New Submariner LV

[aeropilot]

Incredible Sulk said:

aeropilot said:

olly2000 said:

The thing I like about my LV is that its a doddle to change the green metal bezel to black thus making a funky "maxi dial" version of the sub....the new LV means you have to really like green

Are you saying changing the bezel is a DIY job on a Sub....?

It is if you know what you are doing. And if you want to put a black bezel on an LV it has to be (unless you have a tame watchmaker). AFAIK Rolex will tell you to take a flying whatever if you ask them to do it!

Aaaahhh.......

Bugger.
Black bezel with maxi dial Sub would be my ideal watch tbh, but don't fancy taking chance of buying a LV and having to keep that hideous green bezel

[Ecurie Ecosse]

I'm sure these guys could sort you out. Lovely work.

http://www.projectxdesigns.com/details2_PXDSS1.htm...

[Incredible Sulk]

aeropilot said:

Incredible Sulk said:

aeropilot said:

olly2000 said:

The thing I like about my LV is that its a doddle to change the green metal bezel to black thus making a funky "maxi dial" version of the sub....the new LV means you have to really like green

Are you saying changing the bezel is a DIY job on a Sub....?

It is if you know what you are doing. And if you want to put a black bezel on an LV it has to be (unless you have a tame watchmaker). AFAIK Rolex will tell you to take a flying whatever if you ask them to do it!

Aaaahhh.......

Bugger.
Black bezel with maxi dial Sub would be my ideal watch tbh, but don't fancy taking chance of buying a LV and having to keep that hideous green bezel

They really don't look bad in green. In a lot of AD windows they can look a bit 'fluorescent', but I think they wear quite well. Have a look at this for sheer geekery and tell me you still don't like them. Plus, the 16610 LV has had a relatively short production run for a modern Rolex, they can be bought at a discount now; I think that they might have a bit of investment potential.

http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=msg&th=...

[olly2000]

aeropilot said:

Incredible Sulk said:

aeropilot said:

olly2000 said:

The thing I like about my LV is that its a doddle to change the green metal bezel to black thus making a funky "maxi dial" version of the sub....the new LV means you have to really like green

Are you saying changing the bezel is a DIY job on a Sub....?

It is if you know what you are doing. And if you want to put a black bezel on an LV it has to be (unless you have a tame watchmaker). AFAIK Rolex will tell you to take a flying whatever if you ask them to do it!

Aaaahhh.......

Bugger.
Black bezel with maxi dial Sub would be my ideal watch tbh, but don't fancy taking chance of buying a LV and having to keep that hideous green bezel

Ahhh....by doddle I mean I have a friendly watchmaker who did it - its not something you should do to your brand new in warranty watch if you dont have access to the like...

Bought mine "Nearly New" from http://www.fitzroviawatches.co.uk/Rolex%20Watches%... where they have another available with black or green bezel...

Edited by olly2000 on Sunday 21st March 12:50

[LukeBird]

NJH said:

cyberface said:

I'd have liked to see Rolex do something a little bit more innovative because the replica chaps have shown that a watch of that design and specification can be made for a few hundred dollars, not a few thousand

Christ I am bored of hearing this same ste every week from you. I don't go around slagging JLC for making fragile movements or Omega for bracelets held together with push pins etc so why do you have to slag off Rolex at every opportunity?

You should have quoted me as well, I made almost exactly the same comment.
Somebody else mentioned it's a shame that Rolex didn't do anything to the movement; as said it has been unchanged for a long time. Yes, I appreciate there is the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality, but it's a bit of a piss-take when they keep upping the price for little or no difference...

Incredible Sulk said:

AFAIK Rolex will tell you to take a flying whatever if you ask them to do it!

I'm sure I read somewhere that isn't the case, I'm sure on TZ I read somewhere that someone had the bezel changed by Bexley. If they wouldn't, I'm pretty sure Blower's or similar wouldn't have a problem doing it...

