freddy333

Doc, you almost had me there. But, strangely, just as I was about to inquire as to whether your Sanctuary offers room/concierge service, cable tv and a pool....... God sent me a sign And then He said, in that inimitable voice that only he (and Chuck Heston) has, 'Get thee to your local AD, cleanse your soul and sin no more.' And who am I to argue with the Big Guy........

Diesel - That is just TOO kind of you, but I would never want to inflict my problems onto someone else, especially one as gracious & thoughtful as you. No, maybe I should join a convent & donate the watches to god......

Thank you. Actor Peter O

That is real scary - the blind leading the blind...... Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.

Thanks, and the jacket is silk & Italian.......a unique style to be sure, but it helps me cope (with my apparent watch issues).

I could use a bit of a lie down now....... p.s. TTK - Never did hear back from you regarding a 5514/5513 MBW from over a year ago.

I began the day wearing the iconic Double Red, my daily beater While perusing TZ's 2 Rolex forums (modern & vintage), I come across a thread about a guy that bought his father in law a new Datejust. Beautiful watch. I am not sure why, but for some strange reason I felt compelled to unstrap the Double Red & strap on my trusty 16014 It felt good. Then, further down, there is this thread about a guy who just bought a mint 1665 (a real beauty, check it out) (This is a picture of the 1665 from TZ - note the rounded 3 date font, which matches exactly the stock MBW font in my Double Red) So anyway back on goes the Double Red (again, do not ask me why) It felt good. And then further along, some guy posts pictures of his collection, which includes a few Newmans......so, you guessed it......off with the 1665 & on with a Newman It felt weird. I felt like one of Pavlov's hounds, salivating every time the Rolex bell rang. So I removed the 6239, re-strapped the old beater to its rightful place on my wrist, which is where it belongs on an average workday and logged out of TZ. I think I have a problem..........

It will be interesting to see how the vintage Daytona market fares when (and I think it is just a matter of time now) Rolex releases an updated Newman, following on the heels of other notable recent re-releases of classic designs (Prince, Milgauss).

Hell with the watch. That is some nice cuff & link you got there. Back to the beater for me (unfortunately, without the babes)

Why? Marketing 101. Celebrities are like advertising billboards - they are designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator & they get seen by alot of people. When one of these walking billboards wears a new bauble (watch, ring, necklace, dress, etc.) when they appear on tv, that bauble gets seen by millions of people, many of whom emulate the celebrity because there is the (baseless) belief that within beauty lies brilliance (beautiful people know something that mere mortals do not). In this case, that bauble gets seen by alot more people than would have seen it on the original average Joe Taxpayer who wore it when he took his dog for walkies to Starbuck's. And Nanuq - I think it may be time for your walkies......

After the YMII, I should have expected as much (and checked the site). You learn something new every day.

Blue - Yes Traveler's watch is not part of the Rolex line-up, but he likes it (as do I) & a simple 'Nice, but that is a fantasy watch.' would have sufficed. You hurt MY feelings just reading your commentary, and the watch is not even mine. Lighten up, please.

Oyster looks like a better match to my eyes, but the jubilee seems to be the 'in' way to wear it.

I hope you are not in a public loo (tackle out) & in close proximity of a certain US Senator when you receive comments like these......... p.s. And if you drop your watch in there, by god leave it.

Do they ever stop?

It (the watch, not my artwork below) may have sold for $140k at auction, but

Actually the other way around. There should be good supplies of parts for older datejusts and manual winds for well into the foreseeable future. However, Valjoux movements, which power vintage Daytonas, have not been manufactured for many years and parts supplies will soon begin drying up.

Thanks and yes, I still have it (and it still runs). Compared to the current crop of reps available from our better collectors (not to mention in contrast to the gen) it is sadly lacking so I no longer wear it. But it represented the state of the art in reps (first with a real Swiss (ETA) movement and (real) gold plating (as opposed to paint)) when I got it 20-something years ago. It was also one of the first reps I modded with gen parts.

Poor Ziggy, lucky you.

I agree completely about the MBW datewheel, but I would not recommend the Watchmeister to anyone with adding a qualification regarding the potential reliability issues that some members have experienced with it in their watches (use the Search feature to read my history with the Watchmeister DW before beginning to search one out if that is the route you plan to take).

AD = Authorized (Rolex) Dealer. ADs, for obvious reasons, have much greater (and freer) access to the Rolex parts distribution network than do gray market dealers or independent parts houses like Ofrei (and I suspect having Bob Frei at the helm does not help their cause). There are also some non-ADs that have some type of agreement with Rolex granting them limited access to the network. Ofrei and other independent houses are just resellers of watch parts & supplies. I do not believe Rolex sees them as being any more deserving of gen parts (or special treatment) than you or I. Contrast this with the Rolex of 20 years ago when anyone (take me for example) could walk into any AD and walk out with either most Rolex parts or a receipt for a special order item not stocked by the AD. That is how I franken'd my first Datejust (gen twotone end links & clasp) Rolex has been increasing their prices almost every year since I have been conscious of them, so I expect this year to be no different.

Just press it out from the backside of the insert with a toothpick or small screwdriver. It will be obvious once you see it. If you have a gen or good quality aftermarket insert, the Ofrei dot will press right in with moderate finger pressure and should remain there. Though I usually put a small dab of GC Crystal cement on the dot before insertion as an extra safety measure (but this is optional). And before you ask, the GC cement can be found on Ofrei as well.

MS did not buy the watch for a story. He bought it for himself and, later, the publisher simply reprinted MS's story in the magazine (according to the publisher's note at the beginning of the article).

I understand the publisher got a little something out of the deal too.