lhooq

It's tempting to be a snob about the movement, but the Heritage looks so good that I honestly don't care! But that's $4000 I don't have to spend just now...

New hands for the Space-Dweller:

"Non-varietal"? That's the kind with anti-freeze, right?

Thanks, Mike. The full story on this watch is here. I do have to point out that my hour and minute hands are in stainless steel, while the sweep is painted white. They're all gens from Ofrei, and I was certain this was how it's always been with 2nd-generation SM300s. The stainless steel sweep is something I've only seen on recent SM300 reps, and on the 5517 MilSub. I could be very wrong, though, and I'd love to see pictures of your gens!

Still the SM300:

Thanks, guys! It's a great watch to photograph, but even better to wear! Red, the lume on the replacement dial/hands is amazing, and better than anything else in my collection. (I assume it's similar to what you get on genuine Planet Ocean bits.) If it gets just a bit of sun, it glows brightly even indoors. Shame about the bezel and its "depleted tritium"!

It's funny how quickly you can get drawn into these projects. At the start of this month, I had just finished my Space-Dweller, but was busy sorting out my other 1016 build (still incomplete). So it's not like I needed something else to take my time and money! But I was feeling insomniac that night, so I was off to browse the auctions for items on my long-term wish list. The second-generation Seamaster 300 has been on that list for some time. The Buy I found the auction for this SM300: With 20 hours to go, the price was still hovering around the $200 mark with just a handful of bidders. For a vintage SM300, that was unusual, but I could see why: It was obviously a fake. They used to call these cases Vietnamese, but I'm not so sure if that's still true. It looked to be the same kind that Yuki sells. The seller was local, so I asked if he could remove the US-only restriction on the auction. He said sure, but cautioned that there was some question about the watch's authenticity. So I responded: "I do not believe you have an original SM300. I am pretty sure that you have an aftermarket case, bezel, and dial, and I am willing to pay fairly on that basis." It turns out that this auction had caught the attention of the eager beavers at WUS-Omega, so maybe I should thank them for scaring the bidders away! I do believe that the seller honestly thought he had a genuine Omega. Based on his transaction history, he was more of a Rolex guy and when I spoke to him, he seemed mortified at the thought that he may be selling a fake. He sounded very relieved when I took the SM300 off his hands. I met up with his messenger at the shop of my watchsmith, who looked over the Cal.552 and pronounced it to be in good working condition. I paid in cash and took my prize. Here's how it looked when I first received it: Let's run down what's immediately wrong with it: Dial had "stubbies" (read: minute lines that extend past the hour markers), which are all too familiar to anyone who has researched an SM300 purchase. Sweep hand was too short and unpainted. Case was polished all around, not alternatingly brushed/polished. Bezel markings were colored like pickled radishes. (Koreans call them danmuji!) Also, the crown was absent because the stem had broken (disclosed). Post-Purchase Planning Considering how many buyers this sort of watch has fooled, I had assumed that this was a 1:1 case. My early plan, then, was to replace key bits with genuine parts. A white sweep hand was a must, and that day-glo bezel had to go! However, discussions with ChiMan12, ubiquitous, and pam153, quickly revealed that this wasn't going to be as straightforward as I'd thought. This "replacement case" is definitely NOT a 1:1 replication. The case may look like a spitting image, but the dimensions are significantly different in crucial areas like the crystal and bezel diameters. And by "significantly" I mean that you can't just trim a bit of plastic--the crystal's OD is off by 0.9mm. There was also no way to get a genuine bezel to fit without somehow adding metal to the outside of the rehaut. Bezel Headaches The bezel deserves special mention as it is dimensionally and functionally different from the gen. The rep turns counter-clockwise only, with 120 clicks. The gen is bidirectional with 