freddy333

Looks a little stretched & worn, but the price is reasonable (not great, not bad). As long as the clasp hinges are in good, working order, its visual appearance can probably be improved with some judicious polishing/buffing.

It is not really as bad as you think. That little U-shaped spring normally sticks out a bit, which is why you may have mistaken it for being 'completely off' (or maybe it was). Anyway, it easily slides into place after the rest of the components have been reassembled. I cannot direct a newbie on how to reassemble everything from here, especially, if you may still be missing 1 or more parts. But Ziggy should be able to put it back together within minutes. However, my guess is that he would require you to allow him to overhaul the entire movement while he has it so you do not end up with additional problems soon after you get it back (most of the movements used in reps leave the factory in very poor condition).

I would guess somewhere around $250-$300 for average usable condition. Andy usually has a fair selection of these with reasonable pricing. You might also check with Stan or a local watchmaker to see if yours can be repaired.

This old timer

Reasonable, but a bit on the high side considering the condition. I have paid anywhere from US$150 for a bracelet in similar condition to yours to as high as US$400 for a minty original. Not sure what 'special' end links are, but you can find 93150s for between about $500-$900, depending on condition (and these prices are about $100 higher than they were last year). My DRSD has a gen 93150 with NOS 580 end links (I recently purchased the 580s for $250)

There are alot of these things about. You can often find them on ebay, but if you need 1 in a hurry (and do not mind paying a premium for the luxury), try Stan or Andy. I will also say that you get top quality service from either of these guys. Stan is a well-known & well-respected Rolex bracelet restorer & Andy is 1 of the nicest guys to do business with -- if you are not happy with your purchase, he will literally bend over backwards to make you happy.

Yes, 100% gen. Everything about it looks correct for a vintage 7836 (I have never seen a folded link rep bracelet).

I am battling dark forces this weekend, so I am wearing this

I agree with Mickey -- looks like (contrary to his advertised disclaimer) the watch he is shipping is in fact NOT the same watch he has pictured on his website (I am used to seeing scammers who use pics of gens on their website, but this is the 1st time I have seen someone hawking pics of out-of-production reps). The movement in your pictures looks like the 2nd version (the thin case contained the 1st version). The other indicator of the thin case version is the location of the subdials & the (incorrect) pointed 'A' in DAYTONA on the dial. Unfortunately, the hands in your picture are covering too much of the DAYTONA to see the 'A'. Can you post another pic of the dial? Then I can be sure. But from what I can see, the watch you received is the 2nd version, which has pretty much all of the sins of the other versions with none of their virtues. Were it me, I would refer the seller to his guarantee of picture accuracy & request either he exchange your watch for the correct watch or issue you a full refund. If he cannot supply the correct watch, I would get Josh's version, which, although fitted with the thick case, has an almost perfect dial & the new movement with the correct rotor. Having the proper case is icing on the cake to be sure, but the dial is usually what most people gauge a watch's quality by. I recently passed-up an opportunity to purchase a gen dial (for a very reasonable price) because Josh's is so close that it makes the gen seem redundant.

Correct. It may be worth trying the powdered graphite treatment, which, so far, has brought a few dead secs at 6 Daytonas back to life (the initial test watch is still running strong 3 weeks after its initial treatment). Search for 'powdered graphite' for details.

From being in the vicinity of 'strong' magnetic fields. CRTs (TVs or non-flat screen computer monitors) contain high voltage transformers & power supplies that emit strong magnetic fields. If you work in close proximity (less than about an arm's length) to the rear of a CRT, your watch may become magnetized. Moving coil stereo speakers also contain large permanent magnets that can magnetize your watch over a period of time, if your watch is in close proximity. Most electric motors emit strong magnetic fields. The Rolex Milgauss was designed with special anti-magnetic shielding so it could be worn by people in research labs who work in & around strong magnetic fields all day Even your home microwave oven can emit magnetic fields during operation. There are lots of sources of magnetic fields in the modern world, so, over time, the small day-to-day accumulations tend to build up to the point where your watch's accuracy may become effected. This is why most experienced watchmakers will demagnetize a watch as part of their initial inspection prior to beginning any repairs.

That unit is really intended for small tools & not movements, at least not assembled movements. A much better option would be working versions of either item 180217280682 or item 360026228511, both of which are designed to demagnetize a watch (or tool). I did not know they were still being made, but I just found what appears to be a new Han-D-Mag on ebay, item 270213954210. So if you have an old tape deck, this might be a better option since it will have dual uses.

