1016 Project 3: Space-Dweller

[LHOOQ 0]

[Originally posted 2 August 2010 on RWG2]

 

 

I love the 1016 Explorer. I believe it's the purest expression of the basic Rolex design--one that started with the Oyster Perpetual and remains present in today's lineup. It's one of the perfect watch designs of the last century, in my opinion, and it's one of my few real watch obsessions.

 

Last Season's Models

My first post at RWG was Cheapo 1016 Project, in which I attempted to put together a decent 1016 rep for a relatively low price. Despite some setbacks -like the inability to fit a proper Tropic 22 crystal- and the overall compromise of the project, I'm still happy with the result today. But I knew I'd always be back to take another crack at it.

 

If you read that post, you'll notice that the first response -a very encouraging welcome to RWG- is from jmb. This is what writers like to call foreshadowing!

 

My second 1016 project was finished earlier this year, though it was less ambitious than the first. I simply wanted to spruce up my Hont-sourced Explorer, which is my regular swimming watch. I also wanted to use an MBK dial I'd gotten from Lanikai. The original dial, which can be spotted on many cheap 'Vintage Explorer' reps being sold today, wasn't pretty. During one of my visits to my watchmaker for this project, I noticed that he was repairing a genuine 1967 Explorer. Finally, I had the chance to compare them side-by-side!

 

It wasn't a pleasant experience. Once you get to a certain level of obsession, you see nothing but the differences and imperfections of the rep. I think that was when I decided to go for a better 1016--maybe based on an MBK or a Yuki case. Of course, I was distracted by my extremely needy DW 6263 back then, so I didn't make any solid plans.

 

Project 3: 1601 Space-Dweller

I was asking ChiMan12 for advice on how I could turn a Tudor Jumbo case into a 1019 Milgauss (project status: DEAD), when he -knowing about my obsession- told me that he had a spare 1601 Datejust case that I could use for a 1016. I initially said no, because I didn't think it could work.

 

In the past year, I've had several opportunities to examine and handle genuine 1016s, though never with a pair of calipers handy. One thing that always struck me was how much bigger it looked compared to my Datejust-based reps. At one point, I really believed that the Explorer had a larger case--maybe a 37mm. But after numerous discussions with C and others, and looking over numerous pictures of 1016s, I realized the mid-cases weren't all that different. What distinguished the Explorer from the Datejust was the thicker Tropic 22 crystal and, consequently, the wider and thicker bezel that had to accommodate it. And as much as I searched, I could not find an aftermarket bezel that could do the job. This is where Justin B. re-enters the picture.

 

I've been a huge fan of jmb's projects, from his tiny Tudors to his jaw-dropping Oyster Quartz homage. So I sent him a PM and asked if he could make a custom bezel for me. Right away, he said sure, but that I'd have to supply all the specs. I spent several evenings closely examining all the pictures of 1016s I could find, counting pixels in Photoshop and trying to make the best estimates I could eyeball. But if my baseline measurements were off (I was estimating based on the width of the lugs, the diameter of the crown, or the diameter of the crystal), that would mean the entire bezel would be a dud. So I reached out to kent2, since I'd seen a picture of his gen gilt-dial 1016 (beautiful). He was nice enough to measure his bezel with calipers. This turned out to be crucial to the project, since my previous estimate had been almost 0.5mm off. I reduced all dimensions accordingly and sent them off to North Texas, USA.

 

The amazing result, several weeks later:

 

 

Yes, you're probably thinking it's just a bezel, but believe me, it's the key to this project. "One bezel to fool them all," as Tolkien never wrote.

 

In the meantime, I'd scrambled to get back to C and ask if he still had the 1601 in his spare parts box. He did, and inside it he also had an ETA 2472: Non-hacking, 18000BPH. Sound familiar? For the next month and a half, I would coordinate with C and J as issues came up and parts were received. On my end, I'd ordered a superb Space-Dweller dial (to replace the bizarro "Tiffany & Co." I first earmarked for this project), Yuki hands, and my old favorite, the Yuki 7206 riveted bracelet. Please note that I believe Yuki has fixed the problem that this bracelet had with 2mm springbars. Mine came with springbars pre-installed, but they were easily removed and not jammed in. Furthermore, there doesn't seem to be any deformation of the endlinks.

 

Brief history: The Space-Dweller was a Japanese-market edition of the Explorer that was produced in small quantities during the mid-1960s. The only difference from the vanilla 1016 is the text on the dial. So let's get on with the final result, assembled by my watchsmith just yesterday:

 

 

Right about the time J received the package from C, I had a major crisis of confidence in the project. I'd become convinced that the 1601 was the wrong basis for a 1016, and that only a newer 162xx Datejust would do the job. I took some pretty drastic action that day, but eventually came to my senses and told J to continue as planned.

