richard591

Good morning everyone. Long time since my last contact, but when nothing is going wrong, I guess we just get on with life. I have a small problem that I need a bit of help with if anyone can. It's as follows. Some time ago I bought a Baselworld 2017 Seadweller (ARF version) from Intime. Lovely watch and still going well. However, I noticed the other day there was a little bit of play in the bezel clicks and a few days later that turned into a bi-directional bezel. Having stripped the bezel off it's the actual click spring which has disintegrated. The click itself is perfect, as are the other 3 springs with their ball/pegs. I therefore need a new click spring. I've seen a previous post on this where springs and SS balls were available from Amazon, but on checking yesterday they are now not available. I've also contacted Intime, who have supplied me with quite a few parts before, but they can no longer help, so drew a blank there also. I stripped out a very old original DSSD I had and recovered the click spring from that, but although it now works again, it's not the right diameter or length. I therefore need just one spring to finish the job properly to it's original spec. Does anyone have one they can sell me, they used to be sold in packs of 10, or does anyone know where they're available now. Hope someone can help again, as you always have in the past. All the best Richard

Well, all I can tell you is that I very carefully checked the exact position of the stem in the tube before doing anything daft like screwing anything down and the winder stem was slap bang in the middle of the tube. Everything is currently working exactly as it should be, with no deflection on the stem. Also, the winder stem on the 2824 swapped over on to the 2836 as an exact replacement. The possible reason for this may just be that when I was dismantling the two movements, I noticed that the date wheel on the 2824 movement was noticably thicker than on the 2836 movement. That meant that the dial/date wheel spacer was also noticably thicker/higher. I think this must have the effect of raising the movement slightly in the case, thus producing the alignment I've actually got. The now installed 2836 movement uses the original date wheel from a DSSD set up and the corresponding dial/date wheel spacer, which is thinner. That is then mated to the Baselworld Seadweller dial, but using the hands from the DSSD, as the shanks on the Baselworld hands are too long, probably because of the different spacer size/height issue. However, the second hand from the Baselworld did fit quite nicely. This is the only plausible explanation I can think of, but it works perfectly without any need for other modifications. So, once the 2824 movement comes back from sorting out the autowind issue, I'll just swap it all back for originality. Pity though, because the 2836 is actually more accurate than by genuine Sub after it's recent service. How long that lasts for of course is anyone's guess. All the best and thanks for the replies. Having just thought about it again, it may just be that, because these models are available with both 2824 and 2836 movements, then why would you make two different cases? It would make much more economic sense to just make one case and make the adjustments required cheaply by doing what seems to have been done ie, adjust spacer sizes. As an engineer, that makes sense to me, but who knows.

Thanks for that, but I've now resolved the issue. I decided to just dismantle everything to see what the issues might be and this is the result. 1. A 2824 datewheel will not swap over on to a 2836 movement as the underside profile is slightly different. 2. However, a 2836 datewheel does swap over on to a 2824 movement. 3. This seems primarily because the underside of the 2824 datewheel is completely flat, therefore will not engage properly. Whereas the underside of the 2836 datewheel is slightly raised/profiled and does engage on the date change mechanism. 4. As a consequence, I've now swapped a complete 2836 movement over into the watch with the dial and hands from the 2824 all swapped over, but using a spare 2836 date wheel fitted with Rolex overlay This all lines up perfectly in the case and the watch is working as it should again. As luck would have it, the 2836 movement I've used happens to be (by complete luck) probably one of the most accurate I've ever had and is keeping time to about +1 sec per day This now allows me to send the 2824 movement back to my watchmaker to correct the main problem, which appears to be located in the autowind mechanism. Something has become either detached or just broken, so after that's fixed all should be ok as that movement was also very accurate after having been properly serviced some time ago. Hope this is helpful.

