Red Sub Opinion

[mrj115]

Howdy all -

I've been lurking for a while having picked up a Coke 16710 seven years ago and want to take the next step by tracking down a red 1680. I've been keeping my eye out for a couple months and have come across this example. The face has seen some rough handling but was curious on your thoughts on the bubbling on the face. What causes this?

[albaserver]

water

[1675-David]

this watch has a lot of issues I would steer clear..

[mrj115]

Thanks for the quick replies!

[gman5515]

usually the bubbling results from water ingress, but it all depends on what has been done to "salvage" the watch... but caution would be exercised before taking the plunge on this piece. it would be advisable to have seller send you pics of the movement, and verify the caseback engravings by the watchmaker or person who serviced it. might be worthwhile to also check the crystal and crown since there might have been signs of water ingress.

I stand corrected, but seems like the bezel insert might not be genuine either. I was expecting the insert to be a service insert

[1675-David]

The dial is toast, the case is junk, the hands are aftermarket, the bezel insert is a crime... walk away

[mrj115]

The issues with the face and dials are apparent but what makes the insert and case so bad?

(Sorry if they’re obvious questions - I’m new to this world)

[Paul]

Originally Posted by 1675-David

The dial is toast, the case is junk, the hands are aftermarket, the bezel insert is a crime... walk away

I kinda agree - it ain't pretty but it is still a reasonably correct example of a very iconic vintage Rolex. I'd dig a bit deeper before I abandoned the idea completely.

The dial spotting is odd ... more typical of what we see on old Tudor Subs. Chipping around the dial edge suggests though that the watch has been serviced a time or two, so perhaps any such water damage to the movement has already been attended to. So, the movement may be healthy and Michael Young could certainly gently improve that dial edge.

Hands ... Yes, they are a mismatch but correct hand sets are easy enough to come by.

Insert ... certainly way off era-correct but once again, it's just a money thing to get a correct insert on it.

The case ...I'm actually ok with that case. Looks to have reasonable definition, lugs are fat enough and even enough - perhaps just compromised by an amateur using a scratchie pad at some time. Might be a really nice case to be had with a bit of love from LAWW.


If the price was really sharp, I see a really fun project

[BrazenC5]

Originally Posted by Paul

If the price was really sharp, I see a really fun project

It's going for $13K USD OBO.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[alwayshere]

the bezel insert appears to be completely aftermarket (look at the large lume pip).

[mrj115]

Thanks all. The search continues...

[swish77]

Originally Posted by Paul

If the price was really sharp, I see a really fun project

Well, I've tackled a project or two in my life, but this wouldn't be one I'd want to deal with, no matter how cheap the price.

You could perhaps fix some of the issues, but you'd still be stuck with a wrecked dial. Finding a decent and age-correct red Sub dial for this watch would be virtually impossible, and even if you did find one, it would be crazy expensive.

[nsxnext]

Originally Posted by alwayshere

the bezel insert appears to be completely aftermarket (look at the large lume pip).

Not necessarily. The newer inserts have a metal ring surrounding the pearl. That's not to say that it's not also aftermarket

[alwayshere]

Originally Posted by nsxnext

Not necessarily. The newer inserts have a metal ring surrounding the pearl. That's not to say that it's not also aftermarket

the 4 digit bezels (ala 1680, 5513) are not meant to have metal ring surrounds so its either aftermarket or someone has decide to drill the pip opening wide enough to fit a 5 digit bezel lume pip. Almost 100% sure its aftermarket.