freddy333

Welcome & I hope the purpose of the story is not to trick someone into thinking the rep he is buying is a rare gen with a (fake) provenance. But for variations on the Sub theme, check with some of the sellers listed under Watches, Clothing & Accessories on our main page

When dealing with '50s Rolexes, that is a very important detail

Wearing 1 of my Daytonas on Sunday

Please do not repost an entire set of pics & then add a line or 2.

I paid considerably more than $300 for these back then, but, as I have said many times (& has been proven over & over again), today's 'insane' Rolex price is tomorrow's Rolex bargain. So get them while you can. The idea is to stockpile & keep NOS parts for another 10 or so years & then cash them out when their value is an order of magnitude more than their original insane cost. (These are NOT for sale)

Well done, Tom. All that is needed now is some 'natural' wear & patina. Many years ago, I had a similar 'happy accident' that lit my path on the road to frankens & gens. I came across a TZ post from a guy who had an unused 3035 he received from Rolex as part of a display his company was contracted to make for them. In the end, the display never got used & he did not need/want the movement. For some reason, the post completely missed the attentions of most TZ readers (especially, those who would instantly appreciate the value of a NOS 3035), so I was able to pick it up for a song. This led to my putting together my 1st franken-gen (a 100% gen watch assembled out of gen parts from disparate sources). And the rest, as they say, is history.

The problem is that most rep tubes are made of inferior metal, which tends to weakness and breakage. I would recommend replacing it with a gen or Swiss-made aftermarket tube, which is available from ofrei.com, cousinsuk.com & most other watch supply firms. To remove, you will need to remove the caseback, release the stem (procedure varies depending on the type of movement in your rep - see the Watchmaking section of RWG for general instructions) & use tweezers or a small flathead screw driver to unscrew the broken tube from the inside of the crown. You can use a small, 3-sided file slid into the remaining portion of the tube in the case to unscrew it. To install the new tube, use the same file to install the new tube in the case. Snug it with moderate finger pressure only; do not force or tighten it as it will snap off! Then, reassemble. If unsure or you lack the tools, by all means, take the watch to a local watchmaker & have him handle the replacement for you. It is a quick & easy job for a professional watchmaker.

Ditto, but you probably will not require any oil, heat or other additional items. Just wedge a file inside the tube & unscrew. I would also replace with a gen (ebay) or Swiss-made generic tube (available from watch parts sellers like ofrei, cousinsuk, etc), which will feel better & last much longer than any rep part. Trust me on this.

All MQ (with gen coronets that I added) & the only thing I have seen that is better are gens

I think when the OP said 'I just stumbled upon an ad for a solid 18k gold daytona with eta 7750', he meant an advertisement (not Authorized Dealer). But, as others have already said, this is not a very accurate rep. In general, it is best to avoid reps with 'gold' &/or 'jewels'. The 'gold' is flashed & often wears off revealing the underlying steel color, which makes the watch useless unless you WANT to advertise the fact that you are wearing a 'FAKE ROLEX'. The 'jewels' tend to be either glass or low end CZ, neither of which look very real, especially, on a FAKE ROLEX. Unfortunately, modern Daytonas are a tough watch to replicate well. There are a number of options/variations, depending on what you are willing to give up to have your cake. Best to use the Search feature to read Ziggy's & By-Tor's excellent reviews on both the 'secs @ 6' 7750 & Daytona before hitting any BUY buttons. You might also want to search out my 'powdered graphite' remedy that addresses the inherent issues of the secs @ 6 7750 that powers many modern Daytona reps.

Wore my old 'Graph today

Thank goodness for good management.....& backup schemes.

What is with the fitment between the bracelet & end link? Couldn't you find a better fitting end link?

Standard QC for reps. Personally, since no one could possibly see it without having it pointed out to them &/or without a loupe, I would not worry (or do anything) about it. There are 2 possible causes - either the crystal was not seated fully or the crystal was cut slightly uneven. But if it keeps you up at night, your options are to take it to a local, rep-friendly watchmaker & have him remove/reinstall the crystal. Or replace the rep crystal with a gen or more evenly cut rep. If you are going to spend the time/money/effort to replace the crystal, by all means, go gen (depending on your particular case, the exact gen model may or many not fit, so your watchmaker may need to do some trial-&-error fitting). They do look nicer & sparkle more.

Ending the work week still wearing my JLC

With respect to Newman, 62xx Daytonas never look better than when clasped to a gen bracelet.

See the Watches, Clothing & Accessories section of RWG.

Spitfire 1500

1500 & thank you.

If you do it right, you can take great pics inside your car (these taken with 12 year-old 4MP point-&-shoot). And, sometimes, the goal is emotion more than photographic exactitude

Wore my Accutron today

A proper tool watch being used as a tool