freddy333

As is always the case with Rolex, there are no official figures, so no one knows for sure. But I have seen about 20 prototype Daytona dials alone. The dial on the Sub above looks black & I am not sure whether this is a prototype or just another vintage Rolex color-degrading anomoly, but speaking of blue

If you like that 1

Anyone have info on this Sub (I know the Daytona is a prototype, so I am guessing the Sub is as well) It is on a gen site & appears to be a standard 5513, but with a negative color minute track. It also has the slightly serifed 3/6/9 markers like some other early 70s 5513s.

Wore my old Daytona beater today

Yellow (or red) gold is a tough act to pull off (never works on my wrist), but why only the 1 pic? More please.

Alot of Christie's auction bids come by way of telephone & the buyer's identity is, therefore, rarely revealed. My guess is that, in addition to the growing number of Asian (mainly Chinese) buyers, alot of these were bought by US/EU collectors. I think the Chinese are working to make up for decades of financial & aesthetic poverty. But overpaying for vintage Rolex is nothing new for the Chinese. They were on a similar, albeit less gargantuan, Rolex binge just prior to the crash. I think the reason they are buying through the major auction houses & paying way over current values is to guarantee an easy path to ownership of major pieces so they can quickly establish themselves as serious collectors. & I do not think this is a temporary blip either. As China (& Asia) continues to grow millionaires & billionaires, Rolex's decision, 20 years ago, to place adverts in Tiananmen Square & other high profile Chinese sites, is now paying off by turning China's nouveau riche into rabid Rolex buyers.

Has anyone been following the auction prices of vintage Rolexes at Christie's today? Among others, a nice 6542 with box/papers sold for more than $268k. A 6538 sold for nearly $550k. & a white 6610 goes for more than $180k. Talk about investment potential.

There are some seriously potent pics here today, gents. I do not see a single shabby image in this thread. The gen fora may, for the most part, have the best watches, but we have the best photographers.

It sounds like the movement requires a proper overhaul & regulation. Keep in mind that, contrary to the hyperbole offered by rep sellers, rep watches generally come with used &/or unserviced movements - regardless of where it came from. That said, if the watch runs outside the limits indicated on TT's website, I would discuss this with Andrew (TT) & ask him to time the watch prior to its return to you. Keep in mind that a watch set to run accurately on a timer is not likely to run as well on your wrist going through your normal routines. Bottom line is if you want accuracy, find a local watchmaker & spend the money to have the movement professionally overhauled (disassembled, cleaned, oiled & regulated). If you want to get your moneys' worth, return the watch to TT & have them either fix or replace it (with the understanding that, even if it runs well, you are still likely to receive a used/unserviced movement).

Check your phone book for local watchmakers. This is something that can be done in less than a minute &, if the fellow is nice, possibly without a charge.

TeeJay - Glad to see you back & hear that all is well. Hang in there, T.

Congratulations, she is beautiful & your wife should be very happy!

On Mother's Day

Assuming it is a sapphire (as opposed to Plexiglas) crystal, it needs to be pressed into the case with a crystal press. Otherwise, it will not seat & will keep falling off.

The problem inherent with secs @ 6 7750s is the extra gearing required to relocate the running seconds. That gearing is required regardless of whether the base 7750 is Asian- or Swiss-made. Therefore, if you want to keep the correct appearance of your watch (running seconds at 6), then you will need to transplant the inherently problematic secs @ 6 gearing over to your new Swiss 7750 & you will likely end up right back where you are now (except with a lighter bank account).

Is it stopping with any of the 6 hands in a particular position? That is, any chance 1 of the hands is coming into contact with the dial, index marker or another hand? Failing that, it is either in need of a proper overhaul or an issue with the additional secs @ 6 gearing (search out my 'powdered graphite' remedy for your watchmaker).

The 2 most salient issues are the bezel & dial. Unfortunately, there are so many details that identify a Newman (Exotic) dial as genuine, all of which yours lacks, so all I can say is the factory got the basic idea, but that is all. Locations of subdials, fonts, crown, etc, are all off. An accurate bezel & dial would get you 90% there, but I am not aware of many dial options for your movement. Here is a gen, 2-color ROC (Oyster) Newman for comparison - note especially the fonts, shape of coronet, location of subdials & dial texture

The caseback may be pressing on the rotor or its lower edge may be compressing some other parts. Make sure the caseback gasket is in place & not being twisted during installation of the caseback. Without seeing the watch, that is the best I can tell you (before you ask, I am not accepting any new work). Unless you can see the problem, I would have a watchmaker look at it. Keep in mind that reps are sold with used/unserviced movements & the inherent design itself is problematic. So, unless you have the movement properly overhauled & the extra gears treated with powdered graphite, there are a number of possible causes for the watch to keep stopping.

James - It would be very helpful if I knew what the watch looked like. But, were it me, I would send them the watch along with the explanation you posted above & leave it at that. Although lawyers, especially those who work on behalf of Rolex USA, are rogues, I cannot imagine it being worth their time to proceed any further. But, as in all cases dealing with legal issues (especially, those with Rolex USA), the only way to know for sure is to consult an attorney that specializes in trademark & patent law.

This looks like 1 of Rolex's prototype dials? Do you have any details to add?

7206s were available as expansion & non (I have an expanding gen 7206 on my 6536/1).