TrueDome T19 (D19) Replacement Crystals

[Rolexfax33]

Hi everyone,

In searching for a replacement T19 superdome crystal, I luckily came across this -

https://truedome.com

I've done a search and have only come up with FS listings with these installed.

Anyone have a review of these crystals? Opinions?

Thanks!

[HarryLime]

A great solution for replacing a decades old crystal... even NOS T19s can be "foggy" so these are a perfect solution, manufactured for and by watch nerds. There's a ton of beautiful examples on their IG... @true.dome. My guess is you're gonna start seeing these everywhere since Rolex doesn't care about helping collectors out in this department.

[Rolexfax33]

Thanks! I actually decided to pull the trigger on one after seeing their IG pics. No distortion and super clean. Will post a review once i have it installed.


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[roh123]

Only good things to say about the team behind them and the product. As close as you can get to a superdome t19 and it is waterproof. Much wiser to spend on that than to gamble and try to buy an old crystal. And still so much more fun than modern Rolex replacements.

[theflywrist]

Nothing but good things as well about the team.
Greg is a good friend of mine, (the creator of true dome) is exceptionally detail oriented.

He owned many original T19s and could very easily identify an original from an aftermarket. After years of overpaying and all that hassle, he made everyone's life easier by teaming up with the group and coming up with this project. I must admit I have not yet tried them (though I am eagerly hopping to soon), I have no doubts that it is as amazing as everyone that has mounted one on his watch has claimed it to be.

[Rolexfax33]

Can't wait to see it installed on my 1680!


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[SaliBay2019]

I read several discussions and saw many photos – comparing domes, superdomes, service domes for T19 and T39 – and arguing, sometimes endless, what is authentic, aftermarket etc. These discussions included looking under different angles onto the plexis, either installed on watches or not.

In my view, the so-called "reverse engineering + 3D digitization" is a powerful tool for doubtless evaluation of Rolex plexis and any other objects, which one can measure.

Did anybody take authentic T19 and T39 superdomes and created reversed-engineered drawings of them?

Owing that, everybody could simply measure their plexis and find out himself what type it is. I think it could be of great help for many collectors.

[Jfullm42]

I installed one on a late 5513 and it was amazing, perfect clarity and passed pressure test. Would highly recommend

[suligeo]

Wow looks very nice.

How you can identity the dome, superdome or service?

I got some tropic still sealed. Can you recognize anything ?

2x Tropic 19
1x Tropic 16
1x Tropic 13






https://www.instagram.com/vintage_georgex/

[Styles Bitchley]

I though Jacek has something to do with this company? He was promoting the hell out of in on Instagram when they launched...

[Sirschwag]

I think it’s a great alternative at a fair price point as they do look nice in person. Only time will tell how long they last and if they can be remounted after a cleaning / service (and still pass a pressure test), but for the price you can just mount a fresh one....But if you’re a purist you may not want to install anything aftermarket - an original has proven to last for decades, if you can find one.

[Styles Bitchley]

Any thoughts on whether Rolex would service a watch with one of these installed?

[roh123]

Originally Posted by Styles Bitchley

Any thoughts on whether Rolex would service a watch with one of these installed?

I highly doubt they would notice.

[Fredrik]

Originally Posted by Styles Bitchley

Any thoughts on whether Rolex would service a watch with one of these installed?

A new plexi is always included in the service here, so you end up with a watch with a service crystal if you do.

Oh, I always get the parts they changed back, but as far as I know, this is not always the case in the US. Then you would lose it.

[FrenchBigCrown]

Originally Posted by Jfullm42

I installed one on a late 5513 and it was amazing, perfect clarity and passed pressure test. Would highly recommend

Looks great.

[SaliBay2019]

Originally Posted by roh123

I highly doubt they would notice.

Certainly depends where you go!

[SaliBay2019]

-> Fredrik: True in Sweden? Getting changed parts back is certainly (100%) not Rolex' HQ authorized.

[SaliBay2019]

Originally Posted by Fredrik

A new plexi is always included in the service here, so you end up with a watch with a service crystal if you do.

Depends where the service is made! True that a new plexi is included in a service, but you can tell them that you want to keep yours. But, if it’s not original then you get into discussions…

[swish77]

Love the idea behind this, and I've heard very good things about them.

However, do any of the purists out there have an issue installing an aftermarket part on their vintage watches? I'm sure these crystals work great, but just the idea of having aftermarket parts on any of my vintage Rolexes might bother me. If it was a GMT or Sub aftermarket bezel insert, for example, I doubt it would be universally embraced.

Not judging. Just curious.

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by roh123

I highly doubt they would notice.

