1803 President

[freefly]

Originally Posted by BigBlue1

Do these weights seem correct?

Yep.

[BigBlue1]

Doesn’t seem to be much of a selection of wide boy dials

[offrdmania]

I personally like the Buckley idea because you don’t see them often on the day/date

[BigBlue1]

Originally Posted by offrdmania

I personally like the Buckley idea because you don’t see them often on the day/date

I agree with you. The Buckley looks great with the Arabic Date and Day

[Rafabond]

if it's any use, my 18038 with full president bracelet has a weight of 137.10 grams.

[freefly]

Originally Posted by Rafabond

if it's any use, my 18038 with full president bracelet has a weight of 137.10 grams.

The newer refrecnes were heavier. An 1803 should weigh +/- 118g.

[ronricks]

That bracelet might be too far gone to repair.

Either way I would definitely sell the hands then send to watch to Rolliworks and see if they can build up the lugs and service the watch. Worst case a strap would look great if the bracelet is shot.

[BigBlue1]

Ya, that bracelet is pretty thin, I agree. Pugs will certainly need to be built up. No wide boy dials I like.

[Rafabond]

What I don't like very much are the first three numbers that are recorded, those of the serial number, I see them weird, as poorly written

[BigBlue1]

Originally Posted by Rafabond

What I don't like very much are the first three numbers that are recorded, those of the serial number, I see them weird, as poorly written

There were numbers engraved near the model number. I never showcased the serial number. It has to be cleaned up. That’s all.

[haven_seeker]

Looks like you did pretty good.

The bracelet may be salvageable. Rolliworks is in the USA and worth reaching out to.

Hopefully you can trade for the right handset without being out much/any extra cash.

Seems like a great buy - and for what it's worth, I would stick to the Buckley dial and get the right hands.

Nicely done

[BigBlue1]

Originally Posted by haven_seeker

Looks like you did pretty good.

The bracelet may be salvageable. Rolliworks is in the USA and worth reaching out to.

Hopefully you can trade for the right handset without being out much/any extra cash.

Seems like a great buy - and for what it's worth, I would stick to the Buckley dial and get the right hands.

Nicely done

Thank you.

[Rafabond]

Originally Posted by BigBlue1

There were numbers engraved near the model number. I never showcased the serial number. It has to be cleaned up. That’s all.

sorry, I found the serial number, it's strange to put numbers on that side

[BigBlue1]

[offrdmania]

Originally Posted by BigBlue1

That 245 was most likely left during a service or for some other purpose to identify the piece. I dont think it was put there to deceive since its on the model number side of the case. How does the serial number side look?

[Claven2]

Originally Posted by offrdmania

That 245 was most likely left during a service or for some other purpose to identify the piece. I dont think it was put there to deceive since its on the model number side of the case. How does the serial number side look?

I've seen DD bracelets with an assembly number scribed inside the end links. Could it match the bracelet that shipped with the watch?

[BigBlue1]

Ill try and get a picture of the number scratched on the end link tomorrow

[77T]

One thing is certain, you now have about 6 different directions to take your pending project to get it “un-franked”. That is actually a good thing in disguise.

But to be honest, you will have to spend several thousand $ to get it to the final state including a good bracelet fix.

Perhaps swap out the hands, keep the Buckley since you like it, store the bracelet and slap on a strap. You should be happy with it for years.

Or just wear it as is and enjoy it.

I had a wideboy that I liked a lot - even though the hands were not original nor correct - so I just left it alone and only a super WIS would have noticed the faux pas.






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[miamiclay]

Originally Posted by 77T

I had a wideboy that I liked a lot - even though the hands were not original nor correct - so I just left it alone and only a super WIS would have noticed the faux pas.

As a non-super-WIS, what’s non-original/incorrect with those wideboy hands?

[77T]

Originally Posted by miamiclay

As a non-super-WIS, what’s non-original/incorrect with those wideboy hands?

The original ones for that model would not have tritium stripes inside the hands. Instead it would’ve had these:




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[miamiclay]

Originally Posted by 77T

The original ones for that model would not have tritium stripes inside the hands.

Interesting, thanks! Obviously any lumed dial is useless without lumed hands, but the opposite isn’t true. Just to add more confusion, some stone dials have the T markings at 6, but no lume on dial nor hands.

Is “no-lume dial always came from factory with no-lume hands” a quirk specific to wide boys, like the Day-Date hyphen’s absence?

[ilikewatchest00]

Have you had someone open the caseback yet to make sure it's a real Rolex movement?

[BigBlue1]

The serial number is 7 Numbers.

[emersm]

Congratulations, I love it!

[77T]

I would be on very thin ice trying to say it’s always this way or that way with Rolex.

But remember the dial makers in that day were not Rolex employees - they were subcontracted companies. There would be no way for the dialmaker to know what hands were going to be put on a watch some months later. Even when the dial had no tritium on its surface. So when it was plucked to assemble the watch, there would be no problem if tritium hands were affixed by the watchmaker.

IMHO, with all the optics around radiation in that timeframe, Rolex just had every dial stamped the same T SWISS T to be on the safe side.


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[BigBlue1]

So I reached out to Rolli to get an estimate on the Brcaelet and Lug rebuild. They can take on Bracelet at a price a little north of 1500 of course but are not willing to take on the case/lugz. What do I do? Anyone know where I could have the work performed? Here are some pics. Would you get the Bracelet redone?
Thanks

[BDII]

Have you priced it with Michael Young in HK?

http://www.classicwatchrepair.com/english/services


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[BigBlue1]

Originally Posted by BDII

Have you priced it with Michael Young in HK?

http://www.classicwatchrepair.com/english/services


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I have not, I am too afraid to send it across the pond.

[Dr.Smellody]

Originally Posted by BigBlue1

I have not, I am too afraid to send it across the pond.

Wouldn't scare me. Lots and lots of success stories.

[BigBlue1]

Originally Posted by Dr.Smellody

Wouldn't scare me. Lots and lots of success stories.

I will look into it.