DW 6263: Getting Better

[lhooq]

An update on what's happened since my Mixed Results post:

As previously mentioned, DW apologized for the inferior dial and offered to replace it as soon as a better one became available. (He also promised to replace the dull and tatty-looking second hand for free.) He estimated I'd have to wait about a month. Since I was traveling to Hong Kong in mid-January, I offered to meet up with DW in China to make sure I got the parts I wanted. Unfortunately, these plans fell through, but not until after I'd secured a visa. I ended up going to Guangzhou for a day trip, instead. Not nearly as exciting as the adventures of Offshore and TVT, mind you, but a worthwhile and fascinating experience, nonetheless.

DW was kind enough to send the new dial and hand to my hotel in Hong Kong. Here's what I got:

Oh dear. To recap, here's my original dial:

Well, at least the 'OYSTER' wasn't as smudged!

Not only was it the same poorly printed dial, but there was chipped paint in the 6 o'clock subdial, too! It's hard to see in the picture, but there's bare metal at the bottom of the subdial. After rampaging through Kowloon in a fit of rage, I calmed down and emailed DW again. He apologized for sending a second bad dial, and said that the better ones wouldn't be available until the end of January.

Ordinarily, I'd be suspicious, but he also asked if I'd be willing to take a '6240' dial, instead: Also silver, but without the red 'Daytona'. It was also missing the T SWISS T at the bottom, but the printing of the ROC looked good in the picture attached to his email, and I was desperate for a wearable piece. Unfortunately, I would be leaving Hong Kong on the evening of the guaranteed date of delivery, and I didn't want to take a chance. I paid extra and had DW send it to my home address.

Better! Much crisper printing all around, lume dots properly aligned, subdial edges clean. Note that subdials aren't nearly as black as those on the sloppy dials. With luck and a lot of sunlight, maybe they'll turn brown in a few years?

I received the dial on Monday, along with a Tropic 21 I'd won on eBay, and took them to my watchmaker, who was already working on excising the troublesome auto-wind gears from the A7750. Several days later, it was ready.

I had reservations about losing the 'Daytona', but the end result looks very, very good. I miss the iconic splash of red, but the monochrome dial is wonderfully subtle and clean. The sunburst texture of this dial is much clearer than on the sloppy-printed ones. Subdials look a bit wide, but then it's always a battle between diameter and spacing on the 7750 DWs, isn't it? I'd also received a vintage Tropic 19mm on Monday and wanted to give it a try. I'm not sure if this is a historically accurate OEM combination, but they are contemporaries and the curved ends fit beautifully (as does the 16mm Rolex buckle). In the end, though, I've still got to go with the folded-link 7835:

By the way, the second hand is not the replacement that DW sent. That hand was too long and dragged along the inside of the crystal. (Strange... More about the crystal in just a bit.) So my intrepid watchmaker took the old hand, gave it a new point, and painted it black. Looks great! Now, about that crystal...

Is this really a genuine Tropic 21? Aside from the mystery of the dragging hand, I also found that the edge didn't refract like T21s I'd seen in pictures.. The crystal profile also looked more vertical than I'd expected. Then, when my watchmaker pressed it onto the case, he found it couldn't squeeze through the bezel until its base had been polished a bit. Have I been duped? If I have, then watch out for the guys selling T21s on eBay for $100 OBO.

The only other issue I have is a chrono that starts and stops, but doesn't reset. I'll have my guy look at the pusher tomorrow. (It's times like this that I wish I were technically competent.) Anyhow, here's a final shot of the Daytona with my other favorite Rolex rep--one that's definitely got the wrong crystal on (but I love it anyway!):

The DW 6263 was a huge headache compared to past reps, but very much worth the patience and effort. It's gorgeous, and has a fantastic presence on the wrist. I'm already imagining which variant I want next. Black Paul Newman 6239? Or should I wait for the 6238 that freddy mentioned? Or maybe after I get the chrono fixed, I'll take an extended break from all the researching and trawling on eBay. I just want to wear it and watch the hands spin round the dials.

