freddy333

Yes, I am expecting a (slightly small) 6542 gilt dial (the current dial is an early 1675) within the week.

ETA-powered Rolex rep purchased in 1987, state-of-the-art at the time & still running

Sell it? Unfinished? With fingerprints all over it?

All mechanical movements (including non-Swiss) can be serviced. You typically run into problems if/when a movement needs a part that is not available through normal parts supply houses. Running any movement beyond its intended service interval causes accelerated wear on the parts, which, in turn, reduces the overall service life of the calibre. The trick is to have your movement serviced according to the manufacturer's recommendations (most recommend a complete overhaul every 5 years). In many cases, Asian movements will run & meet their specs for 20+ years if serviced on a regular basis.

Nanuq, I see what you mean, but I do not understand what I would gain by replacing what is there now (which works) with new parts that I would need to machine myself, especially, since I believe the watch would look & function the same as it does now? I think the idea is brilliant in theory, but it just seems like alot of additional work to achieve the same end result (the bezel & insert will be in the same position & the watch will look the same from the outside as it does now). Remember, also, that the height of the vertical ring is actually quite a bit shorter than it is in your drawing. More like this (& the highest point on the bezel is parallel with the top of the ring)

Although it looks the same after I put everything together, the Silix case does not have a retaining ring (it is constructed differently than your gen). So I am not sure where you would put 1, especially since the only problem I had with the case was the lack of clearance between the bottom of the insert & the top of the infamous 'ring' (which has been ground down as low as it will go without losing the equally infamous 'lip' that the bezel requires to afix it to the case). Here is the case without the bezel Everything you see below & below/right of the crystal (which is currently held on with GC crystal cement) is solid metal (the case). Here it is with the bezel There is nothing inside the crystal & it is retained only by the cement joint between it & the front face of the case. Where would you place a retaining ring?

Ditto.

Just to be clear, by 'picking apart' I meant positive criticism (in an effort to help improve the result), which is not only appropriate, but welcomed. But since I appear to be on the right track, I certainly appreciate the compliments. _____________ UPDATE - I ran into a bit of a problem with the crystal, which was attached to the case with GC Crystal cement. I kind of had a feeling it might not be strong enough & my feeling turned out to be correct. I accidentally tapped the watch into the side of a door & the crystal (unscathed) popped off the watch. I originally considered affixing it to the case with 330 epoxy, which dries clear, but it creates such a hard bond that I might have to grind the crystal off if I ever need to remove or replace it. So I ordered some crystal UV cement, which I think should do the trick. If anyone with experience with UV crystal cement thinks there might be a problem, please let me know & I will reconsider the 330 epoxy option. I should also mention that the tube I received with the Brevet crown was slightly stripped (it works, but I do not feel secure about the way it threads into the case). So I replaced it with a Swiss-made aftermarket tube from Ofrei, which fits both the case & Brevet perfectly. So if anyone else needs a tube for a 6mm Brevet, go to Ofrei.

Could it be another vintage Daytona in the making? I am glad to see so many people turning towards classic vintage Rolex & away from 2006's hockey puck watch trend.

Ouch!!!!!!! But once you get the problems fixed, you will have a beautiful 6263. Very strange that the watches would have so many problems. Thanks V. 6239 on 7835 today (Monday)

Thanks Euno. I have not seen you around much lately. Anything new at your end?

So this is a 27mm dial in a 27.5mm case opening? If so, I would never have noticed it had you not mentioned it. I certainly did not spot a gap in your other thread about the construction of the watch. And since the dial I am dealing with is black instead of gold, the tiny 'black' gap around the dial would be even less visible than yours is. So, maybe, it will work. And the Silix case may actually bit closer to 27.4mm than 27.5mm, so it may even be less of a gap than I 1st thought. In any case, I am going to find out 1st-hand, since I had to buy the dial anyway (I did not want to risk losing it if I waited).

Sold! Get it.

Unless you want to advertise the fact that you are wearing a fake Rolex, I would nix the idea of getting any watch with 'jewels'. The 'jewels' look fake & unless you are living extremely LARGE, these watches would stick out like a sore thumb (or like you were wearing a mink cape & carrying a diamond-studded walking stick, if you get my gist). Now, if that IS your style, then, by all means, I would go for 1. But, if not, trust me, you will be much happier in the long run if you get either watch without the 'jewels'.

Stephane - Is the '90' in your 6263's tachymeter scale (bezel insert) slanted sideways (sitting at a different angle than all the other numbers) or does it just look that way in the picture?

Lani, I am not talking about the lume or the pearl. I mean the black portions of the dial itself. It looks like it has a brown or reddish tint in some areas. Like it was sprayed with a fine mist of brown paint or something like that.

Very nice work, kbh. I especially like your choice of strap. I have a Franken-just with 1 of your holders waiting to be assembled on my table & I promise to get to it as soon as I wrap up a couple of other projects.

Lani - I know you described it somewhere, but I cannot find where you explained how you added that brownish color to your dial? Can you tell me what you used?

The 6542. I found a dial that I really like, but its diameter is 27mm (like most aftermarket dials) & the Silix case opening is about .5mm larger, which leaves a .25mm gap all around the dial. I would not think that such a small gap would be visible through the lens, even with a loupe, but I wanted to know if anyone else has ever tried fitting such a slightly smaller dial? I doubt the dial will fall through the front of the case, because it is attached to the movement & the movement is locked into place. The question is whether you will be able to see that .25mm space around the circumference of the dial?

___________ Admin - I wish you would switch the text 'Goto first unread' links in the menus back to the icons. It may seem counter-intuitive, but the icons were MUCH easier to read.

Will a 27mm dial fit a case with a 27.5mm opening? Specifically, will a .25mm space between the outer edge of a dial & the inner wall of the case be visible?

Oops, sorry. I thought this was a new DW & since the Mystery Movement is history (as far as I know), I assumed it was Valjoux. What is wrong with yours & has anyone tried to fix it?