freddy333

Sapphire crystals install onto the case differently than acrylic crystals & I am not aware of any way, short of remanufacturing the case, to get JoeyB's parts to fit a sapphire crystal case.

Caci - your hand looks fine. As Nanuq cited, the inner triangle should be equilateral (with 3 equal angles). The edges (of all the hands) should be right-angles (not rounded) with flat sides & the metal frame of the triangle should be relatively thick & more or less even all the way around. The red paint is flat & the lume should have no (or, in rare cases, very very weak, quickly fading) glow left (bright lume on 50+ year-old Rolex hands is a sign of recent manufacture). Here is my gen for reference -

I think it is either the lighting or corrosion that makes it appear off. It looks good to me.

Be careful purchasing so-called 'service dials' as most I have seen are nothing more than aftermarket dials being sold with excuses for why they do not look gen. As always - buy the seller before you buy the Rolex.

Well done. Those hands look perfect & will improve the appearance of your watch 20% (a proper/matched dial would provide the remaining 80% improvement).

Most winder makers have a listing of recommended winder settings for various watch models on their website. If not, start at the highest bi-directional setting & run for 72 hours. Then, set it to the next lowest setting & run for 72 hours. Keep lowering & running for 72 hours until the watch slows or stops, which means the winder is running too slow to keep the mainspring charged. Set the winder for the next highest setting & leave it there. The idea is to set the winder to the lowest setting that will result in the mainspring remaining fully charged. Movement equates to wear, so the least movement that will keep the watch running is the goal.

I have always used a hand-drill & never had a problem.

Because it contains a number of non-Rolex parts, it is (per Rolex) officially a 'fake Rolex'. Therefore, I am fairly certain Rolex would reject it outright. In rare cases, some UK RSCs have been known to accept a franken for service if the owner agrees to have them replace ALL the non-Rolex parts. But since dials & handsets for these have not been available from Rolex for decades, I cannot imagine even any RSC would take it in. Your only options are to have an indy watchmaker (preferably, 1 that specializes in vintage Rolex, but any watchmaker with an active Rolex parts account should have the skills necessary to) perform a standard overhaul or learn to do it yourself (I would definitely hone your watchmaking skills on other watches before attempting to disassemble a gen 103x movement).

Wore 1 of my Subs today

Caci - You are going to have to spend some money to get a dial & handset that look gen. Unfortunately, that is just the way it is. All the standard rep-quality parts look like what you currently have. Alternatively, you could have the dial refinished professionally, but that would cost about the same as a good replacement dial & may still look 'repainted'. Were it me, I would start saving for a proper dial - high-end aftermarket or gen - & handset. Also, have the 1036GMT movement properly overhauled when you replace the dial/hands. It is overdue & these GMT movements are not something that should be left to run without proper maintenance. Once the parts wear out, you will have a hell of a time finding (& need a second career paying for) replacements.

Wearing my Phase 1 '42 today

Any modification to a vintage watch will reduce its value. Therefore, there are 3 options for a watch with a damaged case - leave it as-is & let the market (ie., the buyer) fix the value, repair it and describe the repair in the sales description or repair it & hope a knowledgeable buyer does not spot & call you out (as dishonest) for not disclosing the original damage & subsequent repair.

Still wearing my Bond Sub

Not 'insanity'........just vintage Rolex. As always, when it comes to vintage Rolex, remember - today's insane price is tomorrow's missed bargain.

Just past midnight & still wearing my Bond Sub

Earlier today (about 4 hours ago), I posted saying that it looked like the server problem had been solved. But, apparently, my post never got "posted". So maybe not.

Still wearing my Bond Sub

Wore my Bond Sub today

Ah, new rotors. Do not forget to clean off the grease!

Yes. Good job on a good watch selection.

Congratulations on the Daytona & be prepared for the (almost) inevitable secs-at-6 7750 break-down. If uninformed, I would advise that you search out ByTor's & The Zigmeister's reviews about the secs-at-6 7750 for details.

Unless something has changed within Rolex (I doubt it), RSCs are not allowed to modify watches or their cases. The only time an exception might be made is if there is damage to a case & no direct replacement is available. In that case, some RSCs may be willing to perform a bit of reshaping as a repair. Otherwise, I am not aware of any Rolex shop within their network that would be willing to modify cgs. Also, the average indy Rolex watchsmith must meet Rolex standards (including passing a competency test on a regular basis) to qualify for a parts account. Once qualified, there is no way for Rolex to oversee the quality of the work they produce. I had a relative who was a master watchmaker that worked for Rolex in the 1940s-50s before going indy. When I was a kid, he used to complain about the shoddy work coming out of many RSCs. In fact, I remember 1 case where a woman came in complaining that Rolex had failed to repair her watch 3 times. My relative took the watch to his bench & had it working to spec within 15 minutes. Having a watch repaired by Rolex is no guarantee of quality service. Most of the time, yes, but not always.