freddy333

Back to the beater

This sure looks like either an aftermarket case or someone felt the need to file the CGs on a gen case. You can clearly see the remnants of the file job in this picture (it looks like one of my early CG modding attempts) And the circular cut-out for the movement lock is usually more centered (directly across from the stem).

All you really need to do to get it to fit is either remove the paint on the existing metal datewheel or sand the metal down a bit. But the bigger issue, in my opinion, is the pixelated appearance of the Watchmeister overlay. It is not noticeable through the Seadweller's unmagnified lens, but it is pretty easy to spot through a cyclops. Also, I experienced continued problems with the overlay frequently sliding out of position (this happened with 2 different overlays) & then leaving a sticky residue all over the date change components, which caused far more serious problems. In the end, I removed mine and went back to the MBW datewheel with realistically round (serifed) 3s. It may not have the panache of the flat-top 3, but it looks good & stays in place.

If nothing else, Rolex are brilliant marketers & they certainly would not make these watches if no one was buying them. Not my cup of tea either. But then I do not get the attraction of Vegas, 'iced' jewelry, yellow gold and other fashionable displays of obviousness. So what do I know?

Ever had borscht?

A friend sent this pic & I thought some of you might get a chuckle out of it (the billboard advertisement is real) And another one with a different ad

My pleasure. Did you have a good New Years? How is that caseback wrench set working out?

Moderator -- I was going to post this in the Photography section, but I think it will only be of interest to Rolex fans, so I am posting it here. This vintage checkbook & credit card holder was commissioned by Rolex & originally intended as a promotional item for ADs to display in their retail showrooms. It was sometimes given away with the purchase of a watch from the AD. The wallet is made of green leather and has 4 compartments for credit cards and a checkbook.

As of summertime, the general consensus on TZ (Rolex & Watchmaking forums) seemed to run along the lines of what I indicated previously (supplies will be cut in 2009). But, as Bob Frei said (late summer), no one knows for sure what the official plans are yet. I read a press release about a pending anti-trust or arbitration issue in the ETA/Swatch case brought about (I think) by the Bern City Council (or some other Bern government agency) that someone on TZ referred me to, but I cannot find it now.

Something new for the new year 'No, Dear. It's a watch, it just ticks.' Here is the watch in the picture above

Bob Frei.

I hate to be the sole dissenting voice here, but my understanding of the issue has always been that the supply will be cut off in 2009 (and that is still subject to change due to ongoing legal issues), not before. So the fact that movements & parts are in plentiful supply now is not especially reassuring over the long run. I suspect if you pose the same question on Jan 1 2009, the responses may be somewhat different. And, even then, I expect the larger parts houses, who do purchase in large quantities, should have supplies for a time even after ETA turns off the supply spigot. But I worry for the future of our hobby unless someone starts repping ETAs with similar quality goods.

The components that control the chrono reset on Asian 7750s are VERY finicky. So if you begin experiencing the hour totalizer 'creeping hand' problem (the hand keeps moving when the chrono is OFF) when the movement is OUT of the case, it is probably being caused by the brake lever spring having come out of position (this can happen if you press the reset pusher too hard or if the reset pusher lever accidentally gets pressed while the movement is out of the case). This picture shows the offending spring & its correct location (if the spring is in its correct position, you will be able to see the outside 'leg' of the spring through the side of the movement) I incorrectly labeled the white nylon part in the picture as a clutch -- I meant to say (hour totalizer) brake. When the spring is set correctly, it applies pressure against the brake lever, which keeps the brake (the white, upside-down v-shaped part in the picture) pressed against the hour totalizer gear. When the spring jumps out of position (as it is in the picture), the brake 'floats' and the hour totalizer gear turns the hand when it is not supposed to.

The stem is NOT installed properly. You will need to remove the stem and slightly loosen the stem release screw while you reinsert the stem. Be sure the stem is all the way into the movement before you snug-up the release screw. After the stem 'clicks' (locks) in, pull it all the way out to the time setting position (full out) and be sure the you can move/set the hands. Then press the crown back in (all the way) and you should hear it click back into the winding position again. If it does, then the stem is in the correct position & should work properly now. If not, you will need to check the positions of the clutch lever (which locates the clutch wheel) and the locking plate that the stem release screw screws onto (this picture shows the keyless works -- the stem locking screw enters from the opposite side)

Most of them 'snap' on (or off) by hand. Have you tried just pressing it back on? That is as much as I can tell you based on what you told me.

As the glow fades from 2007 Wishing everyone a safe & happy 2008!!!!!!!!!

Alot of this comes down to your knowledge level and what you consider 'close'. Every rep dial has at least 1 telling mistake on it and since the dial is the most important part of any watch (and the first thing anyone checks out), a rep dial on a well modded case can undo all your hard work. On the other hand, a gen dial in a mediocre (but passable) case will still fly. And what I meant was that if you are going to spend more than about $500 on a modded rep, I think you would do better by putting the money towards a used gen or a franken (where at least the case, dial & crown/tube are gen). As good as a DW Daytona is, the dials on these things are still dead give-aways for anyone who knows these watches. But the cost of a vintage gen Daytona is prohibitively out of reach, so a good franken is the only realistic option for us non-gazillionaires. But that is not the case for many Subs, Seadwellers, datejusts & those types of models, especially the modern ones. But to spend $600, $800 or $1000+ to mod a rep Datejust or Sub when you can buy a great used piece for not that much more seems, to me, to begin to strain reason. Especially, when you consider that no matter how passable your $800 modded rep looks, it will never have the fit and finish of the gen, nor will it have any real (or insurable) resale value. I do not mean to sound like I am knocking reps. I am definitely not. I have a number of them myself and expect to have more in the future. But I just got to the point in my modding where the total cost of parts (I do my own work) was beginning to come close enough to the cost of similar used gen watches, and no matter how much modding I do or how well I do it, the quality of the gen will always be out of reach.

Great post & congratulations on acquiring 1 of your 3 dream watches. My guess is that you will find similar differences in fit & finish between every rep & gen you compare. This is why it makes more sense to go franken or gen (instead of modding a rep) above $500-$600.

Here are a few new Cosmograph pics to keep the juices flowing

VERY cool watch.

Ofrei.com or cas-ker.com should have what you need. In future, you should include the brand & model of watch if you want to make things easier.

Arty -- Nice trio. That Gevril is the 3rd or 4th Newman copy (from different watch companies) I have seen in recent years. If there is that much interest in the design, Rolex would have to be crazy not to be contemplating releasing a new version (as they recently did with the Milgauss). The could easily sell a steel version for $25k without breaking a sweat.

Who cares how user-friendly a chrono is when they are this sexy (and my camera is only 4mp & this picture does not do it justice)

The 6263 model was the first Daytona rep I ever bought (10-12 years ago). It still runs (not very accurately), but none of the functions operate as they do on the gen & it is not a very accurate replica overall, especially compared to the 7750-powered 6263 (with asymmetrical pushers) from DW in the top photo. I still say these watches are the best buy in vintage Daytona reps today. And by a wide margin.

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