freddy333

To the best of my knowledge, Rolex never produced (for commercial sale) a Platinum Datejust. They did produce a very small number of 18k white gold versions on 18k jubilee bracelets, very briefly, during the early 80s. These were distinguished by their sapphire crystals (while the standard Datejust at the time donned a plastic crystal) and solid 18k end links.

I think it looks smashing, too. But, then, I am partial to steel Datejusts.

While test-fitting my collection of gen & aftermarket Tropic 21 crystals on the 6241 Newman Daytona looking for the best match, I was amazed to find that the flat, beveled gen crystal gave the watch a rich, jewel-like appearance that none of the other crystals (including a rounded gen T21) could match. Although I tend to prefer rounded crystals on most vintage sport Rolexes, this watch quite literally snaps into focus & exudes a whole new presence when capped with this particular crystal (unfortunately, the photo does not begin to capture the synergy of this crystal/watch combination seen live) Curiously, I located a similar 6241 on Antiquorum that is fitted with the same crystal and, by sheer happenstance, the perspective in the Antiquorum photo & mine are nearly the same. So I thought a comparison of Lot 159 vs my DW 6241 would be insightful (pay particular attention to the images of the numbers from the left side of the running seconds subdial that are being refracted in the bevel of the crystal (at about 82 in the tachymeter)) Overall, it is quite striking how very similar in appearance these two watches are. I should also mention that I took the watch out for a test drive to a popular upscale restaurant & bar last evening (I am still fine-tuning its timing). The wait for a table was so long that we decided to eat at the bar, which was filled to capacity with lots of Rolex-wearing yuppie types (myself included). As I sat eating my salad, I began to notice that some of the people who were standing next to me were peering, in a quite obvious way, at my watch, which would occasionally pop out from beneath my shirt cuff as I reached for my glass. After a few minutes, one of the suits broke through the hushed whispers of the group and asked to see my watch. The look on all of their faces pretty much told me what I already knew -- my Newman project was a complete and unmitigated success. After resetting their collective jaws (which had collectively dropped onto the bar), we began discussing watches and each demoed their respective Pans and Rolexes & relayed stories of previous collectible watch sightings around the city. It goes without saying that I had a nice meal and the Newman was quite a hit (Euno -- As promised, this watch will soon be fitted with my black Rolex lizard strap. I just need to sort out the ongoing movement stabilization issues in the 6239, so I can swap the folded link bracelet over to that watch). I love these watches. _________________ I know I posted this elsewhere, but I think it merits repeating: Thanks to all who posted photos, tutorials, comments and inspiration along the way. But, most importantly, special thanks go to Ziggy, DW, Ubi, Tribal, Alligoat and especially Avitt, whose painfully beautiful 6263 & 6265 were the catalysts for this project. This watch could not have been completed without your kindness, support & assistance.

I will add a bit to Kruser's comments -- The biggest issues with the 7750 (chronograph) movement relate to those that have been modified to relocate the running seconds hand to the subdial at 6 in order to mimic the function of current Rolex Daytonas. This modification involves the addition of several additional gears (without the proper additional jeweling that is normally required), which places undo stress and friction on the entire engine and is known to cause premature breakdowns in many cases. The second issue with (non-seconds at 6) Asian-sourced 7750s is their general lack of proper lubrication and poor overall condition when leaving the factory. However, the basic design is sound and these movements tend to be quite reliable after a thorough teardown and overhaul by a competent watchsmith like Ziggy.

Not direct swaps, but as long as the sizes aren't too dissimilar, you can often broach (enlarge) the holes of small hands to fit larger pinions or squeeze (reduce) the diameter of the holes in larger hands to fit smaller pinions with a pair of smooth-jawed jeweler's pliers (and a delicate & steady touch (but I would recommend a bit of practice on scrap parts before attempting to modify your target hands)). You will need a set of broaching files, which are like needles that cut/smooth a hole as you twist them inside it.

Offshore is probably correct, but I will add my 2 cents -- Since you did not state the brand/model of the watch in question, please take this as a general guide, but genuine Rolex movements (like that used in the DayDate) should change instantly within a minute of midnight. If the date changes quickly, but either more than a minute before or after midnight, then the hands may need to be reoriented on the dial (an easy fix for any watchmaker). But if the date takes more than a second or two to change, it is probably not a Rolex movement (or the date change components are in need of cleaning/servicing).

