horologist

Thanks! One of the best replicas ever made! These are prized pieces for me! Also the quality deserves some credit as well!

Here's mine thanks to Aligoat providing me the case with the trimmed guards. It is powered by an old Tissot eta 2836-2 that I removed some 12 years ago. I have mine on a strap as I also love the feel of a milsub !!! ( Lots of dust and lint particles are on the crystal )

The same can be said about most of us here with these mechanical timepieces which in today's mainstream are replaced by the more modern apple and Casio watches just like the coffee percolator is with the espresso machine!!!

Now that is also nice! Somehow in my opinion, when rolex issued the 50th anniversary green bezel insert edition, it didn't really appeal to me! Perhaps something about the green and black combination blending like mixing wine and beer in one glass! Whereas something like this seems to push all the right musical notes to sing a number one hit on the charts! I am of the belief that it is legit as a licensed product from Rolex to Cartier to identify it as a rolex model exclusive to the cartier line! as for; https://www.rolexforums.com/showpost.php?p=7453782&postcount=10 I am inclined to believe the same analogy as with the cartier model, agreeable with Timelord. Notice that the dial is in gold gilt print as seen in the yellow gold & 2 tone versions and not in white as would have been expected for a purely designed one for a stainless steel blue dial version. So i am also inclined with the "NO" that a pure blue stainless steel model was never truly issued by Geneve themselves

Now that is poetry, art and science all in the one package!! I never knew why rolex never issued a blue dial and insert for their submariner lines apart from the two tones and the yellow gold version! A white gold version in blue also was never released until the ceramic model which looks bulky & unattractive to me. A 16619 model would have been a treat especially when gold prices were a lot more affordable & reasonable. My first replica was a blue dial stainless steel with the blue anodised bezel. It got far more attention and comments than my genuine rolex ever did! Enjoy to good health!

This morning, I went to see my watchmaker who is quite elderly and now works from home since he is in semi- retired,. I have known him for some years and has always been very gregarious with a nice welcoming smile and is one of the very few that had equipment that most others here do not have or use... He has been working on my 1967 Omega Speedmaster just over a year which suits me, as the compromise is that the longer I wait the better the deal which sounds fair to me!!!!. As I was driving close by in the area, I happened to knock on his door to ask what the status was regarding my watch, but I was in for a shock to see such an irate and disturbed man until he told me that he had been robbed last week of just about everything in his workshop. What was interesting was to learn that that my near completed Speedmaster had been left untouched in addition to a few cheap items that he had been working on. This blew me away!!!! Worse still is that his insurance will not cover. He also claimed that nearly all his tools and all of his personal collection of Omega Constellations were taken ! A bizarre coincidence is that some 18 months ago, when I went to collect my re-soled shoes from my cobbler who also changes watch batteries, happened to mention to me that his that his watchmaker who also works from home had also been robbed of everything and only a few cheap watches were left in his workshop. This was some 25 miles away from last weeks incident. I can only conclude that it had to be someone in the trade or ordered by someone in the trade. I am no detective criminologist, psychologist nor police officer, but I smell something very bizarre here. Can anyone make any sense out of this as it does not appear to be an ordinary burglary to me??

Many happy returns!! so you share the same birthday as my late father who would have been 90 today if he was still with us!

Your situation seems identical to my younger brother who is about your age too! with today's technology and advancing treatments, the prognosis is quite good! My late father had a low ejection rate of 17% and passed away at 87! Be positive and try to remain as calm as possible that once this is over you will feel great again!! I am sure other members of the forum are with you in this trialling time! My best wishes and Godspeed!

Both timepieces are spectacular!!! regardless of how nice the late 116610 is, I always choose the 16610! The current model just does not enchant me! Personal choice intersestingly, I had a chance to buy a new 16610 for US$5000 from David SW back in 2010/2011 and I foolishly passed as I was contemplating on the 116610. I ended up with nothing as the later model just did not do it for me. Have never forgiven myself! Look what they sell for now; https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rolex-NOS-Submariner-16610-Steel-Green-Kermit-Watch-Box-Tags-M-16610LV/143091787772?hash=item2150ef67fc:g:V9AAAOSw5bxcPf0i and that is the cheapest that I have ever seen them listed whether it has a black or green bezel insert

Great information as always! Very useful for many of us here!!! Many Thanks !! Also had the same experience! Maybe TC went East! Very true!! Which is probably what has just happened to me! Pay good money for a genuine crown which according to sellers Gospel was meant to be new without tags, but turned out to be a dud! So much for a genuine non functioning item! BTW who is Riff-Raff? I can imagine quite a few of them from my neighbourhood , but I think you are not talking about those riff raffs!!

