alligoat

Nice watch- you can't beat it. I just saw a gen R serial on VRM for 13K euros.

Use clear epoxy and give it time to cure- like 24 hours.

The new bracelet has the hidden clasp. So try taking off the hidden clasp- unscrew the links at each end and see what you have. Then you'll need to screw in the link from the front of the old clasp and hopefully connect the other end of the bracelet to the end of the clasp with a pin- one of those 16mm depressable pins like on a buckle for a leather watch band. I don't know if it'll work. I'd personally just go buy a $20 old style jubilee from riyi002 or one of the other HK merchants.

When tripdog slims up those crown guards on the 5517 it will be a big improvement. A gen crown and tube would also be big! Dial, hands and insert are already good IMO, maybe soften the bezel.

you might check out trustytimestore.com- I find that Andrew has a good selection and he's always done a good job for me. He may not be the cheapest, but his service is good and fast.

thanks T. Appreciate it!

Date font being too thick is all I'd worry about- datewheel will fix that. I'd certainly agree- pretty good right out of the box.

Freddy also did it on a MBW 1665 case many years ago and wrote about it in a post. You need the valve with a gasket and the inside hold down piece. I guess you could tack weld or glue the hold down piece to the inside of the case. You could try the search function, or better yet pm Freddy. Ironically my first DRSD from Paul had a functioning HE valve- it was a very good copy of the original, but that was in 2006! Haven't I seen the parts on Phong's website?

I saw that watch on VRF this morning- pretty eaten up around the rehaut. My first thought was that it was a replacement dial as well as the set of hands- no dial could come out unscathed with that type of corrosion. I'm thinking that the gasket on the crystal retention ring came into being around 1972- maybe I read that 5-10 years ago....

Actually I'm thinking it's an Asian 2834-2- the movement is anchored to the case with hold down screws and tabs outside the movement proper. The 2834 has that exterior ring to support the Day wheel. I don't see any markings under the balance wheel, another good indication of a clone.

Looks like it doesn't have the correct asymmetrical pushers characteristic of the true V-72 Daytonas. Just depends on how critical that feature is for you.

Can you even find a 6263 with the 7750 movement these days? DW used to have them, but he's long gone. My experience has been that the a7750 can be a problem and it's tough to get them worked on, so I'd go for the Venus and hope for the best.

@ e30m3, I'd love to see a side shot of your case and crystal. I went back and read your build specs and I do like the HR dial, it really make the watch!

That Supermirror one has a little bit better bezel insert- no metal around the pearl.

I've heard that the 36 mm BP Day Date is the best. Maybe you could show us what you're looking at buying.

Looking forward to seeing the watch when it's done. We always love to hear about the build specs, etc.

Ssteel comes to mind.

Have you to talked to BK? As I recall, all a transformer was was a GMT where you could pop out the bezel insert and switch in another one fairly easily. And if it has a noob SN like F520117 or F539117, I'd say that dates it back to around 2008. M093117 (or was it 092?) was a later noob SN- 2009-10 maybe. And I agree, the buyer is a putz!

You might check out the ARF Datejust 36mm 116234- silver dial, fluted bezel and a jubilee bracelet. I'd get it with the eta clone 2836-2 or the 2824-2- I don't recommend the Rolex clone movements unless you're up for a challenge. The Asian 21j movements are ok if you get a good one, but the etas are easier to service and more reliable IMO.

Welcome aboard! As a noob, you've got a lot of reading and catching up to do. But I will tell you this, a vintage Datejust is not an easy thing to find and it might cost a little more than a current model DJ rep. You need to check out the sales section which is newly reworked so is fairly short at this time and you need to see if there is something you like in the trusted dealers section. There are no reps of the 1600, 1601 and 1603s. The rep mfrs are making current models of the DJ, but not old DJs. You might find a 16013/16014 franken, but that will be more expensive, maybe around $750 and up depending on parts list. Lastly, you might consider buying a gen, the 1600 hasn't been made by Rolex in 38 years, so you might pick one up for $1500-2000usd. Good luck.

One of my first reps was the DRSD from Paul- working HE valve and that bracelet- with a Swiss eta and only $139 shipped to the USA. That was 2006 as I recall. Still have the bracelet, but off loaded the case at some point. The Swiss eta is in a 16660 that I built- it has the silver datewheel to boot with the open 6/9s.

The XS 305.451 is definitely a domed crystal, probably a super. I've got a page which I believe came from Cousinsuk and it shows the Round Special Forms Plastic Topglasses from 294-310 diameter and the nice thing is it has all of the IDs listed also.

It looks good, but is it too thick?

I found a Sternkreuz crystal- XS305.451- it is a T-19 and has an ID of 27.9 and OD of 30.5. Hopefully that would be a tight fit on you case neck and also work w/ your crystal retention ring

Yep, the crown is a tad high, but if you've got a good eta in there, it should still be a great watch. I checked out a 116234 on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Rolex-Datejust-36-Stainless-116234/dp/B01DML3PSC?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=ad-backfill-s-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B01DML3PSC You can see there's a slight gap between the crown and the minute track. Enjoy your new watch!