1016 Project 4: One Last Explorer

[lhooq]

How do I love the 1016? Let me count the builds:

In the back and to the left is my very first 1016 project, based on a Narikaa vintage Explorer. Beside it is another 1016 based on the common rep Datejust. This one is from Hont, but spruced up with an MBK dial from Lanikai. In the foreground and on the left is the Space-Dweller based on a 1601 case from ChiMan12 and topped off by a bezel by jmb. And to its right, finally, is my latest -and in all likelihood, final- 1016 franken. The last two projects may still be tweaked in the future, but otherwise, I'd best get a gen or move on!

So why another Explorer, and why so soon after the last one? In my Space-Dweller post-mortem, I wrote about a crisis of confidence that I experienced midway through the project. I had yet to touch a single part of the build, but I had become convinced that the 1601 case wouldn't work for a 1016 franken. I was worried that the 2472 movement wouldn't fit (despite C's patient reassurances), and that the exterior dimensions were too far off from the 1016's. It turned out that I was splendidly wrong, but I sweated enough to take drastic action.

Beginning with stilty's Explorer from 2008, the 162xx Datejust case has been the way to go for 1016 frankens. I used to think it would be too expensive to go down that route, but it's funny -and a bit scary- how flexible your acceptable spending limit can be! Regardless, I'd been tracking a 16203 on eBay for some time, and the price had just dropped by another $100. I bought it, sweated some more, then decided on proceeding with parallel projects.

So now I had two 1016s underway. How would I go about differentiating the second, if the first was going to be a mid-60s Space-Dweller? One option I considered was to go for the old gold: Both crockey and lanikai had had beautiful results with their gilt MBKs, and the dials sold by Yuki were very nice. But in all honesty, the glossy dial doesn't do a whole lot for me, and feels a bit antithetical to the Explorer concept.

What did capture my imagination was the timeless look of the 1016 dial with white markers, either in Luminova or freshly laid tritium. Yellowed indices are nice, but I wanted a 1016 that looked like it had popped out of a Rolex ad in a mid-70s National Geographic. Unfortunately, there's a shortage of good 1016 dials out there, and almost all of them are finished in vintage yellow. I also screwed up by not bidding on two separate service dials that had come up for auction this summer. (I thought there were more to come!) Finding a dial would be the hardest part of this project, and I'm still not 100% satisfied with the results. The search continues.

Case Work

As with the Space-Dweller, jmb fabricated a Tropic 22-size bezel based on my estimated dimensions. It looks fantastic, as seen below. The picture on the left is one of my favorite details on this watch, as it shows off the bezel's overhang and the way the crown nestles underneath it. On the right is a closer look at the gen crown and tube. This is an older, 6mm tube, so Justin had to drill the case (which took a 5.3mm tube) and retap the hole to get it to fit.

To be clear: I'm not so anal about the details as to want the correct tube in there. Rather, I had ordered the crown/tube based on a listing that said it was compatible with the 162xx. It most definitely was not!

J also drilled out the lugholes for gen-size springbars, and gave them a bit of chamfering and blending. The lugs got a light polish, while retaining all evidence of a hard-knock life.

The end result looks great in profile:

Oh crap... I forgot to blur the serial number!

1601 vs. 16203?

One of the reasons why I decided on parallel projects was to satisfy my curiosity about which Datejust case would make a better 1016 franken: The contemporary 16xx or the more modern 162xx? This was discussed in a thread a few months back, but here's a quick list of the pros and cons:

• 
  
  
• Lugholes: 16203 can be drilled out for 2mm springbars. 1601 cannot be drilled safely, as the holes are too close to the edge of the lugs. However, the smaller holes aren't so noticeable on the 1601 due to the reduced surface area on its flanks.
  
