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Old 13 May 2023, 02:25 PM   #1
TheVTCGuy
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I was stunned…didn’t know what to say, not exactly fake..but..

Wow… what a bizzare occurrence. So, like all WISes I am always watch-watching and today, in a shop I saw “my” 126619LB. I rarely see them in public and since we were both waiting I pointed at his watch, showed mine, and said: “You have very good taste in watches sir” in a friendly manner. He smiled, showed me his watch and with a BIG grin on his face said: “Well, not exactly.” He fully admitted and showed me it was a 126610, SS Sub, that he put a “real Rolex” Blue bezel on to “pretend” it was a WG Sub. … …

… ….. ……..


….. ….. …


I was kind of shocked… All I could respond with was: “Uh… huh.”


I don’t know what to think… it wasn’t a FAKE…. But….
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Old 13 May 2023, 02:27 PM   #2
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Wow… what a bizzare occurrence. So, like all WISes I am always watch-watching and today, in a shop I saw “my” 126619LB. I rarely see them in public and since we were both waiting I pointed at his watch, showed mine, and said: “You have very good taste in watches sir” in a friendly manner. He smiled, showed me his watch and with a BIG grin on his face said: “Well, not exactly.” He fully admitted and showed me it was a 126610, SS Sub, that he put a “real Rolex” Blue bezel on to “pretend” it was a WG Sub. … …

… ….. ……..


….. ….. …


I was kind of shocked… All I could respond with was: “Uh… huh.”


I don’t know what to think… it wasn’t a FAKE…. But….
I wonder if things like this devalue the real thing- but still special for folks that own the real thing and know the truth
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Old 13 May 2023, 02:50 PM   #3
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Is it considered bad form to mod a Rolex? In my opinion, the owner can change anything he wants to get the look he prefers. Also, he was up front about it. I see no point to your post.

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Old 13 May 2023, 02:53 PM   #4
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Is it considered bad form to mod a Rolex? In my opinion, the owner can change anything he wants to get the look he prefers. Also, he was up front about it. I see no point to your post.

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Then you could always not respond to it.

VTC
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Old 13 May 2023, 09:42 PM   #5
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Then you could always not respond to it.

VTC
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Old 16 May 2023, 02:53 AM   #6
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Then you could always not respond to it.

VTC
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Old 27 March 2024, 02:55 AM   #7
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Then you could always not respond to it.

VTC
I wish you never wrote it...but what fun is it if i didn't.....
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Old 14 May 2023, 04:11 AM   #8
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Is it considered bad form to mod a Rolex? In my opinion, the owner can change anything he wants to get the look he prefers.



Also, he was up front about it. I see no point to your post.

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I agree with you so long as the parts are genuine, not aftermarket Frankensteinish. For instance an Oysterflex on a SS model such as GMT or Daytona.

But on the other hand, I see no point to your final comment on seeing no point. That was uncalled for, and antagonistic on purpose.
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Old 26 March 2024, 11:22 AM   #9
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Is it considered bad form to mod a Rolex? In my opinion, the owner can change anything he wants to get the look he prefers. Also, he was up front about it. I see no point to your post.

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Agree 100%. Just like changing wheels, tint, paint on a car.
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Old 26 March 2024, 04:28 PM   #10
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Is it considered bad form to mod a Rolex? In my opinion, the owner can change anything he wants to get the look he prefers. Also, he was up front about it. I see no point to your post.

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Agreed. it is his watch, he can do whatever he wants.
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Old 26 March 2024, 06:01 PM   #11
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Agreed. it is his watch, he can do whatever he wants.
Modding with genuine parts is fine, frankening with fake parts is not.
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Old 27 March 2024, 02:07 AM   #12
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Modding with genuine parts is fine, frankening with fake parts is not.
I've three opinions:

1. Changing a watch component (such as a dial or bezel) to a genuine new dial or bezel that would have been offered with the watch at original purchase is perfectly fine. The only caveat is that this swap must be disclosed if later sold.

2. Modifying a watch in such a way that it's unique and does not emulate as a 1:1 copy another factory watch is also OK. The caveat here is that if non-genuine parts (such as a dial) are used, they should not be marked as if they were made by the OEM. I really happen to think Artisans de Geneve does some interesting work, but I've a bit of an issue that they mark their dials with Rolex branding and logos.

3. For me, the clear "no no" even with genuine parts is altering your watch to look like another watch. For example changing the bezel and polishing center links to make a stainless model look like the white gold model--is bad form.
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Old 13 May 2023, 03:15 PM   #13
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Not a fake Rolex but a fake cookie monster?

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Old 13 May 2023, 03:15 PM   #14
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Don’t see anything wrong with that, his watch so his decision.


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Old 13 May 2023, 03:21 PM   #15
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Don’t see anything wrong with that, his watch so his decision.


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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.
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Old 14 May 2023, 03:49 AM   #16
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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.
Maybe he’s not faking it but just likes the color blue
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Old 14 May 2023, 06:44 AM   #17
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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.
Agree.
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Old 17 May 2023, 04:01 AM   #18
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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.
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Old 26 March 2024, 12:26 PM   #19
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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.

Maybe he just liked the blue bezel. Personally I wish Rolex would could come out with an all blue SS sub, I’d be first in line.
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Old 13 May 2023, 03:22 PM   #20
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Don’t see anything wrong with that, his watch so his decision.


