freddy333

I think you would do well to decide on which specific watch you want to build. We all know the various models in the Rolex lineup, but only you know which model gets your heart pumping. Once you have the exact model pinned down, people will be better able to provide direction & input. For ideas, do what I do - spend some time perusing TZ or VRF or just search google. 1 thing I can tell you is that sapphire magnifies every single fingerprint & dust particle that touches your crystal. Plexiglas tends to mask most of them. One of the things I hate about modern Rolex designs is the way they ALWAYS look filthy. No matter how careful you are, your beautiful watch is always covered with a film of dirt & grime. Not my cup of tea. Actually, I can add 1 more personal tidbit - To my eye, a vintage watch wearer is a watch collector. A modern watch wearer is a watch buyer. Choose your poison.

Thanks Auto. I spent some time perusing my Rolex parts books last night &, feeling a bit more confident this morning, took a leap of faith & purchased another 1030. The conversion procedure looks like it may be nothing more than a straight-forward bolt-on assembly of components to the front of the pillar. No further disassembly of the movement should be required. Easy-peasy, relatively speaking. So, now the hunt begins for the conversion parts. Biggest hurdle, of course, will be locating a datewheel (especially, a roulette). As this will likely become something of a long-term project, I am glad I opted to complete the initial phase with the 2846 so I can keep my eyes on the prize while the game's afoot

I get the same reaction when I wear this (though the reaction is not generally limited to the wait staff) But as this watch is vintage & therefore not constructed with 904, I think the reason for the sticky eyeballs has less to do with the shine & more to do with the iconic Rolex design. Like they say, if you want to make a statement, wear a Rolex. And this axiom has been true for 100 years.

Ditto.

Ordinarily, I would ditto Nanuq here, but for a watch like this (assuming it is 100% gen, which I have no reason to believe is not the case), I think it would be useful to have had it pass through the official Rolex system, if for no other reason than to provide some degree of supplemental provenance. However, having said that, on the other hand, Rolex service centers (all of them, to some degree) are notoriously unreliable with collectible vintage pieces like this. So, instead of shipping (or having a local AD ship) the watch to Rolex, I would hand-carry it in & ask to speak with someone in management about exactly what you have, what work you want done & what work you DO NOT want done. Also, make it clear that you want ALL visible components that are replaced returned to you. Finally, make sure you get everything detailed in writing. Again, in detail. DO NOT assume anything! If you want the minute hand replaced, but not the hour totalizer hand, make that clear. If you want the tip of the chrono seconds hand painted, but the rest of the arm wand left as bare metal, make that clear as well. If you are very specific & confident that you & the Rolex manager are on the exact same page, you should not have any problems.

The ladies are not the only 1s. I love it too. Classic understated elegance.

Thanks Heywood. Much obliged. I already checked with them & while they do have a number of the parts listed, their web listings often do not reflect their (actual) parts inventory. My guess is that many or most of the parts I would need are either on (indefinite) back order or awaiting status (which works out to about the same thing). Alot of the parts will eventually surface (for top-dollar) on ebay or (at slightly more reasonable prices) from a number of used parts suppliers that I occasionally get lucky with. But, either way, I would like to find someone who can gauge the likely cost of a complete 1036 GMT vs a 1030 plus parts before I unleash the hounds for the next hunt. If, as I suspect, a complete movement - whether purchased whole or cobbled together - is likely to end up costing in the neighborhood of $2k+, I may have to put the next phase of this project on the back burner until another cheap (& complete) 'parts' movement crosses my path. As much as I would like to be able to swap the 1675 dial for the proper gloss 6542, the watch, as it is now, functions like the gen -- slow beat (not quite 18k bph, but close), non-hacking, non-quick-set & with a 2-position stem that sounds & feels like it is winding a 1950s Rolex

UP.

I stand corrected (& should have known).

Yes, exactly. The question, which goes back to the main point of this post, is what the chances are of finding everything needed to result in a complete & functional 1036 GMT? Before I plunk down a grand (or thereabouts) on a 1030, I want to be at least reasonably sure that 1. All of the parts can be found. 2. The total cost of the 1030 plus all of the individual parts needed to convert to 1036 will not exceed the cost of buying a 1036 GMT outright. Do you or anyone else know? So far, I have always been able to find what I needed. However, I have never worked on a 1030 (or its variants), so I am hoping someone can fill in the blanks. Certainly, this is a rare skill in today's world & 1 that many current (& new) watchmakers are sadly lacking. However, making all the parts to assemble a complete & functioning watch used to be a prerequisite to becoming a professional watchmaker. The thing is that even the inflated prices being charged for gen Rolex parts these days come in at a veritable bargain relative to the cost of making parts from scratch.

