I was stunned…didn’t know what to say, not exactly fake..but..

[hgb4529]

I like it when people mod their stuff. Makes daily wear just a bit more interesting. It's all a distraction anyway.

[Chewbacca]

Jeebus!

[al503]

Originally Posted by t65tampa

I would consider going in the other direction - switching out the blue bezel of the WG Submariner for a black one. Perfect stealth LN white gold version.

Me, too. WG/PT, black bezel, and dial with a single/double red. That would be perfection...

[Mr Ben]

Well that was an unusual post for TRF. That was something that made me feel stunned… didn’t know what to say, not exactly…

[harvey]

…I’m stunned this thread will soon have 200 posts!

[Jim_GMT]

A bit like adding an M5 badge to a 520d. You still have a BMW. Which is a great car. It's just not an M5.

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by Scholar

I don’t think the guy was actually trying to make it look like white gold, despite what OP thought. I think he just wanted a blue bezel.

For the longest time I wanted to get a late model 5 digit GMT and get not only the different GMT bezels for it but a Sub bezel as well to time with.

But it sounds like the guy actually admitted to doing it for that very reason. As I said before, I have no issue with someone modding their watch because they prefer a certain look. More power to 'em. But doing it specifically to try and pretend (to the world) that the watch is WG is pretty low class. But in my mind there's separation between the mod and the reason for it.

For example, I've seen people mod steel Daytonas with the steel dial reserved for the WG model. And they look pretty fantastic. In no case did it seem this was done to "trick" people into thinking the watch was WG, but because it looks really good.

[Chewbacca]

That was quick.

[2loaded]

Originally Posted by harvey

…I’m stunned this thread will soon have 200 posts!

Right?
Pics or it didn't happen.

[zi464]

Maybe I know lots ppl changed their bezel for fun so I'm okay with that.

[FlashinLeather]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

Of course you are 100% correct. I didn’t explain it very well, don’t know if I can. It is his property. Although I don’t believe in it myself, people have and will be modifying Rolex watches for years. I guess it’s just… Well, I find it different if you put a red second hand on it, or red date wheel, or replacing your black submariner bezel with a green one, then this incidence. I have never run in to a situation where someone was trying to emulate a precious metal Rolex, make it appear it’s a white gold when it’s actually a SS. I mean… i guess that is not a “Fake” but… Well, I don’t know. I find it kind of… Not… genuine.

It just sounds like he modified his watch to how he liked it. Seems like anything about him saying that he was pretending for it to be PM might have been in jest. He did immediately admit that the two of you did not have the same watch. Good for him for enjoying his watch.

[INC]

Originally Posted by Jocke

Not trying to fool anyone, mostly I made models that Rolex not will do.

It's not about us, it's about them

But to be honest and to try to get the thread back on track: This is probably the first time I've seen a real reason why so many people pay the extra money for the original documents. For example, in the case I mentioned, this is probably the only way to check which is the "custom" and which is the real "factory" Alaska. No other way, since all parts are undoubtedly factory-made.

That is why this can even be true in the Rolex world, since a non-professional will not be able to recognize which is a factory-assembled watch and which is modified with original parts. If you have the papers, this is relatively easy to check.

For example, I didn't even think about this until now.

[Mrhenish]

I had a similar experience yesterday with someone and not knowing what to say. Older guy at the table next to me was wearing a YG OF Daytona with a black dial (is there a Paul Newman one?), and I have the same watch with a meteorite dial. Watch looked great except the lugs looked a little off but it was on opposite side of the table from me.
I commented to him that he has a great watch and I have a similar watch with a different dial. He replied “I used to collect watches and had 15 of them but found out the hard way that the battery can go bad and cause the case to go bad so now I only have six watches”. I literally looked at him dumbfounded then just said oh ok. So I understand the speechless response OP

[Chiboy]

I admit I only read the first page and the last. When someone mods a watch to coincidentally look like a much more expensive one, I think it’s a bit corny. If I had a white SS Daytona, I’d mod it to fit an OysterFlex band, which of course they don’t make. But I wouldn’t go putting a blue (WG) Daytona or blue (platinum) Daytona dial on it.

It’s a little like the difference between de-badging a Turbo S vs. putting Turbo S badges, fenders and wing on a base 911. You can say you just prefer the look, but we all know what you’re doing and why.

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by harvey

…I’m stunned this thread will soon have 200 posts!

Yeah… me too.

[Chewbacca]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

Yeah… me too.

