Hello and my first vintage Rolex

[sgk]

Thanks! And yes, I am working on giving it a vintage character myself :)

[Michaeli Paulo]

I loved it “before” and I love it “after!”

Looks incredible in all photos and I totally understand your decision to bring it back to it’s original look and luster.

You have to be so stoked every time you strap it on!

Thank you for sharing, and as long as you add new photos to this thread, I’ll keep on enjoying them!!!

Michael

[Hampshirescott]

Can I ask how much the LAWW was

[sgk]

Originally Posted by Michaeli Paulo

I loved it “before” and I love it “after!”



Looks incredible in all photos and I totally understand your decision to bring it back to it’s original look and luster.



You have to be so stoked every time you strap it on!



Thank you for sharing, and as long as you add new photos to this thread, I’ll keep on enjoying them!!!



Michael

Agreed. Both have their charm and I do get a kick out of it. It is tempting me to again try to reduce to a one(ish) watch collection.

And since you asked




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sgk]

Originally Posted by Hampshirescott

Can I ask how much the LAWW was

PM sent


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Claven2]

Stupid question - which is LAWW?

Great work on your watch :)

[TimeLord2]

Originally Posted by Claven2

Stupid question - which is LAWW?

Great work on your watch :)

That would be the acronym for Los Angeles WatchWorks, located in Pasadena, CA. This place: http://lawatchworks.com/

[kwcsports]

Looks great !!

[okthenor]

Beautiful.

[sgk]

Thanks for the compliments guys!

[Zz101]

I think that case work looks amazing!

Did it really take them a year to get the work done though?

[charlitos]

Very nice

[Greg5512]

Looks fantastic!

[mohillips]

Please ignore my ignorance here but what makes a vintage a vintage? After how many years after manufacture is it classed as such?

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[SubMarine]

Wow, the lugs look so thin.

Originally Posted by sgk

Greetings everybody!
Thought I would follow up my post with the results from the work done by LAWW and MY.

I sent the watch head to be polished properly and upon dismantling the case, the crystal was found to be crazed around the edge. Impossible to say if it came originally with the watch but it is a 19 dome.




Though I was keen to keep the original 19 dome, it would not hold pressure. So decided to have it replaced with a service crystal that LAWW reprofile. But it wasn’t matching how the original looked. LAWW was gracious enough to send me pictures along the way. This is with the original 19 dome installed



And this is the reprofiled service crystal



The service crystal just didn’t look right so I asked for a higher profile 39 superdome. It was much better IMHO and the decision was made. Here is how it looks and also the polish work from LAWW











MY also did great work on refurbishing the C&I rivet



Great to have it back on the wrist and thanks to LAWW and MY for the great work.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sgk]

Originally Posted by Zz101

I think that case work looks amazing!

Did it really take them a year to get the work done though?

No it didn’t. Turnaround time was pretty decent. I think a coupe of months for both.

It took me a while to update the thread :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sgk]

Originally Posted by SubMarine

Wow, the lugs look so thin.

You think so? I am not an expert on how thick the lugs should be but they seemed ok to me.

Is there a standard/documented lug thickness for 5513s when they left the factory?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kingface66]

Originally Posted by sgk

You think so? I am not an expert on how thick the lugs should be but they seemed ok to me.

Is there a standard/documented lug thickness for 5513s when they left the factory?

Don’t give it a second thought. The watch is lovely. Lug thickness is a never-ending debate. They were hand-shaped originally so they vary. And a watch that’s been polished in the last fifty years (and most of them have) will show that variation even more.
I’d wear the hell out of it and be proud of owning such a great-looking piece.

[sgk]

Originally Posted by Greg5512

Looks fantastic!

Originally Posted by charlitos

Very nice

Thanks guys!

Originally Posted by Kingface66

Don’t give it a second thought. The watch is lovely. Lug thickness is a never-ending debate. They were hand-shaped originally so they vary. And a watch that’s been polished in the last fifty years (and most of them have) will show that variation even more.

I’d wear the hell out of it and be proud of owning such a great-looking piece.

True and this is my go to watch most days


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[drefrank]

Looks great - enjoy it!

[STEELINOX]

Very nice example and congratulations, sir...

[TimeLord2]

Originally Posted by sgk

You think so? I am not an expert on how thick the lugs should be but they seemed ok to me.

Is there a standard/documented lug thickness for 5513s when they left the factory?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Vintage watches, currently defined by a 4-digit reference at least on this forum, have much thinner lugs than the newer cases. That is a subject of both consternation and praise, judging from a bunch of other posts I've seen. Looks great IMHO.

[sgk]

Originally Posted by STEELINOX

Very nice example and congratulations, sir...

Originally Posted by drefrank

Looks great - enjoy it!

Originally Posted by TimeLord2

Vintage watches, currently defined by a 4-digit reference at least on this forum, have much thinner lugs than the newer cases. That is a subject of both consternation and praise, judging from a bunch of other posts I've seen. Looks great IMHO.

Thank you sirs!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SubKing]

beautiful watch and I love the pictures you posted of the before and after work. You spent a lot of time sending different parts of this watch to some of the best in the biz and the results are stunning. Congrats!

[sgk]

Thanks! I should have mentioned that most of the after pictures are from LAWW.
And I’m happy to share since I’ve seen many threads asking about how proper polishing results look, different crystal heights, original vs service crystals etc. Just hope someone will find it useful when they are in a similar situation.