On average, (without running the chrono) I get between 40 hours and 2 days on my 7750s (including 2 secs at 6 models)

And is there a reason why these high-profit shenanigans comes as a surprise to anyone??? Archi, we live in a place where this stuff was invented......and practiced on an hourly basis.

Euno - Having seen some of those gorgeous timepieces in your collection, I think you deserve your own forum (which I would visit regularly, even if only for inspiration).

Yes, that was my point. Although it has become Daytona lore that Paul Newman wore a Daytona in the film, the photographic evidence would seem to contradict this, which is why I described the story as an urban myth.

As would I.....

The Daytona is kind of an anachronism in the collectible watch market. That is, it went from being an ugly duckling that relatively few people wanted (believe it or not, during the 1960's and 1970's, ADs often had to offer sizable discounts to move them out of their display cases) to THE most sought after watch in the world. The metamorphosis resulted from the perfect storm of sudden resurgence of interest in luxury mechanical watches during the tech/stock market boom of the 1980's; the urban myth of (and resulting connection to) Paul Newman appearing in the motion picture Winning with a Daytona on his wrist (though there is no photographic evidence to support this) (Screenshot from 'Winning') a number of Italian magazines featuring photos of Paul Newman wearing a 'Newman' Daytona that was given to him by his wife, Joanne Woodward; (One of the photos that appeared in a number of Italian magazines during the early 1980's which sparked the Daytona craze in Italy) and Rolex's brilliant marketing strategy of bottlenecking the production & distribution of the Daytona when demand began rising steadily for the watch during the mid-90's.

There have been for many years independent watch companies who have been producing Rolex copies but without the Rolex branding. Some of them occasionally advertise their watches just pages away from Rolex ads in major magazines and trade journals. I have always wondered why Rolex allows them to copy their designs down to every detail (except for the Rolex branding), but I have never heard of Rolex going after any of them for trademark or patent infringement. This tells me that Rolex is much more concerned with protecting their name than their designs.

As would I......

Actually, I did not catch his location as being in the UK, so the pricing makes alot more sense as well for these watches.

Behind every big business lies a big crime. --J.P. Morgan

Now that is something I do not see every day -- a woman who is more interested in watches than her man.

Ditto Alligoat. Get a gen case & many of your problems will go away. They tend to be quite reasonably priced on ebay ($120-$200). If I remember correctly, I think the case for this project cost about $125

Interesting. The Wall Street Journal ran a very nice (and rather extensive) feature on high-end watches on Saturday. Several articles on different aspects of collecting, values & auctions. If you can find a newsagent that still has a copy, I would recommend picking it up. Well worth the trouble.

The price quoted makes me a bit suspicious. Have you checked out the seller to be sure he's legit? I wonder....... You might do well to post good, clear photos of both watches (front, side & back). That aside, I am not a big fan of either the YM (gaudy & silly-looking) or gold tool watches (just gaudy), but, between the two, I would go with the two-tone Sub (lesser of 2 evils). I should also say that I really hate these types of questions, because only YOU know what you like. What works for me and my clothing- and life-style has absolutely no relevance for you or anyone else. The real question is: Which one do YOU like better? ___________ UPDATE: I see you added the specs. If the watches are being sold by a reputable AD, then I presume they are 100% gen and the paperwork matches the watches (serial numbers, styles, etc.). Therefore, you can disregard my suspicions.

That is one of the biggest problems with Rolex watches--whether you are servicing a gen or building a franken--there are so many variations between (and within) model lines that you really do need to do your homework before embarking on the work. Like they say, 'Measure twice, cut once.'

Is the boyfriend a watch fan, too? And a member?

No.

I agree with Carl. I would contact your credit card bank and place a dispute hold on the purchase. I have had to do this two times for reps--once for a defective rep watch & the other time with this Faisal crook (since paypal took Faisal's side, even though I had the paperwork that proved my case and my bank agreed with me). Even seeing all of the photos and email exchanges that made it pretty obvious that these were not gen watch parts, my bank never batted an eye over the matter of my purchasing rep watches & parts (credit card banks really are the greediest bastards in the world, but, in this case, it helps when they are on your side). It took several weeks (the bank kept asking for additional explanations in writing), but, in the end, I did get satisfaction (and all of my money back).

Outstanding work, Volker. I am not a big Panerai fan, but I have to say that that may be one of the nicest Pan straps I have seen.