• Caseback: The 16203's is a match for the 1016's, and more water-resistant than the 1601's, to boot:
  
  
  
  
  
  • 
    
  • Mid-case shape: In a previous thread, I noted that the 16xx more closely resembled the 1016 from the lugholes up, while the 162xx was a better match from the lugholes down. The 1601's lugs curve more softly, which is more appropriate for older Rolexes. From the crown, note how soon the character line starts to fall away from the bezel and toward the horns of the lugs. In contrast, the 16203 has a flatter midsection, before abruptly turning downwards. (automatico perfectly compared the modern Datejust's profile with shrugged shoulders.) Overall, the 16203 has the superior dimensions, because of its drooping lugs and taller sides. But when viewed on the wrist, it's a close-run thing between the two.
    
    Take a look (from top to bottom, 1016, 1601, 16203):
    

  

  Crystal

  I originally had a Clark crystal on this watch until automatico turned me onto the GS equivalent of the Tropic 22. The GS PA464-64C won out, as described here. Check out the refractions along the edge:

  

  Bracelet

  This project was underway around the time Josh's 1655 showed up, and with it came the promise of a good rep folded-link bracelet. I've come very close to paying $300-400 on a genuine 7836; good thing I was outbid every time! This bracelet comes from Watch International, and it was able to take proper 1016 springbars with no modification, as detailed here.

  

  Movement

  I had wanted to get a low-beat movement for this one. stilty suggested a 2824/2836 hybrid, but this seemed to be beyond my abilities. (I plan on revisiting it, though.) I managed to snag a vintage ETA 2452 in decent condition, but realized too late that it came with a snapped stem. Ultimately, I went with a high-beat Seagull ST2130, which is basically a 2824-2. Solid reliability, but so boring.

  

  Dial

  Sourcing a dial was the single biggest cause of delays for this project. First, I ordered a matte 1016 from Yukiwatch, thinking that it looked pretty good in the pictures. What arrived (and Brightight can back me up on this) was a completely different dial with many flaws. I got a refund, and noticed that Yuki had updated the pictures several days later. While visiting my watchsmith, I caught a lucky break by running into someone who had bought three Yuki 1016 dials last year, and kept them as spare parts. I bought one on the spot, and sent it off to Goin for a relume in white. Goin also matted the dial a bit more, as it had a bit of a sheen on it. The hour/minute hands are from Clark, the sweep from Yuki.

  

  Good work on the relume, but I'm still not completely satisfied by the dial. The numerals and the stick markers are too thin, while the coronet is small and uninspiring. The gap between SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER and OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED also needs to be bigger. I think that Space-Dweller dial has spoiled me forever.

  The End?

  Despite my nitpicking, I'm pleased with the way it all turned out, but I will continue looking for a better dial and a suitable slow-beat movement.

  But here's a little story to keep things in perspective: During one of my visits to the watchsmith for this and the Space-Dweller project, I met someone who just happened to be wearing his genuine 1968 Explorer. He was nice enough to hand it over to me so I could compare it with my Space-Dweller side-by-side. Honestly, my franken looked legit at first, second, and third glance. Turning them on their sides, the first difference I noticed was the size of the lugholes, and then the droop of the lugs. Every other tell seemed minor.

  Last year, I tried the same thing with 1016 Project 2, and went away feeling depressed by how different it looked. This time, I felt great.

  

[donerix]

Great project and even better write up.

For a Rolex novice like me it is mind boggling how you manage to capture the spirit of these vintage time pieces (especially with the two most recent projects).

Did you - or will you - ever do this with a no-crown guard sports model ?

If so we all will be listening very closely....

Wear it well.

[jmb]

M, looks fantastic! Gonna have to break down and build one some day...

[Member X]

Great write up

I've always liked these, and the Space Dweller is awesome so it's good to have detailed info on build options, thank you!

It does sound like a lot of stress though... lol

[alligoat]

Amazing! Great write up and four vey nice watches, M. You've definitely become the expert on the vintage Explorers! Congrats!

[ubiquitous]

Fantastic build! That 1016 absolutely looks the business!

[dluddy]

Loving your projects and this one is top shelf

[stac]

Beautiful work!

These watches are so basic and simple (there in lies the beauty of them)...they should be required wearing for ALL watch nuts!!