Very nice. I doubt anyone will have a gen lying around (that is not already called for), but this is definitely a case where it is worth the $200-$500 price of admission for a gen. You might try Phong or ebay. Otherwise, go with Clark's Superdome, which is so close you would not know the difference if you did not know the difference.

My gen mid-80s 16014 has closed fonts (the movement was purchased as NOS from a reliable source, so I know it came from Rolex that way), but I have pics of similar watches with either closed or open fonts. I believe Rolex either issued both open & closed date discs during the 80s (nothing new there) or many watches received the later closed font discs during service.

Interesting about the serial number. I would have expected your watchmaker to be able to provide a more definitive judgment on the authenticity of the crown & movement, since professional watchmakers tend to be well acquainted with these over the course of their careers. On the other hand, none of the watchmakers I know work on dials (they send them out to professional dial refinishers or just replace them), so I would not put too much credence into his conclusions where the dial is concerned. Have you considered fitting Clark's T39 superdome (which I believe is exactly what came on my watch) instead of a T19? You might also save yourself alot of time, expense & effort by fitting a 703 crown/tube instead of a 702. The 703 would be fitted by RSC & both look nearly the same (in use). If you want something more authentic, see if you can locate a dot-less 700, which would have been OEM.

Well, I thought I might pick up where I left off with my 6542 from earlier this morning, but I ended up going back to work with my beater (Yes, that is a fly on the bezel at 2 o'clock)

You need the 'fine' version of 1 of these (1st item at top of page) click here

Ditto.

I disagree. Putting a gen crown or any other gen part on a rep watch turns that watch into a frankenwatch. The number of parts is irrelevant since installation of that 1 initial gen part changed the definition of the watch. If you look at it conversely, it might make more sense - If you send a gen Datejust that has been fitted with a rep crown in to an RSC, they will return the watch to you explaining that that single non-Rolex part makes the watch something other than a genuine Rolex. In other words, the watch, as far as Rolex is concerned, is a frankenwatch.

El - Are you sure the seconds hand is pressed down onto the pinion? It may not have been fully seated, which could explain why it contacts the underside of the crystal when the crystal is fully installed. Another possibility - can you tell if there is a dial spacer between the underside of the dial & the front face of the movement? If they left it out, the movement may be locating too far forward in the case, which would leave the pinions too high above the dial & too close to the crystal.

Already on it, thanks PP.

I think the lume on your & chris's dial look like they could have been relumed by an RSC. Originally, I was going to replace my crystal (for the same reasons), but it appears to be either a gen or 1 of Clark's, I am still not sure which. But almost definitely 1 of them & it looks quite gen, either way. So I decided to keep the crystal, though I may remove & reinstall it so I can be a bit more confident while wearing it. I showed my watch to another gen Rolex/Tudor collector & he thinks it is probably a gen that was fit with aftermarket parts (not the other way around). Hmmmm.... Were it not for the repeating serial number (which he agreed looks genuinely engraved), I would take that story to the bank. But, whatever the truth is, I think we all got a helluva watch (& deal) for the money.

Interesting to see so many of the same watches (& pics) today. And whatever did happen to V? After repeated threats of her eminent return, she never did grace us with her presence again. Although I am still wearing my Sunday watch, the time is now officially past midnight (it is now Monday), so I guess I can say that I am starting Monday with this (even though that may change when my day actually begins 8 or so hours from now)

Since the term franken derives from Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' story (the Frankenstein monster was cobbled together from the remains of various (different) dead bodies), technically, it should describe any watch that is put together out of parts from other watches -- regardless of whether the other watches are gens, reps or custom. However, the definition of the term frankenwatch, as I 1st read about it in an internal Rolex memorandum to dealers back in the 1980s (I had a close friend whose family founded a large chain of retail stores, which were ADs), was meant solely to describe a 'fake' or 'replica' Rolex watch that was fitted with genuine Rolex parts. So I guess you can take your pick of definitions.

Sadly, no.

Bob Frei received a water-damaged & case-less GMT dial, handset & movement. I phoned the office on a day that Bob happened to be out of town, but was told it was still available & was quoted a fixed price. I agreed to the price & paid for it with my credit card (which, because I am a regular customer, they have on file). Then, just to be sure, I phoned them back 20 minutes later & gave them an additional credit card (to eliminate any chance of a hold-up due to bank foul-ups). I was told 'Don't worry, it's yours & your credit card already went through & we processed the paperwork. The order will be shipped to you as soon as Bob returns in 1 week.' So, 1 week later, I phoned Bob just to make sure the order got shipped & was told that there had been a mix-up & that Bob, being unaware that I had already purchased the movement, sold (& immediately shipped out) the movement to someone else 2 days after I paid for it. Bob was (understandably) apologetic, even going as far as phoning the other party & asking if they would be willing to return it since they had screwed up & the movement should have gone to me. Of course, not a chance. So that was that. Good question. What is a long Mercedes hand & how does it differ from a Mercedes hand?