[cyberface]

LukeBird said:

NJH said:

cyberface said:

I'd have liked to see Rolex do something a little bit more innovative because the replica chaps have shown that a watch of that design and specification can be made for a few hundred dollars, not a few thousand

Christ I am bored of hearing this same ste every week from you. I don't go around slagging JLC for making fragile movements or Omega for bracelets held together with push pins etc so why do you have to slag off Rolex at every opportunity?

You should have quoted me as well, I made almost exactly the same comment.
Somebody else mentioned it's a shame that Rolex didn't do anything to the movement; as said it has been unchanged for a long time. Yes, I appreciate there is the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality, but it's a bit of a piss-take when they keep upping the price for little or no difference...

It's such a solid, dependable movement though. I can see Rolex's justification for keeping it and not embarking on an expensive clean-sheet movement design (as they did with the Daytona, which IMO was a wasted opportunity since the Daytona would be the *perfect* sports watch for me if it had a date). However there have been advances in materials science that other manufactures are racing ahead with, for example:
1. Ulysse Nardin - the Freak uses silicon in the escapement for light weight and to remove the requirement for lubrication;
2. Patek - monocrystalline silicon escape wheel - batch cut from a silicon wafer like microchips - no lubrication required;
3. Patek - 'Spiromax' balance spring in proprietary silicon-based compound - again lower inertia, but also lower sensitivity to temperature changes and magnetic fields, and also by not requiring a Breguet-style overcoil, the entire balance wheel and spring assembly can be made shorter (Breguet overcoils add height to the assembly) and hence the entire movement can be made thinner;
4. Girard-Perregaux - 'Constant Escapement' - very very cool new escapement design, but it only works when made from silicon;
5. Frédérique Constant - one of their tourbillons is equipped with a silicon escape wheel à la Patek;
6. Jaeger LeCoultre - Extreme LAB - entire movement needs no lubrication - silicon escape wheel, but all sorts of other trickery from carbon-nitride coatings, palette jewels made from black monocrystalline diamond (which sounds incredibly cool and sci-fi in itself), ceramic bearings for the auto rotor, support structures in carbon fibre composite, and use of platinum-iridium alloy for the balance and the auto rotor edge (ultimate density short of using pure osmium, which is toxic)

These are just a few I've found on a quick search. Rolex actually were involved in the R&D of the 'Spiromax' balance spring that Patek use - if they're using the new materials in their trusty old 3135 movement, they're not shouting about it.

I guess the Sub is such a cash cow for Rolex as it's pretty much the 'default' watch that blokes buy when they earn enough to splash out on a 'nice' watch for themselves, so they don't really need to do anything as it's already the market leader.

However I'd *really* like to see Rolex add a date to their Daytona. I had a steel Daytona and loved the design and size - but the lack of a date eventually got annoying enough to push it off the 'perfect daily wear' pedestal. Now the Daytona is using a Rolex-designed in-house movement, I see no reason why Rolex couldn't modify the movement to include a simple date... if they did, then I'd seriously consider swapping back from my Breguet transatlantique (which *does* have a date, along with flyback chrono) to a steel Daytona again. I love the design.

LukeBird said:

Incredible Sulk said:

AFAIK Rolex will tell you to take a flying whatever if you ask them to do it!

I'm sure I read somewhere that isn't the case, I'm sure on TZ I read somewhere that someone had the bezel changed by Bexley. If they wouldn't, I'm pretty sure Blower's or similar wouldn't have a problem doing it...

My business partner bought an Explorer II shortly after I bought one. Mine had a black dial. William loved the watch but wanted a white dial - this was back in the days when steel sports Rolexes were artificially in short supply and high demand, and he could only find a black-dial model at an AD on Bond St (IIRC) - he said he'd buy the watch but wanted a white dial. The AD changed the dial over on the spot for him. I don't think Rolex have a problem with swapping around genuine parts - I'd guess that asking ADs to make 'frankenwatches' from Rolex parts that aren't sold by Rolex may be frowned upon, but switching dials / bezels / bracelets etc. to another 'real' Rolex isn't a problem, AFAIK.

[andy_s]

^ you can add Damasco lube free, silicon spring etc and Sinn Diapal to the list of innovators at the moment too.

