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Managed to get my hands on a gen 702 crown and aftermarket tube and I'm having a bit of difficulty as to what to do next. I had countersunk / chamfered my MBW 1665 case to fit a gen 703 and the crown sat nice and flush against the case. However, with the 7020 tube fitted, the crown sits about a half mm away from the case. I pulled out my drill bit and countersunk the case some more, but noticed (under loupe) that in order to achieve what I wanted, I would need to remove quite a bit of material around the base of the tube, and not go any deeper. The angle for the tube fits fine within the hole I've opened, but the outer threads (where the crown screws onto) needs to be sunk into the case a hair. I believe this is due to the tube not being a gen 7020 - Perhaps it's 1mm too tall? And if this is indeed the problem, I fear that once I fit the rubber gasket inside the crown, it'll compound the issue more. So anyways, I looked at some pictures of gen 1665 and have noticed that some have their 702 crowns perfectly flush with the case, while others are off by a half mm. Suggestions and guidance needed please! Should I shave off .5mm off the top of the tube? Should I get a larger bit and make the hole larger so the tube sits lower in the case? Leave it alone? Unfortunately I do not have a picture of my watch with me (forgot to upload before coming to work), but here are two gen examples of 1665's. Flush with case: Here's a gen that looks like it's having the same issue mine is having:

I have the wholesaleoutlet 580 ("oyster watch band lug for rolex fat original #1") for $20 and while theyre a lot nicer than the ones they replaced, but theyre far from perfect. After a little fiddling, they sit flush with top of the lugs of my MBW 1665, but they dont extend to the ends of the lugs. Also, the 580 stamp looks totally wrong. Perhaps the 585's extend a bit further? Hopefully an expert will chime in. According to the 280, 580 and 585 fit.

Looks good, but I'd polish the sides.. You really need some decent endlinks to finish this piece off. Who/what's the source for this beauty?

ebay, but you need to be careful when purchasing vintage bits now that it appears that the Chinese have taken an interest in replicating vintage parts. VRF and TRF are good for parts, and usually a bit cheaper than the bay - but like all good FS forums, the good deals go very quickly. You could also contact Steve Mulholland who usually has a pile of parts laying around his shop.

What pretties are these crowns going onto? Just note that you may have to countersink and retap your case. Then you may have to shorten your stem just a hair too. If you want to sell one to recoup your costs, PM me

What temp and duration did you put the dial into the oven for? I've messed up (bubbled) a few dials, and want to find a happy medium or benchmark to use as a guide to toasting the dial. did you do anything to the caseback? Looks sweet!

I felt the same way when I picked up a spinmaster daytona. Looked great in photos but when on the wrist it didn't have the presence I had expected it to. Perhaps it was because it was a bit smaller than I thought it was going to be. Anyways, catch and release. We all do it!

I'm looking to try something a bit different with my next vintage project - Tropical brown dial. Not really brown, but a slight brown tinge under certain angles. Anyone try achieving the tropical look? I tried using a UV lamp, but didnt get anywhere. Perhaps if I kept it under the light a bit longer, I wouldve achieved a little browning, but the lamp I have is this small handheld germ killing gadget thing. I've used heat lamps to brown the markers and text, but I've never gotten the dial to turn brown. From what I've read, the tropical process occurs naturally when the dial (watch) is constantly in the sun, and perhaps a little bit of humidity inside the case. UV light + humidifier? -or- Is the paint that the refinishers (yuki, ndt, etc) use not have the similiar chemical cmoposition as the paint used by Rolex? Anyways, any tips or ideas would be appreciated.

The only glaring thing I see is the non-matching lume on the hands. You got a great deal, but if it needs a new movement you may have a bit of trouble trying to locate an A2836 GMT. I've been half heartedly trying to locate one for a project and theyre difficult to come by.

Clarks (nostalgia 2000) on the bay has pearls for $14. Can't speak for the quality since I've never seen one in person. Next time I buy some xtals, hands and inserts from them, I'll add a pearl to my cart.

Fits fine in my mbw insert. Just remember to add a dab of glue behind it to secure it.

is the seller raffles-time that sells DW cases?

Really like the 'marbled' gilt dial. Well done and very innovative!

Done!!

Wow, you still have it after 1.5 years? That's quite impressive! Nowadays I can't seem to hold onto my reps longer than 3 months. Thanks for the tip, I've dumped my cookies and even restarted my computer. I've also tried upgrading on another computer without success. Everytime I click the "PayPal" button or Confirm payment button (dependent on browser), it comes back with the same error, "You must select a payment method". I've PM'd an admin so hopefully it'll get straightened out quickly.

Hey All, I wanted to say "thanks" to this site for having the best Rolex area available anywhere. This place has taught me more about gen vintage Rolexes without the snobbiness of TRF and VRF. With all the information here, you guys have made me into an educated consumer for not only reps, but also gens - which I hope to purchase my birth year Rolex soon. So anyways I can't seem to upgrade my membership! When I click on confirm, it tells me that I need to select a payment method but do not see that option anywhere on the page. This happens on IE8, Firefox and Opera. Please advise. Best, -b

That small addition totally makes the watch! Quick question - Got any ideas or sources for another 7020 tube? I've got a 702 crown looking for a mate.

My goodness thats beautiful! I have a 1570 just waiting for a new home and I've been half-assing it for a while now. Your watch has given me the inspiration to go big! Time to drop Phong an email

So is it safe to say that since my "MBW" 1665 starts with a 6193, it's not a true MBW?

The frame is default. I would prefer if it were user selectable.

I've been using hipstamatic on my iphone4 for a few months now and really like the processing. But, I dislike the mini viewer which makes it very difficult to get your subject in frame - especially so if youre shooting a wristie. Also, I wish that the "Print Ready" would automatically show the picture rather than navigate back into the album. But still my favorite camera app. Oh, and thanks for the Best Camera app, I played around with it for a few minutes, and it's quite nice too. Here are some of my hipsta prints: And one of my favorites, Ground Zero:

I'm definitely in. PM Sent!

If you really like it and it's a decent rep (ETA based, and not the $99 21J) you could send it to one of the forums repair gurus to diagnose and repair. If you like tinkering, open the case and see if theres anything obvious out of place. All you need is a wad of duct tape to open the caseback.

I lusted after this watch after seeing it at the AD. Normally, I'm not a Breitling kinda guy - and had visited to check out the DSSD they had in stock. I've recently acquired a beautiful black non-chrono, with a gen-OR, and have just completed a transaction for the milanese bracelet which will hopefully be here before weeks end. The watch will then be shipped to my main modder (rex) for servicing, lume and water integrity. If you think the watch looks good in pictures, you need to see it in real life! I wear a suit 4/5 days a week and it's bumped my Portuguese back into the jewelry box for the summer.

Picked up a 5002 w/ working power reserve (therefore, wrong PR window, etc), so IMO it's not worth sending out to The Zigmeister or vac for their professional work since their services cost more than the watch I've done lume backed plates (DSSD) because theyre super simple since all you need to do is remove the lume then drop some lume onto the plate then reaffix. I've also done hands, which took some practice to get the mixture right to stick properly.. But, I've never done a dial like the 5002/5004 or anything that requires freehand painting, so I've got a few questions. Before painting, do you scrape off the old lume first? If so, I'm not sure if that's possible with my 5002 w/o damaging the dial. To those who've done their 5002/5004's, did you apply lume over the existing markers? How do you keep the lines perfectly straight? I was considering laying a razor blade on each side so I dont get any 'bleed'. Speaking of bleeding and drips, do you use a more lume heavy mixture like the kind used on the hands? ANY tips would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!!