freddy333

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.

Not sure which I like better - the watch or this picture of the watch? Either way

I was just about to post a question about Avitt's (and Stephane's - has he been banned, too?) whereabouts, when I found this thread. I can understand the Mods' not wanting to disclose full details, but, with such a popular & senior member, I would have thought a general explanation would be reasonable. No?

Wearing 1 of my works in progress Friday morning (Yes, the minute totalizer hand is missing)

Although I run counter to Ziggy's recommendations, I find that pulling the stem out beyond the time-setting (1st) position, increases your chances of keyless works problems after stem removal. Unfortunately, there are no real shortcuts to keyless works problems. It sounds like you may have popped the stem lock out of position while pressing the stem release. It is easy to do, but the only fix is to remove the dial & reset the keyless works components. Once the dial is off & you see how the keyless works is configured, it should be immediately obvious what the problem is &, if you have the tools & experience, fortunately relatively easy to fix.

The amount of the T SWISS T that shows is dependent on the exact placement of the dial on the pillar plate. With mine, as with many gens, the dial feet can get slightly bent off-center, which then leaves the dial ever-so-slightly off-center within the case. Depending on which way the feet are bent, the dial will sit slightly off-center in the opposite direction. In my case, the feet are bent slightly too far north, which makes the dial sit a bit too far south. You may be able to see what I am referring to by looking at the slightly too-high position of the pinion in the hour totalizer Once I get in there again to replace the missing hand, I will straighten out the feet & the dial will be more centered. Then, you may be able to see a bit more of the T SWISS T, but I doubt there will be enough of it in view for anyone to spot a problem there under normal viewing circumstances.

Exactly. Look, also, at how much more bold the subdial printing is on the new dial vs the DW (& most aftermarket Daytona dials). Even with heavy patina, the gen subdial printing is always very striking in its contrast against the underlying subdial color. This is another thing the factory that made this new dial got correct. And those fonts on the long-tail 3...... ......I have only ever seen them on gens & Texas dials (which are nearly impossible to detect with 100% reliability). Getting such an obscure detail like that font's serifs exactly right - & I mean EXACTLY - & then printing the T SWISS T too large & in white........that can only have been done on purpose. If these types of 'mistakes' are not done as a favor to Rolex, then maybe the factories do it in an effort to identify their dials from the next factory's? Whatever it is, 'mistakes' like that on a dial like this are not accidental.

Correct is the key word. I believe that only the early 1665s were fitted with superdomes, but many were retrofitted by RSCs during normal service. So, as long as it is a 1665 & not a later SD version, it works for me.

After wearing my '39 Newman with the new dial, I have to say that while the differences between DW's dial & this 1 are minute, at best (both easily make it through my arm-length yardstick does-it-look-gen? test) (DW dial at right & T SWISS T is now red) the overall appearance of the watch seems, now, to have taken on a less striking appearance. At 1st, that may seem like a bad thing, but, in my experience, in the world of frankens, whispering your presence says alot more than shouting it. At least, if you want to be believed. So, while I have always thought the red chrono hand lent the watch a certain Italian panache, my thinking is tending to lean towards returning it to its original color (black wand with a white tip to contrast the dial colors). But, all that aside, I think the watch's overall appearance, with the new/modded dial, is much more workmanlike (after all, back in the day, the steel Daytona was a tool watch). I cannot quite put my finger on why (perhaps, it is the slightly duller white used in this dial or the more textured paint finish), but I am gaining a new appreciation for DW's original case replication than I had before. Damn. Now, with this dial, even under closer than normal viewing conditions & with 1 hand red & another 1 missing, this thing is almost indistinguishable from the real McCoy But when you come down to it, it is all about the 3