the center of the outer 24H markers on the dial.

 

 

6-10-2021

I looked at my 'shortcut 1655' again just now and the 24H hand tip does reach about halfway or maybe a bit more than halfway past the the center of the small outer markers.

Keep in mind my dial and dial opening in the case are about .3mm bigger than OEM and the outer markers do not reach all the way to the edge of the case.

Imho a few tenths of a mm difference in 24H hands does not matter.

 

Here is a genuine 1655 with a shorter 24H hand: 

 

Here is one with a longer 24H hand: 

Thanks for the pics! 

A short trip back in time.  

 

 

 

"My dad (now 83 years old) in the 60s had this Ducati 250 Diana."

 

I remember the 250 Diana..it was about $100 more than the Monza and I did not have the $$.

I had the 250 Monza first, next a blue/silver 250 Scrambler, a red 200 Sebring, and a black 450 Scrambler. 

1966 Ducati 250 Scrambler - National Motorcycle Museum (nationalmcmuseum.org)

 

Ducati 200 Sebring...'rare' today, not many sold in the USA.

Ducati 906 Paso

Cagiva Alazurra 650

 

Cagiva Alazzurra 650 (motorcyclespecs.co.za)

 

I worked in a shop in the 1960s while in high school that sold Norton/AJS/Velocette/Matchless/Moto Guzzi/Ducati plus a few others and went to the area distributor a few times where I met Jim and Ken Hayes, AMA road racers.  I was just a kid but guys like that were heroes back then to a young motorcycle nut and I got to eyeball their single cylinder Norton Manx road racer.  The Manx won a lot of road races in the 1950s/1960s.  I had Ken Hayes' autograph on a Norton brochure but lost it over the years. 

Norton Manx  The 350cc and 500cc models looked exactly alike.

No kick starter...they were 'run and bump'...you took off running then jumped on the seat letting the clutch out at the same time.

 

You can read about Jim and Ken Hayes under '250 AMATEUR/EXPERT 100-MILE' at:

A.M.A. Dayton A Nationals | Cycle World | JUNE 1965

 

Worked in a Ducati/Husqvarna shop in the late 1980s when the Ducati 750 Paso came out along with the Paso 906 in 1989, and I got to ride them.  My last 'Ducati' was really a 'Fake Ducati'...a Cagiva Alazurra 650 made by Ducati with a smaller belt drive cam desmo V twin engine.  I never rode it but sold it to the Dennis Carpenter Museum in Charlotte NC...'nos' never started.

 

Went to a Ducati factory update course at the AMI M/C training facility at Daytona one year during Bike Week and the Ducati course lasted most of the day. 

Later in the afternoon we had the Husqvarna session. 

The instructor said:

First, carefully inspect and clean all engine parts.

Next, find what is wrong and correct it if possible.

Last, put all the parts in a five gallon bucket along with the cases, gaskets etc, put the lid on the bucket, then shake the living hell out of it because that is as good as it will ever get.

Why did he say that?

Because Ducati had just purchased the Husqvarna Motorcycle Division from Electrolux in Sweden and when he went to Sweden to inspect the machine tools used to make the motorcycles, he discovered that all the machine tools were so badly worn out that you needed the Swedish machine operator go with it because only he/she could make it work.

I always liked Husqvarnas.  I have a Husqvarna lawnmower.  

 

A modern Husqvarna...made in India.

 

Here’s a closer look at Husqvarna Motorcycles’ Indian lineup (yourstory.com)

 

Still have my personally signed 8 by 10 inch glossy photo of Evel Knievel doing a wheelie on his H-D.  It's been hanging in the garage 40+ years and the signature is almost faded away.  He was a real character to say the least and I'll never forget meeting him.

 

"And I will try to polish it for reduce the white of the plexi that come out after you shaved it with sand paper."

 

You might start with 1000, then 1500, and finish with 2000 sandpaper.  Try to use 'wet or dry' type sandpaper and do the sanding under a small stream of running water to carry the plastic dust and sandpaper grit away.

I usually finish up with Simichrome or Wenol polishing paste on a soft rag.  Both are good for polishing small scratches out of crystal tops too.

 

Milan should have Simichrome and/or Wenol at car care or motorcycle shops.

My first 'real' motorcycle was a black 1964 Ducati 250 Monza...$695 USD brand new.

 

Ducati 250 GT / 250 Monza (1964-67) technical specifications (moto-data.net)

"Just arrived the sternkreuz XS 302.450 for rolex 116 and fit better than the stock BP, i mean the plexi inside diameter stick perfectly the rehaut,  is impossible rotate it when placed over the rehault."

 

I guess I tried 6 or 7 crystals on my '1655' and only two or three felt right on the case neck, much like you describe.

 

"but the external diameter of this plexi is like the BP stock , a little too big for my Vietnam bezel, maybe i can push it down  (with a plastic tube self-made tool)  but sure it crack..so i prefer to shave down it a little."

 

Probably the best fix.

It is similar to what I ran into.  One crystal cracked because the bezel was too small or the crystal was too big OD and the crystal that is on it now fits Ok on the case but the bezel was not very tight when pressing it down over the crystal.

