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Clay · 31 March 2013, 05:46 AM

After reading the post by Mr. M Young, I decided to have a hand at restoring my own bracelet...

I have a 93160 with 592 SELs that was badly in need of restoration...

First, we attempt to separate the links...

Success...

Doing this without "marring" the links is very hard...Especially when you don't have the proper gear...!!!
Also, all of the pins have tiny metal sleeves on them...???
I was under the impression that they did NOT come from Rolex that way???
Has someone attempted to restore this bracelet before???

And there is a tiny "Spring" inside the SEL???

I currently have half of the bracelet apart...

The next step, after I get the other half apart, is to figure out how to make new sleeves...And then to try and put the whole thing back together...

If you are reading this Mr. Young, feel free to offer up any thoughts...

I'll let you all know how I progress...Cheers.

HL65 · 31 March 2013, 05:51 AM

Good luck Clay--you clearly have much more patience than me!

I will be interested in seeing how this progresses.

cop414 · 31 March 2013, 06:14 AM

You Sir get this weeks "brass balls" award!

TimeToGo · 31 March 2013, 06:19 AM

You are knicking the heck out of those links...

You can always mail it to M.Y. at the end...

mastermixer · 31 March 2013, 06:25 AM

I was trying this myself recently on a bracelet, the question is how do you put it back together now even if you get the new sleeves, what is going to hold the link together?

Vincent65 · 31 March 2013, 06:28 AM

good luck - brave of you!

Renoir · 31 March 2013, 06:44 AM

Very impressive!!!

springer · 31 March 2013, 07:11 AM

Are those vice marks on the links? Ouch!!!!!!!!!!! On no!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GeoGio Greece · 31 March 2013, 07:16 AM

...very brave Clay ! Good Luck

P.S. I did some such operations in the past. These are the remains of my first Sub date folded bracelet ( 1971 ) when I got the clasp on the GMT oyster ( 1984 ) bracelet for added safety. Both are now gone

.

crowncollection · 31 March 2013, 07:08 PM

Good Luck I think with enough patience you can do it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Puffy · 31 March 2013, 07:13 PM

Brave man!!

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

MonBK · 31 March 2013, 07:26 PM

lhanddds · 31 March 2013, 11:06 PM

Good for you Clay. This will be interesting to watch

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2

Darlinboy · 31 March 2013, 11:28 PM

Well. Good luck!

onkyo · 31 March 2013, 11:38 PM

Can't wait to see final product. Good luck!

Clay · 1 April 2013, 02:33 AM

Unpdate...

I now have the entire Bracelet apart...

Some of the PINS have small sleeves on them...
Some have slightly bigger sleeves...
And some PINS have no sleeve at all???

Some of the "Center" links have slightly bigger openings then others...

Not sure what any of this means but there you have it...

Once it's all apart and laid out it becomes like one of those puzzles you received as a kid...

Now I must figure out what to put over the pins to eliminate the "stretch when it's all back together...

Will keep you informed...
Cheers

1675-David · 1 April 2013, 03:42 AM

SPARTAN2161 · 1 April 2013, 01:36 PM

Clay,

YOU ARE A BRAVE MAN!!!! Definitely staying tuned to this thread!

cruvon · 1 April 2013, 02:18 PM

Kudos for trying, nothing to loose, as others have mentioned, if things go wrong, you can always ship it to MY:)

rmurphy · 1 April 2013, 02:44 PM

I think that is very impressive. If I was certain I could get replacement sleeves (pins) I would certainly attempt something like that. I heard that they are secured with loctite and presses back into place. From all that I have read what tends to happen is that the pins actually wallow out the hole in the band material as well as the pin so that's where I heard of a metal sleeve being fashioned to take up the slack. I would have been happy to just know that the pins were new and solid and wouldn't cause a catastrophic loss of the watch. This is a very interesting post for me. I purchased my P Serial number 16610 last October and it has an acceptable amount of band stretch but some of the spaces between the links are not new looking like I would have liked so I started trying to find someone to do essentially what you are doing, most people including the AD looked at me with a glazed look. Being uneducated on the complexity of it at the time ... I was baffled. Hell as I see it, if you've gotten this far there is no reason you can't accomplish the task. Way to go and I'll definitely be watching your progress. I ended up buying a brand new 93250 band the other day from a grey dealer so that I would have my original band left over to refurbish just as you are doing, so please keep us posted, I'd darn sure try it myself if you find a way to sleeve and or re-pin it.

