Lo'

Hello, this is something I have started a long time ago; a pet project I have abandoned and resumed in leaps and bounds , that I would eventually stray from only to be back to from square one at a later time... Well I am quite happy (and relieved) to announce that, as per the title of this post, the journey has finally ended. Yesterday afternoon after having fought my way through one of the most impressively tamper/shock/weather-proofed packages I have ever had to open in my life, I got my freshly patinated, relumed, serviced and reassembled 1016 build: The recipe is the same old one: 192xx midcase (originally reshaped by Akira) JMB bezel and caseback gen tube and crown gen superdome gen service dial Helena's 13mm Mercedes handset 2824-2 ETA movement Modders: SSTEEL and NATAS78 (praises, kudos and standing ovations to both for the A W E S O M E work and for being all-around great fellas!)

A few more pics. Inviato dal mio EML-L09 utilizzando Tapatalk

Thanks, will do! [emoji2956] One or two things I forgot to mention: Dwo with open 6 and 9 is rep but looks quite good to my untrained eye. As I have mentioned earlier the case is gen. Serial number and caseback reference place the little critter's birth in 1969 4th quarter. Hands are far from perfect since the lume area is a tad too narrow as often is with rep hands. Height though is ok, since second and hour hand touch an hair over the markers as per gen. Thanks for advising about the crown being gen by the way! [emoji106] Inviato dal mio EML-L09 utilizzando Tapatalk

I have been lucky enough to bump on this little (34mm) gentleman@RWI. Gen case, caseback, bezel, tube (not sure about the crown). Stunning gen dial which must have been sunburst gray at some point, then got this amazing patina. Rep hands and rivet bracelet. ETA 2824-2 movement from an Hamilton donor. Keeps excellent time (+ 8s/day), runs strong, crown operates smoothly. Oddly enough this thing has got such a presence on the wrist that it tricks the eye into perceiving it as bigger than it is, something that would not happen with my former 6106 (now gracing wifey's wrist, and no it's not her wrist on the picture [emoji16]). Inviato dal mio EML-L09 utilizzando Tapatalk

Jeeze! I've not been jumping in here for a couple of days so I've just read this. Sorry you had to go through this. I've experienced quakes and know how it feels when everything you hold dear is potentially in danger... Whish you and all your fellow-countrymen can move past this unharmed asap. Inviato dal mio EML-L09 utilizzando Tapatalk

Definitely regret not having seen it in due time, I'd have jumped the occasion without hesitating. More or less the answer to use in many such cases [emoji1] Inviato dal mio EML-L09 utilizzando Tapatalk

Thank you everyone for contributing to this. I have tried finding a correlation between the length of hands and the dial lettering (Serif, Sans Serif), but I can't find any since you will get Serif dials and longer handsets as well as Sans Serif dials with longer or shorter hands… wtf?! 😁 It should be noted anyway that, length aside, gen hands are generally broader than their "rep" counterparts, the only exception I have seen so far being the "old" HR 13mm which Jimcon brought up. That said the seconds hand is another huge tell. As far as I have seen the gen one will invariably be a tad longer than the minutes hand, thus extending a bit over the minutes marker. Then there's the Lollipop which, in reps, almost Always is slightly smaller, ditto for the circle on the opposite side of the hand.. Helena's set does look like it's no exception, but judging from pics is quite hard so, I still hope I'll get a surprise.

Thanks a lot for chiming in Nanuq. There really is a huge difference between the two builds. The 13mm hands have much more presence and feel more "real". Great watch by the way!! Inviato dal mio EML-L09 utilizzando Tapatalk

Hey, thanks a lot for the highlights! Right now Helena's handset is in the mail. Can't wait to see the outcome of this...

Hi all, I've been trying to find this answer but apparently the search engines refuse to help: Can anybody tell me what's the length of the gen 1016 Mercedes hands? Helena has got some sets in store with the following measures: Second hand from center hole to tip: 13mm Hour hand from center hole to tip: 8mm Minutes hand from center hole to tip: 13mm Alternatively: Seconds hand from center hole to tip: 12mm Hour hand from center hole to tip: 8mm Minutes hand from center hole to tip: 12mm I went for both but still don't know which set is closest to gen. Will appreciate any help. Thanks in advance L.

I chose Andrew's automatic over Angus's quartz in the end. Of course it's just me but I can't stand vintage-looking watches with quartz movements, especially if said watch replicates a luxury model bearing an in-house hand-wound. Had there been an auto/hw version of Angus's "Tribute to 1931" I would have pulled the trigger on it without hesitating. Now to wait for this to reach my door…. less than a month before festivities, circulation of goods will escalate starting now, Guess I'll have to consider myself lucky if I receive anything before the end of the year.

