Found: A Proper (flat) Daytona 116520 Caseback

[freddy333]

A new member wanted my opinion on Andrew's 'meteorite' dial Daytona (ROLDYT0006 - Daytona 2006 Meteorite Grey Dial SS Band- Asia 7750) & sent me a link to the site. Rep 'meteorite' dials, like rep 'diamonds', have never quite been my cup of tea, so I was not expecting much when I browsed over to check this watch out. Boy, am I glad I did, because, low-and-behold, this otherwise unremarkable watch is fitted with the final lost chord for 1165xx Daytona reps -- a properly flat (and brushed) caseback. And, as a bonus, this caseback appears to have the nice deep & pronounced, gen-like notches to fit the Rolex tool, which is another first for these casebacks

Here is a gen 116520 caseback for comparison

And, wait, there is still more -- there is a slight possibility that this watch has the infamous, gen-like thin case. Unfortunately, I cannot accurately gauge the case thickness from Andrew's pictures, but if you look closely at the point where the end links fit against the very edges of the lugs, the end links appear to have a slight hump or rise to them just where they attach to the next link in the bracelet (red arrows). My original thin case 116520 has end links that fit like this, because the end links are a bit too thick for the thinner case -- the end links on current 'fat' case Daytona reps seem to fit flush along the bottom of the lugs, because the case is the same thickness as the end links & the end links lack that hump.

I did a quick search through a number of other Daytonas on Andrew's site (as well as Josh's), but all of the other Daytona models are pictured with the same (incorrect) beveled caseback. This model appears to be the only 1 with the correct flat caseback. The $64,000 questions are whether the watch actually comes with this caseback and/or whether Andrew can get (and is willing to sell) these casebacks separately? $288 is alot of money just for a caseback, but I suppose when you consider that Phong is asking $450 for his DRSD casebacks, it may be a bargain.

[Mickey Padge]

On perfect-clones there is the same caseback here:

However it has the thicker hooked lugs.....

I would not like to hold my hopes on the website images being the exact watch you get...

Check these out too:

http://www.silix-prime.com/product.asp?id=1731

http://www.silix-prime.com/product.asp?id=1650

[Mickey Padge]

Also have you seen the case? To support the thinner case back, it has to add a lip to the actual case, see here:

So not really an improvement. If you tried to fit this to a case without the lip, I doubt it would fit.

The only way to get a better, thinner Daytona is to franken one for a small fortune, unless they improve the case design, plus movement and do a complete re-design...

The search continues.....

[freddy333]

Also have you seen the case? To support the thinner case back, it has to add a lip to the actual case, see here:

So not really an improvement. If you tried to fit this to a case without the lip, I doubt it would fit.

Your point is well taken & I did notice the lip on Andrew's case. Could present a problem, or it could not. I faced a similar problem with another watch which was easily remedied with a small (and I mean small) bit of dremeling around the inside of the caseback. And you never know (for sure) until you try.

I am not quite ready to gamble $288 to buy 1 of these watches, but if another member has a dead 1 (with the flat caseback) that they no longer want, please PM me.