freddy333

Finding hands & pushers should not be difficult (or terribly costly). But the cost of a decent gen (62xx Daytona) dial will likely match or exceed $35k today. Accurate aftermarket 62xx bezels can be found, but good luck finding a proper gen folded-link/rivet bracelet with the correct set of 62xx Daytona end links for anything less than a king's ransom. Hell, even gen steel 19mm 7835/357 bracelets, which fit (but were not made for) 62xx Daytonas, are starting to exceed the $1k mark.

I am not sure I was able to follow the ball all the way, but I like the way you think. I think.

With current pricing for gen 62xx series (plexi-crystaled) Daytonas beginning around the $60k mark and skyrocketing up from there (Newman/Exotic-dialed 62xx Daytonas generally trade well in excess of $100k, with sales sometimes tipping the scales at a quarter mil' for nice steel examples), I think sating your niggling sliver of desire will be a costly meal indeed. But, on a more positive note, I can assure you that the feel of a properly assembled franken (with all user-accessible components of genuine Rolex manufacture) will match its 100% factory-made analog in every way but the feel of your wallet. Of course, today, many frankens at this level have become unobtanium for all but the well-heeled collector.

Ask a local jeweler. Most have the equipment/experience to perform engravings on watches (a popular option for gift-givers). However, if the Rolex is not gen, for obvious reasons, I would limit the search to jewelers who are not Rolex dealers. Good luck.

I have never heard of 'Shopstore', but they are probably 1 of tens of thousands of rep sellers online today. Frankly, other than the dealers who have been listed (in good standing) on RWG for many years, I have generally learned to assume that any given rep seller is a scammer until/unless proven otherwise. Trouble is that, unless you know someone personally who has successfully purchased multiple watches from a given seller & was satisfied with what they received, the only way to find out is to be the guinea pig. That said, prices for gen 1950s Kontiki on ebay vary quite a bit. Without indicating a specific model, I can tell you that there are a number of nice looking Kontikis around the $500 mark on ebay that I would consider before going the rep route. Search for - eterna kontiki 1958.

I have no experience with this & have never heard of anyone successfully changing the color of ceramic. My guess is that most paints would fail to permanently adhere to the ceramic. However, and this is just an educated guess, a proper two-part epoxy paint might work. Of course, assuming the bezel contains indented nomenclature - numbers & the like - you would need to use a slow-drying epoxy & find a way to keep the paint from covering the nomenclature by entering their channels. A better option would be to contact Oris & ask them if they offer alternative color options or have experience painting their ceramic bezels (for special clients). Good luck.

If, by 'rep', you mean 100% (generally Asian-made) aftermarket, then I think the satisfaction depends on the quality of the particular rep, your knowledge/experience with the real thing & expectations. If you take a low-end Rolex Sub rep & replace the crown/crown tube with gen parts, you will greatly improve the feel of that rep when winding/time-setting. However, the case, crystal, bracelet will still have a low-end feel. The more components you replace with gens, the more the rep's overall feel will match the gen's (ie, improve). But since you added the qualifier 'well-built', I am guessing you are actually referring to frankens -- either a 100% genuine collection of Rolex parts assembled by someone other than Rolex, or a combination of aftermarket & gen parts assembled by someone other than Rolex. In the case of the former, since you are dealing with all gen parts & assuming the watch is properly assembled, there should be no difference in the feel of this watch & the same model built by Rolex. In the case of the latter, the feel will be dependent on the ability/knowledge/effort of the assembler & your knowledge/experience with the (Rolex factory-made) gen. In my experience, a well-crafted franken, where all of the user-accessible components are gen, will have the same feel as the gen.

It sounds like you are being blocked by your firewall or browser. As suggested, try another browser. If it happens then, disable your firewall. If that works, you will need to add an exception for rwg.cc in the firewall's whitelist or the preference section that lists URLs that are automatically passed by the firewall.

Although unlikely, it is possible that the fingerprint was the result of a chemical that someone had on their skin when they (inappropriately) handled the crystal. If that was the cause, then your only option is replacement. Unless the crystal is a very odd size, a good watchmaker should be able to replace it with a generic if an OEM is no longer available. That said, it is more likely that it is just a fingerprint that needs to be cleaned using standard crystal cleaning methods. Find another watchsmith or, better still, contact Raymond Weil & see what/who they recommend.

Sorry to hear that your experience dealing with Cathy has not fared as well. That seems to be somewhat standard within the rep world. But good to see 1 of the old rwg gang again.

Exactly. Similarly, both a new Prius & a 1961 XKE will get you to the store, but 1 will always make you feel like gold & the other just makes you look fashionably green. p.s., I'm jealous of your '63 Python (been considering 1 of the new Pythons, but have too many things that already go bang to justify the cost)!