Hi all. I've been looking at the various TDs offers regarding the Reverso. The ones that caught my eye were Trusty's and Puretime's although the latter is quartz-powered and I don't really like it, but this, but the piece sure looks stunning. I'd like to gather the forum's experiences if any on this specific model: Have you got any other suggestion from, perhaps, a different TD? Thanks in advance

There are no words to describe this...

Blimey... 🤩

Thanks a lot for the pointer Holo. As I wrote above I have zero experience and knowledge on the subject of vintage Pams as such I don't even know what kind of work the build currently in my hands would need. I for sure would like to be able to turn this into the watch I'd use while diving in Spring and Summer therefore, It'd have to be waterproofed to at least 100 meters. Is that at all possible with a rep case such as mine, considering that the bezel will pop right off by just sliding the edge of a knife under it? I have been looking at some pictures of gen 6152 to try and get a general idea of the similarity of my rep to these. I am more or less satisfied altough the lugs look like they'd need some reshaping. Another thing that irks me is that the dial looks a tad too recessed inside the case. Is the gen like that? I have not managed to understand that from the pictures of gens I have been able to find around.

I'm speechless…..😱

He got you there J.!! 🤣

Gotta love rubbish!

J. You KNOW you're too much a valuable asset in this community to be let go anytime soon. You KNOW you're one of those persons we'd all feel glad and proud to be able to call a friend. You KNOW your cases and bezels are instrumental to any credible 1016 build. You KNOW that before your work the only option to a gen 1016 case was a gen 102xx or 101xx which would need (a lot of) reshaping. Therefore no! You can't go. Sorry not sorry.

I second that. It's so unusually Pam-like, plus I like the Liberty dial and hands typical of vintage watches from the fourties, coupled with the Panerai-trademark steel case. The color might be a little offsetting (I'd personally go for a black dial with silver or white rail and central circle), but all in all I sorta fancy it. It looks very in-your-face to me.

You’re absolutely right in preferring low-budget diy projects to overpriced-mass-produced stuff. But imho what makes Rolex special is the infinite variety between one model and the next one, and also between individual pieces of the same model; all the more if you consider that this is the main asset on which the Rolex collectors market has been thriving for decades. As such, while I understand and respect your point, I always advise my friends against doing what I do (build Frankens that is), and rather go gen especially on lesser-desired references since these can often be had for relatively low sums, but might gain traction on the market thus acquiring worth. Back in 2009 (or 08, can’t remember), I paid approx $ 1.200 for a ‘67 7928. Nowadays that specific reference and build is over the roof and worth 5 times that amount. You just need to be patient and be able to put your ear to the ground to listen and learn.

You’re more than welcome! As for the help, you will want to read all that other members, much more informed than yours truly, have been writing on the topic in this forum. You will find a whole lot of insight and knowledge. As I have suggested elsewhere you could use the search function and read all that LHOOQ, BLUE and ROLOJACK shared on their quest for the perfect 1016. You should also refer to the awesome JMB, a true Southern Gentleman and all-around great guy, upon which crafts most of the 101x builds around the galaxy are based (but please act swiftly because he’s been announcing his imminent retirement for the last 10 years [emoji6]). Anything else, just ask.

Hi Auto! You might want to try Chrono24. There are quite a few 5504 for sale in there right now, including a “refinished” dial from Min Quy [emoji1] Welcome to the club! I, as some others in this nice forum, have “1016 projects” which have been ongoing for the last 4-5 years. Once this kind of bug bites you there’s no way out, except that of going gen.[emoji1]

Nice pieces you’ve got there, thanks for contributing to this interesting thread with your knowledge. 5504 Air Kings (such as mine) and 1016 both are 36mm watches. You perhaps meant the 5500 which diameter is 35mm and is usually fitted with ‘Precision’-marked dials (1520), as opposed to the ‘Super Precision’ (1530) marking on 5504s. Of course there where variations since the 1520 and 1530 movements would fit on both 35 and 36mm cases and, both watches can be found sporting ‘3 6 9’ dials (even with SCOC markings in place of the above mentioned ‘Precision’ and ‘Super Precision’)but, generally speaking, the above holds true.

Yup! The main difference between 5504 and 1016 regards dial and hands. 5504s did not come with COSC certification therefore, even the ‘3 6 9’ dialed version would bear ‘Super Precision’ markings instead of ‘SCOC’. At the time some ADs would offer replacement dials to their customers (since anyway the 1530 movement in those watches could be regulated to COSC specs exactly as their 1016 counterparts bearing the same mechanism); as such there certainly are 5504s (as the one in the picture you posted), bearing original SCOC Dials which, nonetheless are not the correct ones for that model. Just another ‘glitch’ in the vast murky world of variations on Rolex models making those ‘original-not-originals’ more palatable to collectors of one-off pieces. Now go figure which one got a replacement dial upon being acquired and which one just got fitted with a service dial later on.... [emoji848]