freddy333

If it is the 6542 (bakelite insert), then that is it. PM sent.

Thanks, that would help alot. I took some new pics of the Silix watch posed similar to your watch so we can get a better idea how they compare, but my main computer crashed right after that & have been working on that as well as trying to upload the pics from 2 other machines, neither of which is faring much better than the crashed machine. Anyway, I finally got them uploaded, but I have to return to my TCP Windows stacks & abstract hardware layers Perhaps, but that is exactly the way the Silix bezel works - its inner spring snaps down over the squared edge. I think both bezel assemblies work the same way, but your case is just rounded either by design, age or use. I do see that your case is thinner than the Silix case, but the gen watch I am using as a model looks thicker than your case......more like the Silix. Take a look & let me know what you think? I have had too many broken Windows rattling around in my head today to think straight.... Thanks, I will.

Thanks Nanuq, but what I really need are accurate measurements of the diameter & thickness of your caseback. If you have access to a caliper, those would be very helpful.

Initially, for this 1, a chs (for 6542 - GMT/hour/minute/second) 2836-2 from a standard GMT rep. Once the watch is complete, the next step will be to upgrade to a 'slow beat' 2846 modified with GMT functions from the 2836-2. There are 2 main keys to this backup project - 1. Fitting MY's bezel/insert to this case. Once that is done, I think the case can be made to match the NDTrading case, but for a fraction of the cost. 2. Finding a reasonable rep or aftermarket 6542 dial that can be relumed & vintagized to good effect without paying NDTrading prices. In other words, a good base dial for less than $250. If I can successfully pull these 2 off, then the rest is a cakewalk.

Sorry to hear that Woody, but hopefully they will get it right the next time.

A7750 3035 1570 727 (sorta)

This thread is an update of & continuation from Taking on the 6542 GMT Master & Before there was a 1675 I just received the Silix CG-less Sub case & based on my preliminary inspection & measurements, it looks like my back-up Silix-based 6542 Project watch may be a go!!!! Silix actually sent the watch that is pictured/described on the website. The case on this watch is noticeably thinner than their other CG-less Sub or GMT cases. But, more importantly, the bezel looks to be the correct size to make the swap with MY's aftermarket 6542 bezel an even exchange http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/genbezel.jpg This means it may just snap right into place (without any mods). Anyway, here are some shots of the gen 6542 followed by the initial quick & dirties of the Silix Sub rols176 Here is the target - gen Rolex 6542 GMT Master with Perspex (bakelite) bezel insert http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/gen6542.jpg (Update/Correction - After receiving MY's insert, I now see that this gen 6542 has been fitted with the same insert/bezel (most of the original Perspex inserts have disintegrated by now, which is 1 of the reasons these gens are so rare & valuable). Looks pretty good, huh?) Rols176 http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols1760161.jpg Here is another gen target Rolex 6542 GMT Master with Perspex (bakelite) bezel insert http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/1233.jpg Rols176 (remember we are only concerned with the size, shape & profile of the middle case) http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols1760041.jpg Here is the target - gen Rolex 6542 GMT Master with Perspex (bakelite) bezel insert http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/1234.jpg Rols176 (I will obviously have to grind/polish the side to remove the bumps on either side of the crown & flatten the side, which is currently round) http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols1760091.jpg Here is rols176 next to my 6239 for a comparison of case sizes/shapes (rols176 is a very narrow case) http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols17640151.jpg Then I removed the bezel (I removed it by wedging a knife between the top of the case & bottom of the bezel & gently pried it off) http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols17620341.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols17620401.jpg The all-important side profiles 1st the gen http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/genside.jpg Now rols176 (again, the side will need to be grinded/polished flat) http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols17620421.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols17620461.jpg The bezel contains a hexagonally-shaped wire spring that fits around the lip on the case opening (the case opening is gasketed, by the way) http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols17620491.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols17620471.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols17620351.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols17620361.jpg Ok, so how does this thing really measure up? http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols17620031.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols17620071.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols17620161.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols17620191.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols17620261.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols17620291.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols17620561.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/freddydynip/rols17630061.jpg Do we have the makings of a 6542 here?

Thanks All. Let me know if you locate it. In the meantime, I am posting a number of pics (in a separate thread) of the Silix CG-less Sub that I am considering using for the case/base of 1 of my 6542 GMT projects. This will be a modem burner, but I would love some input.

