tabularasa415 Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 Alright guys, I'm sure you all remember when you-know-who had to get rid of a few classic MBWs for fear that a little Columbian woman would come at him with a machete. Well, I picked up a DRSD and even did a review of it in its virgin form that I'm sure some of you remember. If you need a refresher, you can find it here. Well, I sought out the help of PBDad to realize my dream of owning one of these watches. You see, I do have some nice genuine watches, and while I don't mind paying for the ones I "have" to have, I could never rationalize paying $20+K for it (not to mention that I'd be murdered by my better half). So, after picking up the watch that looked beautiful and fresh from the factory because it did nothing but sit in a certain someone's watch box (no surprise since he probably only sold me his 7th duplicate watch), I contacted PBDad and we began discussing what parts I'd need to pick up and what it is I wanted my watch to look like. I could go on and on about parts I'd sought out and blah blah blah, but those of you who've built your grails understand the emotion tied into their value (even compared to your more $$$ valuable gens), and for those of you who've yet to build one, well, I highly recommend it. A quick rundown of everything done: -case softened, aged, polished and aged again -caseback polished out, aged, paint removed and satin buffed -lugs drilled, chamfered and repolished -bracelet modded and endlinks drilled for 2mm bars -cgs shaped, soften and polished -install supplied T39 crystal (not aged) -install and supply new silver dw with open 6 and 9 -install new crown and supply new tube and drill case to accept tube -fade insert and install new yuki pearl -superluminova dial, pearl and hands in creamy vanilla color -new ETA 2846-2 regulate, service with tudor rotor -age, buff and age bracelet and endlinks -reassemble, grease all gaskets and test So, two months and here is the end result (PICTURE TIME) We will start with lume shots PB sent so that I could approve of color and appearance: By tabularasa415 at 2011-06-07 By tabularasa415 at 2011-06-07 Next, he sent me pictures of it reassembled minus the insert b/c we had two inserts to chose from: By tabularasa415 at 2011-06-07 By tabularasa415 at 2011-06-07 Of course, finished pictures: By tabularasa415 at 2011-06-07 By tabularasa415 at 2011-06-07 By tabularasa415 at 2011-06-07 Oh, don't forget my genuine Tudor rotor in case anyone cracks her open she has a leg to stand on: By tabularasa415 at 2011-06-07 And then, here she arrived less than 24 hours later (thank you PBDad) to sit upon my wrist!: By tabularasa415 at 2011-06-07 By tabularasa415 at 2011-06-07 By tabularasa415 at 2011-06-07 By tabularasa415 at 2011-06-07 By tabularasa415 at 2011-06-07 By the way, check out the parts section for some "spares" I have leftover from this build! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJGladeRaider Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 Hey Jeremy, I have been meaning to mention that your check bounced, but that's OK . . . just send the watch back. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 Love the case work done on this one! Very very nice!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabularasa415 Posted June 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 Hey Jeremy, I have been meaning to mention that your check bounced, but that's OK . . . just send the watch back. Bill Haha! Nice try, sir. I'll tell you what... you give me one of those rare GMTs of yours, and send it along with another 1665 that you want modded, and I will over-see the project for you and simply keep the GMT as payment ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 Nice build! Now get yourself one of these and you're done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 DAMN!!!!! That really is a beautiful build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 Looks great , with 1 exception -- I never understand why people spend so much time, effort & money to make a credible-looking 40+ year old Rolex & then splash brightly glowing (modern looking) lume on the dial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 Looks great , with 1 exception -- I never understand why people spend so much time, effort & money to make a credible-looking 40+ year old Rolex & then splash brightly glowing (modern looking) lume on the dial. Functionality But yes, I do see your point with regards credible 'aging'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJGladeRaider Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 Looks great , with 1 exception -- I never understand why people spend so much time, effort & money to make a credible-looking 40+ year old Rolex & then splash brightly glowing (modern looking) lume on the dial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zeleni kukuruz Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 Nice build! Now get yourself one of these and you're done. /monthly_06_2011/post-32-0-01490000-1307471733.jpg" rel="norewrite external nofollow"> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEKS Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 Oooh I can't wait. I have a similar project in with father PB presently. I went with the 1665 from Puretime added a gen crown and a Yuki rivet bracelet, which I prefer. PB is working his magic and I'll let you all take a looksy when she's done. Nice watch! cheers - J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highoeyazmuhudee Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 sorry if i missed it, but whose endlinks and bracelet are on this piece? