The Rolex Forums   The Rolex Watch

ROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEX


Go Back   Rolex Forums - Rolex Forum > Rolex & Tudor Watch Topics > Rolex General Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 22 November 2010, 03:14 AM   #1
bbqBiker
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 91
Changing Exp II dial and hands

I'm a recent new black Explorer II owner (thanks DS Williams). I like the black but thought it would be cool to have the white faced option available too without having to buy both watches. I am curious to know how much a new white dial and hands set should cost? Also, is it a big deal (time and/or cost) for a watchmaker to swap those out? Thanks.
bbqBiker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22 November 2010, 04:08 AM   #2
padi56
"TRF" Life Patron
 
padi56's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Real Name: Peter
Location: Llanfairpwllgwyng
Watch: ing you.
Posts: 53,063
Quote:
Originally Posted by bbqBiker View Post
I'm a recent new black Explorer II owner (thanks DS Williams). I like the black but thought it would be cool to have the white faced option available too without having to buy both watches. I am curious to know how much a new white dial and hands set should cost? Also, is it a big deal (time and/or cost) for a watchmaker to swap those out? Thanks.
If you could source a dial from Rolex which I doubt in the USA, the dial hand change would not be a problem for any good watchmaker around a 1 hours work or less..
__________________

ICom Pro3

All posts are my own opinion and my opinion only.

"The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop. Now is the only time you actually own the time, Place no faith in time, for the clock may soon be still for ever."
Good Judgement comes from experience,experience comes from Bad Judgement,.Buy quality, cry once; buy cheap, cry again and again.

www.mc0yad.club

Second in command CEO and left handed watch winder
padi56 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22 November 2010, 05:08 AM   #3
slcbbrown
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: May 2009
Real Name: steve
Location: dallas area
Watch: 50's TT t-bird
Posts: 3,689
The dial change is easy for a competent watch guy. I have no idea how easy or expensive it will be to purchase the white dial. For watches as common as DJ's, replacement and used dials can be had for $300 or less. I doubt that the white dial Exp II's have been around long enough to create a used market.

I think it's a good idea to have the two different dials for the Exp II. That simple change really changes the look of the watch. Why change the hands?
slcbbrown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22 November 2010, 06:35 AM   #4
AndersB
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Europe
Posts: 603
Quote:
Originally Posted by slcbbrown View Post
Why change the hands?
The black dial goes with white gold hands and the white dial with black-painted hands.
AndersB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22 November 2010, 06:50 AM   #5
Jason71
"TRF" Member
 
Jason71's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Real Name: Jason
Location: USA
Watch: Rolex/Tudor Divers
Posts: 7,973
Personally, I don't think it is worth it. It is a great idea, but I just don't believe that you would have it done regularly enough to make it worth it. I would take the ~$700 and put that towards a white-dialed Exp II. Those can be had for less than $3k most often on the used market.

just my 2c
__________________
Best Regards,
Jason


Just Say "NO" to Polishing
Card-Carrying Member of the Global Association of Retro-Grouch Curmudgeons
LIfe is too short to wear inexpensive watches
PLEXI IS SEXY
Jason71 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22 November 2010, 06:50 AM   #6
ParisDakarBmw
Banned
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Real Name: Paul
Location: New Haven, CT
Watch: 116610 Sub-C
Posts: 6,552
Finding the parts would be the tricky part. The watchmaker could do the rest with no problem.

I don't know that I've seen a white dial sold by itself on any major watch websites.
ParisDakarBmw is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22 November 2010, 07:06 AM   #7
cornerstore
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Canada
Posts: 4,010
here are a couple of interesting ones
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rolex-Explorer-I...item19bfb9b4af

http://cgi.ebay.com/ROLEX-EXPLORER-I...item2c58da611d
cornerstore is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22 November 2010, 09:06 AM   #8
Cru Jones
2024 SubLV41 Pledge Member
 
Cru Jones's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Paris, France
Posts: 35,301
My AD here in Paris said, in an effort to sell the watch, that I could make the switch for under 400 euro (granted, I'd have to give up the white dial and white dial hands). The flexibility to change up the look of the Exp II is a strong sellin point, IMHO
Cru Jones is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23 November 2010, 04:12 PM   #9
bbqBiker
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 91
Thanks all for the valuable feedback. Actually, the genesis of my question was because I had found the pre-owned white "Swiss" luminova Exp ii dial/hands set available on ebay. Probably paid $50-75 more than I wanted to, but now I feel as though I have the best of both worlds (at least as it pertains to the Exp II.) Every few years, I can swap out white for black, then back again. Certainly this will make me even more mysterious and more interesting than I already am.....right? Whatever. I liked em both, now I have em both. Good times.
bbqBiker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23 November 2010, 04:21 PM   #10
bbqBiker
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 91
Finally, the guy selling these seemed to know his Rolex Ps and Qs and has strong feedback from other high-end watch brand part purchasers. I asked him if this set would fit my Exp II with the newer 3186 movement and he said, "yes." Per the pictures, does anyone in-the-know here agree? (Paging down to the bottom of the ebay listing there are a few decent pictures.)

Great site, thanks for your gracious help. I look fwd to learning more and sharing when I can too. In the meantime, let me know if you need any middle market M&A advice or need any feedback per high-end bicycle frames/components...these I know!
bbqBiker is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

OCWatches

Wrist Aficionado

My Watch LLC

WatchesOff5th

DavidSW Watches

Takuya Watches


*Banners Of The Month*
This space is provided to horological resources.





Copyright ©2004-2024, The Rolex Forums. All Rights Reserved.

ROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEX

Rolex is a registered trademark of ROLEX USA. The Rolex Forums is not affiliated with ROLEX USA in any way.