ubiquitous

Intriguing... And, incredible! A huge undertaking to create a case like this to the precision achieved! As impressive as that project is, I'm simply happy to have my DW

Awww, shucks. Thanks, you guys

If you are going to get a 1665 replica, you're best off buying a DRSD or all white SD. The Single Red (SRSD) is a very unique piece, and is quite different from the 1665 that we all know today. The SRSD was the very first Sea Dweller to exist, debuting in 1967. The first two prototypes used Submariner cases, and lacked the Helium Escape Valve. The He Valve made it's debut on the Submariner 5514, which was issued to COMEX divers only. The use of the He Valve proved to be very beneficial to the deep sea divers, and became a feature on the 1665's (which still had the SRSD dial and still used Submariner cases). The SRSD dial is also unique in that the depth was signed 500M = 1650FT. After initial testing, and a change to the thicker 1665 case, the dial was changed to the DRSD dial with even greater depth ratings signed; 2000ft = 610m. With the initial run of DRSD pieces, the caseback is signed 'Patent Pending', as the patent for the He Valve was still pending approval. As such is the case it is clear to see that the initial batch of Sub cased SRSD's was very limited; these initial 1665's were issued to divers for testing, and over the testing procedure of analysis and servicing, many dials were subsequently replaced with the DRSD dial (along with tubes, crowns, etc.). With this in mind, it is easy to see that the SRSD is a very rare piece indeed. Now, getting back to the SRSD rep- Since these watches used a slimmer Submariner case, the replica is simply too thick as it uses the standard 1665 case. Granted, there won't be too many people out there who will even know what a SRSD is, let alone a 1665, but if you're after accuracy, I would suggest the DRSD or the WSD over the SRSD any day of the week.

Looks fine to me. I see the following as having been replaced: New Luminova dial New hands Insert Clasp Caseback The caseback can be polished to eliminate the radial finishing. All of these items were most likely recently replaced with a service from an RSC.

I suppose at the end of the day, my gripe is that there are many individuals out there who are buying vintage Rolex for the wrong reason, and in my opinion, pushing up values artificially. I've heard some people even go so far as to say 'I buy Rolex because it's a safer bet than stocks'. I couldn't believe it.

P.S. Anyone see anything wrong with the 1019 dial??

Just a few misc shots from some stuff in my inventory (not for sale). Bezels and inserts: Crowns: Crystals: Dials:

Correct. Building a 16520 from parts. Genuine: Case Bezel Crystal Crown/tube Pushers Dial is a reprint on a genuine Rolex blank. Side by side with it's vintage counterpart: All I need to add is an El Primero 400.

Date advances clockwise, as with the 2836-2. Ultimately, the 2846 currently installed may not be the movement I end up using. I have some different movements en route to me that may prove to be the better solution. But for an easy, drop in solution, the 2846 works a charm.

Micha, I've seen both silver and black center seconds hands on black dialed 6263's. My personal preference is black

Holy smokes! First of all, I'm glad to see the fabled 187 rep has materialized! Second... That beast is huge!! Wowow!!

Definitely the best Nautilus rep out there! Very nice!

A gorgeous timepiece, and one of my all time favorites! Very nice!!

Start here: Comparison of vintage Daytonas: DW vs Genuine Note the following, and compare DW to vintage and then compare both to Tanfoglio's: -hour and minute hand length -center stopwatch seconds hand length -length of subdial hands and shape -case size -dial size -subdial spacing -dial and subdial printing and font -pushers -spacing of pushers -lug width -bracelet width

Thank you, Dutchy!

Hopefully, I'll have all the pieces to wrap this one up within 2 weeks. Waiting for parts to arrive is always the worst part! The anticipation is killing me!

Very good eyes, bazz! It is indeed a 2846! And, it's a perfect fit as it's physically identical to a 2836-2; 11.5L x 5.05, 90/150/25 hand stack, and it even uses the same stem. Beat is 21600bph (6 ticks per second, vs. the 5.5 ticks per second for 19800), and the movement is non-hacking. This one worked so well that I picked up two more for some other projects

I've been watching and monitoring performance now for about a month, and the new movement has been running like clockwork (pun intended). The time keeping has been a little fast, but within the past week or so seems to be slowing up a bit to become a little more consistent. I haven't really played with dial up/down/left/right positions overnight to try to correct time gain/loss, but I'm sure with some experimenting, I could get the correction needed for even better time keeping. Anyhow... Before I move on to the specifics of the details, anyone care to take a guess as to what kind of movement is taking up residence in my MBW? Here are a few pics to give you guys some clues.