[cyberface]

andy_s said:

^ you can add Damasco lube free, silicon spring etc and Sinn Diapal to the list of innovators at the moment too.

As soon as I posted it I thought 'damn - missed Sinn's diapal and oil-filled 'indestructible' case'... Don't know much about Damasco though

[andyroo]

I wouldn't want Rolex to change a single thing about that movement - I love the way it hums and chimes as it works away. Putting their prices up is just a matter of course for most watch companies it seems.

[Incredible Sulk]

cyberface said:

LukeBird said:

Incredible Sulk said:

AFAIK Rolex will tell you to take a flying whatever if you ask them to do it!

I'm sure I read somewhere that isn't the case, I'm sure on TZ I read somewhere that someone had the bezel changed by Bexley. If they wouldn't, I'm pretty sure Blower's or similar wouldn't have a problem doing it...

My business partner bought an Explorer II shortly after I bought one. Mine had a black dial. William loved the watch but wanted a white dial - this was back in the days when steel sports Rolexes were artificially in short supply and high demand, and he could only find a black-dial model at an AD on Bond St (IIRC) - he said he'd buy the watch but wanted a white dial. The AD changed the dial over on the spot for him. I don't think Rolex have a problem with swapping around genuine parts - I'd guess that asking ADs to make 'frankenwatches' from Rolex parts that aren't sold by Rolex may be frowned upon, but switching dials / bezels / bracelets etc. to another 'real' Rolex isn't a problem, AFAIK.

No that's true, I bought a white face Explorer II, and the AD had it changed to a black face with no problem. However when I wanted an Oysterlock catch fitted to a pepsi GMT that was a different story. IME Rolex are more than happy to swap bits provided they are fitted as standard to whatever the watch is. IME they won't change one bit for another that isn't an option on whatever you have. So a black bezel on a 16610 LV isn't something that they would do, because it wasn't an option when the watch was new. That you can persuade a non AD to swap the bezels over I have no doubt. That's why they aren't AD's.

[Mutt]

Incredible Sulk said:

el stovey said:

cyberface said:

The splendidly hilarious thing is that the all-stainless version of the new Sub is already available as a replica before Rolex have released it.

Do they have the ROLEX ROLEX ROLEX around the inside of the case like the GMTs?

There are some replicas out there that have the engraved rehauts.

AFAIK all the models now have ROLEX ROLEX ROLEX and the Serial Number (at 6 o' clock) on the rehaut.

My V-series 14060M has this, so I don't think it applied to "new" models only.

Regarding the new Sub I'm not keen. Glad I got my non-date when I did.

[Bob Fossil]

Vipers said:

what other occupation would you see so many Rolex.s

Er, IT sales?

yes, I do work in IT sales, and yes, I do have a Sub/Date

I'm soooo glad I bought a pre-update Sub/Date - the new one looks too chunky.

[Johno]

Bob Fossil said:

Vipers said:

what other occupation would you see so many Rolex.s

Er, IT sales?

yes, I do work in IT sales, and yes, I do have a Sub/Date

I'm soooo glad I bought a pre-update Sub/Date - the new one looks too chunky.

The missus was at the Gartner event in the city last week and said she couldn't move for blokes shoving Rolex's in her face everywhere, she couldn't believe so many people had the same brand of watch . .. really put her off them in fact.

I still hanker for a sub or SD one day though . .

[Mutt]

Johno said:

Bob Fossil said:

Vipers said:

what other occupation would you see so many Rolex.s

Er, IT sales?

yes, I do work in IT sales, and yes, I do have a Sub/Date

I'm soooo glad I bought a pre-update Sub/Date - the new one looks too chunky.

The missus was at the Gartner event in the city last week and said she couldn't move for blokes shoving Rolex's in her face everywhere, she couldn't believe so many people had the same brand of watch . .. really put her off them in fact.

I still hanker for a sub or SD one day though . .

Dunno if it's about where I work, but to be honest all the front office people I know have big flashy pieces like Big Bangs or huge IWCs. Rolex does seem quite prevelant in IT though.