automatico

"On the military side, US watches seem to me technologically on par with those of the Swiss brands, and certainly less expensive to produce. The A11 pilots watches had the same +-15 spd accuracy standard and hacking feature as the RAF 6b/159s from Longines, Omega, and JLC. And while not as flashy as a Radiomir, the Elgin and Hamilton canteens were probably the best proto-dive watches of WW2." Agree. ...and they don't call USA made Hamilton 'snap back' dress watches from the 1930s through the 1960s 'The American Patek Philippe' for nothing. I have owned a few manual wind Pateks and still have some vintage manual wind gold case Hamiltons...imho the Hamiltons are superior (in the real world), especially when you factor in the initial price, reliability, cost of parts, and service prices. My last Patek was a 'Golden Ellipse' on a Patek bracelet and the thing was so fragile (cal 23-300), I doubt it would survive one hard sneeze. They could be carried in a Kleenex box if that worries anyone. Ha! We call them 'Country Club Watches'. Here is a 23-300 movement on eBay: item number 134940359178 Bulova 'sweep second' stainless case mil style 32mm project watch, been apart for years, might finish it this summer. Many mil spec watches were 30 to 32mm. Bottom right is a military issue 'front loader' Benrus from the Vietnam era signed June 1969. Someone gave it to me and I can't remember any details on it but have 3 or 4 runners like it from the same era. They are very good for daily wear if you like genuine trouble-free mil spec watches. Problem is they have gone from $50 or $75 when I bought mine to $300+. Benrus made a run of reproductions a few years back but they have gone up in price too. Have a steel 1980s Hamilton military issue watch with a Durowe 7 jewel (manual wind) movement somewhere. You see them on eBay, but most of the time, the seller leaves out the 7 jewel Durowe movement part. A 17 jewel Durowe movement of the same type will fit in the case to make a very reliable 17 jewel everyday watch. They look like this: eBay item number 386749257465 Nos dial for the Bulova project watch...

Brings back memories. "Top shelf as always." Fer sure!

Mooney Toons...

"Can you suggest ant cheaper alternative one dips that you may know of?" One Dip is 1, 1, 1 - Trichloroethane aka methyl chloroform, (chemical formula CH3CCl3). Dangerous stuff, but not as bad if used outside (upwind) in an open area as it evaporates very rapidly. Some say common (also dangerous) dry cleaning fluid aka 'perc' will also work and is easier to get. From the website 'Love to Know'... Perchloroethylene Dry Cleaning Fluid In the early 1930s, the United States dry cleaning industry began using the solvent perchloroethylene, which is nonflammable. Commonly referred to as perc, perchloroethylene is also known as: Perchloroethylene PCE Tetrachloroethylene Tetrachloroethene Using perchloroethylene became the favored method of dry cleaners and in the late 1950s. It is a chlorinated solvent that removed dirt and stains without water. According to the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), 85 percent of the 36,000 dry cleaning shops in the United States use this chemical. Perchloroethylene cautions - Search (bing.com)

"I've found the ETA 2846 to be as reliable as the ETA 2836, but has the slower beat for vintage builds. " Me too, I have used quite a few of them and some of my older models are 17 jewels instead of 21. Can't tell any difference between 21J and 17J in day to day use though. Might need to c/o the autowind assembly more often on the 17J models to keep the reverser bushings from wearing out. A 25J autowind assembly from an ETA 2824/36 etc. will fit a 2846. I bought a few bargain priced 25J nos ETA 2879 (21600 bph) about 10 years ago and they also work fine in projects, but it seems they do not have the same winding efficiency as later 2824/36/46 etc. After c/o they keep good time and on the few I have, the day of the week spacer is made on the top plate instead of using a flimsy sheet metal spacer. They are about the same thickness as an ETA 2836. From The Ranfft website: 2846 11.5'', Dm= 25.6mm, Do= 26.0mm H= 5.2mm (calendar/dial spacer is made on the movement on mine) F= 1.65mm T= 2.25mm 17/21 jewels f = 21600 A/h power reserve 48h 2879 11.5'', Dm= 25.6mm, Do= 26.0mm H= 5.35mm (calendar/dial spacer +0.15mm) F= 0.6mm T= 2.3mm 17/21/25 jewels f = 21600 A/h power reserve 55h I tried an Eta 2879 in a case made for an Eta 2836 and it fits Ok, everything lines up, stem is in the center of the case tube etc. My 2879 movements are not hacks but the hack lever can be installed. They also need cleaning and oiling but I figure it's better to spend time c/o a nos movement than an old movement with unknown history.

