freddy333

Looks good.

With aftermarket Daytona hands, if you are experiencing the hands suddenly not resetting to the correct null position, 99 times out of 100, the hand's arm wand is loose on its tube & must be cemented (or stalked) in place If you are constructing a Daytona, I would strongly recommend that you epoxy all 4 chrono arms prior to assembly. This 1 simple step will save you alot of grief later.

Read this (pay particular attention to item 5 under Posting).

I hope it measures (which is all that counts once the caseback is closed) as good as it looks.

New/aftermarket dial & not even a great 1. Consider yourself lucky.

Well done. The hard work that went into this definitely shows.

Most watchmakers should have a set of broaches on hand.

DW cases have similar issues, but at least DW sells his cases for a more realistic price. 1 of my early 62xx Daytona construction threads detailed how I dealt with ill-fitting pushers on a DW case (had to re-tap holes & fit larger pushers). When newbies ask why the gen makers charge so much, QC, which leads to production consistency, is 1 of the primary reasons.

You need a set of broaches, which are basically small, circular files that you rotate within a hole to enlarge it (click pic for link) The process is much easier if you secure the hand in a hand holder (click pic for link) I posted an illustrated mini-tutorial 4-5 years ago, but it must have gotten removed during 1 of the system updates.

Unfortunately, I have to 2nd Valty's general warnings. Although I have never purchased his Daytona cases, I have had similar problems with some of Phong's other components. It may be that his quality has declined recently since I based 1 of my purchases on a beautiful 5514 case that Ubi had sourced from Phong (to be fair, Ubi's beautiful case was actually a replacement that Phong sent him after the initial case was found to differ from the case on Phong's website - unfortunately, my experience has not gone as well). In my case, Phong has been willing to make things right (albeit after some haggling), but, after more than 2 years & repeated returns, I have yet to receive anything that matches the pics/descriptions that were displayed at the time I placed the order or that betters the average rep. Not good. So, as much as I hate to say it, this seller should be treated with caution. To be charging the inflated prices he charges for standard rep-quality wares is outrageous. At least in my book. If you are considering buying something from Phong, be aware that you are throwing the dice.

If the hand holes are (a bit) too small, you can broach them larger. If they are (a bit) too large, you may be able to reduce them with a staking set.

The white Explorer has a different model number, but I forget what it is now? I agree that it would have been difficult to read, which is probably why they never appeared in large numbers (or for retail sale).

As I have learned (& continue to learn) over the years, Rolex has often made variations-on-a-theme for special promotions, market testing &/or special customers. Many of these are never mentioned in either promotional literature or service manuals, which is why they are so difficult to authenticate. Clapton had (& probably still has) a number of these types of 1 or 2-offs that have since been authenticated by Rolex & other reliable sources. White dials appear to have been the most common of these small-lot variations & is 1 of the salient facts that convinced me of the existence of albino or white '42s. That said, I remain agnostic as to Juan Tripp's involvement &/or the Pan Am 'desk jockey' or 'ground crew' story. I think it more likely that Rolex simply made a handful of white dialed '42s that found their way into the marketplace although they were never meant for retail sale. I mean, knowing Rolex's aesthetic sensibilities in the 50s, I find it nearly impossible to believe that no one at Rolex ever contemplated the profit potential of a beatiful watch like this (all gen (damaged black dial repainted professionally) except for (JoeyB) insert)

Every once in awhile, I come across a pic that takes my breath away. As most here know, the Lange 1 is heart-stoppingly beautiful in any context. But I found this pic on another website & was so taken by it (both the watch & the pic) that I thought it was worth reposting here

Considering they did produce these (& other traditionally black-dialed sports watches) with white dials For sale at Christie's Geneva Owned by Eric Clapton Owned by a well-known Rolex collector/dealer

No (I would not do anything without good, clear pics).

Generally, no. But, in this case, you should either hunt around for a better fitting crystal (gens are always best, though you may then need to mod the bezel) or use UV glue. The bezel is designed to fit tightly around the crystal & should be pressed onto the case, which forms a seal. As has been discussed ad nauseum, there is no real QC & little consistency among aftermarket parts. DW's cases are especially notorious for having ill-fitting components & causing constructors much grief.

Wrist checks are generally posted in the General Discussion forum & there is already a Wednesday edition posted there that you are welcome to contribute to.

Since it only happens to a relative few watches, that is likely the cause (defective mix).

Just after midnight & still wearing my '39

Ditto Nanuq, but you need to beat that case & bracelet up a bit to match the dial/handset.

Wore my '39 today 1 of these days, I will have to do a copycat pic with my Z.