freddy333

My advice is to take a trip to your local Rolex AD and try 1 or 2 Daytonas on your wrist. Do not worry that the AD does not have the steel models in stock.......you are just trying to get an overall impression of the model, which will be the same throughout the Daytona line. The purpose here is just to familiarize yourself with the way the watch fits & feels on your wrist & its overall appearance (the glass-like quality of the metal finish, the clarity of the printing on the dial, etc.). Specifically, note the appearance of the caseback and location of the subdials at 3 & 9 relative to the location of the 3 & 9 o'clock index markers. When you get home, go to rolex.com and look at the pictures of the genuine Daytonas again. Then open Silix's site & compare the rep Daytona with the genuine Daytonas. If you have done your homework, you will then begin to see some of the many differences. If you feel lucky, check out Joshua's Daytonas & compare those to the Silix model.

I have only used dots one time & there was some adhesive on them that broke down during the following summer and migrated onto the movement. Not a pretty picture. What Ziggy described is exactly what I have found to be the case. Once the watch is assembled, the dial gets sandwiched into place between the case & movement & does not move around as long as the movement is properly held in place.

What is missing on the inside of Phong's caseback? It looks fine to me.....I see it even has your custom serial number engraved on it.

The Silix Daytona is not very accurate & it does not function the same as the current gen Daytona 116520. But it should run well because its movement is good & reliable. Your conclusion is right -- there is not a reliable & accurate rep of the current model Daytona (1165xx). If you want reliability AND an accuracy, you will need to buy a gen or you could construct one of the slightly older Daytonas (16520) by sourcing a Zenith El Primero movement (or 1 of the variants), a gen Daytona 16520 case & assemble the watch yourself -- cost $2k-$3k+.

You have to love those old Explorer designs -- they make the perfect project watch because their simplicity (and relative rarity on the street) makes them hard to ID as a rep, especially when constructed to this level of detail. Excellent work, Stilty.

I place my bet for a final sale in the neighborhood of $160k +/- $10k.

I am familiar with the model & variations of it, but I have never seen the lines surrounding the index markers extending beyond the rectangle like they do on that (repainted) dial. But I agree it could probably be modified with a bit of strategically placed black paint & a matte finish. But it would require the talents of an artist (I am thinking Ziggy here) to do it right.

Prototye Rolex

If it is Wednesday, it must be the beater

That would be insane & the price is still a bit excessive, but he is talking about a fully-assembled 1665 franken, including the gen movement, crystal, etc., etc. The cost is about the same as what you might pay for a gen Sub. Still irrational, but with Antiquorum about to auction off a gen 1665 with an expected selling price between $100k-$150k, it does makes some sense if you want one but cannot afford the gen's price tag. At this level of the game, I think you are dealing with pure emotion.

Thanks & that is the BIG question. I wonder if Phong would be amenable to more realistic pricing if we made a group buy? I wonder how many people here would be interested if the price was $200? $300? $350? Beyond that, I think it only makes sense for those who have shoehorned a gen 1570 into their MBW or Viet case. Still pondering that fork in the road myself.

The Rolex & Watch Repair forums are strewn with stories from very unhappy owners of dead secs at 6 Daytonas, which is why you need to think twice before buying one. From what I have gathered, 4/5ths of these movements go belly-up within 3 months if worn frequently. But if you are lucky -- really, really lucky -- & have the time, money & skills to do a bit of extra-curricular work, they make great pets (this rare & rarely worn 3.5 year old example is still keeping COSC time)

No, mine has a white dial

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6239 So-called

I agree with Mickey. Unless you like to gamble or feel lucky, I would steer clear of the modern secs at 6 Daytonas. That leaves the vintage models & opens up the dual questions of how much do you consider 'not too expensive' & how close to genuine do you want to go (or are willing to pay for)? You can get some reasonably accurate vintage Daytonas from most of the collectors here for less than $350 (I am partial to the Lemania/Venus-powered manual-wind 62xx models). If you are looking to go up to the next level, Search the Rolex forum for '6263' and my handle.

Phong engraves a serial number on the inside of his casebacks, but that is of no real value to me since I am not planning on selling or appraising my watch. I am only interested in how the caseback looks when fitted on the watch. With proper modding, I think Phong's caseback might do the trick. But I am not sure it is worth the $450 he wants for it. That is the big question...........

Sounds about right.

Alligoat is exactly correct. Peruse the Rolex forums on Timezone.com or the photo collections on Antiquorum.com & use those as your reference. The trimming required depends on which rep you have, which watch you use as a reference & the look you are after. It is not science.

If you are putting serious money & effort into a 1680 project watch, I would go the extra distance & get a gen bracelet (I have never been much of a NATO fan). I think the difference in fit & feel over any rep bracelet is worth the cost for a well constructed franken. I do not have a Sub, but here is my DRSD with its appropriately battered & dented gen 93150 bracelet

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.