Are you guys happy with the thin Raffles crown?
I don’t like it.
I feel the clutch does not work as well as the standard one.
I don’t like it.
I feel the clutch does not work as well as the standard one.
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The 1016: The Under Appreciated Thread
- Thread starter ebzen02
- Start date
Not sure - those are the two that Ken does. You stipulate thin or thick when ordering.
Nice watch shots guys. Lovely Nato colour 369
Great Cartier dial there Karbon.
I "upgrade" the Raffles crown and tube with more gen-correct Athaya 24-600 by drilling (Ø2,8mm) and tapping (Ø3.00 x 0.35) the tube hole.
Matte varnish
Several layers at days intervals
Sapphire will always be clearer
But acrylic remains the gen standard
Mind you, it is not uncommon to see restored gens with a sapphire service crystal
- 9/8/10
- 875
- 744
- 93
Maybe I am exaggerating by saying « not uncommon » but I came across several posts on gen Rolex forums of people discussing this.
Of course purists disagree
- 9/8/10
- 875
- 744
- 93
I have seen a few threads on TRF go very 'wrong' when people have suggested swapping their plexis to sapphireMaybe I am exaggerating by saying « not uncommon » but I came across several posts on gen Rolex forums of people discussing this.
Of course purists disagree
Great read. Great watch. Love the journey. Thanks for sharing.The Story of my Vintage Explorer Project.
This story begins 20 years ago, when my son was born and I bought a Rolex Explorer 114270 for him that I planned to wear until he finishes school. He eventually did last year and after having it thoroughly serviced I passed the Explorer on to him that has been on his fathers wrist since he is alive, so that he can now put his own scratches onto it.
Problem: Now I needed a watch for myself. I thought, that maybe I could try to find a vintage Explorer from the early seventies that has similar mileage than myself being born 1971. That was a bit naive as I totally underestimated the prices of vintage Explorers. Since I wanted to stick with 36mm size, as I find this to be the perfect proportion for small to medium wrist sizes, I had two options: Either shell out a ridiculous amount of money for a genuine 1016 or make a project out of it trying to find the right parts and someone that can put it together for me.
This is when this forum comes in to play. I started communicating with forum member 369mafia and we decided to kick off the project together as a collaborative effort. Me trying to source the main parts here in Europe and him contributed his experience in what fits together and finally assembling the watch for me using some of the parts he already had in his workshop including a bezel and that very nice dial.
I wanted to stick to 36mm size and to the idea of using a vintage movement so ended up aquiring a Rolex Datejust case and a Swiss ETA2824 from 1972 that was also used in some Tudor models including the Oyster Prince. The caseback being from 1970 this already nicely averaged my target production date of 1971.
In the meanwhile I started work on my special take on a bracelet what I generally consider to be a very important part of a watch playing a significant role in how wearing a watch is experienced. Since I wanted a combination of early seventies retro style and bit of modern oyster bracelet comfort and solidity I came up with the following concept: I took a new US-brand Forstner "Ladder-bracelet" that is a re-interpretation of an iconic vintage bracelet that now Rolex-owned bracelet manufacturer Gay Freres originally made for the Zenith El Primero in the seventies. I customized it to take a nearly non-polished original Rolex buckle from - you might have guessed it -1971! Then I had it refinished by a certified Rolex workshop to Rolex standards here in Vienna. It now comes close to the quality and feel you would expect. I nice side effect of making it a bit slimmer at the buckle is that the screws are now flusher. The bracelet now looks much more refined than it originally was even though Forstner manufacture to a high quality standard. Somehow it now has this deep and soft shine that seems to come from using hands and skilled workmanship.
I could not wait for my watch to arrive so that I could mate it with that unusual bracelet. The wait was worth it. I could not stop admiring my completed project watch after receiving it. After wearing it for a month I noticed reliability issues, so I had the vintage movement overhauled completely by an ex-rolex watch smith. Finally I got it back fully waterproof and it is now running within 1 sec accuracy per day!
