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Dan S · 3 December 2020, 09:33 AM

I picked this up locally over the summer and it needed some TLC. Just for fun, I decided to do a bit of restoration on it, including case and bracelet refinish, new crystal, and movement service. I thought people might appreciate seeing some representative before and after photos in case they considering this type of work.

Edit: Actually, for full transparency, it's not the same bracelet in the before and after shots. I did have the original C&I bracelet restored, but I put it on my 1675, and put a 7206 on the 5513. :-)

Before:

After:

drockadam · 3 December 2020, 09:36 AM

Gorgeous Sub! Great job on the restoration. To many years on the wrist

Filipão · 3 December 2020, 09:51 AM

Outstanding @Dan S! Superior!

Is that a Long5 or a MKIII insert?

SunTzu · 3 December 2020, 09:58 AM

Beautiful piece! Nice work to maintain the integrity while cleaning it up. I have the same one. It was my grandfather’s.

Sent from Crapatalk

stmoore · 3 December 2020, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Filipão

Outstanding @Dan S! Superior!

Is that a Long5 or a MKIII insert?

Long 5 mk2

Dan S · 3 December 2020, 10:04 AM

It's long-5, I believe. Let me try to post a photo from a better angle. It's a 1.5m serial with a VI. 66 caseback.

Rebel · 3 December 2020, 10:06 AM

Most nice.

TimeLord2 · 3 December 2020, 10:40 AM

Really looks great Dan! The chamfers look quite sharp and well executed. So, a full case refinish not just a little polish? And where if I may ask?

Dan S · 3 December 2020, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimeLord2

Really looks great Dan! The chamfers look quite sharp and well executed. So, a full case refinish not just a little polish? And where if I may ask?

Case at LAWW, bracelet at Rolliworks. Truedome D19 crystal. Serviced by my watchmaker locally. The movement was in pretty good shape, only needed one part replaced in the auto-winding mechanism.

narembeen · 3 December 2020, 11:02 AM

Wow! Now thats a nice watch!

Filipão · 3 December 2020, 11:28 AM

Thank you @Dan S.

Perfect in any respect! Congrats.

Did LAWW perform any laser welding on the 7 o'clock lug? Fantastic job

stmoore · 3 December 2020, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Filipão

Thank you @Dan S.

Perfect in any respect! Congrats.

Did LAWW perform any laser welding on the 7 o'clock lug? Fantastic job

The width is good. Should not of needed it. That spring bar was either wrong, shot, or the inside of the lug was hogged out.

Dan S · 3 December 2020, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Filipão

Thank you @Dan S.

Perfect in any respect! Congrats.

Did LAWW perform any laser welding on the 7 o'clock lug? Fantastic job

Many thanks, Filipao. My guess is that they did some laser welding to the lug holes (to address minor cratering), and perhaps in the chamfer area, but nothing major to the overall width of the lugs, since the lugs were reasonably thick before restoration.

Filipão · 3 December 2020, 11:50 AM

Thank you for sharing it all!

Dan S · 3 December 2020, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Filipão

Thank you for sharing it all!

YW. I don't mind sharing, and I'm sure some people are curious.

Alex The Watch Guy · 3 December 2020, 01:31 PM

Looks gorgeous, Dan. Wear it in good health.

henrylee · 3 December 2020, 01:46 PM

Very nice what a beauty

jmcamacho007 · 3 December 2020, 01:54 PM

Nice little project.

rootbeer7 · 3 December 2020, 04:45 PM

Beautiful. Proving polishing is not the devil’s work when done properly by experts.

zapokee · 3 December 2020, 05:54 PM

Absolutely dreadful.

JK

That's a lovely MF dial. The beautiful detailing really makes the case pop. As per rootbeer7, there's nothing wrong with a nice polish if it's done right. Very well done

I rather enjoy a scratched-up crystal, though I appreciate that tastes differ.

Yaz · 3 December 2020, 06:48 PM

Outstanding !
Congrats and what a beauty !

Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk

Dan S · 3 December 2020, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zapokee

Absolutely dreadful.

JK

That's a lovely MF dial. The beautiful detailing really makes the case pop. As per rootbeer7, there's nothing wrong with a nice polish if it's done right. Very well done

I rather enjoy a scratched-up crystal, though I appreciate that tastes differ.

