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Old 7 May 2010, 11:24 AM   #1
robkassab
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The Conservative Restoration of a DRSD

The Conservative Restoration of a Mark III Double Red Sea-Dweller

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to acquire a Double Red Sea-Dweller (3.7 million serial range), which appears to have never been polished, had any parts replaced, and possibly never serviced, as there are no service dates or references as normally inscribed inside the case. In consulting with a number of experienced vintage Sub collectors, I decided to heed their recommendation and go with the conservative restoration approach--a complete dismantle, cleaning, and servicing of the movement, keeping the watch as original as possible.

My friend Rudy Stockli, owner of Swiss Time located in Royal Palm Beach, Florida, who is an expert Rolex factory-trained watchmaker and a true old-world Swiss craftsman, performed the restoration on the watch. The first thing Rudy commented on was the full serial number factory-stamped inside the case back. And then we reviewed my desire to keep everything as original as possible, including the crown and tube, bezel insert, and crystal. The crystal was badly scratched and I was lucky to locate an original Rolex NOS (new old stock from the ‘70s) “superdome” crystal.

I hope you enjoy the photos!
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Old 7 May 2010, 12:00 PM   #2
Renoir
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Incredible work and results! Thanks for posting.
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Old 7 May 2010, 12:28 PM   #3
stevemulholland3
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looks sweet!
great work brother.
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Old 7 May 2010, 12:47 PM   #4
robkassab
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Thanks to your help Steve!
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Old 7 May 2010, 12:59 PM   #5
Andad
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Excellent work
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Old 7 May 2010, 01:33 PM   #6
JMIND
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Great pics, thanks for sharing.
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Old 7 May 2010, 02:31 PM   #7
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The finished product looks outstanding. Great Job!
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Old 7 May 2010, 10:25 PM   #8
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Wonderful - just how it should be done




Cheers
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Old 8 May 2010, 05:17 PM   #9
cwwhk
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Very nice. Thanks for sharing.
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Old 8 May 2010, 07:53 PM   #10
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Many thanks for all the nice pics,,congrats on having a great watch
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Old 9 May 2010, 12:58 AM   #11
sea-dweller
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Nice post, one of my grail watches !!!
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Old 9 May 2010, 03:47 AM   #12
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That was cool to see the restoration and what a difference it made! Congrats!
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Old 9 May 2010, 11:16 PM   #13
zidaneong
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Looks good. :)
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Old 10 May 2010, 12:39 AM   #14
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Great Job!!

A very original example!!
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Old 10 May 2010, 01:13 AM   #15
Safetrends
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Very nice restoration, little as possible makes it worth more in the end.
Did you notice the caseback has the serial number of the case in it?
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Old 10 May 2010, 01:25 AM   #16
MitchSteel
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What a beauty.
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Old 10 May 2010, 02:57 AM   #17
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Now its sentimental value is worth much more than its retail. I envy people like you who have the chance to venture into the "unseen" parts of the watch.

Enjoy it in good health
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Old 10 May 2010, 03:15 PM   #18
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Old 10 May 2010, 04:08 PM   #19
andrew79
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beautiful work !!!
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Old 10 May 2010, 05:25 PM   #20
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Fantastic photo-essay... spactacular watch!

Congrats, enjoy it...
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Old 11 May 2010, 02:33 AM   #21
hennabav
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That's a nice piece you got there!!
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Old 11 May 2010, 02:37 AM   #22
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Amazing!!! Great job!
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Old 11 May 2010, 02:41 AM   #23
belk7
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Fantastic post. This is great example to the rest of us on how to do things the right way.
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Old 11 May 2010, 02:45 AM   #24
DerekS
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wowza. Id give a kidney for one of those in that condition.
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Old 11 May 2010, 02:51 AM   #25
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Awesome....
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Old 11 May 2010, 11:51 AM   #26
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Very Very Nice...
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Old 12 May 2010, 03:52 AM   #27
dkpw
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What a superb restoration job and the end result is a fantastic watch. Many congratulations!
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Old 12 May 2010, 04:29 AM   #28
robkassab
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Thanks a lot to all....BTY, I purchased the watch through my good friend, Matthew Green of http://www.bocabling.com. He's honest and always has a great selection of fine Rolex's in stock.
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Old 12 May 2010, 06:20 AM   #29
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Another fine resto job by Rudy! I've seen a couple of nice ones.
DW
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Old 12 May 2010, 07:05 AM   #30
bewithabob
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Truly spectacular work and craftsmanship. Rolex is a work of art, but the caring and precise work of the restorer is likewise equal to the original. I am in awe!
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