freddy333

The point I was trying (apparently unsuccessfully) to make is that I will only generally exceed $1k to construct a franken that would cost 10s of thousands to purchase outright as a gen. In other words, I will spend some serious cash to replicate those ultra rare gens that I would never likely be able to buy. This is why I spent more than $1k to make my gen-powered Phase II albino '42 (which would easily cost me more than $100k if gen) or gold Newman 6239 (which would also easily exceed the $100k mark in gen form), while I spent less than a grand to make the ETA-powered Phase 1 black dial '42 (which I could pick up for as little as $20k as a gen) or my 6263 (which can also be had from about $20k). I would love a 16520, but the cost to construct a Zenith-powered franken is too close to the cost for a gen to suit my self-imposed 20x buying rule.

Exactly.

The 'scare' was limited to the bezel inserts. There has been an ongoing debate over the active component used to ignite mid-50s Rolex dials (radium vs tritium), but my guess, based on the fact that the lume on many early '42s has turned a greenish color (typical of radium, atypical of tritium), is that the tritium content mark was applied to differentiate those later service dials from the original radium dials. And this is why the original dials are so highly prized (& valued).

I always find it difficult, at best, to recommend a direction for others, but I went the 1575-powered franken route with my DRSD. Today, the only non gen parts are the dial & original MBW mid-case. Expensive? Yes. But the expense fit within my self-imposed rule of only spending more than $1,000 on a watch when the gen would cost at least 20 times what I put into it. In this case, a gen DRSD in comparable condition would easily exceed $50k, so I think the money I put into the project fit this rule nicely. And I also only ever build frankens that I plan to keep & I think that is a good rule for others to follow, because, as you say, you are not likely to get back what you put in when it comes to most frankens. However, keep in mind that if you do go with a gen movement, you can always part the watch out & vintage Rolex parts are nearly like gold. Having said all that, a standard gen 1665 can be had for $12-$15k, so, following my own rule, I would go with the gen before I would spend more than a grand building a franken non-double-red 1665.

Alot of people refer to the insert as being 'bakelite', but it is actually Perspex, which, while similar, is not the same. More info here. I have a handful of pics of 6542s with nearly mint 2nd gen (supposedly, following the radiological scare after the initial batch of Perspex inserts, Rolex made a 2nd run of Perspex inserts (with slightly different fonts & lighter background colors) before switching to metal) gen inserts & they all look like this (note - this watch has a later replacement/service dial) Yes, but that nomenclature did not appear on any of the original '42 dials. It was added to later dials that were made specifically for replacement during service. Yes, but we are neurotic fanatics, the factories are just trying to sell reps. So I cannot really criticize them (too much). At least, they did not fit the watch with the later large triangle hand.

It bears repeating - pre-1990 DJs are going to become very collectible.

Yes, since it comes with the watch, PT's bracelet is cheaper. But it is also the same POS that has been around for years that anyone with any vintage Rolex experience can ID as an Asian-made POS from yards away. Yuki's bracelet, on the other hand, is so close to my gens that I often have trouble telling them apart. Of course, Yuki's is not without its problems (they do not accept 2mm springbars) & differences (close but incorrect fonts in stampings, etc), but, without a good deal of vintage Rolex bracelet knowledge & close scrutiny, most collectors would be fooled most of the time. Close is a relative term. Although it looks like plastic, the colors & fonts are wrong. I am with you on the movement. Assuming that the GMT hand tracks correctly (it is slightly off on my Phase 1 2846-powered franken because the GMT wheels came from a faster-beat 2836-2). Also, only service dials (& reps) include the -T<25 at the bottom of the dial. The gen dials just say SWISS. Correct. The GMT hand does not look right. Compare to this gen on my Phase II watch (Excepting the dial & insert, everything you see is gen) Bi-directional is correct (also, there should be no clicks -- the bezel rotates freely like early Subs) & lets hope the 'other bezel' has better colors (& fonts). Yes, but--surprise, surprise--the background color is speckled silver (brushed steel datewheels did not appear until years after the 6542 was discontinued), the fonts look hand-painted & they have the font colors backwards (on the gens, evens are red/odds are black). Yes.

Wearing my Phase 1 '42 today

I suspect, after the seller speaks with the watchmaker, the new listing will include the phrase 'as-is' (due to their relative complexity, many watchmakers will not even work on chronographs).

Nice to see a 6542 rep finally available (6541 reps have been around for some time). They got the basic idea more or less right, but it is clearly a rep. But if the GMT hand works correctly, I might have to get 1 of these just for the movement. The GMT components in my 2846-powered Phase 1 '42 came from a 2836-2, which beats faster, so the GMT hand tends to be a bit off after several hours (due to the beat rate difference between the 2 movements).

Nice, but, for an as-is sale, at least 1 good pic of the front of the movement would be even nicer. Especially, since the back shot is less than clear.

After I initially pointed out the springbar issue to Yuki, he sent me a replacement 7206 with 2mm springbars pre-installed. Sadly, their inner springs gave out within days & I was unable to remove them without deforming the end links (the springbars were obviously pressed into the end links with great force).

Yes. Kosher for the 5512 are - 7206/80 6636/80 9315/280 or 380 93150/580

This manual-wind (like the gen) Audemars Piguet Edward Piguet Tourbillon (note - it does not have a working tourbillon) is several years old (purchased from a long-gone web seller), but I have seen it pop-up every once in awhile in some of our sellers' listings (sorry, I cannot remember who). I have seen at least 3 variations of this rep, but this 1 is very accurate. You may still be able to locate 1 through 1 of our sellers or via google For reference, here is a gen in platinum (about $120,000)

I may have been spotted on the streets today wearing something like this

Auction closed early. Someone here make him an offer he could not refuse?

Yuki told me they would upgrade the end links to accept 2mm dia springbars, but the problem was still there, a month ago, when I received the last bracelet. I do not see a way to open the tubes where the springbars fit through without deforming the end links on this type of bracelet.

The pearl looks more modern than the rest of the watch (but that is nothing new) or are you referring to the partially cut-off numbers around the insert's circumference? I have seen that on other gens.

Seasonal? Only to the extent that I tend to spend more time out-&-about during the warmer months & more time tinkering inside (with watches) during the colder months.

There are just so many things wrong with this guy (Biver) & his loud/obnoxious watches (1 of the darling brands of Madeoff & many of the other Wall Street elites that criminalized the world's financial systems) that I would not even know where to begin. But James May has a word that sums it all up nicely - cock.

What I see looks right, but before I would plunk any cash on the table, I would get good, clear macros of the movement, which, for the 5512, can be any of these - 1570, 1530 or 1560. And, more importantly, buy the seller before you buy the watch.

Some of the guys here are truly Master Craftsmen, & I do not use that term loosely.

The dial face does not bother me (it may have been faded by (natural) heat, sun exposure & time), but the lume (or lack thereof) makes me wonder. Do you see any actual lume on the dial? I do not & that (& the mis-matched handset) is what makes me suspicious.

The 2135 is a self-winding (automatic) 3-hand movement with a calendar (date feature), which is 20mm dia, 5.90mm high & runs at 28.8bph. You may need to do a bit of research on ETA's website to find a suitable analog. Good luck.