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Cartel vs. Vietnam 1675 - What an Extra $1,200 Gets You (Pic Heavy)

Fastman119

Active Member
10/1/19
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While factories can produce near-exact replicas of almost any new, popular watch, there’s an itch with vintage watches that can’t seem to be scratched given the current factory offerings.

When there’s an itch that can’t be scratched… some who are truly insane (*ahem*) take matters into their own hands.

Before discovering this forum, I had begun piecing together Cartel 1675 mods with parts I found online. Right after I finished my final Cartel build, I discovered the Vietnam 1675 existed, and well… the rest is history (RIP wallet).

Here they are, compared below -

Specs:

Cartel:
  • Cartel base watch
  • Replacement face
  • WSO bezel ring
  • WSO insert
  • Replacement plexi
  • Riveted bracelet
  • Hand-painted, color-matched hands
(no case re-working, no change to the internal movement)

All in, with labor ~ $550.00

Vietnam:
  • Viet case
  • Viet dial
  • Low beat DG3804B movement
  • Handset
  • Gen Rolex 116 crystal
  • Gen Rolex crown
  • Silver DWO
  • 7206 riveted bracelet
All in, with labor ~ $1,750.00

So with an extra ~$1,200, what do you really get in return?

VcNv0D.jpg


Major Differences:
  • Case thickness/profile
  • Crown size
  • Right side profile: crown guards, lug angle, crown guard slope/angle
  • Lug length/angles
  • Bracelet pinhole size/visibility
  • Face depth into case
  • Dial quality (subtle, fine-printed enamel, v.s. the thicker, bolder lines. Also crown logo width/placement, but I’m sure this varied throughout the generations)
  • Plexi v.s. gen crystal reflectiveness
  • GMT hand lume size/hand length
  • Case brush finishing
  • Bracelet feel/wearable noise (7206 literally feels vintage/gen, even without aging)
VclJTF.gif


First and foremost, I think the most immediately noticeable difference is in the right-hand profile of the watch/crown guards. The crown guards on the Vietnam build (and "gen" 1675) seem to poke out of the profile of the watch, while the cartel mod has a more gradual slope. While the cartel somewhat mimics the very early 1675's with the "eagle beak" crown guards, it still doesn't come quite close to gen.

Another detail that this gif illustrates really well is the difference in dial quality. I'm not quite sure where the pure-white 'modded' dial originates from, but the Vietnam dial is noticeably more refined, with much different sizing/spacing on the GMT writing/crown logo. While the dial has changed quite a few times throughout the 1675's life, the Vietnam dial really has an intricate presence, while the (I'm guessing) non-viet dial definitely has fatter, less detailed print work.

VclsEL.gif


The next most noticeable detail for me is the size/placement/depth of the case holes where the pushpins of the bracelet attached to the watch. The Viet case's push-pins seem to completely fill the case holes, and they're observably bigger than the cartel's. This is also a great illustration of the huge difference in crown size between the gen crown and the cartel crown - you can also see the huge change in overall case thickness between the two #Thicc

VclMGo.gif


Some other, smaller details that I noticed were the slight change in dial depth that comes with the viet case, as well as the length of the GMT hand/the size of the lumed triangle. I'm not sure which is closer to gen, but if I had to put my money on it (which I guess I did), I would figure the longer hand is closer to gen - not to mention the application of the red paint on the longer GMT hand has a much more even, polished finish.

VclUCr.gif


Something else that's easier to notice in person is the change that comes with the gen 116 crystal. I'm not quite sure if the gen 1675 was ever made with a plastic "plexi" material, but the gen 116 crystal really provides a depth/feel of quality to the whole build.

VclR4I.gif


Final details are the Viet case's better brushed finishing and the 7206 riveted bracelet's feel. Obviously, the 7206 bracelet isn't inherently "Vietnam", but damn the bracelet feels 1:1. It sounds it too as it clanks and rattles around - very vintage.

Intangible difference:

What probably surprised me the most about the Vietnam build, was that it didn’t capture the “feel” of the 1675 - it literally was the 1675. There was no feel to capture, it just completely embodied the watch without question: that’s what you’re paying $1,200+ for.

If you’re a fan of the 1675, a cartel build might suffice - but if you truly love the 1675, it’s the kind of watch that you love for it’s minute details, and its the amalgamation of these tiny details that add up to truly produce the watch (for me at least...).


