Aftermarket Fat Font Bezel Insert?

[e30m3]

After searching, best I can tell is Yuki has the best fat font insert? Want to put one on a 5513, but I'm not super impressed with his. Are there other options (besides Gen; want to stay in budget)? Would a gen '70's 5513 even have the fat font? I keep reading that most have been replaced with newer inserts, but can't seem to get a definitive answer on which years started with the fat font ones in the first place.

[Sogeha]

This any good?

http://rubyswatch.com/products/k11-2-|-submariner-|-5513-|-1680-|-bezel-insret-1619

[cheld]

19 hours ago, Sogeha said:

This any good?

http://rubyswatch.com/products/k11-2-|-submariner-|-5513-|-1680-|-bezel-insret-1619

On a 70s era fat font the diagonal line on the left side of the 4 makes a "turn" at the bottom.  On the insert you linked to the diagonal line continues to the bottom, so it's not period-correct.

 

The Yuki one doesn't look too good either.  The numbers look too small and the bottom of the 5 is too squat (i.e. it looks like the opposite of a "long 5").

Edited July 23, 2018 by cheld

[Sogeha]

3 hours ago, cheld said:

On a 70s era fat font the diagonal line on the left side of the 4 makes a "turn" at the bottom.  On the insert you linked to the diagonal line continues to the bottom, so it's not period-correct.

 

The Yuki one doesn't look too good either.  The numbers look too small and the bottom of the 5 is too squat (i.e. it looks like the opposite of a "long 5").

Thank you. I’m not sure I would have ever spotted that on my own, but I know now👍

[e30m3]

Yep. This is a pretty good overview, but it doesn't go into too much detail about what might actually have legitimately come on the watch in the first place. My thought is, 5513's are fine with a good thin font bezel in present day (because the real watches may have had the fat ones replaced at servicing anyway), but the fat font is ideal. Still, I can't find an aftermarket one that looks correct. Anyone else? Or, anyone aware of a guide showing which subs came with which bezels?

[Bart Cordell]

MQ has a fat font with serif that looks not bad to me. Unfortunately he ask +200€ for it and it’s a bit hard to deal with him. He will try to send you another insert than the one you ordered based on his website pics. It’s pricey for an aftermarket but far less than gen fat fonts insert.

[Sogeha]

According to the information @cheld shared and the pictures I then saw online, the MQ has the same incorrect 4as Ruby’s but is twice the price and several times the hassle

[Bart Cordell]

According to the information@cheld shared and the pictures I then saw online, the MQ has the same incorrect 4as Ruby’s but is twice the price and several times the hassle

Fonts are totally different between Ruby and MQ. Look attentively

[Sogeha]

18 hours ago, cheld said:

On a 70s era fat font the diagonal line on the left side of the 4 makes a "turn" at the bottom.  

I was only referring to this brother. Both MQ and Ruby’s have a sharp point at the bottom. After @cheld posted this I studied some gen 70s inserts online and they seem to have a very rounded return, the “turn” he is talking about. 

Not sure it would over bother me personally, but interesting to know

[Bart Cordell]

I think he was not referring to the sharp point at the bottom, but to the elbow of the 4.

[Sogeha]

The bottom of the diagonal or elbow, this bit. It does seem to be a rounded corner on the genuine inserts shown online. On both these it is a sharp point

 

I bet not many owners of a genuine 70’s 5513 would ever notice if you sneaked in and changed it out at night😂

[Bart Cordell]

Sorry mate but i do not agree , this bottom corner is correct to me.

 

 

 

Wich is not period correct is the 4 with a diagonal from top to bottom, making a pointed corner.

 

A period correct 4 must have a two lines left side, a diagonal and a short vertical, making a square corner at bottom, with little serif on serif font inserts.

 

 

And I agree, most owners don’t notice or don’t care that

 

 

[cheld]

Yes, Bart's pictures with the red lines illustrate the difference between a fat font insert and a later medium- or thin-font insert.

[Sogeha]

@Bart Cordell nothing to be sorry about, I learned something and without you and @cheld sharing information I wouldn’t have known at all. Thank you both

[jackflash]

Great thread fellas. Here’s a link comparing gen inserts:
http://www.vintagehour.com/visual-comparison-a-study-of-rolex-bezel-inserts-part-2/

Top: MK1 Fat Font
2nd: MK2 Fat Font “Long 5”
3rd: MK3 Fat Font
4th: Thin Font

[hugop]

Here are a few for your comparison study guys. This first is an insert that lives on my 1974 1680. It is the only one of the bunch that I have not acquired in an original factory blister pack with part number. I have often seen this referred to as a mid fat font insert but have no idea what MK number it is. The next three were all purchased in factory sealed boxes of the same part number. (B315-5513-1-A1)

These are all gen inserts and you can see that there are 2 examples that have the flat vertical on the back of the 4 and two that come straight to a point.

I guess it goes without saying that I prefer the flat top 4. Also I have purchased the same part number at times that has a thin font insert with no serifs! It can be like buying baseball cards. You never know exactly what’s in the package unless the seller gives you a good picture of the box and insert. Hope this helps...

 

 

[hugop]

One other replica insert you might look into that I didn’t see mentioned was from Jensen or Phong. Here are a couple of pics of one I have had for a while. It has heavy serifs on the numbers and the batons.

[Dan71]

Phong bought months ago

I’m wrong or I see that the 4 have a little square corner ? Is not perfect pointed..