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More mystery surrounding an MBW a Member sent me to assemble....


Justasgood

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Hmmm. That's odd. I've seen numerous 16600, 16610, 16520, 116520s, etc, etc. that have the crown without crimps.

Ditto.

I just went through my Triplocks & this is what I found

004-702vs703Triplocks1.jpg

As you can see, the 702s are threaded right up to the opening & the edge is crimped. Meanwhile, the threading in the 703s begins half way down the length of the cap & the edge is solid.

Width of 702 caps

006-702Triplock.jpg

Width of 703 caps

005-703Triplock.jpg

009-702vs703Triplocks.jpg

Very odd. :g:

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Ditto.

I just went through my Triplocks & this is what I found

004-702vs703Triplocks1.jpg

As you can see, the 702s are threaded right up to the opening & the edge is crimped. Meanwhile, the threading in the 703s begins half way down the length of the cap & the edge is solid.

Very odd. :g:

Odd indeed. How is it that every 703 crown I have (New from my watchmaker in sealed packages) have Crimped edges and the Aftermarket 703 crowns (Bought as such) have solid construction?

I swear, my head and the room are spinning :pardon:

I'll compile some pics tonight.

The 24-704 surprised me as it looks like the crown in question: single piece construction, same insignia design, but to my knowledge, it is labeled application is for Daytona's and Yachtmaster's :bangin:

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I believe Rolex has been retro-fitting 704s in place of 703s for the past few years. Unfortunately, I have neither an official memo from Rolex instructing their ADs & service network to do this, nor do I have a sealed 704 to verify the differences between it & the 703.

My watchmaker is certified by Rolex and has a parts account. The only crowns he places on Subs are 703's bought direct from Rolex and they are all crimped.

I have a sealed 704 and will take some pics to compare.....stay tuned...

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My watchmaker is certified by Rolex and has a parts account. The only crowns he places on Subs are 703's bought direct from Rolex and they are all crimped.

I have seen some 702s packaged as 703s, which might explain this. But, otherwise, I am at a loss since 703s have been the staple for most of Rolex's sports lineup for at least the past decade & a half.

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While doing some research on an unrelated crown matter, I stumbled across something in 1 of my old Rolex parts books that I think solves The Great Triplock - Crimped vs Solid - Mystery

Image1-25.jpg

Image2-9.jpg

You will notice that both the 703 & 704 have the same relief, which makes them, at least from their cap sides, indistinguishable from each other. However, Rolex added the designation, MONOBLOC, & displays the 704 (as well as the 604, 531 & 480 Twinlocks) with an all-green pic. Meanwhile, the 703 (& 603 & 530 Twinlocks) is pictured as having a yellow core with an outer green cap (which is no doubt secured or crimped around the inner core along its outer skirt).

I have viewed these pages many times, but for some reason never made the connection at any time during this controversy.

The bottom line is that Justasgood is correct that the 704 appears solid when viewed from its underside & the 703 is crimped. Otherwise, externally, they look the same. And unless anyone has any other new insights to add, I think we can consider another Rolex case closed.

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Quick question- what's the difference between the -530 and the -531? Are they interchangeable? I'm thinking about my 1002 and the parts I rec'd...

Since they have the same relief & use the same tube, they should be interchangeable. Like the 703 & 704, The main difference appears to be the monobloc construction of the 531 (see charts).

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Since they have the same relief & use the same tube, they should be interchangeable. Like the 703 & 704, The main difference appears to be the monobloc construction of the 531 (see charts).

Ah very interesting- had no idea! Those charts are a great resource- thanks!!!victory.gif

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