freddy333

Yes, I saw that FS on VRF. Top notch. Thanks, All.

Like everything Ziggy puts his hand to, very well done.

For reference, my 1665 consists of an MBW mid-case (with working Hev) with aftermarket (& modded) dial & crystal (Clarks). Everything else is gen

Ending the work week the way it began

Fine work there, Cats (pic & watch). I have had a Sub stuck to my wrist all week This Sub

The only way to gen status is to buy a gen. If you mean franken (mixture of gen & aftermarket parts), then read on.............. There are probably some here who will perform the entire construction for you, but, due to the labor costs involved, you may be better off buying a pre-assembled franken from jewelryandwatch, etc & then send it to Ziggy to have the inevitable shortcuts re-done correctly (I do not know of anyone that sells pre-assembled frankens which are built to any kind of quality standards). The Yuki case is nearly 1:1, but will require some enhanced patination to make it look like a 30+ year old watch ('new' 1665s are as rare as a rare version of a hen's tooth).

As with most things that fade, most likely sun exposure. But frequent exposure (in the sun) to chlorine probably accelerates the process.

Not my style, but it looks like a nice watch & Eurotimez is, generally, a reliable collector.

As a temporary measure, yes. They can work very well. However, because they are basically just tape, the adhesive eventually weakens & things tend to slide.

If you are using a browser like Firefox, some of the page features may have been blocked. Be sure you have javascript enabled on the page. Also, once you sort out the payment issues, be prepared for a potentially lengthy wait. My last 2 Silix orders arrived some 3 months after they received payment. In my book, unless they have something you cannot source elsewhere (which was the case for my last 2 orders), nothing is worth that kind of wait.

Sad to say, but it sounds like the collection underwent a bit of a shearing recently. The GMTIIC (along with the Daytona) is the only modern Rolex I would wear. Their current lineup has become too bloated & blingy for my taste. Sort of a high end bauble for Johnson's Great Society. Even the GMTIIC is only just wearable (Rolex would do well to brush their GMT & Daytona bracelets & return them to their sporting roots).

Ditto Ubi. Assuming the crowns (or most) are at least gens, I suspect you could, at worst, play musical chairs with the caps & innards to fathom a handful of good, working crowns. So if you can get the lot for the price of a few gen crowns, it might be a worthwhile gamble.

Still wearing the same Sub

Here is the link

Did you sell the black 16520?

Typically, the difference between a gen & the best reps comes down to a simple phrase - fit & finish. Go to your local AD & handle some of the gen counterparts of your reps & you will see & feel the difference. The white or yellow gold bezel of a gen Datejust or Daydate sparkles in a way that steel, no matter how well polished it is, cannot. Edges are more defined where they are supposed to be, less so where not. Metals & joints are finished to a satiny smoothness & crystals gleam & sparkle in ways that aftermarket parts do not.

Red, I think your idea is brilliant, but I have to agree with Offshore regarding nixing the sand & the issues relating to the 60s materials/methods of manufacture vs those used today. The base material of vintage Rolex inserts just does not equate with what is used today, especially with cheap rep parts. After trying various aging methods myself (including extended UV exposure within a salt bath using a UV lamp made for setting UV cement), I came to the conclusion that the only way to get a realistically aged Rolex insert is to get a Rolex insert that has naturally aged. Hands, dials & cases can be made to look old with enhanced patination, but I have yet to see a single Rolex insert that looks naturally aged by unnatural methods. That said, I will be following your work with great interest.

Not sure how/why I missed this when originally posted & I rarely re-post entire posts, but this 1 deserves it. This has to be 1 of the best posts I have ever read on RWG (& that is saying alot since there are MANY classics worth re-reading here). Well done, Demsey. :good:

Not much I can add to Andy's response except to say that as you gain more knowledge about gens, you will also become more acutely aware of (& bothered by) the inaccuracies of your rep, as minor as they may be on the best reps.

With that gorgeous pair of 16520s, I was not aware you were out. I should probably mention that everything in that pic is gen except the dials, mid-cases (excepting the bezel/inserts, which are gen) & 2 crystals (in the DRSD & Rose).

I disagree about wear being a good thing on a dress watch, especially a gold 1. While wear does add character to a sport watch, I think it just makes a dress/formal watch look tired & worn (as in worn out). With such a fine timepiece, I would either have a professional watchmaker overhaul it (including polishing the case & replacing the crystal, which will make that watch look like new) or learn how to polish the case (with rouge) & crystal (with Poly-Watch or similar) properly.

Not to mention the serifs & correct 'e'. Thanks, Ubi. In case you missed the full story, the dial was a custom design that Natalie agreed to do for me a couple of years ago (back when NDT was willing to do that). Recently, Kent Parks repainted the lettering with black gloss, which brought the logo into gen territory. Finally, the dial received my usual Krylon matte varnish treatment. As predicted, still wearing my Sub on Monday The Matte Triumvirate

Read this or this.

Still Sunday night, but I will probably continue to wear this Sub for the next day or 2