Rolex Restoration Stories

[mikey]

I am watching Barret Jackson Collector car auction. This black slatnose porsche is awseome but the thing about it was the original porsche engine was replaced with an aluminum chevy big block. The fuel cell almost filled the front bonnet. Everything else about the car looked 100% Porsche. My question is did anyone ever buy a Rolex with a non Rolex movement and wore it for awhile until they found and purchased the correct movement?

[A. Jacobs]

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[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by mikey

I am watching Barret Jackson Collector car auction. This black slatnose porsche is awseome but the thing about it was the original porsche engine was replaced with an aluminum chevy big block. The fuel cell almost filled the front bonnet. Everything else about the car looked 100% Porsche. My question is did anyone ever buy a Rolex with a non Rolex movement and wore it for awhile until they found and purchased the correct movement?

Ask me a question on Rocket Science, please!!

[montecristo]

If anything movement-wise are non-original, I don't think I can accept it as a rolex watch anymore.

Aftermarket croc or nato straps I can accept, even diamond bezels and dials (I don't personally like it) but movement is what defines the watch itself.

If I found out someone sold me a watch with the knowledge that its got some non-rolex parts in there and withheld that information from me after the sale, something bad is going to happen to that person.

[mikey]

I created this topic because I wanted change the tone (in a good way). I am a car guy, and I remember hearing Rolls Royces with chevy engine, Jaguar XJ6 with chevy blocks in them. I think most conversion were to make servicing and maintenance at low cost. Could that be said for the Rolex movement. Could an ETA actually be cheaper to maintain? I saw a Ferrari 308 with a small Chevy block. It was cool. This thread is meant to be fun.

[mrbieler]

ETA's are cheaper to maintain and do a pretty good job. That watch is called a Tudor.

[Gedanken]

Spot-on, Jeff!

Okay, I think I know where mikey's coming from, and I appreciate the effort he's made. On his topic, I take the same view as Ken - I don't see a Rolex as being a Rolex if the movement's not what's supposed to be in that case. On the other hand, I happily picked up my Tudor chrono with the strap, got a 78360 Oyster bracelet and had it restored, and I'm just waiting on a pair of 589 end links to get it back to original specifications.

[mikey]

I rember a guy told me his Dad had this seiko that he loved and purchased a Rolex movement and had his Seiko fitted with a Rolex movement. He told me his Dad had passed away, but he still wore the Seiko/Rolex watch and still kept time!

[Gedanken]

So is your friend going to put a Seiko movement back in there?

[mikey]

Not sure, I haven't emailed him in years. I bet 1 penny that he still has it. He loved his Dad and took his passing pretty hard. I am pretty sure that watch will be passed on as an heirloom. His post almost made me cry. I lost my Dad like 6 years later and my Dad was with me when I paid for my first real Rolex DJ. I hate I sold it.

[mrbieler]

The frankenwatches can be fun. So can the frankencars. I run around with a bunch of Land Rover owners off road. More then a few have frankentrucks. They like to call their trucks Land Rovers because the sheet metal vaguely resembles a LR, but under the hood and down the axles, it's not.

Their awesome trucks and can do things a real LR could never do, but I don't think their LR's anymore.

A frankenwatch can be great. I've seen some really neat ones. A Rolex case and dial with a Seiko movement isn't a Rolex. It could be a really cool watch, but it's not a Rolex.

Just my $0.02. No more then the car in your first post is a Porsche. Doesn't matter if in every respect it outperforms the original vehicle, it's still a frankencar.

My Tudor is with US Customs now. Should have it by Friday. Rolex case and parts with an ETA movement. An awesome watch and it's something I've wanted forever, but it's not a Rolex despite what the case back and crown say.

[henry2703]

I'm am an old car guy too... My daily ride is a honda civic. but i have a 1970 Mercedes SL280.... at home... took me almost 5 years to have it restored from scrape to its current condition, including the white wall tires. And about the same price as a new one too.... I'm not into new cars, but i love an old car preserved through times.... and my believe is that a well kept mercedes deserve some respect no matter how old....

not sure about watch... the mechanism inside is too small for my fat fingers to do anything to it, other then watching it ticks.

[mikey]

I remmeber when I was offered a Tudor by a retired Police Officer for $500 I think I was 19 or 20. It had a Rose on the dial which I didn't like....

[mrbieler]

Originally Posted by mikey

I remmeber when I was offered a Tudor by a retired Police Officer for $500 I think I was 19 or 20. It had a Rose on the dial which I didn't like....

Kick yourself. A nice rose dialed Tudor is worth a bit more now.

[mikey]

I really have a warm feeling sharing stories with you guys. It makes me cry since I miss my Dad. It is something you can never get over...

