- 3/10/23
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I know there are a few threads about crystals, gaskets, height of the crystals, etc on RWI scattered throughout the forums. However, for the past couple of days I've read through about 50 or so threads and the same question(s) keep popping up: "What is the best gasket/crystal combo for date magnification?" "What gasket should I use?" "What crystal is best?" "Should my crystal be sitting this high?".
I have to admit, I was also asking those same questions in forums until a lot of awesome members on here helped out. But still, none of them are in the same thread, and I would like to help new users understand and quickly find this info. I appreciate everyone who has helped me over the past month or so with all questions and answers to help achieve my perfect GMT Master setup.
Over the course of about a month or so, I've tested out the stock V3 Clean Factory crystal with all sorts of gaskets, the Deep Xtal with various gaskets, and then finally the Gen Rolex crystal which I installed yesterday.
If you are aiming for Genuine Rolex like clarity, crystal height, and date window magnification, then read all the way towards the end where I explain what needs to be done.
Here is what I tested
-3x Clarks Crystal Gaskets (You can buy different brands, but Clarks looks and feels the most genuine from what I've seen. They're thicker and sturdier than the stock CF gasket that comes which is super flimsy.
-1x CF Crystal & CF Crystal Gasket
-1x Gen Rolex crystal with Gen crystal gasket
-1x Deep Xtal
CF Crystal and Gasket:
As you can see the measurements for the CF is 1.7mm for the crystal and 2.8mm for the gasket. The crystal was bouncing between 1.65mm & 1.7mm constantly. So I decided to measure it with three different calipers and all showed the same. The CF crystal is super slim vs the competition. You can also distinguish the thickness when you use a your finger/nail or an object to tap on the crystal when it's installed on the watch. You can hear a "piiiinggggg" sound as if it's shallow or thin. Doesn't give off Gen vibes for sure. Sounds like a cheaper watch in my opinion.
The clarify of the CF is honestly on par with a lot of the competition. I would say it's better than Deep and Prof, and on par with VSF Crystals. It somewhat gives off the "blackhole" effect and is clear.
Next is the Deep xtal.
It's measuring in at 1.75/1.8mm consistently with three different calipers. The clarity looks okay until you look closer at different angles. The reflections aren't gen like and in my case it made the dial muddier than the CF did. This could have been a one off thing, but I've read that a lot of people have said the Deep xtal isn't needed vs a CF stock crystal on the V3 watches.
Using the same finger/nail/object test, it sounds pretty much the same as the CF, even though it it 1/2 - 1 mm thicker than the CF xtal.
Next up is the Gen crystal and gasket.
For the gen crystal, I used some thin tape to protect the glass because all three of my calipers are metal, and I didn't want to risk scratching it, and plus the crystal was new in BLISTER so I didn't want to dirty/smudge it up.
The gen constantly measured 1.9mm & 2mm using the 3 calipers. The tape might've played a role in the thickness obviously but it still measured thicker than the Deep and CF xtals. I did measure with one of my old school plastic calipers without the tape and it came up as 1.95mm. None the less, it obviously thicker and in my opinion clearer than the rest. The Gen is also unbelievably clear and shiny.
The gen gasket measured in at 2.1mm & 2.15 consistently. I've read online and in RWI forums that the gen gasket was around 2.3mm. but when I put them up again the 2.5mm Clarks gasket, it was a lot thinner than the 2.5.
When it comes to the gasket, 99% of the time with our reps we won't be able to use it because it's way too thin. I was able to get away with using a 2.5mm, but that was stretching it as well.
Next are the Clarks gaskets:
They measured as follows:
2.5mm gasket showed 2.4mm
2.7mm gasket showed 2.6mm
2.85mm gasket showed 2.8 & 2.85
Next we'll install the gasket with the crystal. Here I am only showing the Genuine Rolex crystal for obvious reasons: we all want gen like glass/height/datewindow appearance. I won't be showing the 2.3mm gen Rolex gasket and the 2.5mm Clarks gasket since it won't fit without modifying the seconds hands. You can use the 2.5mm gasket with the Deep xtal without doing any work because I believe the Deep sits higher inside of the gasket its self, thus making it clear the hands. The CF and Gen crystals sit lower inside the gaskets, so it won't clear. I honestly don't believe you'll have a gen xtal height with either the 2.3 or the 2.5mm either as it'll sit too low, or be perfectly aligned with the bezel, which isn't gen-like.
If you do want to use a lower gasket for whatever reason though, here is a great thread by KJ2020 who explains how to shave the seconds hand pinion down to clear the crystal: https://forum.replica-watch.info/threads/gmt-crystal-sits-too-low-to-clear-the-second-hand.8217511/
Here is the picture of the gen crystal with the 2.85mm clarks gasket. This was on par with the CF gasket that came with the watch so I didn't bother taking another picture:
In my personal opinion, it sits too high (see pictures below with bezel on). The date window also changed in the slightest but still looks almost the same as the datewindow that came out of the box. No go for me.
