16520 Help

[Morgie1]

Hi I'm new on here
I have a 16520 U9..... series from October 1999 originally sold in the US.
It has a white dial with an inverted 6 in the lower register.
I purchased it from a Bond street retailer in 2010 and it was serviced at rolex in 2008
Can the U9..... series possibly have an inverted 6 dial?
I appreciate any input
Thanks
Morgie

[jdmi32]

I don't think I've ever seen a U serial Daytona with an inverted 6 dial. Mine is U13XXXX and it has the corrected dial. Would be interesting indeed if the dial was swapped during the 2008 service. Mine is due for a service soon and I can only hope that it comes back with a porcelain dial.

[ovodunn]

Originally Posted by jdmi32

I don't think I've ever seen a U serial Daytona with an inverted 6 dial. Mine is U13XXXX and it has the corrected dial. Would be interesting indeed if the dial was swapped during the 2008 service. Mine is due for a service soon and I can only hope that it comes back with a porcelain dial.

Haha that would be ideal!


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[Morgie1]

Thank you for the info guys
I've had it confirmed by Watch Club in London that my Daytona's configuration is
recognised.
It does make it very rare which is a real bonus Yipee!!

[springer]

Originally Posted by Morgie1

Thank you for the info guys
I've had it confirmed by Watch Club in London that my Daytona's configuration is
recognised.
It does make it very rare which is a real bonus Yipee!!

So, if I buy a U serial and put an inverted 6 dial in it, it is now rare? I like that logic.

I think I'll place a red Sub dial in my 1979 Submariner 1680 - now that would be rare...but not correct.

[Gina Marie]

i too feel that the u serial is solidly....i mean solidly in the non inverted six camp.

[springer]

Maybe I am wrong, but any info regarding the inverted 6 Zenith dials that I have seen indicates that production ended around 1993 with the S serial numbers. Morgie, if you have other info indicating that the inverted 6 dial is available much later, please share that info please. "U" serial numbers with inverted 6 dials would be about four years later than anything that I have seen written on the accepted range for the inverted 6 dials.

Below is part of the chart that has been compiled at some point and found on various forums and web sites regarding the production data for the various Zenith Daytona dials.

[Gina Marie]

Agreed. The inverted six seems out of place in the u.

[ovodunn]

I have never seen this before. How did Watch Club verify this?

[springer]

I've never heard of the Watch Club of London, but according to the Watch Club of Dallas, "U" serials should not have an inverted 6 dial!

[Tom1675]

Originally Posted by springer

I've never heard of the Watch Club of London, but according to the Watch Club of Dallas, "U" serials should not have an inverted 6 dial!

A quick google search shows they are a retailer on Bond St. in London. So they must be experts.

For a small fee, they may even provide a certificate backing this claim.

[watchyou]

No Inverted 6 on U serial 16520.

[ovodunn]

Being on Bond St does not make you an expert, nor does Burlington Arcade. There needs to be proof of this dial being original to the watch or it is just an opinion unfortunately

[brockburst]

Originally Posted by Morgie1

Thank you for the info guys
I've had it confirmed by Watch Club in London that my Daytona's configuration is
recognised.
It does make it very rare which is a real bonus Yipee!!

No.

[holroale]

Originally Posted by ovodunn

Being on Bond St does not make you an expert, nor does Burlington Arcade. There needs to be proof of this dial being original to the watch or it is just an opinion unfortunately

I'd second this, I have never been impressed by the professionalism of the shops in this area. I would feel uncomfortable calling them experts


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[springer]

Originally Posted by Tom1675

A quick google search shows they are a retailer on Bond St. in London. So they must be experts.

For a small fee, they may even provide a certificate backing this claim.

There you go...a fee for whatever! I like that.

[Chalet]

Just a hunch here, did the same firm on Bond Street, that sold you the watch, confirm to you that it is the correct configuration?

Given that every Daytona freak would be combing the streets for the perfect rare later Zenith with inverted 6 it's a little weird that it's not been talked about before.

[Tom1675]

Originally Posted by springer

There you go...a fee for whatever! I like that.

You know they would do it!

[Morgie1]

Looks like I may have put the Cat amongst the Pigeons on here
I originally purchased the watch from Wathclub and I was comcerned about U series with inverted 6 dial as I couldn't find any evidence of it's existence.
That was the reason for the original post.
I've spoken with them and they have offered me a substantial profit on the original price I paid.
It therefore wouldn't seem to follow that the watch is not what they claim it to be
They also assured me that U series inverted 6 is known.

[brockburst]

Originally Posted by Morgie1

Looks like I may have put the Cat amongst the Pigeons on here
I originally purchased the watch from Wathclub and I was comcerned about U series with inverted 6 dial as I couldn't find any evidence of it's existence.
That was the reason for the original post.
I've spoken with them and they have offered me a substantial profit on the original price I paid.
It therefore wouldn't seem to follow that the watch is not what they claim it to be
They also assured me that U series inverted 6 is known.

