freddy333

I cast my vote with the others - GMT.

Me likie. Camera details, please.

It IS a 6542. Until today, after seeing the '1066' engraving between the lugs at 12 I had no reason to even bother to check the other side of the case because the watch was designed as a vintage Sub, so I just assumed the case was designed to be a vintage Sub (even though, strangely, gen 6542 parts seem to fit the case as though it was made for them). So I had long ago accepted the fact that the engravings were wrong (for a 6542). But, once again, I have learned my lesson - Never Assume Anything. As I was about to begin the modification work on the case, I found this between the other set of lugs (which explains alot) Boy, are the Silix kids missing the boat by marketing this thing as a 'Cartier Sub'.

I find them this way - open the local telephone book & look under 'watch & clock repair' (or similar). Then phone a shop & ask if they will work on an ETA-powered rep watch (assuming your rep is ETA-powered). Some will, some will not.

Beauty, panache & an eye-catcher. About 5 Gs (in steel)

That & we would then have a ready supply of new movements to use instead of having to peruse auctions & hope you get a working (or repairable) 20+ year-old, used movement. The price is on his main Rolex 6263 page (350,000 yen, which translates to $3,272).

Some sellers (like Honpo) are not real accurate in displaying the same watch on the same page. So, in general, you need to be careful. But if the watch contains that movement, it has asymmetrical pushers. And they look properly asymmetrical in all of these pictures. Yes, that is correct. Quite expensive, but considering the ever-increasing prices of vintage Rolex, not altogether surprising.

Nanuq, can you clarify your comment a bit? Are you saying that A is more period correct, but B would make it look different than a Sub case?

Yes, but you are not going to like the answer - Honpo.

Yes, it lacks patina. But that is not the thing that caught my eye or inspired me to post the pic here. What makes this 1 different from all the other V72s I have seen is the similar grain on ALL of the parts, not just the usual (aftermarket) chrono bridges, but ALL the parts. And if you look below the balance wheel, you can see that the pallet plate itself has the same unfinished texture that we see in the A7750 & some recent ETA copies. I have never seen that on any gen V72 before.

Funny how that 1 grows on you.........

I have handled enough of these -- vintage OEM & modded with aftermarket parts (a la Phong), but this 1 looks entirely new. Not just new chrono bridges, but all the bridges, plates & gears look like they were made with the same grain & surface finish. The pillar plate also has that unmistakable cheap look (rough finish) that many other Chinese copies have. Of course, since they have copied many ETA movements, a Valjoux should not really come as much of a surprise. But imagine the possibilities...........

Very confusing. The gen 6542 was apparently made with 2 (& possibly 3) different bezel variations, depending on which vendor's stock Rolex had on hand that day. 1 version looked very similar to my A (like Avitt's 1st link, but which has deeper beveling from the bottom of the teeth to the bottom of the bezel) & the other version is very similar to B (like Avitt's 2nd link). Initially, both were made of brass with a zinc plating (which lasted about as long as the average 'gold' plating does on a rep watch, tending to fade/wear off & for the same reasons) & later made out of steel. So, either version is actually correct. The question is which of the 2 bezels -- A or B, as you see them, will be best on this project watch? Before posting the poll, I was pretty sold on A, especially, since it already looks naturally beat up. Then, when the 1st comments started rolling in, I was persuaded that B was the better options. But, now, I am confused again.

Ah, white lume.

6239 non-Daytona Daytona Sunday

Another great review, By-Tor. Too bad the rep is not more accurate - the gen is a definite head-turner.

The bead-blasting turned out great. The case looks like titanium & the strap completes the picture. Have you thought of bead-blasting the snaps in the strap to make them match the case? Might be a nice finishing touch. Anyway, very nice work, Avitt. No wonder you have been so quiet.

You presuppose a spam-free world, which is about as unlikely as a rep-free world.

I have never seen a 'genuine' white gold or rhodium plated DD rep, but ss reflects light with a cool (blue) bias, whereas gold reflects with a warm (red) bias. This is usually apparent if you view both side by side in natural light. Someone (may have been me) posted a comparison picture a year or 2 ago that may still be in 1 of the forums if you Search for it.

WOW!!!!!!!! Each 1 outdoes the other & you did them both. Kudos, Master.

Ziggy, both are amazing little machines, but that Elgin is similar to 1 of the 1st pocket watches I ever took apart (I started on pocket watches before wrist watches). A real beauty. When they say 'They don't make them like that anymore', I think they had that Elgin in mind.

Interesting, but not a color I would choose or 1 that I think is a very good match for the watch.

Still living the dream today (Saturday)

If you buy 3 or more watches at the same time, you can sometimes negotiate a few additional percent off.