Clay · 1 April 2013, 03:57 PM

This post has been continued on a New Thread entitled:
My Bracelet Restoration Completed...

31 March 2013, 05:46 AM	#1
Clay Banned Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Up a tree Posts: 4,001	My Own Bracelet Restoration Project... After reading the post by Mr. M Young, I decided to have a hand at restoring my own bracelet... I have a 93160 with 592 SELs that was badly in need of restoration... First, we attempt to separate the links... Success... Doing this without "marring" the links is very hard...Especially when you don't have the proper gear...!!! Also, all of the pins have tiny metal sleeves on them...??? I was under the impression that they did NOT come from Rolex that way??? Has someone attempted to restore this bracelet before??? And there is a tiny "Spring" inside the SEL??? I currently have half of the bracelet apart... The next step, after I get the other half apart, is to figure out how to make new sleeves...And then to try and put the whole thing back together... If you are reading this Mr. Young, feel free to offer up any thoughts... I'll let you all know how I progress...Cheers.

31 March 2013, 05:51 AM	#2
HL65 TRF Moderator & 2024 SubLV41 Patron Join Date: Dec 2007 Real Name: Ken Location: SW Florida Watch: One on my wrist. Posts: 64,010	Good luck Clay--you clearly have much more patience than me! I will be interested in seeing how this progresses. __________________ *SPEM SUCCESSUS ALIT*

31 March 2013, 06:14 AM	#3
cop414 TRF Moderator & 2024 SubLV41 Patron Join Date: Apr 2012 Real Name: Tim Location: Pennsylvania Watch: 14060M Posts: 72,261	You Sir get this weeks "brass balls" award! __________________ Rolex Submariner 14060M Omega Seamaster 2254.50 DOXA Professional 1200T Card carrying member of TRF's Global Association of Retro-Grouch-Curmudgeons TRF's "After Dark" Bar & NightClub Patron P Club Member #17 2 FA ENABLED

31 March 2013, 07:11 AM	#8
springer 2024 SubLV41 Pledge Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Real Name: jP Location: Texas Watch: GMT-MASTER Posts: 17,319	Are those vice marks on the links? Ouch!!!!!!!!!!! On no!!!!!!!!!!!!! __________________ Member of NAWCC since 1990. INSTAGRAM USER NAME: SPRINGERJFP Visit my Instagram page to view some of the finest vintage GMTs anywhere - as well as other vintage classics.

31 March 2013, 07:16 AM	#9
GeoGio Greece "TRF" Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Real Name: George Location: Athens, Greece Watch: es --> A lot ! Posts: 2,327	...very brave Clay ! Good Luck P.S. I did some such operations in the past. These are the remains of my first Sub date folded bracelet ( 1971 ) when I got the clasp on the GMT oyster ( 1984 ) bracelet for added safety. Both are now gone . __________________ Rolex owner since 1971. 5513 and 16700 the loved ones. DJ WG Jubilee 16170 for wife - U series Oyster Perpetual WG 177234 for daughter V-series

31 March 2013, 06:19 AM	#4
TimeToGo 2024 SubLV41 Pledge Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: North Florida Posts: 16,736	You are knicking the heck out of those links... You can always mail it to M.Y. at the end...

31 March 2013, 06:25 AM	#5
mastermixer "TRF" Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Real Name: Michael Location: Los Angeles Posts: 3,474	I was trying this myself recently on a bracelet, the question is how do you put it back together now even if you get the new sleeves, what is going to hold the link together?

31 March 2013, 06:28 AM	#6
Vincent65 "TRF" Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Switzerland Posts: 14,298	good luck - brave of you!

