Regulator Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 One of my friends got me a Rolex Daytona 2008 rep as a gift while on business in HK. As he was about to give it to me, he was standing on the wing of his private plane, and accidentally dropped it from a height of about nine feet. Neither one of us could catch it on time, and it is now a fantastic paperweight. The pain of that moment will haunt me for a long time, and I'm sure I'll need a lot of psychological treatment to forget it. I'm sure this thing set him back a couple hundred dollars too, but he never asked for any money. I'd like to get it repaired as a thank you-you didn't just waste $500... I don't know what movement it has, but I assume this is top-of-the-line. The watch weight is much heavier than the other Daytona I own, so I assume this is as close to the real deal as possible. I took it to my guy at Ocean Time in Encinitas (no problem working on reps if you're in the area), and he said it would cost more to fix than the watch is worth. Anyone know of a reputable clockwork hobbyist who likes to take on challenging projects just for the experience? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 Chronograph (stop watch) movements are complex &, therefore, 1 of the most expensive to service. Additionally, it is likely that some of the more delicate components (like the balance) were damaged & will need to be replaced, which only adds to the expense. Because of this, it is probably cheaper just to replace the movement (Search the For Sale/Trading forums here or ebay for an Asian seconds at 6 7750 movement) or the entire watch (check out Perfect Clones or TrustyTime in the Collectors forums for the best out-of-the-box 1165xx Daytonas). Keep in mind, also, that there is a better than 50% chance that your gift was less than top quality, regardless of its purchase price (though, if you post some good, clear pics of the dial, case & caseback, I (or someone) might be able to qualify this further). This might also be of interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regulator Posted December 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 Thanks Freddy. That tutorial is hardcore. I can build liquid-cooled PCs in my sleep, but I can't even crack the case on my watch to change the battery. I've got a lot of learning to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regulator Posted December 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 Here are the photos. super-macro brings out all the bad details... I also agree with your assumption that this was less than top quality. The laser-etched crown at 6 is missing; and you guys can probably pick out way too many more flaws to make this a non-worthwhile project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shundi Posted December 19, 2008 Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 Just FYI when you look to buy a new one... Daytona's never have engraved backs like that...as far as I know, the only modern Rolexes with any engravings on the back are Sea Dwellers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watchlover1 Posted December 19, 2008 Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 That is correct. There is no engraving on the back of a Daytona. Also if you look at the dials at 3 and 9 they are centered. On the Gen and better quality reps they are off center. The dials for the Hours and Mins are slightly higher then the 3 and 9 markers. Look at the two pictures of the the Gen. The pics are not the best quality but you can see the dials are not centered on the markers. Just FYI when you look to buy a new one... Daytona's never have engraved backs like that...as far as I know, the only modern Rolexes with any engravings on the back are Sea Dwellers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 19, 2008 Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 No more than $50 in downtown HK.....The nice quality ones usually are around 150-200.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightstroker Posted December 19, 2008 Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 A guy that I work with has a watch exactly like that one. When you press the 2:00 pusher it advances the hand on the 9:00 subdial. I believe the watch does not have any chronograph feature. Silix has it for cheap.... Silix You could buy the watch from Silix and the movement might fit in your broken Daytona. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regulator Posted December 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2008 You guys are replica watch ninjas. That Silix rep is exactly what I have, and absolutely not worth fixing. Thanks for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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