freddy333

Those parts are usually custom made for that particular bracelet, so you are unlikely to find them as an off-the-shelf part. Are you sure the price JLC quoted is just for the part, or could that be the charge to have them repair the bracelet? I would try some other JLC dealers who have in-house watchmakers. They would be your best source (other than JLC) for parts.

click me

Here is the link

I would answer that question, but the censors asked me not to.

Correct. My mistake. The v23 is thinner.

You have a point (to a degree). But there is a difference between going after something YOU want and going after something the herd tells you you ought to want (especially when you do not know what you want ). The former may be obsessive, but the latter is certifiable.

No, mine

Yes, but you will not have a working hour totalizer (subdial at 6) with the V23. The V72 is just a V23 with the addition of the subdial at 6. The dimensions & specs are otherwise the same.

I used the small, soft metal washers my Ofrei.com pushers came with (read this). I placed a small dab of GC Crystal Cement on the threads as an additional seal.

Ya, have to laugh......Ya just have to laugh...... :bangin: :bangin: :bangin: :bangin: :bangin:

Over the years, I have seen many new Daytona owners post some variation of the following on TZ (and the following is a full, unedited quote) What kind of idiot sits on one or more Daytona waiting lists (for years) & then pays $8,000-$12,000 (alot of ADs are selling SS Daytonas for several $k over MSRP) for a watch he or she obviously never wanted in the first place? And these are some of the same drooling baffoons who, just yesterday, called rep owners 'fools'!!! :bangin: :bangin: :bangin: :bangin: :bangin:

I think there is an important difference (favoring kit cars) -- Kit cars (copies of vintage/collectible models constructed with standard, off-the-shelf components) are generally legal, while franken watches (which many law schools cite as a textbook definition of trademark infringement) are not. This is why a kit car based on a Lotus Super 7 or Cobra is likely to retain much of its value as a replica car, while a franken watch has virtually no overt value to the public because of its status as contraband. Sure, there will always be underground sites or groups who appreciate the craftsmanship & are willing to pay to own a good franken, but, with a few notable exceptions (Avitt's 6263 & 6265 or Ubi's pair of 16520s come immediately to mind), I doubt that most reps will maintain (or gain) any real value over time.

Then you need 1 of these (the watch on the right)

I bought my 1st rep in the late 70s but, at the risk of overexposing the members to its inimitable charms, this is my 1st (now 20 years old) franken (I replaced the two tone end links & bracelet clasp with gen parts, which, back then, could be purchased over-the-counter from most ADs) Back then, reps were so poorly made & so few people knew much about Rolex watches that this one was quite a benchmark. It was the MBW DRSD of its day & considered outrageously priced since the retail on the gen Datejust was less than about $2000 at the time. I retain it as a benchmark against which all newcomers are measured. And in case anyone is interested, here are a few pages from the last catalogue/order form from 'Swiss Enterprises', which is the company I ordered this watch from back (according to the post date on the envelope) in 12/87. My watch was a special custom order (because I was a regular customer they located the 'linen' dial for me) based on #203-AQL (the 'L' was the 'ultimate' rep at the time -- the 1st with an ETA movement & laser-cut (real) gold-plated bezel) Back then (before the web), if you wanted something better than the average Canal Street fake, you had to find someone who knew someone, because distribution was done completely by word-of-mouth.

Click here for Rodico

Wrist shots, huh?

If the rep makers did make a folded link bracelet, I am sure they would find some way to screw it up (remember the rule -- Every rep must be made with at least 1 glaring mistake). They would make them out of steel-plated tin or they would make the links too short (as they do with all the riveted bracelet links) or they would fold them incorrectly. Whatever they made, I am sure the real thing would remain the better option. And, still, I ask myself the same question -- how hard can it be?

Yes, I found the same thing -- vintage Seadwellers & Subs were produced with more than 1 style of hands (the width of the lume sections also varies). My MBW came with hands similar to the middle photo. But I replaced these with a set of Clark's hands to match the first photo (Yes, I am aware the second hands appears bent in the photo - it is just a scanner effect) Both are correct (I have tons of gen photos that support this), but I chose the lighter gauge version because most reps (like the MBWs) come with the heavier gauge hands.

As long as Dad knows & does not care. Enjoy.

Very good.

A can of compressed air is great for cleaning the inside of a crystal & case before reassembly, but I would not use it on the dial. In addition to the chemicals that can be expelled during the first spray or two, the thrust of air can blow parts right off the dial. So be sure to spray from a distance or use a watchmaker's air bulb like the Bergeon. The only problem with using air by itself to clean a dial or crystal is that dust often adheres to the crystal due to static electricity and even strong sprays from a can of air usually will not loosen all of them. A dial brush or rodico are more effective on a dial (use can use rodico, gently, on hands and dial markers too) and manual cleaning with a (clean) lint-free cloth is good on the inside crystal. But regardless of what you use, it is important to inspect, inspect & inspect the dial and crystal before reassembling your watch.

Jfreeman & vbarrett make another good point (and one that has been made by others).....but a word of caution. One Saturday afternoon, many years ago, while working in an upscale audio salon, I assisted a guy who looked like the textbook definition of a 'bum'. He was dressed in old clothes (plaid flannel shirt, baggy jeans & army boots), covered in paint and other stains & smelled like he had not crossed paths with an open bar of soap in weeks. But there was something about him.....his mannerisms & comportment......he did not fit the M.O. of most street people.....but his look & smell certainly did. Anyway, while I was doing my thing & going through the motions of demoing some of our most exclusive stereo gear for a guy who looked like he could not afford coffee at Starbucks, I happened to notice he was wearing a watch that looked like it had the name Piaget on its mirrored face. Having seen alot of low income people wearing blingy reps, I did not immediately give it much thought, beyond noticing that it definitely did not fit his 'style', such as it was. Anyway, cutting to the chase.....it turned out that the guy happened to be one of the principals of a major international advertising agency (I will not mention the name, but many would recognize it instantly) & he had just stopped into the store to take a break from working on 1 of his several Ferraris (into which we later loaded the first $20k worth of a $62k audio system). So I guess the moral of the story is you cannot judge a book by its cover (unless you take a peek at the inside flap).

Work = Beater

Good points, all. But I think the most important factor is knowing your target gen. In my opinion, it is absolutely imperative that before you even pick up that screwdriver, you make a trip to your local AD & try on the gen version of your rep watch. And, if you need to, make 2 or 3 trips. Familiarize yourself with the fit, feel & overall impression of the gen & compare it to your rep. To paraphrase 1 of my favorite lines, 'You have to know the rules before you can successfully break them.' In this case, it means before you start slapping expensive gen parts on a rep, you have to know, intimately, what the differences are & have an end goal in mind. Otherwise, and I speak from alot of experience here, you will waste alot of time & money. If all newbies would learn this 1 simple rule (Know Your Target), I think there would be far more satisfied rep owners & far fewer 'What is the best rep?' or 'Does Y watch look better than X watch?' types of questions. Knowledge is power.

V -- Hard to tell from the photo, but if your father's watch is a 116520, have you compared it to the gen (especially, the location of the subdials on the dial)?