freddy333

Somewhat amazingly, my chs from the initial run (with gen crystal, crown & tube) is still going strong

A Mystery today

Some have painted or varnished the pearl, but I think the best (most natural looking) method is, as Gorilladame suggested, to drill (or pick) the contents out & refill with your choice of colored substrate/paint. Here is a gen that is probably close to the color you are after

I am not sure about this particular combination of clasp & links, but both look gen to me. Could be some variation of the original Gay Fr

I think most Rolex sports watches of that period were fit with a standard Twinlock, but the initial runs, with Brevet signed cases, would have had a Brevet crown

Is it a 5508 or a 6536 (as the seller described the watch in the Description section)? Obviously relumed dial & aftermarket bracelet (& incorrect for this model).

I did this a couple of years ago & write a mini-tutorial that you may be able to search out. But, basically, I just used a dremel with a grinding head & ground off metal until I had the shape I needed. Then switched to polishing/buffing wheels with the usual green rouge until the surface was finished. There is really no magic or complicated procedures involved. Just grind & polish with your tool of choice.

Not much to add regarding the transaction/shipment itself, but, in general, never include the word 'watch' on any declaration or contents listing. It will catch the eye of every miscreant along the way. Instead, use 'clock' or 'timing' or something synonymous that is easily explained (as a means to counter postal theft) to a customs official should they inquire.

Like it or not, I think every watch enthusiast should have at least 1 classic Rolex - either a Sub or DJ, rep or gen. So 1 of my 1st rep watches was a DJ & my 1st gen was also a DJ. I have sampled just about every type & style of wrist watch over the past 25+ years - big, small, flashy & plain, but always come back to Rolex. Fashions may come & go, but a classic (gen) Rolex will always command attention. And, in the end, I think the old axiom is true - 'When you feel you have finally made it, you owe yourself a (gen) Rolex'.

Learning the intricacies of vintage Rolex is a never-ending educational process. And to add to the confusion, when it comes to vintage Rolex, there are exceptions to just about every rule. Still, it is good to have a working understanding of the general scheme of things before diving into the vintage Rolex pool.

The parts containing these errors do not belong to DW. They are essentially off-the-shelf rep parts that he (& others) includes with his watches/kits. Some of my kits contained these parts (which I replaced with parts from other or gen sources) & some did not. When you order a rep watch/kit, you get whatever parts were available at the time. Like all aftermarket parts, QC is negligible (at best) & you should keep this in mind when ordering.

Still wearing this while putting something together to attach to this

Ditto that. Satur-day

I had a feeling this was coming. Here are a few of my more mouthwatering pics Bon appétit!

I wore this out to a late dinner Friday night & am still wearing it early Saturday morning

Like all mechanicals, once properly overhauled, they keep good time for 5-7 years until the next required service interval.

I like the V72s more than the 7750s, but I wear the 7750s (including the 6239 pre-Daytona not pictured) far more often.

No, but unless you have your watch professionally pressure-tested, I would NOT take it in water.

If you have a gen dial/handset, why are they not installed? And, once installed, why in the world would you ever consider selling it? I mean, the only thing better than a nearly gen PN is an all-gen PN ........& what you have (with the gen dial/handset) would be more than close enough to my way of thinking. How could you possibly trade up from that? What are you trading it for? A Patek 3974? That is about the only place to go when you reach this level.

Were it me, I would hang onto it & look/wait for a better dial, subdial hands (they look weird) & insert (the insert appears to be damaged around 3 o'clock). Possibly, also replace the crystal with a new beveled T21. The movement looks beautiful (hopefully, its internal condition matches its outward appearance). Why are you considering selling it?

Ending the work week wearing my Sub

I agree with Alligoat. Select a dial & then have Kent relume it. Just make absolutely sure that Kent understands that you want the lume to be white (& non-glowing - 40+ year old tritium dials rarely have any glow left in them).

I have not seen anyone selling 6542 dials made for ETA movements. I had an ETA dial blank custom printed with a 6542 dial face by MY. Neither of those dials will fit an ETA because they are made to friction-fit onto a Rolex 1030, which differs from the ETA. The perimeter of the dial is bent downward at a right angle with the dial face. This flange then friction-fits around the edge of the pillar plate, which is what holds the dial onto the movement I suppose you could grind the flange off so the dial plate is flat & then cement it onto the movement, but you risk damaging the face.