Explorer 1016 hands

[Lo']

Hi all, I've been trying to find this answer but apparently the search engines refuse to help:

Can anybody tell me what's the length of the gen 1016 Mercedes hands?

Helena has got some sets in store with the following measures:

 

Second hand from center hole to tip: 13mm

Hour hand from center hole to tip: 8mm

Minutes hand from center hole to tip: 13mm

 

Alternatively:

 

Seconds hand from center hole to tip: 12mm

Hour hand from center hole to tip: 8mm

Minutes hand from center hole to tip: 12mm

 

I went for both but still don't know which set is closest to gen. Will appreciate any help.

Thanks in advance

L.

[alligoat]

13 mm sounds right for the Explorer 1016. Everyone always complains about the 12mm hands being short.

[Vibes]

I didn’t know they had 13mm ones available, they are the 6538 ones. I don’t think those were available when I built mine so I used 5513 hands. 

Edited November 27, 2018 by Vibes

[Lo']

Hey, thanks a lot for the highlights! Right now Helena's handset is in the mail. Can't wait to see the outcome of this...

 

[Nanuq]

Here's my first attempt at a Big Crown with a 12mm minutes hand.

 

 

 

And now with a 13mm minutes hand.  That's the right size.

 

 

[Lo']

Thanks a lot for chiming in Nanuq. There really is a huge difference between the two builds. The 13mm hands have much more presence and feel more "real". Great watch by the way!!

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[automatico]

The minute hand is the one that always draws my attention.  Out of spec hour hands are not as easy to spot unless they are way too short or long and second hands are Ok with me as long as they are close to the minute marks.  Sweep second hands can be shortened if they are too long but there are not many too long ss rlx hands around.

 

In 2005 or 2006 I ordered some genuine 5513 and 1016 hands, they (RSC Dallas) sent the same hands for both.  Mistake or not?  I'll never know.

 

I went to Bing search and looked at 1016 watches and most of the minute hands reach one third to one half way across the minute marks (not the 5 minute markers).  There are exceptions of course with some hands being quite a bit shorter.

Short hands:

http://rolexpassionmarket.com/watches/rolex-l-series-explorer-ref-1016/

 

https://wannabuyawatch.com/product/rolex-explorer-1-ref-1016-gilt-dial-circa-1966/

 

 

 

 

 

[jimcon11]

I agree with autimatico.. for gilt dial 50s Rolex watches, the minute hand is the biggest stumbling block (I believe the early subs, explorers, turnograph, etc, all used the same flat handset). A proper 13mm length with the right size and shape lume plot is impossible to find. People want $1000 for gen ones in crummy condition. I'm always looking for a better minute hand but all the current sources have their flaws. HR did tell me she will have gold 13mm in stock soon so I'm holding out that this batch will be more correct.

 

Nanuq's hands above are perfect and I'm willing to bet they are gen. 

 

From L to R: older HR 13mm, JK, new HR 12mm, standard silix, Tiger Concept 

...all wrong 😩. I go back and forth on which is the least bad.

 

I should add that later service hands from the 60s are usually shorter , 12mm, and tend to look pretty similar to the rep ones.

 

Edited November 28, 2018 by jimcon11

[Lo']

Thank you everyone for contributing to this. I have tried finding a correlation between the length of hands and the dial lettering (Serif, Sans Serif), but I can't find any since you will get Serif dials and longer handsets as well as Sans Serif dials with longer or  shorter hands… wtf?! 😁

It should be noted anyway that, length aside, gen hands are generally broader than their "rep" counterparts, the only exception I have seen so far being the "old" HR 13mm which Jimcon brought up. That said the seconds hand is another huge tell. As far as I have seen the gen one will invariably be a tad longer than the minutes hand, thus extending a bit over the minutes marker. Then there's the Lollipop which, in reps, almost Always is slightly smaller, ditto for the circle on the opposite side of the hand.. Helena's set does look like it's no exception, but judging from pics is quite hard so, I still hope I'll get a surprise.

Edited November 28, 2018 by Lo'

[automatico]

"A proper 13mm length with the right size and shape lume plot is impossible to find. People want $1000 for gen ones in crummy condition."

 

Check out this bargain:

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/vintagerolexforum/fs-1016-explorer-dial-hands-r-l-serial-t237752.html#p539017

 

 

"...you will get Serif dials and longer handsets as well as Sans Serif dials with longer or  shorter hands… wtf?!"

 

The best answer is probably 'wtf'.  One good thing about replicas is you have a lot of leeway with details.

Back when today's popular vintage watches were in circulation, I did not pay much attention to them, no one did.  Now the details are very important and '100% original' examples may not be 100% original because so much time has passed and most have had a few different owners.

 

I have three '100% original' vintage rlx watches.

How do I know they are 100% original?

1...I bought them brand new from an AD.

2...They have never been worked on.

3...They have always been in my possession. 

 

 

 

[Lo']

"Check out this bargain:"

Definitely regret not having seen it in due time, I'd have jumped the occasion without hesitating.
 

The best answer is probably 'wtf'.

More or less the answer to use in many such cases

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