freddy333

Those tiny serifs at the ends of the 3/6/9 markers always make me wince a bit when I see them on gens because so few 5513s had them. And most of those were either ft-first, the military version (with the T on the dial) or service dials. This is the classic 5513 (gen) that I would aim at

Nice work on the watch (but I think you need an open 6/9 datewheel) & even nicer work on the pics.

I guess the next thing will be Ferraris & Maybachs ('Rollback' priced at 2 for $259,482.66) in Walmart tire departments. So much for haute horlgerie ('high watchmaking').

Well said, Watchmeister.

I agree with Ubi - the '702' on the right is an aftermarket (fake) part.

Still wearing my 'Graph

Sorry to hear this, but Kent is a good (albeit slow & sometimes forgetful) guy. Being a very busy guy, I suspect you have made numerous attempts to contact him, which, at this point, he sees as little more than harassment (I understand how things look from your side, but I am just telling you what I think is happening at his end). I would send 1 final email asking him, politely, not to forget about your watch & to keep you posted on its progress if the work will require him to keep the watch for more than 1 (additional) month (from the date the email is sent). Then, wait a month & see what happens. What I would not do is start threatening or cajoling. That will only make a bad situation worse (for both of you). In the meantime, I would encourage you (& anyone else dealing with Kent) to search the RWG archives for other RWG members' experiences & I think you will see that, while not happy about the delays & mistakes that occur along the way, most were ultimately happy with Kent's work.

Assuming it is an automatic (self-winding) watch, the watch will when manually wound in 1 direction & make a whooshing sound (which is the auto-wind/winding). A properly serviced movement should begin to run when the stem is (manually) wound 5-6 times. However, as is the case for the vast majority of rep watches, an unserviced watch may require many more manual turns of the stem to get it started. The reason is complicated (it usually has to do with an out-of-spec beat), but suffice it to say that you can check the watch by manually winding it (slowly) 40 turns, then setting it (face-up & with the chrono function OFF) on a table & letting it sit there for about a day & a half (36 hours +/-). If the watch continues to run, then your original problem is simply that the mainspring was not charged (wound) sufficient to get the movement to start running. Either wear the watch daily, get a watch winder or be prepared to manually wind it several times (slowly) prior to wearing.

Getting the loose part out of your movement is far more important (to the health of your watch) than replacing the pusher. If the watch hacks (stops running when you pull the stem out to the time-setting position), I would hack it (not let it run) until you get that loose part out of there. Having a loose part inside your movement is a ticking

As I happened to be working online as the minute hand passed the 12am mark, I thought I might as well start the new week's wristies. Currently, wearing my 'Graph

While very few people have the gal/courage/interest (depending on your point of view) to comment on a stranger's (or even a acquaintance's) watch, many more than you think are noticing it. Trust me on this.

Looks gen.

Here is the link. (3rd from left)

With the new pics, I am leaning towards franken. Gen case, rep dial.

Is the date off-center in the date window? Hard to tell without a good, clear full-frontal pic. If it is, then I would say the watch is likely a franken.

In my experience, I have never had a problem with aftermarket springbars bending. However, virtually every aftermarket springbar I have purchased (even those reputed to be gens by less than genuine sellers) have had soft/weak internal springs, which translate to brief lifespans for the pins. Because of the weak springs, I have had a number of springbars simply let go, which results in serious problems. Whenever they are available, I always try to buy gens, which are rarely cheap. If you are offered cheap 'gen' springbars (less than $10/pair), I think it is safe to assume they are genuine aftermarkets. Rolex part number for 62xx Daytonas - 23-9280

Received another handset today, but, unfortunately, I was only able to get the hour hand to fit (due to the watch's polished, non-lume dauphine handset, which is relatively rare on a Rolex, parts sources are limited). A small improvement, to be sure, but I think the new hand does improve the 'Graph's overall appearance & provides a glimpse of the stunner that this watch will become once I locate the remaining 2 hands

Very true. Taking this 1 step further, you should see the looks I get sometimes when I walk past a group of appropriately rigged-out yuppies wearing my rattiest old clothes along with my Mystery as I slide into a M-B roadster & drive off. Talk about double-takes. I would not say schmuck, but there are probably alot of people up there wondering how your rep lasted long enough to look worn (since most 'civilians' have been brain-washed into believing that reps are all cheap, pieces of junk that rarely last long enough to be wound a 2nd time). They do. In fact, M-B just sent me the fall catalog of Mercedes merchandise, which includes watches (all quartz)

Sapphire crystal Subs (modern models) are not my specialty, but it looks gen to me.

Not to worry. If you read some of my early posts on TZ (pre-2001), you would find that my feelings on this subject have done a 180 in recent years. Ultimately, (real world) experience trumped my belief system. Keeping up with the Joneses is a strong drive (if you have not seen it, rent 'The Joneses', which novelizes this effect taken to the extreme).

Exactly. Like you, I have tried to photograph the effect, but it just does not seem to translate well in pictures.

I have to disagree. I wish it were not so, but, in the real world, that is exactly the way it works. And every time I see people quickly turning their heads away (in an obvious (but unsuccessful) attempt at avoiding being seen gawking at my Mystery-dialed DJ), this fact gets reinforced. While few people will actually comment about a stranger's watch, I have come to learn that many (possibly most) people (at least men) do notice what we wear. And what we wear does affect what others think about us. Certainly, some are turned-off by a Rolex. But it is the Rolex-as-metaphor for money (or the display of it) that makes some queasy. And that is exactly the point that I think Rolex & its adherents (like me) want to promote. Now, of course, you can promote success quietly (with a small, understated watch that makes an occasional appearance from under a buttoned shirt sleeve) or loudly (with a BIG hunk of bling that cannot be missed with sleeves that are rolled-up to Mars). Sort of the old money vs Nouveau Riche (new money) thing.

I think this just about says it all, at least for me. While I do appreciate Rolex's history & numerous (& noteworthy) technological accomplishments, at the end of the day, it all comes down to that ROLEX sig on the dial face. Were it otherwise, I would happily wear any number of copycat brands that equal Rolex's aesthetics, form & function for a fraction of what is printed on the Rolex price tag. And, truth be told, I think the same goes for the vast majority of Rolex-branded watch owners (rep or gen). Smart a$$ (I knew 1 of you wise guys would post this ). And that just solidifies the case even further. Before the advent of cheap, reliable quartz-controlled dive computers, 1 could make the case that Rolex was the most reliable & accurate timepiece for diving (& other work-related endeavors where Rolex was widely accepted as THE 'tool' watch by adherents of those pursuits). But, today, no one that buys a SDDS can possibly claim the same thing (that the SDDS is the MOST reliable & accurate timepiece for diving). It is pure high-tech jewelry (with a good dose of technically inconsequential bling added to the mix) that no longer serves any real-world 'tool' purpose. And I think the only thing that keeps a watch like the SDDS from gathering dust on dealers' shelves is that ROLEX lettering on the dial. And, soon, even that may not be enough since the Big Watch fad faded some years ago.