freddy333

The difference relates to the diameter thickness of the center tube in the crown (the part the stem screws into). If I remember correctly, the 603's tube is slightly smaller. 24-600 uses 24-6020 tube 24-603 uses 24-5330 tube On a related note, those of you who have been following the Triplock: crimped (703) vs solid (704) mystery, I think I may have solved it.

Your experience is typical of rep watches, which contain used/unserviced movements & are assembled with little or no QC. Contact the seller & follow his instructions. Your only alternatives are to open the watch & post some good, clear macro pics & maybe someone can direct you to repair the watch yourself, or pay a local watchmaker to service it.

Wow, that kind of support really is impressive. I hope they did not seriously change the look of the replacement dial.

Thanks, All. Here is the story.

Nice work, Avitt. Has Nanuq seen your new booty yet?

Ending the work week wearing my linen DJ

I think it was $108 or something like that. You should check their website. Considering how accurate they are, I think the price is reasonable, especially considering that most sellers sell those other crappy rivet bracelets for about the same amount.

Yes, that is exactly what they did (I just received an email from Yuki saying that) & exactly the problem. But it is not just the end links that are too tight. All of the links in this new bracelet are too tight. Not a deal breaker by any means, but compared to their previous bracelets, which feel like gens, this 1 just feels like a rep bracelet. If you can get them in without deforming either the springbars or the loops, then you are all set. Trouble is, that the loops are made up of the same sheet metal that holds the end links onto the next link in the bracelet. So if you bend or stretch the loop, you are also pulling the end links tight against the next link, which affects the hinge's ability to move. I do not see any way to expand those loops without causing problems elsewhere. The only proper solution is to remanufacture the end links with larger loops. That is odd that you had to polish your bracelet to get it to match your case. All of Yuki's bracelets match my vintage gen & aftermarket cases just about perfectly (see pic above). I could understand people who might complain that Yuki's bracelets do not look 'new', but that is 1 of the things that amazed me when the 1st 1 arrived - its finish almost exactly matched my 50 year old gen 7206s. While they have issues, their finish, at least to my eye, is about perfect for a vintage Rolex watch case. I may have to try that, or something like it to wear down the internal edges a bit. I tried oil & silicone, but neither had much effect. Yes, my new bracelet looks exactly like your diagram. The problem goes back to what I was saying about the loops being pulled too tightly when you expand or deform them to fit larger springbars. The loops are formed by pieces of sheet metal that run out the bottom of the end link & through the end of the 1st link in the bracelet. They 'loop' back up through the bottom of the end link, forming a 'C' within the bottom of the end link. So as you expand the loop in the end link, you are effectively pulling the rest of the loop (that runs through the 1st link) tighter, which causes the end link to slide up along the side of the 1st link, as shown in your diagram. That is why I did not want to force springbars into the loops as others did. You are literally robbing Peter to feed Paul. I think we just need to make clear to Yuki that they will sell lots of these bracelets if they can get the factory to fit larger loops.

The 7206 is 20mm. The 7205 is 19mm, but Yuki only lists the 7206 on their website. I have not seen a rep 7205, though I would be surprised if it does not exist somewhere. You might ask Yuki if they can source it for you.

Looks good.

This is a continuation of the 7206 portion of my previous I Was Wrong thread. I just received a sample of Yuki's 'fix' for the too-small springbar issue plaguing their 7206 rivet bracelets. The good news is that the bracelet now fits my watch & should likewise fit other vintage models made for a 7206 with 80 (& possibly 58) end links & 2mm springbars. Here is a quick & dirty pic However, along with the good news, there are also a few pieces of (mostly minor) bad news - First, instead of remanufacturing the (permanently attached) end links with larger loops, they simply forced springbars into the existing loops so they are essentially permanent (& some, because of this, will no doubt arrive damaged). And, to add insult to injury, while the springbars fit, they are crap - they contain loose pins that I doubt will last beyond a few installs/removals before collapsing. Therefore, the bracelet is only useful for as long as the springbar pins hold out. Second, as you can see in the pic, the end links are a bit too short (note the gap between the inside edge of the end link & the case). I had to bend & reshape both end links to make them fit the contours of my watch - 1 link was open so wide the top face of the link rose up about 2mm above the level of the lugs & the other was so narrow that it left a gap above it wide enough so that you could see the entire engraving between the lugs. Third, 1 of the end links was too wide & I had to file the sides down to get it to fit between the lugs of any of my cases (I tried both my 6536/1 & 6542). Finally, unlike my last couple of 7206 bracelets (the 1s with the too-small loops), the links on the fixed bracelet are extremely tight. I do not mean secure, I mean ill-fitting & difficult to move - the hallmark of a cheap rep bracelet & a dead give-away since, in comparison, an (undamaged) gen bracelet has a silky smooth feel because the parts all fit together well. So, it is the usual 1 step forward & a couple of steps backwards. Fortunately, in this case, the forward step is bigger & finally permits you to attach & use the bracelet. And, once you have performed the required mods to get the end links to fit your case, the bracelet looks great.

Lani - nice OP & I think your original appraiser got it right - 1930s (or maybe early 1940s).

The tubes in the last cases I received from Yuki were glued in, but they were also threaded. So you just have to heat the case (with the crystal & movement removed) with a hair dryer for a bit to soften the glue & then remove the tube in the usual manner. Then tap the threads to clean out the residual glue & you should be all set to install a new/gen tube. Unlike the typical rep, Yuki's cases are made to fit gen movements & dials.

Vintage Rolex tool watches (Subs & SDs in particular) are like hammers, they look better with wear. The more wear (as long as they remain readable & functional), the better. In contrast, modern Rolex Subs & SDs, with their polished bracelets, finger-print magnet sapphire lenses & blingy dials, are like new cars - their appearance nose dives (pun intended) with each & every new scratch or blemish. Baby your car (& bling), but wear your 1680.

I may be wrong, but I do not believe the DSSD's crystal contains any AR coating.

Ofrei sells a number of hollow dies (delrin is good) here.

Needs regulation or oiling.

Bravo!!!

Gilty pleasure today

Correct.

Yes, avoid chiropractors, homeopaths & other quacks at all costs. I wasted alot of time/money on these & found them 100% worthless beyond their feel-good placebo effects.

You will need to research/locate some of the sellers listed (addresses may have changed since the article was written), but this will cost you less than a grand & will fool all but the most knowledgeable WIS (assuming they are in very close proximity)

Or locate a Rolex 1575 along with a 6mm Twinlock crown/tube & you have a franken-gen (100% gen watch composed of 100% gen parts that came from different sources). Depending on your timing/luck & condition of movement, you should figure spending $900-$1,300 (plus a few hundred more to have it serviced). Optionally, you could add a gen Jubilee or Oyster bracelet, or leather strap with or without a gen Rolex buckle. But the options will put you into the price range of a complete 1601 , so, unless, like some here, you value the benefits of a diy project, it may not make financial sense.

I have seen some 702s packaged as 703s, which might explain this. But, otherwise, I am at a loss since 703s have been the staple for most of Rolex's sports lineup for at least the past decade & a half.