Thanks @zapokee. If that crystal had only been scratched, I would have salvaged it. But as you can see in the photo, there was a massive chunk missing.

swaini3 · 3 December 2020, 11:30 PM

Great stuff. Thanks for sharing

Verdi · 4 December 2020, 12:04 AM

Congrats, it looks the part!

It is very satisfying when a project comes to fruition.
Im looking for one now and I finished my last one. Its an addiction!

TimeLord2 · 4 December 2020, 01:26 AM

Thanks Dan, that’s what I want to do too! It really looks great.

joli160 · 4 December 2020, 02:47 AM

The case work is amazing

1675-David · 4 December 2020, 03:34 AM

Really cool project Dan! Thanks for sharing it with us

Paul7 · 4 December 2020, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rootbeer7

Beautiful. Proving polishing is not the devil’s work when done properly by experts.

True, not the same as Bubba the mall jeweler trying it. I would imagine a bracelet polish by someone like LAW or Rolliworks would look little different than a new factory finish.

Nice to know just about any damage/wear to a Rolex can be repaired.

Dan S · 4 December 2020, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul7

True, not the same as Bubba the mall jeweler trying it. I would imagine a bracelet polish by someone like LAW or Rolliworks would look little different than a new factory finish.

Nice to know just about any damage/wear to a Rolex can be repaired.

Michael at Rolliworks has an interesting approach with respect to the cosmetic part of bracelet restoration. He asks the client to tell him how much they would like the cosmetic finish restored on a 10-point scale, where 0 is no re-finishing and 10 is a factory finish.

This is in addition to the physical restoration of the bracelet, e.g. replacing and restoring parts as necessary to tighten the links and eliminate "stretch". IIRC, he mentioned to me that with respect to rivet bracelets, many clients don't want any refinishing at all, just the mechanical restoration.

Paul7 · 4 December 2020, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan S

Michael at Rolliworks has an interesting approach with respect to the cosmetic part of bracelet restoration. He asks the client to tell him how much they would like the cosmetic finish restored on a 10-point scale, where 0 is no re-finishing and 10 is a factory finish.

This is in addition to the physical restoration of the bracelet, e.g. replacing and restoring parts as necessary to tighten the links and eliminate "stretch". IIRC, he mentioned to me that with respect to rivet bracelets, many clients don't want any refinishing at all, just the mechanical restoration.

I had them fix the stretch on a 1985 DJ, it came out great. No reason to send to Hong Kong.

3 December 2020, 09:33 AM	#1
Dan S "TRF" Member Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 2,055	5513 meters-first Sub restoration: before-and-after I picked this up locally over the summer and it needed some TLC. Just for fun, I decided to do a bit of restoration on it, including case and bracelet refinish, new crystal, and movement service. I thought people might appreciate seeing some representative before and after photos in case they considering this type of work. Edit: Actually, for full transparency, it's not the same bracelet in the before and after shots. I did have the original C&I bracelet restored, but I put it on my 1675, and put a 7206 on the 5513. :-) Before: After: __________________ @oldwatchdan on IG

3 December 2020, 09:36 AM	#2
drockadam "TRF" Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Real Name: Adam Location: Ontario, Canada Watch: Pepsi. Posts: 5,542	Gorgeous Sub! Great job on the restoration. To many years on the wrist __________________ - Adam Instagram: @GMTSUBTIME

3 December 2020, 09:58 AM	#4
SunTzu "TRF" Member Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: NJ Watch: 5513 116234 79280P Posts: 1,721	Beautiful piece! Nice work to maintain the integrity while cleaning it up. I have the same one. It was my grandfather’s. Sent from Crapatalk __________________ The wristwatch is an intimate accessory. The best watches live in harmony and interact with the wearer, and their functions offer a reassuring and emotionally satisfying bond - Kintaro Hattori

3 December 2020, 10:04 AM	#6
Dan S "TRF" Member Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 2,055	It's long-5, I believe. Let me try to post a photo from a better angle. It's a 1.5m serial with a VI. 66 caseback. __________________ @oldwatchdan on IG

3 December 2020, 10:06 AM	#7
Rebel "TRF" Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Real Name: Dr Mark R Nail Location: New Albany Watch: Tudor Sub 75090 Posts: 6,609	Most nice. __________________ ------------------------------- Member of the Nylon Nation

3 December 2020, 09:51 AM	#3
Filipão 2021 Pledge Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Real Name: Filipe Location: Lisboa & Wadesdah Watch: Never too many Posts: 751	Outstanding @Dan S! Superior! Is that a Long5 or a MKIII insert?