[HauteHippie]

MMMMmmmm that new dial is a real winner. The ROLEX OYSTER COSMOGRAPH print is excellent!

[freddy333]

The non-resetting chrono is likely due to the chrono hand being loose on its tube (a common problem on Daytona reps). Have your watchmaker remove the hand & check to see if it spins freely on its tube. If so, he can either crimp it with a staking set or apply a tiny dab of epoxy at the underside joint between the tube & hand

(Original pic courtesy Avitt)

While at it, I would have him check all the other hands as this is a common problem.

Hard to say if your crystal is gen or not based on your pics. If you place the 'gen' crystal next to your original crystal & snap a good, clear macro pic, we might be able to tell. Generally, DW's bezels are slightly too small to fit over a gen crystal since they are made to fit the lighter gage (thinner material) aftermarket crystal that his watches come with. Most here simply remove a small amount of metal around the inner circumference of the bezel & then test fit. If still too tight, remove a tiny bit more & retest. Repeat until the bezel is a snug fit over the gen crystal. It is hard to explain the correct fit, but I usually say it should be tight enough so that you cannot install or remove the bezel by hand, but not so tight that you have to exert alot of pressure when using a crystal/caseback press. Just use common sense.

As far as your new dial, the lack of 'DAYTONA' is actually a good thing. I have a 6239, which also lacks this & that is what makes it so special

However, the lack of 'SWISS' at the bottom is a bad thing since all of the gens have it.

[chiman12]

LHOOQ...did you make the 7750 into a manual wind? If so, I'm assuming that you also used the lower profile case back that DW sent. I think this is the cause of the problem. If you look at the lip of the lower profile case back, you will notice that it is thicker than the 7750 case back that fits the auto wind mechanism. The thicker lip prevents the chrono from resetting.

I had the same problem as you did, but when I fit the thicker case back onto the my Daytona, everything worked as it should. You will also notice that with the lower profile case back that the 12 hour sub dial will drift. This will also go away by installing the thicker case back.

Without having to take the case back to a machinist, I'm currently trying to figure out how to thin the lip of the low-pro case back, so that all the chronograph functions work perfectly with the low-pro case back.

[alligoat]

Without having to take the case back to a machinist, I'm currently trying to figure out how to thin the lip of the low-pro case back, so that all the chronograph functions work perfectly with the low-pro case back.

Lay a piece of 320 grit or 400 wet/dry sandpaper on a flat table and then just press the caseback down on it and sand away in a circular motion. Keep turning it and vary your finger position so pressure is even. It worked well on my retaining ring on my Euromariner.

Shouldn't mess up the threads of the caseback, either.

[chiman12]

Lay a piece of 320 grit or 400 wet/dry sandpaper on a flat table and then just press the caseback down on it and sand away in a circular motion. Keep turning it and vary your finger position so pressure is even. It worked well on my retaining ring on my Euromariner.

Shouldn't mess up the threads of the caseback, either.

Hi alligoat, my bad...I mean the inside diameter of the low-pro caseback needs to be wider...

[gplracer]

I have had almost all of these issues. It is the price of admission for a 6263. My watch was serviced and runs great. I found that the chrono will not function properly if the case back is over tightened. I also found that the chronograph stops at 5 seconds after the hour, but this does happen if the watch is wound well. Has anyone found this out with 7750s? Fully wound the chrono runs perfect.

I need to reset my chrono hand because I had some slippage. I guess I should not have reset it at 20 past the hour. My watch runs and looks great!

[lhooq]

Thanks, everyone, for the very detailed and educational tips. Thankfully, chiman had the right advice for my situation and slightly loosening the caseback got the chrono running again. I never encountered this problem when I had the old dial mounted, but I've quickly learned how temperamental these pieces are.

I'm loving the dial the more I look at it, and I especially like the well-balanced 'R' on 'ROLEX'. Yeah, it's a shame about the missing 'SWISS'. I imagine that after DW enlarged the subdials, he couldn't figure out how to squeeze in the text without losing the lume dot!

