JoJo35

The 1601 takes a 20mm, and the 1500 takes a 19mm

Nice clean looking watch ubi, very nice job!

Lol, Germany is a long way off! I was able to catch a glimpse of the T on the right of the swiss, but unfortunately the refraction from the plastic crystal throws it off

Thanks for your comment Greystash. For the few of us who truly appreciate the history of rolex, pieces like this are a diamond in the rough. Presently undervalued and under appreciated, this 1500 has no where to go but up. An unblemished Sigma dial, more than likely an original bracelet, obviously original hands, and a silver datewheel. I've noticed that this buyer sells lots of old rolex, and probably doesn't know when he has something that's worth a little more than his average OP. I'm really surprised its lasted this long.

alligoat: PS, before I bought this piece, I did a little research. Here's a snapshot of the only other 1803 underline I ever saw, found on VRF:

Take a closer look at the first picture. You'll see that the print used on the "T"s surrounding the SWISS @ the six o'clock position is different than the SWISS printing (and the T's are not aligned on each side of the SWISS). Evidently, this was the beginning of the T SWISS T dials, or perhaps T SWISS T dials were already being produced when this dial was used up from old stock at the factory and placed into this watch after adding the underline and the T's. Different theories exist regarding the rare underline dials, although IMO this makes the most sense.

Nice catch alligoat Yes, I guess you could say that is my "signature" with a number of my pieces. This 1803 happens to be extremely rare; especially in the mint condition it is in. Production year is well into '64, and although later for an underline, this watch is 100% correct. Notice anything else peculiar about the dial?

For those of you who may be ready to break away from the reps, and to begin a genuine collection, I spotted a very nice vintage gen on the bay this morning. This particular 1500 appears 100% correct, with a rivet bracelet, and nicely aged matching hands. What really caught my eye though was the rare sigma dial. Not a bad catch for $1500, and IMO certainly a better investment than a $300 rep

Thanks guys Each watch is a rarity in its own right, with 1560's in the OP's, and of course a 1556 in the day date. The 1803 is the youngest of the three, although all three watches are in pristine mint condition.

This is gold, Mr Bond... "All my life, I've been in love with its colour, its brilliance, its divine heaviness..." Auric Goldfinger I've finally found a suitable 1803 that matches it's golden brothers, a white dialed OP, and a silver dialed two-tone. That's probably enough Au for now, unless of course if I ever come across a color change golden 1680

PS: You've got the perfect rendition of a "complete service" watch fresh out of RSC. Service lumi hands and dial, service insert with lumi pearl, service top hat crystal, and service 703 crown and tube. Not to mention a complete service to the 1570 movement Wear well, and congrats again

Beautiful piece B! I love that little glimpse of the silver date wheel in there. I bet she runs like a champ Congrats to the owner and builder, wear in the best of health Kind Regards, JJ

You mean diaperman?

Can we wear a rep there?

Ok, clean out that lug hole (or get another springbar) and get that bracelet on there! ...but, what I'm really getting at is POST SOME PICS OF THAT GORGEOUS WATCH!!!!

W, this watch will look great with the new T19 superdome on it Have you decided to get the USA rebuilt, or will you look for a swiss?

Great job on a classic design! congrats!

I bought a WM9 a while ago, then turned it into a superfranken. Gen dial, gen crown and tube, gen crystal, noob date wheel, gen insert, gen pearl, and to top it off, a gen bezel. Other than that, the asian ETA was removed and replaced with a real swiss ETA that had just been serviced. Hands were relumed with superluminova by the Zigmiester, and he completed the build after completely servicing the movement. I'd consider selling it if someone offered me a realistic amount... Here's a pic with my gen "A" series:

Less than 4k for a full set? Buy it, you'll never loose money on it

Thanks everyone for your kind comments The funny thing is, I wasn't even searching for one of these, until an opportunity came along that I couldn't pass Like my GMT, the 6265 was a watch that never really appealed to me, until I saw one in person. The mix of "modern" and "vintage" is simply irresistible.

Broke down this week and finally got another one... The perfect opposite, an evil twin, or a match made in heaven? All I know is that I now have a great watch to wear everyday. I took a few quick pics, enjoy

More junk hits the market

http://www.network54.com/Forum/207593/message/1270665951/anyone+see+the+mother+goose+and+grim+comic+strip-

Well, you did say that you finagled a fair price, so cost is relative I suppose. The insert and pearl is obviously a replacement lumi, as is the crown. The bezel has a different cut than my original, so evidently that was changed as well. The hands, wow, not even close (although the second hand looks original). Don't forget that even these transitional are really old, and parts do get replaced over the years. However, a buyer should be fully aware of obvious changes before attempting a purchase. After all, these things do cost a lot of money, and who do you want to have the edge, them, or you?

My observations: The parts (except for the dial, and you did say you could live with that) are not original. Below is a pic of my transitional 16800: ...notice the matching hands, the inset and pearl, and the crown. For all new collectors ready to venture out into the gen world... remember, research research research! PS: come to think of it, I have serious doubts about the bezel as well...