3 December 2020, 10:40 AM	#8
TimeLord2 "TRF" Member Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Valencia, CA Watch: GMT Master 1675 TT Posts: 913	Really looks great Dan! The chamfers look quite sharp and well executed. So, a full case refinish not just a little polish? And where if I may ask?

3 December 2020, 11:02 AM	#10
narembeen 2021 Pledge Member Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Western Australia Posts: 302	Wow! Now thats a nice watch!

3 December 2020, 11:28 AM	#11
Filipão 2021 Pledge Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Real Name: Filipe Location: Lisboa & Wadesdah Watch: Never too many Posts: 751	Thank you @Dan S. Perfect in any respect! Congrats. Did LAWW perform any laser welding on the 7 o'clock lug? Fantastic job

3 December 2020, 11:50 AM	#14
Filipão 2021 Pledge Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Real Name: Filipe Location: Lisboa & Wadesdah Watch: Never too many Posts: 751	Thank you for sharing it all!

3 December 2020, 01:31 PM	#16
Alex The Watch Guy "TRF" Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: @Home Posts: 132	Looks gorgeous, Dan. Wear it in good health.

3 December 2020, 01:46 PM	#17
henrylee "TRF" Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Socal Watch: 116610LN Ceramic Posts: 2,493	Very nice what a beauty __________________ ♛ Submariner Date Ceramic 116610LN “SubC date” 2011 ♛ GMT Master II 116710BLNR Ceramic “Batman” 2016 ♛ GMT Master II 16710 Y-series (Pepsi BLRO) 2002 ♛ GMT Master II 126711CHNR Ceramic “Rootbeer” 2020 Ω Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch “Mitsukoshi” July 2019

3 December 2020, 01:54 PM	#18
jmcamacho007 "TRF" Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Real Name: Jacob Location: San marcos Watch: Rolex GMT Posts: 19	Nice little project.

3 December 2020, 04:45 PM	#19
rootbeer7 2021 Pledge Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: london Posts: 4,453	Beautiful. Proving polishing is not the devil’s work when done properly by experts. __________________ @imrootbeer7

3 December 2020, 05:54 PM	#20
zapokee "TRF" Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Japan Posts: 2,859	Absolutely dreadful. JK That's a lovely MF dial. The beautiful detailing really makes the case pop. As per rootbeer7, there's nothing wrong with a nice polish if it's done right. Very well done I rather enjoy a scratched-up crystal, though I appreciate that tastes differ.

3 December 2020, 06:48 PM	#21
Yaz "TRF" Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: GVA Watch: Rolex 16710 Posts: 916	Outstanding ! Congrats and what a beauty ! Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk

3 December 2020, 11:30 PM	#23
swaini3 2021 Pledge Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Real Name: Mo Location: Dubai Watch: 1675 GMT, DRSD Posts: 459	Great stuff. Thanks for sharing

4 December 2020, 12:04 AM	#24
Verdi "TRF" Member Join Date: May 2015 Real Name: Mitch Location: Wallahia Watch: Big Ben Posts: 2,233	Congrats, it looks the part! It is very satisfying when a project comes to fruition. Im looking for one now and I finished my last one. Its an addiction! __________________ IG: @watch_idiot_savant

4 December 2020, 01:26 AM	#25
TimeLord2 "TRF" Member Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Valencia, CA Watch: GMT Master 1675 TT Posts: 913	Thanks Dan, that’s what I want to do too! It really looks great.

4 December 2020, 02:47 AM	#26
joli160 2021 Pledge Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: NL Watch: Yachtmaster Posts: 10,640	The case work is amazing __________________ Day date 18238, Yachtmaster 16622, Deepsea 116660, Submariner 116619, G-shock MTG G1000, SkyD 326935.

4 December 2020, 03:34 AM	#27
1675-David "TRF" Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Stockholm Posts: 5,179	Really cool project Dan! Thanks for sharing it with us

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