Platinum DD with fluted bezel

[rolexkidd]

So there have been plenty of discussions of the dislike of the plain flat bezel on the Platinum DD2 and DD40 over the past few years. Since they do not make a fluted bezel from platinum would it be possible to install a WG fluted bezel on the 218206 or 228206? Would the difference in material be noticeable? Clearly the watch is no longer an all original piece but if this is the only thing that keeps one from buying the platinum watch (like me) why not? Also, a similar thing is done in reverse with the YM and YM2 with a Platinum bezel sitting on SS and WG. Curious to see what sorta flame-fest this inquiry creates. With the price of the Platinum watches having come down significantly, it warrants discussion and considerations.

[EtherBrown]

You’re taking away the distinguishing feature that separates platinum DDs from the gold varieties. I wouldn’t do it, I’d just get a WG one. Unless the glacier dial is what you’re after.


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[rolexkidd]

I have tangled with that exact proposition but the heft of the Platinum is appealing. I know some people don't like the extra weight but I am the opposite. I don't care whether people "KNOW" its the Platinum because the truth is the vast majority are going to think its SS anyway. So, back to the basic question: I am assuming the WG bezel will fit the Platinum case with no issues???

Originally Posted by EtherBrown

You’re taking away the distinguishing feature that separates platinum DDs from the gold varieties. I wouldn’t do it, I’d just get a WG one. Unless the glacier dial is what you’re after.


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[Calatrava r]

Knowing Rolex, my blind guess is it will not. You want platinum and a fluted bezel you need to buy two watches.

[Alexexec]

Originally Posted by EtherBrown

You’re taking away the distinguishing feature that separates platinum DDs from the gold varieties. I wouldn’t do it, I’d just get a WG one. Unless the glacier dial is what you’re after.


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Well put

[Ntoz]

Why not get a WG one

[Dahh]

If you want platinum and a fluted bezel then you need to buy two

[Setarip]

Originally Posted by EtherBrown

You’re taking away the distinguishing feature that separates platinum DDs from the gold varieties. I wouldn’t do it, I’d just get a WG one. Unless the glacier dial is what you’re after.


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This +1

[EtherBrown]

It is my understanding that part of the narrative is that platinum is too hard to flute to equivalent WG specs so it is left smooth. It’s part of the brutality and sparkle of the platinum soul. A WG bezel just detracts from that.

My other concern is that side by side the difference between platinum and white gold are glaringly obvious. I think going this route would make for an unflattering contrast between the PMs every time you look at it. The warmth and tint of the yellow gold creeps out next to the stark brightness of platinum.


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[Tangier11]

The hardness has nothing to do with not having a fluted bezel.

[Tangier11]

To address the original poster, I think the PT would look much better with a flutted bezel, but I would be afraid you could tell a difference in the metals..

[csaltphoto]

Originally Posted by Tangier11

The hardness has nothing to do with not having a fluted bezel.

I don't know why this keeps coming up. If they can routinely machine inconel, one of the most difficult metals to work, into objects like this I imagine Rolex can make a fluted bezel out of Platinum.

[RJRJRJ]

Originally Posted by EtherBrown

It is my understanding that part of the narrative is that platinum is too hard to flute to equivalent WG specs so it is left smooth. It’s part of the brutality and sparkle of the platinum soul. A WG bezel just detracts from that.

My other concern is that side by side the difference between platinum and white gold are glaringly obvious. I think going this route would make for an unflattering contrast between the PMs every time you look at it. The warmth and tint of the yellow gold creeps out next to the stark brightness of platinum.


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They seem to have no trouble making the crown out of platinum

[myporsche]

If I saw someone with a glacier dial DD and fluted bezel I would immediately think its a fake. It's a fake , a frankenwatch, or the wearer is not smart enough to realize there are white gold models excluding the exclusive Platinum colors but I would personally just assume its a fake.

[EtherBrown]

Originally Posted by RJRJRJ

They seem to have no trouble making the crown out of platinum

That’s why I said it’s “part of the narrative” of the watch and the hardness of platinum.


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[AP8ESQ]

It would seem to me that Rolex could very easily cast a fluted pt bezel in a mold and then install it on the watch (I assume this is how they makes the crowns but do not know but would not require machining or manual polishing per se other than for shine) which means they simply do not want to make the pt DD with a fluted bezel.

[EtherBrown]

Originally Posted by csaltphoto

I don't know why this keeps coming up. If they can routinely machine inconel, one of the most difficult metals to work, into objects like this I imagine Rolex can make a fluted bezel out of Platinum.

Working with metals in industrial versus jewelry applications is not the same.


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[EtherBrown]

Originally Posted by AP8ESQ

It would seem to me that Rolex could very easily cast a fluted pt bezel in a mold and then install it on the watch (I assume this is how they makes the crowns but do not know but would not require machining or manual polishing per se other than for shine) which means they simply do not want to make the pt DD with a fluted bezel.

The piece would still have to be finished to a level that matches the gold version.


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[rolexkidd]

so this topic flushed out something I had not really thought of and that is the "fakeness" of the final product if it had a fluted bezel. It'd be disappointing to be wearing 40K+ on your wrist and having the authenticity called out. To several of the other posts regarding the clash of the WG and platinum, that was one of my initial questions.

[calebb90]

Originally Posted by rolexkidd

so this topic flushed out something I had not really thought of and that is the "fakeness" of the final product if it had a fluted bezel. It'd be disappointing to be wearing 40K+ on your wrist and having the authenticity called out. To several of the other posts regarding the clash of the WG and platinum, that was one of my initial questions.

Same with any Rolex mod people make. Who cares what others think? It’s your watch dude.