60 clicks, ratcheted by three, sprung, ball bearings that are recessed into the case. The rep has two drilled holes, but only one of them contains a sprung roller bearing. They're really serious about cutting costs, aren't they? Gen without bezel is on the left, and the outline of the bezel teeth is clearly outlined on the case. And here's a mash-up of the back and front of gen and rep bezels, showing the difference in construction. Gen is on the upper half: Different dimensions, and different construction, so the bezel would have to stay. That depressed me, since I really, really hated the way it looked. It was an ugly color, and an instant tell, while replacing the insert was not a realistic option. I almost shelved this project, until I got the idea to artificially age the insert. I bought a few things from the hobby shop and started experimenting. In the end, the winning formula was unevenly applied Tamiya "Smoke" (to suggest tritium decay) buried under several layers of clearcoat. Some sanding to flatten the surface, some polishing so it wouldn't look as if it had just been sanded... done! My first-ever vintagizing job, and I'm happy with how it turned out. Sourcing a Dial The original dial wasn't bad, but those notorious stubbies were giving me fits. I remembered that DickBrowne had a spare SM300 cartel rep from Ubi, minus hands and a bezel. The dials on those reps looked pretty good, so I sent Richard (ahem) a PM. Speaking of "ridiculously generous", he sent the dial to me, free, even though he was hours away from going on a trip. You're a good man, Richard Browne! So I was a bit disappointed to find out just how big that dial was: Not even close, but I had an alternative -a much more expensive Plan B- lined up. If anyone reading needs a cartel SM300 dial, or knows someone who does, please shoot me a message and I will send it by registered mail. Own a piece of RWG history with an ex-ubiquitous dial! The Build Here are the genuine parts I used: Crown, stem, hands, gasket, 1171/1 bracelet with 633 endlinks, and... a NOS no-date dial: The case was refinished for the brushed/polished/satin look: The bracelet, as mentioned previously, is an 1171/1. It's not rare, and used examples aren't expensive. It is, however, a great-looking bracelet that's very comfortable to wear. The only negative is the clasp, which is incredibly tight and punishes my fingertips whenever I open it. Lately I've become used to wearing vintage Rolex Oysters, and I forget just how much better contemporary Omega bracelets were! The dimensions may be off, but the tall bezel and spindly lugs define the Seamaster 300: The legendary Cal.552, which I consider one of the most beautiful, mass-produced automatics ever made. On the caseback, note the pointed 'A' on 'WATERPROOF'--this is a tell! Also note the ill-fitting, too-thick rubber gasket. This is the fault of the case, which has too shallow a groove for the O-ring. If the caseback looks like it's protruding in the other pictures, that's because it is. On the pillow, and on the wrist. 633 endlinks are assigned to the SM300, but are not a perfect fit. I understand that this is also true for the gen. I do know that I had to sand the edges down to get it between the lugs of both this SM300 and my gen Speedmaster. I scratched up the insides of the Speedy's lugs pretty badly. Future Upgrades? A 20mm mesh bracelet would be a nice option, but I'm good ith the 1171 for now. Really, all that separates my PUSM300 from "NOS" status (like a Watchco) is a 166.0324 replacement case set. It's pricey, but it comes with a caseback, crystal, and the all-important bezel with lumed markers. If you haven't seen a NOS SM300 at night, believe me, it's a thing of beauty. But I can wait. I'm happy with how this watch turned out, and it seems to have scratched my SM300 itch. Now I just have to stay off eBay tonight...

Mastering the sea, er, three hundred:

I really like this one. What a transformation from the first picture! Great deal on the bracelet. Someone on VRF just sold a 9315 in much worse shape for $200!

How do you age a new-ish Speedmaster without throwing it into a sack of pennies? You put it on a well-worn 1171:

Beautiful, joerg! The 70s were a great decade for Omega, and they really explored the limits of plongeur designs--unlike another beloved brand I won't mention here!

