Genuine Gobs Of Rust for sale...

[automatico]

It's a sign of the times.

Three GGOR...

 

'Only' $1200 and rising with 3 days to go.

Insanity imho unless you have an empty genuine case and send it all to RSC to be 'fixed' for a lot of $$$.  I just wonder how much that band of crooks would charge to fix it.  They would probably have you send it to their 'legacy' fix-it shop in Geneva and charge $20k+/-.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rolex-Submariner-Ref-5513-Cal-1520-Movement/324118705097

eBay item number   324118705097

 

Here is one for $850 with 4 days to go but no dial:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ROLEX-Cal-1570-Movement-26J-Submariner-GMT/324119430451

eBay item number   324119430451

 

While talking about chasing ghosts...

This GGOR went for $988 last week:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rolex-Oyster-Perpetual-Date-Cal-1570-Movement-For-Parts-Repair-/124132149491

eBay item number   124132149491

 

I tried all the links and they worked for me but you may need to use the item number.

 

'Sign of the Times'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPtwk8qK7yM

 

[jimcon11]

Haha, the old "movement not running but balance swings freely"

[automatico]

"Haha, the old "movement not running but balance swings freely."

 

That's a pretty good sales pitch! 

I went down that road when I bought a drowned 15003 a few years back for $450.  It turned out the balance/hairspring and a few brass parts were the only good movement parts in it.  Evidently it had been stored with the balance out of the water until someone drained the water out of the case and it saved the balance parts but ruined the rest of it.  It was a gob of rust inside, stuck solid with most of the pivots on the train wheels rusted away.  I parted it out and sold the case and worn out SS/18k oyster bracelet and finally got the $450 back.  My profit was the balance complete, shock/jewel settings, and a couple brass parts now residing in my parts box.  The main plate is stained by rust and any pressed in steel posts etc are rusted away.  The barrel bridge and autowind plates could probably be used but are badly stained.  Most of the date parts were junk and the brass mainspring barrel is basically Ok but the barrel arbor was rusty along with the steel reverser parts.

 

Was the 15003 a lesson learned?

Not yet... 

I bought a lady tutone 69173 with a stretched TT jubilee bracelet, cracked winding rotor, and chipped crystal for $500 a few months back (the rotor was cracked where the rotor axle is pressed in).  It runs just fine and I paid $100 for a 'like new' rotor plus $35 for a new aftmkt sapphire crystal with gasket so I am up to about $635 already and it still needs a dial (paint is bad).  Otoh I have a good steel case and most of a genuine SS bracelet so I might turn it into a steel watch and sell the tutone parts.  I also have a blue 'snap on' dial for a SS lady watch around here somewhere but I have not decided which way to go.  The TT case has no corrosion and is in good condition but the flutes on the bezel are worn.  I could turn the flutes down on the lathe and make a smooth bezel out of it, I have done this before and it turned out Ok.

Note...I already had a new rotor for a rolex 2135 in my parts so I figured the watch could be repaired for maybe an additional $100 or so, but No!...the rotor is for a mid size watch with a 2135 and the rotor was too big in diameter for the lady size case.

 

Maybe it was a better buy than the 'Davy Jones' 15003.  Maybe not.  Time will tell.

Three basic choices:

1...Fix  it up as a tutone model.

2...Fix it up as a SS model and sell the TT parts.

3...Sell the rolex 2135 movement on eBay along with the TT parts or sell the complete watch 'as is' for parts...after the virus dies down.  

Now is probably not a good time to sell a useless rolex.  

[jimcon11]

Cracked rotor, how does that even happen?? Must have been some crazy temperature variation or else someone forced in an axle that didn't fit.

 

I guess your decision depends on how much you want to keep the watch, or if there's a special lady who might want it. 

 

I was bidding on a Tudor 7809 today, the Tudor version of a "Pre-Explorer".. and I was surprised at how much it went for. I'm not sure the market has totally nosedived yet.

[automatico]

"Cracked rotor, how does that even happen??  Must have been some crazy temperature variation or else someone forced in an axle that didn't fit."

 

Chances are it cracked when someone staked the new axle to flare the rivet, the axle is not a very tight fit in the rotor so smacking the axle too hard probably did it.  The center part of the rotor is springy and may be a little bit brittle.

 

"I guess your decision depends on how much you want to keep the watch, or if there's a special lady who might want it."

 

True. 

I do not want to keep it, rather make a few buck$ on it.  My wife wears an Apple watch and does not want it. 

She said:  "Automatic watches are for Kids".  My feelings are hurt. 

 

 

[jimcon11]

Call me a kid, but I like knowing that I'll still be able to tell time after the EMP attack from a rogue separatist group that's sure to follow in the fallout from the pandemic 

[Sogeha]

You will be able to. If you can see, it’s day time. If it is dark, it is night time and that is about all you will need in the coming dystopia😁

[automatico]

"Call me a kid, but I like knowing that I'll still be able to tell time after the EMP attack from a rogue separatist group that's sure to follow in the fallout from the pandemic."

 

Maybe get a rolex with an 'EMP Resistant' Syloxi balance spring just to make sure.  

 

https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/when-is-a-tangled-hairspring-unsalvageable.153147/

[jimcon11]

lol.. good points guys.

 

That thread is really amusing. After one past attempt I discovered that repairing a bent hairspring will forever be beyond my level of patience and precision.

[jcagara08]

this made m chuckle, on the same boat looking for Omega Parts on the bay and same story ROFL

[automatico]

"...on the same boat looking for Omega Parts on the bay..."

 

I know what you mean.  I have used up almost all of my omega 5xx and 7xx parts with no more in sight...at a reasonable price that is.  The quick set models where you push/pull the crown to advance the date have a problem with broken setting parts and spare parts have just about dried up. 

Have one old ruffy dress type ygf front loader 'watermaster' and was going to change it over to a no date model because of missing parts but can not find an affordable case, been looking for a year or two.  Found a dial right away but no cases out there.

 

No Mo Oh-Meega Parts. 

[jcagara08]

On 5/4/2020 at 9:38 PM, automatico said:

"...on the same boat looking for Omega Parts on the bay..."

 

I know what you mean.  I have used up almost all of my omega 5xx and 7xx parts with no more in sight...at a reasonable price that is.  The quick set models where you push/pull the crown to advance the date have a problem with broken setting parts and spare parts have just about dried up. 

Have one old ruffy dress type ygf front loader 'watermaster' and was going to change it over to a no date model because of missing parts but can not find an affordable case, been looking for a year or two.  Found a dial right away but no cases out there.

 

No Mo Oh-Meega Parts. 

 

@automatico the nerve of these sellers to sell literally golden rust is baffling, also the almost unusable omega parts in the listings as of this date damn life is hard indeed