Before I present the photos of my watch I want to say a huge thank you to 369mafia for all the work he put into my project and the patience he had with my constantly changing stubborn ideas like me wanting to source period parts, etc ... Probably this project could have been realized much quicker, for less money and with less hassle but I wanted it exactly this way taking no shortcuts. In the end it was worth all the cost and effort. Thanks to 369mafia for respecting that! It was a joy to collaborate with him on this project and the result is not going to come off my wrist for a very long time...
Great Watch. Loved the story behind it. Well wear!!The Story of my Vintage Explorer Project.
This story begins 20 years ago, when my son was born and I bought a Rolex Explorer 114270 for him that I planned to wear until he finishes school. He eventually did last year and after having it thoroughly serviced I passed the Explorer on to him that has been on his fathers wrist since he is alive, so that he can now put his own scratches onto it.
Problem: Now I needed a watch for myself. I thought, that maybe I could try to find a vintage Explorer from the early seventies that has similar mileage than myself being born 1971. That was a bit naive as I totally underestimated the prices of vintage Explorers. Since I wanted to stick with 36mm size, as I find this to be the perfect proportion for small to medium wrist sizes, I had two options: Either shell out a ridiculous amount of money for a genuine 1016 or make a project out of it trying to find the right parts and someone that can put it together for me.
This is when this forum comes in to play. I started communicating with forum member 369mafia and we decided to kick off the project together as a collaborative effort. Me trying to source the main parts here in Europe and him contributed his experience in what fits together and finally assembling the watch for me using some of the parts he already had in his workshop including a bezel and that very nice dial.
I wanted to stick to 36mm size and to the idea of using a vintage movement so ended up aquiring a Rolex Datejust case and a Swiss ETA2824 from 1972 that was also used in some Tudor models including the Oyster Prince. The caseback being from 1970 this already nicely averaged my target production date of 1971.
In the meanwhile I started work on my special take on a bracelet what I generally consider to be a very important part of a watch playing a significant role in how wearing a watch is experienced. Since I wanted a combination of early seventies retro style and bit of modern oyster bracelet comfort and solidity I came up with the following concept: I took a new US-brand Forstner "Ladder-bracelet" that is a re-interpretation of an iconic vintage bracelet that now Rolex-owned bracelet manufacturer Gay Freres originally made for the Zenith El Primero in the seventies. I customized it to take a nearly non-polished original Rolex buckle from - you might have guessed it -1971! Then I had it refinished by a certified Rolex workshop to Rolex standards here in Vienna. It now comes close to the quality and feel you would expect. I nice side effect of making it a bit slimmer at the buckle is that the screws are now flusher. The bracelet now looks much more refined than it originally was even though Forstner manufacture to a high quality standard. Somehow it now has this deep and soft shine that seems to come from using hands and skilled workmanship.
I could not wait for my watch to arrive so that I could mate it with that unusual bracelet. The wait was worth it. I could not stop admiring my completed project watch after receiving it. After wearing it for a month I noticed reliability issues, so I had the vintage movement overhauled completely by an ex-rolex watch smith. Finally I got it back fully waterproof and it is now running within 1 sec accuracy per day!
Before I present the photos of my watch I want to say a huge thank you to 369mafia for all the work he put into my project and the patience he had with my constantly changing stubborn ideas like me wanting to source period parts, etc ... Probably this project could have been realized much quicker, for less money and with less hassle but I wanted it exactly this way taking no shortcuts. In the end it was worth all the cost and effort. Thanks to 369mafia for respecting that! It was a joy to collaborate with him on this project and the result is not going to come off my wrist for a very long time...
I wasn't happy with my paint job so I decided to bake it in a toaster oven.
Pretty happy with the result. The lume still works btw.
Pretty happy with the result. The lume still works btw.
What an awesome comparison. Since this thread moves faster than anything I've ever seen (and is a goldmine of great information) forgive me if I missed this... are the two weathered/aged hands genuine?Lower finish
The hour hand looks like it might have a smaller hole, (1520 vs. 2824, etc.) but it's pointed tip is extremely sharp as well.
Secondly, the minute hand much better proportions than most available.
So, are those two some NH35 hands you personally shaped, a particular raffles hand set, or genuine?
Sure, I might prefer a wider minute hand for a 1968 1675, but that's really stretching it.
Those proportions can't be Raffles. Right?