Unless both rotors are fixed to their respective movement's auto-wind modules by way of the same screw & the size/shape of both rotors (including the gearing on their undersides) are exactly the same, no. If there is a problem with the auto-wind function, replace the movement (or watch). If not, like they say........if it ain't broke, don't fix it. And for whatever it is worth, I think it is a mistake to automatically dismiss a POS (piece of s-h-i-t) movement just because it was made in Asia or does not have ball bearings in the rotor. Some of my best friends lack ball-bearings (or have POS movements in them). For example, I was able to adjust this non-ball-bearing rotor watch (which was described in a recent tip on demagnetizing) to within +/-1 secs/day, which is well within COSC specs (many ETAs (with ball-bearing rotors) cannot do that) Similar case with this old friend (which was described in my 1st diy He valve post) -- POS movement timed not quite to +/-1 sec/day, but definitely within COSC specs & it has maintained that for several years of beater use (prior to my DRSD taking over that job a year ago) In fact & I will probably get flamed for saying this, but I have had more problems with ETAs (with ball-bearing rotors) in reps than any other movement (though most of the problems can be sourced back to the fact that rep factories tend to use (unserviced) 2nd hand movements). The biggest problem with POS movements is getting parts for them.

If you need a pearl for a vintage Sub or Seadweller (no metal surround), Search for 'Illumines Dot'. If you need a pearl for a modern watch (pearl surrounded by metal), you will probably need to replace the insert (I only deal with vintage models, so someone else will have to recommend a good source for these).

Looks fine.

I was testing a watch that was producing real strange readings on my timer, so I decided to demagnetize it (which I should have done in the 1st place). For those of you who do not know what a watch demagnetizer is or how important it is to getting & keeping a watch in proper running order, I will just say that a watch demagnetizer is as important to a watchmaker as a hammer is to a carpenter. Indespensible. So I put the watch on the demagnetizer & pulled the trigger, but.........uh oh........nothing.........dead watch demagnifier (get it?.....pulled the trigger--dead demagnetizer......sorry, bad joke). So, I was about to buy a new one when I realized that I have an old Annis Han-D-Mag tape head demagnetizer that I used to use to demagnetize the heads on home/studio tape decks (remember those?). So I pulled it out of my audio gear & blew the layer of dust off. Then, while holding the Han-D-Mag upside-down (red tip pointing down), I plugged it in & slowly brought the watch (dial up) down onto the base of the Han-D-Mag I slowly rotated the watch around on the base & then slowly drew the watch an arm's length away before unplugging the Han-D-Mag. Voila, demagnetized watch! A quick retest on the timer & beat error & timing are now nearly perfect on a watch that looked to be gravely ill just minutes ago. Pretty good for a minute of work & without even having to crack open the case. Moral -- If your watch is behaving erratically or running abnormally (more than a minute/day) fast, it may very well be magnetized & a quick treatment with a demagnetizer may be all it needs. Moral 2 -- If you have a good reel-to-reel tape head (or video tape) demagnetizer (most cassette deck head demags do not produce a sufficiently strong magnetic field to do the job), you may not need to spend additional money for a watch demagnetizer.

You will have alot of trouble locating the proper tube for that crown (assuming it is a genuine vintage part), and, if you do, it will probably be very expensive. I agree with the others that a modern 703 is the way to go. This is the part that Rolex would fit to the watch during a normal service.

Sorry, but it looks like crap to me. Like everything else I have received from that seller, who is also a lier & a thief.........but I digress. Try this one instead. I have the insert on the left (with an Illumines Dot from ofrei.com) on this

Ending the week with a blue beater

Even better, the buyer posted pics of his new watch on TZ (which were immediately blasted down). Too bad, though, because for someone that does not know alot about vintage Rolexes, it is a pretty watch.

I agree with Pugwash -- get an Explorer 1 or Air King since neither has a date (the date never looks correct out of the box) or other complications. But before you do anything, I would go to your local AD & try some of the gens on to see how they look & feel. Also, research available dial colors & bracelet variations to be sure you do not end up getting a rep variation that Rolex never actually produced (if accuracy is that important to you).

What happened to the metalized datewheels for ETA 2846 Subs & Seadwellers that I thought were in production a month or so ago from the same source?

I have 2 non-MBW 1019 reps & both measure about 35mm excluding the crown. Other than by its reduced weight, non-Rolex winding feel/sound or newish condition, I seriously doubt whether anyone could ID 1 of these reps by sight since they are so plain Here is a gen for comparison I have seen at least 3 versions of this rep, each with a slightly different dial. I have a black dialed version that has the word 'Milgauss' in a smaller font, which is incorrect Also, the case used for this rep is thicker than a vintage gen Datejust -- either 160x or 160xx. At some point, my plan is to swap out the current Asian POS movement for a slow-beat 2846, install a gen Twinlock crown/tube (if I can find the correct 5mm crown, that would be an option), change the bezel's polished finish to a brushed finish (may do that tonight) & install the correct Plexi crystal.

You will need to research the specs yourself, but they are the same as the gen.

As far as I know, the only functional difference between the 2 movements is that the 1580 has 1 additional jewel. Otherwise, they are physically the exact same size & operate at 19.8bph. I do not have an MBW 1019 (I would consider getting one if you find someone selling them for a reasonable price), but I do not see why it would not fit as long as the MBW case is the same dimensions as the gen.