[montecristo]

Originally Posted by mikey

I created this topic because I wanted change the tone (in a good way). I am a car guy, and I remember hearing Rolls Royces with chevy engine, Jaguar XJ6 with chevy blocks in them. I think most conversion were to make servicing and maintenance at low cost. Could that be said for the Rolex movement. Could an ETA actually be cheaper to maintain? I saw a Ferrari 308 with a small Chevy block. It was cool. This thread is meant to be fun.

mikey, I think you are a pretty cool guy and have interesting views.

Here is my opinion, I can accept a conversion if its only for the better. By better I mean if I were to drop a new RR Phantom engine in a vintage Phantom for restoration purpose, I can accept that. But to swap it with something thats not meant for it or doing it for low cost maintenance, thats just not right in by books.

I understand if some struggling college student buys a used corolla and worries about how much the tune up can be, with rolex I am more concerned about getting "original" parts for my rolex during service rather than would it be cheaper if I try to oil and clean it myself.

Granted anyone is entitled to do whatever they want to their watch, however there are just something thats frown upon and can drastically de-value your watch by doing so. If maintenance cost is a concern, the resell value should be important to you too right?

[mikey]

As I started to learn about the watch industry, it is really a buyers market. There is a customer for just about every watch product. I have seen market shops selling what was suppose to be a all cermic watch. I asked do they actually sell and the owner told me "You better believe it!" The ceramic was nothing more than hard plastic with a glaze! It only looks ceramic. The watch industry is big business. Rolex just happens to be on top of that food chain.

[montecristo]

Aside from the material, sometimes its the design, the brand, the features, and its rarity.

If a company does everything right, those watches will have a solid value going forward.

Some people go for looks only, any fashion brand would do more than enough, dont expect those watches to last or appreciate in value though.

Some go for value, timex and casios are most common brands that people associate with great value.

I supposed I am the type that goes for brands that I know that has all the values mentioned above and within the price range that I am comfortable with. To be honest, rolex are more expensive than timex and casio, but I am willing to pay for the premium and its still affordable by most people if they want one bad enough.

I for one won't consider other brands that asking for 100s of thousands entry level, rather than buying a bottom of the barrel patek philippe that I might not particularly like, I will go for a rolex that I enjoy and can afford, not saying patek watches are not good, they are just out of my league, instead of buying a rolls royce phantom and hire a chauffeur, I'd be more happy with driving a Lexus myself.

If you think about it, if someone can afford a civic, they can afford a rolex.
A 2007 civic starts at about 14k-22k, you can pretty much get every rolex in their current lineup for that amount, granted you can finance a car, but the person is still paying off the car in a couple years, in other words that same person who can make his car payments can save up enough for a president or gold GMT-II in a couple years and pay it off in one shot in a few years.

I am rambling a bit, sorry if I am not making sense, I am kinda responding to more than just your thread after reading some of the post here.

[Flyjet601]

Originally Posted by montecristo

If anything movement-wise are non-original, I don't think I can accept it as a rolex watch anymore.

Aftermarket croc or nato straps I can accept, even diamond bezels and dials (I don't personally like it) but movement is what defines the watch itself.

If I found out someone sold me a watch with the knowledge that its got some non-rolex parts in there and withheld that information from me after the sale, something bad is going to happen to that person.

You are going to call your buddy Tony Soprano and take care of business.

[montecristo]

Originally Posted by Flyjet601

You are going to call your buddy Tony Soprano and take care of business.

Can't wait for the new season, I was more referring to getting the law enforcement if someone tries to scam me.

[Flyjet601]

Originally Posted by montecristo

Can't wait for the new season, I was more referring to getting the law enforcement if someone tries to scam me.

I just bought the first 4 seasons on DVD...29 in all. Fabulous

Tony Soprano is the law......

[Spark]

Originally Posted by mrbieler

My Tudor is with US Customs now. Should have it by Friday. Rolex case and parts with an ETA movement. An awesome watch and it's something I've wanted forever, but it's not a Rolex despite what the case back and crown say.

Not wishing to cause offence, but although the dial is not marked Rolex it is a Rolex Made case, Rolex made dial, Rolex made bracelet with an ETA movement modified by Rolex and signed Tudor by Rolex and put together in the same Rolex factory as any other Rolex signed watch.
What else does it need to qualify as a Rolex watch?
IMO my Tudor is a Rolex watch other than in name.

Spark.

[Gedanken]

Fair enough, Mark. If the movement was worked on by Rolex, that does count for something. However, my understanding of what mikey has said was that we're just talking about an ETA movement, not one that has necessarily passed through the Tudor factory.

Originally Posted by mikey

I am watching Barret Jackson Collector car auction. This black slatnose porsche is awseome but the thing about it was the original porsche engine was replaced with an aluminum chevy big block. The fuel cell almost filled the front bonnet. Everything else about the car looked 100% Porsche. My question is did anyone ever buy a Rolex with a non Rolex movement and wore it for awhile until they found and purchased the correct movement?

