Seeking some advice - 16750

[dakine_surf]

Hi All,

First let me thank everyone in advance, tons of great info on here. I love watches but never really been a Rolex guy, but I know a bit about some other brands. Lurked on here forever, but never spoke up.

I've had a damaged 16750 sitting in a drawer for years, honestly forgot about it until I saw a vintage sub on a guys wrist and really liked it. That caused me to get some sticker shock when I saw what vintage Subs where going for later that night when I went window shopping online. That got me thinking about the old GMT in a drawer... somewhere... Anyway, found it, it's actually not as bad as I seemed to remember it being. Opened it up, super clean and shiny in the movement, no hesitation in the gears. Closed it back and it keeps time near perfectly. -2 sec in 24hr.

It has a scratched acrylic and cyclops, not sure if polywatch can help the cyclops.

I can't upload pics otherwise I would show you what's wrong, but it needs a new crown/case tube.

Hopefully looking to see what people say... Should I send it off to Rolex and get the whole 'shebang or find someone to fix the tube and maybe a new acrylic and call it good.

[lhanddds]

Most will wait to comment until pics are posted

[brandrea]

Welcome to the forum

Since you’re in California, I’d send it of to Watchworks for an assessment.

[alwayshere]

In this day and age, I struggle to understand how people can't post a photo? So many different ways of doing so.

I mean who doesn't like literature guesswork....

[dakine_surf]

Originally Posted by alwayshere

In this day and age, I struggle to understand how people can't post a photo? So many different ways of doing so.

I mean who doesn't like literature guesswork....

Well the forum does not allow links to be posted until I have a few posts under my belt I guess.

[dakine_surf]

Originally Posted by brandrea

Welcome to the forum

Since you’re in California, I’d send it of to Watchworks for an assessment.

Down in Cerritos? I'm in Santa Barbara, but I'm willing to ship it. Are there prices and turnaround reasonable?

[dakine_surf]

Originally Posted by lhanddds

Most will wait to comment until pics are posted

I figured... I have some pics, let me get my posts up and I'll link them.

[alwayshere]

Originally Posted by dakine_surf

Well the forum does not allow links to be posted until I have a few posts under my belt I guess.

you can link to an external host or send one of us the pictures and we can load it for you.

[dakine_surf]

Ok So here it is in all it glory

[IMG]IMG_3347 by micah ulrick, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]IMG_3350 by micah ulrick, on Flickr[/IMG]

Inside looks great
[IMG]IMG_3355 by micah ulrick, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]IMG_3354 by micah ulrick, on Flickr[/IMG]

Some dings and dents
[IMG]IMG_3359 by micah ulrick, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_3352 by micah ulrick, on Flickr[/IMG]

And of course the broken tube
[IMG]IMG_3351 by micah ulrick, on Flickr[/IMG]

[alwayshere]

glad to see you got the pics uploaded.

A couple of comments:

1) good looking piece, might have been lightly polished in the past but the lugs look thick. This is a gloss dial variation (arguably later generation vs. the matte dial version of the 16750).
2) take the bracelet off and check the serial number and check the year of correspondence.
3) My view on the "stripped" crown is that the whole tube has come out. So it may be as simple as "screwing" the tube back in. I could be wrong but that's how i'm reading the pictures.
4) crystal just needs to be polished with polywatch. The cyclops will be hard to buff out without distortion though.

[importstunna]

That's a good looking/well worn piece. I would send it off to RSC for the service, and it'll come back spanking new. Def tell them to not change the hands or the dial, those have patina'ed beautifully.

[Dan S]

Looks very nice, and possibly unpolished, if the lug-holes are any guide. If it has been in a drawer for years, it's due for a service, so you can have the crown/tube issues addressed at the same time, and fitting a new crystal is probably easier than polishing that one, since some of the scratches look quite deep.

Personally, I would use a competent independent watchmaker instead of RSC, but that's just my bias.

[springer]

Looks like a nice original example. You're on the right track to have it serviced/repaired. Find a competent watchmaker in your area and have the broken parts repaired and the watch serviced to include a new crystal. There is no reason to leave that old, worn-out crystal on there - it's in poor condition and probably has suffered some cracks along the lower edge after all these decades of use.

Keep the watch away from the Rolex Service Centers - they tend to have a propensity for replacing old parts with newer service parts that detracts from the watch and its value.

[dakine_surf]

Originally Posted by springer

Keep the watch away from the Rolex Service Centers - they tend to have a propensity for replacing old parts with newer service parts that detracts from the watch and its value.

This was kinda exactly why I ask everyone... a big part of the appeal of a vintage piece is the patina, and this one seems to be pretty nice. I don't want a brand new looking watch, in fact, my BCE is covered with desk diving scratches from being worth daily for 10 years, I love the fact it's a little beat up

Originally Posted by alwayshere

glad to see you got the pics uploaded.

A couple of comments:

1) good looking piece, might have been lightly polished in the past but the lugs look thick. This is a gloss dial variation (arguably later generation vs. the matte dial version of the 16750).
2) take the bracelet off and check the serial number and check the year of correspondence.
3) My view on the "stripped" crown is that the whole tube has come out. So it may be as simple as "screwing" the tube back in. I could be wrong but that's how i'm reading the pictures.
4) crystal just needs to be polished with polywatch. The cyclops will be hard to buff out without distortion though.

1)Thanks, Yeah I wish it still had a matte dial but this one has patina'd nicely.

2)Serial checks out, mid 84

3)I believe that the threads for the crown broke off and are still in the crown.

4)That's what I figured, a new crystal will ensure water tightness as well.

[dakine_surf]

A few shots of the bracelet, honestly not much stretch, it's really still pretty tight, just scratched and swirled
[IMG]IMG_3364 by micah ulrick, on Flickr[/IMG]

IMG_3363 by micah ulrick, on Flickr

[IMG]IMG_3362 by micah ulrick, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]IMG_3361 by micah ulrick, on Flickr[/IMG]

[SVH]

I have no first hand experience with an RSC, but it might be worth a call to an RSC to understand what they can or will do, especially with respect to not polishing it, a new acrylic is probably all you want on that beauty.