"I understand your hesitancy, but I have never found most properly maintained Rolexes to be fragile." I get where you are coming from but back when I knew the head repair guy at a fairly large AD, he was ordering 15xx and 30xx balance staffs by the dozen every few months (3 for $18 back then) plus quite a few 'balances complete' ($160 at the time, still have a few for 15xx 19.8 chronometers plus one for 3035 and one for lady cal 2135). The cal 3035 was a problem because the hairsprings came loose from the balance where they were laser welded and they had to be replaced. If the owner was lucky, the 3035 HS was just tangled up (another common problem)...not counting dates flipping halfway in the window etc. I've owned 33 cal 3000/3035 watches with 4 tangled HS and 3 balance staffs plus a few other ailments...all gone now. About the same number of 3130/3135 watches with no problems other than a few needing c/o. Had a few 3035 powered DJ with serious case corrosion, no 3135 powered DJ models with much corrosion but they were newer. Saw a few rotten submariners used in salt water and not cared for. 1-16-24... caliber 3035 a white elephant? - Rolex Forums - Rolex Watch Forum Owned about 50 models with cal 15xx and they had a few problems...MS barrel arbor hole in main plate worn out of round (no jewel or bushing), broken staffs from whams & bams, worn out reversers and rotor weight axles (usually because of too long between c/o), broken rotor axle jewels (W & B)...the winding weight axle and jewels are weak points under rough service imho. RWC service centers have a device to bore and bush the MS arbor hole, or a mini milling machine can be used. The bushings are hard to find, usually have to be cut out of a similar bushing on a lathe and milling machine. Still have three 3130 AKs left, that's it for 'modern' Rlx. Last Rlx purchased? Steel ref 1500 timehead 12-14-21 $700 in gro. Probably the last unless a cheapo shows up. The AD repair guy had been at the bench 30+ years and was one of the best around. He called the cal 3000/3035 '******* junk' and also hated the 1556 type Prez day of the week works, even I can tell they are flimsy (I have one btw). The 3135 was the main movement back when I knew him, and they had very few problems. I asked him what his favorite Rlx watch was. He said: "The 1016, just don't drop it." What did he wear? Gold case Accutron 214 prototype with different case back from production models, a gift from a Bulova sales rep. "I worry more about watches developing problems because they spend too much time sitting idle rather than suffering damage from being worn." Yeah, me too. I have a safe full of 'em. Funny thing is the replicas always take off after a long snooze and the genuine watches don't want to get up and go.

Today, most of my genuine Rlx watches would be considered 'vintage' but wearing them is no longer much of an option although I used to wear them many years ago. Not now. Q...Why? A1...Because they simply are too fragile and cost too much to repair compared to sensible options available today. Besides that, RWC has cut parts off to almost everyone causing parts prices to jump to absurd levels. NPFY A2...The watches are selling for way more than they are worth imho so now might be a good time to get rid of them. Q...What would I consider to be a 'sensible' option? A...If I want the Vintage Rlx Look, maybe a pretty good replica with a swissETA. Q...Why a swissETA? A...Because they are cheap and reliable, especially when compared to a 50 year old Rlx movement. 'Cheap' swissETA = only if you bought them 15+ years ago when a new 2836 was around $65. Q...So...after all the BS above, what are my favorite no date vintage Rlx type watches? A...I would have to say 1016, 5512, 5513. Q...Watches with date? A...Flat dial 36mm DJ and 1655. 'Pie Pans' are too much hassle imho. What are yours?

