Dissymmetry - Assymmetry question

[RolexAddict 1]

Hi guys,

 

This is AllergyDoc and Demsey fault. They started showing me pics with assymmetric pushers observed on vintage Rolex Daytona.

Not the place here to start a discussion and refresh memories about this story and history of this Rolex Cosmograph particularity.

 

Just to say, I wanted to mod a rep vintage Daytona case to reproduce this visual effect of this misaligned reset pusher like on gens cosmographs.

I decided to disassemble a Daytona cosmograph rep I got last year from Precious Time. I didn't like the black dial, not sharp at all, and the movement has a strange feature: the hours sub-dial at 6.00 is not true, the sub-dial hand tracks and show the same time like the hours hand, with a reset possibility. Very strange concept.

I had a complete movement/silver with light pink reflexions dial assembling. This one is more sharp, and full working chrono, ready for a switch.

I wanted also to replace the screwed pushers common on 6263 and 6265 models for older classic style pushers.

At the same time change the cristal.

 

Here, the classic screwed Daytona pushers

 

Here the stripped watch case with the replacement of classic chrono pushers and all parts together, with the remplacement plexi, a Sternkreutz Tropic #21, original contract for Rolex service cristal replacement.

 

 

To resume, the project is :

 

1) to mod the 4 o'clock reset pusher, make it look assymmetrical,

2) Remplace the Chinese factory plexi sitting too deep for a regular one, well and more bombed.

 

 

I did all these mods very fast, I am not very proud and happy, I made a lot of mistakes. For exemple, when I re-glued the metalic bezel I didn't care of the number 60 who has to be aligned with the chrono hand.

But I have seen lot of gens with this flaw.

Lot of collectible vintage Rolex with flaws have great success in auctions. My next mod will be to reproduce a Patrizzi dial on a Daytona. This is a hard to find flaw and this flaw can DOUBLE the watch price (in the gens world of course)

 

Finally the result is not so bad, cosmetically acceptable, and I have already a customer here in Paris interested to buy this watch.

 

Step by step, the things I have made,

 

MOD 1 - THE RESET PUSHER

 

First the complete desassembling of all case parts

 

To give this missaligned visual effect on the reset pusher at 4.00 o'clock I immagined to re-drill inside the case pusher body hole, giving a different angle. Then put the pusher body in place again with his new orientation and fill up the empty space due to the enlarged hole. This filling job was made with a mix of epoxy and atomised metal (stainless steel powder).

On another way, I could also fill up completely the pusher hole by TIG welding and re-drill. To long and to much refinishing work on the case. And I was to lazy. But this is how the job should be done.

 

I had also to enlarge half a millimeter the pusher guard space for the pusher button clearance

 

This is tools I used to enlage the pusher tunel : A dremel with grinding stones and silicon polishing tools

 

The job is finished

 

Inside the case, you see the little spurs holding the pusher buttons and the holes filled with steel renforced epoxy (grey color)

 

With this new desaxed pusher, now the pusher button pin hits on the red spot on the reset lever arm. Initially it was hitting at the green spot.

 

The result, it looks o.k for me, I will do better next time, its just a experiment

 

 

MOD 2 - THE PLEXI REMPLACEMENT

 

The main job was not to cut the plexi and glue it. The Tropic # 21 is the latest used on the 6263. It is not so rounded like the very old cosmographs. So I decided to brake the angle to get the plexi more rounded.

This could be a special article "how to remove scratches on a plexi".

 

Step one : the background, the max material removal.

For this I took a sandpaper wheel on the dremel and run at the minimum speed, 3000rpm to avoid to burn the plexi.

 

Look like the angle is well broken... the plexi looks ruined too...... lol

not at all.

 

Then there are now lot of polishing work with sandpaper starting with a 240 grit, then 400, 600, 800 and finishing with 1200.

I didn't take pics from all, look here, looks already better

 

After the # 1200 I used a polishing paste, FLITZ. This is really a magic product. PolyWatch is very good but not strong enough.

 

Here, the job is at 90% finished. Now we can use Polywatch to remove the minor scratches you can see.

 

All the stuff used : little pieces of sandpaper, coton tips and clothe, FLITZ and PolyWatch

 

 

================================================================================

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THE END OF THE STORY AND THE FINAL RESULT

 

Some pics of the modded Daytona, I put a leather strap, not very sharp, I didn't use a tripod, the spots on the plexi at 1 o'clock are dust particles

 

 

 

The modded Daytona with 2 sisters, they look all different size, its a optical effect I think, all 3 watches

 

are 39mm diameter

 

Hope you liked these explications,

 

 

 

Now, a question :

Something in this watch look "incorrect" for hard collectors. This is on the dial. But in the story of the gens this is a very common fact.

 

Do you know what is vrong ???

[RWGadmin 13]

hmm - is it me, or is the re-aligned pusher set at a slightly too acute angle?

 

Amazing job, though - especially the re-finishing of the crystal. No clue about the dial, however - I'm no Daytona expert....

 

Another great post, RA!

[iabounty 8]

WOW......... You never cease to amaze me RA. I am still learning clock repair and having eyesight problems with the big stuff.......... I can't imagine how difficult it is to mod the tiny components and the amount of patience and the steady hand required to get the job done.

[trailboss99 996]

Amazing RA. Another brilliant piece of work. Thanks.

 

Col.

[jameo210369 0]

Wow, I wish I had you skill your patience and your devotion RA; great thread and great pics.

 

No idea what the difference is, but it looks cool with the modified pushers and the mod Daytona does look bigger than her sisters.

 

Optical illusion I guess.

[AllergyDoc 40]

Nicely done! Especially if you already have a buyer.

 

There are so many Daytona dials. My guess would be too little spacing between the letters in "DAYTONA."

 

[RolexAddict 1]

thanks guys,

 

It's just a "week end-in Paris-under-rain-wife-is-shopping-women's stuff-I am alone-so-during-this-time-I-play"

o.k, to be honest, it took a little more time. I am not 100% happy, but the watch looks really nice -for me-

 

Wow, I wish I had you skill your patience and your devotion RA; great thread and great pics.

 

No idea what the difference is, but it looks cool with the modified pushers and the mod Daytona does look bigger than her sisters.

 

Optical illusion I guess.

 

Yes, all 3 watches are the same, classic Daytona's, I said 39mm, I have to check again, I think is only 37mm, let me confirm, as the dial/movement combo I used comes from one of my 40mm Daytonas. This match the smaller vintage cases. I will show pics.

 

 

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Nicely done! Especially if you already have a buyer.

 

There are so many Daytona dials. My guess would be too little spacing between the letters in "DAYTONA."

 

=================

 

And the buyer is a .... another guy ... my wife begins to be suspicious

 

The answer is simple:

Its not the Daytona fonts or space, they are like gens, the A is correct with the flat top

First cosmographs with classic old style pushers had dials marked only -Rolex- and on the second line -cosmograph-

the line -Oyster- came whith the new cases with screwed pushers. These first 6263 was waterproofed and given for 50 meters.

But lot of these watches are canibalized, owners often changed dials to upgrade watches

Edited March 30, 2009 by RolexAddict