freddy333

Most internal combustion engines should have their oil changed once every 3 months for optimal performance & longevity, regardless of whether they are used or not. Most mechanical movements should be disassembled/cleaned/lubricated/adjusted once every 5-7 years for the same reason. How long has it been since you changed your oil?

I use Bergeon, but mainly because I was taught to use them. But I have heard nothing but good things about the Horotecs, so I think it is mostly a case of personal preference -- which feels better in your hand (similar to the way you try on watches). Both are industry standards, so you cannot lose either way.

My rep-buying philosophy has generally been guided by The Rule of Fifths - Never spend more on a rep than one-fifth the cost of the (used) gen. So if the gen object of my affection generally sells for $2,500, I would not spend more than $500 (total) on a rep (that includes mods/frankens) of the same watch. There was a time when I would never have even considered spending more than $500 any any non-gen watch. But if you happen to be one of us unlucky souls who have been bitten by the vintage Daytona bug, that particular baby gets quickly thrown out with yesterday's bath water since the prices for these watches are stratospheric & heading for ever-higher record-breaking heights. Unfortunately, at this lofty range, there are no rules, only emotions. Abandon hope, all ye who enter here............

Look at the location of the dot that sits midway between the words VALVE & PATENT on each of the casebacks. On the gen, the dot is located in line with the top of the E in VALVE & the top of the T in PATENT. Same for Phong's caseback. But it is lower on the MBW & most other rep DRSD casebacks I have seen. There are some other, smaller details that Phong's caseback matches also, but the location of that dot is the 1st thing I look for on a DRSD to see if it is a rep. So far, Phong's is the first non gen caseback that gets the lettering correct. And I think that if you apply the usual modding procedures (sanding/buffing) to Phong's caseback, the result will be alot closer to the gen than anything else out there because you are starting with accurate lettering. These are small details to be sure, but I think the details are what can make the difference.

Not that I know of.

Carlsbad & Poopy -- Thank you for your compliments, but I have to admit to being a bit surprised by them. I must be seeing something that neither of you are, or seeing it differently. I think the (sanded) crown (by itself) on my caseback is closer to the gen, I agree with you there. But that is only because the gen crown is worn & mine has been sanded to appear to be worn (I used the gen in the picture as a reference when I modded mine). But Phong's caseback is not only in new & pristine condition, but it is also painted (as the MBW caseback was before I stripped out the paint). So maybe that is throwing you? While the lettering both the MBW & Phong's is engraved, Phong's engraving looks deeper, wider & less sharply defined (which is an indication that the engraving was made with modern equipment) than the MBW. So, to me, the more coarsely engraved lettering on Phong's caseback (particularly along the bottom half of the caseback) looks more authentic......or could be made to look more authentic after the paint has been stripped off and the sharp edges of the engraved letters are sanded. Or am I the one who is missing something?

For comparison, here is a gen DRSD caseback And my modded (paint-stripped/sanded/polished) MBW caseback

dluddy & tribal - Many thanks for your encouraging words. You have probably seen these before, but here is the DW trio & The Cosmo Collection (for those who may not have seen them) (V72-powered DW 6239 (left), 7750-powered DW 6263 with asymmetrical pushers (center) & V72-powered DW 6241 (right)) (Top row - 6239, 6241, 6263 & 6238. Middle row - 116520 (3.5 years old & still keeping COSC time) & 116509 (almost 1 year old & keeping COSC time). Bottom - 6238) And one for Euno (yes, I know it is not the black lizard, but I think the red one works pretty well too)

Thanks, MW. I know what you mean about the suits & their toys. The case body dimensions are similar to the gen 6241 -- appx 35mm x 36mm with 19mm lugs. This is one of the main selling points of these rather expensive (emotionally draining) projects. The finished watch, although not a digital-quality copy, is nearly indistinguishable (visually & functionally) from a gen.

That is a beauty, El. Wear it in good heath.

click the picture

No workie. Case size is different & the subdial locations vary between the V72 & 4130 movements.

While my interests tend to lean towards Daytonas, I think that Tudor Monte Carlo is probably the jewel in the crown of your collection. You just do not see many of those around. Me likie.

