freddy333

This bezel looked worse than yours upon arrival. As long as you do not use 'quick-dry' paint (ie, use any standard paint for metal - you can even spray Krylon automotive paint into a small cup & apply from that) & follow the steps, it is pretty difficult not to end up looking like this -

It is alot easier to repaint the bezel than to deal with the hassles & potential customs issues of shipping the watch back. This is how I paint engravings on steel with metal paint in a bottle (do not use spray unless the bezel is removed from the watch) - Get some mineral spirits (paint thinner - NOT paint 'stripper') & lint-free rags or paper towels (Viva paper towels usually work well) - Use a Q-tip or small artist's paint brush to apply paint over each of the numbers. Do this fairly quickly so the paint does not begin to dry. - Moisten (do not saturate) the paper towel with mineral spirits & gently brush (do not rub or press!) over the numbers & surrounding area 1 time only. Throw the paper towel away! - Moisten a NEW paper towel with mineral spirits & gently brush a 2nd pass over the area. Throw the paper towel away! - Repeat with a NEW paper towel until the area around the engraving is clean & there is paint only inside the engraving. - Let dry according to paint instructions.

They are pricey (you will need to contact seller), but you said 'quality', so click me

Thanks, but your link is to the same type of IDE-to-SATA adapter linked in my original post. So if the IDE-to-SATA adapter results in IDE performance (ie, no performance gain over the current IDE drive), what of the other option (SATA PCI card)? Is that limited by the speed (which, if memory serves, is 33MHz?) of the PCI bus channel?

Thanks, but as it is an old computer, I wanted to use stuff that I have on the shelf. I have both drives & just wanted to know whether the SATA's performance would be moot due to the PCI or IDE connection? Either type of connection hardware is considerably cheaper (& easier to implement) than replacing the drive with SSD.

2 questions for anyone who has experience fitting a SATA drive to an older, IDE-only motherboard - 1. Will I gain any of the SATA drive's performance/data transfer speed by swapping a 250GB IDE drive for a 250GB SATA drive on an IDE-only motherboard? That is, if I connect a SATA drive via a SATA PCI card or IDE-to-SATA adapter, will I gain any of the SATA's speed benefits, or will the IDE and PCI channels the SATA's connected to bottleneck any gains, thus crippling the SATA to no more than IDE performance? If the answer above is yes (ie, the SATA drive will still produce slightly better performance than the IDE drive) - 2. What is the best way, performance wise, to connect the SATA to the motherboard--SATA card in PCI (not PCI-e!) slot or IDE-to-SATA adapter (attached to IDE jack on motherboard & SATA drive attached to adapter)? I am aware that upgrading the motherboard would be more cost-effective, but, for a variety of reasons, that is not an option here.

If the noise is coming from the crown itself (ie, the crown makes noise when removed from the movement), then it is probably due to the inner spring or plunger having deteriorated to the point where there are only pieces left that are grinding together as you attempt to turn the cap against the inner components. Unfortunately, photobucket has blocked all the pics, but this thread should help explain what is going on. This may help (sorry, all I have left on my computer) -

Excepting the Aryan 'Master's aftermarket insert, here are a few gens (with a musical theme) that I have not worn in awhile (none are for sale) -

Z-Friday Wristie

There is some very heavy metal in this thread, gents! Encore -

Please do not repost an entire post (especially those with several pics) just to add a line or 2 at the end. Either just post your comment or edit out the pics. It gets tiring having to repeatedly scroll through pages of duplicate pics.

Looks good, but I think you mean $40-$60k (not $400-$600k) for the dial. With a few rare exceptions, the value of an entire mint Newman is generally between $100-$150k.

Nicely done, especially the plate modifications.

Those 2 look fine.

In '66, either type would have been fitted, often depending on customer preference. However, the end links used with either bracelet did change during the 6239's run, but all of the correct links are unobtainium now.

To be accurate, a riveted or folded-link Oyster bracelet would have been spec'd.

Post a pic of the movement & you will have an instant answer.

Yes, it does look a bit too tall. This is often a problem with some aftermarket Daytona cases. On 1 of my early Daytona projects, I had to grind down a crystal to get it to seat at the correct height. That may be what you need to do here. Or, better yet, just ignore it since you are more likely to damage a good crystal rather than someone calling you out due to a slight height issue. Ideally, the bezel should begin where the bevel on the crystal begins. In other words, when you view the watch from the side, all you see rising above the bezel is the bevel of the crystal (little or nothing of the straight vertical part). Google is your best source for gen pics, but many non-Rolex watchmakers opt for aftermarket crystals due to the expense & difficulty in sourcing them through The Network. So be careful not to mistake an aftermarket crystal for a gen out there.

If you post dial pics (1024x768) of the options, then it will be easier for people to post opinions. As for the movements, I have been a bit out of the (rep) game for the past few years, so others with more recent 7750 experience will need to provide the guidance there. In the meantime, as always, anyone considering a 7750-powered secs @ 6 Daytona is encouraged to search out Ziggy's & By-Tor's brilliant Asian 7750/Daytona guides so you understand what you are getting into.

Impossible to tell for certain with that picture, but it looks fake to me.

Based on my own experience as well as conversations with Ziggy (way back when), none of this is new. More than 10 years ago, I began telling people not to complain about the 'crazy' prices being asked for gen Rolex parts (when you can source them), because those prices will seem like (missed) bargains next year. & that is precisely what happened & the pattern has continued to this day. As the old-timer watchsmiths retired, there are fewer 'old-timers' to take their place. Those few coming out of Lilitz & similar (Rolex-sponsored) schools may not be prepared for the cut-throat world they will enter upon graduation - assuming they can find quality, sustainable employment. That leaves the franken owner stuck with choosing between risking trouble with Rolex if they attempt to seek service within The Network or having their pride-&-joy mucked-up by a wannabe or bottom-line-driven bargain watch 'modder'. I think it also worth mentioning that all the major watch forums are experiencing slow-downs as new technology (eg, smart watches), ever-rising purchase/repair costs & just plain boredom spirit eyeballs (& attention) away from watches. Unfortunately, I do not have all the answers, but I can recognize a pattern when I see 1 & this is not a good 1.