This. These crystals are highly precision-engineered to be *exactly* like the originals, with good-faith intent (rather than fakery intent) because Rolex doesn't produce them anymore. There's practically no difference.

[Rolexfax33]

Got mine installed yesterday and I have to say it's faaar better than what I had on my 1680 before.


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[Gepetto]

In full disclosure, Greg (the founder of TrueDome) is my best friend. I recall the old days of overpaying for original Superdomes and saying one night "it's crazy these can't be reproduced." It was a comment in passing that I forgot about and went on to talking about other things. But, Greg took the initiative and with lots of hard work has made it happen. I have the last prototype before the final product installed on my Maxi MK1. It looks great, is essentially an exact reproduction of the original Superdome, and makes the watch water tight again (we pressure tested it to 100 meters and it passed). And - if it cracks, you can now just get a brand new crystal and don't have to go on an endless search.

At first I was skeptical that such an endeavor was even possible, but after having it on my own watch, it really is worth it. Especially since on these the dials are really where the value is, and having a good, new, crystal that doesn't take away the aesthetics is important. There's basically no reason anymore to buy an original (if you can even find one). As I personally witnessed the process, I can say that no expense was spared and no corners cut in making these. As a bonus, they are Made in USA!

[swish77]

Originally Posted by Gepetto

There's basically no reason anymore to buy an original (if you can even find one).

I'm sure these crystals are great, but some vintage watch collectors are crazy picky. An "original" Rolex crystal will always be better in my book, because, well, it's original. A lot of it is probably psychological, knowing that all parts on an expensive vintage Rolex were made by Rolex and are not after-market. That's important to some collectors, myself included.

Still, perhaps that's because I don't need a crystal right now, and if that changes and I can't find an original, I might start considering these TrueDomes.

[Gepetto]

Originally Posted by swish77

I'm sure these crystals are great, but some vintage watch collectors are crazy picky. An "original" Rolex crystal will always be better in my book, because, well, it's original. A lot of it is probably psychological, knowing that all parts on an expensive vintage Rolex were made by Rolex and are not after-market. That's important to some collectors, myself included.

True - if absolute originality is paramount, then yes there's only one original. From a functional point of view, newer is better if no other reason than acrylic becomes more fragile as it ages (even if it looks great) and can put the dial at greater risk. But, you do have a point.

[btinl]

I prefer original Rolex parts, but I am curious to try a TrueDome.

[southtexas]

Originally Posted by Jfullm42

I installed one on a late 5513 and it was amazing, perfect clarity and passed pressure test. Would highly recommend

Wow that looks good


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[SaliBay2019]

Originally Posted by swish77

I'm sure these crystals are great, but some vintage watch collectors are crazy picky. An "original" Rolex crystal will always be better in my book, because, well, it's original. A lot of it is probably psychological, knowing that all parts on an expensive vintage Rolex were made by Rolex and are not after-market. That's important to some collectors, myself included.

Still, perhaps that's because I don't need a crystal right now, and if that changes and I can't find an original, I might start considering these TrueDomes.

I fully share that view & approach and like to add the following points for discussion:

The plexis (t39, t19, …) were very cheap pieces in the 70's and I'm not sure if they were fabricated by Rolex or bought somewhere else. Does anybody know for sure?

Most likely, the crystals were also not sold in bags labelled with Rolex, but I cannot proof that, so it's my suspicion.

I repeat my questions already posted earlier in this thread:

Did anybody take authentic T19 and T39 superdomes and created reversed-engineered drawings of them? 

Owing that, everybody could simply measure their plexis and find out himself what type it is. I think it could be of great help for many collectors.

Nowadays fabrication of "identical" plexis (such as t39, t19) is not only a question of the dimensions (height, diameter, thickness, curvatures …) but also a matter of the exact material composition and material treatment(s). These can make a difference with respect to the plexis optical properties and breakage behaviour.

The latter point is much more complicated to address (I hope it's not too scientific) and one will not find out by posted photos.

[dricig]

I agree that function, clarity and availability is a plus with these aftermarket crystals.

However they still transform a vintage collectable into a frankenwatch.

[roh123]

Originally Posted by dricig

I agree that function, clarity and availability is a plus with these aftermarket crystals.

However they still transform a vintage collectable into a frankenwatch.

They don’t turn nice vintage watches into franken watches. Each to their own if acceptable. I think it is a great thing if you need your watch to be water proof. This is way better than service crystals.

[SaliBay2019]

Originally Posted by dricig

I agree that function, clarity and availability is a plus with these aftermarket crystals.

However they still transform a vintage collectable into a frankenwatch.

I don't share these views, except for the availability.