freddy333

Wearing the 'Graph today

Or post a message here. I am sure someone there can help you out.

Still living in the past today

Been there, done that (apparently, once too many times).

I think the luke warm interest is because not everyone likes the SDDS & those that do have OD'd on them. But enjoy your new watch. They are wonderful for those who still appreciate big watches.

I went back to the future today

I like the overall look, especially the bracelet. But I am not so sure about the dial (fonts look wrong, especially the comex lettering, which should be serifed & more nearly squarish) Or the case (I wonder if the case may be too thick, like it is more of a Sea-Dweller instead of a Sub, which is what the 5514 is)? Unlike the 2nd gen+ versions of the SD (the 1st SD used a Sub case), the valve in the side of the 5514 (which has a lower profile case) is more nearly vertically centered The 5514 is a really tough bird to get right.

Not sure about ADs, but service crystals (marked 'S') are what Rolex fits.

I think that is more of an aberration in the way the light is being reflected in some pics. When new, they were semi-gloss (due to the way the concentric circles within the subdials refract light), but I have never seen a gen 6263 with subdials that reflect light the way many aftermarket dials do. A light spray of matte varnish should result in just the right appearance.

Great pics. You caught the etching just right. Here is a gen service dial etching from my GMTIIC, which is a bit smaller than the etching on rep crystals. If you look at the lower portion of the reflection, you can just about make out the sideways 'S' inside the hole at the bottom of the crown

No, but I keep it on hand, just in case. I read somewhere that 1 of the 1st signs of radiation poisoning is a sudden lack of concern for one's well-being.

DW now has his own forum on RWG.

Interesting, but

Ending the work week wearing my '63

As the cloud of (highly weakened) fallout is now reaching the western US, I decided to dust off my old radiation monitor (Geiger counter) to get a reading of the ambient radiation levels in my house, so I would have a baseline measurement against which to compare any changes that may occur as the particles make their way across the US over the next days/weeks. I was pleased to find that the ambient levels have not changed since the last time I tested, which was shortly after 9/11, nearly 10 years ago. However, while I had the monitor out, I decided to do a quick check of my DW A7750 6263, which I am wearing today. I tested the watch, mainly, just for kicks (after all, I did spend 15 minutes digging the monitor out of the back of a closet), but, also, to quash a slight nagging concern I have always had over the contents of the paints used on the dials of rep watches. Of course, my fears were allayed as the DW caused no deviation of the monitor's otherwise eager-to-please needle. While I was testing, it dawned on me that if any of my watches emitted anything out of the ordinary, it would be my vintage gens. So I pulled them all together & began testing. Fortunately, most showed little significant radiological activity. However, I was a bit surprised to find that my 60+ year-old OPD still has a bit of life in her. Nothing serious, but enough to make the needle do a little Watusi, which caught me a bit by surprise. Here are sample videos of the results of my DW 6263 & my 1959 OPD http://s95.photobucket.com/user/freddydynip/media/MVI_1736.mp4.html http://s95.photobucket.com/user/freddydynip/media/MVI_1735.mp4.html In case you are unable to clearly view the meter's scale, just note that the blue area (at left) is the (generally considered) 'safe' zone. Still, considering that my OPD contains relatively little tritium, if you have vintage watches with tritium or radium that have a cracked crystal, it might be worth having them checked.

Many painter supply stores sell masking products that range from brush-on liquids (that peel off when dry) to post-it-note-style paper products that you would need to cut/shape to fit over (cover/mask) the glossy areas so the varnish only reaches the subdial areas.

Remove the hands & dial, mask off the non-matte portions of the dial (the parts you want to remain glossy) & spray a light coating of matte varnish Done right, the varnish will be barely noticeable except for the missing reflection from the subdials.

If you have a source for all of the GMT components, you can probably convert a 1675 over to GMT form. I posted a parts listing last year in 1 of the previous threads on this same subject. You might use the search feature.

Short of trial-&-error, your best bet is to ask the seller if the case is made to gen specs. Then, of course, you have to rely on his honesty/knowledge. In my experience, ultimately, when fitting gen parts to aftermarket parts, it all still comes down to trial-&-error.

It is just metal, so sandpaper, emory cloth, a dremel, etc can be used to remove engravings.

I do not know Phong's pricing in this case, but it is always (too) high. What I can tell you is that, based on an inspection of 1 of Phong's watches along with my conversations with Ziggy (who has more experience with them than I have), I would recommend that you factor in the cost of a proper overhaul upon receipt of any pre-assembled Phong watch (or, in general, standard reps from any source). Many of Phong's parts look like they could have come from Rolex, but his watches look like they were put together by Polex, if you get my meaning.

Unless someone else here has direct experience fitting movements other than what is specified, I would direct that type of question to Yuki. That said, I can tell you that both the 1520 & 1570 are based on the 1530 & all 3 calibers' measure 28.5mm x 5.75mm, so, in theory, they should be interchangeable in a properly proportioned case. However, I do not know if there are differences in stem & other component alignments.

T17 fits the 6200/5510/6538 & the T19 fits the 5512/5513/5514 Subs (possibly others). In addition to the slight differences in diameter, I believe each lens has a slightly different curve.

Some truly outstanding pics today, gents. Wearing 1 of my '42s today

It looks like a standard (non-MBW) DRSD rep. Nice, but far from perfect & similar to the watch available from many rep sellers.