Okay, here’s my post about trying to get a decent Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, the classic style:
Alright, so I’ve always been a watch guy. Not a super crazy collector, but I appreciate a good timepiece. And the Rolex Daytona? That’s like the holy grail for a lot of us. But man, those things are expensive! Even if you can find one at retail price, which is nearly impossible, you’re still looking at a huge chunk of change. And forget about the secondary market – those prices are just insane.
So, I started looking into alternatives. I mean, I just wanted something that looked the part, you know? I wasn’t trying to fool anyone into thinking I had a real one, I just wanted that classic Daytona style on my wrist without having to sell a kidney.
First, I started looking on the internet to see what my options were. I knew I didn’t want a straight-up fake, but there were a lot of these “homage” watches that looked pretty similar. Most of them were cheap, and frankly, they looked it. I found a couple that seemed a bit better quality, but they were still missing that certain something.
Then, I stumbled upon some forums and communities online where people were talking about building their own. Basically, you buy the individual parts – the case, the dial, the movement, the hands, everything – and then assemble it yourself. This sounded like a fun project, and it seemed like the best way to get exactly what I wanted.
The hardest part was sourcing all the parts. There are a few websites that sell them, but it took a while to find ones that looked high-quality and were compatible with each other. I went with a pretty standard automatic movement. Nothing fancy, but reliable and easy to work with. I spent hours looking at different dials and hands, trying to find the perfect combination that captured the Daytona vibe. I finally settled on this black dial with the silver sub-dials, I felt it was the closest one to the classic look.
Once I got all the parts in, it was time to start building. This was the scary part! I’d watched a bunch of videos online, but it’s a lot different when you’re actually doing it yourself. I borrowed a watch repair kit from a friend, which had all the tiny screwdrivers and tweezers I needed.
Putting the movement into the case was surprisingly easy. The dial and hands were a bit more tricky, but I managed to get them on without messing anything up. The bracelet was the biggest pain. Getting those little spring bars in place was a real test of patience!
But after a few hours of careful work, it was finally done! And I gotta say, I was pretty damn proud of myself. It wasn’t perfect, of course, there were a few tiny imperfections here and there, also I could feel the bezel was a little stiff. But overall, it looked great. And most importantly, it gave me that classic Daytona look I was after.
- Bought a case.
- Bought a dial.
- Bought the hands.
- Bought a movement.
- Bought a bracelet.
- Assembled the whole thing.
- Wore it on my wrist.
I’ve been wearing it for a few weeks now, and I’m really happy with it. It keeps good time, it looks great, and it didn’t cost me an arm and a leg. Plus, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I built it myself. It’s not a real Rolex, and I’m not pretending it is. But for me, it’s the perfect way to enjoy the Daytona style without breaking the bank.
My take away
If you’re a watch enthusiast on a budget, and you’re not afraid of a little DIY project, I highly recommend giving this a try. It’s a fun and rewarding experience, and you end up with a unique timepiece that you can be proud of. Just do your research, take your time, and don’t be afraid to ask for help from the online community. You might be surprised at what you can achieve!
Click to consult