Replacing a 16710 case

[Kev M]

Hello, I thought I'd find the answer here with those with a passion for older models. I'm looking to pick up a 16710 with lug holes soon. I plan to make it a daily wear watch. I see so many with super polished cases. Ideally finding a mint one would be great but I'm considering finding a decent one and sending it in for servicing and having the case replaced. Would Rolex replace a lug-holes case with a service "lug holes" case or would I end up with the more current no-holes? Also, does anyone have a ballpark estimate on how much replacing a case on a 16710 GMT would cost?
Thank you in advance for any thoughts on the matter!
Kev

[ronricks]

No reason to do that with all the laser welding and case recutting experts out there now. Service case destroys value of the watch for one.

[brandrea]

Welcome to the forum.

I was looking for one a while back but moved in a different direction.

From my limited research, it’s very difficult to determine whether a watch of that vintage has been polished or not. You pretty much have to reply on what the seller is telling you and what “experts” think.

Experts will all chime in with various comments on whether a watch has be polished and to what degree.

Bottom line for me, was that there’s a very high probability that the majority of watches over 25 years old like you’re looking at, have been polished in one way, shape or form. That may of may not be a bad thing.

If you do find a NOS (again, I’d be skeptical) you’ll pay out the ying yang

[1William]

So many possible issues with a watch that old and if you think it needs a new case, it probably needs a lot of other things also. I went down the vintage watch and car road years ago and never again. Prices for these watches does not align with my expectations of condition and the ability to wear them

[swish77]

Originally Posted by Kev M

Hello, I thought I'd find the answer here with those with a passion for older models. I'm looking to pick up a 16710 with lug holes soon. I plan to make it a daily wear watch. I see so many with super polished cases. Ideally finding a mint one would be great but I'm considering finding a decent one and sending it in for servicing and having the case replaced. Would Rolex replace a lug-holes case with a service "lug holes" case or would I end up with the more current no-holes? Also, does anyone have a ballpark estimate on how much replacing a case on a 16710 GMT would cost?
Thank you in advance for any thoughts on the matter!
Kev

Rolex will not just replace the case because you don’t like how it’s been polished in the past. It doesn’t work like that. An RSC will replace the case only at its discretion and usually if there’s corrosion that would prevent it from keeping a watertight seal.

There are plenty of 16710s (or 16700s) available with good cases, either unpolished or lightly polished. Just be patient. Rolex made them for almost 20 years and as recently as 2007. They’re out there.

Originally Posted by ronricks

No reason to do that with all the laser welding and case recutting experts out there now. Service case destroys value of the watch for one.

And laser welding/case recutting can also negatively affect value, especially if it’s poorly done.

[Dan S]

Just find a good one, it's not that hard.

[Kev M]

Originally Posted by swish77

Rolex will not just replace the case because you don’t like how it’s been polished in the past. It doesn’t work like that. An RSC will replace the case only at its discretion and usually if there’s corrosion that would prevent it from keeping a watertight seal.

There are plenty of 16710s (or 16700s) available with good cases, either unpolished or lightly polished. Just be patient. Rolex made them for almost 20 years and as recently as 2007. They’re out there.



And laser welding/case recutting can also negatively affect value, especially if it’s poorly done.

Thank you, I thought they might replace upon request if it is not much like when they sold the watch. Good to know, I wouldn't want to buy a hammered watch just to be told "no" by RSC. I'll keep the hunt up for a decent one and call it a day :)

BTW, I didn't know the 16700 and the 16710 used the same case but I guess it makes sense. :)

[0nly5iv3Digits]

Yes, as noted, Rolex won't do such a thing. Only in very (very) exceptional cases has Rolex been known to re-issue a case with serial number corresponding to the original.

Not something they do, or are keen on doing. The answer is laser welding and CNC machining, followed by hand polishing, brushing and chamfering to factory specification.

[dcorn]

Tons of good 16710 pieces out there. I was keeping track of them when I was searching for a 16570, hoping I'd find a gem at a great price. Just couldn't swing the 50-100% increase in cost for a turny bezel.

[502 to Right]

Buy the best example you can find and send it to Zimmerman Watch Repair to have the lugs laser welded and recut. It will look like it's new.

[502 to Right]

I would also recommend watching tropicalwatch.com for 16710 models. Jacek, the business owner and a member here, oftentimes has examples that have been recently lasered and recut. And they take really good photos to show how even and full the lugs are.