All great points. However, I believe that a watch is only worth what a collector will pay. Collectors value provenance, worth, condition, rarity, and support from the manufacturer to help maintain the value and longevity of their valuable pieces in their collection. This is, in my opinion where Rolex will go wrong. The popular sports models of the 50's and 60's will no longer be supported. The availability of original parts are controlled in large by Rolex and their service centers. They're cutting their fan base and following off at the knees. We all know how important all original parts are, along with regular servicing to the value and provenance of a genuine vintage Rolex. Because collectors will be forced to service their watches at 3rd party watchmakers using non-genuine parts, the bloodline of the watch will be less than desirable to the Purists, and hence of lower value. The lack of support is the major downfall, in my opinion; the watches that will be worth anything will be the safe queens, and even then, you have to find someone willing to pay the money for a watch that Rolex won't touch in 10 years, let alone 40 - 50. I personally believe that many of the serious collectors will be moving to Patek and other haute horology marques; I'm already seeing this take place now. Patek offers full support and service of their pieces for vintage and current, and this is a value that many see as essential. To use the Mercedes Benz Gullwing as an example- Mercedes still supports those collectors with a 300SL in the garage (or hanger, warehouse, etc), which makes servicing the cars still possible, as well as more valuable. The smart brands keep their clients happy by ensuring their valued vintage pieces will live on. Rolex just doesn't see it that way. In the meantime, the big league dealers (K, JD, etc) continue to pump and dump the market by pushing values up with larger and even more overwhelming price tags, yet these same dealers own maybe one or two vintage Rolex in their own personal collections with the majority being haute brands. Don't get me wrong; I love vintage Rolex. They have character, and value as a well built watch. I just think the prices and market for some of these pieces are beyond ridiculous and not even remotely reasonable, and I do think that a reality check is bound to happen soon, as people will be turned away by the manufacturer of their watch(es) for routine servicing. I think the people who are heavy in building collections will start looking at the big 3 and other high end brands for their value in complicated time pieces with precious metal, more brand cache and most importantly, the manufacturer's support in making sure their timepieces last for many more generations to come.

I dunno Euno. I agree to an extent, but I feel that the market is largely artifically inflated by a few key individuals. Along with the fact that RSC's are scaling back on servicing, and in some cases authentication (I've heard of this taking place now in certain instances), and add in the number of high end replicas entering the market... I just don't see certain pieces maintaining the same value the way that Pateks or APs do. Rolex alienates a very important sector of their clientale; many of them are starting to look towards a higher level of horology to spend their money on. And when the important collectors who are not afraid to throw down the big money for collectable pieces have no more interest in Rolex, the prices will faulter. Just my humble $0.02.

Arthur, Great to see you, my friend! I hope all is going well With regards to 'what is a DW'- DW is the seller's initials, in this case, David Wong. David came onto the scene last Summer with some incredible items for sale, including some 116520 Daytonas with the Swiss mod 7750 movements at spectacular prices. But, he also had something never seen before- A damn near perfect 6263 vintage Daytona with correct sized case, lugs, asymmetric pushers, and, most intriguing of all, a handwind copy of the V72/23 with correct subdial spacing! This watch was, at the time, being sold for an unbelieveably low price! 5 dial options were available- All of them very highly detailed and very nice. Needless to say, purchases were made with little hesitation, and word began to spread about these beauties. Unfortunately, before long, DW seemed to vanish for no apparent reason. Many of us have our theories on the matter, but nothing has been confirmed. And, that is the legend of DW Hmmmm... I dunno Arthur. Sounds to me like you had plenty of watch sense! Enough to have purchased a 6263 to begin with, and enough to realise how unpractical these buggers are! You were not alone in the mindset of getting rid of the watch because of the manual wind movement coupled with the screw down crown, and the lack of date was also a large disappointment for many people as well. As such, these vintage Daytonas spent more time (when new) in showroom display cases than in the possession of owners, and the major reasons were the same as your concerns. It just wasn't a practical watch. But... Hindsight being 20/20, who would have guessed that these Daytonas, Milguass or vintage Subs would have escalated in value like they have? As much as I like vintage Rolex (they are my #3 favorite), I do believe that the price increases are laregly artifical, and that there is a bubble waiting to pop. Just my opnion, though Please post some pics of your Doxas once Ziggy is finished with them! I can't get enough of those beauties!! Cheers, Randy

Top notch, Joe!! That one's a stunner!

Heehee- Well, without giving too much away, I'll be addressing the following: dial hands bezel insert movement And depending on what I end up doing, movement wise, possibly.... datewheel Heehee

I had the same one, but regrettfully, sold it