You know what you did.

[Scholar]

Originally Posted by dannyp

But it sounds like the guy actually admitted to doing it for that very reason. As I said before, I have no issue with someone modding their watch because they prefer a certain look. More power to 'em. But doing it specifically to try and pretend (to the world) that the watch is WG is pretty low class. But in my mind there's separation between the mod and the reason for it.

For example, I've seen people mod steel Daytonas with the steel dial reserved for the WG model. And they look pretty fantastic. In no case did it seem this was done to "trick" people into thinking the watch was WG, but because it looks really good.

I'm almost certain the guy was joking after OP confronted him. He probably just wanted a blue bezel. Maybe even owned a 4/5 digit, for which bezel swaps were common.

After all, don't the white gold fans here always insist it looks dramatically different from stainless?

[superdog]

Originally Posted by Chiboy

I admit I only read the first page and the last. When someone mods a watch to coincidentally look like a much more expensive one, I think it’s a bit corny. If I had a white SS Daytona, I’d mod it to fit an OysterFlex band, which of course they don’t make. But I wouldn’t go putting a blue (WG) Daytona or blue (platinum) Daytona dial on it.

It’s a little like the difference between de-badging a Turbo S vs. putting Turbo S badges, fenders and wing on a base 911. You can say you just prefer the look, but we all know what you’re doing and why.

Hard for me to agree. Great analogy. Absolutely awesome.

But a watch as stated by every person on this forum, is worn for them. The vast majority of people don’t have a clue about metal based on bezel color. And any non Wis wouldn’t know it’s a Rolex, let alone the metal. Well, being it’s a sub, maybe. But I’d venture to guess that most seeing a blue sub might think it’s something other than Rolex simply because it’s not black.

Cars, are more in your face. And fwiw, they are waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy modded. Far more so than watches ever could be.

I agree though. Making a base 911 look like a turbo s is corny.

So I get your point.

[JettyOne]

Originally Posted by Mrhenish

I had a similar experience yesterday with someone and not knowing what to say. Older guy at the table next to me was wearing a YG OF Daytona with a black dial (is there a Paul Newman one?), and I have the same watch with a meteorite dial. Watch looked great except the lugs looked a little off but it was on opposite side of the table from me.
I commented to him that he has a great watch and I have a similar watch with a different dial. He replied “I used to collect watches and had 15 of them but found out the hard way that the battery can go bad and cause the case to go bad so now I only have six watches”. I literally looked at him dumbfounded then just said oh ok. So I understand the speechless response OP

Man. I would have so much fun with that dude.
I’d ask: How long does battery last on that Rolex? (One he’s wearing). Do you send it out to Rolex? What’s the service cost?

Does the pushers activate chrono or does it open his garage door??

So many questions…

I’d probly ask my wife to switch seat with dude. It’s an entertaining night for sure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[VerticalClutch]

I don't see the big deal. If he simply liked the blue bezel, change it, why not? I think it's completely different than badging your car something it's not. There is no reason to badge a car differently other than to act like it was the better car.

There is a perfectly good reason to change your bezel to blue...because it's cool! I never thought of doing it, but now I kind of want to. No one I would see on a normal basis knows the blue dial sub is WG. I wouldn't do it to "pretend" anything. I'd do it because a blue bezel SS sub looks great.

As for him saying he was pretending or whatever he said, I'm sure he was just turning a phrase or speaking flippantly. He wasn't trying to pretend or he wouldn't have told you. I could see someone saying "pretending" as a way to acknowledge he wasn't trying to fool anyone and nothing more.

[KatGirl]

Originally Posted by VerticalClutch

I don't see the big deal. If he simply liked the blue bezel, change it, why not? I think it's completely different than badging your car something it's not. There is no reason to badge a car differently other than to act like it was the better car.

There is a perfectly good reason to change your bezel to blue...because it's cool!

As for him saying he was pretending or whatever he said, I'm sure he was just turning a phrase or speaking flippantly. He wasn't trying to pretend or he wouldn't have told you. I could see someone saying "pretending" as a way to acknowledge he wasn't trying to fool anyone and nothing more.

Very well put, and exactly what I’ve thought all along. Someone who was trying to fool people into thinking they were wearing a white gold Rolex sub, would merely have said “Thank you”, when complemented on it. They would not have responded in the way the OP suggested he did, unless in gest. Your interpretation makes the most sense. Also, lots of people swap out bezels. There’s nothing wrong, or pretentious, about doing so. The car badging analogy was just silly. I believe the guy just wanted a blue bezel.