'Millionaire' in disguise... 'Brokenaire' is more like it. Found this in my pre- flu trader bag. New with Asian 21 movement . Wrong case shape between the lugs though. Military Intelligence... Biden and Austin in the situation room standing in front of a HUGE world map. John Kirby at a desk looking on. After about 15 minutes Biden says: 'I can't find it.' Austin says: 'I can't find it either.' Kirby asks: 'What are you looking for?' Biden answers: 'Houthi, we're gonna bomb it.' Kirby says: 'It's not a place, it's the name of a terror group.' Biden says: 'Ok, we'll just bomb the country next to it, let's go get some ice cream.' Satire... 'The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize peoples' stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.' "...working." Name brand regular gas around here is $2.65. For now. 1-19-24 One 'cash only' gas station is $2.49, others are still around $2.65. Meanwhile, my gas hog 4x4 does not need any gas.

"...the dial is Gen, but I Think is too small for the case opening." The harsh truth is there is not much of a fix for this. When a dial is too small... First, the dial paint at the edge of the dial gets chipped. Then a chunk of an hour marker or dot gets scraped off. How? By the movement/dial sliding around in the case when setting time, winding the watch, or screwing the crown down. What is the fix? A precision spacer and stout case clamps/screws is sometimes a half-azz fix...but if the dial is too small, it will always show. "the movement needs service and I have a few spare parts for it." "ETA 2893-2 GMT" IF the dial is genuine for sure, maybe find a properly fitting case first and go from there because it would probably be worth finishing. Another thing is the 2893 is a fine movement but with 28800 BPH, it will be easy to tell the watch is a replica, especially if anyone handles it and finds the QS date and adj. 24H hand. Fine for a 16750 etc. though. But that would be another rabbit hole. Ha! I've been down this road quite a few times and ill-fitting projects hardly ever/never turn out right. All the parts have to fit reasonably well to start with. My 'shortcut 1655' fiasco is a good example. Where is it now? Case, dial etc. is in the project/junk box. The Rlx 1570/75 is in a 34mm 1002 'explorer' project watch. Leftover parts are in a little tin can. How long did it take to 'complete' the 'SC 1655' project? Probably 100+ hours counting movement work etc. before I decided to put the movement in the 1002. If it ever comes back to life, it will have an ETA 2846 with a non adj. Asian 24H setup. I'll leave it a QS but remove the 'second notch' QS position. One major problem I never could get past was it just never looked right. But it looks good 'nuff for a 2846. Good Luck!

Fine looking MG! "two domed crystals ( very similar to my original 6538 crystal) but these have a metal retaining ring on the inside edge. Did not fit the case with the ring installed, removed the ring and the crystal fit the case. slightly smaller on the outside diameter so bezel is not a snug fit. Added some dial dots for extra security and it seems good.....might replace the dial dots with clear silicone." The 'gap obsession'... I know what you mean about 'the gap' around the outside of the dial. I did a '5512' project a few years back using a DW case, 1570, and Yuki dial. The case was made for 26.5mm dials so there was a very small gap around the OD of the dial and only the dial foot screws were holding the dial down. I made a very thin spacer out of aluminum to fill the gap and felt better about it...until I read later that a few of the earliest 5512 watches had the gap because they were using leftover dials with a smaller diameter than needed. Speaking of 'the gap',..here is an example of an early 5512 with the gap and without the SCOC blurb that came later... Rolex Submariner Eagle Beak Tropical Dial Ref. 5512 - Rolex Passion Market

New old stock 1960s 23 jewel 14K gold Lady Elgin with B/P... Solid 14K gold case with gold filled bracelet... Never worn, showing reflections, not scratches. List price was $100. Inflation from November 1968 to November 2023 is 765%, so $100 in 1968 is about $865 now. The Elgin Watch Co. closed for good in 1968.