Of course, you make some good points. However, if you had purchased non-Rolex diver & formal watches in your youth, how much do you think they would be worth today? In contrast, how much is your vintage Sub & Day/Date worth today? These, of course, are rhetorical questions because we all know that Rolex watches generally gain value over time & those cheaper, ETA-powered watches generally lose value. We also know that 1950s Rolex watches are timeless & remain relevant & stylish today. Although there are some exceptions, most of the cheaper watches from the same time period are not. And that is why so many 'crazy' people think Rolexes ARE worth the (albeit often crazy) price of admission.

I guess if you gage watch innovations by the month or require, say, a minimum of a dozen innovations/year, I can see your point about Rolex not having innovated "much" for a long time. However, I think your premise misses the point. Here is a listing of some of Rolex's innovations to come to mind, most of which we all rely on today -- The first waterproof wristwatch (Oyster case & Twin Lock crown) Easylink Glidelock Datejust (date function) Day-Date (day/date function) Helium escape valve (with Doxa) Perpetual rotor Parachrom hairspring Paraflex shock absorber Cerachrom (ceramic) bezel insert Syloxi hairspring Chronergy escapement Everose GMT function (with Pan Am)

Another Sub owner chimes in on why he owns a Rolex --

Seiko definitely makes quality timepieces, but I think they lack the aesthetic finishes (albeit not to the level of Patek) & technological advancements that often appear first in Rolex. I have always seen Rolex as the wrist watch equivalent of Mercedes-Benz -- not the highest-end, but offering breakthrough technology along with a wide range within the high-end. Seiko, in my view, is more akin to Acura -- very well made, but generally lacking the distinction & exclusivity that Mercedes offers. I think that if you compare the sound/feel/experience of opening/closing a door on any mid-line Mercedes to any mid-line Acura, you'll appreciate that there IS a difference. Of course, whether that difference justifies the price differential is a personal question. Similarly, operating the crown on any new/properly maintained mid-line Rolex offers a feel that is not quite the same when executing the same operation on a Seiko. This is not to say that Seiko is lacking, they are not; just that I think Rolex offers an overall aesthetic and user experience that is superior to most other watch brands. Again, because beauty is in the eye of the beholder, your mileage may vary. And, to be frank, when considering any form of jewelry one must always factor-in the brand recognition, which, as we all know, is off-the-charts for Rolex; & that is 1 of the reasons many of us are attracted to the brand.

I think that needs either its OEM steel bracelet or a bright orange strap. Doxas are like Lambos -- either go B-I-G or go home.

That is another reason Fleming's Bond would likely not don today's Sub. The current politically-correct Hollywood Bond..........

I think a real Bond would not wear any watch today. There are plenty of other sources for time & I think he would want to be encumbered with as few gizmos as possible. Of course, there was Fleming's comment about 007 using his Rolex Sub as a 'knuckle-duster' in a fight, but that was back when Subs were tools (not VALUABLE jewels) & men were men (rather than 'social justice warriors'). I had a relative who worked for Rolex NYC for many years in the 1950s as a master watchmaker (I'm an amateur watchsmith, but have been collecting since the mid-80s). Things may have changed today with CNCs & other modern manufacturing systems, but at least between the 1950s-1970s, the understanding within the industry was that Rolex watches required a year or so to go from design to finished product. If Hodinkee says that remains the case, without evidence to the contrary, I am quite prepared to accept that as fact. Your mileage may vary. Of course, with Rolex just about anything is possible. So never say never.

As you mentioned, the casebacks are generally deeper to accommodate the 7750's taller profile. However, there have been multiple versions of the 7750-powered Daytona rep & at least 1 of these had a lower profile caseback, close enough that you cannot tell the difference when viewing the watch on a wrist from an arm's length away. It has been too many years to remember the exact details, but Ziggy, Bytor & myself each posted threads detailing many of the variations, including casebacks, bezels, dials, movements, etc. You might want to search those out as I think they remain the de facto guides for these reps. Obviously, in the intervening years, some or most of the sources & links may no longer exist, but I suspect the reps are probably still out there if you have the time & inclination to search them out. As for the dimensional differences between gen/rep ceramic-bezeled Daytonas, again, I have little experience with these, but some other collectors who have been more active over the past several years might be able to answer your question more specifically. My Daytona interests remain in the past --

I am not intimately familiar with the current ceramic bezeled Daytonas, so I cannot answer your question with any authority. But the 4130-powered steel-bezeled Daytonas had a noticeably lower profile than any of the rep bezels I have seen. Also, some of the rep bezels had a small channel around the underside of the bezel's inner circumference which allowed them to fit over a complementary bump-out that surrounded the dial opening on the case. Otherwise, the gen & rep bezels had similar outside/inside diameters. Gen 116520 bezel left/rep right

What Nanuq said (assuming you have the cash, time, patience & alot of will power) & well done.