Rolex 5501 Explorer white dial

I love Explorer. I am very happy to be able to find this 5501 Explorer in white dial from the late 1950s using cal 1530. It shall match nicely with the black dial 5501 Explorer. I was looking for the Rolex 5701 Explorer with date initially but the price was not right. I believe the demand of such transitional Explorer models will go up in the near future as collectors are getting interested in the evolution of the Explorer models, the Pre-Explorer watches as well as the dressed watch Explorer.

Rado Lapis Lazuli Diastar

After waiting for several weeks, my favorite Lapis blue dial has finally arrived from Germany. This mineral dials watches from the 1970s were quite rare and hard to find. It has taken me sevral weeks to find one form a German collector who happened to have one spare. This is an uncommon Diastar 8/1 model with tungsten-carbide case and a dial made of Lapis Lazuli. It is similar to most Diastars of the 1970s, with a faceted sapphire crystal, day/date display at 6 o'clock and an NSA bracelet. However, the lapis dial sets this model apart from most. With a printed anchor logo (as opposed to the in-set rotating anchor found on most Rado automatics) and the white printing and marker elements setting off the stone dial material.

Tudor 7928/0

My new Tudor 7928/0 has arrived and my seller has cleaned the watch. There are still some dirt at the bezel areas as signs of time but its ok as it fits with the aging dial and the dial that has turned tropical chocolate. Lately, it has become my favourite everyday watch that has taken much of my wrist time.

Weekend stocktake

I have managed to bring down the number of watches this week with the letting go of a spare ZRC and Duward diver. 

In coming is a Rolex 6298 and another Explorer 5501 white dial..

Vintage Tudor Ranger

I am not an expert in vintage Tudor watches. Previously, I just collected vintage Tudor watches as a result of getting a bulk purchase along with the other Rolex watches that I want from the dealers. Sometimes, one needs to take a "package deal" in order to close the deal. As such, I only have three Tudor watches so far namely: One Tudor with the Middle East map, one Submariner in NOS condition and one Tudor Ranger 90220.

I have just found an original Tudor Ranger dial from the internet to upgrade my correct Tudor Ranger that has a reconditioned dial. It took me 5 years to find one.... of course I wasn't actively looking for it as Tudor has also been perceived like a second class citizen in the past..and that perception is now changed completely! My efforts in the past months has been to look for correct and unique dials for watches... from 1601 to 1803 and now to this Tudor Ranger...

Tudor Movement caliber charts

Tudor Movements charts

Source: http://www.watchspot.net/tudormodelno.html

Rolex 1803 無字天書

Just received back the watch from Rolex center for complete overhaul and purchase of the two gold pins. This watch is really for money now as everyone is chasing after the sports watches and neglected these. What I love about the watch is this so called mysterious dial where the Rolex wordings will disappeared at some angles. In Hong Kong, collectors called this 無字天書. This dial was not popular during the early days as everyone wants ROLEX wording to be seen far far away in the 1980s. In addition, I love the watch because it has the  date and day discs in Chinese, instead of English. With the polar dial, the watch will look a bit less bling bling and perhaps more subtle ..

The Datejust series are values for money watches with good size to wear.

Rolex Eaton Bubbleback

This is one of my favourite watch and my pride and joy. This Rolex Eaton bubbleback was given to the grandson of the founder of Eaton Departmental store for his long service with the company 1921-1946. Unlike many other Eaton watches that are in gold, this is in stainless steel and maybe its because of WW 2? everyone needs to be prudent in spent?

Rolex 1803 無字天書 dial

Tudor 1967 two colour gilt Submariner 7928

Tudor ref 7928 two color dial submariner from 1967

I was planning to get a vintage watch in March to celebrate my annual bonus and I was considering either a Rolex gold 1601, or a Rolex 5701 34mm Rolex Explorer, or a Rolex Coke watch, or ZRC diver. The ZRC is still not available at this stage.

Even though I am not a Tudor fans, this Tudor submariner from Hawaii from the year 1967 caught my attention with its used but authentic feel. I think this is the third generations Tudor 7928 after the Square guards and pointed gurds. This is a two color submariner where the markers are gilt yellow while the wordings are silver white. The bezel and dial of this example subsequently underwent discoloration due to intense and prolonged exposure to UV rays. Collectors use the term “Tropical” to describe this type of change, which is greatly prized. The inscriptions on the dial of this example were silver-color. The case measured 39 mm in diameter, was waterproof to a depth of 200 meter and bore the signature “ORIGINAL OYSTER CASE BY ROLEX GENEVA”. 

The design of its dial, hands and bezel was similar to that of references 7922, 7924 and 7925. Its movement was the self-winding caliber 390. I was told that the case and bezels is similar to the Rolex 5513. Even the back case of the 5513 could fit into the Tudor. The bezel is a mark 3 insert.

Need to do some major cleaning when the watch arrives. The color of the dial has started to become chocolate 

Rolex 16550 cream dial

The Rolex 16550 cream dial is due to the dial defects. However, there are many modified cream dial. According to some expert, a true 16550 Exp II with Cream "Rail Dial" would have "SWISS - T<25 6="" clock="" font="" gold="" marker.="" marking="" nbsp="" o="" rectangular="" the="" under="" white="">

Another true 16550 Exp II with Cream "NON Rail" Dial would have "T SWISS <25 .="" 6="" br="" clock="" gold="" marker="" marking="" o="" rectangular="" t="" the="" under="" white="">