12-14-23 morning... I put these pics up on the evening of 12-13-23 and forgot to tell what I was looking for when I found this small stash of odds and ends. I was looking for a bag of 'owner manuals' that come with new watches and I have not found them yet. I plan to match any of them with watches that I have but my guess is there may not be any matches because the watches I have left are probably older than the manuals. I have seen some of these manuals priced as high as $50 to $100 (or more) so I need to find them for that reason anyway. I have read that counterfeit copies are also being sold and one article on the subject tells how to spot the fakes by their inferior printing so if anyone has any of the manuals, look them over closely. Identifying fake Rolex owner's manuals and papers - GMT Forum 12-13-23... Ran across this stuff from the past when hunting for something in my closet: Leftovers from watches of the past. Medallions etc... The 'Give Your Rolex A Rolex' is a bracelet catalog from the late 1970s, I got it when I bought a new Speedking. Bromberg's is a Rolex AD in Alabama, the card is from the late 1980s when my wife bought a new lady DJ on 'The Rolex Plan' by mail. They had an ad in Southern Living Magazine and you called and told them what you wanted, they checked you out, and sent the watch. The card says"Jewelers For Over 151 Years." Now it has been 187 years, so the card is from around 1987. The 'Rolex Plan' = twelve months to pay, no interest, no tax (on out of state sales). All at list price of course. About Brombergs Bromberg's I have a lot of stuff left from my trading days (back when the watches were a LOT less $$), and I doubt I have many (if any) of the watches that came with the stuff above. I still have the Speedking though, and a 6694 that I bought on 'The Rolex Plan' in the mid to late 1980s. The 6694 was $925, no interest, no tax (had it sent out of state and returned). The Speedking was $125 cash including tax iirc. Edit...It was $125 plus tax so it was $132.50. Both still in nos condition and also have one other low mileage 6694 that is in very good condition. The LM 6694 is about 23 posts down: Rolex Wristies thread - Page 144 - The Rolex Area - RWG I did not find what I was looking for so maybe I will post a few more pics later on as I dig deeper. 12-17-23 Found some old boxes yesterday, here are a few of them... There are six 'Bufkor' type inner/outer box sets wrapped up behind the others. Here is what they look like: Prez 1803 box from December 18, 1967 with warranty and chrono certificate... Wonder where it is now? Maybe on an old gambler's arm in Atlantic City. Ha! What Happened on December 18, 1967 - On This Day Zenith Cosmo box from 1988... This one ended up in Florida. Long gone... It was $945 minus a $50 gift certificate = $895 no tax on December 24, 1977. What Happened on December 24, 1977 - On This Day From my Speedking, new from AD on Tuesday, May 23, 1978. Do not know why it was in a chronometer box, but it had the correct papers, receipt etc. Things were different back then, dealers were not careful about B/P like today. The repair guy was a friend and later sold me a 1675 GMT Master on June 10, 1997 for $325 and a like new Toot Monte Carlo on September 4, 1997 for $275. Both long gone. What Happened on May 23, 1978 - On This Day Old box from ?? Looked on the 'net and did not find one exactly like it. Another old box from a forgotten watch.... Never did find the owner manuals. I'll keep looking. Found some replica boxes out in the garage, forgot about them. Wood liners etc... Found some stuff. Yea! The brochures are still MIA. Boo! Meanwhile, The BIG Question still remains... Who has the best sub??

"There IS an alternative..." Yes, I watched Liz Claman's interview with Kevin O'Leary a few days ago, he has some super fine watches. Very Expensive! but he can afford them. "If I did not know better, based on their actions (for all but 4 of the past 15 years), I might think the US government is a domestic enemy." Agree. I keep a sharp lookout now when in parking lots, buying gasoline, entering banks, convenience stores etc. because of today's 'It's All Free! No Bail! No jail time!' policies in many states. This is not a 'progressive area' but new arrivals may not know that and want to try their luck at a nefarious deed or two...like stealing a watch or car from an individual. Besides that, there are all sorts of scruffy, shifty-eyed characters milling around, especially during the summer months. It never used to be like that. It makes me wonder why. Open borders maybe? Naaa. That couldn't be it. The border jumpers are all valedictorians just lookin' for a job. I told the story about the shake down in a parking lot years ago in a larger city close by, and I will say our local police force has some very good officers on it. Most are in their 30s/40s and are fair with the regular citizens and very strict with goofball offenders. The Judges do not care too much for goofballs either. Otoh, a lot of progressive types have moved here to get away from their he!! hole cities and most of them are not very friendly to locals and do not like our laid back attitudes. Many want Change! Now! Not the good kind either. That's my situational anger rant for a while with no mention of political parties. I am simply stating the way it is from my perspective. Luxury watch market booming with 35 and under age group as demand grows | Fox Business Video Luxury watch thefts on the rise - but £3m of them were recovered last year by a team of specialist hunters, including this £21k Rolex... | This is Money

