freddy333

My experience as well. Main problem with the cheap Asian movements is finding replacement parts, which is just about impossible.

I still think your watch is quite nice as is. However, considering the watch's inherent inaccuracies (incorrect case size, symmetrical pusher layout, incorrect dial fonts, etc), I would to leave it as is because that natural age & wear tends to overshadow some of its more obvious flaws. But if you do decide to upgrade it, a Clark's crystal is a good move since they are both well made & cheap (in case it does not fit your case).

Click here.

Looks like a nice gen. But remember to buy the seller before you buy the watch (you can request a reference check on vintagerolexforum).

Or you could buy this & transplant the index markers onto a more accurate white dial (that has silver surround markers). Probably not a realistic option for most, but I thought it worth mentioning.

The 3rd day

Good point, drhydro. You definitely do not want to use the non-chlorinated form (check the label for ingredients containing the word chloroethylene). One Dip, for the reasons drhydro stated, is preferable to brake cleaner. But brake cleaner will definitely do the job if One Dip is not available.

Thanks, bertieng. I got the dial on ebay a year or so ago from a seller who said it was a 1-of-a-kind dial that he purchased from someone else. Unfortunately, I have not seen another like it, but I have a feeling someone has more of them. I had Kent Parks relume it to my specs (widen & whiten the index markers to match a 1st version gen dial that I used as a model), which turned out to be alot more work than either of us counted on, so I doubt he would do another 1 like this.

Gen - ebay. Aftermarket - NDtrading or Jewelryandwatch for Vietnamese-made with nearly exactly dimensions or Eurotimez (see Collectors forum for website) for MBW/MBKs that are more reasonably priced & will accept many gen parts. Use the Search for details.

Great write-up, Francisco. For those without access to One Dip, you can also use this Brake cleaner (tetrachloroethylene) is chemically similar to One-Dip (trichloroethylene) & their cleaning/degreasing properties (at least as they relate to shellacked watch parts like balances & pallets) are functionally the same. Spray the brake cleaner into a small jar (do this in a very well-ventilated area), place the part into the jar & then agitate the jar for a minute or 2.

That is 1 of the shortcomings of every DJ rep. Steel, no matter how well it is polished or what hyperbole a seller uses to suggest it looks 'as good as gold', will never have the shimmer & sparkle of white gold. Just cannot be done. This is 1 of those 'fit & finish' characteristics of the gen watches that set them apart from reps. Great trio.

As usual, Alligoat has it correct. I would add that you can still find gen DJ cases & dials on the bay at very reasonable prices, but not as many from the usual sources.

I think women can get away wearing obvious fakes because most women consider their watch just part of their overall jewelry. This is also 1 of the reasons why most women prefer battery-operated to mechanical, regardless of the value or technology involved. This will be old news for many of the long-time members, but I gave a couple of my early rep watches (this 6263 & a VC fantasy watch) to a female friend who, although she is well aware they are fakes, loves & wears them daily As it happens, 1 of the VC's 4mm x 6mm square pushers fell out of her watch (& was lost) & I am having trouble locating a replacement. None of the usual parts houses stock this particular size (ofrei, borel, cousins, etc), so if anyone knows of a source, please let me know.

The strap used in the early Bond films was not a NATO (note the lack of NATO rings & the material sliding under the case) Instead, they used a simple, 1-piece strap like this (but with Bond's school or military color stripes instead of my strap's plaid design), which was popular in the late 50s & early 60s

Ditto.

It does now Click here for the how-to with some additional info here.

Beginning the work week on a red letter day

This particular position is used because it places the hands where they will not block the underlying details on a wide range of dials with dates, index markers, chronographs, etc.

Nice work Lani (& Chief). This is the type of info that makes RWG so useful.

Ending the weekend wearing this

Beautiful work. I never tire of seeing vintage watches like these. They are truly works of art. It looks like both watches have Brevet crowns, but are either of them the big, 8mm version? Could you itemize the parts used to construct them? I hope my 6536 turns out nearly as well (if/when I ever actually receive the Silix cases I ordered 2 months ago).

JoJo - They are all popular with knowledgeable watch collectors. Of the 3, the 1501 would be my 1st choice for an all-around wearable Rolex. All of the watches look gen to me, but since you referred to the 1501 as your 'latest project', I assume you mean these are all frankens? If so, you did an amazing job fitting everything together, even down to finding the most convincing aftermarket datewheel I have ever seen (or fitting a gen datewheel to a non-gen movement).

Looks like it got pulled on ebay also.

Ditto & I would also recommend VRF since they allow (& encourage) reference checks of sellers, which TZ discourages.

Brilliant post, Ziggy! :good: A couple of comments -