freddy333

Tuesday

Brilliant story, but, when it comes to strapping a staid, plain-Jane vintage piece like this, think Ferrari, not Ford. Your newly reborn ticker's mild-mannered persona needs something with an Italian flare......something that makes a statement.......something bright yellow or red like this little Di-Modell German number

I cannot remember which of the 3 pinions is short, medium or long, but the 3 subdial hands' tubes should be staggered to match each of the V72's stepped-height pinions As this is Rolex-related, your post probably would have received more attention (& a quicker response) had it been posted in the Rolex forum.

That is effectively what I suggested at the beginning, but you need only to AR the area below the cyclops (no need to coat the entire crystal & then remove the unneeded portion). But unless the lab is willing to do a test, this thread will cycle endlessly.

Ditto.

The condition/quality of the AR (on the cyclops) is not the problem, but neither is it the solution. At least, not by itself. I frequently (just about every time I wear them out) clean my watches with (ammoniated) Windex, so if my GMTIIC's cyclops came from the factory with an AR coating, it was removed long before I ever installed (& shot the pics of) the AR'd cyclops (which was cleaned with nothing other than air prior to the pics being taken). Further, the prismatic effect you can see on the AR'd cyclops in the 2nd set of pics, makes it pretty clear (no pun intended) that the AR'd cyclops does, in fact, have an AR coating. I see the same rainbow effect on all but 1 set of my AR'd glasses (the singular exception being the set I mistakenly once cleaned with Windex - Windex really is the best day-to-day cleaner for a watch, unless it is AR'd).

Beginning the workweek wearing 1 of my rep-to-franken-to-gen project watches (a work in progress)

I agree with Kruzer & would add that the crown on the dial needs to be improved. So, for me, while this 1 is nice, the wait continues.

My, how quickly the (vintage gen) world changes. After seeing a couple of nice 6542s fetch high dollar figures within just the past 2 weeks, this jewel failed to garner a single bid above the bar the seller set at $45k (auction closed with 0 bids) This, combined with Patrick Heiniger's abrupt resignation (for 'personal' reasons) & Rolex's recent climb onto the Big Watch bandwagon (2 years after the fad had begun to fade), has me scratching my head about the future direction of this, hitherto, iconic brand.

To the best of my knowledge, the MBW DRSD caseback has not been 'fixed'. My caseback is also Vietnamese (which has a different set of issues - as always, the decision comes down to which set of inaccuracies offends you the least).

Something special today (Sunday)

The reasons are 3-fold - 1. The second hand on a quartz movement moves in 1-second increments, while the second hand on most mechanical movements 'sweeps' (each second is broken down into smaller steps, which gives the hand's movement an almost fluid-like appearance). 2. The functions on a mechanical movement are either missing or located in different positions on a quartz movement. 3. The case may need to be redesigned to fit a quartz movement. All in all, while some mechanicals can be swapped out for quartz, it often entails either loss of functions or additional visual inaccuracies that most members are not willing to accept. But, like so many things in the rep world, it is all about compromise. Contrary to sellers' hyperbole, no rep is perfect. Each buyer must decide -- for him or herself -- which inaccuracies offend them the least. I have been quite lucky when it comes to unreliable movements. Neither my chs GMTIIC nor my 1st generation secs at 6 Daytonas have suffered any of the problems that have plagued many other owners. But, in my case, to paraphrase a great American patriot, give me mechanical or give me nothing.

Took 1 of the GMTs out for a bit of last minute Christmas shopping this morning

Current DRSD caseback

bertieng - See if you can get a written evaluation from a professional watchmaker (notarized & on the watchmaker's letterhead). That will improve your chances of getting PP to act (on your behalf). But be prepared for the seller to come back with 'It was new or in good working order when I shipped it out'. And unless you had the movement shipped directly to your watchmaker, PP is stuck in the middle having to mediate based on 2 different stories. Of course, if you & Sql determine that you sourced both movements from the same supplier & have similar problems with 'new' movements, then you can demonstrate a pattern of behavior (by the seller), which makes your side alot more convincing.

I think the reason comes down to the fact that the new Milgauss just does not inspire alot of (positive) emotion in many people (not a very popular watch). In fact, like the SDDS, alot of people on TZ who got their orders in early (back when the Milgauss was receiving nearly unanimous pans from the regulars), later sold the watch after finding it getting little or no wrist time. Of course, today's ugly watch is tomorrow's 'it' collectible (think Daytona). But a green crystal covering a squiggly orange hand is not quite my cup of tea either.

Sorry, I cannot answer that. Ziggy may know the correct part or possibly Ubi. As an alternative (if you really want to make your Xmas goal), since the parts are small (overnight shipping for 2 parts will be the same as 1), you might consider ordering it & any other similar part & hope that 1 of them is correct.

Sorry to hear about your bad luck, but it is all part of the 'fun' of modding. Try cousinsuk.com. If they have the part (& you do not mind paying the fees), they could overnight it to Germany. Trouble is that even if your builder had the part in hand tomorrow, you still have to rely on his getting the watch completed & shipped back to you (via Customs). With all of those variables, it may be a stretch hoping for a Christmas delivery. But good luck.

Admittedly, it is an added inconvenience & expense, but you would improve your chances (& save yourself alot of aggravation) by having your reps properly serviced upon delivery (& I do not mean by the seller or his agent). Chronographs, especially, are finicky beasts & a thorough tear-down & rebuild will head off alot of the types of problems you described. Try Ziggy or check your local phone book for a watchsmith who is rep-friendly & willing to work on a chronograph (some will not).

Here it is -

It sounds like your watch needs servicing. Check your local phone book for rep-friendly watchmakers under 'watch & clock repair' or try Ziggyzumba's forum.

The 6542 has been out of production for 40+ years, is highly collectible & quite valuable. Good examples of this watch frequently sell for between $50k-$100k, even in this market. Therefore, parts for these watches tend to go for top dollar as well. Recently, 2 6542 bezel inserts (in very good (but not mint) condition) went for about $2,000 & $2,500, respectively. The GMT hand, by itself, will easily bring between $700-$1,800. Even a roulette (red/black) date wheel can fetch as much as $1,600. In fact, the parts for some vintage Rolex models have become so valuable that some have been dismantling & selling perfectly good watches as parts. Buyers for these are either collectors, who are looking to replace worn parts with better parts, or modders, who are building frankens or gens out of these spares (Work in progress) Call me paranoid, but I detect a note of insincerity here. True, which is why, when it comes to this hobby, knowledge is power. Very definitely.

Pauluk - I cannot imagine that polishing will do much to widen an MBW DRSD caseback engraving. I spent about an hour grinding my caseback with coarse sandpaper & it did little to widen the lettering (it did smooth the edges a bit, which helped). I then spent another hour polishing out the sandpaper marks.