 

"perhaps is my vietnam bezel that don't is gen spec..

but my bezel MK3 (pic with stock plexi)  is similar to the phong and MQ i think  the same supplier" 

 

What I will probably end up doing is to find 2 or 3 crystals exactly alike that fit the '1655' case and then machine the ID of one of the bezels to be a good fit over the crystal.  I have a couple Sternkreuz 28.9/30.2 but they were not as good a fit as the one I ended up using...but I only had one that fits and the bezel is not tight enough. 

Catch 22.

 

I had a similar problem with a rolex 1003 (made first quarter 1964).  I finished it in 2014...original cal 1560, Yuki 'explorer' dial, ST hands, generic #11 crystal (basically a 25-12 with rounded top edges), and a new smooth bezel from a 34mm 'tooter' case kit.  Everything went Ok but when I checked it a couple years ago the crystal was 'crazed' with micro cracks all over it so I removed the bezel and put a new crystal on the case that I got later...2017 or 2018. 

 

No go.  The bezel would not fit down over the new crystal without cracking the crystal.  Same brand of crystal from the same supply house, same bezel. 

Q...What is going on?

A...Even though the crystals are supposedly the same (packaging, brand, supply house etc) they came from different manufacturers or were made to a slightly different spec.

 

Since I have 3 or 4 of the exact same #11 crystals, the best fix (for me) is to machine the bezel to fit.  Otoh I would be sticking my neck out if I only had one crystal that would fit because I might not be able to find another one if needed.

This has happened to me a few times on projects like this.  Genuine parts generally fit fine but now they cost too much to experiment with.

 

Catch 22 = a problematic situation for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem.

Merriam-Webster

 

"I think the Rolex craze and shortage is helping to bring more acceptance.  At least in WIS circles I run in." 

 

Agree.

I think they are slowly being forced to accept it.

 

Still have my WIS badge from Timezone com.   

Here is what they look like:

Pic from:

Are you a WIS? - greg_r's Lounge - for watch chat - RWG: Replica Watch Guide Forum

 

If I am wearing a replica and someone (rarely) asks about it, I say it is an MBK, David Wong Frankenstein, cartel watch etc, never a rolex of any sort.  If they ask what an MBK, DW or cartel watch is I will give them a condensed explanation.  Very few ask.

In my experience the vast majority of people who wear a high $$ watch know about as much about watches as a goose knows about nuclear fission. 

A WIS is another breed and they are rare birds. 

 

 

 

 

 

"I suggested many of the pieces that show up at GTGs wore aftermarket parts disguised to look distressed and old, precisely because of the lack of genuine parts."

" I think he's (vintage Rolex expert) in for a rude awakening.    

 

Right, right, you're bloody well right! 

 

It has been quite a while since my last NAWCC show but I saw plenty of vintage rolex watches that were probably not more than 70% genuine at the last few shows.  They had genuine movements but some bracelet parts, bezels, etc were suspect and some of the dials were also iffy, especially the ones that might have been 'professionally aged'...they would be very hard to near impossible (for me) to identify as genuine or aftmkt.  I know very little about how to identify a super good 'aged' replica dial compared to a ratty OEM dial and I guess many others would have trouble too. 

High grade replica cases are hard to spot if they are very close to genuine because you usually can not inspect the numbers/letters between the lugs and inside the case back or measure anything.

 

I am pretty good on movements, fair on cases/bracelets/clasps, but not very good on dials/hands.  I have seen a few 1655 and 1675 dials that were extra hard to tell if they were genuine or not, I just could not say one way or the other.

As for 15xx movements...many may have aftmkt train wheels, intermediate autowind wheels, rotor axles, mainsprings etc and in reality (and imho) it does not make one bit of difference in the performance of the movement.  When some 'expert' watch repair bird tells a customer that they 'suspect' there are aftmkt parts in their movement with no proof, the owner might need a new repair bird. 

If a repair guy is experienced in that particular movement and can not find any bogus parts...it is a good chance there are not any.  Rolex parts...either they is or they ain't genuine and if the squealer can not tell any difference...fergidaboudit.

 

The problem is everyone is suspicious now. 

Take three or four 100% genuine rolex vintage watches to a watch show and a half dozen 'internet watch experts' will  point out 3 or 4 (imagined) flaws on each watch to prove they are professional fake busters.  If I was tall enough, I would pat them on the head and say:  "You can go back to your momma now."

 

It's like the man said:  "If it will pass as genuine to experienced buyers 90% of the time...call it genuine."  

 

Latest info on the rolex 15xx movement parts situation:

 

The Unfortunate Truth about Vintage Rolex Repairs (professionalwatches.com)

 

Note the typo that appears right under the picture of the 1575 movement:

"If you are paying attention to the numbers, it should be painfully obvious that the demand for Rolex parts far exceeds the demand."

Should be:

"If you are paying attention to the numbers, it should be painfully obvious that the demand for Rolex parts far exceeds the supply."

 

It all boils down to:

"The supply of parts in the market will never be replenished."