Glamor shots:

Vc8Hre.jpg


Vc8XwT.jpg


Vc84pA.jpg


Vc8mdQ.jpg


Vc8Anf.jpg



(P.S. while I just bought the watch, the real credit here goes to Tripdog who actually created this mastery - from hand re-luming the hour marker patina to fading the fuchsia insert. Not surprisingly, he didn't disappoint :) )
 

Dizzy

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Nice write up. I like what you did with the pics. The case shape and thickness is definitely a big difference. I did my build with the cartel case and now I realize how terrible it is. The 7206 bracelet is one of my favourites. I absolutely love them. As for the plexi, I don’t really see much of a difference. A good aftermarket plexi is just as good as a Gen Rolex. The only one I’ve really seen a major difference with are the superdomes. Can’t beat Gen when it comes to them.
 

Youngmula808

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DO NOT TRADE WITH ME
21/4/16
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Awesome! im waiting for my Vietnam 1675 and literally cant wait. where do u got that riveted bracelet from? looks great
 
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Fastman119

Active Member
10/1/19
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A good aftermarket plexi is just as good as a Gen Rolex. The only one I’ve really seen a major difference with are the superdomes. Can’t beat Gen when it comes to them.

Yeah… you’re definitely not wrong on the plexi. If you’re weighing a gen crystal v.s. another feature, the money is probably better spent somewhere else.

Side by side, the 116 and the plexi that comes with the Cartel have near identical dimensions. Tough to capture on camera, but the only real difference is how the light plays off the edges/date window (as you’d expect it would with plastic v.s. glass).

I’m happy I did it, but definitely not a necessity for the build to look correct.
 

Mendota

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Awesome! im waiting for my Vietnam 1675 and literally cant wait. where do u got that riveted bracelet from? looks great

Ruby has a very nice one. Yuki also used to have a really nice one but they were constantly selling out within days and then they wouldn't be available for months or even a year. From what I am reading, Ruby is the new supplier of the best ones these days.
 

Mendota

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Fastman119 Fantastic write up! This is awesome and thanks for taking the time to write this and highlight the photos. These pictures really show the difference and it is plain as day. I always think to myself - if I were to be using a genuine Rolex 15xx movement and building a watch from all genuine parts, what case would I put these precious items into to build my genken watch? The only logical answer is the Vietnam case. It is truly designed and crafted to be an OEM replacement case, just like if you were restoring a vintage auto and you needed an important part that is not produced by the factory anymore. There are parts suppliers who reproduce parts for you auto, based on original OEM specs, that perfectly serve that purpose. This is the exact same thing. This is the same logic I am applying to the 5510 build I want to embark on soon. There is only one option for something you truly want to enjoy for a lifetime.
 

stufuse

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22/10/17
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Wow, best idea with the gifs.
Crazy that when you see them separately they are almost two of the same watch. When together on the gif they are completely different watches.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Danster

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Thanks so much for that. I've not seen a better way of comparing the differences. Really helpful and deffo shows the refined Vietnam version as worth going the extra mile for.. Would be great to see some more comparisons. ;)
 
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hanski

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Yeah… you’re definitely not wrong on the plexi. If you’re weighing a gen crystal v.s. another feature, the money is probably better spent somewhere else.

Side by side, the 116 and the plexi that comes with the Cartel have near identical dimensions. Tough to capture on camera, but the only real difference is how the light plays off the edges/date window (as you’d expect it would with plastic v.s. glass).

I’m happy I did it, but definitely not a necessity for the build to look correct.

My understanding is gen Rolex 25-116 crystal is an acrylic material, not glass. For example, you can find four NOS gen crystals here:

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=586829

Southtexas is a longtime seller and knowledgeable vintage Rolex enthusiast. He’s got a good rep on TRF and VRF.

Anyways, feel free to correct me if I’m mistaken about this.
 
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Fastman119

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Thanks all for the kind words!

bigtiddygothgf only Tripdog would be able to advise on the exact source of the Vietnam case, but I think all of the Vietnam cases sold from the ~3 or so suppliers originate from the same source if I’m not mistaken.

mzinski the more I wear it, the more I’d believe that the gen 116 crystal & replacement plexi are near 1:1 - the 116 is definitely not a sapphire crystal (my mistake), but more of an acrylic material.

I’m probably being suckered by the placebo effect, but I’m happy I went gen just to put my mind at ease ;)
 
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ihs0yz

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Amazing post! The way you compared them using gifs then went back and forth was great. And the slim case of the viet case, just wow.
 
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