I would appreciate a bit of advice on this issue before doing some surgery on my latest ARF Baselworld Seadweller. I have a minor problem with the auto wind mechanism on the installed 2824 movement and will be taking the movement out to send off to my watchmaker in the Uk to correct.Meanwhile I'm going to install one of my spare 2836 movements by first swapping the dial, hands etc over from the 2824. My issue is the date wheel on the 2824. The jumper mechanism is different to the 2836 and I think therefore that the under proflie of the date wheel is also different from the pics I've looked at. Therefore it seems that the date wheels are not directly interchangeble. Can anyone just confirm that for me. If that's correct, it's not a problem as I also have spare 2836 datewheels with Rolex overlay already fitted to a 2836 movement. I would use the dial spacer for one of those also, as the spacer on the 2824 is marginally taller to accommodate what seems to be a slightly thicker datewheel. Otherwise it's a fairly easy swap over. I've already done a trial run with the 2836 assembled movement, currently set up with a spare DSSD dial and everything fits and lines up perfectly. So that's already checked. Case spacer is ok as well and winder is in correct position. So, this is just to confirm before I disassemble the 2824 movement and swap the parts over.

This is just an update to a post I made a couple of years ago. At that time I found a watchmaker in the UK who is quite happy to service reps. His name is Chris Heal and his website is:- info@chealwatch.com he's based in kent. He has serviced two 2836 movements for me over the past few years. Last year I bought the latest addition, the Baselworld 2017 Seadweller with 2824 movement. All was OK for about 10 months until it showed the usual signs of slowing down too much, a usual sign of lack of lubrication which even my genuine waches display after about 5/6 years. I therefore sent the whole watch off to Chris , who serviced it, checked it all over for other possible faults and sent it back to me in France. Total cost, inc post, was £80, which I consider very good indeed. Time taken , inc post, was about 4 weeks. So, if you live in the UK, or somewhere close in Europe like me, this may come in handy for some of you if things go wrong.Hope this is helpful.

I would be grateful for views on the latest 3235 movement, currently fitted to a number of reps, including the Baselworld 2017 Seadweller. Is it reliable ( say compared to the 2836 in a few of mine) Is timing adjustment easy - it seems to be from photos. Are there any known downsides so far? etc. Thanks.

Thanks automatico, very useful comments and much appreciated. I thought my original question was a bit of an ask to get a favourable answer. Something inside me still regrets selling my lovely 1969 Omega Speedmaster moonwatch last year, with its fab Calibre 861 movement, to a Japanese collector, but I hadn't worn it since switching to Rolex submariners about 40 years ago. So only about 9 years use on it. Nevertheless, watches should be worn and I know it's gone to a good home. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a stock movement close to that quality which has been cloned or would provide a reliable chrono funcfion from what I'm reading. Do you know if Yuki have done one, as they did with the 3135 movement? However, if so, that would require a modification once the watch was bought. Meanwhile will look at the vintage models just in case. While writing and for those who may be considering the Baselworld Seadweller 2017 here are some comments on the one I bought at the end of last year. After seeking some opinions from members I finally went for the ARF version in preference to the Noob. Only negative comment I can find is that the bezel on the ARF is not as perfect in feel and operation as the Noob bezel on my DSSD's. That is said after direct comparison with my genuine 16610 Sub and about 40 years of wearing sub's. The feel on the bezels on the Noob's that I have are virtually indistinguishable from the genuine. That said, many wouldn't notice and the watch is absolutely lovely. It was bought from Ryan at Intime. Although I have read some negative comments from others regarding the centering of the date in the cyclops window, mine is perfect. The operation of the auto date changeover is smooth as is the date hacking, providing you do as previously suggested and advance the time well past 12 o'clock before adjusting. I personally only change the date once I've advanced the time to around 8/9 o'clock position to avoid straining the change mechanism when too close to 12 o'clock. The QA photos of the timegragh reading were, as expected, not accurate. Others have wondered if these photos are just stock ones rolled out every time, but I really don't know. All I can tell you is that the +4 secs/day shown turned out to be about +12-15 secs/day, which is closer to what I expected. After many weeks re-calibrating it's now down to a reliable +2/3 secs/day with the watch in the winder up position over night for about 8 hours, which I find acceptable. The Noob DSSD's are all the same too. So, overall a lovely addition to anyone's collection. Hope this is helpful.

