freddy333

I would avoid modern lume on a vintage watch. It SHOUTS fake! While some vintage watches may have some glow left, none glow brightly 50+ years after they left the factory. When working on a vintage project, especially a Rolex sports watch, it is best to opt for no glow. It may not be as functional in the dark, but it will have more credibility in the light. Trust me on this. Oh & here is a tip I learned many years ago the hard way - ignore the urge to try to replicate the minty 'left in the sock drawer' or 'never worn' look. I spent many years trying, unsuccessfully, to pull this off & never came close. Any vintage piece that looks new/unworn (regardless of the excuse) will engender suspicion. On the other hand, any watch that generally looks old overall can cover a few minor sins. Since no franken or rep is perfect, anything that reduces the likelihood of suspicious glances is a good thing. I know how tough it is to take a file or nail to that brand new (very expensive) MQ dial or Phong case, but once what I am saying sinks in & you are able to change your mindset, it all clicks into place. Once I realized this truism, life became much, much simpler, & vintage Rolex project watches appeared much more plausible.

It has been awhile, so do not quote me, but if I remember correctly, I believe the '42 uses a 115 crystal & the '75 uses the 116. One of the differences between the 2 crystals is the location of the cyclops.

Not my experience at all. In fact, just the opposite. Wearing a bracelet tight or snug causes general stress in the links & acute stress when the wrist is flexed or the hand is in a position that puts added stress on the individual links. In contrast, when the bracelet is loose, the only wear occurs from the naturally mild friction of metal-to-metal contact, which is unavoidable regardless of how the watch is worn.

Re bleach: In my experience, the bleach will dissolve the lume (and dial paint). So, tread lightly. Re dark spots: Try a dirty pencil eraser (graphite) or small bits of iodine to darken & break up the consistency of lume color a bit. It is that tan consistency that is the give-away, not the color itself. Apply VERY sparingly. Consider it seasoning, not the main course. Too much & it will look fake. Bonus points: Rub a small amount of brown shoe polish onto the center of the dial around the hand-hole. Not so much that you SEE brown, but so that it looks like the original black dial paint is fading to "tropical". Done correctly, it can give the dial quite a nice patina.

Actually, the real dials DO "tan" that much, and more. But, were it mine, I would add a few tiny dark spots to two or three of the indices & then spray a light coating of matte varnish over the entire dial. Just enough to give the dial an ever-so slightly yellowed/aged appearance (call it patina). Then, find some matching hands. Done correctly, I doubt anyone but a hard-core collector would spot the deception from an arm's length away, which is my benchmark for success. Gen: Gen: You should also peruse this old thread.

Before doing anything, I would post good clear pics of said dials. You may be fretting over nothing, or the pics might inspire the right solution. In general, the idea is to research thoroughly (& ask questions) BEFORE hitting the buy button. As you have seen, it saves a bit of buyer's remorse later on.

You are very welcome. I am glad you found the info useful. Back in the day, RWG really was THE central repository of cutting-edge watchmaking creativity. Unfortunately, as is often the case, that creativity was eclipsed by its own success as many of the labor-intensive, community-aided technological breakthroughs eventually trickled down into many of the average reps you can buy today. There was alot of talent -- much of which was spurred on by the very competitive nature of the no-nonsense engineering wizards RWG attracted back then.

Excepting the repainted dial, all (mostly NOS as of the date of its assembly) gen (the black dial is my Phase 1 franken).

The crown cap actually unscrews from the piston. If you remove the winding stem & clamp the piston in a pin vice, you can unscrew the cap. This is generally done to replace a broken crown spring or piston clutch ring (if the crown spins free when winding, it may be due to the inner flats of the clutch ring being rounded). I posted an illustrated tutorial on the process many years ago that you may be able to search out. Found it! Click me

Like you, I have been out of the game for some time, so I cannot definitely answer your question. However, have you educated yourself as to what makes a gen 6542? Can you tell the difference between a gen & an average rep copy? Do you know what to look for? How much does cost affect your decision making (are you more budget-conscious or more of a well-heeled neurotic-perfectionist)? Have you perused RWG's Watches section to see if any of the recommended dealers offer a rep that does not offend your senses too much (no rep or franken is perfect)? Posting with an indication that you have done YOUR due diligence goes a long way to getting members to elicit useful replies.

Ditto. If loose is good enough for this guy, it ought to be good enough for us.

