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

[watcher]

I have a gen ar crystal here in front of me and big crown is correct, there is no ar on the cyclops. The crystal is ar coated both sides in just that location. It is the only way to go if you have managed to make a mask for the crystal that sits the ar in the right place for the date window. Great work!!!!!!!

[BigCrown]

I have a gen ar crystal here in front of me and big crown is correct, there is no ar on the cyclops. The crystal is ar coated both sides in just that location. It is the only way to go if you have managed to make a mask for the crystal that sits the ar in the right place for the date window. Great work!!!!!!!

Thank you. Yes, we made a mold with a bout-out of the cyclops shape on both sides. The mold(s) are placed over the flat sapphire piece for the AR process. Then the cyclops is applied over the spot.

[cus+0m]

any updates on this.?

[archierocks]

if this works im def in for a few

[sneed12]

I have a gen ar crystal here in front of me and big crown is correct, there is no ar on the cyclops.

All you can tell from looking is that there is no AR on the top. What about the bottom where it's glued to the crystal? I'm pretty sure the Rolex design has AR there.

[correctime]

All you can tell from looking is that there is no AR on the top. What about the bottom where it's glued to the crystal? I'm pretty sure the Rolex design has AR there.

It does....as does the AR'd crystals that londongeorge had/has

[BigCrown]

any updates on this.?

Yes, I have been doing the preorder here:

Big Crown's Store

(IF RG IS DOWN, you can PM ME HERE! )

I will have the prototypes in my hand in a little over one week. Updates to follow.

[archierocks]

im not a member of rep geek could i reserve them another way

[ninja]

any recent updates on this?

[BigCrown]

any recent updates on this?

Yes - great progress so far and sooo close to completion.

Here is where we are now:

1. Crystals made 1:1 - DONE

2. Mold for the AR 'window' - DONE and confirmed to work perfectly

3. AR color and application thickness approval - IN PROGRESS

I had the first run of prototypes made and I thought the AR was a little too light (almost invisible). The AR provider sent me a '1 layer' AR sample and a '2 layer' AR version. I rejected the one layer and have asked for a prototype be made with three layer.

It is important to understand how vital the approval process is. Although time consuming, if I do not get it perfect then I/we will be stuck with a lot of crystals that are not exactly perfect. So thank you for your patience.

PRE_ORDER INFO: since the good ol' Geek is down, you can PM me for the pre-order info.

Some scans of the experimental phase:

1:1 Crystal Shape:

(angle of the photo makes it look like the crystal is not quite straight)

Hard to tell from the photos, but I assure you:

-crisp edges

-perfect groove cut around the base (for confident waterproofing)

-far superior equipment cutting these out than any replica crystal - the comparison is easy to see when you see them

Proof that the AR molds work (we just need one more layer of AR application to match my OEM example):

Not quite there but very close!

[Jkay]

With the "geek" down for weeks now, is there an alternate method of contact, BigC ?

[coolfire]

With the "geek" down for weeks now, is there an alternate method of contact, BigC ?

I guess it's thru PM, then.

Wow, awesome project, makes me wanna build an updated TC Sub around this awesome crystal.

[dluddy]

Very exciting. Thanks for the update B

[BigCrown]

With the "geek" down for weeks now, is there an alternate method of contact, BigC ?

Sure... PM me here.

[tode1640]

This really looks superb. Do you have any idea whether this fits the new ceramics (i.e. the 11661x series)? Also, how can you tell whether a rep is likely to be able to take a gen crystal - are there any measurements that can be made?

[BigCrown]

This really looks superb. Do you have any idea whether this fits the new ceramics (i.e. the 11661x series)? Also, how can you tell whether a rep is likely to be able to take a gen crystal - are there any measurements that can be made?

Great question. I have found that a lot of reps accept genuine crystals - including the GMTIIC and the SubC watches. I ordered a ExplorerII 42mm watch to test and will have it later this week. This may sound strange that it would work that way, but my theory is that most rep factories buy their crystals from a small number of factories and they are universal (for the most part).

We can make a complete list as time goes on and we test more and more watches, but the Noob, watches advertised as 1:1, TC, WM9, BK, a3135 watches, SeanETAswiss, ... the list goes on and on... I would never have thought this to be true. In fact, I was even shocked that the genuine Rolex GMTIIC and the SubC take the same crystal specifications as the 16610 Sub, sapphire GMT's, 40mm Explorer II's, etc.

[DoubleWristed]

sorry for the noob question but will this crystal fit a 1680?

Thanks!

Chris

[sneed12]

Great question. I have found that a lot of reps accept genuine crystals - including the GMTIIC and the SubC watches.

"Accept" is a bit generous, I think. "Can be made to fit" is a bit more accurate.

sorry for the noob question but will this crystal fit a 1680?

Since a 1680 has an acrylic crystal, no.

[dluddy]

sorry for the noob question but will this crystal fit a 1680?

Thanks!

Chris

Wrong crystal for a vintage model like the 1680 which takes a Tropic 27

[sneed12]

my theory is that most rep factories buy their crystals from a small number of factories and they are universal (for the most part).

