lhooq Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 One of the biggest admirers of my DW 7032 is a local Rolex collector who I've referred to in the past as "Mr. 6263". It was his Daytona, after all, that featured in a side-by-side comparison with my DW 6263 last month. The guy has a huge collection of vintage sports Rolexes from the 60s to the 80s, but he has never owned an early Tudor chronograph. Ever since he saw my 7032 last year, he's been hunting for a gen. Unfortunately, these watches aren't nearly as common as hand-wind Daytonas (ho-hum), so it hasn't been easy for him. Last week, a blue Tudor 7149 finally showed up on the local market. Mr. 6263 sold a couple of sapphire Subs, and he was off to buy his Tudor. Obviously, this isn't a like-for-like comparison: The dial and bezel of the 7149 are completely different from the 7032, as is the movement behind them. (Sorry, no shots of the beautiful Valjoux 234!) However, the early and later Tudor cases should be nearly identical. So let's begin! Gen at bottom of each pair of photos: I was happy to confirm that the crystal profile of the rep is very close to the gen, if not quite as tall. I should note that I do have a genuine Cyclope 128 fitted on my 7032, but mounting it wasn't a straightforward task. I was worried that the crystal didn't protrude as far as it ought to, but the difference is insignificant. The second feature that jumps out of these shots is the beveling on the corners of the lugs. The gen has a thick character line on the outer edge, plus a little bit of work on the insides of the lugs. The DW's bevel is barely there by comparison. Believe it or not, the gen has period-correct 282 endlinks and they fit terribly--marginally better than my rep 358s. Perfect-fit 589s wouldn't be available until the latter part of the 1970s. Profile view. Here's where we get to the real meat of the comparison! But first, I should note a few glaring points of interest in these pictures: My 7032 flew off my wrist and landed crown-first into the pavement while I was vacationing in Bologna. Consequently, my 703 and reset pusher are forever scarred as mementos. The 7149's Twinlock is partially unscrewed in these photos. My fault for not checking it first, but don't let it screw up your depth perception.Q: Why is the 7149's reset pusher so far to the left? A: It's a Valjoux 234, which has the same asymmetrical pusher layout as the V23 and V72. As a wise man once said, "'Uneven' Pusher position as per genuine!" So here we finally see the big difference in lug and CG shapes, which -to be honest- isn't nearly as bad as I'd expected. In fact, it looks pretty good. The lugs are blunter on the gen, but it's the lugholes that cause the biggest headaches. As I've discovered, there is no way you can fit a 589 or 605 (from the Tudor Big Blocks) endlink between those lugs. CGs are overly square ("excessively orthogonal?") on the rep, and are missing the slightly concave outer surfaces, and the angled corners created by those aforementioned bevels. Overall, the entire CG area on the DW could use a bit of softening. The rep pushers, as on DW's Daytonas, are toothier than the gen's. The next time I get my hands on this 7149, I'd like to pull out a ruler and measure the length of the case. I get the feeling that the DW is longer from lug-tip to lug-tip. Oh, my poor Triplock! Here we see a more angled cutout beneath the crown of the gen. Otherwise, no significant differences. The caseback is the single weakest part of the DW rep, in my opinion. Fonts are passable, but it's the shallow engravings that ruin the illusion. justasgood did a great job of improving his engravings with a dremel, but that's beyond my capabilities. We also get another good look at the CG area, especially the concavity of the surfaces and softness of the edges that I mentioned above. There's not a lot to directly compare between these two, so here are a few assorted notes:My 7032's sweep hand is from CWP, repainted in Tamiya Orange enamel after it was scratched up during a repair. The color match is excellent. As noted in my hands comparison, the CWP is the only aftermarket sweep hand for the 7032 with a correctly long tail. It's a bit shorter than the gen in overall length, but I believe the tail is more important. Heck, it's right in the middle of the dial! The downside is that you'd be paying a lot for just that one hand...The apparent difference in rehaut depth may be due to the difference in movement. I'm not sure.The DW could really use a wider dial opening, though. The DW dial's dimensions are near-perfect, and there really ought to be some black between the orange minute numerals and the rehaut's edge. I was glad to confirm that my datewheel has the correct font!Note the blue sunburst pattern on the genuine dial, and the inverted dishes in the subdials. I don't think the aftermarket (read: Yuki) has even attempted to replicate those features. Also note the beveled frame around the date window. Breathe easy: The genuine 7032 didn't have one.Lume on the gen has all but turned to dust and blown away (or collected around the edges). What