Beater today (Friday) Maybe something a bit more 'exotic' tonight

Click me

The problem is that you cannot purchase new Rolex parts without trading in old gen parts, so the prices Tribal listed are not realistic, especially in the US where RSCs & ADs prefer to install the parts onto the watch themselves. The few new parts I have purchased directly from Rolex all came via friends in the EU who get them for me from EU ADs. But, for most gen Rolex parts, you have to pay the outrageous prices being asked by gray marketeers.

My Hev is functional & watertight as well, but, unfortunately, it did not come that way

Does this bezel & insert look like a gen 1680 or 5513?

JoJo - where did you source the dial & case?

I paid about $250 for my NOS 580s last year & with the recent elevations in Rolex prices, I would consider anything below $400 to be a good deal (assuming they are gens.........lots of rep parts floating around being sold as gens). 93150 clasp, assuming serviceable condition, I would think a minimum of $400 & up, depending on condition & age.

Ditto Toomuchgear. I think this qualifies as the best franken Sub I have seen to date. Wrist shots please.

Still Thursday night here

Why do you keep these if you never wear them?

There are a number of sites, but their prices are about 4-5 times higher than what you quoted.

TeeJay - why do you keep them?

Yes, this is a terrible state of affairs. If it is not fixed soon, I will be forced to draft an angry letter to the Editor of The Times.

Interesting comment, TJ. Reminded me of an incident that occurred a couple of weeks while I was wearing this A woman I was out with recently (she knows I have a collection of gen watches) grabbed my wrist to check the time. After a quick glance & release of my arm, she suddently did a double-take, grabbed my arm again & twisted it back to check the watch out. Then she looked at me, looked back at the watch & gave me a very 'dirty' (as in contemptuous, not sexual) look as she released my arm. She is definitely not someone with any real knowledge of watches & since she knows I collect gens I assumed she was offended by the Patek name (she is very liberal, politically, so may have thought I should have donated $15k to Darfur instead of buying another expensive watch) or thought I was trying to show off. I have not seen or heard from her since.

Ditto that.

A friend just posed an interesting question after seeing some of the watches in my collection that I never or rarely ever wear - I thought it a reasonable question & 1 of the few that I do not recall seeing posted on RWG before, so I thought I would start a thread to investigate why we keep these hidden gems in our collections that might never see the light of day. In my case (no pun intended), I have 2 distinct collections of watches - those that I love & wear (even if only on special occasions) and those that have an attractive design or technological feature that I respect, but that I am not generally comfortable wearing - at least, not in public. People who view my collection are often surprised to see a number of watches they have never seen before or that do not fit within my general theme of classic (vintage), all steel models. A couple notable exceptions are -- The Vacheron Constantin 'Jumping Hours' - big & yellow gold watches look silly on me, but the extraordinary beauty & execution of this rep are undeniable. The rarity of the gen also makes it difficult to spot as a rep. It is also a design that, like most Breguets, would lose its magic if constructed out of steel. The Audemars Piguet Edward Piguet Tourbillon - yellow gold is definitely not my thing, but the execution of this rep is nearly flawless (note - there are other versions of this rep that are not nearly as well crafted as this version). Manual wind with a reasonable facsimile of the gen's decorated movement visible through the back. The Correct Hand Stack Rolex GMTII Ceramic - big, bulky & slightly blingy, a modern Rolex design with metalized index markers that is definitely not my usual style. But the overall accuracy of this rep is so good that it became a legend almost overnight (in spite of having a pickly movement). This rep is also noteworthy because it is the 1st (and only) rep that although it does not fit my usual requirements for a wearable watch, I have come to find that it is quite wearable (with weekend wear only). And there is a space reserved in 1 of my cases for the Rolex Deepsea if/when a 'super' rep becomes available. Big & boisterous to the point of being cartoonishly funny (unless paired with SCUBA gear), but an engineering marvel & sure to become another must-have model after the initial complaints subside & a few big name celebrities appear in the media wearing theirs.

If the hand always stops at the same place (off by a hair), then it was simply installed that way (off by a hair) & needs to be removed/reinstalled in a more accurate position -- a 10 minute job for a watchmaker. But if it resets at different points, then the hand may be loose & requires repair as indicated above. Because the chrono on most watches (all rep watches) shares the mainspring with the clock portion of the movement, running the chrono constantly will reduce the watch's power reserve. The exact amount depends on your watch, the mainspring installed &, if it is an auto-wind movement, your lifestyle. Other than that, you are also accelerating wear on the chrono components, which should not be too much of a problem as long as the movement is serviced regularly (every 5-7 years). On a rep watch (especially those with relocated running seconds), I would use the chrono as little as possible (if at all) unless it has been properly serviced & the watchmaker gave you the green light use it.