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabularasa415 Posted June 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 Looks great , with 1 exception -- I never understand why people spend so much time, effort & money to make a credible-looking 40+ year old Rolex & then splash brightly glowing (modern looking) lume on the dial. Honestly, Bill took the words out of my mouth. I'm not agreeing with him because he's my friend, and he was NOT supporting me because he is my friend as well -- we simply both appreciate functional watches. I've spent more money re-luming watches than what I paid for the watches themselves. I like to know that when I walk into a dark movie theater my supposedly 30-something-year-old watch is still going to tell me the time. If it were Rolex serviced they'd replace the dial or relume it, right? Well, why not do the same during my servicing :-) PBDad offered to throw in some tritium contamination if I wanted it, but we both agreed that I wanted a watch that had looked liked it'd been serviced and cared for over the years, and that's precisely what I received, agreed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabularasa415 Posted June 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 Bracelet and endlinks, to the best of my knowledge, are MBW original. Of course, they've been highly modified by Father PB. I wanted my watch to look like something my father's been wearing since he graduated college and my grandfather gave him the watch as a graduation gift, and then I pried it off of his cold, dead wrist... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1680 Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 In Europe you can't get any kind of service by Rolex without getting a SL service dial, SL hands and pearl, because the Rolex don't want to handle with tritium anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 Honestly, Bill took the words out of my mouth. I'm not agreeing with him because he's my friend, and he was NOT supporting me because he is my friend as well -- we simply both appreciate functional watches. I've spent more money re-luming watches than what I paid for the watches themselves. I like to know that when I walk into a dark movie theater my supposedly 30-something-year-old watch is still going to tell me the time. If it were Rolex serviced they'd replace the dial or relume it, right? Well, why not do the same during my servicing :-) PBDad offered to throw in some tritium contamination if I wanted it, but we both agreed that I wanted a watch that had looked liked it'd been serviced and cared for over the years, and that's precisely what I received, agreed? Absolutely, and spot on points about Rolex's tendency to re-furbish aged parts Have to admit, I'd always been somewhat hesitant about going from a Sub to a Sea-Dweller (Especially a double red, given the pricing and history) but having seen this, I'm going to have to bite the bullet and get one for myself (in time when circumstances allow ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 If it were Rolex serviced they'd replace the dial or relume it, right? Well, why not do the same during my servicing :-) If Rolex serviced it, they would replace the dial with a modern dial. In that case, the dial would glow, but your watch would look like this (note the metal surrounds on the modern index markers) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabularasa415 Posted June 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 that would just [censored] me off... a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 If Rolex serviced it, they would replace the dial with a modern dial. In that case, the dial would glow, but your watch would look like this (note the metal surrounds on the modern index markers) Would they really put a modern dial into the vintage case though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1680 Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 I think they put a normal matte dial with white SL indices in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 I think they put a normal matte dial with white SL indices in it. But one with the 'vintage-style' markers, as opposed to the modern ones with the white gold surrounds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 Many US Rolex RSCs would probably not even touch it at this point due to its age. However, if they did service it, they would want to replace any components that no longer meet specs with current parts. If you decline their recommendation, they may return the watch to you, unserviced. In any case, because Rolex does not relume dials, having a vintage dial glowing brightly indicates a modified/fake dial. My criticism is simply that if function is more important than authenticity, why not choose a modern model that is easily readable in the dark? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1680 Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 (edited) They don't relume due to the risk of tongue cancer. If you get it serviced, you get a SL dial and hands in any case, a Redsub dial looks like: (Photo by Dieter-B @ R-L-X) And yes, without whitegold surroundings. Edited June 8, 2011 by 1680 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 They don't relume due to the risk of tongue cancer. If you get it serviced, you get a SL dial and hands in any case, a Redsub dial looks like: And yes, without whitegold surroundings. In all seriousness, are you kidding? In the 1920s, when radium (not tritium) dials were painted by hand, many of the (mostly) women who did this work were instructed to wet the tips of their brushes with their tongues to keep the brush point sharp. Over time, the radium they consumed collected in their bones, mostly in their jaws, which resulted in serious degeneration & tumors. Rolex has neither made nor installed red Sub or SD dials for many (more than 30) years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1680 Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 (edited) Someone in the german Rolex forum got his NOS SL dial from Genf. Edited June 8, 2011 by 1680 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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