Sorry about the shortness of the last reply, but I was just running out of the door to go somewhere. Fuller answers as follows. 1. I would prefer not to have the watch mod'ed, so looking for the best fully functional version available at present. 2. My preference would be for the latest models, but if anyone knows of a completely stunning vintage model then that would be an option. 3. I'm not limiting the budget, but would want the very best example. 4. I'm looking for a completely functioning full chrono watch, not one with only certain bits functioning. I guess that's the OCD kicking in ! 5. I'm familiar with the work from Noob and have two of their watches already. They are both very good, so looking for the same overall quality. I see they have a version available with the 4130 super clone. Is that really a fully functioning movement? Any opinions from the group would be gratefully received, particularly from those who have bought.

Answers to your questions. 1. No 2. Either, but probably modern. 3. As much as it takes. 4. Very!!!

Bit late, but happy new year everyone. I'm looking for the best possible version of the Daytona currenly available and prefer the all stainless versions with black dial/bezel - but that's not cast in stone, except for the bracelet. Can anyone advise on this and in particular the best movement and if that has overcome the previous "secs at 6" issues. Views from anyone who has bought one would be most welcome, particularly on the issue of reliability. Thanks Richard

This has probably been discussed before, so my apology if I missed it first time around. Having just bought the Seadweller Baselworld 2017 I'm now looking for the very best version of the 116610LV Sub "hulk" I'm particularly interested in the closest replica version of the dial to the actual genuine model, that is a finish which has the same surface texture and changes tone with the shift in light angle. If this is available and anyone has managed to buy one then I would be grateful for advice and possibly some pics. Unfortunately, the pics on the dealers websites are genarally not good enough to see this detail, unless I've just missed somehting. Most of the dial finishes look quite "flat" If this has been posted before you can just direct me to that post if it's still logged. Many thanks Richard

So, after overcoming the bank payment problems detailed in my last post, the new Seadweller turned up today from Ryan at Intime. I therefore thought it sensible to share the latest experience with others who may be in the process of considering ordering. Having approved the QA photos, it was sent via DHL on the 19th and arrived this morning. I think that's bloody good service and faster than the last one. Ryan was, as before, very prompt and personal with his messages after the bank initially refused to pay. Initial impression is that it's all that I expected and quite stunning for the money. Being a bit less chunky than my DSSD's it sits perhaps a little more naturally on the wrist and again raises the thought in my simple mind as to just how do they do this for the price? The bracelet is said to be 904L stainless as opposed to 316L, but I can see absolutely no difference when comparing it with my DSSD and wonder if that's just not a sales gimic. Nevertheless, I'm quite happy to be shot down on that one if anyone knows different. During the debacle with the bank not wanting to pay Intime and as a matter of expediency, I also contacted Puretime and Trustytime (both TD's) to see if they had the same model in stock in case the payment problem with Intime was unsolvable. I have to say I was slightly disappointed at the lack of prompt response. This makes me wonder if all these dealers are in fact one in the same outfit and linked via a common database, just trading under different names to spread the load and make things more difficult to stop by those who would like to. Again, happy to be corrected with that also if not the case. Anyway, now starts the tedious work of regulating the new watch to the standard I know the movements are capable of, followed by the final full waterproofing as detailed in other posts on this forum. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I just don't believe the QA photos of the timeograph which show it being +4 secs/day at present. None of my others were correct either. Hey-ho, I'll know by Sunday or Monday evening. Have a good weekend everyone.

