6263 rep in drawer for 8 years...

[Elliaz]

Friends of the forum,

 

So basically I used to build and play with reps a bit previously and I once bought a nice 6263 back in 2014/2015 for around 600€ from one of the forums! It was a nice build and I liked it a lot!
One day my father managed to drop some glue on it by accident and try to fix it and polish it and destroyed the bezel and the crystal... since then it's been in a drawer and forgot about.

 

I've been into gens since and last week I found it again and was thinking of fixing and maybe upgrading it. Unfortunately I can't find any information on any forum or e-mail I have except when I paid the seller and he sent me the shipping number 😕 I used to have a list of the parts and stuff but just can't find it. 

I was wondering if anyone in the RWG could maybe help me identify the parts I have and recommend what and where I should source a new bezel and crystal and also if you'd have any tips on what I should be upgrading and what mods I could our should do?

I'm lowkey glad I'm back and might dig up a franken Panerai I misplaced a couple of years ago lol

Thankful for any input!
❤️
 

 

 

 

 

[freddy333]

Unless you want gen parts (& have the army of accountants to fund them), try --
T-21 xtal (ebay) -- 255796636526

Bezel -- MQ

 

If you are feeling frisky & your watch is V72-powered, you might also replace the dial with a more accurate 1 from MQ.

[oldtools]

Another option that may be cheaper than MQ is Ruby

 

https://www.rubyswatch.com

 

 

Edited December 4, 2022 by oldtools

[freddy333]

6 hours ago, oldtools said:

Another option that may be cheaper than MQ is Ruby

 

Good point.
However, Elliaz has a Newman dial & I think MQ offers (some of) the best Newmans I have seen (some are rubbish, but the white Newmans are good). Though I have not done a thorough search recently. So there may be someone out there that offers something better than MQ.

As for the bezel, if you look at the fonts (especially, the 2s & 8s) in Ruby's bezel & compare to gens, I think you will find that Ruby's fonts are a bit off. Most importantly, they lack the swan-neck 2s, which MQ's bezel gets correct. That is why I think MQ's bezel is worth its higher price. Assuming that you are willing to pay a bit more for a bit more accuracy.

Gen (left) vs MQ (right)

[Elliaz]

On 12/4/2022 at 5:14 PM, freddy333 said:

Unless you want gen parts (& have the army of accountants to fund them), try --
T-21 xtal (ebay) -- 255796636526

Bezel -- MQ

 

If you are feeling frisky & your watch is V72-powered, you might also replace the dial with a more accurate 1 from MQ.

Thanks for the input! Those are amazing, I've seen MQ's before but as I remembered the prices were a bit too high for me and this build rn... Approximately how much does he charge for a bezel and a panda dial? The three you've attached look incredible btw!!
 

On 12/4/2022 at 8:13 PM, oldtools said:

Another option that may be cheaper than MQ is Ruby

 

https://www.rubyswatch.com

 

 

Will check out Ruby's, just have to get the password for the website from somewhere lol...

22 hours ago, freddy333 said:

 

Good point.
However, Elliaz has a Newman dial & I think MQ offers (some of) the best Newmans I have seen (some are rubbish, but the white Newmans are good). Though I have not done a thorough search recently. So there may be someone out there that offers something better than MQ.

As for the bezel, if you look at the fonts (especially, the 2s & 8s) in Ruby's bezel & compare to gens, I think you will find that Ruby's fonts are a bit off. Most importantly, they lack the swan-neck 2s, which MQ's bezel gets correct. That is why I think MQ's bezel is worth its higher price. Assuming that you are willing to pay a bit more for a bit more accuracy.

Gen (left) vs MQ (right)

i wished I had that eye for detail lol...

[freddy333]

Thanks. You will need to contact MQ for pricing. My Newmans were completed 12-15 years ago & those prices will have little in common with today's prices.
Like anything, the 'eye' is developed over time (I have been collecting for a few decades). We all were where you are now. The best tip I can offer is to assume that, when purchasing anything Rolex-related, today's insane price will look like a bargain next year at this time. That rule has held up quite well over the decades, much to the regret of those who failed to heed it. 

[sputim]

Nice piece, looks like a DW! If I were you would get a ruby bezel (she also has the correct one with flat S sometimes and otherwise get it from MQ). Dial is not too bad, would stick to it and eventually replace the coronet on the dial with a gen one. Last but not least, top it off with a gen t21 and you have a pretty sweet piece! good luck

[Elliaz]

9 hours ago, sputim said:

Nice piece, looks like a DW! If I were you would get a ruby bezel (she also has the correct one with flat S sometimes and otherwise get it from MQ). Dial is not too bad, would stick to it and eventually replace the coronet on the dial with a gen one. Last but not least, top it off with a gen t21 and you have a pretty sweet piece! good luck

Thanks for the comment! Where can I get some more info on DW's? To be honest I've been looking everywhere for the specs as I did not remember 😕 Can't find a single e-mail or DM except the shipping info and PayPal payment :// I just remembered it had been worked on a bit.

