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Alternatively, ask if you could take it with you to the bathroom. "No? How about if you just close your eyes for a minute?" Rolex calls its blue lume "Chromalight" and the question is whether or not it's the same as blue Superluminova (C7? C9?). The question was raised by JJ in this TRF thread, but you will learn almost nothing by reading it! You might want to ask one of the lume sellers, like watchlume.

If your AD won't let you view the new Explorer with the lights off, you could take a look at lume shots of the ceramic Sub and compare them with blue relumes done by modders. The gen lume looks sorta aqua to me. I assume the modders who quoted you a price know how to properly mask the metal markers, or how to remove the matting after the dial has been sprayed.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this is one of the most persistent myths concerning watches. I don't believe there is any special sealant that can only be applied at the TAG, Casio, or Seiko service center. I reckon their technicians just lube the seal, or replace it if, necessary. In other words, unscrew that caseback and see what you've got.

Still wearing the 1016 in white:

Beautiful backdrop for a great-looking GMT, donerix! Explorer today:

Both of these look like standard cartel reps, at much higher prices.

I am the Master of the Sea. I am the ruler of the Queen's Navee:

Wow, what a cool story! But something about it seems fishy... The old guy seems like the real deal, though! But what's with that US riveted bracelet? And such crappy pictures! And how does he know how to use eBay but not Google? Bloody dealers trying to lowball him... But you can't blame them for trying to be careful. Doesn't give them an excuse to lie, though. And so many withdrawn bids on the last day! But the price sure made a comeback in the final minutes! Now the story's on Hodinkee. And now it's even on Yahoo! News. Implication seems to be that it sold for so much because of the James Bond and Christopher Reeve connections. That explains it! Experts say a good story is worthless. Apparently, it is. But it would be worth more if it had the right bracelet. What a load of hype... But what a heartwarming tale!

I had the guys at watchlume whip up a vial of "ingod44 yellow" powder. It worked great for the hands on my Space-Dweller, and served me well in other vintage projects like my Tudor Home Plate.

Started the day with the 7032: During lunch, noticed the chrono wasn't resetting and removed the caseback. Out fell the reset lever, a screw, and a washer of unknown purpose. Ended the day with yesterday's 6239:

Help!

Wow, they're really going out on a limb here.

6239, with a rare appearance by my wrist:

This is either a case of "NO GUTS, NO GLORY!" or "NO BRAINS, NO MONEY!"

Jeez, how did I miss this one? It's a great project with amazing parts. You'll find a movement soon enough. And relume the dial to match the hands, rather than the other way 'round. OEM Omega lume is fantastic stuff. EDIT: On second thought, lose the Omega lume. I'd forgotten about its greenish tinge, which just looks wrong on a Rolex.

It's no comfort to you, but I can think of at least one rep forum with a much, much worse search function. Rhymes with Shep Deke.

Well spotted! I had a very nice cup of coffee at Place Crillon, but nothing more. I had just arrived from Turin, and found the price of meals in Avignon to be a bit shocking! Beautiful city, though.

Future YouTube hit.

Hmm! I see what you mean. This domed Cyclope 128 is becoming my Great Pumpkin... marsupilami: I hope that DW releases his 6238 dials first. My bank account could use a bit of a break!

I saw that post, too. What interests me about that photo is that it further confirms my belief that a fully-domed Cyclope 128 was available for early 7032s. I don't think you could get those reflections and refractions just by over-polishing a sharp-edged C128. I sort of hope that DW never makes the black dial, since I'd be compelled to get another Monte Carlo!

I'm looking forward to seeing the results. Until then, don't do anything silly like putting it up for sale!

Depending on your price level, there are only three out-of-the-box vintage Explorers to consider: At $100, there's Narikaa's 21J Explorer: Standard classic Datejust rep with a great dial for the price. Drill lugholes for a superb 1016 on a budget. At $248, Trusty's 1016 comes with a very good dial, a much nicer movement, and drilled lugholes. Shame they're too small and in the wrong place, but no one will notice--except you. At ~$360, find someone (like Narikaa) to buy you an MBK 1016, which is hands-down the best vintage Explorer out of the box. Excellent dial, a much better and more authentic-looking case, and correctly-placed (but still too small) lugholes. However, like the other two, its dimensions are not identical to an actual 1016, so forget about changing the crystal. Beyond that, it's franken country. EDIT: Whoops, bad link.

Excellent! Seems fitting to have a Monte Carlo on a rally strap. Space-Dweller playing in traffic:

Did this shady character's name start with an 'n'? Fortunately, you now have several options that don't involve shelling out the $100-200 for a genuine Tropic 21. For an older-style, domed crystal, you can get the Clark that Ronin suggested (very good) or the Sternkreuz equivalent (even better, but possibly more difficult to acquire). I compared them here. If you want the newer-style crystal with a beveled edge, an aftermarket version is now available from J&K Watch. donerix ordered one recently, and it looks like a very good match. Note that all the gen and aftermarket T21s will be too wide for the DW bezel. You'll either need to trim the inside of the bezel or the outer diameter of the crystal.