Bringing an 1803 back to its glory

[joli160]

The polished lugs don’t look that bad but I would have wanted the original finish on it

[Isochronous]

Originally Posted by zapokee

(Thought: The watch needs a nice 20-mm-width strap rather than that narrower one (19 mm?) that exposes the spring bars. )

It's difficult to get the spring bars out with a 20mm leather strap.

Sad that Rolex won't service an 1800 any longer. They will run for another 50 years with no problem. The better watchmakers will make parts for these movements if necessary. They keep the "maker" in watchmaker alive and well.

[Ascari_2]

Originally Posted by joli160

The polished lugs don’t look that bad but I would have wanted the original finish on it

I have a feeling that the watch was worn a lot of much of what you see is sleeve polish. Looking closely, there are remnants of the brushed finish closer to the bezel with that finish dissipating as you move towards the tips. Considering this is a family heirloom, I think the owner appreciates visible signs of wear that came before him.

Originally Posted by Isochronous

It's difficult to get the spring bars out with a 20mm leather strap.

Sad that Rolex won't service an 1800 any longer. They will run for another 50 years with no problem. The better watchmakers will make parts for these movements if necessary. They keep the "maker" in watchmaker alive and well.

I wouldn't worry about it much (at least not now). The 1556 movement is 95% your standard 15xx series movement, sharing the vast majority of its parts with Caliber 1570. With that, sourcing replacement parts if any were to be necessary should be rather easy as the 1570 movement was used in most of Rolex watches in the 60s and 70s. But with regular service and inspection these are robust watches that should last over generations.

[mdwsta4]

Mesmerizing work! Love the gray dial

[Turbo Racer]

What a great post! I love seeing this restoration. I’ve also watched a few YouTube videos of people restoring watches. It’s amazing what gets done. Makes me want a dd more now!

[inplainsite]

Originally Posted by deshars313

Ascari_2

Thank you for such dedicated craftsmanship. The progress photos along the way and the detailed analysis of different aspects of the watch not only gave me confidence that you knew what you were doing, but also sparked an interest in me to start getting into horology. This is not an ordinary watch to me, as it was handed down two generations and I hope to do the same for my kids. Keeping it in lasting condition is without saying extremely important, and Im just so happy you were able to give it the love it needed. It is keeping almost perfect time. I can't say enough good things about the experience, and if any of the members on here ever need servicing, advice or perhaps looking to buy a time piece, I hope they can be assured they will receive good care from you.

To all the members on the forum that commented on my first post with advice and input, thank you! If not for coming here I don't think I could've had the same experience that I did. This forum rocks and I will continue to post updates from time to time. Take care everyone!

Was searching up information regarding 1803's on the forum and came across this beauty. I absolutely love the bracelet! These custom ones in addition to Rolex's Florentine one really pique my interest.