freddy333

Unscrew the stem, but leave it in the winding position. The screw southeast of the stem (to the left of the 'A' in Rolex S.A.) needs to be unscrewed approximately 1.5 turns, then the stem will slide out.

Thank you chaps. This particular caseback came by way of an accident (my '33' stamping tool slipped, twice, while I was punching it), so I did a couple more until I got it right. But when I lined them all up, the 'accident' actually looked more real than either of the good 1s - like the watch got damaged during use (I saw something very similar in an Antiquorum auction a few years ago & it was noted in the watch's description that the caseback had been damaged 'during use'). I guess that is an example of turning lemons into lemonade.

5514 Sunday

Check the Watch Collectors forum (you may need to upgrade your membership for full access). And before you ask the next newbie question ('Which 1 is best?'), use the Search to gather info on specifically what you want.

Welcome home, Ziggy. Considering the jet lag, this is quite a journal report from your travels. I cannot wait until you have had time to do a proper 1. I have never done that much traveling by camper, but your descriptions of showering, emptying & lack of privacy immediately brought back my memories from the couple of days I spent in 1 many years ago. Now I remember why I have not done it again. I think you are either cut out for camper travel or you are not & I definitely fall into the latter category. Interesting findings about WOSTEP & the watchmaking trade in France. While I know their standard of living is a bit below what we are used to here in North America, I was surprised to hear that so many trained watchmakers' skills are wasting away. That is especially strange considering how starved we are for even trained parts-changers here. And with Rolex & now some other luxury brands willing to foot the price of the training, it sure sounds like someone is on the wrong side of the pond when it comes to high end watches & watchmaking. Still, glad to hear you & J enjoyed your vacation & made it home in 1 piece (& still a couple).

Impossible to value without good, clear pics, especially of the dial & movement. If everything is good & clean, the price you quoted would be on the high side of reasonable (considering the current state of the world economy), assuming the watch was recently serviced (with paperwork to prove it) & comes with a guarantee. You might query By-Tor to get his opinion.

Great wristie Marty. I know how difficult those are to get, but it is too bad (especially with that watch) you could not get the dial into better focus.

Adding to what Adrenalin said, the crown (missing) needs to be replaced. From your pics, it is hard to tell whether the stem is broken or whether the crown simply unscrewed from the stem & fell off, leaving the stem intact The stem must be matched to the movement in your watch, which looks to be a lemania/venus clone, but hard to tell without a good, clear macro (close-up) picture. Any professional watchmaker will be able to get & replace the stem, if in fact it is broken. However, the crown may be more difficult since replica watch crowns vary according to which factory made the watch. If you can find another collector/seller who is selling the same watch you have, check with them to see if they can get you a replacement crown. If they will not sell you the crown separately, see if they have another watch like yours that is damaged or a customer return that you can buy at a discount (it does not matter if the case is scratched or dented or if the movement does not work since, right now, you just need the crown & possibly the stem). That way, you can take the crown off the 2nd watch & put it on yours. Then you can keep the rest of the 2nd watch for future parts.

I do not see the stem in your picture. Did it come out with the crown?

Congratulations, Noel. I cannot wait to see pics. Too bad you are not close, geographically, to By-Tor so you could have some portraits done. No one photographs GMTs better than he does. I am not sure how, but he always makes them look better than they do in real life.

That is great news, dluddy. But I cannot believe they still have some left. If I did not have all of my watch money tied up in current projects, I would buy a few more for gifts. I think the Tudor Rose Subs are prettier (not to mention rarer) than Rolex Subs. And since we still do not know for sure what is real & what is not, I think you could give 1 of these out to even the most WIS type without having to excuse yourself.

No, no sign of it yet & packages arrive here daily. I will PM you.

I agree. Looking good so far.

Oops, I guess I forgot to add a couple of construction details - Bezel is from MY, insert is PMWF with the usual Illumines Dot (pearl) from Ofrei. I must either be very lucky or have a good 6th sense about people, because (with the singular & notable exception of Mr. Slimeball, who is in a separate category by himself) I have never really been ripped off on ebay. And I always overhaul these movements before installing them. The 5514 (& standard early 5513s) was fitted with the 1520 calibre & that is what I used here. Oh, the 702s - they were easy (it only took me 1 year of daily searching to find them). The bracelet is a bit of a sticky issue. I wanted (want) to fit a folded link 9315 with 380 or 580 ends, but I cannot rationalize the cost these things are going for these days. So my 2nd option was a 93150 with 580s (I may swap the gen 93150 from my Doublered over to the 5514, since it already has 580s & they are more correct on the Sub than the SD). I actually have a gen 93150 clasp in my parts box that I was considering to use to build a franken 93150 bracelet, but I have not been able to find a set of gen 93150 links in need of a bracelet (so if anyone has a set of 93150 links, please PM me). So, for the time being, I am strapping it with a waterproof strap. Thanks Tribal. I think it just looks big because I decided to leave it unpolished, which gives it a dark gray appearance. But the valve piece is exactly the same size as the piece in my Doublered's working Hev

Thank you. Your kind comments & support are appreciated.

No AR'd cyclops received here yet, but I have been wondering if anyone has done the deed yet, too?

I expect we will be getting alot of nice new 'presents' this Christmas. That is, as long as the Grinchy economy does not scare Santa away.

Wow, I am truly sorry to hear that. I was not aware the economic slowdown had begun to trickle down to the level of small businesses yet.

If they ever get the Noob EXII white dial right......

Gen T19.

Click Me

You certainly may & I appreciate the compliment.

What the heck is that device on your watch? A N2O valve (I think it works )? I spent most of today (Friday) wearing the watch in the middle, but ended the day with the watch on the left

Coolfire - As a perfectionist (at least, I try to be), I am just picking nits, so unless you find yourself among a group of WISs, you can wear your beautiful new classic with confidence & joy.