freddy333

R - Thanks for posting the pics. But I agree -- neither caseback matches the gen Daytona. In fact, the 1 on the right looks like the exact same caseback that comes fitted to every 1165xx Daytona rep & is the 1 that I am trying to locate a substitute for. Josh's 5512 caseback (pictured at the top of the thread) would do the trick (once the engraving has been removed) as long as the diameter matches the Daytona case. That is the big question. I am hoping some member owns 1 of these & can try it on a Daytona case. If not, I may have to buy 1 to find out.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience with customs. I have noticed an increasing amount of scrutiny of imported packages, especially those that ship by way of the overnight shippers like Ups, Fedex or Dhl. Best to avoid them if possible. Let the seller know what happened.......if customs sent you any forms, scan & email copies to your seller as proof that your watches were confiscated. Most sellers will reship through a different shipper. I would recommend EMS since that does not seem to attract as much attention as the other shippers. But there is no guarantee considering the nature of our hobby. I hope your next order turns out better.

Actually, if anything, I think the subdial rings are a bit too thick, but I do not have a picture of a gen from the same perspective to compare them. I will see what I can come up with when I have more time.

For Rolex bracelet parts, I would start with Stan. He probably will not be the cheapest source, but he usually has or can get what you need. He also offers a bracelet reconditioning service if you find a marginal quality gen bracelet for a good price & do not want to perform the reconditioning yourself.

If it had a slightly lower profile bezel & the size/shape of the lume in the 3/6/9 index markers was more accurate (smaller & more rectangular), this rep would be nearly indistinguishable in appearance from the gen 116509

Mezz -- Have you ever seen the prices automotive salvage ('junk') yards get for the parts they take off & sell from 'junked' cars? If you think the oil companies are making windfall profits, you would not believe how much junk cars are worth as parts. It is similar with watches, especially those that have the Rolex brand on them.

Not sure about that? I bought a 93150 clasp for a friend last year for about $150 and the going price for gen 580s seems to be anywhere from $200 to as high as $650 (not sure if they actually sell for this much, but I have seen 2 auctions that were bid this high). The clasp was only in good condition (had some scuffs & scratches, but functioned perfectly), so that may not be a good comparison & I have not done any extensive searches for them recently. They may be selling for more now. But 1 man's trash is another man's treasure, so if the clasp ranks a higher priority for you than the links, it is a good deal.

Makes sense unless your date is wearing rep breasts. Then you have every right to. Some women see flashy watches as overt flamboyance & a sign of insecurity (unless you are picking her up in a Ferrari or Bentley, then anything less would be out of the question). In all seriousness, you might want to save the big guns (in watches) for a 3rd or 4th date. Or not...........

I agree, something smells a bit Cod-like (fishy) there. However, on the positive side, the early 116509s did come with silver numbers. Later, these were changed to gloss black. Someone told me the silver is still a special order option in the AD catalogs, but I cannot confirm this. Oddly, most of the reps of these early 116509s had correctly shaped/sized index markers at 3, 6 & 9 (unlike the current versions, which are all too large & squarish).

Sorry, but it looks freaking weird to me. Like a Canal Street special, it just screams 'FAKE'. I would never let my sister marry a guy who wore a watch that looked like that.

Just another typical beater day

You may have to pay the piper, but have you tried Andy or Stan?

I cannot tell you how many times I have had to (seriously) question my sanity over the amount of money I shelled out for used Rolex parts over the years (since Rolex cut off the public's ability to purchase new stock over-the-counter from ADs, as I used to do until around the mid-90s), only to end up patting myself on the back a year or two later because the price for the same part had doubled or tripled during that time. And this cycle has repeated itself numerous times. Rolex parts prices continue to amaze me with their constant upward climb. Even for parts that used to be considered 'incidentals', like end links (the 1st Rolex part I ever bought (from an AD, back in 1985) for a rep watch was a pair of twotone end links for a Datejust, and I left the AD cursing them under my breath for having the gall to charge me $39.99/pair for the 2, small folded bits of steel & dabs of gold). And with demand for vintage Rolex watches & parts increasing all the while the supply is diminishing, the part you let pass today (due to its high price) will likely be the part you regret not paying through the nose for yesterday. Same goes for Valjouxs.