[Tubeguy]

I was looking for mint 16710 w/ lug holes complete set in as near to new as possible. I found a couple and was going to buy one of them but found an NOS 16700.

If you are still looking send me a PM. The two I honed in on are Cokes, and at are in reputable dealers in Italy.

[Kev M]

Thank you, guys, for all the tips and leads. Still in the searching phase but now that I know it isn't as simple as requesting a new case for a knackered watch, I'll keep my eyes open for a near mint to new old stock one and go from there. Oh, and looking for the Pepsi variety too :)

[Kev M]

Originally Posted by Kev M

Thank you, guys, for all the tips and leads. Still in the searching phase but now that I know it isn't as simple as requesting a new case for a knackered watch, I'll keep my eyes open for a near mint to new old stock one and go from there. Oh, and looking for the Pepsi variety too :)

Speaking of which, anyone care to share some pics of what to look for in a NOS one? Primarily concerned about lug hole depth and lug width :)

[shaunylw]

Originally Posted by Kev M

Speaking of which, anyone care to share some pics of what to look for in a NOS one? Primarily concerned about lug hole depth and lug width :)

You don’t need to worry about lug hole depth or width. Buy from one of the big vintage guys (tropical watch, lunar oyster, hq Milton) and you will get one that’s stickered and perfect.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kev M]

Originally Posted by shaunylw

You don’t need to worry about lug hole depth or width. Buy from one of the big vintage guys (tropical watch, lunar oyster, hq Milton) and you will get one that’s stickered and perfect.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you. :) I preemptively took your advice and am searching and watching tropicalwatch, and now the others. I see what you mean. Plus, I have the added assurance that I'm buying from trusted sellers :) Thank you!

[dcorn]

I got my 16570 from Tropical Watch and it looked brand spanking new, not a mark on the case with perfectly thick and sharp lugs. The website admits it was polished, but the lugs looked 100x better than all the other pieces I looked at, so maybe they were repaired? Only signs of actual wear were a very tiny nick on the edge of the crystal that you can only see under certain light and very slight signs of polishing on the clasp crown.

[ronricks]

Originally Posted by Kev M

BTW, I didn't know the 16700 and the 16710 used the same case but I guess it makes sense. :)

They don’t. 16700 case is thinner.

[502 to Right]

Originally Posted by ronricks

They don’t. 16700 case is thinner.

Is the case thinner or just the caseback? I don't know. But I know sometimes a watchmaker uses the same case for two models of different thickness and the difference is the caseback.

For example, the automatic Omega 2531.80 Seamaster shares a case with with the quartz 2541.80 Seamaster. The quartz version is about 0.5mm thinner, but it's because of the caseback--not the case.

[ronricks]

Originally Posted by 502 to Right

Is the case thinner or just the caseback? I don't know. But I know sometimes a watchmaker uses the same case for two models of different thickness and the difference is the caseback.

For example, the automatic Omega 2531.80 Seamaster shares a case with with the quartz 2541.80 Seamaster. The quartz version is about 0.5mm thinner, but it's because of the caseback--not the case.

Actual case is thinner. Has nothing to do with caseback.

[swish77]

Originally Posted by 502 to Right

Buy the best example you can find and send it to Zimmerman Watch Repair to have the lugs laser welded and recut. It will look like it's new.

Perhaps, but the originality of the Rolex case will be lost, and that matters to many collectors and watch lovers. it’s one thing to have a case lightly polished, but welding non-Rolex metal onto a case and then re-cutting it doesn’t sound very appealing, IMHO.

[Woody]

I purchased a well worn 1680 back in 2017. It already had a lot of service replacement parts so I sent it to the RSC for service and asked if they would consider replacing the mid-case. I generally live and work in high humidity environments so I was looking to restore the full functionality of the watch. They agreed, and the watch was returned to me looking great. I have worn it regularly over the years and it has always been a delight. All of that said the cost was significant (approximately £3.5K in 2017) and the value of the watch (in monetary terms) was significantly reduced. For me that was not an issue, but as others have said it is something worth considering in your decision making.

Good luck with your search.

[502 to Right]

I would much rather have a laser welded and recut case than a sad, over-polished case. And I've had both. I have the former on my wrist as I write this and I have sold all of the latter.