The Conservative Restoration of a DRSD

[robkassab]

The Conservative Restoration of a Mark III Double Red Sea-Dweller

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to acquire a Double Red Sea-Dweller (3.7 million serial range), which appears to have never been polished, had any parts replaced, and possibly never serviced, as there are no service dates or references as normally inscribed inside the case. In consulting with a number of experienced vintage Sub collectors, I decided to heed their recommendation and go with the conservative restoration approach--a complete dismantle, cleaning, and servicing of the movement, keeping the watch as original as possible.

My friend Rudy Stockli, owner of Swiss Time located in Royal Palm Beach, Florida, who is an expert Rolex factory-trained watchmaker and a true old-world Swiss craftsman, performed the restoration on the watch. The first thing Rudy commented on was the full serial number factory-stamped inside the case back. And then we reviewed my desire to keep everything as original as possible, including the crown and tube, bezel insert, and crystal. The crystal was badly scratched and I was lucky to locate an original Rolex NOS (new old stock from the ‘70s) “superdome” crystal.

I hope you enjoy the photos!