Pictures of gen crystal with 2.85mm Clarks gasket height with bezel installed:
In pictures it looks lower than it actually is. In person it looks a tinyyyyyyy bit lower than how the watch came out of the box. Again, the Gen crystal sits lower inside the gasket than the CF crystal would. So it does make a difference, but still not gen like.
If for whatever reason you only have the 2.85mm gasket (CF, Clarks, etc) you and don't have any shorter ones, you can use this thread from KJ2020 as well to achieve the perfect height: https://forum.replica-watch.info/threads/custom-rolex-crystal-gasket-height-diy.10927322/
Next is the Gen crystal with a 2.7mm gasket. In my personal opinion, and looking at a gen batman right next to the rep, it looks the same height wise, and date window wise as well, achieving that 2.5x magnification.
Here are pictures of the crystal height with bezel on:
Again, in pictures it might even look level with the bezel, but it's not. It sits about half a mm to a mm above the bezel, and when looking at it flat, it's apparent that the crystal is above the bezel.
Next putting everything back together was a process in itself. My hytrel ring (gasket that keeps the bezel in place) has been through hell. It's been taken off and on about 13 times as far as I could count. It finally gave up and needed to be replaced. You can reach out to your TD for this part, but it's about $23-$30 depending on who your source is. You can also buy it from AliExpress but why? Here is a great thread from derjenigewelcher on how to fix the bezel rotation to be more gen like. CF uses roughly 70 pounds/30 kg of grease to make the action work/spin. Follow this thread to fix yours as I have. https://forum.replica-watch.info/th...x-the-bezel-on-a-clean-gmt-master-2.10668398/ Also in this thread you can see KJ2020's method of using fishline as a replacement. I would HIGHLY recommend buying 0.56mm, 0.57mm, 0.60mm, 0.65mm, and 0.67mm fishline diameter. Use the smallest fishline diameter first and work your way up. You can easily fuck this up and get your bezel stuck. In my case I had to use 0.645mm fishline as I needed to fix my bezel from moving left and right ever so slightly. So using fishline can help with that too.
I also had an obnoxious rattle in my Jubilee bracelet which I fixed by using a plastic container, and filling it with dry lube. You can try different methods, but everything I tried including baby oil didn't fix it. You can use this thread to read through if you need further help on deciding: https://forum.replica-watch.info/threads/oil-bath.280817/
I used "Reaps" members method and it worked like a charm.
Once you button everything up, you'll have a gen like rep
I am trying to source a gen dial for my Sprite and eventually will buy a gen bezel. I will do tutorials on those as soon as I get them. But as far as crystals and gaskets go, if anyone has any questions please feel free to reach out to me via PM and I will try and help to the best of my abilities.
I have to admit, I was also asking those same questions in forums until a lot of awesome members on here helped out. But still, none of them are in the same thread, and I would like to help new users understand and quickly find this info. I appreciate everyone who has helped me over the past month or so with all questions and answers to help achieve my perfect GMT Master setup.
Over the course of about a month or so, I've tested out the stock V3 Clean Factory crystal with all sorts of gaskets, the Deep Xtal with various gaskets, and then finally the Gen Rolex crystal which I installed yesterday.
If you are aiming for Genuine Rolex like clarity, crystal height, and date window magnification, then read all the way towards the end where I explain what needs to be done.
Here is what I tested
-3x Clarks Crystal Gaskets (You can buy different brands, but Clarks looks and feels the most genuine from what I've seen. They're thicker and sturdier than the stock CF gasket that comes which is super flimsy.
-1x CF Crystal & CF Crystal Gasket
-1x Gen Rolex crystal with Gen crystal gasket
-1x Deep Xtal
CF Crystal and Gasket:
As you can see the measurements for the CF is 1.7mm for the crystal and 2.8mm for the gasket. The crystal was bouncing between 1.65mm & 1.7mm constantly. So I decided to measure it with three different calipers and all showed the same. The CF crystal is super slim vs the competition. You can also distinguish the thickness when you use a your finger/nail or an object to tap on the crystal when it's installed on the watch. You can hear a "piiiinggggg" sound as if it's shallow or thin. Doesn't give off Gen vibes for sure. Sounds like a cheaper watch in my opinion.
The clarify of the CF is honestly on par with a lot of the competition. I would say it's better than Deep and Prof, and on par with VSF Crystals. It somewhat gives off the "blackhole" effect and is clear.
Next is the Deep xtal.
It's measuring in at 1.75/1.8mm consistently with three different calipers. The clarity looks okay until you look closer at different angles. The reflections aren't gen like and in my case it made the dial muddier than the CF did. This could have been a one off thing, but I've read that a lot of people have said the Deep xtal isn't needed vs a CF stock crystal on the V3 watches.
Using the same finger/nail/object test, it sounds pretty much the same as the CF, even though it it 1/2 - 1 mm thicker than the CF xtal.
Next up is the Gen crystal and gasket.
For the gen crystal, I used some thin tape to protect the glass because all three of my calipers are metal, and I didn't want to risk scratching it, and plus the crystal was new in BLISTER so I didn't want to dirty/smudge it up.
