Rolex Ref:1601 datejust help needed!!!!!

[damienloh]

Fluted bezel should be white gold.

[ahboy82]

Fluted bezel should be white gold.

thks. actually what's the meaning of fluted?? i see this term around but am not sure what it really means...

[Oceanklassik]

There are various types of bezels on ROLEX watches and there should be reasons relevant enough for each bezel to be named so. "Fluted" is just one of them. Then there's the "Engine Turn" and "Domed" bezels, etc. Since you're asking about the "Fluted" one, I'll try to share what I know.

Fluting is a technique used in jewelry-making and the idea is to have a tooth-like and corrugated grooved, polished/shiny surface. The purpose of this is to make something shiny and thus, looking precious and/or expensive. I believe the term "fluted" on a ROLEX watch bezel is thus derived from this, i.e. a fluted bezel is simply to make the watch appear more shiny, more expensive.

I stand corrected

[Darkangel]

thks. actually what's the meaning of fluted?? i see this term around but am not sure what it really means...

This is an example of a fluted bezel, avail in WG and YG usually.

[ahboy82]

This is an example of a fluted bezel, avail in WG and YG usually.

woooooooh...thks bro for the explanation. in that case, is there any price difference between WG, RG, YG etc?? haha didnt know the 16014 i had was of white gold, until i saw my colleague's one is pure steel, oni then i know there is a difference.

[Darkangel]

woooooooh...thks bro for the explanation. in that case, is there any price difference between WG, RG, YG etc?? haha didnt know the 16014 i had was of white gold, until i saw my colleague's one is pure steel, oni then i know there is a difference.

The bezel won't make a diff to the price of the watch, it follows the watch as a whole. Cos there are several combinations, as a bezel itself the value is about the same.

But say YG and RG bezels are only avail on TT watches which are more expensive than a SS watch with WG bezel in terms of retail.

[badass09]

The bezel won't make a diff to the price of the watch, it follows the watch as a whole. Cos there are several combinations, as a bezel itself the value is about the same.

But say YG and RG bezels are only avail on TT watches which are more expensive than a SS watch with WG bezel in terms of retail.

Hi bro... Mind telling me what's a pie pan dial...???

[epigram]

it's a classic, keep it!

when i last serviced mine in may 2010, it cost $1,380 but that's because they had to replace the middle case.

[coopster9]

may i ask how much would a jubilee bracelet for a 1601 cost?

[Darkangel]

Back in 06 is 750 I paid for mine but they hav increased the prices to ard 1k I heard. Not too sure but ard that range. But they only have 16234/16013 bracelet in stock. They won't give u the older bracelet that came original with I cos no stock.

[taxico]

I have a rolex datejust Ref:1601 datejust on a jubilee bracelet... which i inherited from my late uncle recently...

What i wanna know is, how much would it cost me to repair n restore this watch at a reputable 2nd hand shop...??? ( RSC IS OUT OF THE QUESTION... too expensive ) Pls recommend if there's any... What parts to replace as in exterior n interior of the watch n what not to replace...?? To polish or not to polish...??? And how much is it worth after restore n before restoration, if i were to sell it...???

Pls advise on what to do with this watch... I mostly like to keep it but if the cost to restore is too much then no point in keeping it la... I'd Rather sell it or trade it...

if you're on a budget, allow me to make the following recommendations...

the hands are not a big deal - they are gold and can be polished by the right person to bring back the sheen and shine. this can be done when you service it - i know mr lim at top hour does a good job of this because two sets of hands were done so beautifully by him and i thought they were replacement hands...! this will cost you ~$300. the hour markers, if totally gold, can also be easily polished... but 1601 dials may sometimes include intricate markers which are difficult to polish.

because your jubilee is all stainless steel, you can source a generic replacement (non-folded links) from watch shops (eg, bras basah bracelet/strap shop) and swap the buckles. this will cost you ~$25 + a screw driver. the last link that fits into the adjustable hole portion of the buckle may need to be sanded down a tiny little bit to fit properly - fine grit sand paper costs ~$5 at DIY home fix (the bigger the number, the finer the grit).

the plastic crystal can be buffed into perfection by the person servicing your watch as part of the servicing package. if you wish to get a replacement crystal (which will probably sit taller than the older/original crystal), you can opt to change ONLY the crystal at RSC for ~$100. this will get you an RSC receipt too.

the fluted bezel should not be over polished if at all - gentle scrubbing with toothpaste (if the watch is water proof) will bring a lot of shine back - this will also be done by a good watchmaker if he's servicing your watch.

the only thing i would think twice about is case polishing and to check if the case/caseback shows any signs of pitting/corrosion. case polishing usually takes metal off the case - my personal opinion is to leave it be, but many people prefer having a nice fresh looking watch and from all your posts, this sounds like you.

good luck!

p/s: a pie pan dial is not uniformly FLAT over the whole surface of the dial. the rim where the minute markers are will slope downwards... like an over turned pan for a pie.