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true, he can do whatever he wants with it, it's his property. that said, i agree with OP, it's kind of an unwritten rule that it's verboten to mod your Rolex's, as far as I'm concerned. You wouldn't catch me dead with an "incorrect" bezel insert on one of my subs, my yachtmaster, etc. it's a rolex, not a seiko turtle, for Crissakes. I mean, why is he throwing a blue insert on a stainless steel sub? to flex? feel like a big shot? dude, you already have a sub on your wrist, that's something to be happy about and proud of. i'm sure it's just because he loves the way the blue of that bezel insert just pops in the right light *rolls eyes*
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Old 13 May 2023, 10:02 PM   #21
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I was stunned…didn’t know what to say, not exactly fake..but..

Quote:
Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy View Post
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.
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true, he can do whatever he wants with it, it's his property. that said, i agree with OP, it's kind of an unwritten rule that it's verboten to mod your Rolex's, as far as I'm concerned. You wouldn't catch me dead with an "incorrect" bezel insert on one of my subs, my yachtmaster, etc. it's a rolex, not a seiko turtle, for Crissakes. I mean, why is he throwing a blue insert on a stainless steel sub? to flex? feel like a big shot? dude, you already have a sub on your wrist, that's something to be happy about and proud of. i'm sure it's just because he loves the way the blue of that bezel insert just pops in the right light *rolls eyes*
In this example he just change a bezel insert, so something easy to convert back (and as said by others not different from swapping inserts or bracelets on a 16710). Am mod friendly, so changing MY watch into whatever I want has always been an option regardless of what others may think.

Think what troubles the OP is the fact the owner of the watch was pretending the watch to be what is was not, which is not my case when modding my watches (or probably the intention when someone, for example, “mods” an original 16710 Coke / Oyster into a 16710 LN / jubilee ). Each to its own.




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Old 14 May 2023, 07:29 AM   #22
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In this example he just change a bezel insert, so something easy to convert back (and as said by others not different from swapping inserts or bracelets on a 16710). Am mod friendly, so changing MY watch into whatever I want has always been an option regardless of what others may think.

Think what troubles the OP is the fact the owner of the watch was pretending the watch to be what is was not, which is not my case when modding my watches (or probably the intention when someone, for example, “mods” an original 16710 Coke / Oyster into a 16710 LN / jubilee ). Each to its own.




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fair point, i suppose that intention/motive has a lot to do with it. modding for fun and to give your watch different looks is a far cry from modding to mimick the look of a far more expensive version of the same watch
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Old 14 May 2023, 08:43 AM   #23
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fair point, i suppose that intention/motive has a lot to do with it. modding for fun and to give your watch different looks is a far cry from modding to mimick the look of a far more expensive version of the same watch
Omar! Thank you! Thank you for clearly stating what I have been trying to say this entire thread. Moding to get a look you desire is different than moding to try and present you own a more expensive version of the same watch. It is not that he modded his sub, it was the reason and the goal that threw me.

Omar, I keep fumbling around with words and a smart guy like you states it clearly. If I wasn’t such a Dorklehead I would have said this in the original post
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Old 19 May 2023, 03:11 PM   #24
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true, he can do whatever he wants with it, it's his property. that said, i agree with OP, it's kind of an unwritten rule that it's verboten to mod your Rolex's, as far as I'm concerned. You wouldn't catch me dead with an "incorrect" bezel insert on one of my subs, my yachtmaster, etc. it's a rolex, not a seiko turtle, for Crissakes. I mean, why is he throwing a blue insert on a stainless steel sub? to flex? feel like a big shot? dude, you already have a sub on your wrist, that's something to be happy about and proud of. i'm sure it's just because he loves the way the blue of that bezel insert just pops in the right light *rolls eyes*
Because he likes the colour blue? If he could find an original Rolex bezel then good for him! Can't see a problem here...

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Old 13 May 2023, 03:18 PM   #25
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I’m impressed he was able to source a blue cerachrom bezel somewhere… that may be more difficult than finding a 126619!
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Old 13 May 2023, 03:18 PM   #26
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I don't see a problem at all.
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Old 17 May 2023, 01:14 AM   #27
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I don't see a problem at all.
I’m with you.

I see no issues at all. Used to be folks swapped bezels all the time. Bracelets. Etc.

I think it’s great.
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Old 13 May 2023, 03:34 PM   #28
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…did he categorically say to ‘pretend to be WG Sub’? well that’s kinda sad if he did.

or did he just like the colour of the bezel?
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Old 13 May 2023, 03:56 PM   #29
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…did he categorically say to ‘pretend to be WG Sub’? well that’s kinda sad if he did.

or did he just like the colour of the bezel?
Good question, and yes, he stated he was pretending he had a PM Rolex.

I didn’t know what to say after that.
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Old 13 May 2023, 04:17 PM   #30
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Good question, and yes, he stated he was pretending he had a PM Rolex.

I didn’t know what to say after that.
My view is he can do what he wants with his things, and one presumes his comment about wanting to fool people into thinking he had a PM Rolex was said to amuse given he had fooled you into thinking it, but was happy to reveal it was not the case.

For me the oddest thing is how such a relatively minor occurrence has seemingly left you shell-shocked and unable to process what happened!
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