freddy333

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

When I started collecting (mid-1980s), you could walk into an AD & buy Rolex parts over-the-counter. No trade-ins required. I even used to order parts from Geneva & pick them up a month or so later from the AD. Then, about 10 years later, Rolex clamped down on the practice. I believe this is limited to the US as many ADs in the UK still sell parts (though, they do require that you trade-in the old part to receive the new 1).

To the best of my knowledge, there has never been either an official pronouncement from Rolex or evidence from a knowledgeable/reliable source that they purposely stockpile vintage parts. That said, for years I have heard that, like most companies that cater to the upper classes (who expect special treatment), they do provide NOS parts for a small number of special clients whose watches are in-house for service. These are likely parts stocked & installed only within the confines of Rolex SA (Geneva) & only with the consent (& at the direction) of the company's principals.

Not sure. Both look a bit suspect to me Here is my gen (from an unassailable source). Note the position of the end link stamp & shape of coronet

Holy Smokes! Not sure about the end links & clasp on the gen either (should have channels on the clasp closer & the 380 on the end links is stamped in an odd location), but anyone have a link (for the fake) yet?

Ubi's watch is definitely 1030-powered. I would still love to hear more about the construction (Ubi).

Looks ok, but hard to tell from that angle. Can you get a pic of the crown head-on or like this

kramerica2 - you might want to read this about overhauls.

Depending on the watch, you may want to have the 2846 repaired instead of replacing it with a more modern movement. Or, at least, in the case of something vintage, the 'slow beat' 2846 ticks at a speed that is closer to many gens from 25+ years ago. Or, you might want to find another 2846 instead of a modern replacement. Keep in mind, also, that unless you implant a new/freshly serviced movement, you may end up causing yourself more headaches. Mechanical watch movements generally require routine (every 5-7 years) overhauling (disassemble, clean, oil, adjust) & most rep watches come from the factory with used &/or unserviced movements. So your next movement may just be another ticking time-bomb in need of its routine overhaul.

Wearing my 'Graph today