[taxico]

i forgot to mention the generic jubilee bracelet will fit the original 555 end links without a problem. if you do this, be assured that the feeling and sound of an original $1000 bracelet does not differ much from that of a $25 bracelet.

excluding the price of an RSC crystal replacement, <$350 will bring you a watch that looks awesome and will give an unfussy owner a life time of wear.

[badass09]

if you're on a budget, allow me to make the following recommendations...

the hands are not a big deal - they are gold and can be polished by the right person to bring back the sheen and shine. this can be done when you service it - i know mr lim at top hour does a good job of this because two sets of hands were done so beautifully by him and i thought they were replacement hands...! this will cost you ~$300. the hour markers, if totally gold, can also be easily polished... but 1601 dials may sometimes include intricate markers which are difficult to polish.

because your jubilee is all stainless steel, you can source a generic replacement (non-folded links) from watch shops (eg, bras basah bracelet/strap shop) and swap the buckles. this will cost you ~$25 + a screw driver. the last link that fits into the adjustable hole portion of the buckle may need to be sanded down a tiny little bit to fit properly - fine grit sand paper costs ~$5 at DIY home fix (the bigger the number, the finer the grit).

the plastic crystal can be buffed into perfection by the person servicing your watch as part of the servicing package. if you wish to get a replacement crystal (which will probably sit taller than the older/original crystal), you can opt to change ONLY the crystal at RSC for ~$100. this will get you an RSC receipt too.

the fluted bezel should not be over polished if at all - gentle scrubbing with toothpaste (if the watch is water proof) will bring a lot of shine back - this will also be done by a good watchmaker if he's servicing your watch.

the only thing i would think twice about is case polishing and to check if the case/caseback shows any signs of pitting/corrosion. case polishing usually takes metal off the case - my personal opinion is to leave it be, but many people prefer having a nice fresh looking watch and from all your posts, this sounds like you.

good luck!

p/s: a pie pan dial is not uniformly FLAT over the whole surface of the dial. the rim where the minute markers are will slope downwards... like an over turned pan for a pie.

Hi bro... Thank you very much for your time and patience in answering my newbie questions... I just saw your sales thread abt your "MILsub" was very fascinated abt learning abt this kind of subs... I'm a very big sub fan myself.... Haiz... Jus wish had the money to buy your sub... Haha... Anyway coming back to the topic... I'd really like to restore this watch n might do it maybe next month cos need to pay for my breitling that's coming back from overhaul end of this month so next month should be able to send this datejust... I don't think i'd like to mix n match the bracelet with aftermarket links as i'd like to keep the watch 100% original...

If i were to change the crystal at RSC, will they change the crystal to the original plastic/acrylic crystal or the newer sapphire crystal...?? And also will it be cheaper if i buy a set of hands n crystal from eBAY n then give the watch shop to change...??? Thx in advance..!!!

[badass09]

i forgot to mention the generic jubilee bracelet will fit the original 555 end links without a problem. if you do this, be assured that the feeling and sound of an original $1000 bracelet does not differ much from that of a $25 bracelet.

excluding the price of an RSC crystal replacement, <$350 will bring you a watch that looks awesome and will give an unfussy owner a life time of wear.

Hey sorry bro... I also forgot to mention that regards to the crystal question... Is cos i recently changed the crystal of my 16613 at RSC n they changed it to the newer crystal with the rolex crown etching... That's why i'm doubtful abt the crystal change at RSC for my 1601... Is there no way to tighten back the stretchy bracelet...???

[taxico]

If i were to change the crystal at RSC, will they change the crystal to the original plastic/acrylic crystal or the newer sapphire crystal...?? And also will it be cheaper if i buy a set of hands n crystal from eBAY n then give the watch shop to change...??? Thx in advance..!!!

RSC only uses original parts that are still in stock... but modern acrylic crystals are not identical to the one that "originally" came with your watch as newer acrylic crystals were made better but slightly thicker.

they do not install sapphire on plastic models nor vice versa.

it is not easy to know if you're buying genuine rolex hands or after market hands (may not even be gold!) - if you want to keep your watch all original, i recommend just keeping your current hands and put the money towards a service.