I have a box full of crystals that came out of different reps that disagrees with you...

[BigCrown]

I have a box full of crystals that came out of different reps that disagrees with you...

(this is a healthy conversation and I am glad you bring this us) Here are my thoughts: How old are they? ...and how much did they cost? I just don;t want to include cheap knock-offs in this discussion.

****

Things are much different now than 2 or more years ago. An evolution/revolution that has occurred. The business model is very different than in years past. The factories have realized that the typical buyer has changed. They now rely on repeat business where before it was selling a fake sub to a person they would never see again.

I am sure you have heard stories about the Chinese trading markets, where all they sell are watch parts and accouterments. I once saw a photo of a guy selling Rolex oyster bracelets in a market. The bracelets were wrapped in plastic and stacked to the ceiling (literally 8-10 feet high).

Also, Generally the dial makers don't make the cases or the crystals, etc. So when a factory makes a new Pam 111 or a 16610 Submariner, they choose the parts they want and order 500-2000 pieces of each, then assemble the watches and distribute to the wholesalers. So, I understand your perspective but want to make sure we are talking about the same thing.

[sneed12]

(this is a healthy conversation and I am glad you bring this us) Here are my thoughts: How old are they?

I've only been in the rep game for about two years.

...and how much did they cost?

Take a gander through my build threads. I have several gens' worth of reps, in dollar terms.

I would bet money that the 42mm Explorer II does not take the same crystal as the 116610, GMT IIc, or Noobmariner. You can tell just by looking at the pics, the crystal must be bigger (in diameter) due to the position of the cyclops. The 42mm Explorer II rep does not use a DWO, yet the cyclops isn't near the edge of the crystal, implying a larger overall diameter.

In fact, I'd bet that it uses the same crystal as the DJ II and DD II reps.

I have personally handled, in the last two days, two different new Sub-C reps that take different crystals. One has the stepped edge, and one has a straight edge. The diameters are slightly different.

The standard Sub-C takes a gen-sized crystal but without the ridge on the underside, which is why a gen crystal can be made to fit, but to say that it "takes" gen crystal is stretching the truth, I'd say.

[DoubleWristed]

Wrong crystal for a vintage model like the 1680 which takes a Tropic 27

Thank you sir!!!

[BigCrown]

I don't want to argue but... You may have been looking at a ExplorerII orange hand before ether got the size right. The first 2 generations were made from Basel world fair photos. Even now, they are making them from a modified GMTII case and not from a watch that they've ever handled.

Let's stick to the genuine watches, and their 1:1 homage equivalents. But to further my point - you are saying, the Rolex Caliber 3135 in this watch requires a different calendar wheel assembly than a Submariner 16610, SubC, GMT IIC etc?

(that is what you are indirectly saying if you say the cyclops is in a different position):

The standard Sub-C takes a gen-sized crystal but without the ridge on the underside, which is why a gen crystal can be made to fit, but to say that it "takes" gen crystal is stretching the truth, I'd say.

Now, you may be out of your element. Do you know what the 'stepped edge' is for? It's for the gasket to fill and create a water proof seal. Any crystal without it is a cheap, common knock-off. Any watch with the one of the cheap crystals will still take a crystal with the stepped edge...it just needs a gasket that is the correct material.

If you have further facts to present feel free to post, or if you want to further discuss PM me.

[sneed12]

Let's stick to the genuine watches

I'm sure the gens probably all take the same sized crystal.

and their 1:1 homage equivalents.

OK. Show me one.

But to further my point - you are saying, the Rolex Caliber 3135 in this watch requires a different calendar wheel assembly than a Submariner 16610, SubC, GMT IIC etc?

No, of course not. I'm talking about the reps, which DO have the cyclops in different positions depending on which rep model you get.

Now, you may be out of your element. Do you know what the 'stepped edge' is for?

I've only assembled a couple of hundred Rolex reps, but please, enlighten me.

It's for the gasket to fill and create a water proof seal. Any crystal without it is a cheap, common knock-off.

Right.

Like many reps.

Like almost every Sub-C rep and GMT IIc rep that I have ever handled.

Besides which, that's not the "step" I was talking about. One of the Sub-C reps had a gen-style crystal without this step (which is pretty standard, and what most of us call the "Noob" crystal). The other one had a crystal with absolutely straight sides and a slight bevel on top.

Any watch with the one of the cheap crystals will still take a crystal with the stepped edge...it just needs a gasket that is the correct material.

That's... not true. Most will. Some rep crystals are simply larger than a gen-spec crystal, and so no amount of gasket will make it fit.

I just installed a gen crystal with AR under the cyclops into a Sub-C case. It physically fits fine, but it required me to make a new gasket by hand. The other option is to install the rep gasket upside down--the standard rep gasket has the lip on the bottom (to keep the crystal from bottoming out against the top of the rehaut, since it's a press-in construction) and I've turned it the other way so that the lip fit into the step of the crystal. It works that way too.

If you have further facts to present feel free to post, or if you want to further discuss PM me.

Uh... thanks for your permission? I'll go ahead and feel free to keep posting what I know.