freddy333

Get a set of the Level 1 Tools. While you are there, you might consider signing up for the 2-level watch repair course.

Very nice (picture & collection), but I agree with By-Tor & Stephane -- you need to get some vintage metal in there.

That is quite a dome! But is Da-Dome right for a metalized (modern) dial? Or is that not an issue?

Anyone have a spare gen 160xx DJ caseback or know if any of our collectors' DJ casebacks will fit a gen case? I am working on another frankenjust, but I seem to have misplaced (lost) the caseback

Beauties all. Too bad Phong charges so much.

I learn something new (about watches) every day. Who among us is not a newb?

I just like to be seen wearing a Rolex

If your goal is accuracy, considering the available parts indicated, there is really only 1 option - 5513. If accuracy is not your goal, build whatever you want.

They may be available somewhere, but I have never seen Daytona subdial hands (for a 7750) sold separately. Most of the hands supplied with Daytona reps are poorly constructed (hence the price differential between a $300 & a $9,000 watch) & the joints where the subdial hand fits onto its post frequently loosen during removal, which leaves them spinning freely on their posts. But if your watchmaker broke all 3 of the hands completely off their posts, I would consider getting another watchmaker. If the joints where the hands fit their posts just loosened (& did not actually break or tear the metal), you may be able to epoxy them back together. Read this.

Is the movement automatic (self-winding)?

I may not be the best 1 to comment on this because I am not a big fan of the gen model, but from what I can see in the pictures that were posted, this looks like a rep, which may be what some of the moaning is about. But, like you said, no one has seen 1 in the flesh yet, so maybe it will look better than the pictures.

Excellent work & well worth the read. I think it bears repeating that, when it comes to rep watches, the results shown here may have no relation to the way YOUR particular copy of any of these watches will behave. The ONLY way to be sure any watch is safe to go in the water is to have it properly pressure tested on a regular basis.

I would replace the bracelet, but other than that it works for me. I especially like what you did with the CGs & case edges. Looks very natural.

Just took a drive with this Now back to this But I may go to see the new Indy film after dinner tonight. If I do, I will probably tear into this

Nice non-Daytona Newman, but other than the square lume (which should be round 'dabs'), the dial looks like the normal aftermarket (Oyster) dial (in a non-Oyster case). What did you mod? Love the strap. Got a soft spot for strapped Newmans myself

Try setting the time after 2 & before 10 (so the hour hand is in the lower 2/3 of the dial) and then try changing the date. The datewheel may have just popped out of its track & that may reseat it. If not, it should be a quick & easy fix for any watchmaker (who is willing to work on a rep). You might try a local watchmaker, since he is likely to charge you only a bit more than it will cost to ship your watch back to China, and a local watchmaker will probably return the watch to you in alot less time than it will take to make the round trip to & from China. But make sure the seller agrees to this since that may void any guarantee the seller provides.

Thanks, Nanuq. The coronets look about the same & you are right about the 'O' in the MK II. But the dial I have is based on the MK I version (the only obvious differences between my dial & the gen are the width of the index markers & the pink (faded red) color of the gen dial). Hopefully, someday someone will make an accurate MKII or MKIV, but, for the time being, the MK I is the model I have to use as a guide & I think they got just about everything (except for the 2 index markers) within specs.

Ziggy is definitely the lume master as far as I am concerned. No one does vintage lume quite like he does. But then he is an artist, so I guess that should not be so surprising. Unfortunately, he is unable to widen the 6 & 9 index markers on the dial, which is the only thing that gives it away as a non-gen dial. If those index markers were the correct dimensions & I saw it in an otherwise gen-looking watch, it would certainly have fooled me. Not that the index markers are 'wrong', but I have seen only 1 other early gen DRSD dial with similarly narrow markers. Rolex fitted a handful of these narrow marker dials into watches given out to a small number of divers to field-test during the initial design phase of the DRSD model. Of course, today, those early pre-release versions are as rare as red dialed Newman Daytonas, which makes my dial a little tough to pull off since so few exist & even fewer have been seen (I have only seen pictures of it in books & no one on TZ, to my knowledge, owns 1 or has ever posted a picture of 1 there). But, then, so few people know they even exist that it may be a moot issue anyway. I spent most of this evening trying to widen the 6 o'clock marker, but it has not been going well at all. So unless I have a brainstorm (or someone has a brilliant idea), I might just leave it as is until something better comes along (as I am sure it eventually will). Which is not terrible since, even in its present Ziggified form it is still, overall, the best aftermarket DRSD dial I have seen. As far as the coronet goes, that is what originally caught my eye when I saw this dial. It is the 1st (&, so far, only) aftermarket DRSD dial I have come across that got the coronet (& text) about right. But, as always, they had to screw something up to keep it from being perfect & in this case it was those slightly too-narrow index markers at 6 & 9.

Stephane & All -- It seems to me that if you receive work back like this, you should (as always) 1st take it up with the modder (or seller, in the case of an unsatisfactory new purchase). Then, if the modder is unwilling (or unable) to make the work right, you should post a couple of good, clear pictures (like this 1) along with a clear & succinct description of the exact work requested, exactly what work was done & the problem that resulted from that work. And I hope the mods do not mind my suggesting that these types of complaints (where there is clear & undeniable photographic proof) be posted in the brand forums where large numbers of interested members will actually see them (instead of the comments sections, where complaints may not be read by the next member looking to have some mods done). It only takes a couple of bad comments posted about a modder before that modder's business will grind to an abrupt halt (as it should). Accidents can & do happen to the best of us. But when they happen repeatedly to the same modders, that is a pattern & not a mistake. And it just seems to me that things are out of hand when Ziggy has to post complaints about ongoing problems like this that are getting to him.

Ziggy -- like the song says, Don't worry, be happy. There will always be charlatans who take advantage of innocent people. Nothing you or anyone else can do about that. Some of these lackluster wannabes can even make the best of honest craftsmen look bad through no fault of their own. But, Ziggy, YOU know you are good, ALL of the people you care about know you are good, so why fret the rest? RWG is still a great place to meet, discuss & advance our hobby. Please do not let the few (bums who take you for granted) keep you from the many (who appreciate you).

Some members might find this informative -- The DRSD dial at left was purchased on ebay a couple of months ago. The seller told me he purchased the dial from another seller who did not know the original source, but said it was not NDTrading. I have purchased dials from NDTrading & know their products fairly well & I have never seen this version of the dial available from them or any of the other usual dial sellers. Ziggyfied Preciouswatches at left, unmodified NDTrading at right Version 1 Gen

Looks good enough (even without the movement) to wear now. Even in the rain. I bet you will not be getting much sleep for the next 10 or so days........

I think it is probably posted on some websites, but I get the info from a couple of Rolex books (when I am not trying to do it from memory). _________ Update - Here you go

SS -- Let me ask you a question -- If your car engine required an overhaul, how long do you think the engine would last if, instead of being properly disassembled & having each part individually cleaned, lubed & reassembled, you just dipped the entire engine into a vat of Varsol (solvent used to remove grease) & then poured a can of 40 wt oil all over it & used a hypodermic needle to inject as much oil as you can squirt into all of the openings & crevices you can find on the outside of the engine?

You are correct about the date. My mistake. Memo to me - Always consult the guide....do not try to post dates from memory.