I understand completely what you mean. You will notice that generally speaking, the cars with non-original parts are worth less money, and there's a reason for that. People value originality. Of course there are exceptions where the car has other features that may cause it to be worth a lot of money.

Back in the day when I drove this Jag......



It had a 5.3 litre V12 (this was before Ford took them over). It was not an easy engine to service, and if it overheated, well - it was toast! Many people who had this happen opted to throw a 350 Chevy engine in - much cheaper than repairing/replacing the Jaguar engine. Would I buy one that had the conversion? Not a chance!

I think the same logic applies to watches.

As an aside I think it would be hard to purchase a genuine Rolex movement on it's own. I've never checked for them on eBay but generally Rolex parts are hard for the average person to get.

[montecristo]

Originally Posted by Spark

Not wishing to cause offence, but although the dial is not marked Rolex it is a Rolex Made case, Rolex made dial, Rolex made bracelet with an ETA movement modified by Rolex and signed Tudor by Rolex and put together in the same Rolex factory as any other Rolex signed watch.
What else does it need to qualify as a Rolex watch?
IMO my Tudor is a Rolex watch other than in name.

Spark.

Hi Spark,

While I agree with you, some part of myself bets to differ.

Here is my logic, while lexus is a toyota owned company, not all toyota cars can be called lexus. Its a lexus when toyota labels it and calls it a lexus.

[Spark]

Originally Posted by montecristo

Hi Spark,

While I agree with you, some part of myself bets to differ.

Here is my logic, while lexus is a toyota owned company, not all toyota cars can be called lexus. Its a lexus when toyota labels it and calls it a lexus.

Yes, but as Lexus is only a brand of Toyota then surely a Lexus is a Toyota as Tudor is a brand of Rolex????

[fat-sam]

Originally Posted by montecristo

Aside from the material, sometimes its the design, the brand, the features, and its rarity.

If a company does everything right, those watches will have a solid value going forward.

Some people go for looks only, any fashion brand would do more than enough, dont expect those watches to last or appreciate in value though.

Some go for value, timex and casios are most common brands that people associate with great value.

I supposed I am the type that goes for brands that I know that has all the values mentioned above and within the price range that I am comfortable with. To be honest, rolex are more expensive than timex and casio, but I am willing to pay for the premium and its still affordable by most people if they want one bad enough.

I for one won't consider other brands that asking for 100s of thousands entry level, rather than buying a bottom of the barrel patek philippe that I might not particularly like, I will go for a rolex that I enjoy and can afford, not saying patek watches are not good, they are just out of my league, instead of buying a rolls royce phantom and hire a chauffeur, I'd be more happy with driving a Lexus myself.

If you think about it, if someone can afford a civic, they can afford a rolex.
A 2007 civic starts at about 14k-22k, you can pretty much get every rolex in their current lineup for that amount, granted you can finance a car, but the person is still paying off the car in a couple years, in other words that same person who can make his car payments can save up enough for a president or gold GMT-II in a couple years and pay it off in one shot in a few years.

I am rambling a bit, sorry if I am not making sense, I am kinda responding to more than just your thread after reading some of the post here.

i do not have a well paid job(postman) but have always had an eye for nice things- which usually means expensive(especially in england)- i always wanted a rolex by the time i was 21, which was harder then i thought on £250/$500 a week! so like you say i have decided against cars-which cost a fortune to run over here and opted for a vespa scooter and a couple of nice watches instead! i have actually grown to love my bike, more then any car i have owned and missed it when i came back from florida!

with regards to frankenwatches(what a great phrase) i think there is a bit of ambiguity- i would much rather have a tudor or even seiko black monster then a fake mascerading as a real rolex, but like someone said about the seiko with a roley movement- i thought it sounded lovely(the dad obviously wanted to crown that watch perfectly!)

a rolex to me is more then the movement, the case, strap etc are just as important, so i think there is a place for anything with a hint of rolex

my sitting on the fence while rambling off topic contribution!

[mikey]

I have mentioned this before, but I ran across a website by accident in the 90s that had at least 20 DD encrusted with yellow,black, and white diamonds. They were encrusted in the form of a country such as Africa, Italy, and America. The diamonds formed the country mainly on the dial. I wish I could remember the link.

[watchdawg]

I was at my AD's recently inquiring about sending the GMT to RSC for service when he told me about a recent service visit that his watchmaker had. A customer brought in the SS sub for "routine" service by his watchmaker. When the watchmaker opened the case it had a seiko movement. Must have been an outstanding fake. AD said the owner actually believed it was real.

[montecristo]

Originally Posted by watchdawg

I was at my AD's recently inquiring about sending the GMT to RSC for service when he told me about a recent service visit that his watchmaker had. A customer brought in the SS sub for "routine" service by his watchmaker. When the watchmaker opened the case it had a seiko movement. Must have been an outstanding fake. AD said the owner actually believed it was real.

With the seiko movement, that customer probably won't need a service for another 10-20 years.