Jump to content
When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
  • Current Donation Goals

Vintage Bug: McQueen Exp II and The Tudor MC


siesta181

Recommended Posts

Picked up the latest ExpII to accompany my recently completed Tudor 7032 project. I must say the build on these new ExpII are excellent. I believe that if you just change the crystal and you are set. But then again I am a Rollie noob so what do I know but I like what I see..

9f953c08.jpg

eb7a1116.jpg

Have a good weekend

Cheers

S181

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just put together an a21j version yesterday... the gen of this watch (the McQueen I mean) has a non-independent GMT hand and a low-beat movement, if I remember correctly.

Going 21j for low-beat and ETA or clone for high-beat is the one thing that I'm fairly anal about with Rolex reps...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Absolutely fantastic pair, they look great together :good: Nice idea to put a 2893 in the 1655, as you say, it's not accurate to the original specs, but it is providing proper GMT function, so that's an improvement over the original specifications :) Can't wait to refit mine to look like Oliver Shepard's , it might actually see some wrist time then :whistling:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are absolutely right TJ. The McQueen is an absolute nightmare when it comes to telling time at a glance.... but the unique dial is what attracted me to it in the first place

I know exactly what you mean there, the dial looks sooooo good in photos, I thought "I'll get me one of those... :victory: " But trying to read the time quickly... That's just :blink::unsure::wounded1: I know Rolex took design feedback from divers when the Sea-Dwellers and Submariner lines were being updated, I wonder if they took feedback from Shepard, which led to the 1655 becoming the modern Explorer II we have today (which otherwise should be dubbed Explorer III :whistling: ) Yours really do make a handsome pair, wear them well :drinks:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know that a 2893 in a McQueen is inaccurate. But I sleep better with a "real" GMT movement in this coz I really like this watch. A GMT function is always useful...

I hear you on this one!! I also think about putting one in a GMT IIc...but wrong handstack...would I care?? Not likely...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't understand the comments about the dial being illegible, honestly... Who looks at the dial when telling time? There are watches out there with no dial markers at all, as long as the hands are visible telling the time is fairly simple.

I'm guessing you've never worn a 1655... Dials with no markers are fine, but the 1655 dial is a nightmare to read, because the eye picks up on the additional 24hour markings instead of the main ones. For example, the eye sees the first marker past 30, and thinks 35, but it's not, it's actually 32.5, and then the mind re-calculates, and it gets a bit :blink: rather than simply looking at a glance and easily reading the time. You may well be one of the lucky people who can wear the watch and tolerate the dial. The effect is impossible to tell from photos, only possible to experience while wearing the watch, but is incredibly pronounced.

Lets put it another way... If the dial format for the 1655 is perfectly acceptable, why do you think Rolex discontinued to use the dial, and proceded to built the next generation of Explorer II's with GMT/Submariner-style dials and continue that style to this day? :whistling:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm guessing you've never worn a 1655...

I'm wearing a rep of one right now, actually

Dials with no markers are fine, but the 1655 dial is a nightmare to read, because the eye picks up on the additional 24hour markings instead of the main ones.

I never seem to have that problem. To each his own I guess

Lets put it another way... If the dial format for the 1655 is perfectly acceptable, why do you think Rolex discontinued to use the dial, and proceded to built the next generation of Explorer II's with GMT/Submariner-style dials and continue that style to this day? :whistling:

So that us vintage watch nuts would start paying 10k+ for these things (or build or own)!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm wearing a rep of one right now, actually

I never seem to have that problem. To each his own I guess

As you say, to each his own :)

So that us vintage watch nuts would start paying 10k+ for these things (or build or own)!

That's one theory, but I don't buy it :D:drinks:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...
Please Sign In or Sign Up