Enjoy them and be proud of your work!

[chiman12]

M! Superbly writtten! Your threads just might have to be stickys for future referencing!

[stilty]

Very, very nice! Great job!

[FxrAndy]

Good work mate, i am just going through bezel fitting trouble on my 36mm franken 1016 project

[freddy333]

Well done.

[Toadtorrent]

These are fantastic. The photos are truly wonderful too.

[redwatch]

Superb LHOOQ! The case work on this one is top notch!!! I love your write ups so please keep it up!

[dbutlerman]

Great write up and an even better watch! Makes me want a 1016

[redwatch]

LHOOQ - you could always go Freddy's route and put a nice cream dial in there

There's one for sale on eBay right now. Click me

[sly]

Very Nice, Can't. wait to get mine.

[dieselpower]

Lovely stuff. A decent 1016 is on my wish list and the info here is invaluable. Well done.

[lhooq]

Thanks, all, for the kind words, and for the vast pool of knowledge that has accumulated here in RWG-Rolex. In particular, stilty's old 1016 franken was a huge inspiration to me, and made me realize that reps weren't strictly a "take it or leave it" proposition.

Between these two Explorers, the SM300, and the 6239, it's been a VERY busy couple of months for me, watch-wise. Stressful? Not really, though these projects can lead to sleepless nights due to giddy anticipation! While it's nice to wrap up all pending projects, I do get that uneasy sense of, "What the hell am I supposed to do now?" There are still large, Submariner-sized holes in my collection, so maybe I should do some more reading toward that end.

J: I told you I'd get those lughole and bezel beauty shots! They're all terrific, but the finish on this bezel is a touch better than the one on the Space-Dweller. Quoth the raven: 'What a shine!'

C/Andy/Sly: Looking forward to seeing what you all have in store with your 1016s! And if any of you have a spare service dial lying around...

Red: I saw that listing come up last month. Hell of a price for a refinished dial! It took me some time to start liking Freddy's white GMT, but I just don't see that happening for an albino Explorer.

[crockey]

Alot of hard work and research obviously went into your Explorers. They capture the simplicity and elegance that has defined Rolex from the start. Well done!

[rolexmaniac88]

Fantastic builds! Congrats on the 4 explorers, they just look great (i have to admit the space dweller leaves me speachless ).

The Rolex explorer 1016 was the first rolex watch that I truly loved and that practically got me into this hobby in the first place

Keep up the good work and, just in case, if you ever decide to part from one of these beauties, think of me fast and your watch will sure enjoy its new home!

[lhooq]

Thanks, guys! crockey, I hope you're not missing your MBK, as that was an impressive piece!

rm88: The Space-Dweller gets all the attention! In all honesty, between the domed crystal, the low-beat movement, and that spectacular dial, it's my favorite, too. But the 16203 Explorer has its positives, and a different personality. When you see the sharp edge of that GS crystal in person, it really (as Ubi says) "looks the business."

Looking back at my first two projects, I think you can do quite a lot using a rep Datejust case. If I were to go over them again, I would focus on the crystals and sand them down so they didn't protrude so much. Get the general profile right, and you have a nice 1016 rep for not that much money (relatively speaking!).

[StormTooper4]

Beautiful work indeed

[automatico]

Looking back at my first two projects, I think you can do quite a lot using a rep Datejust case. If I were to go over them again, I would focus on the crystals and sand them down so they didn't protrude so much. Get the general profile right, and you have a nice 1016 rep for not that much money (relatively speaking!)."

I agree, and since a replica case does not cost much there would be a lot less anxiety when drilling lug holes etc. I have a couple replica DJ cases that will accept genuine crystals and that is what I will use on the next 1016 project.

Fine looking batch of watches btw!

[lhooq]

Thanks! It's always boggled my mind how the rep factories couldn't seem to get the 29.5mm inner diameter right, so I'm glad to hear that such cases exist. Planning on taking one to the grinding wheel for some extensive modification?