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[Onikage]

Platinum and white gold do look slightly different. It may be possible and look ok enough but it would always be wrong. You want a platinum President to be a platinum President Imo.

[EtherBrown]

Anyone have a WG or Plat DD40 they could weigh to contribute to the extra heft component of the discussion? My RG DD40 with two links removed weighs in at 200g.


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[Yess]

Originally Posted by calebb90

Same with any Rolex mod people make. Who cares what others think? It’s your watch dude.

+1 - plus... people pay no attention.

[EtherBrown]

Originally Posted by EtherBrown

Anyone have a WG or Plat DD40 they could weigh to contribute to the extra heft component of the discussion? My RG DD40 with two links removed weighs in at 200g.


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Which is 50g more than my 116900 AK. PMs weigh!


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[Likestheshiny]

They seem to have no trouble making the crown out of platinum

The crown isn't nearly as intricate as a fluted bezel.

It seems enormously unlikely that Rolex is simply choosing not to put a platinum fluted bezel on the DD. Yes, it distinguishes it from the gold models, but that bezel on the white gold watches is also one of only two main things that distinguishes them from a common datejust. Undoing that would be an odd cosmetic choice -- as a general practice, you don't distinguish a high-end product by making it look more like a base model.

Does any watch company make a platinum watch with a fluted bezel or similarly intricate and finished component?

[EtherBrown]

Originally Posted by Likestheshiny

The crown isn't nearly as intricate as a fluted bezel.

It seems enormously unlikely that Rolex is simply choosing not to put a platinum fluted bezel on the DD. Yes, it distinguishes it from the gold models, but that bezel on the white gold watches is also one of only two main things that distinguishes them from a common datejust. Undoing that would be an odd cosmetic choice -- as a general practice, you don't distinguish a high-end product by making it look more like a base model.

Does any watch company make a platinum watch with a fluted bezel or similarly intricate and finished component?

Why doesn’t this forum have a like button?


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[Low-Key]

Originally Posted by AP8ESQ

It would seem to me that Rolex could very easily cast a fluted pt bezel in a mold and then install it on the watch (I assume this is how they makes the crowns but do not know but would not require machining or manual polishing per se other than for shine) which means they simply do not want to make the pt DD with a fluted bezel.

^ this, +1. But I suspect it goes a bit deeper than this, too. Bezels are widely considered adornments/embellishments as finishing to watches from all marques- certainly not just Rolex. And so we notice that for high end watches, the bezel is either made of matching metal to the rest of the watch (if all one metal), or a more PM- bit in no case a downgraded material. Take, for examples, any Rolex reference ending in 1, 2, 3, 4, or 9 since the late 70s. Each and every one of them adorned with bezels in a higher-grade metal. But Rolex never downgrades the bezel material. And to my knowledge, no comparable manufacture varies from this trend as a practice, even to this day.

So, to the OP- it’s not an issue of “does the WG bezel look ok against a PT case?”, or “will the WG one fit a platinum case?”, nor anything similar. The above references make that abundantly clear. It’s simply an issue of how authentic to you wish for your watch to remain.

Your purchase options (given the info you’ve provided) are either 1) a PT reference with whatever dial you like, but downgrading its factory bezel to a WG fluted (an aftermarket combination, even if it’s a factory WG swap), or 2) buy a WG DD and simply swap the dial for what you want. Option 2 is clearly the cheaper choice, and neither keeps the model factory anyways (if #2 yielded an ice blue/glacier dial as mentioned). I love the individual characteristics of fluted and domed bezels on a President, but will not vary from factory looks/fitments, so I waited for one of each and couldn’t be happier.

My $.02, YMMV.

[rolexkidd]

Thanks everyone. I think we have exhausted this topic and several good points have been drawn out. For once we have had an exchange of ideas and points without it going completely sideways. I just cannot get my heart to land on the Platinum and have it sing to me the way I know one of the fluted options will. So I will continue to ponder and who knows I may change directions altogether before this is over. YM2 YG?

[RJRJRJ]

Originally Posted by Likestheshiny

The crown isn't nearly as intricate as a fluted bezel.

It seems enormously unlikely that Rolex is simply choosing not to put a platinum fluted bezel on the DD. Yes, it distinguishes it from the gold models, but that bezel on the white gold watches is also one of only two main things that distinguishes them from a common datejust. Undoing that would be an odd cosmetic choice -- as a general practice, you don't distinguish a high-end product by making it look more like a base model.

Does any watch company make a platinum watch with a fluted bezel or similarly intricate and finished component?

A common datejust can be had with a fluted bezel. Rolex simply likes to keep certain features/characteristics to certain watches to distinguish them from the others. That's why you can only get Ice Blue on platinum, only PM on OF, only certain dials on certain metals of Daytona etc. Will they ever do fluted on platinum? Maybe, but I would bet that it would not be on Ice Blue.

[ByronB]

Originally Posted by Dahh

If you want platinum and a fluted bezel then you need to buy two

Not unless he wants two watches. All he really needs to do is to buy the platinum watch he wants and then source a fluted bezel from a white gold watch, then swap it out to get the look he wants. No need to go aftermarket as someone above suggested, he can keep it all Rolex.

I was in a similar situation recently and purchased an original Rolex Platinum/White Gold bezel from a white gold YM II and put it on my SS YM II because I did not care for the look of the ceramic bezel that it came with. No big deal, and easy to do. If the watch doesn't look the way you wish from the factory, I say make it look however you wish. You are paying for it, so you get to make the choices. With that being said, my personal preference is to try to use only 100% Rolex parts if at all possible but many use aftermarket parts and are quite satisfied. To each his own.