When did Rolex begin laser etching the coronet?

[Ed Rooney]

My D-serial 14060M seems to be sans-coronet.

[SPACE-DWELLER]

The LEC was introduced in 2001

Your 2005 14060M MUST have it, but remember that the LEC is difficult to spot! Best way to spot it is to use a 10X loupe and look at the crystal at an angle (LEC is at six o' clock).

Also if you use a small flashlight and light on the crystal in the direction 12 to 6 o' clock, the LEC gets "illuminated" and you should be able to see it with your naked eye.

Here's the LEC on my SD:



(I haven't yet succeeded in capturing the LEC on my SS White Cos, since it is much harder to spot/capture it on a WHITE dial).

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by Ed Rooney

My D-serial 14060M seems to be sans-coronet.

Hi Ed,

Your D-serial Sub should definitely have it.

The etching started around the end of K-series going through into the next Y-series.

JJ

[mike]

Yeah, it's there, just hard to see most of the time.

[Tools]

It's incredibly tiny and difficult to find Ed.

I can't see any of mine unless the light hits at just the right angle. Sometimes it's hard to find even with a loupe..

Of course, if you blow it up a hundred times you can find it.

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by Ed Rooney

My D-serial 14060M seems to be sans-coronet.

You would need a 10x loupe and a table lamp. Then try viewing it from different angles. You will finally succeed!!

[904L_addict]

For those having a hard time seeing it, I've found the best way is to get a flashlight and shine through the crystal from 12 to the 6, parallel. Ta da!

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Originally Posted by Spacedweller

Also if you use a small flashlight and light on the crystal in the direction 12 to 6 o' clock, the LEC gets "illuminated" and you should be able to see it with your naked eye.

Originally Posted by 904L_addict

For those having a hard time seeing it, I've found the best way is to get a flashlight and shine through the crystal from 12 to the 6, parallel. Ta da!

[Tools]

For those of you with serious etch issues..

Here:

Cut this out and tape it to the front......6 0'clock position:

[Ed Rooney]

Originally Posted by 904L_addict

For those having a hard time seeing it, I've found the best way is to get a flashlight and shine through the crystal from 12 to the 6, parallel. Ta da!

Tada!! That did the trick. I'm 39 so my vision from about 18 inches in is suspect. That little bastid is hard to see. The fake GMT I inspected 2 months ago was far more visible. Good to know.

[Ed Rooney]

Oh....there seems to be a little laser-etched hula dancer whose hips wiggle when I move the watch from side to side.

wait, there's more. I can barely make it out.

paul


is

dead

paul

is

dead

Man, this is freaky. There's all kinds of stuff etched on there.

[904L_addict]

Ed:

Glad you found it. Hey I'm 37 but will probably have vision issues soon from reading all these posts non-stop everyday on this screen! grrr

[Ed Rooney]

My lousy 3MP Sony isn't cutting it. I can't focus in that tight. I will need to borrow my friends D200.

[karmatp]

Inside it is really difficult, go outside and look close under sunlight, with the right angle you can see it without a loop. Doing the same inside, you wil never see it.

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Sometimes you can use a combination of zoom and macro mode to capture it.

I have also read (seen) examples of pics taken through the magnifying glass of one of those types of lamps that have those.

Anyway, it is not important to capture it on a pic IMHO. You saw it with your own eyes and know it's there.

I tried capturing the LEC on my SS White Cos, but gave up since it is much more difficult on a white dial. I did spot it with a 10x loupe, though.

[Ed Rooney]

Gotcha!

I needed the right angle, and flash to set it off.

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Originally Posted by Ed Rooney

Gotcha!

I needed the right angle, and flash to set it off.

BraVO, Ed!

Very nice LEC shot, indeed!

[baylorjw]

If they started in 2001, then would my late "P" Sub (which shows Jan '00 to Sep '01) have the LEC? Or did this start with the "K" series?

[Jocke]

Here it is.

The orginal.



And at a replacement crystal.



And back to the main question, when did Rolex begin
laser etching the coronet. I will say 1999 at the first
YachtMaster Ref 16622.

Jocke