freddy333

I have to agree with most of the previous comments. Could be worse, but could be better. In general, try to avoid vintage dials with glowing lume (a 30+ year old Rolex dial will have little or no glow).

Actually, the more I look at the case & bracelet, the more I am inclined to say aftermarket. Once again, the coronet stamping on the leaves of the bracelet looks wrong.

Dial & case look aftermarket, but the rest (as best as I can tell without a movement pic) is probably gen. No way to be sure based on the pics on the seller's website. There is a reason so many (legitimate) ebay sellers refuse to sell to Italy.

I guess I am 1 of the few here who watch the market trends on a daily basis. I am no economist, but it seems pretty simple to me - when you spend more than you make, you have to borrow more than you want. Ultimately, there are only 2 options - make more (raise taxes) &/or spend less (cut non-essential spending).

When I constructed my 1st Hev a few years ago, I (mistakenly) thought they always matched the case. But subsequent research has proven otherwise. The 5514/1665 He valve was plated with, I believe, zinc over a base metal. When the watch was new, the outer face of the valve appeared to match the rest of the case. But, over time, the outer wrapping wore away, leaving the flat-faced base metal exposed

I think you have a franken bracelet, which is a common problem these days. This part looks aftermarket to me (coronet & metal grain look wrong).

IHS, replacement (service or aftermarket) datewheel & (possibly) aftermarket dial.

Sticking with what works (Yes, it is still missing a hand)

Ditto. There are 2 kinds of watch collectors/hobbyists or whatever term you prefer - those who buy a watch when the deal is right & those who get the best deal they can on the watch they want. The former group tends to spend most of their time waiting for the right deal to come along, while the latter group (I count myself among them) tends to spend most of their time enjoying their watches (& rationalizing their spending habits to bank managers, wives, friends, etc). For me, when it comes to watches, at least in the past couple of years, price has tended to be a secondary consideration while my focus is centered on my mark. Certainly, I try not to overpay (& I generally only construct frankens that cost 1/10th-ish the price of the gen), but I will if I have to in order to get what I want. This is especially true in the case of gen Rolex parts. Year after year, I continue to find that today's insanely high price looks like a bargain in 12 months time.

Looks just like 1 of mine

Wearing 1 of my Newmans (yes, still awaiting a replacement hand), shown here with 2 friends

If a franken is not good enough & you have the expendable cash for the gen DRSD, I cannot think of a reason not to.

Nothing like doing it the easy way.

I generally agree with you, but I am not so sure about that last statement ('Lexus is better, hands down')? I think equal footing is closer to the truth. Both build beautiful, well-engineered cars. However, after doing so for more than 100 years, I think Mercedes deserves some extra credit. For years, people have grouped Porsche & Rolex together as being similar brands in their respective markets. But, having owned both Porsches & Mercedes (& Rolexes), I think the 3-pointed star & coronet are a much more accurate match-up, in terms of quality, longevity, the scale of their product offerings & technical innovation. And, more importantly, each icon - 3-pointed star & coronet - is a universally recognized symbol of quality, refinement & status. You could go into the darkest jungles of Africa & you will find that people know what those icons stand for.

That is so funny, Nanuq. I had a similar experience a few months ago while shopping with a friend. Although I was not wearing shorts & Birkenstocks, my habiliments that day were not much better & I specifically asked to see their 116523 (silver widow, which is 1 of the few current pieces in the Rolex line that I love). When I removed my beater to try on the Daytona, the woman who was assisting me picked up my watch, gave it a good look-see & said 'That's a very old one, isn't it?!' I nodded (after all, a couple of parts in that watch are over 40 years old!) & was then led over to the Patek counter & introduced to the store manager........ 4-love, your serve (whatever that means)

I must have missed the background story on this watch, but it looks great, MP.

Between what I know about Avitt's extracurricular activies & what I can glean between the (published) lines, I think I can guess the reasoning behind his banning. Still, a shame his choice had to come down to obey or be banned. But such is life.

Good luck & count me in on the scan list (though I do not know how useful this will be in French).

You can buy it here. And if you speak French, you might find the author's video interesting.

Not so new.