Yes I agree with all of that. As a long time wearer/owner of the real thing since the 1970's I have been a loyal customer of Rolex and Omega for over 40 years. Nevertheless, the lastest generation reps are so good that they open up a whole new vista for those who just can't afford to shell out $10,000 on just one of the real models, let alone several. Now I agree that Rolex and others may see this as simple forgery, but looking at it from a different direction, you could also say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and there is also a concept that says that there is no such thing as bad publicity. So, if a large section of rep wearers could never afford the real thing, but can afford to wear and display a rep, then the Rolex name is getting about more widely than it otherwise would. Is that really a bad thing? Opinions will be divided on that I'm sure. Personally, I don't mind and have been wearing my reps as much as the genuines since the first purchase. I don't feel ashamed at that at all. However, this also raises another interesting question. That is how the hell do the rep makers do it and make profits for the prices they charge? On receipt of the DSSD D-Blue I was staggered at the quality for the money. I then wore the rep when collecting the gen from its latest service at the rolex dealer and as I put that on the other wrist he just looked at me as if christmas had come early, ignored all the other customers and held the door open to bid me farewell, probably thinking "he'll be back soon to have that DSSD serviced also." But it goes deeper than that and makes you wonder just what is the real price it costs Rolex to make a Sub or derivative anyway. My estimate is somewhere between $1,000 and $1,500, taking into account the time they have been about and the economies of manufacturing scale and technology improvements which kick in accordingly. So, assuming a purely stainless model, where does the other $8,500 - $10,000+ go depending on model? Perhaps it's on the plush surroundings we have to put up with when visiting a Rolex dealer, or the prime location of the dealerships. Or, maybe on the exquisite cups of the worlds most expensive coffee we were plied with while waiting; the beans of which had been lovingly passed through and retrieved from the digestive tract of a genetically cloned and reconstituted tyrannosaurus rex. Who knows. I think the overall feeling I have is that life could just get more difficult as time goes by to get these reps off market as pressure to do so continues. But if someone who lives in a modest house and rides a bike, rather than living in a plush appartment and driving a Porsche, gets the Rolex name out there, isn't that free publicity from a source Rolex never would have had? You decide.

So, finally that all got sorted and Ryan personally sent me a message this morning to say the payment had now been received. Hopefully the new ARF 2017 Baselworld Seadweller Single Red will turn up in a few weeks. Hope it's as good as the Noob V6S DSSD D-Blue I've been wearing for the past two years. After proper waterproofing and a lot of fiddling with the regulation it has performed astonishingly well. So, for anyone else who may be affected by this issue, here is what happened. Went on the Intime website and ordered the watch then went through the payment proceedure, which seemed to accept the card, but I couldn't get confirmation. Sent message to Ryan saying that to warn him. Following day they confirmed it hadn't gone through, so I contacted the bank. They gave the excuse that it had been stopped on the basis it was a fraudulent website and on a data list of similar sites. Now at this point I must point out that I now live in the south of France and the French banks can be a bit strange at best, so it may only be in France that this has happened. Since I could still log on to my account with Intime using all the correct usernames and passwords and then see my correctly displayed order history, it seemed obvious that the site was still Kosher. This was then further confirmed by members who have kindly replied to this post. Armed with these facts, instructed the bank to release the payment on the basis that "it's my money, so do as your told." They released the money, payment went through and Intime have confirmed today that they have it and the watch will now proceed to quality control. Because I have all the proper confirmations of order, purchase, payment etc, if it gets lost in the post god help them if they try to pull the card protection insurance and I have to make a claim. Therefore, as I said previously, it seems to me that Rolex, Omega etc etc have probably put pressure on at least the French banks and maybe others to try and make things difficult. However, I think if any of you are buying, have this problem and have an account established, then it's simple to see if the site is working properly. That, together with the help of members opinions, seals it for me and provides enough evidence to challenge your bank if they become difficult. Hope this is helpful Regards Richard

Thanks everyone, very helpful as usual. Hopefully will get it sorted in the next day or two