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I sometimes get people PMing me, asking for a vintage Rolex build - a gen' spec' 1:1, water proof 1665/1675/1016 etc with glow in the dark lume, for a budget of $750 maximum and it needs to be ready in 2 weeks for his cousins/bosses/best buddies wedding. Obviously, if done properly, these things take a little more time.
This is the correct way to do a vintage Rolex build.
It took the owner 4 years to collect all the parts, and he didn't just collect one of each part required.
He sent me 2 gen' spec' Viet' cases and asked me to reshape and refinish both and pick the best. He also sent 3 crystals, 2 Rolex crowns & tubes and asked me to pick out the best for the build.
The dial is a genuine Rolex MKII, the movement is a Rolex 1570 caliber, the hands are the correct sized genuine Rolex, as is the dome crystal, the crown and the tube - only the mid-case is aftermarket.
There is some minor defects in the dial printing, but you can see the patina on the paint surface and lume in the last 2 pics. It really is impossible to imitate the subtle changes in color and texture of a 50 + year old dial.
This is the correct way to do a vintage Rolex build.
It took the owner 4 years to collect all the parts, and he didn't just collect one of each part required.
He sent me 2 gen' spec' Viet' cases and asked me to reshape and refinish both and pick the best. He also sent 3 crystals, 2 Rolex crowns & tubes and asked me to pick out the best for the build.
The dial is a genuine Rolex MKII, the movement is a Rolex 1570 caliber, the hands are the correct sized genuine Rolex, as is the dome crystal, the crown and the tube - only the mid-case is aftermarket.
There is some minor defects in the dial printing, but you can see the patina on the paint surface and lume in the last 2 pics. It really is impossible to imitate the subtle changes in color and texture of a 50 + year old dial.
