beebjunk Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 I'm considering buying a 5517 (milsub) rep, but I'm not 100% comfortable with it having a branded dial. Anyone know if it's easy to sterilize the existing dial or swap over the dial to a sterile dial? Cruising around with a rep of a gen that's THAT expensive and rare is not my cup of tea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vlaletom Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 it seams to me that it's much more easy to swap the dial than to do a redial. Doing a redial needs a lot of talent and expertise. Swapping is just sourcing a dial for that movement, and then a mater of having the rigth tool It may not be the easyest thing to do if you never done it, but there is plenty of tutorial on the forum... just my 0.2$ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 You can always commission a sterile 5513 style dial with places like CWP, or you can probably also get a pre-made sterile dial from sources like MKII as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member X Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 !!n00b question alert!! So how much and how rare is the gen? lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 Gen 5517's are hovering around the six figure range for a correct and original example. They're somewhat rare, as many had been converted back to standard 5513's. Gen collectors have a fairly tight knit network and communicate their findings and discoveries, so many are well versed in the existing pieces out there and in whose hands they currently reside. Back in the mid 80's these pieces could be purchased for just a few dollars per tray per dozen. Many of them were retrofitted with non-Mil gen 5513 parts and sold on in the secondary market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member X Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 (edited) Ah, I seeeee... Bargain! lol Sounds like what I've read about the older models too, like the reds and double reds(?) - Rolex services and replaces parts it thinks needs doing, which means that the original models become rarer! Actually... now I think about it... Could this be an intentional act by Rolex?!? Edited September 8, 2009 by Member X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 Well, there is currently only one RSC that the 5517 connoisseurs rely on to service and authenticate; they know well enough to leave these watches as original as possible. However, if a part is deemed as a potential risk to the longevity and function of a movement (i.e. crumbling tritium), they would advise the replacement of those parts. The retrofitting of old parts in this case wasn't really an RSC initiative; rather, private dealers and the sort bought what they could when these pieces were sold off at ridiculously cheap prices. Back in this era, Mil spec watches really didn't have the following that they do today, so most were converted for sake of having a sellable product. Little would they know that a few decades following these pieces would command the prices that they do now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member X Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 I bet a few people are kicking themselves lol It's the same with all antiques though - you may get lucky, you may not. With my luck, I'd keep something that ended up being worth less! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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