This forum keeps getting better!!! Welcome!!!!

Very interesting and useful post!!!!! I have always abstained from 2nd hand genuine crowns because of this very issue and most watchmakers that I know here claim that if faulty the labour costs far exceed the replacement. Maybe in the days when these crowns were readily available and price feasible!!!! This begs the question if the same works on the crowns from the replica models such as those from Silix etc or the generic replacement crowns ? Out of curiosity has anyone ever tried it, especially if one has the tools handy and when you have nothing else to replace it with? I have about half a dozen of the rep ones around my place that have this exact problem.

Welcome on board! It is always a pleasure to have new members in particular watch smiths that appreciate this fine art of replicas and mods!

I will find out as soon as I see her!

It looks better in the flesh. The pearl is slightly discoloured! The room light did not do it much justice, however, at the very worst, the pearl can be changed if the new owner has anything better! I am not sure if she still has it as it was put up for my consideration, but I do agree with Timelord that t s quite an eye catcher in real life being far different than most of the replicas passing through my hands. It is not as bulky in size and it closely resembles the sizes of the older submariners which is what I like! I passed on it because I am slowly winding down and got rid of just about everything since our currency exchange rate has plummeted and worse still since eta parts are rarer and dearer to purchase! However the question remains as who the dealer was as I have never seen anything like this from those recommended on this forum!

Very true!!!! Back then a watch could have been sporty and elegant at the same time. Especially the 6538 had a dual nature of being both a sports watch and a dress watch at the same time. Most of todays watches are so big and bulky like the 1970's ones where you would need an arm sling to wear one. That is just my opinion Totally agree!!! Not much point having a genuine original dial and a case without lugs for example. Sure the case is important. You can buy a lot of genuine dials - even brand new. Try getting a new genuine case either here on anywhere for that matter

Sorry for coming late to the party. Just recovering from a recent unexpected health issue!!!! For me my initial understanding of a Frankenwatch especially relating to the Rolex brand was a watch which was all genuine on the outside but powered by a cheaper mechanism!!!! One of the reasons which the Tudor was more of the cheaper version of the big sister Rolex., I first heard the term some 20 plus years ago, when there were many genuine Rolex 36mm cases with original dials being sold at some of the watch fares and were sold between $150 and $400 depending on condition and rarity. My understanding is that they were being sold as the original movements were used in either the more expensive submariners or in the aftermarket solid gold models made in the far East. Andy Tolley from Timeman got me a few good deals!!!! I myself bought a 1601 and a 1500 with original dials for approximately $350 together. I used a couple of eta 2783 movements where I had a jeweler drill a couple of holes in the base plate so that they could take up the same dial feet from the Singer dials in the event I ever came across the original 1570 movement. The date wheel was a bit of a turn off but I lightly glued a small date window frame which came off a Seiko, but hid the crime scene. It did the trick and had it until I sold them both for just over double the price to someone begging me for them. I declared them for what they were but most people wouldn't even know what a Rolex is, let alone be able to distinguish if the crown guards are right or the crystal is too high etc. Some of the young blond dorky women working at most of the AD have no idea of what they are selling. I know this for a fact!!!!! This is a very esoteric interest and even I after many years enjoying this hobby have difficulties with some of the models unless I over analyze them. I once owned a genuine 1680 and a genuine 16030 and were bought relatively cheap, but when the service prices and the market went mad, I thought of putting them away and selling them later for better money, but spend as little as possible and buy a good quality replicas of them made of the same ingredients but baked by a different chef. In the end it is the demand which drives the market and for me I know I am wearing a replica and prefer to spend as little as possible as nobody in the profession will work on them anyway when they stuff up. If you cannot get the genuine case, then a star supply case either in 18k or stainless steel with a genuine movement for me is as good as if not better than some of the rotted and worn out genuines being sold on ebay!!! Each to their own as to what makes them tick. As for me, I still treasure my very first replica from Paul at Aspire which is my Seiko disguised as a Rolex and I know this and accept it for what it is. Believe it or not I get more attention from strangers asking me about them than I ever did from when I was wearing the real pieces!!!! Pick the bones out of that one!!! LOL!!!

