Blue watch, gold crwon - pictorial devoted to Mr. JJ Irani

[ashu2289]

Originally Posted by colemanitis

They don't need to layer them with gold, they're HOLLOW.

Relly really important info here. Thnx for bringing this thing in knowledge.
Very much disappointed with Rolex here. Its still unbelievable that Rolex is using Gold filled like omega and breitling and not solid gold.

Well colemanitis what about my Daytona its links are solid 18K according to Rloex????????
Hope this is not the case with it.

[jasonbellevue]

Wow. Very informative post. An eye opener, thanks for sharing Nick!

[mikey]

I had been thinking about this thread all day. I look down at my TT DJ and realize my winding crown is just a gold shell. This info is very good, but now I feel like i know alittle too much. Its kinda like enjoying a movie and not bothering to look at the making of when the entire movie is explained to the point there is no imagination to ponder.

[pcarson]

Originally Posted by Rockrolex

Fake Rolex = Folex.

There's another level to Folex, and that's why some spell it Fauxlex. It's obvious now, isn't it? French for false is faux and it's pronounced by most non-French speakers as Foh, Same as "Ro" in Rolex.

[pcarson]

Originally Posted by Prince

Thanks, Nick. When you're done with dissecting the watch, I have a circuit board that you can tinker with!

Always informative. There are a couple or three of you tinkerers here on TRF, and we appreciate your undying curiosity. Somebody's got to do it - we appreciate your contribution very much!

You can rest assured! Mr Hacko is no tinkerer. He is a very respected watchmaker in this vast arid land. His posts are presented with modest zeal, but Nick knows how the story ends every time.

Regarding Mikey's post, if you feel as though you know too much now, spare a moment's pity for the next gynaecologist you meet.

[mlb]

Originally Posted by pcarson

You can rest assured! Mr Hacko is no tinkerer. He is a very respected watchmaker in this vast arid land. His posts are presented with modest zeal, but Nick knows how the story ends every time.

Regarding Mikey's post, if you feel as though you know too much now, spare a moment's pity for the next gynaecologist you meet.

Too funny!

Mike

[pcarson]

I'm half expecting a chip from a moderator over that little tone-lowering comment, but I couldn't resist. A little mystery is very engaging, and that applies to many things of beauty, including watches.

[padi56]

But what about the all solid gold watches,are these crowns solid gold??.And are the crown tubes gold or steel,now gold tube thread to gold crown thread how would they stand up to general wear.Or is it with all gold watches certain parts excluding movement crystal etc can be still be made of other metal and still get a gold hallmark.Like the watch case and bracelet is hallmarked, cannot comment if the crown is .

[pcarson]

Originally Posted by padi56

But what about the all solid gold watches,are these crowns solid gold??.And are the crown tubes gold or steel,now gold tube thread to gold crown thread how would they stand up to general wear.Or is it with all gold watches certain parts excluding movement crystal etc can be still be made of other metal and still get a gold hallmark.Like the watch case and bracelet is hallmarked, cannot comment if the crown is .

I'm no expert but I've always understood that stems and threads just can't be made of gold and expected to last or be waterproof. There's no point plating them, so any good watch with a gold crown will either have the Rolex "cap" design, or the crown will be solid and bonded with a "cog and seat" to a SS stem, which is threaded. I don't think there's another way to get a reliable seal, or acceptable deformation in the stem.

[President]

Thanks!

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by ashu2289

Relly really important info here. Thnx for bringing this thing in knowledge.
Very much disappointed with Rolex here. Its still unbelievable that Rolex is using Gold filled like omega and breitling and not solid gold.

Well colemanitis what about my Daytona its links are solid 18K according to Rloex????????
Hope this is not the case with it.

Ashutosh, you really need to read my sentence very carefully: EVERYTHING THAT IS YELLOW ON ANY DAMN ROLEX IS INDEED 18 K GOLD - NOT GOLD-FILLED!!!!!