I just remembered it's a nice piece and I enjoyed it! I think I will not put 4-500€ just on a MQ bezel right now unfortunately and I just ordered a t21 from clarks hehe. 

E-mailed Ruby and waiting for a price list and if she has a flat S bezel! I hope to fix it up a bit so it's wearable again 

[alligoat]

DW is long gone. He made some very nice Daytonas- 6239-6263/5 but the only way to get them is thru another member who might be selling one. He made two types of Daytonas- the ones with an asian 7750 movement and the cases that fit a Valjoux 72 movement. I would think that your watch has the asian 7750 movement,but it would be a real treat if it has a V72 in it. But even back in the day it was hard to build a 6263 with a V72 for $600. In the late 2000s a V72 movement alone cost $600-1000 and the DW parts were $300. A watchmaker to put it together would be another $200-300. 

[EliasAntoine]

DW is long gone. He made some very nice Daytonas- 6239-6263/5 but the only way to get them is thru another member who might be selling one. He made two types of Daytonas- the ones with an asian 7750 movement and the cases that fit a Valjoux 72 movement. I would think that your watch has the asian 7750 movement,but it would be a real treat if it has a V72 in it. But even back in the day it was hard to build a 6263 with a V72 for $600. In the late 2000s a V72 movement alone cost $600-1000 and the DW parts were $300. A watchmaker to put it together would be another $200-300. 

Yeah, it’s the 7750 unfortunaly (had a brief moment hoping it might be a v72 lol)… well, at least I know apprx what the watch is and what to do with it…




Will try and source a new bezel. Not sure if I’m ready to spend a lot on this but who knows maybe in the future?


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[freddy333]

Alligoat summed the DW story up well.

However, it is worth noting that 1 of the main selling points of DW's Daytonas was that both his 7750 & V72 cases had the correct offset pusher spacing (ie, the top pusher was closer to the crown than the bottom pusher), which correctly replicated the gen 62xx Daytonas. So, from the outside, regardless of which caliber resided inside the case, the offset pushers made the watch appear to be V72-powered like the gens (which were all powered by Rolex-modified Valjoux 72s). His cases were also fairly accurate in their overall dimensions, especially their thickness, which was another of the details that made DW cases legendary & set them apart from other premium aftermarket part suppliers. From an arm's length -- my benchmark for general credibility -- fitted with a credible-looking dial/handset & bracelet/strap, it was very difficult to ID a DW cased 62xx Daytona as anything but a gen.

Goldie, my yellow 6239 Newman (which arrived with a 6241 Perspex-style bezel that I later changed to the 6239 gold-style you see below), was a sample DW made for me as a test to see how accurate the factory could make it & to see if there was sufficient interest for him to go into production. Unfortunately, the cost to manufacture the gold cases proved to be too high to make them marketable in the rep world. &, like all gold-plated steel cases, once they get scratched & reveal the underlying white metal, they become an expensive boat anchor -- unless you want to disassemble the watch & have it replated on your own.

Of course, today, where gen Newmans often reach the $1M mark in auctions & good, V72-powered Newman frankens can sometimes bring upwards of $10k, these cases would make much more sense. But, sadly, I lost track of DW several years ago & he seems to have vanished from the scene.

[alligoat]

I did run across this bezel on ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/304628710061?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20220705100511%26meid%3Da9d8d5dfda6640d497345833956d5528%26pid%3D101524%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26itm%3D304628710061%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057%26algv%3DRecentlyViewedItemsV2%26brand%3DRolex&_trksid=p2380057.c101524.m146925&_trkparms=pageci%3Ac41c96ab-796c-11ed-9d55-2a7fa73e9d62|parentrq%3A01e97c951850a76840a244adfffd1b69|iid%3A1

Not cheap but it looks to have the elongated 2s and the flat 'S' in units- a Mark2, I guess as the pic says.

[addingwatch]

On 12/8/2022 at 9:18 PM, freddy333 said:

Alligoat summed the DW story up well.