I have no direct, hands-on experience with Dark Lord dials, but if the OEM printing is removed from a gen dial, then, according to Rolex (they make the rules), it is no longer a gen dial, at least for the purposes of resale or provenance, regardless of how well the aftermarket printing may be. So I would have no problem removing the dial feet if that makes it easier to complete a project with a credible-looking dial. In my experience, Phong's cases are variable, sometimes gen parts fit, sometimes not. That said, if you are competent with a dremel, you can usually (not always) make something fit. On the other hand, I have never had any problem with MQ's cases--they accept any gen part that fits a gen case. And that is the beauty of the better aftermarket cases--they are generally perfect clones of the gen, so assembling a franken out of 100% gen parts is a no-brainer. The problem (with gen/clone aftermarket cases) arises if you want to substitute aftermarket/rep parts for gens. Say you have an MQ dial & case & you want to use an ETA movement. You have a problem, because the dial feet do not fit the movement & must be removed/replaced with dial dots (unless you want to disassemble the movement, drill the appropriate holes in the pillar plate & hope none of the dial feet contact any of the moving parts). Also, if you use a gen movement, gen hands fit as well. No modding required. But, of course, the trade-off is finding the gen movement & hands. Although difficult & definitely costly, if you have patience & determination, they can be had. You just have to decide whether your goal is a good-looking, reasonably priced mostly aftermarket franken, or a mostly gen cost no object long-term project.

The simplest method (assuming you are asking because you do not have a proper polishing machine) is to tape off the polished sections you do NOT want brushed & use a Bergeon 5444-A (fine) polishing block to apply an OEM-style satin texture. By-Tor & I posted separate threads detailing the process on Oyster & Jubilee bracelets, but that was many years ago & I do not know if they are still on the site.

I would mirror auto's remarks. Michael Young is capable of doing good (though not Rolex-level) work, but I think his final result depends on what the problem is. The simpler the repair, the better the result. Rolex had a device that removed folded links and another to close/tighten them. You could not tell anything had been done to them. Unfortunately, I have never seen 1 of these devices for sale & none of the Rolex-certified watchsmiths I used to buy parts through back in the day had 1. I suspect they were relegated to the bin when Rolex ceased production of folded link bracelets.

Well done, automatico.

I am wearing the 'Dweller today, but I think I am going to switch to this tomorrow.........

The glory days of vintage Rolex sportwatch franken-building are definitely history. But I disagree that Rolex movements are inherently problematic, or more so than ETAs and other modern mechanics. Properly assembled and maintained, Rolex calibers are nearly bulletproof. That is one of the reasons they remain so highly valued by collectors and watchmakers alike. I do not have a single gen Rolex movement that I have serviced that has either failed or not generally met its time-keeping design specs. And I believe some of them are now hitting the 20-year mark for wrist- &/or winder-time, if my own time-keeping skills are correct. On the other hand, with Rolex virtually beheading anyone within their service network for selling parts to anyone outside the network (i.e., any of us amateur watchsmiths) and with OEM Rolex parts prices far out of reach now anyway, I would not recommend entry into the gen or franken Rolex arena today unless you are extremely well-heeled, patient, have alot of free time on your hands & enjoy the search. As to one80's goal of building a 6538/5510, were it me, I would 1st decide how much I can realistically afford to spend on a franken that may or may not maintain (or increase) value over time. If my break-off point is below $5k, I would find a reasonably accurate rep (with accurate case dimensions/construction) and replace the crown/tube, crystal & bracelet with gens (though you will need a bit of luck locating an appropriate gen bracelet for a reasonable amount). If my break-off point is above $5k, I would start with a franken from Phong or MQ & have the watch properly serviced upon receipt (I have seen some truly scary things inside their watches). Then, depending on the overall condition of the watch (after a proper service) & the list of gen parts that are either in poor condition, aftermarkets or replicas, begin your search for OEM gen replacements. Be patient as the cost & time required will likely be severe & measured in many months &/or years. Unfortunately, I think you are about 10 years too late to begin such a quest, but, as they say, there are exceptions to every rule & good things come to those who wait.

Great to see some of the old-timers still ticking....especially glad to see that Stephane's made it back to health. Life throws many curveballs, but time seems to keep us marching on.

Ditto dluddy's comments and congratulations to RWG!

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." —King

'Dweller today.

Rolex's "gents" watches are pretty plain-Jane, so it's all in the details & dimensions. It is impossible to make any judgements without knowing which model you want to assemble &/or without measuring that case to see if it matches the gen. What I can say is the case looks pretty beaten & the crystal looks a bit too tall. Once you know which model you are building, why not just buy a gen case? There are plenty of them floating around & they can often be had for reasonable prices in similar condition to the 1 in your pics. That way, you know gen parts will fit without much fiddling &, in the future, you have the option of swapping any rep parts for gens to end up with a total gen.

Good to see some things DON'T change. But what of the Doxa? Is she still floating around in your collection? In the meantime, this double-red says hi