slopez4 Posted August 30, 2018 Report Share Posted August 30, 2018 So I've wanted to post this for a long time now and I think now is the perfect time. This Daytona crazy is insane. With Paul Newmans Daytona selling for 17 million dollars more and more people are wanting a piece of history on their wrist. A few years ago that was me. I contacted the right people and since then I have had 2 spectacular vintage builds. Having said that the real reason for this topic is to get everyones opinion on who is the best. Rolojack or TheSociety. I have worked with Jack in the past and everything has been pretty amazing. Also, I have read up alot on TheSociety and from the looks of posts he also build really well. I want to get other members opinions on who goes down on the top 5 list. I know RoloJack really doesn't build anymore so its a sad situation. I also did not write this so we can flood all these Daytona builders. The main reason is to compare and get real life stories on peoples experiences dealing with these two. They both have different styles, Different sources, and different end products. I know RoloJack is so much more methodical and has attention to detail. I know Society has an insane collection and gets more into tropical dials, etc. With that being said I hope to hear back from you guys and look forward to reading some cool stories. If I left anyone out please members chime in. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickFlorida Posted August 30, 2018 Report Share Posted August 30, 2018 RoloJack is done with all work or just building whole watches? I'm glad I had my cartel case shaped by him then. Sorry I can't add any more input. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimcon11 Posted August 30, 2018 Report Share Posted August 30, 2018 For what it's worth, I'm into vintage Submariners, and the best builds I've seen have not been made by either of those people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickFlorida Posted August 30, 2018 Report Share Posted August 30, 2018 20 minutes ago, jimcon11 said: For what it's worth, I'm into vintage Submariners, and the best builds I've seen have not been made by either of those people. As soon as we figure out how to 3d print clone cases then we will all be building great watches. The "magic" is the few people who have the patience and access to original cases in order to shape them correctly. As soon as we can buy cloned cases that are mass produced and not hand shaped, we will only have to have access to good dial makers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
automatico Posted August 31, 2018 Report Share Posted August 31, 2018 "As soon as we figure out how to 3d print clone cases then we will all be building great watches." I have thought about this quite a bit over the past few years and imho I doubt metal printing is good enough yet to make a case any better that what is already available. One problem is metal printed cases are somewhat rough upon completion and extensive machine work is still needed to turn out the finer details. Case threads do not come out very good either...they need to be machined. https://monochrome-watches.com/3d-printed-watches-dutch-watchmaker-michiel-holthinrichs-part-1-concept/ https://monochrome-watches.com/3d-printed-watches-dutch-watchmaker-michiel-holthinrichs-part-2-close-ornament-1/ I believe the formula for the 'perfect' case is starting out with a conventional die stamped case that is very close to begin with and having it professionally detailed. Case back stamping and numbers/letters between the lugs are one area where very few modifiers/detailers can match genuine. Another hard to duplicate detail is making believable wear marks from bracelet hoods and everyday wear and tear without making it look like it has been done on purpose. I am not a fan of artificial aging and fake corrosion so this has never been an option for me. Corrosion and wear are hit and miss on vintage watches. I have seen 15 year old cases with significant corrosion and 50 year old cases with no corrosion at all depending on chemicals encountered, dirt, moisture etc. I have owned a few rlx watches 30 or 40 years old that were only good for parts because of corrosion. Otoh overall cosmetic condition usually depends on the owner but some watches that had significant case corrosion looked very good otherwise. Someone who knows about 3D printing might chime in. Btw...a few years ago Seiko had some watch cases (Arctura iirc) made with compressed metal powder to cut down on the extensive machining required to make complicated case shapes. Many car parts are made by this method. There are also cast stainless steel items of all types. https://www.milwaukeeprec.com/stainless-steel-investment-casting.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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