"Sometimes, it pays to be a hoarder." I wish I could convince my wife of that. Ha! When I go toes up there will probably be a yard sale a month later with everything $1 each...replicas and genuine, all in one pile. On a related subject: The Feds dropped the $600 limit for selling items using PayPal, Venmo etc. before having to file a 1099K again...after doing the exact same thing last year. A couple years ago it was $20K. Looks like they are keeping the law in limbo to kill the incentive to make a few $$ on the side, like selling stuff on eBay...watch parts for example. Another example of Feds In Your Face : FBI Seized $86 Million From People Not Suspected Crimes. A Federal Court Will Decide if That's Legal. (reason.com) Probably more than a few Feds sporting a stolen Rolex after the raid. Locals In Your Face: About 25 years ago, three City Cop Detectives (aka 'Defectives') grabbed my trading bag when I was walking across the parking lot to a knife and watch trading table at an outside trading post. I asked for it back and one of them told me they needed to look in it first. I told them it was watches and to give it back. The guy who snatched the bag said: "there was a report of gun trading going on" and I was now a 'suspect' so they were going to keep the bag unopened (yeah sure), and I could pick it up at the station after letting them look inside at the station. No warrant of course and since it was unopened, no list of the contents. I said again: "It is only watches." The smart azz Boss Detective asked: "What kind of watches?" I said: "The kind you can't afford." That really revved them up. I grabbed the bag and started walking toward the other traders, 6 or 8 of them about 20 feet away, all seeing this unfold. I told the Boss Defective (walking right behind me) that I had plenty of witnesses to what just happened so far, but if they wanted to stand by and see what was up for trade to come on over. They stood by the trading table while I opened the bag and took a few watches out. There were already 25 or 30 watches out on the table. One of the traders told them to Get The He!! Out if they did not want to trade or buy anything after a few minutes. They left. If they kept the bag, chances are I would never have seen it again, or it would have been returned empty.

I've seen prices for rolexjunk go up, up, up but this blew my hair back. Vintage Rolex 20 mm S/S Oyster Riveted Band Bracelet Parts 7206 End 58 | eBay The link is dead. Anyway, I have a box full of this stuff and can't not believe how much buyers will pay for it. I never sold mine because I have watches for most of the bracelets.

"Where could one find one of these Tiger concept cases? " tiger-concept.com/10160P-watch.html tiger-concept.com/watch-case.html

Manual wind TIMEX from 1969... Still runs and keeps time. Waterproof? Not now for sure and probably not very much back then. Numbers at bottom of dial: 20242469 What do they mean? Here is the answer: The Unofficial Guide to Vintage Timex Watches (watchesyoucanafford.com) Still sporting a cheapo 'scissor' type bracelet from the same era... Diver Down! Just not very deep. Made in 1970s, still runs. Base metal case with steel back, rotating bezel. Pics taken Nov, 20, 2023

This may or may not help... I just now measured a sweep second hand tube from a 1675 GMT and it is 1.5mm from the top of the rivet to the bottom of the tube. My guess is a 1655 SS hand tube is the same, but this is a guess. I have a nos set of 1655 hands but did not want to handle them just for measurement because 'accidents can happen'. Also have a set of aftmkt '1655' hands for a 1570/75 GMT movement and if you need that measurement, I can dig the SS hand out tomorrow and measure it...if I can find the set. If you get a SS hand with a 1.8mm tube, you can shorten the tube by carefully sticking the hand to a bit of Rodico and lightly touch the tube to a medium or fine rubberized abrasive wheel or diamond wheel mounted in a Dremel etc. tool on low speed, being careful to grind it level. Three problems come to mind: 1...You can easily grind the tube out of level. 2...You can launch the hand into space, never to be see again. 3...You can easily bend the hand when sticking it to the Rodico...or when it bounces off the wall. Ha! Numbers 1 and 2 are from actual experience. Number 3 happens a lot on projects and is not really out of the ordinary. One added bonus...you soon learn how to straighten them. You might practice on a couple low $$ quartz SS hands first.

