freddy333

Without seeing a genuine Rolex movement inside the case, I would assume it is a rep. If the seller does provide a good, clear pic of the movement (& it appears to be genuine), then I would rely on the old Rolex axiom of buying the buyer before buying the watch.

If you ordered reps having never seen the gens before, I think you are making a big mistake. The primary purpose of rep sellers' QC pics, such as they are, is to give the buyer some degree of confidence that the rep the seller is shipping will match the description/pics you see (saw) on the seller's website. Nothing more. So, to answer your initial question - you use the QC pics to make sure they match the watch in the pics on the seller's website. In future, to reduce the likelihood of problems, I would (strongly) encourage you to research the specific model you are interested in before clicking the buy button. In the meantime, read items 1 & 2 under Behavior & item 5 under Posting. I would also recommend that you read Toad's Newb guide, which is pinned in the Introduction forum, which should have been your 1st stop when visiting RWG. Finally, if the watch is a current model, go to the authorized dealer (AD), try the watch on, operate the functions & learn how it looks/feels on your wrist. Without knowing anything about the genuine watch, your chances for long-term satisfaction with a rep are slim or none. p.s. Regardless of the seller's hyperbole, the fact is that nearly all reps contain used &/or unserviced movements. The watches are assembled in anything but clean-room conditions with little or no QC. So if the watch is important, consider having a local (professional) watchsmith overhaul the movement as soon as you receive it. That way, you can be reasonably certain that your new watch will be reliable for 5-7 years (the average recommended interval between overhauls for virtually all mechanical watches).

If the watch is important to you, I would take it directly to a local watchmaker & have him check it for you. It could be a loose rotor, but it sounds more like you have a screw loose (I mean your the watch, not you personally), which is a common with reps & can lead to very serious problems if it lodges inside the movement.

I would love to see a clear pic of those 2.

Click me

Ditto above & especially when the lume glows like a modern (luminova) dial.

Well done, KB. I have trouble remembering my last meal.

I was not aware that any Rolex AD or service center is allowed to release old parts anymore. Every (serious) Rolex owner requiring service should their watch to your AD.

& in case you need some travelin' bling (hide the cat )

It is definitely up there near the top of the ugly tree, but not the ugliest

I suspect it was an indy service because Rolex does not return parts.

Ditto above. That is a bit high & I would question the need to replace some of those parts if the watch was functioning. The mainspring, tube/crown & plexi are typically replaced at every service, but unless the barrel/wheels have missing or badly worn teeth, I cannot see why they were replaced?

Not a chance.

I do not mean to be the dark cloud, but, gen or not, the 66 mid case will need to be in pretty poor shape to match that dial. Otherwise, your Phase II watch will look like a newly assembled franken (as opposed to an old gen).

Boy, you are going to need to beat the hell out of that case & work overtime on the hands to make them work with that dial, which looks to be either water-damaged or artificially aged. & it will require alot more abuse than just removing the dot in the insert. But if you do it right, it should be an interesting piece.

Odd that the barrel & so many wheels & other components were replaced. Did the watch take on moisture or were you having trouble with the watch before the service? In any case, the result looks great. Enjoy.

I do not know if the seller purchased it from him, but I believe this is the same iced Daytona (custom made for a middle easterner) that British watch dealer, Tom Bolt, sold (at least) twice before. Bolt also appeared on a tv show 2-3 years ago where high end buyers attempted to bid for this watch, unfortunately, none met Bolt's minimum & he left with the watch in hand. I am sure Mayer is aware how ugly the watch is, but, as is the case with many uber wealthy collectors, he knows that any Rolex that was made in small batches is unlikely to be a bad investment & is therefore worth whatever it costs to possess it.