- 10/1/19
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Fellow RWI member kilowattore already made a terrific photo comparison of the Vietnam v.s. TS Watch 6542 here - https://forum.replica-watch.info/for...-high-end-case so I’ll keep this short and sweet, but I thought I’d make a post examining the two using gifs for my own curiosity.
Here they are, compared below -
Specs:
TS Watch:
Vietnam:
So with an extra ~$1,200, what do you really get in return?
Major Differences:
First and foremost, the real million dollar difference that puts the viet build in a league of its own is the dial quality. It’s honestly hard to describe how good the gilting/gold details are on the Vietnam dial - the reflectiveness of the gold and that wavey black goodness of the gilt give the dial a whole different layer of authenticity.
When it comes to the case, I’m honestly surprised with how subtle the differences in dimensions/lines are. The viet case is subtly thinner, and the curvature of the lug lines have a more dramatic curtailment towards the end. When looking face-on, the edges of the viet case seem more rounded as well, and the brushed steel finishing of the viet case is definitely better than the TS watch.
These differences are brought even more to life when looking at the watch from about 5 feet away - the dial of the viet build immediately ‘pops’ off the wrist and catches the light in so many fascinating ways, whereas the TS build seems to come across as more muted and subdued.
Another small difference is 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, although I will say the size of the case holes don’t seem to be observably bigger/smaller with the TS case.
One big item that becomes more obvious when feeling the watch is the quality of the bezel ring. On the Viet build it’s actually metallic, and the ring on mine was aged a bit to give it more of a yellowed shine, whereas the TS bezel ring feels like it was made from some sort of plastic when touched, and the tiny rivets have a different spacing.
Just as it was with the vietnam v.s. cartel 1675 (https://forum.replica-watch.info/for...-you-pic-heavy), all of the tiny details of the viet 6542 add up to produce a completely different experience with the watch.
While the differences between these two were a lot less obvious up front, the viet build really embodies the era that the watch was created in to an entirely different degree. It truly feels vintage - like Hans Wilsdorf himself could’ve slapped the logo on the dial in a time where Rolex was a scrappy startup struggling to compete with the big guys.
If you guys want to learn more about the fascinating history behind the 6542, here is an amazing video that explains just that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfLO1S7YfX0
Another huge shoutout to tripdog for building this beautiful creation - he's the absolute man
Here they are, compared below -
Specs:
TS Watch:
- “Hand Made” Vintage Rolex ref.6542 A2836
- Transfer fees + conversion rate
Vietnam:
- Vietnam Dial
- Vietnam Case/bezel assembly/case back
- DG3804B low beat GMT
- Handset
- Roulette DWO
- Aftermarket Crystal
- Rolex NOS 6 mm crown
- 7206 rivet bracelet
So with an extra ~$1,200, what do you really get in return?
Major Differences:
- Subtle difference in case thickness/lug lines
- Gilted dial quality/refinement
- Metallic bezel ring
- Case lug holes
- Bracelet authenticity
- Lower movement BPH
First and foremost, the real million dollar difference that puts the viet build in a league of its own is the dial quality. It’s honestly hard to describe how good the gilting/gold details are on the Vietnam dial - the reflectiveness of the gold and that wavey black goodness of the gilt give the dial a whole different layer of authenticity.
When it comes to the case, I’m honestly surprised with how subtle the differences in dimensions/lines are. The viet case is subtly thinner, and the curvature of the lug lines have a more dramatic curtailment towards the end. When looking face-on, the edges of the viet case seem more rounded as well, and the brushed steel finishing of the viet case is definitely better than the TS watch.
These differences are brought even more to life when looking at the watch from about 5 feet away - the dial of the viet build immediately ‘pops’ off the wrist and catches the light in so many fascinating ways, whereas the TS build seems to come across as more muted and subdued.
Another small difference is 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, although I will say the size of the case holes don’t seem to be observably bigger/smaller with the TS case.
One big item that becomes more obvious when feeling the watch is the quality of the bezel ring. On the Viet build it’s actually metallic, and the ring on mine was aged a bit to give it more of a yellowed shine, whereas the TS bezel ring feels like it was made from some sort of plastic when touched, and the tiny rivets have a different spacing.
Just as it was with the vietnam v.s. cartel 1675 (https://forum.replica-watch.info/for...-you-pic-heavy), all of the tiny details of the viet 6542 add up to produce a completely different experience with the watch.
While the differences between these two were a lot less obvious up front, the viet build really embodies the era that the watch was created in to an entirely different degree. It truly feels vintage - like Hans Wilsdorf himself could’ve slapped the logo on the dial in a time where Rolex was a scrappy startup struggling to compete with the big guys.
If you guys want to learn more about the fascinating history behind the 6542, here is an amazing video that explains just that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfLO1S7YfX0
Another huge shoutout to tripdog for building this beautiful creation - he's the absolute man
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