ubiquitous

The usual...

Welcome back....

Nice collection, WT! But.... Where's the DW?

Nicely done, as usual! You have these 16610's down to a science... I think you could build one of these in your sleep!

Be careful with aftermarkets. Many have the wrong style fonts... Too big, too small, too thin, too bold. They vary a lot. If buying online, make sure the one you are looking at purchasing is what the seller actually ships. Unfortunately, an accurate rolex rep will always require an overlay; i.e. making a replacement wheel for an ETA just won't suffice. Why? Because of the actual placement and positioning of the fonts. If you were to install an ETA with, say a genuine dial (or TW Best, Noobmariner or any other rep dial with correct placement of datewindow) and left the overlay off, all you'd see is the ratcheting teeth and half of the ETA wheel. The overlay corrects this, and hopefully addresses the fonts as well (but as we all know not to be the case).

My 21600bph Valjoux 23 6263 is very calming, so yes with this one... My 36000bph El Primero 400 16520 on the other hand is a bit more busy, so not quite as relaxing (but fun to listen to regardless...).

How about BKK Best as a blanket term?

Can't deny that others are just as clever, or even more so in terms of technical development- There are many out there who are redefining the world of horology (i.e. the TAG V4, etc). Personally I feel that a lot of people overlook the fact that Rolex has been very creative in terms of what's under the casebacks of their watches; that was my reasoning for the above post.

Rolex styles are for the most part, very conservative (save for their iced and bling'd pieces); that said, they do not follow the majority of fashion or other trends as some other brands might. Instead, they continue forth with a clear, concise brand identity with designs that stand the course of time (and are unmistakably Rolex). While their designs may be rather staid, their technical innovations are not. As a true manufacturer (i.e. one that produces 99%+ of their watches and all components in house) Rolex is one of the few brands at the leading edge of new innovative development (the number of patents that they file for per year is proof of that). Take their in-house developed 4130 Daytona caliber for example (superceding the Legendary El Primero 400). This is a movement that has been engineered with efficiency in mind- In terms of production, layout, serviceability, function, etc. it is clearly innovative thinking that brought this caliber to fruition. Layout of this movement is such that winding and chronograph functions are under their own respective bridges, hence dividing the functions for easier servicing I believe). The balance has it's own bridge (not [censored]) for better stability, and the vertical clutch for the seconds hand eliminates that little seconds jump that we are all typically accustomed to when starting the stopwatch function on most watches. All this in an efficient sized 30.5mm x 6.5mm movement with 72 hours of power reserve running at COSC spec. Rolex's advancements and improvements are not so much on the outside where all can see; rather, they are hidden under a closed caseback. So... What are you buying with a Rolex? Mostly a name with worldwide recognition... But you also get a timepiece that does it's job well

With regards to working with watches... A very large portion of success is attributed to having the right tools. Experience is a HUGE contributing factor to the equation... Patience is one of the virtues that one must possess to keep a cool head while working with these things (work cannot and should not be rushed). And, of course, money is also a requirement; this way one can buy a new watch once the prior new watch is broken

I have to agree... I'm about finished with Rolex as well... The ones I wanted to build are built for the most part and there are only a few others left that I really want to try my hand at. Otherwise, the crown club is about complete for me, and I'll be looking for other brands to move onto (so I'm hopeful that '07 brings us some neat makes and brands). Thanks for the kind words, guys. As always they are much appreciated! I've really put a lot of time and effort into my projects- Many of which have been ongoing for quite a while now. I take a lot of pride in my watches; but even more important to me are the friendships and world class people that these watches (and RWG) have allowed me to meet. So much more than just a watch? Yes... I'd say so No matter what's printed on the dial... Best, Randy

How fast is it actually running per day? Might be beyond regulation...

Same issue here... I log in and then get bumped. Go to post a reply to a thread and get bumped. No big deal, except when I've written a somewhat lengthy reply and have to re-type (doh)

I did!

Every Rolex watch I've wanted I ended up building... DW Daytona with Swiss Valjoux23 transplanted Franken-Daytona (white) Franken-Daytona (black) Franken-16610 Modded MBW's 1665 1680s Others that were built but traded or given away... Franken 16234 Tudor 7928 DWs... Personally, I don't mind the inaccuracies as it alows me to build Half the fun for me is tracking down gen parts The other half is watching a creation take shape...

Great post... Definitely a great knowledge base contribution...

Nice choice... But, both dials are nice! And, with both having been ziggy-lumed, both VERY desirable as wel! As for the casebacks... It's possible to see a straight back on a white as the dials have been known to have been changed by Rolex during service (e.g. because of chipped dials, etc. as mentioned in the TZ discussion). What might be a little more questionable is to see a curved back with a DRSD dial As always, beautiful work, DS. Good stuff! Randy

Agree 100%

As predictable as ever...

Glad to see you back, buddy!

Mike is one of the good guys!

I've been a bit busy and have lost visibility in this myself. I'll inquire with my dial guy to see what's going on/progress/updates etc. Best, R

Not a huge fan of the BB, but the Black Magic variation is intriguing...

Very well done! The rotor is a nice touch... Now all you need is the 4030 stamped winding bridge