[chiman12]

I'm glad that you got the chrono working again LH! Enjoy the DW, she is a beaut!

[flex]

looks very nice.......but its missing the T Swiss T on the bottom

[lhooq]

Hard to say if your crystal is gen or not based on your pics. If you place the 'gen' crystal next to your original crystal & snap a good, clear macro pic, we might be able to tell.

Unfortunately, my original DW crystal has been tossed out. Back in December, when the bezel was first removed from the case, it was found that the crystal was cracked around a portion of its base. I've been using a Clark's crystal (early T21) since then. Please excuse the filthy crystal on the right:

Maybe it's apples-to-oranges trying to compare these two different shapes, but the 'Rolex' crystal definitely has the edge in clarity. I only wish I could have taken this picture with a brand-new Clark's!

The reason I doubt it's a genuine T21 is the profile, which lacks the clearly-defined, roughly 60 degree bevel that you see here:

Are there more than two types of Tropic 21 out there?

[alligoat]

Hi alligoat, my bad...I mean the inside diameter of the low-pro caseback needs to be wider...

Darn, that makes it toughter. Sanding by hand (or filing) would be tedious, but maybe a dremel w/ a stone attachment would do the trick. I bought a dremel-like tool at Harbor Freight for $15 or so.

[freddy333]

Maybe it's apples-to-oranges trying to compare these two different shapes, but the 'Rolex' crystal definitely has the edge in clarity. I only wish I could have taken this picture with a brand-new Clark's!

The reason I doubt it's a genuine T21 is the profile, which lacks the clearly-defined, roughly 60 degree bevel that you see here:

Are there more than two types of Tropic 21 out there?

Yes, there are 2 versions of the gen T21 - the original, which looks (from the side) like a short superdome T39 (tall, with rounded edges) & the later/current version, which has the beveled edge. Neither of the crystals in your 1st comparison pic look like gen T21s to me.

[lhooq]

Thanks for confirming my suspicions, freddy.

I got my crystal from xxx on eBay. Buyer beware.

[Crystal was genuine, but was altered during installation.]

[lhooq]

Got my genuine Tropic 21 installed today.

Before:

After:

The difference is exceedingly subtle, but this is why we do what we do!

I'm a happy camper.

[freddy333]

Very nice LH. That crystal clear refraction around the circumference of the lens is what sets this crystal apart from all the others. It gives the Daytona a jewel-like appearance, which, to my eye, puts it head & shoulders above the domed crystal these watches originally came with.

[lhooq]

Thanks, freddy. I think it looks good in the photos, but it's hard to capture the swirling, shimmering ring of light you see when you twist the wrist. It's mesmerizing!

[spooky driver]

the crystal looks fantastic....

going back to your gen bracelet is there much difference between the 7836 and the 7835 and the different end-links for a vintage Daytona

[gplracer]

Things are looking real good.

[lhooq]

going back to your gen bracelet is there much difference between the 7836 and the 7835 and the different end-links for a vintage Daytona

I made a mistake in my original thread by misidentifying the bracelet as a 7836. (I'd like to say it was a typo, but I think I was genuinely confused!) It's a 7835, and 19mm wide at the lugs; the 7836 is 20mm. The 7835 is also distinguished by its severe taper to an almost lady-like 12mm at the clasp. Perfect if you've got small wrists like me, but it can look top-heavy for others.

As for endlinks: The ones on mine are marked 361, which, based on their dimensions, suggests the bracelet came from an Oyster Precision. They're about 1mm short of reaching the tips of the lugs, leave a 1/2mm gap to the case (hidden by the bezel in most angles), and leave the top half of the "STAINLESS STEEL" etching exposed. Despite all that, I think it looks pretty good! A better option would be 357 endlinks, which you can see on freddy's Daytonas. Not perfect, but they fill out the spaces between the lugs a lot better. The best choice would be 571s, but be prepared to pay through the nose for those.

[gplracer]

Did you get after market pushers?

