Endlinks 80 vs 280 vs 58 vs 580 vs 501

[Ronin]

Help me out here, my experience with GEN 1675, 1680, 14060, 1016, 5513 run counter to data here:  https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-end-link-codes/

 

Case in point, the claim is 280 fits 1675.  I found to this to be the absolute WORST fit, most rattle'y.  I ended up with a 501b that fits perfectly....

 

Anyone out have any better data on fit and measurements here?  Even the old "Yellow" spreadsheet that has been floating around the internet for the last 2 decades seems off.

 

Thoughts?

Edit to add, seems like 501b "b"? seem to fit darn near everything correctly...

 

[freddy333]

You have a couple of issues here -- for 1 thing, the 80 end links are permanently attached to bracelets, while the other end links you mentioned are separate/detachable. So the 80s are not directly (or easily) swapped with the other end links. Further complicating the issue is the fact that different links, although often very similar in appearance & their ability to be 'fit' onto cases they were not specifically intended for, often vary in just 1 dimensional parameter (e.g., spacing between springbar channel & lug mating) that may not be obvious but which leave them jiggly or ill-fitting.

 

Finding proper alternative end links was a serious problem many of us ran up against in the early days of RWG when attempting to find properly-fitting alternatives for OEM 62xx Daytona bracelets like the folded-link 7205/71, 7835/271 or 7835/371 gens of which are priced way beyond the stratosphere & more or less unobtainium today (fyi - the best alternatives we found were the slightly more ubiquitous (ie, costing 1 ball rather than the usual 2) folded-link 7835/357, which is what I have on all of my 62xx Daytonas).

 

The bottom line -- Until/unless the rep factories clone all of these early Rolex bracelets, rattle'y may be your best or only option.