movingshadow

as the above have said, there are various flaws you'll have to live with. The next thing is, everybody has their own pet peeves when it comes to flaws/details - and know that 99.999% of the population will have no clue what rehault, crystal height, SEL-Fit, CG, and the like mean my personal pet peeve: bad SEL fitment, badly shaped CG's do not care: crystal height above bezel, inlay font for 5-digit references you see, people (including myself) start nitpicking and obsessing over details that "a normal person" will never notice. Currently I'm really enjoying my new GMT-IIc with correct hand stack, incredibly well built, new PVD/DLC bezel coating like the gen - but it's off. Compared it to a gen 116710 and the font is way too dark in low light. Only option? Gen bezel going from 350-600... hope this provided a little insight If you can live with minor flaws that the "general population" will never notice, buy a noob ceramic rollie. if you want to go further, there are (as stated above) builders like BK and TC who tweak current models or build quite gen-like watches (even these won't be perfect). And of course there are frankens, you can spend an easy 5 grand on a rolex made from 80-90% original parts including the movement. Is that worth it? Thats for the individual to decide

well, as far as birth-year watches go: In 1981 the only 4-digit-reference rolexes readily available (as no one wanted the friggin' things) was the 1655. There are also ref. 5513 dated to 1981, but I'd want a COSC (hence "superlative chronometer") certified watch so I'd rather go with a transition-model 16800 or a GMT transition-model 16750... Grail... hmmmmm, in terms of affordability, something like a platin A.Lange or Patek... unless I win the lottery (and even then I'd have to hit it pretty friggin' big ) The details on these are out of this world....

Clive & Dems... Long ago... These were the Good Old days... wheres rya?

well my mbw drsd was submerged for the first time in ages yesterday by accident... forgot to take it off while swimming with the miss.... and it held up just fine.... please consider that this watch has o-rings all around and was "designed" for "underwater play"... usually I take it off even in the shower.... just my 2 cents....