The gen constantly measured 1.9mm & 2mm using the 3 calipers. The tape might've played a role in the thickness obviously but it still measured thicker than the Deep and CF xtals. I did measure with one of my old school plastic calipers without the tape and it came up as 1.95mm. None the less, it obviously thicker and in my opinion clearer than the rest. The Gen is also unbelievably clear and shiny.
The gen gasket measured in at 2.1mm & 2.15 consistently. I've read online and in RWI forums that the gen gasket was around 2.3mm. but when I put them up again the 2.5mm Clarks gasket, it was a lot thinner than the 2.5.
When it comes to the gasket, 99% of the time with our reps we won't be able to use it because it's way too thin. I was able to get away with using a 2.5mm, but that was stretching it as well.
Next are the Clarks gaskets:
They measured as follows:
2.5mm gasket showed 2.4mm
2.7mm gasket showed 2.6mm
2.85mm gasket showed 2.8 & 2.85
Next we'll install the gasket with the crystal. Here I am only showing the Genuine Rolex crystal for obvious reasons: we all want gen like glass/height/datewindow appearance. I won't be showing the 2.3mm gen Rolex gasket and the 2.5mm Clarks gasket since it won't fit without modifying the seconds hands. You can use the 2.5mm gasket with the Deep xtal without doing any work because I believe the Deep sits higher inside of the gasket its self, thus making it clear the hands. The CF and Gen crystals sit lower inside the gaskets, so it won't clear. I honestly don't believe you'll have a gen xtal height with either the 2.3 or the 2.5mm either as it'll sit too low, or be perfectly aligned with the bezel, which isn't gen-like.
If you do want to use a lower gasket for whatever reason though, here is a great thread by KJ2020 who explains how to shave the seconds hand pinion down to clear the crystal: https://forum.replica-watch.info/threads/gmt-crystal-sits-too-low-to-clear-the-second-hand.8217511/
Here is the picture of the gen crystal with the 2.85mm clarks gasket. This was on par with the CF gasket that came with the watch so I didn't bother taking another picture:
In my personal opinion, it sits too high (see pictures below with bezel on). The date window also changed in the slightest but still looks almost the same as the datewindow that came out of the box. No go for me.
Pictures of gen crystal with 2.85mm Clarks gasket height with bezel installed:
In pictures it looks lower than it actually is. In person it looks a tinyyyyyyy bit lower than how the watch came out of the box. Again, the Gen crystal sits lower inside the gasket than the CF crystal would. So it does make a difference, but still not gen like.
If for whatever reason you only have the 2.85mm gasket (CF, Clarks, etc) you and don't have any shorter ones, you can use this thread from KJ2020 as well to achieve the perfect height: https://forum.replica-watch.info/threads/custom-rolex-crystal-gasket-height-diy.10927322/
Next is the Gen crystal with a 2.7mm gasket. In my personal opinion, and looking at a gen batman right next to the rep, it looks the same height wise, and date window wise as well, achieving that 2.5x magnification.
Here are pictures of the crystal height with bezel on:
Again, in pictures it might even look level with the bezel, but it's not. It sits about half a mm to a mm above the bezel, and when looking at it flat, it's apparent that the crystal is above the bezel.
Next putting everything back together was a process in itself. My hytrel ring (gasket that keeps the bezel in place) has been through hell. It's been taken off and on about 13 times as far as I could count. It finally gave up and needed to be replaced. You can reach out to your TD for this part, but it's about $23-$30 depending on who your source is. You can also buy it from AliExpress but why? Here is a great thread from derjenigewelcher on how to fix the bezel rotation to be more gen like. CF uses roughly 70 pounds/30 kg of grease to make the action work/spin. Follow this thread to fix yours as I have. https://forum.replica-watch.info/th...x-the-bezel-on-a-clean-gmt-master-2.10668398/ Also in this thread you can see KJ2020's method of using fishline as a replacement. I would HIGHLY recommend buying 0.56mm, 0.57mm, 0.60mm, 0.65mm, and 0.67mm fishline diameter. Use the smallest fishline diameter first and work your way up. You can easily fuck this up and get your bezel stuck. In my case I had to use 0.645mm fishline as I needed to fix my bezel from moving left and right ever so slightly. So using fishline can help with that too.
I also had an obnoxious rattle in my Jubilee bracelet which I fixed by using a plastic container, and filling it with dry lube. You can try different methods, but everything I tried including baby oil didn't fix it. You can use this thread to read through if you need further help on deciding: https://forum.replica-watch.info/threads/oil-bath.280817/
I used "Reaps" members method and it worked like a charm.
Once you button everything up, you'll have a gen like rep
I am trying to source a gen dial for my Sprite and eventually will buy a gen bezel. I will do tutorials on those as soon as I get them. But as far as crystals and gaskets go, if anyone has any questions please feel free to reach out to me via PM and I will try and help to the best of my abilities.
I’ve been looking for a sprite xtal for atleast 6 months now even before I bought the rep. Couldn’t find it. So I decided on buying the regular gen xtal for a Batman or rootbeer etc. you can’t see it unless you use a loop or zoom in super super close anyways, and im not going to be having an AD inspect it so no need to make it pass off as a Gen watch. 
