gplracer Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 What is a good source for a gen T21 crystal. I guess the most obvious would be ebay. Some sales say new and some say NOS. Does it matter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 What is a good source for a gen T21 crystal. I guess the most obvious would be ebay. Some sales say new and some say NOS. Does it matter? NOS.. I believe is genuine in the factory wrap.. I would not get any Genuine Tropic unless it's in the factory sealed wrap .. all the tropic genuines I have gotten have been from the bay... the prices have come down btw... Aloha L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertieng Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 You can try VRF as well if you are ready to pay the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieselpower Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 Just for the record. NOS stands for 'new old stock' so yes, it should be a genuine item in factory wrapping that has sat around on a shelf for possibly years and years but nothing wrong with that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken fingerlove Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 Is there a noticeable difference between a gen crystal, and a $5 piece from Ofrei, say? Apart from the $100 difference. Unless there are fitting issues, or something like that, I think I'd prefer to put my money towards a gen bracelet, or a better dial, or bezel.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
automatico Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 "Is there a noticeable difference between a gen crystal, and a $5 piece from Ofrei, say? Apart from the $100 difference." Not a whole lot as long as the fit is the same and it is a dry land watch. I would not trust a no name $5 crystal in water though. Name brands tend to be a better bet...GS, Bestfit, Sternkreuz etc...although I have seen a few Sternkreuz models that were not a good fit. Crystal number 12 (5500AK etc) for instance, maybe they are better now. I have a few genuine 25-21 rolex crystals and they are in sealed plastic bags. The catch when buying "genuine nos" rolex crystals is that up until a few years ago they came in unsealed paper envelopes with rolex trademarks (in the USA) and fake envelopes and crystals are everywhere. I also have some nos crystals in paper envelopes but I bought them from rUSA so I know what I have. If I needed one for a replica, I would probably go with generic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 Is there a noticeable difference between a gen crystal, and a $5 piece from Ofrei, say? Apart from the $100 difference. Unless there are fitting issues, or something like that, I think I'd prefer to put my money towards a gen bracelet, or a better dial, or bezel.. Noticeable is the key-word. Whether the sparkle, beveling & higher degree of transparency of a gen T21 is noticeable to you is the question. But, in general, the gen Tropics tend to give a watch a jewel-like quality that most aftermarket crystals (including Ofrei's) cannot match. There have been a number of picture comparison threads over the years (1 or 2 by me, but I think Nanuq's are the most revealing) that you might be able to locate via the Search. The best aftermarkets I have found are from Clarks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken fingerlove Posted April 28, 2009 Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 And one other thing: would a watchmaker with a parts account be able to get a gen crystal much cheaper? It strikes me that they would balk at paying hundreds for crystals when they know they're just plastic I'm sure I must have a connection somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gplracer Posted April 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2009 Noticeable is the key-word. Whether the sparkle, beveling & higher degree of transparency of a gen T21 is noticeable to you is the question. But, in general, the gen Tropics tend to give a watch a jewel-like quality that most aftermarket crystals (including Ofrei's) cannot match. There have been a number of picture comparison threads over the years (1 or 2 by me, but I think Nanuq's are the most revealing) that you might be able to locate via the Search. The best aftermarkets I have found are from Clarks. How easy is it to replace the crystal on a DW 6263? I just got a clark crystal in the mail. I am about to send this bad boy off for service and let that person do the crystal replacement too. I could get a gen later. Freddy or anyone else is the Clark the same thickness as the gen? I need to know because my bezel is loose. Do you guys recommend replacing the tube and crown as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 And one other thing: would a watchmaker with a parts account be able to get a gen crystal much cheaper? It strikes me that they would balk at paying hundreds for crystals when they know they're just plastic I'm sure I must have a connection somewhere. The T21 is still being made by Rolex, so their dealer/service network pricing will be lower than the price we pay on ebay. Your watchmaker will have to tell you how much lower since I do not have a parts account. How easy is it to replace the crystal on a DW 6263? I just got a clark crystal in the mail. I am about to send this bad boy off for service and let that person do the crystal replacement too. I could get a gen later. Freddy or anyone else is the Clark the same thickness as the gen? I need to know because my bezel is loose. Do you guys recommend replacing the tube and crown as well? The stock (aftermarket) crystal that comes with Daytona reps (including DWs) are junk. They are also made of lighter gage (thinner) plastic than the gens. I have never used Clark's T21, but all of the other crystals I have bought from them were constructed similar to the gen Tropics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gplracer Posted April 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 The T21 is still being made by Rolex, so their dealer/service network pricing will be lower than the price we pay on ebay. Your watchmaker will have to tell you how much lower since I do not have a parts account. The stock (aftermarket) crystal that comes with Daytona reps (including DWs) are junk. They are also made of lighter gage (thinner) plastic than the gens. I have never used Clark's T21, but all of the other crystals I have bought from them were constructed similar to the gen Tropics. Thanks Freddy. Once again I really appreciate your time and expertise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest avitt Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 Be aware that Clark's T-21 is the dome style, and does not have the beveled edge. This does not make it incorrect (the earliest Cosmograph crystals were domed). However, the newer beveled crystals are definitely more appealing (to me, at least). I haven't found a source for aftermarket T-21's with the bevel... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gplracer Posted April 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 Be aware that Clark's T-21 is the dome style, and does not have the beveled edge. This does not make it incorrect (the earliest Cosmograph crystals were domed). However, the newer beveled crystals are definitely more appealing (to me, at least). I haven't found a source for aftermarket T-21's with the bevel... Thanks Avitt, The more I look the more I feel like just getting a gen T-21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolfire Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 Thanks Avitt, The more I look the more I feel like just getting a gen T-21 Well, like what avitt mentioned, the beveled edges give a different meaning to an already legendary watch... you should really just get the gen T21! I never looked back since getting mine installed... the way it sparkles & reflects light off it is just amazing. Period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 Be aware that Clark's T-21 is the dome style, and does not have the beveled edge. This does not make it incorrect (the earliest Cosmograph crystals were domed). However, the newer beveled crystals are definitely more appealing (to me, at least). I haven't found a source for aftermarket T-21's with the bevel... Ditto (DW fitted with gen T21) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
automatico Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 "And one other thing: would a watchmaker with a parts account be able to get a gen crystal much cheaper? It strikes me that they would balk at paying hundreds for crystals when they know they're just plastic " They were somewhere around $20US each when I bought the last three. Our "official" account is now DOA but I have saved a lot of parts over the past 20 years. Most "rolex watchmakers" with a rolex parts account are so serious about their superior knowledge and skill ( ) that they will never stoop so low as to sell a crystal that might end up on a replica. In reality, most of them are parts changer hacks that act like royalty. I am being extra nice today. As for me, I am a knave hack holding out for the highest price and make no bones about it. Why do I hold out for the highest price and not give a friend a break? Because I sold a lot of genuine rolex stuff way too cheap in the past and now I will not discount (what I see as) virtually worthless watch parts that no one really needs. The USA has what is known as the worst rolex parts distributor in the world (rolex Dallas TX) but dealers in other countries will usually order and sell parts to someone they know. Ask around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 The USA has what is known as the worst rolex parts distributor in the world (rolex Dallas TX) but dealers in other countries will usually order and sell parts to someone they know. Ask around. Ditto. UK ADs, especially, tend to be pretty pliable when it comes to selling parts. You just have to find & make friends with a UK AD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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