Andei3000, I like the way you sink:

This is a follow-up to my award-winning comparison (OK, not really) of aftermarket Tropic 21s. Considering the appeal of 1016 Explorers is even narrower than that of vintage Daytonas, I will be very happy to match the two responses that thread received. You will be blessed, freddy333 and coolfire! But there's been a lot of chatter -relatively speaking- about 1016 projects in the last few months, so maybe this will help out a handful of people. There wouldn't have even been a comparison without automatico, who kindly offered to send the GS PA464-64C crystal to me. Before automatico chimed in on one of the vintage Explorer threads, I had thought that Clark was the only way to go for an aftermarket Tropic 22. Genuine units aren't cheap: A modern, beveled-edge Tropic 22 will go for $150-200, while a vintage superdome T22 will sell for $250, minimum. Both types are rarely spotted for sale on eBay or on the forums. Note that both of these crystals are of the modern style. I don't know any aftermarket supplier of superdome T22s, so there's a niche that's waiting to be filled. So let's get started with the comparison, as there are more differences between these two than I would have expected. The Clark is on the left, the GS is on the right: Already the difference is clear: The GS is lower overall, but has a taller and more pronounced bevel. The Clark has a deeper dome and a thinner edge around the circumference. The bevels appear to be angled identically. Onto an oblique angle. Clark is above, GS is below: The Clark appears to have greater clarity on the bevel, but I believe that's a compression effect of the thinner edge. Opticians out there can correct me on this. Both crystals are very good, but which is closer to gen? It's easier to tell when there's a frame of reference, so let's roll out the jmb/LHOOQ "1016" bezel for a simulation. Again, Clark is on top, GS below: (Note that the picture of the GS depresses me, because it's obvious that I scuffed it while slipping it on the bezel. It's better after some Polywatch, but still... stupid, stupid, stupid!) Now compare those two shots with this genuine 1016 in profile: GS wins!

The clasps for both my Yuki 7206 and this WI 7836 are roughly 27mm, not including the tab on the end. You didn't ask that question, yet... somehow I know that you once did! I would never attempt it myself, but any watchsmith who's been working on Rolexes for a while should know how to unfold a midlink in as few moves as possible. Keep the additional bits next to the clasp, and you'll never be bothered by the sight of a few slightly dimpled midlinks. If done competently, it won't be nasty at all.

Beautiful selection, alligoat, especially the transitional!

Argie Marxist poster-boy Che Guevara had a nice Rolex GMT, its 24-hour hand undoubtedly pointing to Moscow time i.e. the RED part of the bezel. The CIA successfully captured the watch with Bolivian help, dealing a huge blow against the revolutionary threat in South America. As for the Datejust being "The Hitler Watch", that sounds very doubtful. I assumed the DJ was a post-war watch, and all sources I can find say it was introduced in 1945. Assuming it was first sold in early '45, I doubt Rolex would be making special deliveries to the Berlin bunker. And Hans Wildorf was no friend of the Nazis.

Excellent explanations. I have the same issue with my DW 6263, in that I have to set the time 110 seconds in advance! On my other 7750-powered rep (an IWC GST), no delay whatsoever.

I'm more of an old Explorer kind of guy, but your 214270 is very nice, thogaa. LLD for a sunny Sunday:

Gunny for the weekend:

That's not a watch; that's a pachinko machine!

Daytona, back on rubber:

No kidding. He can't even bring himself to wear the watches in the ads: "I'll hold them... but I'm not gonna be happy about it. <Grumble>"

It has long, thin stick markers rather than Romans, but have you considered the Piaget Altiplano reps?

Some guys on WUS nailed the watches down a little while back (at least, the ones featured in the macro shots): Cal.5 Carrera for Leo (of course), an Oris BC3 Day/Date, and an Issey Miyake Trapezoid. Good movie, but some people are overthinking the plot. It's really just a ripoff hybrid of The Thirteenth Floor and Total Recall, don'tcha know? plaifender: Hyundais have been pretty prominent in several big TV shows in the US. Jack Bauer's been spotted in both a Genesis sedan and coupe, while Fiona in Burn Notice switched from a Saab to a Genesis coupe this season.

From spring bar to spring bar, it's 6.125 inches. That's at the longest clasp setting and with all the links in place.