[lhooq]

No, those are the stock DW units, and w.r.t. your thread, they needed a bit of Loctite to stay in place. Plans for genuine crown/tube/pushers are on hold as I try to get my parts spending under control!

[lhooq]

I had a very good run with this watch since March. I experienced no extraordinary stoppages, time kept was reasonable, and the chrono worked great, with all hands resetting to zero. Then a couple of weeks ago, I decided to upgrade to a genuine crown and tube, and it was as if the movement had an allergic reaction to air. Today it's back from the shop, and under close observation.

I don't know when DW's vintage Daytonas first showed up on RWG (4-5 years ago?), but the breadth of accumulated experience on this forum is tremendous. I don't think there are any new problems left to be discovered--just new people who run into the old ones! I've only had mine since December, so I definitely fall into that group. So for the benefit of other new and newish DW Daytona owners, here's a breakdown of issues I experienced recently, plus solutions:

1. Sloppy Winding

Winding the de-rotored 7750 with DW's crown felt like dealing with a slipping clutch in an automobile. If I didn't give the crown a little bit of an outward pull while winding, I would feel a little pop in the movement and start imagining something horrible going on inside. Ubi describes the problem perfectly in this thread. At the time I read Ubi's post, I had fortunately already ordered a crown and tube by the time I read Ubi's post. Of course, I'd bought them purely for aesthetic reasons, so... bonus! Needless to say, the winding action now feels firm and efficient. As far as looks go, please compare:

If the poor impression of a coronet doesn't frighten you, the Triplock bumps will! I've never been much of a "Crown Man" until now, but it's not something I will be ignoring in the future.

2. Busy Hands

After installing the new crown, the first problems I had were wandering sweep and minute counter hands on reset. My watchmaker was going nuts: After each reset, he would remove the two hands, re-center and re-attach them. Then he'd bite his tongue when the next reset would show 1:03 elapsed! I didn't remember it at the time, but I came back the next day with a printout of freddy333's post about the epoxy fix (see page 1 of this thread). He followed the instructions, and glued both hands to their tubes. I've reset the chrono a couple dozen times. So far, problem solved!

3. Chrono Stoppages

I was happy to have a functioning chronograph again, so I left it running to see if it could get through a 12-hour cycle with no problems. Unfortunately, it would bog down between 30-40s on the dial. It wouldn't happen every minute, but the sweep hand would be set back in motion with two clicks of the top pusher or a tap to the case. Well, this is one problem even I know how to solve, as I've run into it a bunch of times since December. Loosen the caseback until the sweep hand moves unimpeded. Mind you, it's only been working for the past hour, but I'm an optimist.

[Ronin]

2. Busy Hands

After installing the new crown, the first problems I had were wandering sweep and minute counter hands on reset. My watchmaker was going nuts: After each reset, he would remove the two hands, re-center and re-attach them. Then he'd bite his tongue when the next reset would show 1:03 elapsed! I didn't remember it at the time, but I came back the next day with a printout of freddy333's post about the epoxy fix (see page 1 of this thread). He followed the instructions, and glued both hands to their tubes. I've reset the chrono a couple dozen times. So far, problem solved!

3. Chrono Stoppages

I was happy to have a functioning chronograph again, so I left it running to see if it could get through a 12-hour cycle with no problems. Unfortunately, it would bog down between 30-40s on the dial. It wouldn't happen every minute, but the sweep hand would be set back in motion with two clicks of the top pusher or a tap to the case. Well, this is one problem even I know how to solve, as I've run into it a bunch of times since December. Loosen the caseback until the sweep hand moves unimpeded. Mind you, it's only been working for the past hour, but I'm an optimist.

Excellent post guys! I just recently acquired a 6263 with the two above issues. The Freddy333's fix is magic.

As far as the chrono stoppage. EXACT same thing. So to clarify: loosen the caseback some? Is this some type of impingement from an 'overtightened' case? Curious as to the mechanics here.

The things you learn here @ RWG.

[FxrAndy]

I think the case back issue could be solved by any one with a lathe. just need the correct measurements