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Picked this up today...


droptopman

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Hi Guys.  So picked her up this morning.  At the office so do not have a lot of time to mess with it, but just a quick dremel job with poly watch on the plexi and a little detail job and looks much better.  Pretty happy with it.  Bracelet is really worn out.  Needs a new clasp for sure, it is paper thin.  Not sure if MY can fix up the rest of it, I will reach out to him.  Case is OK, dial is great, hands are so so, probably going to replace them.  Lugs a little uneven, but decent.  Probably just go with a light brush and polish, a new pearl for the insert (or use my other MKIII), a super dome and a service.  Although she is keeping good time.  

4C2438A7-87BE-4CB0-833E-ED030A0CC41C_zps

 

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82671007-5550-4AEF-A35F-1DE8E3E7C4CD_zpsnbcirhp0.jpg

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Looks really good already. That buffing did the trick. Why not just relume the original hands?

Thanks man.  I want real tritium.  I would guess it can be found, but I do not know of anyone that has it.  At some point I will send it off for a movement service anyways so I will find some gen hands that match and have it done then.    

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Thanks man.  I want real tritium.  I would guess it can be found, but I do not know of anyone that has it.  At some point I will send it off for a movement service anyways so I will find some gen hands that match and have it done then.    

Are they have to be white or of white?

Send me a macro of the dots for matching

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Are they have to be white or of white?

Send me a macro of the dots for matching

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks M, will do.  I will get my olli clip out tomorrow and take some shots.  It will probably be heading your way anyways.  I can do some of the work, but would not want to attempt changing hands.  Dial plots are very white...  

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Hi Guys.  For anyone who does not think a Rolex is a tool watch.  I have restored the bracelet.  Unfortunately I did not get take many good before pictures but it was beat worse than any I have ever seen.  It looked like hammered metal on the clasp and the the first few links around the clasp on both sides. The clasp on the opposite end of the safety catch was sharp like a razor. It clearly has a lot of stretch, but initially I thought it would not come back.  The links around the clasp were deformed from wear.  Just some hard work with a dremel and synthetic steel wool have brought this baby back to life.  You can see I had to remove some metal on the clasp to remove the "razor", but it is still usable.  Real tribute to how well a Rolex is made.  So I have found some tritium hands, a pearl and a super dome, so in a couple of weeks she will go get the hands installed.  A light brush and polish and I think she will be good to go.  I will post up some pics off my phone of the bracelet.  .    

Before:

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cd41429cfa276c6a47a819423ce4273a.jpg

After:

d122cd168d6c64c7a72535d253c73fc0.jpg

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7f43172158a555f2d01a2f0c5bf7d475.jpg

c1583b34e83b95a271dc4ee3c627402f.jpg

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Thank you brother.  I should add that I would not be able to do any of this work, if it was not for this great forum.  Always been a watch guy, but was afraid to mess with them.  This forum taught me how to do some work and provided me with the knowledge of how to source the parts, and maybe more importantly what parts to acquire.  Learned so much over the  last couple of years.  

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Great watch DT!

interesting thread too, i always thought the dial markers and hands discoloured with age. I personally prefer white markers  but never thought it would be in keeping with a vintage watch. Going to have my 1016 and 5513 relumed white now 

you learn something new here every day!

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Great piece dropman!

weird hands I must say, never really seen greenish tinge unless there are some corosion, best to have it looked it ASAP.

I have a set of 5513 hands that have a "hint" of green as well:

77e1a195082bc014f23f40c8246cb1f2.jpg

99f4669ead79de01a8412cb591f866e9.jpg

I suspect moisture will turn some tritium lume mixtures green under certain conditions.

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Thank guys. It keeps excellent time and I have inspected the dial closely with a loupe and the dial is actually pretty flawless so hard telling how they got to be that color since the dial shows no signs of damage. It is weird.

Still excited about how the bracelet turned out

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Looking good!! That is a great watch, and one thing that makes it even better is the history. I bet the owner wore thus one every day, and used it like these watches were intended.

Like I said,I love wabi!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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  • 2 weeks later...

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