Just because a link is HOLLOW that does not mean it is not 18 K gold. A lady's bangle is just a circle, but it can still be made of 22 K gold, right? You should know....you are from India!!

You guys seem to be confusing the words SOLID and HOLLOW. BOTH are still 18 K gold....the only difference being that you get MORE gold in the SOLID link.

And don't worry about your Daytona links....they are all SOLID 18 K gold...and so are my HOLLOW links on my TT Blue Sub!!

Hope this clarifies matters once and for all!!

Cheers - JJ

Here ya go....HOLLOW links, but still genuine 18 K GOLD - not bloody gold-filled!!

[Ironstark]

I have watched this thread with a mixture of interest and annoyance.
I can understand that a lot of the information on forumns is taken from different sources, not always accurate and sometimes second or third hand.
The gold used in the manufacture of Rolex watches is 18k gold. In the production of the cases, bezels and bracelets (wheather full gold or TT, solid or hollow links) it IS SOLID GOLD, no plating, bonding etc.... All gold models tubes are also made of gold.
The only time when gold is bonded in any way shape or form is on the clasps of TT watches and in the past in the production of winding crowns.
As has been shown already the winding crowns of watches produced before approximately 2 to 3 years ago were "capped" with a thick gold cap. Models produced after this time are fitted with "monobloc" crowns. As the name suggests, these are made of solid single blocks of gold, NOT capped.
The central core of the crown which contains the spring and into which the winding stem screwes is stainless steel out of necessity, since 18k gold would be far too soft. At any time where a cap or bonded layer of gold has been used it has been done so for reasons of necessity, ie where gold alone would have worn too quickly or where at the time production proceedures would not allow for it`s use. As new techniques are devoloped, the monobloc crowns for example, improvements are made.
I hope this helps clarifies things a little.

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by Ironstark

I have watched this thread with a mixture of interest and annoyance.
I can understand that a lot of the information on forumns is taken from different sources, not always accurate and sometimes second or third hand.
The gold used in the manufacture of Rolex watches is 18k gold. In the production of the cases, bezels and bracelets (wheather full gold or TT, solid or hollow links) it IS SOLID GOLD, no plating, bonding etc.... All gold models tubes are also made of gold.
The only time when gold is bonded in any way shape or form is on the clasps of TT watches and in the past in the production of winding crowns.
As has been shown already the winding crowns of watches produced before approximately 2 to 3 years ago were "capped" with a thick gold cap. Models produced after this time are fitted with "monobloc" crowns. As the name suggests, these are made of solid single blocks of gold, NOT capped.
The central core of the crown which contains the spring and into which the winding stem screwes is stainless steel out of necessity, since 18k gold would be far too soft. At any time where a cap or bonded layer of gold has been used it has been done so for reasons of necessity, ie where gold alone would have worn too quickly or where at the time production proceedures would not allow for it`s use. As new techniques are devoloped, the monobloc crowns for example, improvements are made.
I hope this helps clarifies things a little.

Thank the good Lord above....at last someone who sees the light and hopefully can show it to the others.

Thanks a million, Ironstark!!!

Please also see my other thread about the misconception clarification!!

[Ironstark]

I have seen the other thread but I`m resisting the temptation to join in on that one.
I have remembered that Rolex did for a very short time in the dim and distant past produce a gold "shell" (14k I think) model. The only time I am aware of a solid case was not produced and it is not something that has been done since.

[mlb]

JJ, You better have your blood pressure taken after this thread

Mike

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by Ironstark

As has been shown already the winding crowns of watches produced before approximately 2 to 3 years ago were "capped" with a thick gold cap. Models produced after this time are fitted with "monobloc" crowns. As the name suggests, these are made of solid single blocks of gold, NOT capped.
The central core of the crown which contains the spring and into which the winding stem screwes is stainless steel out of necessity, since 18k gold would be far too soft. At any time where a cap or bonded layer of gold has been used it has been done so for reasons of necessity, ie where gold alone would have worn too quickly or where at the time production proceedures would not allow for it`s use. As new techniques are devoloped, the monobloc crowns for example, improvements are made.
I hope this helps clarifies things a little.