Kat


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[superdog]

Originally Posted by VerticalClutch

I don't see the big deal. If he simply liked the blue bezel, change it, why not? I think it's completely different than badging your car something it's not. There is no reason to badge a car differently other than to act like it was the better car.

There is a perfectly good reason to change your bezel to blue...because it's cool! I never thought of doing it, but now I kind of want to. No one I would see on a normal basis knows the blue dial sub is WG. I wouldn't do it to "pretend" anything. I'd do it because a blue bezel SS sub looks great.

As for him saying he was pretending or whatever he said, I'm sure he was just turning a phrase or speaking flippantly. He wasn't trying to pretend or he wouldn't have told you. I could see someone saying "pretending" as a way to acknowledge he wasn't trying to fool anyone and nothing more.

Originally Posted by KatGirl

Very well put, and exactly what I’ve thought all along. Someone who was trying to fool people into thinking they were wearing a white gold Rolex sub, would merely have said “Thank you”, when complemented on it. They would not have responded in the way the OP suggested he did, unless in gest. Your interpretation makes the most sense. Also, lots of people swap out bezels. There’s nothing wrong, or pretentious, about doing so. The car badging analogy was just silly. I believe the guy just wanted a blue bezel.

Kat


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Indeed indeed.


And honestly, “stunned” and speechless from a veteran TRF stud. Cmon Paul my guy. This isn’t something new. Not by a long shot.

To the guy that wants to mess with him…dude somehow knew how to source a ceramic bezel and get it swapped out, but you are going to take him to school??

This is why I stay out of the Rolex section.

A buddy sent me a screen shot of “the pic” and I couldn’t help but check it out. It was worth it for the laugh.

[Fleetlord]

Originally Posted by Number3

Well, this took a turn…..

Rolex forums are much more unpredictable in terms of reactions than they used to be.

Post this 10 to 15 yrs ago and the responses would have been much more consistent with Paul’s initial reaction.

A lot has gone on over that timespan so maybe peeps are more tolerant of things like this…:thinking

[Fleetlord]

Originally Posted by superdog

Indeed indeed.


And honestly, “stunned” and speechless from a veteran TRF stud. Cmon Paul my guy. This isn’t something new. Not by a long shot.

To the guy that wants to mess with him…dude somehow knew how to source a ceramic bezel and get it swapped out, but you are going to take him to school??

This is why I stay out of the Rolex section.

A buddy sent me a screen shot of “the pic” and I couldn’t help but check it out. It was worth it for the laugh.

That would have been my reaction in any decade…..

How’d the dude get the OEM WG bezel?

[superdog]

Originally Posted by Fleetlord

That would have been my reaction in any decade…..

How’d the dude get the OEM WG bezel?

Exactly!!

That dude is a legend.

[White Collar Boy]

I like Paul’s reaction. He cares about the real thing, did so long before getting his grail, didn’t hurt the guy, and has highlighted an interesting thing.

I don’t perceive his reaction as snobbish, because it’s less about superior/inferior taste (Paul also likes stainless steel), but very fine degrees of inauthenticity. There’s no wrong or right answer.

That said, I think the guy did no wrong. Even wearing a genuine fake (which nobody is saying that guy’s watch is) doesn’t make someone less of a WIS, by itself.

[ibzk]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

Good question, and yes, he stated he was pretending he had a PM Rolex.

I didn’t know what to say after that.

I dont think he was expecting your validation in return.. or was he?
at the end of the day, who cares?

[cornerstore]

Maybe he was simply pretending to himself not to impress others. Otherwise why share his secret to someone who asks if deception was his motive.Maybe it was his way of telling the OP he really liked the OPs watch. Just maybe he liked the look but couldn’t afford the WG . Someone trying to impress out of deception isn’t going to tell , particularly to another Rolex wearer.

[pkincy]

Originally Posted by the dark knight

I think there's a possibility his entire watch was fake and he didn't want to be called out on it. Sub fakes are scary good these days, and 126619 fakes just take a steel Sub fake and put a blue bezel on it since obviously a fake watch isn't going to be solid gold.

I think he didn't want you to notice his watch was steel and not gold, esp since you own the real deal, so just made up the whole bezel swap story.

This is the most likely explanation for the whole episode. The real tell on the fake would be if it also had polished center links.

[TheVTCGuy]

Boy, I am so glad this is still going….