Just to add to what Alligoat already said, there are 2 types of chronographs -- bi-compax & tri-compax. An example of a bi-compax chronograph is the Valjoux 23, which has 2 subdials - running seconds and a chronograph minute counter. An example of a tri-compax chronograph is the Valjoux 72 (which is the base movement used in vintage Rolex 66xx series Daytonas & many other vintage watches), which has 3 subdials - running seconds, a chronograph minute counter & a chronograph hour counter. The most accurate franken-tonas are powered by the V72, but you can produce a visually similar watch using a slightly less expensive (and dimensionally similar) V23 with the hour subdial 'frozen' at its normal (off) 12 o'clock position on the dial since the V23 does not have a working hour counter. Most reasonably-priced vintage Daytona reps ($200-$350) are powered by any number of modern bi-compax or tri-compax movements. These vary in their functionality & visual accuracy since most of these movements have symmetrical pusher arrangements, which are inaccurate for the vintage gen Daytona models

I would say that either your winders are not providing sufficient 'wind' for the watches (refer to your winder's manual or the watch company's support staff for minimum winding requirements) or there is a problem with some of the watches rotors (the half-moon shaped weights that you can see spinning through clear-back cases). The rotors may be hanging up on something inside the case or their bearings are dry/defective. Assuming it is not a winder issue, you will need to have a watchmaker inspect the watches.

After removing the dial & hands, there will be a pair of plates (with the extra gearing sandwiched between them) that are held together by 3 screws. Removing the screws & the top plate will reveal some of the extra running gears. Remove the white gear to the immediate right of the secs at 6 gear & carefully apply a dab of cement to either the bottom face of the gear or across 1 or 2 of its arms so the cement 'bridges' the top of the gear to 'freeze' the bronze colored secs at 6 gear (I would recommend finger nail polish so it can be removed later, if needed). Or you can just remove the secs at 6 gear altogether & cement the subdial hand directly to the dial. The appearance of the dial (from the outside) will be the same either way since all you normally see is the subdial hand. Note that having a frozen (non-functioning) second hand will, in my opinion, turn your rep into a doorstop, at least as far as visual accuracy goes. The watch will still run & keep time, but since the second hand will remain motionless, it will no longer function or behave like the gen watch it is supposed to replicate (with running seconds at 6). I know that Ziggy recommends & often performs this mod on otherwise dead movements, but I do not really see how having a 'frozen' second hand is any better than having a frozen (dead) watch, unless you are solely interested in keeping time & do not mind wearing a watch that is an obvious 'fake'.

Things may have changed in recent years, but I tried to have a couple rotors (and some other parts) engraved several years ago & they got completely screwed up in the process. I could not really blame the operator after watching her struggling (and giving it a good try) to keep the parts stable & angled correctly in the machine. But like I said, things may be different today, but it was definitely not a pretty sight when I had mine done.

In honor of the 1st NUDE beach in the US opening this day in 1952, I decided to celebrate by wearing something that looks good au naturel

Toni -- I am considering putting a 1570 into my MBW 1665 & was wondering if you could provide some additional details & pictures of the parts of the MBW case you had to dremel to fit the 1570?

Datejust today

Love that pic. But put that watch on a navy blue leather strap (matching the blue numbers on the dial) & it would be tr

Why not get one of these, which are nearly the same quality as the gen Rolex bracelet & then just swap out the generic clasp for the Rolex branded part from the rep bracelet. The fit & feel of these Italian-made bracelets are almost indistinguishable from the Rolex version, so you do not need to worry about oiling or modding them (beyond the swapping of the clasp (or end links if you want to use those also)). If I remember correctly, the first link is even stamped '93150' as on the gen & they had hollow center links. But I would check with the seller to verify this because it has been a couple of years since I bought one & the specs could have changed.

Mezz -- I think the font is too serifed, too 'Western/Wild West'. At least I do not have any pictures of any gen dials with a similar font. And I think the crown suffers the same problem as NDtrading's DRSD dial -- too narrow. I am eager to see how Doc's dial turns out. But after my dealings with NDtrading (I once gave them a list of explicit (and well illustrated) instructions to correct a couple of their existing dials & got a dial with a different set of problems that did not exist on the earlier design), I have come to the conclusion that the only way to get one of these vintage dials done right is to either make it yourself or have it made by a local professional, who will allow you to participate directly in the design/manufacturing process. With Asian dial makers, it always seems like a case of 2 steps forward (more or less) & 1 step backward. The consistency of their inconsistency continues to beg the question of whether the rep makers have agreed not to produce any truly perfect replicas in exchange for a mostly hands-off policy by the gen companies lawyers. More & more, that is the only explanation that makes logical sense to me.

I have never seen a gen dial like that & it looks to new (probably a repaint if it is/was gen). But anything is possible with Rolex, so I would do a thorough check of the seller. Buy the seller before you buy the watch.

No, not a big deal, but it does require time & patience (not to mention attention to detail if you want to be sure the dial appears straight in the case with the reposition feet), and if you are paying a watchmaker to do the work you have to take that into account.