Customizing a Rolex: Beautification or Spoliation?
Today marked the 15th day of the Chinese New Year 2018.... It is a closure for the celebration season; ending the festive with the Lantern Festival. Happy Chap Gor Meh everyone......
This Chap Gor Meh I am wearing my Rolex 16233 Mother of Pearl with a new clothes. Here is a post from February 2013....
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Late November last year, my watchmaker friend showed me a used Rolex aftermarket rim that someone traded in. It is a 18K gold rim with diamonds and 4 rectangle rubies. The rim is in a very sorry state. My watchmaker offered me the rim for a thousand Ringgit. It is a bargain as new aftermarket rim is about RM 3000. But the rim needs some works to reinstate to its formal glory.
To restore a diamond bezel is a professional jeweler's job; is a delicate hand job that need a lot of passion and expertise. We had to send the rim to Hong Kong. We were expecting the rim to return home before Chinese New Year.
During festive season, everything goes hair-wired..... We were experiencing a delay even with DHL, the best courier service in the country. The rim only arrived on the 5th day of the Chinese New Year. My friend wechatting me the photo of the restored rim. It looks brand new.
This is a rim from the late 1980's or early 1990's; During the time, the quality of the gold, genuine diamonds and natural rubies used are of better quality than present. Ironically, the repair bill is a painful RM700.....
Below are the photos of the watch after replacing the aftermarket rim.....
I know a lot of Purists like everything original and untouched. They probably think that the watch is ugly after the aftermarket rim. I am pretty liberal.... Is okay to be different as long as you are comfortable with it.
As of today, I am enjoying my watch and I am enjoying my family time........... Ready to set up the Lanterns and making wishes for more watches, abundance wealth, evergreen health and a HAPPY HAPPY FAMILY!!!!
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