freddy333

Ditto. I can add that Timeman is generally a very reliable seller. A bit on the pricey side, but a good guy who knows his stuff.

No, but if you are looking for leg locations, they should be the same as any other dial made to fit an ETA. If you have another ETA-powered rep, just check that dial. The legs should be in the same locations.

Thanks, rosnik. I found that, but there are only 2 pics - no order link or page containing price/ordering info. I thought there was a page to order these from?

Go Ubi.

Does anyone have the link to Eurotimez' flat-top 3 ETA datewheels? I cannot find them on his site. TIA

Not sure why you are unable to access his credit card payment page, but Josh is definitely 1 of the good guys.

no

A shame. I always see these customizations of classic Rolex watches as being the watch equivalent to this For those who are unfamiliar, this is was a rare Mercedes 300SL 'Gullwing', which is was 1 of the most coveted & valuable cars ever made.

Ditto that. Someone just paid nearly 7 grand for a case (& possibly, with a great deal of luck, a pillar plate), which is the only thing that is likely to be salvageable. Amazing how often the name 'Rolex' generates insanity in otherwise sane men.

For whatever it is worth, I second Ziggy's & By-Tor's comments. The CHS GMT is, at best, a Rube Goldberg 'fix' that teeters on the edge of self-destruction due to its patchwork construction. This is not to say that every CHS GMT is absolutely destined for early-term ruination. A few members' CHS GMTIICs have been utterly reliable (mine being 1 of the most dependable & accurate watches - gen or rep - that I have ever owned). However, on the other hand, the WHS GMT has a proven track record of long-term reliability, backed by its wide-spread use. Unlike the complicated 11-gear carnival ride that turns a common 7750 into the enigmatic seconds-@-6 Daytona heartbeat, the WHS GMT, as Ziggy explained, requires only a couple of additional parts & these do not appear to over-tax the engine's performance or the movement's overall longevity. Anyone considering a GMT should read (all of) By-Tor's GMT reviews before proceeding with ANY purchase. This would save alot of frustration for the buyer & repetitiously hackneyed questions for the rest of us.

It all looks aftermarket to me.

Zig, as always,

The problem is that most of the value is in the dial & movement, both of which are fried, in the literal sense. The dial is a write-off & the movement is probably likewise so. That leaves the case, which, even on a Saturday with the wind in your back, your favorite girl on your arm & a winning lottery ticket in your pocket, is not worth 4 grand. In its present condition, it might be worth a gamble for $500 - $1,000. But $4k is just plain Nanuq - Repeat after me - warped = bad thing.

Quite a find, JoJo.

Nice work.

Must be moths.

I think By-Tor hit the nail on the head.

Very cool, Ubi. Here are a few more

Since they have the same relief & use the same tube, they should be interchangeable. Like the 703 & 704, The main difference appears to be the monobloc construction of the 531 (see charts).

I think you are making a mistake fitting your watch with a non-cyclops crystal. If the watch was 100% gen, then customizing is not a problem. But, with a franken, it is always best to keep things as close to oem as possible. Deviations from oem tend to increase suspicion & elicit closer inspections.

It could be a problem with the click, which retards the mainspring & keeps it from unwinding, or the mainspring itself. In either case, without the proper tools & experience, I would leave this type of work to a pro or return the watch to the seller. Even if the problem were a (loose) screw tangled in the hairspring (which would stop the watch), I would leave the work to a pro. It is very difficult to untangle a hairspring without a loupe, a proper set of tweezers, a very steady hand & some experience.

While doing some research on an unrelated crown matter, I stumbled across something in 1 of my old Rolex parts books that I think solves The Great Triplock - Crimped vs Solid - Mystery You will notice that both the 703 & 704 have the same relief, which makes them, at least from their cap sides, indistinguishable from each other. However, Rolex added the designation, MONOBLOC, & displays the 704 (as well as the 604, 531 & 480 Twinlocks) with an all-green pic. Meanwhile, the 703 (& 603 & 530 Twinlocks) is pictured as having a yellow core with an outer green cap (which is no doubt secured or crimped around the inner core along its outer skirt). I have viewed these pages many times, but for some reason never made the connection at any time during this controversy. The bottom line is that Justasgood is correct that the 704 appears solid when viewed from its underside & the 703 is crimped. Otherwise, externally, they look the same. And unless anyone has any other new insights to add, I think we can consider another Rolex case closed.