lhooq

Indeed, offshore's travel notes from 2009 are some of the most entertaining (and useful) bits of writing I've ever read on these forums.

vlydog will back me up on this: Gray NATO just looks great on a Speedy:

New (Old) bracelet for the Aqua Date:

Mm... Pamacco...

So you might have to plug a few leaks while you're wearing the rep... Big deal!

Well, that took longer than I expected. Here's what I have. Measurements are for case length (lug tip to lug tip), "wheelbase" (from lughole centers), and lug height (top of midcase to tip elevation): 1601: 43.0mm, 39.0mm, 6.0mm 16014: 44.3mm, 38.8mm, 6.5mm 16203: 43.9mm, 39.0mm, 7.0mm jmb's DJ: 44.1mm, 38.6mm, 7.0mm Give or take 0.25mm!

Well, it would if you had a genuine 1016 to compare them with. Perversely, this is one reason why I'm still in the hunt for one--to improve the frankens! I've got three genuine Datejust cases and one rep DJ case from jmb. I'll bring out the calipers when I get home from work later. I usually stick to visual comparisons, since it's difficult to quantify the curves of a lug. Off-hand, I think you could get an accurate 1016-alike if you extensively reshaped the squarish lugs of a 16203 so that the tips are more slender, the curves gentler, and the droop less severe.

Two years ago, I had arranged to meet David in Shenzhen. Unfortunately, he had to cancel. Since I already had a PRC visa, I decided to go to Guangzhou, instead. It would have been nice to put a face to the name, though I suppose it's possible that I would be sitting down with the Board of Directors of DW Incorporated. "Yes, we are David."

Thanks, Red. Your post reminds me that I really shouldn't limit myself to one picture on certain watches!

Thanks, B and E! Those sunglasses are from around 1965, which is just about right for my 6239's pretend age. B: That Gingham 7031 is one of my favorite shots!

I love using the chronograph, but experiences with the Asian 7750 have left me with the apprehension that the upper pusher is electrified. Now I stick to timing things on more dependable movements, like Lemanias, Poljots, and well-serviced Valjoux 7734s. The chrono on my Valjoux 72 Daytona build runs great, but I feel like I'm playing Russian Roulette!

Why ruin vlydog's consistent nomenclature? Shady Wednesday Cosmograph:

Looks good to me--especially at that price! Potential buyers can safely disregard the "34mm" in the listing, I think.

Dammit! I was all set to gouge you!

As far as I know, there's really only one 14270 rep (in two flavors) floating around on the trusted dealer sites. The cheaper A21J model has a crown that's too tall. The ETA-powered version costs almost double, has a better-looking crown, a higher beat (8 per second), but is otherwise identical. These are acknowledged to be very good reps. If you're anal, you'll notice the same deficiencies that plague almost all Datejust and Datejust-based reps e.g. angular lugs and wrong crystal/bezel dimensions. Either you end up thinking, "LHOOQ is nuts; nobody will notice those flaws," or -if you're very unlucky- you conclude, "LHOOQ is completely right! Only an expensive franken will ever make me happy!" I have an older 14270 rep that I bought for $20 a few years back, and I still use it for swims every now and then. These may still be available from untrusted and unsavory sources.

I know that some members have been dealing with DW for much longer than me, but I've been using the same email address -and eBay- to contact David (or "David") since 2009. I believe the person I've been communicating with is, at the very least, affiliated with the website and with Steve. I have also communicated with Steve many times by PM. Seems like a good guy, but I've never concluded an order through him. He is, as RA describes, a middleman (I don't think he's a scammer), and the final say always goes to DW. The fewer layers you deal with, the better--even if the middleman has better English. Note that I just received a couple of orders from DW. As the generic feedback goes, "Items arrived quickly and were as described." That's really good for DW!

Sub Tuesday:

Honestly, I still get confused about which 6mm crowns fit on which tubes. 24-6020 is the older, wider tube, correct? If so, then it should fit a -600 crown and a 1601 case with no problem. No need to drill/tap the case, either, unless it's a newer one that takes a 5.3mm tube e.g. a 162xx. But that's a lot of extra effort for such a tiny bit of detail. Who's going to call you out while you're setting the time? As always, automatico has some good info on the subject.

Let me know if you don't get any donors from the US. I'm sure I have a couple of 7836 links from the narrow end.

Not sure if you've seen my "Why not a 16000?" thread, but the visual comparison may be useful to you. You should be able to use a Yuki 7206 on any of these. The endlinks are just about flush-fit on my 1601-based Space-Dweller, and ought to look good on the thicker DJ cases. greyjedi: I'm pretty sure that's Skeet/Urul's Vintage Rolex Sports Models in the back of alligoat's pictures.

Beautiful colors on this shot, Jkay.

Lovely! It already looks great in your photos, but a Twinlock and a trim would be les coups de grace.

Beautiful, crisp shot of your 7031, B! I went big for Monday:

I was attracted by the 45-minute Valjoux 7734 and the great price I bought it for, since it was listed as "Seems To Be Not Working". It's not that I took a gamble; I just didn't read the description very carefully! Luckily, the only problem with it was a too-short stem. I was thinking of using the movement to replace the problematic one in my Tudor 7032 build. But this Wakmann is in phenomenally good shape, with a dial that's practically NOS, an unmarked case, and clean innards. I've decided to keep it!

Very good to know, S. It can be very tempting to believe that there are absolute, unchanging truths when it comes to vintage Rolex. However, there always emerges evidence to the contrary!