freddy333

This reminds me of the old adage, Be careful what you wish for, because it may come true.

For years, Rolex US has been receiving complaints about its poor customer service, to which it has turned a deaf ear. But if Brill's replacement came from a position that dealt more closely with customers than invoices, things might change. Of course, I would not hold my breath for this to happen, but, with a change in leadership, it is always a possibility. I can virtually guarantee that you will never see Rolex making Newman dials, big logo riveted bracelets or anything of that vintage available either over-the-counter or during service. If any NOS stock remains, & that is a BIG if, it is reserved for the most exclusive of VIP clients & would only be fitted in-house, never sent out or sold. No way, no how. The only possible scenario I can imagine (in my wildest dreams) is that, as was the case with the Prince (which has not sold well) & Milgauss, Rolex introduces a new version of the Daytona with a Newman-like dial & makes the dial available for sale through a new vintage service center.

Noticed that 1 as well. Definitely gen & from a reliable seller. Should sell for a realistic (sky high) price.

The dial looks correct & I would keep the existing hands (since, presumably, they are gens & fit the 157x movement). I would also figure a movement overhaul into your plans. I just hope you get what you paid for. The fact that the watch is missing the dial makes me suspicious.

Everything you cited stems from Rolex USA's (under Brill's leadership) overriding desire to keep gen parts out of the hands of franken-builders & rep factories.

Very interesting & also interesting that it caught mulholland's eye. I hope it turns out to be as good (& gen) as it looks in the seller's less-than-revealing pics.

It appears so.

It may be ok. Here is a gen I found in my archives When it rains, it pours. Here is another gen

Crown position looks fine to me.

You can pick up something like these KIF-TRIOR tools (A*F part 18538 - available from many watch parts suppliers) for r&r'ing various shock springs, but I still find that holding the spring with a pointed tool (like either item at right) & then loosening/tightening the spring with an oiler is just as effective & often easier

To add to Ubi's response - I have a friend who owns a gen gold IWC Portafino & 1 of the pushers fell off & got lost. (Yes, these things even happen to multi-thousand $ QC'd gens). It has taken more than 2 years of phone calls, emails & letters to get the watch repaired, finally resulting in IWC requesting that he send the watch back to them, which will add an additional 3 months to the already lengthy total. The moral is that while some gens do service their older watches, actually getting the watch repaired is more of a rep-like experience.

Thanks for the clarification, Ubi.

Unless it was cross-threaded, I thought the old 702 looked great. But the new crown has not eroded any of my salivary glands.

Exactly. Same with the sudden onslaught of the (once rare as hen's teeth) 'big stamp' bracelets, most of which have been sourcing factories far east of Switzerland. This is a definite issue for me, but I am of 2-minds on the subject. While I have certainly benefited greatly from this activity (my white '42, Bond Sub & DRSD come immediately to mind), I also consider it morally wrong to part-out increasingly rare watches or cars for a quick buck. Especially, when it is done on a systematic basis by some sellers.

Well done. Really. 2 relatively minor recommendations - do not file down the springbars. The gens often stick out a bit beyond the sides of the case (that is a good thing & 1 of the indicators I look for on gens). The other thing is that I would soften the inside edges of the CGs a bit more. As they are, I do not think they match the 'age' of the rest of the case. It almost looks like the case was sanded, but the owner forgot to sand the CGs. Hint - when Rolex replaces a crown/tube, they lightly polish the area in & around it &, after some years, it shows. Unless the bezel spring is damaged, a good bend should tighten it up. On a (properly adjusted) gen, the bezel should require you to press it down (firmly) before it will rotate. If it spins freely (or moves during normal wear), the spring probably requires a more severe bend. Even so, well done (but keep an eye peeled for a vintage -- bold font -- gen bezel/insert).

Sad news indeed. The bright spot is that, for years, I have heard that most of the (seemingly) anti-customer policies employed by the US arm of Rolex over the past 20 years were due to Brill. If that is true, perhaps his replacement will loosen things up a bit.

I tried to translate via google, but it does not work with ebay pages.

Ditto all of the above. The only stand-out issue is the xtal etching, which stands-out a bit too much (like many rep watches).

Very nice. Could you post a good, clear straight-on dial pic? p.s. Duplicate thread deleted.

You should always read the seller's return policy before placing your 1st order (this is especially true of non-RWG-listed sellers). This goes for non-watch goods, too. That way, there is 1 less surprise later on, or, if there is, you at least have something to point to when confronting the seller. In this case, before posting here, you should have (& still should, if you have not done so already) email the seller for a clarification. Often, what the buyer thinks is a charge turns out not to be (either a mistake, misunderstanding, misreading or a tactic used by the seller to foil customs).

That looks like the 1, but it is clearly priced (& being sold) as a gen. A quick perusal of the bay turned up a couple more with similar appearances. I remain unconvinced, but could it be that the odd stampings are actually gen?

Early Tuesday am, wearing my Bond Sub

The dial