If you are purchasing a rep specifically for diving/swimming, then, as soon as it arrives (before its first dunk in the drink), take it to a certified watchmaker & have him waterproof & test it. Then have it tested at least once each year for 5 years. Then have it serviced again. If you are purchasing a rep to wear, I would play it safe & keep the watch away from direct contact with water (that includes washing your hands). I just got finished delivering the bad news (& a totaled watch) to an owner who showered with his watch after being assured that his watch was water resistant to 10 meters. Never trust, always verify, and better safe than sorry.

My watch, purchased 3.5 years ago on CQout appears to be the same as the watch watch-ebay is selling. 1.The chrono functions (all of them) have worked since the day I received the watch, but the running seconds on every secs at 6 7750 I have seen (including mine) IS a bit erratic (due to imprecise machining & insufficient number of jewels to support the additional subdial-relocation gearing). 2.Case & bracelet quality are the same as Joshua's & most of the other secs at 6 Daytona reps. Good, but the finish can (and should) be improved with a bit of rouge & a few minutes going over with a dremel (or, possibly, a Cape Cod cloth, but I always use rouge & a dremel, so I cannot verify this). 3.If you are referring to the lug holes lining up with the end links, no. None of them seem to be placed in the right location. Getting the bracelet on or off these cases is a b-i-t-c-h & a half. But if you are asking whether the bracelet end links line up properly between the case lugs, you tell me (my watch (case/bracelet are same as watch-ebay) at right, powdered graphite test watch (still running), at left)

Yes, please.

True, but I believe the beveled portion that lies outside the notches will provide sufficient rise & clearance for the 7750's rotor. I am sure that at least a few RWG members (who are comfortable removing casebacks) have a 5512 & a Daytona. Hopefully, 1 of them will read this & consider a test swap to see if the 5512's caseback fits the Daytona.

I think you are either confused or debating minutia here. Some of the gen 1165xxs may have a small band of polished metal between the brushed portion and the notches that fit the caseback tool, but the caseback is essentially brushed & flat. If you compare the caseback from either gen -- 116520 or 16520 -- to any of our reps, you will see what I am referring to. And either style of gen caseback would be a significant improvement over the current beveled rep caseback, which no gen Daytona was fitted with. Here is another 116520 (not 16520) from 2001-2002, which is the version that our reps are based on. Again, if you compare the caseback from either of the gen Daytonas to the 5512 in the 1st post, I think you will agree that the 5512 (if you ignore the engraving, which I would sand off) looks considerably closer to either gen caseback than does any of our standard rep Daytona casebacks. Here is Joshua's caseback (the polished areas are beveled, not flat) To be clear, I am not talking about the part of the caseback outside the notches, just the center area within the caseback tool notches. This is entirely flat & mostly brushed on the gens, but beveled on the reps. I think the 5512 (without the engraving) is much closer to the gens. And that is all I am saying.

The methadone treatment center.

If the engraving on the caseback from this $98 5512 from Joshua (case Dia 41mm x 12mm Thk) were sanded off it would look very much like a proper gen Daytona caseback (ignore the engraving -- this gen was presented to 1 of the Daytona race winners - the standard Daytona caseback is the same minus the engraving) which is what is missing from all of our Daytona 1165xx reps (case Dia 40mm x 13.5mm Thk) The questions are whether the caseback is the correct diameter & whether the threads match the Daytona cases? Are there any Daytona 1165xx rep owners that have 1 of these 5512s also who may be able to see if the casebacks are interchangeable?

2 questions VRF - Do you mean the Sales Corner on Timezone (they do not sell anything in the Vintage Rolex Forum)? Your caseback - Which watch is this & from which collector? I will bet that FLAT caseback will fit a certain group of 1165xx Daytona reps that currently have the wrong (beveled) caseback.. And if the polish is brushed, we may have a winner.

VRF?

Just a quick thought, but you might just cement the center chrono secs hand to the inside of the crystal. Under normal viewing, it should look normal (as long as you are judicious with the cement application).

I would bet that 1 of the parts houses sell a standard 3-hand off-the-shelf mechanical movement with running seconds at the 6 o'clock position that one might be able to shoe-horn into a 1165xx rep case & dial with a bit of dremel surgery and/or spacer rings. Then just cement the remaining subdial hands to the dial & you have a pseudo-tona. Never tried it myself (and have no interest in doing so), but it might be worth a shot for someone to try if that is your cup of tea.

Shades of Canal Street. Not a watch that I would wear, but if you are willing to accept them for what they are (obvious knock-offs), this is the one to get. I would surmise a guess that the seller can probably get the watch fitted with other brand names on the dial.