However, it is worth noting that 1 of the main selling points of DW's Daytonas was that both his 7750 & V72 cases had the correct offset pusher spacing (ie, the top pusher was closer to the crown than the bottom pusher), which correctly replicated the gen 62xx Daytonas. So, from the outside, regardless of which caliber resided inside the case, the offset pushers made the watch appear to be V72-powered like the gens (which were all powered by Rolex-modified Valjoux 72s). His cases were also fairly accurate in their overall dimensions, especially their thickness, which was another of the details that made DW cases legendary & set them apart from other premium aftermarket part suppliers. From an arm's length -- my benchmark for general credibility -- fitted with a credible-looking dial/handset & bracelet/strap, it was very difficult to ID a DW cased 62xx Daytona as anything but a gen.

Goldie, my yellow 6239 Newman (which arrived with a 6241 Perspex-style bezel that I later changed to the 6239 gold-style you see below), was a sample DW made for me as a test to see how accurate the factory could make it & to see if there was sufficient interest for him to go into production. Unfortunately, the cost to manufacture the gold cases proved to be too high to make them marketable in the rep world. &, like all gold-plated steel cases, once they get scratched & reveal the underlying white metal, they become an expensive boat anchor -- unless you want to disassemble the watch & have it replated on your own.

Of course, today, where gen Newmans often reach the $1M mark in auctions & good, V72-powered Newman frankens can sometimes bring upwards of $10k, these cases would make much more sense. But, sadly, I lost track of DW several years ago & he seems to have vanished from the scene.

 

Beautiful watch! Is the bracelet custom too?

[freddy333]

38 minutes ago, addingwatch said:

Is the bracelet custom too?

 

Bracelet is gen.

[Ronin]

Dang!  I have FOUR DW's in a drawer.  One needs the Freddy333 "Epoxy Fix" on the sweep seconds hand, so I am not wearing that one.  One needs a balance assembly.  2 are working great....

[freddy333]

6 minutes ago, Ronin said:

One needs the Freddy333 "Epoxy Fix" on the sweep seconds hand, so I am not wearing that one.  One needs a balance assembly.  2 are working great....

 

Are you talking about the chrono seconds hand? If so, is it not resetting back to 12 consistently?

Complete balances (part 721) are available for both ETA 7750s & Valjoux 72s. Many of the watch parts supply houses sell them.

[Ronin]

15 minutes ago, freddy333 said:

 

Are you talking about the chrono seconds hand? If so, is it not resetting back to 12 consistently?
 

 

Yep, exactly.

[freddy333]

1 hour ago, Ronin said:

Yep, exactly.

 

Depending on the type of hand it is, you may just need to have the rivet (that holds the hand wand on the hand tube) staked (tightened). A simple job for most watchmakers. Have you shown it to any local watchmakers? Epoxy works on pretty much any hand, but it is often a slow/finnicky/messy job.

[Ronin]

I have staking tools... I will dig into as the winter drags on.  I also had DW send me an extra set of hand back in the day too.  🤔  Thanks.

[freddy333]

As long as your chrono hand has a good rivet, you should be able to tighten it with your staking tool.

 

After centering the staking table with the centering stake, place the hand -- tube up -- into a stump that allows the face of the rivet to sit inside it.

You want the face of the hand wand sitting flat against the stump.

Install a convex stake that allows the tube to fit into the hole at the end of the stake with as little play as possible, but so that it slides in easily.

You want the round face of the stake to fit around the tube & sit against the back side of the rivet.

1 or 2 LIGHT taps with a brass hammer should tighten the rivet joint. DO NOT BANG ON THE STAKE OR YOU WILL DAMAGE/DEFORM/DESTROY THE HAND!

Remove & check for tightness. If still loose, repeat.

 

Once you try it, you will be surprised at how simple the process is (& why you did not do it sooner).
Good luck.

[Tribal]

David Wong Case I think.

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[Elliaz]

lol, just noticed that I've never seen a gen 6263 exotic dial with a daytona logo... I'm not even sure what to do with this anymore. If I should do a V72 swap or just try to find a good dial for the 7750 and fix the rest 😕 

 

nice seeing some people invested in the thread hehe

[EliasAntoine]

Does anyone have any input on these bezels? Are they worth 2-300$?

Appreciate the help

[freddy333]

1 hour ago, EliasAntoine said:

Does anyone have any input on these bezels? Are they worth 2-300$?

 

No one can estimate the value of aftermarket parts. Their value is what you, as buyer, are willing to pay.
Also, their value is greatly dependent upon what watch you intend to use them on. For an early 62xx Daytona, the bezels in this pic look most like the gen (note the swan-neck 2s).
You or others may view them differently.

 

 

 

[Ronin]

...and the 110 spacing looks good.