1. do you have a link of "plug and play" straight seconds hand that is same as original? I found similar straight SS hands on Esslinger's site. You will need a hand with a long tube because it has to pass through the calendar works, 24H hand, H hand, M hand, and SS hand. If it is too long, you can grind it down to fit. Buy 3 (they do not cost much) so if you mess one (or two) up you will have a spare. All Rolex 15xx sweep second pinions are the same length and the second hands have longer or shorter tubes to compensate. 2. what are the specs? i.e. tube diameter / length? You need a tube for a .20mm pivot, you can find all this info on the 'net. If the hand is too long, you can usually get by shortening it...another reason to get three. Ha! 1530/60/70 etc. H 1.20mm M .80mm SS .20mm 24H 1.9mm Good luck! Watch Hand Refills Regular, Medium and Long Post Style Sweep Second Hand (esslinger.com)

"Were" is the salient issue. We no longer are, nor have we been for several years. I think a simple perusal of RWI's daily postings will demonstrably illustrate the point." Yeah. It looks to me like... We ain't no fun anymore.

"I think what the forum needs is more members with watchmaking knowledge/experience." Agree. One reason for the slowdown in traffic might be the younger generation being more interested in modern watches that are widely available as 'super reps' and generally more reliable than what we are used to. This may have erased much of the need for modifying/repairing tips from forums like this one. Otoh, RWI has over 1450 posts on Rlx '1016' watches so there is still quite a bit of interest in do-it-yourself vintage projects.

Good choice! I have a crystal press similar to the press Freddy has and one very good feature of them is the press cups are aluminum, not plastic. Aluminum press cups are less prone to bend or flex and push a crystal or bezel down crooked. Aluminum press cups are also much better when pressing 'armored' or thick 'diver tite' type acrylic crystals into a case. Otoh, much of this depends on the press plunger OD/shoulder size and ID of the hole in the press cups. Example...a press with 6mm threaded aluminum cups and a small shoulder on the press plunger may be a bit 'flexy'. Tips: If you are worried about an aluminum crystal cup scratching a crystal or bezel, you can line the cup with watch paper, a section cut from a thin plastic bag etc. Do not press 5512/13, 1680, SD, 16610 etc. type rotating bezels down with the press cup resting on the bezel insert because it may bend the insert, press on the outer edge of the bezel. You may need oversize press cups for this. On Rolex etc. type crystals with a magnifier, make sure there is enough clearance between the flat underside of the press cup and magnifier when pressing bezels down...'Top Hat' 1680 crystals for example. For diamond bezels, use plastic press cups if possible. 'Lever' presses vs 'screw down' presses: Lever presses are fine after you get a 'feel' for them when pressing crystals/bezels down. 'Screw down' presses can be a bit more precise with no 'all at once' motion that can crack a crystal. What do I mostly use? An old cast iron 'BB' brand press that is probably 50+ years old. Here is one on the 'Bay: Vintage BB Crystal Inserting Press w/BB-504 and BB-508 | eBay

It looks to me like case back letters on my vintage models are stamped but I could be wrong. If they are stamped, engraved letters may not look exactly right. All the info between the lugs is engraved though. Later models may be different, but the only 'newer' cases I have are late 1990s/early 2000s (not very new) and I have not paid any attention to the case back letters. I'm sorta stuck in the past.

"It didn't sell. He relisted it. Now it is $1799!" Plus $65 for delivery! That is a lot of $$ for a pig in a poke...or a poke in the @$$. Imho.

"That looks like a cartel case." Yeah, sorta like the $50 cartel case I used for my 'shortcut 1655' except the eBay case has better numbers/letters. My J$W '1655' case looks much better...to me anyway. "THE LISTING STATES THAT IT HAS SOLD." Looks like someone got caught walking sideways. Imho.