 

One of the big pluses of using a 162xx is that its case has a flat, thick midsection, just like the 1016. As Stilty has pointed out before, the 162xx also has an identical caseback setup to the 1016. I was concerned that the 1601's profile would be too slim, but I needn't have worried: The 1601 is a bit slimmer than the real deal but not obviously so. Also, the gentler curves of the lugs are more appropriate for an older Rolex. Note the 40-something year-old patina on the case, and the stunning job J did on the bezel. He suggested a brushed look for the bezel to indicate its age, but I insisted on a polished finish to match the majority of gens I've seen. If you disagree, please address all complaints to me.

 

 

The crown, as previously mentioned, is a genuine 24-600-0. Cheap, and nicely beat-up. Tube is from Clark. Also notice the overhang of the bezel compared to the case sides. This is one of the major distinguishing features of the 1016, and one that J's bezel captured well. Sadly, the lugholes had to stay Datejust-sized as they're too close to the edges of the lugs. J didn't want to risk it, and neither did I.

 

 

Since this is supposed to be a watch from the 1960s, I didn't want to use the modern-style crystal with a beveled edge. Let's take a look at the crown and bezel from a different angle, and the classic superdome profile:

 

 

Yuki 7206 expander is $44 more expensive since my first project, but it's still a fine bracelet. Note the lovely crystal distortion around the edges:

 

 

As mentioned earlier, the movement is an ETA 2472. Pretty:

 

 

Five ticks for each second:

 

 

Future upgrades? The only one I have planned is to replace the hands with relumed Clarks. The lemony Yukis don't quite match the peachy markers on the dial, and I prefer the frames of Clark hands.

 

And for those of you who still believe the 16200-series cases are the way to go for 1016 projects:

 

COMING SOON... PROJECT 4: THE LAST OF THE 1016S

 

 

Thanks for reading, and thanks again to my collaborators. I wouldn't have started this project without ChiMan12, and I couldn't have finished it without jmb! What a team!

[LHOOQ 0]

[Then a follow-up posted a few days after the OP]

 

There aren't too many photos of real Space-Dwellers out there on the Internet, so I thought I'd make a few comparison shots using that handful of gen shots as a reference. That turned out to be way more time-consuming than I'd expected, and attempting to match angles, lighting &c. was... challenging. The worst part was waiting for the sweep hand, then realizing I was out of focus!

 

Interesting to note that as good as this dial is, the basic colors appear to be incorrect. It's a very good match for those two huge Antiquorum shots, but more naturally lit photos suggest the text and minute markers may be gilt or slightly yellowish. The only exception is the "SPACE-DWELLER", which is printed in white or silver. Maybe there's more than one type of Space-Dweller dial? Doubt it, but you never know. Also, I could really use longer hands!

 

Here are the results:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2011 by LHOOQ

[seclark007 11]

Thank-you for sharing that awesome piece with us! Makes me

[Arism 26]

What a stunner. Gorgeous. What I'd do to have a watch like that.

[miquel 0]

Fantastic pictures and great write-up M!

 

It just shows that persistence and research pays off in Spades!

 

I really like the 1016,they seem like a more eloquent tool watch when compared to its' beefier cousin, the 1665.

[Member X 91]

I am so jealous of this watch! lol

[Swinky 0]

Happy for this to be my first post on this forum, beautiful work, I really love it. You should be proud of what you've achieved.

 

[trailboss99 994]

Wucking funderful mate!

[LHOOQ 0]

Thanks, guys! This was my first franken, and still one of my favorites.

[RS9 1]

Love it! It's funny how turning it from an Explorer into a Space-Dweller makes it a million times more desirable. I've seen a boatload of 1016s and never given one a second look but somehow I find myself needing a Space-Dweller now!

[niklas 0]

Extremely beautiful watch. Thank you for the awesome pictures and the thorough history lesson of the particular model! Really enjoyed it!

[powderfreak 0]

You don't just manage to gather a unique collection, you're also a damn good photograhper! - congrats on the dweller, not my type of watch, but still very cool

[admiralsas 0]

Great post. Thank you for sharing.

[decus 0]

It's nice to know your on the right track sometimes. especially when the words 'holy grail' are associated with what ur l O o king 4.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/220877702828?nma=true&si=0Zt8%2BlNnYDUlZhTQ%2BdmSVKAw1xs%3D&rt=nc&_trksid=p4340.l2557&orig_cvip=true

[Member X 91]

It's nice to know your on the right track sometimes. especially when the words 'holy grail' are associated with what ur l O o king 4.

http://www.ebay.co.u...&orig_cvip=true

$40k?!

 

He's got some distinctly average pieces other than that one!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/watchbuyerinc/

[LHOOQ 0]

It's nice to know your on the right track sometimes. especially when the words 'holy grail' are associated with what ur l O o king 4.

http://www.ebay.co.u...&orig_cvip=true

 

How were you able to search for sales listings that old? I'd love to be able to go back and see what stuff sold for last year!

[MW1 0]

It is a beaut, you got that right