freddy333

To keep this private - PM sent.

Looks like more than a good day. What is the story behind the Lambo?

Ditto above. Missing sweep seconds pinion, escape wheel cap jewel & end piece; all difficult parts to locate.

Try Phong, NDT & Yuki. Remember that each seller's wares have a different set of inaccuracies & you need to select whichever sins offend YOU least. Also, keep in mind that none of this stuff has much consistency, so best to ask the seller to send pics of the actual parts before shipment (make sure he understands you want them *before*).

Exactly.

A bit cold (in spite of the hot watch) upon returning from my 1st ride of the season

Yes, the reason I posted that old pic is because it shows the working Hev I put in my MBW mid-case.

Looks too new to me. A tool watch should look used

Knowing the specific model of Daytona would be most helpful when requesting assistance. But, in general, it sounds like your watchsmith installed the wrong size gasket in the tube, which might explain the difficulty in moving the stem in/out. As for the bezel, you can often find aftermarket parts for your Daytona on ebay. If this is a modern model, with the running seconds at the 6 o'clock subdial position, then you should search out Ziggy's reviews of the secs @ 6 Asian 7750s (hint - there is a reason your watch stops). You might also search out my 'powdered graphite' remedy, which seems to work well. However, you will need to locate a watchmaker willing to overhaul your watch (completely disassemble, clean & re-lubricate all components) prior to applying the graphite treatment (I am not accepting any new work).

click me

Thank you, all, for the kind words.

Since I have upgraded 2 of the watches since my original post, I thought I would bring things up to date with a new pic

If you feel Minh's dial presents a worthwhile improvement over your current dial & you can afford his price tag ($1,100), then you should upgrade. Aftermarket parts are always improving & only you know whether to pull the trigger or await the next big thing. Obviously, after reading this thread, you know where I stand.

Exactly.

Every few months, a thread appears on a number of gen sites with pics of frankens taken from RWG or other rep sites & trumpeting the need to hang the fakers. Often, the poster is a member on RWG. Sad, but true. You may also occasionally see frankens here that get posted on gen sites after their members find the pics on google & assume they are gens.

You are kidding, no?

If the crown is unscrewed gently & screwed back down only until snug (not tight), it should last for several years. That said, Rolex designed them to last 5-7 years, which is the recommended service interval.

Very true, but this is nothing new. The unscrupulous have been ripping buyers off with frankens-sold-as-gens for as long as I can remember. This dial ,& other aftermarket parts that raise the bar, simply make it a bit easier & broaden the buyer gene pool. But a good, clear macro of the dial & its sins are revealed. Anyone who buys a watch like this based on dark, de-focused or distant pics, regardless of the story that accompanies them, is a fool. & you know what they say about a fool & his money................ Anyone care to wager how long it will be before 1 of the members here post my watch on some of the gen sites with the usual rants & raves about reps & frankens?

Excellent work. For improvements, I would consider some 'enhanced patination' & try to get a closer match for the color of the hand lume & dial lume.

During install, I scraped a bit of paint off in a couple spots around the perimeter. I have been feeling sick about it all evening. But now that I see it up close, it actually makes the watch look genuinely older. Similar to how the cracks in JoeyB's plastic insert give my '42 a shade more authenticity, I am now glad they are there.

Yes, that is what I was referring to in my pre-purchase posts & I still cannot really justify the ridiculous price MQ charges for these things. But, even if the rest of the dial was no different than the dial it replaced, I would have had to get it for the texture alone. This sets a new standard in my book.

For full disclosure, I should mention that, since this is an Asian-made creation, it arrived in a terrible state. There were small dots of 'goop' in several places on the dial & the 11 hour markers were covered in so much muck & debris that they absorbed more light than they reflected. I spent about an hour with rodico & a Q-tip to get them to look like a couple of gens I used as models (very few 40+ year old dials are 100% pristine with perfectly clear/sparkly mirror markers on them), so I think this is an acceptable level.