Hands Up!

[automatico]

I am still trying to find a set of '1655' hands to fit a rlx 1575 mvt with 24 hour GMT hand for my 'shortcut 1655' project watch.  I need oem spec hands and have one pretty good aftmkt set on the shortcut watch but want to use them on another project.  As I posted before, I got a figure of $380 delivered from MQ for his aftmkt '1655' hands and that was too much $$ for me so I bought a set from WSO to see how they 'stack up'. 

I had already bought a set from WSO for an ETA 28xx GMT but they are the wrong color and the hole sizes are off too much for the 'sc 1655'   They are good quality.

 

WSO hands for rlx 1575/GMT info:

1...They are the wrong color...oem are black/white and the WSO rlx cal 15xx hands are black/silvertone.  

2...The WSO rlx '1655' hands were a little bit better than the ETA 28xx hands because the lume slots were not quite as long but the colors are still a problem, they are also good quality.

The lume slots are a bit too wide but there is no fix for that.

The best part is they cost $38.36 delivered...10% of the MQ price.

 

What's next?

They will have to be stripped, re-painted, and re-lumed.

I'll post pics if and when they are re-finished but it may be a while because I have not stopped looking for reasonably priced aftmkt '1655' hands that are closer to oem.

 

WSO hands for rlx 15xx (pictured in plastic bags)...

The 24H hand is Ok and only needs the lume aged or changed.

The H and M hands appear to be all black, but from the beginning of the lume slots to the tips, they are silvertone.

No pic of the SS hand but it is a 'dot' hand and I'll use a 'no dot' hand.

 

The 'shortcut' 1655 as it is now...

 

To be honest...I am on the verge of giving up on another '1655' project.

Q...Why?

A...Because a correct rlx 1575 GMT mvt with genuine GMT parts alone is worth about as much as the same movement in a J&Wcom case/dial.

Q...Why?

A...The 'shortcut 1655' watch is worth maybe $2500/$2700 and a 'correct' rlx GMT 1575 movement in a J&Wcom case is not worth much more.

Q...Why?

A1...Because a replica is a replica no matter what mvt is in it.  The 'value' is killed by it being a replica.

A2...No matter how good it looks, that one word kills it (unless you are a crook).

A3...Truth is, the 'shortcut 1655' is good enough for me. 

After all, I'm wearing a quartz '5513'.  Ha!   

[marsupilami]

how would you rate these hands ?

found in my parts box; I guess they came from michael young

[automatico]

"how would you rate these hands?"

 

Compared to the 'affordable' hands I have seen available now, they are very good...much like what is on my 'shortcut 1655' now.

The main difference being your minute hand is a little bit narrow compared to mine.

 

'WatchLume' had very good hands for $55 a set but no longer have them.

 

 

 

 

[Buddhabar]

Hello Mate...

I am a fan of 1655. I'll put you a link where maybe you can find the solution. I hope.

 

http://www.jewelryandwatch.com/contents/en-us/d223_Explorer_II.html

 

I made two pieces without taking into account the OEM specifications. 

 

But certainly the hands like the dial have a very important aspect for the success of the build. Here are my two.

 

 

 

 

[automatico]

Buddhabar:

"I'll put you a link where maybe you can find the solution."

 

Thanks!  Probably get a set...after a few paydays.  Ha!

 

Good 1655 hand set recently listed on eBay, looks the same as J&W:

eBay item number:234857548399

 

Also has basic GMT conversion kits:

eBay item number:234535951473

 

[freddy333]

1 hour ago, automatico said:

Also has basic GMT conversion kits:

eBay item number:234535951473

 

$1,300 for a few vintage Rolex parts. Crazy -- but this time next year, crazy will have been a bargain. 

[automatico]

 "$1,300 for a few vintage Rolex parts. Crazy -- but this time next year, crazy will have been a bargain."

 

Yeah.  If you can find one at all a year from now.

I bought two sets 1575 GMT center wheel with cp and hour wheel, without any GMT calendar wheels (pn 8034) a few years back and they were somewhere around $200 for two sets.  The 8034 GMT calendar wheel is hard to find today.  The $1300 kit is basically enough for a conversion plus you may need to space the calendar ring up a little bit.

 

Why?

Because the GMT calendar ring is about .10mm thicker than a regular 1575 date ring to make space between the 24 hour wheel and dial.  A friend cut some 4 mil (very close to .10mm) circles out of Mylar on a decal plotter that sticks to the ring to raise it up.  Works fine and saves $$.

 

I did not use an 8021 GMT calendar wheel on the 'shortcut 1655'.  The GMT kit for $1300 on eBay has the 8021 calendar wheel but does not have a GMT calendar ring (pn 8037).  

Sometimes they work Ok without the thicker calendar ring and sometimes not. 

 

After proof reading all this mumbo-jumbo a couple times, it sounds like 18 month old kid gibberish.

An 18 month old kid that's been hittin' the prescription cough syrup.    

 

Typos are free.

 

 

[alligoat]

I have a question, is Vintage Watch Mods Jensen, Phong's son who got beat up by the Rolex police/lawyers?

Chandler is a suburb of Phoenix.

[freddy333]

Alligoat -- Do you have any info on this?
Do you mean that Phong's son was arrested per Rolex lawyers, or do you mean he was physically attacked by police?

[alligoat]

As I recall, his website was shut down. You click on his site and you get that ugly message from the law firm. Kind of like when they shut down Trusty or one of the other rep dealers. Of course the CN rep guys just move to a new website. I don’t know how Phong has managed to avoid this. At the time I had just bought a vintage Daytona dial fr Jensen so I was still watching his website.