That's great news, Ironstark. Does this mean that all the TT Subs purchased recently are all MONOBLOC crowns?

And what happens during service? Hopefully the RSC will replace this same MONOBLOC crown with a similar one?

Please clarify.

Thanks - JJ

[ashu2289]

Originally Posted by JJ Irani

Ashutosh, you really need to read my sentence very carefully: EVERYTHING THAT IS YELLOW ON ANY DAMN ROLEX IS INDEED 18 K GOLD - NOT GOLD-FILLED!!!!!

Just because a link is HOLLOW that does not mean it is not 18 K gold. A lady's bangle is just a circle, but it can still be made of 22 K gold, right? You should know....you are from India!!

You guys seem to be confusing the words SOLID and HOLLOW. BOTH are still 18 K gold....the only difference being that you get MORE gold in the SOLID link.

And don't worry about your Daytona links....they are all SOLID 18 K gold...and so are my HOLLOW links on my TT Blue Sub!!

Hope this clarifies matters once and for all!!

Cheers - JJ

Here ya go....HOLLOW links, but still genuine 18 K GOLD - not bloody gold-filled!!

Thnx a lot JJ. I very well know the difference between hollow solid gold and gold filled but just the doubt abt the daytona links creeped my mind after seeing that gold capped crown.
But now I'm vry vry happy that they are real solid chunks of 18K Gold.WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by ashu2289

Thnx a lot JJ. I very well know the difference between hollow solid gold and gold filled but just the doubt abt the daytona links creeped my mind after seeing that gold capped crown.
But now I'm vry vry happy that they are real solid chunks of 18K Gold.WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW

For the obscene and outlandish prices they charge, that YELLOW stuff jolly well better be 18 K gold!!

[Ironstark]

At a service the type of crown fitted (when received) is noted and if replacement is necessary then the appropirate one is fitted. As I`m sure you could guess, monoblocs are more expensive than the capped/shelled type.

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by Ironstark

At a service the type of crown fitted (when received) is noted and if replacement is necessary then the appropirate one is fitted. As I`m sure you could guess, monoblocs are more expensive than the capped/shelled type.

WHOA! So now with the monobloc crown, we would be looking at higher service charges?

BTW, just by outward appearances, how can you differentiate between a MONOBLOC crown and a 18 K CAPPED one?

Thanks - JJ

[Nick Hacko]

.

[Ironstark]

The older crowns shown in pictures at the start of this thread were made of nickel with a gold cap and a nickel and steel core with the spring and thread for the stem. The new monobloc ones have much more gold used in their construction.
There are two types of monbloc gold crowns.
On TT watches, gold on a steel tube would not work as the gold would suffer much greater wear against the steel tube, therefore as I said it is a gold outer with a steel inner core.As pictured in the thread above from what I can see in the picture. In the case of all gold models with gold tubes the whole crown is gold. It is not done to cut costs (or as some people who have become hot under the collar about this topic seem to think, to rip off the customers) and I`m not refering to JJ, it is simply done out of necessity.
You are still getting a top quality product which does the job it was designed to do and is produced to the highest standards. Remember that Rolex wathces particularly the sports ones, are/were tool watches and at first were not produced in gold. This has happened over time to answer a demand in the market place for these watches to become more dress/jewellery orientated.
I know that if the crowns were all gold and wore away more quickly there would be a whole lot of complaining (and rightly so)
The way the crowns are and have been constructed is the Rolex solution to provide a waterproof watch with a steel and gold case, if you don`t approve then don`t buy one, simple.

[JJ Irani]

Thanks for the info, Ironstark!!

[jasonbellevue]

Gotta love this thread. Very informative indeed, thanks Ironstark!