31 March 2013, 06:44 AM	#7
Renoir "TRF" Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Real Name: Renato Location: New York Posts: 2,396	Very impressive!!!

31 March 2013, 07:08 PM	#10
crowncollection "TRF" Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Real Name: David Location: australia Posts: 20,216	Good Luck I think with enough patience you can do it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ watches many

31 March 2013, 07:13 PM	#11
Puffy "TRF" Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Here and there Posts: 12,485	Brave man!! Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2 __________________ Fine Quality is Long Remembered After the Pain of Spending Money is Forgotten

31 March 2013, 07:26 PM	#12
MonBK Banned Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Kingstown Posts: 58,279

31 March 2013, 11:06 PM	#13
lhanddds Banned Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: USA Watch: of course Posts: 8,429	Good for you Clay. This will be interesting to watch Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2

31 March 2013, 11:28 PM	#14
Darlinboy 2024 SubLV41 Pledge Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Real Name: DB Location: :noitacoL Watch: :hctaW Posts: 6,703	Well. Good luck! __________________ Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

31 March 2013, 11:38 PM	#15
onkyo Banned Join Date: Apr 2008 Real Name: Pav Location: Manhattan Posts: 11,495	Can't wait to see final product. Good luck!

1 April 2013, 02:33 AM	#16
Clay Banned Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Up a tree Posts: 4,001	Unpdate... I now have the entire Bracelet apart... Some of the PINS have small sleeves on them... Some have slightly bigger sleeves... And some PINS have no sleeve at all??? Some of the "Center" links have slightly bigger openings then others... Not sure what any of this means but there you have it... Once it's all apart and laid out it becomes like one of those puzzles you received as a kid... Now I must figure out what to put over the pins to eliminate the "stretch when it's all back together... Will keep you informed... Cheers

1 April 2013, 03:42 AM	#17
1675-David "TRF" Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Stockholm Posts: 6,061

1 April 2013, 01:36 PM	#18
SPARTAN2161 Banned Join Date: Feb 2010 Real Name: Nick H. Location: Amherst, NY Watch: me flip Posts: 1,901	Clay, YOU ARE A BRAVE MAN!!!! Definitely staying tuned to this thread!

1 April 2013, 02:18 PM	#19
cruvon "TRF" Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Australia Posts: 4,689	Kudos for trying, nothing to loose, as others have mentioned, if things go wrong, you can always ship it to MY:) __________________ Last thing I remember, I was Running outta sight I had to find the passage back,To the place I was before. ’Relax,’ said this Rolex place,We are programmed to receive. You can checkout any time you like, But you can never leave!

1 April 2013, 02:44 PM	#20
rmurphy 2024 Pledge Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Real Name: Richard Location: Augusta Georgia Watch: 16600 Posts: 1,058	I think that is very impressive. If I was certain I could get replacement sleeves (pins) I would certainly attempt something like that. I heard that they are secured with loctite and presses back into place. From all that I have read what tends to happen is that the pins actually wallow out the hole in the band material as well as the pin so that's where I heard of a metal sleeve being fashioned to take up the slack. I would have been happy to just know that the pins were new and solid and wouldn't cause a catastrophic loss of the watch. This is a very interesting post for me. I purchased my P Serial number 16610 last October and it has an acceptable amount of band stretch but some of the spaces between the links are not new looking like I would have liked so I started trying to find someone to do essentially what you are doing, most people including the AD looked at me with a glazed look. Being uneducated on the complexity of it at the time ... I was baffled. Hell as I see it, if you've gotten this far there is no reason you can't accomplish the task. Way to go and I'll definitely be watching your progress. I ended up buying a brand new 93250 band the other day from a grey dealer so that I would have my original band left over to refurbish just as you are doing, so please keep us posted, I'd darn sure try it myself if you find a way to sleeve and or re-pin it.

1 April 2013, 03:57 PM	#21
Clay Banned Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Up a tree Posts: 4,001	This post has been continued on a New Thread entitled: My Bracelet Restoration Completed...

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