freddy333

Not my style, but an incredible sight.

The only reliable source supporting the argument for the watch's existence is Stefano Mazzariol (1 of the co-authors of the Daytona bible), who produced an exhaustively detailed scientific examination of the albino 6542. There are dribs & drabs of info spread across a number of websites, but these contain more speculation (often copied/pasted from the next website) than authenticated facts. As usual with vintage Rolex oddities, until/unless Rolex makes an official statement (unlikely) I think you have to investigate the information available, keep an open mind & judge for yourself. The 1 thing I know with absolute certainty is that Rolex definitely missed the boat by NOT making a white dialed Perspex-bezeled 6542 broadly available to the general public. To my eye, it is 1 of the most beautiful watches they ever produced & probably would have sold like hot cakes.

Ditto on the DW wait.

Going to a semi-formal affair tomorrow & I expect I will be waging verbal warfare (on matters of topical interest) with the upper crust, so my plan (at least for now) is to take a chariot & shield

Crystal? Why? Mine is gen (T115) & I much prefer the current (beveled) version to the original (rounded) version). As with 62xx Daytonas, it gives the watch a distinctly jewel-like quality

I am convinced there are a small few around (the 1 pictured above looks like an NDT), but I wish I had that insert for mine

As Diesel said, these watches are notoriously unreliable due to the additional gearing added to relocate the running seconds. Read this for a possible fix (I am no longer providing this service, so you will need to locate a watchmaker willing to handle this for you) & be sure to read Ziggy's secs at 6 A7750 reviews that are referenced in that link.

Ditto. Long-time scam site.

That sure sounds like the same rep to me. So it is neither a prototype nor being improved. Once again, when it comes to believing what you read on sellers' websites, the old Russian proverb should always be in your mind - Trust, but verify.

DW's the greatest. Had he not indented the subdials & put a dab of lume at 6, it would have just about fooled me. As it is, very impressive. Are you going to swap crystals, crowns/tubes & bracelets (for a proper 7205 rivet)?

Comfort wear for the day before the day

If this was designed based on our direct input, I would be excited.

More importantly, the deformation pulls the end links so tight against the next link that the hinge no longer easily bends (in fact, it barely moves), which makes an already uncomfortable bracelet much worse.

When was it ever not in the mainstream?

I agree with Alligoat, but this appears to be all gen. Unlike those who fit gen end links to an aftermarket bracelet to make the bracelet look gen, alot of sellers appear to be replacing end links for more popular end links to increase the value of a bracelet.

Once you get the dial straight & the ss hand installed, I would treat the case to a bit of enhanced patination so it matches the appearance of the insert & dial. After that, it will look awesome.

To a degree, I agree with you. Some of the regular features (I am thinking about the celebrity drive in a cheap car) got 'old' early on (after the gimmick wore off). Now, I just fast forward through them. Some of the boys' challenges (car vs boat, car vs train, etc) have also run their course. But when they actually get down to the job of reviewing (especially with that spectacular photography) & interacting with each other, the show, today, is as fresh & unbeatable as it was a dozen years ago.

It looks like your dial rotated off-center.

Dizz - You might want to read my comments about the bracelet & datewheel in that thread before buying. Those are probably the weakest 2 parts of that watch.

The dial (& possibly the bezel/insert) is from a 1675.

Chemistry is not all the US version is lacking.

I think you hit the nail on the head. In my case, I spend serious money only on those watches that are purchased as keepers. In the case of frankens, I also factor in the fact that, over time, more accurate aftermarket parts will become available, which allows me to upgrade/improve, sometimes to the point of turning a franken into a gen. And I feel this makes the investment worthwhile.

Not quite there, Pan. Put simply, I would not spend $3k-$4k to build a 16520 when I can buy the gen for only $8k or so more. In order for me to spend more than $1k building a franken, the difference between the cost of building the franken vs buying the gen has to be at least 20 fold. Does that make sense now?