I forgot to mention that it also comes with the stainless steel bracelet which was removed because the owner did not know that the glide part has a a spring bar to allow access for removing the back. There is a lot of lint on the crystal and everywhere from the dust of the tissue paper but otherwise in great condition The mvt seems clean and runs very smoothly. The only turn off for me is the size of case with ceramic bezel insert which measures just a tad under 39mm without crown, made worse that the dial would be impossible to replace as it measure 28.4mm. The owner has no idea where her ex-boyfriend bought it from and it is also a mystery to me as I have never seen anything like this?

not sure where this may have come from, but certainly nothing like anything I have seen offered by the recommended sellers on this forum. , Anyone have anything similar?

I tripped over this site whilst I was looking for something else www.solidswiss.cd/movements/ Would it be one of our Recommended dealer???

Ditto!!!! Wishing everyone a safe and happy Festive Season filled with firstly; Good health and happiness!!!!!. For those of you that had a rocky year, wishing you a much better outcome for the new Year!!! Praying that all your wishes come true my fellow members!!!!!

At this stage I don't see myself with any new purchases within the near future, especially with the parts supply drying up with swatch group and the increasing prices of this new generation of second class reps. my ultimate dream is to build a 18k gold submariner (because of my skin allergies with stainless) with a star supply case powered by a genuine eta and on a NATO strap. It would be my own personalised model. BUT as mentioned in my first paragraph and with the increasing price of gold, it would be just as realistic as building any genuine model!

Good Question!!!!! I remember having an identical issue with mine. It worked really well and was incredibly accurate for an Asian contribution, but a few months later when I went to pull out the crown to set the time for day light saving, it came out completely. I could never put it back in and was also very frustrated that it was the end of the watch as my watchmaker said it could not be repaired!!! I am not very savvy with chronograph modules and until this day, I still do not know why it could not be repaired??? Possibly it could have been fixed but pulling apart half the movement on a cheap chronograph would mostly over ride the replacement of the movement itself!!!!! Who knows?? The very reason I wasn't really appealed with the new fully functioning Noob 116520, especially where quality issues are a concern like with this one!!! It would be nice to get a better quality clone or perhaps any substitute that would be a direct fit. I do not know what the best solution would be here? Others with more experience with this can chime in????? It would also be interesting to know just out of curiosity if a genuine Lemania movement found in the original speedmaster would fit into this straight plug and play~~~???? It is a shame as it is a 316L stainless steel with nice front and rear crystal which looks very appealing!!!

Did you replace it with a genuine or a clone?? if your original movement was a clone and you replaced it with a genuine or vice versa, then there is your answer!! In my experience clones and genuines do not always interchange - especially with parts! I had this problem with replacing just the yoke on mine and the whole damn keyless works did not mesh up and had to replace the complete keyless works! Also regarding your loose mvt, I would recommend buying a raffles movement ring size #2 as it is 2.4mm which can be sanded down to get a nice tight fit. Forget your # 1 ring as they are useless!! This is paramount as a loose movement is not healthy for your dial as you can easily break your dial feet where you are then up for a new dial! Good luck!!

I guess being in Italy they would have all been 18k gold!! It must have been an Aladdin's cave for those like us!!! Back then this scenario would not have been uncommon especially in a place like that. As you said no internet information like today! Your situation of wrong timing back then would be something we all have experienced at some stage or perhaps all the time!! Bargains and Golden ( excuse the pun) opportunities always occur when your finances are at their worst or after you have spent big on something you later regret for not postponing! I notice that with solid gold timepieces they were not very popular with those into horology as they were seen as either jewellery or fragile! I always liked them as they were actually more rugged than expected , corrosion resistant and at least their scrap gold content would appreciate if the watch didn't!! i recall that the Longines 18k solid gold cases were amongst the best and heaviest of all other gold watches made by other Swiss companies that passed my hands and also very under rated!! I always had a soft spot for Longines!! Unlike the Rolex presidential case and even Patek Philippe that were almost hollow being just shells. Sadly with our rising gold prices, gold models are now very difficult to find for similar prices of even 3 or 4 years ago!