freddy333

You got to love a nice, old 'dweller

Certainly, if you have the funds, a gen dial is always the way to go. That said, 1 could also make the case that if you are going to spring for a gen dial, you would be crazy not to couple it with a gen Rolex movement (as opposed to a conversion using aftermarket parts). However, if, like me, you prefer the exotic (Newman) dial over the standard fare, a gen, being so costly/rare, is not an option. In that case, I think a very credible project can be built around some of the better aftermarket Newman dials available

I think there must have been a misunderstanding somewhere along the line. DW's assembled A7750-based watches used to be around $400 (this is going back a few years, so the price may have gone up) & his assembled V72-based watches were around $3,000, which I would expect to have risen to the $4k range by now. If cost is an issue, I would seriously recommend either going the A7750 route or (seriously) rethink your finances & prepare for sticker shock. And before you buy an assembled V72-powered Daytona (from any vendor), keep in mind that these almost always arrive with technical problems & require professional servicing &/or overhaul. There are many threads here detailing this that you can search out (& I would strongly encourage you to spend alot of time reading them *before* clicking the buy button).

I have not perused the dealer listings for a number of years, but there may be some that now offer properly asymmetrical pushered 62xx Daytona cases that could be modded into accepting a V72. Otherwise, if DW is too rich for your wallet, you may have trouble finding what you seek since he has traditionally offered the best buy in these cases.

A franken (case is Phong's), but nicely done.

Between the seller's low number of previous sales (I did not check to see what the previous items were) & defocused pics, I suspect this is a scam waiting to happen. So, if someone is considering this for the movement alone, I would be prepared to receive something less than you are expecting.

Still & again

The model is not my cup of tea, but I like what you have done. I think you made the correct choice with that case. The beveling on this 1 looks more correct than the other case. You might consider a bit of enhanced patination to knock down the brand new appearance.

Overall, number 2 looks best to me. The Comex lettering on gens is always painted gloss black, not flat & not simply the background color bleeding through. Most aftermarket dials get this wrong. But, as always, each of the dials contains inaccuracies & you should research gens so you can make the best selection for you.

There are many threads discussing the issues & possible options for 1665 casebacks, but, basically, your options are to either source a gen or try Phong (not perfect, but close). Either way, be prepared for sticker shock.

Yes, you will likely have to 'roll' your own hour hand (out of 2 normal sized hands) since I have not seen any aftermarket hands of the appropriate length. Though you might check with MY & Ming to see if they can have 1 made for you.

That was kind of what I was wonderiing, too.

In that case, (assuming an unmodified 727 in the case & the bracelet is a solid link 78350) I would estimate that you have about $5,500 worth of gen parts. If the bracelet is an earlier 7205 rivet with 71 ends or a 7835 folded link w/x71 ends, then you can add at least a couple grand to that figure, since those bracelets are both rare & highly sought after.

There were 3 threads all started by you & with the exact same title. I deleted the other 2, which is why you can no longer see them. You will find Andrew (TrustyTime), Josh (Joshua) & other selers listed in the appropriate Watches, Clothing & Accessories section.

Actually, it does because, typically, crowns get replaced during normal service. So it is quite expected to see a brand new 704 on a freshly serviced vintage sports watch. The opposite - having an old, beat up crown on an otherwise, pristine watch - makes 1 wonder.

Nice, but where have I seen a bezel insert like that before?

You said the whole watch is genuine except for the hands (& Phong case). So the movement is gen also?

A truly accurate (preferably, non-Oyster) 62xx Daytona dial would be a breakthrough. However, the keys for a proper Daytona dial are - 1. good, thick paint. Ming seems to be heading in the right direction here, but his dials have other issues. 2. properly deep-set subdials (&, as a bonus, the chapter ring area) 3. correct fonts, especially the 3 in the minute totalizer. None of those western (cowboy) style overly serifated fonts, which are a dead give-away 4. correctly shaped coronet As others have suggested, an accurate double red 1665 would also be nice. But the aftermarketeers have been getting very good on just about everything, but the Daytonas. Produce a proper Daytona & you will be legend. Also, I have never seen a nice gold Daytona dial.

Wearing my pre-Comex today

Ditto most of Tomhorn's comments. In general, buying a (flashed) yellow gold replica watch with 'jewels' is a iffy proposition, at best. Considering the current price of gold, logic dictates that the amount/quality of gold flashed onto a steel substrate is not going to be very much. Therefore, unless it spends most of its life sitting in a velour-lined watch case, the lifespan of a 'gold' replica is very limited. Once the yellow gold flashing rubs/wears/scratches off, you either have to toss the watch or walk around advertising the fact that you are another poser with a (LOUD) fake Rolex. But if you have your heart set on bling, try Andrew or Josh, who provide good customer service & can usually source whatever is available. But, before you do anything, I would encourage you to read the Forum Rules & Toad's Guide to buying reps., both of which will help you to avoid newb no-nos (like posting the same question multiple times) & awkward questions (like what is the best......).

I do not usually disagree with Stephane, but, in this case, I have to. The crown looks too worn for that watch. I would either beat up the rest of the case to match the condition of the crown, or, better yet, keep an eye peeled for a gently worn crown.