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Flynbyu
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 10:02 am 
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Very, very good post Driver.

I learned something new today!

~Brian

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Driver8
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:54 am 
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Flynbyu wrote:
Very, very good post Driver.

I learned something new today!

~Brian

Thanks a lot Brian! Good to help when I can. :thumbsup:

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yntl2003
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:01 pm 
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Driver8 wrote:
ctmartin wrote:
Earlier in this post it was mentioned that the grade of steel used in Rolex watches might be higher than in Breitling or other watches. What makes one type of steel better than another? Certainly if we were talking about gold then we could talk carrat weight, but steel has no such ratings. Why would the rolex steel be considered superior to the steel in a Breitling? Thanks for the help!

In actual fact there are many, many different grades of steel. The most commonly used steel in quality watch-making for making cases and bracelets is 316L steel as it is a good all-rounder - reasonably hard, reasonably corrosion resistant, shiny when polished, etc.

Rolex are the only mainstream manufacturer to use 904L steel which has a higher nickel and molybdenum content and is slightly more scratch resistant and more corrosion resistant than 316L. If I remember rightly, 904L is more often used for some surgical applications (although the high nickel content is not ideal for anyone with nickel allergies!) and for machine parts that are used in highly corrosive atmospheres - like sulphuric acid manufacture, sulphur dioxide rich environments, etc. By all accounts you'd be rather hard pressed to actually be using a wrist watch in the type of environments when the additional corrosion resistance would really count for anything - if you were in a bath of sulphuric acid, then telling the time is likely to be the last thing on your mind!! Some people maintain that seawater has less of an effect on 904L steel, but you're well advised to thoroughly wash your watch in fresh water after immersion in seawater anyway! 904L is apparently 3 times as expensive as 316L steel due to the cost of the nickel and molybdenum elements.

I don't have all the metallurgical details to hand, but do a quick search on the net for 316L steel and 904L steel and you'll find a wealth of information. Hope this helps. :thumbsup:


Driver8 is pretty much spot on. 316L Stainless steel is actually considered a cheap stainless steel in the metal finishing industry (electroplating) due to its high amount of carbon content. Higher carbon content = higher chance to rust over time. You may not want to take a magnet near your watch, but you can check how high the grade of stainless steel is by seeing if the magnet will stick to the metal. If the magnet sticks, it's practically a carbon steel.

As for 904L costing more than 316 stainless that would be true. Especially these days where the price of molybdenum and nickel have skyrocketed!

The comment about sulfuric acid bath is a bit funny, as I was leaning over a vat of it today. *sigh*, I'm sure the fumes from the acid isn't very conducive to my chronomat evo's health :(

Anyways, this thread has gone off on quiet a tangent. Back to the main topic I suppose :D . I'm certain you would be very happy with a Rolex Submariner as it is almost a staple in most people's watch collections; however, after awhile, I would find it to be a bit bland. Everyone has one, in my opinion I would rather spend $8000 on something like an IWC sptifire double chronograph.

Just my two cents!
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Watchmakeress
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:45 pm 
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yntl2003 wrote:
... in my opinion I would rather spend $8000 on something like an IWC sptifire double chronograph.

$8000??? A Submariner retails for MSRP $5175 nowadays....
That's the best 5k spend on a watch IMO...
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yntl2003
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:50 pm 
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Watchmakeress wrote:
yntl2003 wrote:
... in my opinion I would rather spend $8000 on something like an IWC sptifire double chronograph.

$8000??? A Submariner retails for MSRP $5175 nowadays....
That's the best 5k spend on a watch IMO...


Yea, I'm going by the price that his AD quoted him in the original post :wink:
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sportback
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:48 pm 
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I paid a little more - but then I'm very impatient and couldn't face waiting months if I ordered one here in France :wink:

Despite loving my Panerai and Breitlings, the Rolex is really a lovely piece of machinery - particularly now that the bracelet has been revised. I wouldn't say that it wears as large as a Panerai 'Wall Clock' but it's easy to read and as 'bling' as I want go.

Rolexes always seem to attract attention (which is NOT what I'm looking for) and despite wearing a mix of Panerai and Breitling, the GMT (or the Submariner) always seem to be noticed far more easily than the others - this could be down to the marketing of course.

Very happy with mine - it's a keeper!

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Flynbyu
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:44 am 
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Watchmakeress wrote:
yntl2003 wrote:
... in my opinion I would rather spend $8000 on something like an IWC sptifire double chronograph.

$8000??? A Submariner retails for MSRP $5175 nowadays....
That's the best 5k spend on a watch IMO...


I would have to agree. There are some nice discounts available with certain dealers to leave a little of that cash in your pocket.

~Brian

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Last edited by Flynbyu on Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Flynbyu
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sportback wrote:
I paid a little more - but then I'm very impatient and couldn't face waiting months if I ordered one here in France :wink:

Despite loving my Panerai and Breitlings, the Rolex is really a lovely piece of machinery - particularly now that the bracelet has been revised. I wouldn't say that it wears as large as a Panerai 'Wall Clock' but it's easy to read and as 'bling' as I want go.

Rolexes always seem to attract attention (which is NOT what I'm looking for) and despite wearing a mix of Panerai and Breitling, the GMT (or the Submariner) always seem to be noticed far more easily than the others - this could be down to the marketing of course.

Very happy with mine - it's a keeper!


I find that my Breitling attracts more attention than my Rolex.

~Brian

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chicagofan00
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:48 pm 
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Watchmakeress wrote:
yntl2003 wrote:
... in my opinion I would rather spend $8000 on something like an IWC sptifire double chronograph.

$8000??? A Submariner retails for MSRP $5175 nowadays....
That's the best 5k spend on a watch IMO...


Where can I get the Submariner in Rolesor for $5175? The last time I was in an AD in December the price was about $7800. Is the $5175 price tag for the on in steel only?
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Flynbyu
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:15 am 
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chicagofan00 wrote:
Watchmakeress wrote:
yntl2003 wrote:
... in my opinion I would rather spend $8000 on something like an IWC sptifire double chronograph.

$8000??? A Submariner retails for MSRP $5175 nowadays....
That's the best 5k spend on a watch IMO...


Where can I get the Submariner in Rolesor for $5175? The last time I was in an AD in December the price was about $7800. Is the $5175 price tag for the on in steel only?


Stainless steel Submariner retails for $5175.

I purchased mine from Ultra Jewels in Cancun for $4075.

~Brian

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Altair
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 12:19 pm 
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Chicagofan,

I think you are refering to the two tone model (Gold and Stainless) but did not explicitely mension that. That is about the price for that model.

The prices quoted by the guys are for the SS model, anyway forget list prices and always fish around for at least a 10-15% discount on something as relatively available as a Rolex Sub. You could save 1k by going across the street or making a few calls. Just stick to an AD there are some scary fakes out there.

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chicagofan00
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 5:53 pm 
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My original post was asking about the one in Roselor (stainless steel and 18k Gold Combo), but it probably just got lost along the way. I would of course only stick to the ADs as I would not want to find out later on I purchased a fake! :shock:
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Watchmakeress
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:19 pm 
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chicagofan00 wrote:
Where can I get the Submariner in Rolesor for $5175? The last time I was in an AD in December the price was about $7800. Is the $5175 price tag for the on in steel only?

Oops, sorry guys, I must've read right over that detail! :oops:
But yeah, get the Rolex, much better watch! :thumbsup:
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