That is complete nonsense. An inverted six is not appropriate for a U series watch. It is not a rare version. Period. It doesn't exist.

[swish77]

Originally Posted by Morgie1

Looks like I may have put the Cat amongst the Pigeons on here
I originally purchased the watch from Wathclub and I was comcerned about U series with inverted 6 dial as I couldn't find any evidence of it's existence.
That was the reason for the original post.
I've spoken with them and they have offered me a substantial profit on the original price I paid.
It therefore wouldn't seem to follow that the watch is not what they claim it to be
They also assured me that U series inverted 6 is known.

Well, that's actually good news, because you can sell the watch back to them, make a little money, and then perhaps buy a Daytona with a correct dial.

Another option would be to keep the watch, but track down a correct dial for it, and then separately sell the dial with the inverted 6. You might end up making a profit that way too.

[holroale]

Originally Posted by swish77

Well, that's actually good news, because you can sell the watch back to them, make a little money, and then perhaps buy a Daytona with a correct dial.

Exactly my thoughts!!


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[Morgie1]

Originally Posted by brockburst

That is complete nonsense. An inverted six is not appropriate for a U series watch. It is not a rare version. Period. It doesn't exist.

Hmmm...
The horns of a dilemma.Who's advice to take?
A central London retailer openly operating and building a reputation for 21years or an anonymous open forum self appointed "Expert".
Don't think I'll sleep tonight! LOL

[scooba]

Originally Posted by Morgie1

Hi I'm new on here
I have a 16520 U9..... series from October 1999 originally sold in the US.
It has a white dial with an inverted 6 in the lower register.
I purchased it from a Bond street retailer in 2010 and it was serviced at rolex in 2008
Can the U9..... series possibly have an inverted 6 dial?
I appreciate any input
Thanks
Morgie

Did you buy the Zenith from Watch Club ?

Just read all the posts yes you did , I dont think you can ask the vendor to verify its exactly correct it may have original/genuine Rolex parts but it probably wasn't born that way as others have kindly pointed out. Don't be offended Rolex are always doing this sort of thing at services, No one is having a dig at you , Just trying to help answer your questions

[scooba]

Take the profit, if it bothers you it's not as it left the factory and buy another example that it unmolested

[Morgie1]

https://www.chrono24.co.uk/rolex/day...-id6164861.htm

This link is to a U series with inverted 6 for sale in Paris by a trusted seller
Looks like they may just be very rare??

[jdmi32]

Originally Posted by Morgie1

https://www.chrono24.co.uk/rolex/day...-id6164861.htm

This link is to a U series with inverted 6 for sale in Paris by a trusted seller
Looks like they may just be very rare??

Yeah, that watch on Chrono didn't come from the factory with that dial either.

You are free to believe what you want, of course, but IMO your watch most likely came with a luminova dial that was swapped somewhere along the line. If your hands glow in the dark, then just the dial was changed but if they don't, then both hands and dial have been changed.

[Gina Marie]

i think the question to ask is probability and possibility.

Is it probable that a dial from 4 years prior ended up in a watch at the factory.....very likely not.

Is it possible. of course, but please see first answer.

We can wish whatever we want but 4 years is a bit of a stretch....i can see one or two but four years is a long odd......

keep the watch. look for a dial. buy it. replace your dial. Save the one you have. In a few years, you can sell the dial for what you paid for the watch. Everybody wins.

Dont get all aggro over dials for a watch that new......the dials are out there. it is an relatively easy fix for about a grand. If you love the watch....why mess with a good thing. You know what they pay you, they will sell later at a 30% mark up....so keep it.

[springer]

Originally Posted by Morgie1

https://www.chrono24.co.uk/rolex/day...-id6164861.htm

This link is to a U series with inverted 6 for sale in Paris by a trusted seller
Looks like they may just be very rare??

Being a "trusted seller" doesn't make them an expert. Be careful out there.

[fusionstorm]

Originally Posted by Morgie1

https://www.chrono24.co.uk/rolex/day...-id6164861.htm

This link is to a U series with inverted 6 for sale in Paris by a trusted seller
Looks like they may just be very rare??

Why would you assume that Rolex happened to have mislaid a batch of inverted 6 tritium dials in their facilities, discovered them years afterwards, and decided that they should put them into the most current series Daytonas along with tritium hands? That's a series of events that has a slim to none chance of having occurred, and slim has left the building.

Just b/c the answers provided to you in this thread don't match up with what you're hoping is the case DOES NOT mean the answers you're getting here are wrong. The retailer has a vested interest in keeping up this facade that they're "experts".

If you want another opinion, go to the Vintage Rolex Forum website and ask the opinions of members there. There's a wealth of knowledge here at TRF, but VRF has a staggering amount of knowledge about most anything vintage Rolex.