1:1 Rolex Sports Model Crystals with AR Under the Cyclops

[BigCrown]

ROLEX Sports Model Crystals with AR Under the Cyclops

Okay guys, I need some input from members as I make final preparations for the manufacturing process. These projects cost a lot of capital and it would be a shame if something is overlooked.

I will be manufacturing a 1:1 Corundum Sapphire Submariner/Rolex Sports crystal with AR under the cyclops this April. This will hopefully be an excellent addition to the possibilities for Rolex sports owners.

As discussed at length for the Panerai Luminor crystals, these Submariner crystals will be made with the finest quality base materials and to the highest degree of specification.

-Rolex OEM Crystal used as a sample

-Corundum Sapphire base material

-OEM gasket used as a sample

-near colorless AR per genuine under the cyclops

-nice edges and finishing

-sharp 90 degree angles on the routed grooves that contact the gasket for perfect water tightness (UNLIKE most rep and aftermarket crystals)

-correct cyclops x2.5 (depending on gasket used)

Replacement Sapphire Crystal Rolex Part Number 25-295-C1, C2, 25-295- AR

Gaskets:

I have several gasket heights I am still working on which or all will be made:

GASKET PART NUMBERS: 29-295-C, 29-295-1, 29-295-2

Your input will help here. J

BACKGROUND:

Rolex’s Words:

“The Cyclops date magnifier has an anti-reflective coating: above-below”

Interpretation:

“above-below” = between the cyclops and top of the sapphire

This does not read this way at first, but has been confirmed from a TZ post and my own research. Here is a photo from TZ showing the GMT-C with cyclops removed.

Compatible models:

MODELS that should be upgraded using these crystals:

Submariners 16610, 16610 LV, 16800, 168000, etc.

Explorer IIs

Yachtmasters

GMTs

Questions:

Any idea what watches can take the genuine spec crystals? For example most guys upgrade their Submariners with Clark crystals…. What makers are being upgraded? (TW Best, WM9, etc.)

Is there anything that should be noted before this begins?

Any other oversights? ROLEX Sports Model Crystals with AR Under the Cyclops

Okay guys, I need some input from members as I make final preparations for the manufacturing process. These

[concepta]

WOW! This is really cool news!

[w.genzo]

Great!

About modern reps accepting gen crystal, i guess tw best, tc, etaswiss, wm9 Sub, noob exII (discontinued and gen does not have AR), GmtIIc, etaswiss YM and WM9 YM.

No clue about 116610 but I doubt.

Probably 116200 too, but gen does not have AR, at least my z serial.

The only thing i don't understand is why upgrading a 16800 168000 16200 or early pre V serial 16610

Edited March 25, 2012 by w.genzo

[dluddy]

Was hoping you would eventually take this on

[freddy333]

Here is the rear side view of a gen GMTIIC crystal. As you can see, there is AR applied to the back of the crystal (below the cyclops)

On the watch, the AR produces the famous black hole effect over the cyclops

Based on my own experiments a couple of years ago, the AR is definitely applied to more than 1 surface. This is 1 of my test lenses with AR applied only to the bottom side of the crystal

On the watch, the single-side AR does greatly reduce glare, but it fails to produce the black hole over the cyclops

So, as Rolex states in their service literature, the AR is applied to 2 surfaces. Obviously, as you can see in my 1st pic, there is AR on the bottom side of the crystal. The question is whether that 2nd surface is the top of the crystal (below the cyclops) or the top of the cyclops (I suspect the former)?

[dluddy]

Based on the TZ pic, I say it is AR on both the top and bottom of xtal where the cyclops sits as Freddy suggests

[BigCrown]

This is a great example of what makes our community great.

In the Rolex document, it does show a multicolor coded layer underneath the crystal:

I am surprised it don't show the same color coat under the cyclops.

[danielv2000]

Holy crap! What a project

[its_urabus]

yea I would buy a few...

[sneed12]

If you build this I will buy it. I have invested several hundred dollars in trying to make these things and nothing has been right so far.

[correctime]

Awesome concept...manufacturing these.

This should prove to be very useful...and very interesting.

Done right...I'm in for a few myself.

I'd love to sport the "black-hole" effect.

Edited March 26, 2012 by correctime

[watcher]

The leading edge finish of the crystal must be right to make this project work.

[Eton]

THE BEST news of the year...IMO, thanks Big!!!

I'll take two for sure!!!

[Tiyal]

I'm in for two! this is great!

[BigCrown]

Update: I'll have a prototype made in 2-3 weeks.

[Fixen]

I'm in

[the_rymeister]

Wow this is an amazing project, hats off to you bigcrown, I would be down for one of these, what sort of money Would one cost to buy from you?

[janeto72]

any idea wha t the cost might be for these for the members?

[BigCrown]

Yes. I am working on some way to get a form of a 'pre-order' started for $85 and after when they are in-hand around $99.

[the_rymeister]

That's a good price if they look gen

[BigCrown]

That's a good price if they look gen

I aim not to disappoint

I have started a pre-order thread over on the geek.

TOP: Rolex's design; what we will be making as a top quality 1:1 replacement part;

MIDDLE: a nice alternative but not quite Rolex design; cost is high and labor intensive without the OEM final result;

BOTTOM: what we will probably call 'typical rep' AR-ed cyclops; only the cyclops lens is AR-ed and simply glued on. The cost to this method is nearly nothing beyond a typical replacement crystal;

[HauteHippie]

First of all, great project. Your efforts are applauded.

Question though, are you sure there is no AR on the cyclops itself on the Rolex crystal? I mean, AR on the top and bottom flat surfaces under the cyclops AND on the cyclops itself? I'm surprised you can get a black hole if the highly reflective cyclops curved surface is left uncoated. I have no way to verify on my own, but it's definitely not intuitive.

Edited April 17, 2012 by chieftang

[the_rymeister]

Hi buddy can you put up link to post on rwg

[BigCrown]

Hi buddy can you put up link to post on rwg

Sure:

PRE-ORDER INFO: 1:1 Rolex Sports Sapphire Crystals with 2xAR UNder Cyclops

[BigCrown]

First of all, great project. Your efforts are applauded.

Question though, are you sure there is no AR on the cyclops itself on the Rolex crystal? I mean, AR on the top and bottom flat surfaces under the cyclops AND on the cyclops itself? I'm surprised you can get a black hole if the highly reflective cyclops curved surface is left uncoated. I have no way to verify on my own, but it's definitely not intuitive.

Chief is correct!!!!! Even though I never noticed wearing my GMTII for a while that the cyclops had a coat of colorless AR on it. The ROlex diagram is very misleading. This was only discovered from trial and error.

Here is a GMT with the cyclops removed:

Here is the underside of Freddy's GMT-C crystal:

Freddy's photo is worth 1,000 words. If you look closely, you can see the two layers of AR...and when they overlap (darkest color) creating the 'black hole' which makes the date POP.

I will confirm everything soon once the samples are made. The AR on the outer curved portion of the cyclops would allow it to be scratched which is very "un-Rolex". However, i will double check once i get another OEM crystal with AR.

I also plan on having samples made of each combination of AR on each surface so that we know which is best. I definitely do not want to make any errors with mass manufacturing project like this.

Edited May 28, 2012 by BigCrown