freddy333

The photography is absolutely breathtaking. At least, based on the pics posted on their website. Only 600 hand-numbered copies will be printed, so hurry & get your order in now!!!!!!

Thanks, Chief. My inspection of the gen crystal only adds support to the proposition that Rolex's AR is similar to that used on eyeglass lenses, which is easily smeared/damaged/removed (especially with ammonia-based glass cleaners). Believe me, I have ruined the AR on enough pairs of eyeglasses (& received appropriate reaming from my optician for doing so) that I have been ultra sensitized to treating this lens with kid gloves.

I am working on something similar.

In a pinch, you can use a rubber-jawed hobby vise. I have 1 from Sears that I sometimes use instead of my crystal presses because it provides a more stable & even pressure. As you may already know, I am about to break my sapphire cherry as well, so I cannot provide any specific guidance for you. However, there are a number of websites containing info on the pros & cons of converting Rolex/Tudor Plexi lenses to sapphire (some recommend against it for technical reasons, while others provide the service). A google search is a good place to start.

Ditto.

You can check most TZ sellers' reputations on TZ's sister site, watchnet.com. Exceptions do pop up from time to time, but I would be very wary of anyone selling 'gen' anything (even on TZ) for alot less than they average on ebay.

Thanks again, Lani.

Never seen that 'code' on a gen bracelet. Maybe the factory modified the text to identify their rep part from other factorys' copies? Glad to see you received your order before hell froze over (which is a Silix trademark).

YG is not my thing, but I can still appreciate a great score when I see 1 Wear it well.

Thanks, Lani. I am pretty sure the existing rep crystal can just be popped out from the backside, but I am not sure about the installation of the new crystal. I only work on vintage (Plexiglas) crystals, which install differently. So pics of the install process, specifically, showing when/where each of the 2 gaskets & crystal go in, would be real helpful. With only 1 gen crystal available, I do not want to break/damage it. A man has to know his limits --Harold Francis Callahan

Thanks, that is what I thinking, but your experience just clinched it. Is the rep crystal the same shape (flat) like the gen? And a question for anyone who installs alot of sapphire Rolex lenses - What is the procedure for installing a sapphire crystal & gaskets (there are 2 gaskets with the GMT crystal)? Do you install 1 gasket, then the crystal, then the other gasket? Or what?

The 2 limiting factors with the LX3 are its relatively measly zoom (only 2.5x) & its relatively large size (for a p&s). The lens on the LX3 does not fully collapse into the body like many p&s cameras & this makes it difficult to slide the camera into a pocket.

I still contend that it is not the camera (any competent 4MP p&s will do), but the photographer that makes the picture. Most of my pics are taken with a 6-7 year old Canon A80 (4MP) p&s & I think they look pretty good. I do use my Canon DSLR in low light & for those shots that require more (natural) depth. But, most of the time, the A80 is sufficient. I also like the Panasonic LX3 (I had 1 on order when my A80 died, but Canon repaired it (free) & Dell kept delaying shipment of the Panasonic, so, in the end, I just canceled the order & stuck with my A80). On the other hand, I almost bought a Nikon D60 & would have been happy with that.

Stranger things have happened. Like some black paint on dials turns brown (tropical) or white tritium turns who-knows-what-color inside some sealed cases. I think they are trying to avoid repeats of those kinds of things.

I believe only the CG-less Subs had coin edge bezels.

I only watermark my pics. That (gen) piece belongs to 1 of the TZ elders. During the 50s, Rolex had a habit of painting the seconds hand on alot of their sports models white. I have lots of pics of early GMTs & Subs with gilt/gold minute/hour hands & a white seconds hand I had planned to use a white hand on my 6536/1 But, in the end, I did not think it would go through my enhanced patination process (oven) & come out still white at the other end. Mores the pity since you could have fitted that beauty with a realistic rivet bracelet, now that they are readily available (albeit only with narrow springbars).

Franken with poor aftermarket dial. Rule of thumb - Honest sellers provide good, clear, bright pics that clearly illustrate small details. Dishonest sellers post small, dark, out-of-focus or shadowy pics to obscure details. I do not think I have ever seen a single exception to the rule.

My understanding is that Rolex chose to AR only the cyclops area to see how well it would stand over time before they jump on the AR bandwagon. They do not want to find out (in 10 or 20 years' time) that the coatings fade, discolor or oxidize. Even though it may sometimes seem otherwise, Rolex is a very conservative company & they do not like to adapt new technologies (that they do not own) until they are well-proven over time.

MT - That has not been my experience. ofrei no longer stocks (or has access to) Triplock crowns or most of the popular crystals. What they do have are generic crowns (no coronet on the cap) & crystals (with a few gen odds & ends for models that are of little interest to most collectors).

If anyone has removed the crystal on their GMTIIC - rep or gen - please let me know the steps involved (if you posted pics or a thread, a link would be helpful).

I went through my 5513 pic archives & they are all variations on the same theme. But here are a few more pics that may help (I think they all had gilt hands)

Lani - The 1st runs of 5513s had gloss/gilt dials until the early-60s or so. However, I have only seen these with the depth line above the Submariner line I will have to check my hard drive archives to see if I can any find exceptions to be sure.

The Great GMTIIC AR Mystery: SOLVED Here is a gen Rolex GMTIIC crystal in its original, factory-sealed packaging (I cannot disclose many details about the acquisition, except to say that it required calling in a favor) Once I have figured out how to (safely) remove the bezel/insert on my CHS, I will install the gen crystal. In the meantime, this pic clearly shows the AR coating applied to the underside of the crystal, below the cyclops (if the upper-side of the cyclops is AR'd, I do not see it) Case closed. p.s. It is also worth noting that neither of the Rolex-certified watchmakers I spoke with were even aware of the AR coating until I pointed it out to them. In 1 case, the watchmaker was so unaware (& surprised) that he had to contact someone at Rolex Switzerland to verify the existence of AR on a Rolex lens. My point is that the AR on these watches is only relevant to WIS types & it is highly unlikely that anyone else you may encounter in your daily life will ID your rep (assuming you look like you belong with a $7k watch) as anything but the real thing based on the appearance of its cyclops. As best as I can tell, all the AR cyclops does is make the watch suitable for very interesting pics.

All you need is a hunk of the correct steel & gen case for the exact dimensions.

........or, at least, a more accurate Daytona/Paul Newman dial, especially, the 'long-tail' 3 in the minute totalizer