freddy333

Gee, I guess I have to begin another wristies. Still wearing what I wore to din-din yesterday

Based on recent auction sales (by reliable dealers), it is clear that vintage Rolex parts prices have returned to pre-2007 levels of insanity. Need proof? Click here

Since some have reported problems trying to fit gen movements into their MBWs, I think it is worth noting that my 1665 & 5514 MBWs (each now hosting 157xs) each came from George, who, if I remember correctly, went by the handle of 'Watchmaster'. So 1 has to wonder whether there are dimensional differences between the MBWs from George & those sold by others.

NDT is 1 of many aftermarket parts sellers who also sell a handful of frankenwatches (watches built from parts - some gen some aftermarket - of other watches). Their pricing is high (contrary to the claims of many aftermarket parts sellers, there is little/nothing about the quality of their parts that differs from the average run-of-the-mill rep watch) & it takes a bit of experience/expertise to sort out the chaff from the wheat. Their 'refinished' dials are, from my experience, simply new/aftermarket dials with variable accuracy (this is where the experience/expertise comes in). When buying parts from them, be aware that, unless otherwise noted, they are designed to fit gen watch cases/movements, not rep cases. As for their complete watches, same rules apply. However, be aware that, like standard reps - regardless of advertised claims - there is little/no QC involved in their construction, so you would be wise to keep your expectations low & to have the watch professionally serviced upon receipt (& be prepared to pay to repair on your expensive 'new' watch).

Switching to this on my way out to dinner

The 1575gmt uses a different date indicator seat (calendar ring - part 7965) than other 157x calibers & it may have only 1 ruby.

Nice find. The 157x is a very reliable & relatively simple movement to overhaul. Just be sure the watchmaker you select has a Rolex parts account (which infers that he meets Rolex's experience/workmanship standards).

As is often the case, the bracelet makes the watch sing. Please post more of this beauty, Flex.

It is well into Wednesday & no one started the all-important Wednesday wristies? For shame.

Nice find, Jojo.

The passionate chocolate exclamation mark GMT. Nice.

Congratulations on the new house, By-Tor! Just before midnight

I never noticed that before. Thanks.

About as good as it gets.

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