was it about 70s Tudor lume that made it age so badly, especially when compared to the stuff on Rolex dials? So that does it for this comparison. As with the 6263, I only had a 10-minute window to finish this shoot. I really wish I'd taken a few more close-up shots of the CGs (and screwed down that crown), but it completely slipped my mind at the time. If I get the chance, I'll shoot them and post an update. Overall, I'd say that DW came off pretty well in this comparison. I've long held the opinion that his dial blew all previous efforts out of the water when it was released last year. However, the DW 7032 case is also a much better replication than I'd believed. (Outwardly, at least.) Its biggest flaws are the wrongly-placed lugholes, crap hands, and the fact that it can't take a genuine C128 without some effort. Considering only one of those absolutely cannot be fixed, that's really quite good. Also, given that DW's kit sells for less than 1/5 the cost of competing cases, it's a real bargain--even if you're only buying one for, say, the dial and bezel. But if you've got large piles of cash sitting idly... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 Wow.... such perfect timing for a comparison as I age my case and brush the bezel! Thanks for that! Too bad it would be nearly impossible to reshape the DW case CG's to get that subtle angle Such a great Tudor day today!!! A fantastic review of a great looking Monte Carlo and some amazing Tudors in the wristies section today too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted August 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 Thanks, red! Too bad it would be nearly impossible to reshape the DW case CG's to get that subtle angle Yeah... Nearly impossible... And that beveling. Who could possibly redo the edges on a rep Tudor case? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 And that beveling. Who could possibly redo the edges on a rep Tudor case? Hmmmm........ I wonder if our resident machinist expert has seen this one yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vlydog Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 Hmmmm........ I wonder if our resident machinist expert has seen this one yet? He reported earlier today that he was off to work. Hopefully he will have time to check-in and respond. @M Great comparison! As always, very generous of you to share this with our community! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asf Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 Thanks for taking the time to make this comparison! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiman12 Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 Nice comparo L!! The only thing that I'm missing to complete my 7149 is...the case Was hoping DW would offer up one soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrboombasteke Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 Awesome comparison. I still need to find a bracelet and endlinks for my 7032. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielv2000 Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 LH, thanks again for a wonderful comparison. That Mr. 6263 is one lucky guy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krpster Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 Very nice comparo. Thanks. Must have been fun to spend even the few minutes with that vintage beauty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woof* Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 Nice writeup as usual M! Always great to see these comparisons I'll bet the gen feels really nice to have on the wrist..it's a beauty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 I still need to find a bracelet and endlinks for my 7032. Mary @ Watch International has the 7836 with the 358 endlinks. That would be your best bet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted August 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 Thanks, all! It's always fun to handle and examine these watches, especially with a rep guy's eye for details. You appreciate the quality of the reps we've got now, see where they fall short, and -most dangerous of all- resolve to expand your own collection of gens! C: DW needs to get that done, the 6238 dial that alligoat and I have been anticipating for over a year, and the black 7031 bezel! But from what I've heard, he's concentrating on getting his 16520 kits done. I guess he has to go for the money-maker. woof*: Aside from the better-finished clasp on the genuine 7836, the gen feels exactly the same on my wrist as the DW! I almost walked away with it. Innocently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seafoam Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 Very nice comparison LHOOQ and thanks for taking the time to put this together. As a recent 7032 owner, this is good timing for me Please extend a "thank you" to "Mr. 6263" as well. Beautiful 7149 he's got there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hava Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 Thanks great comparo shots..... if use 234 movement how have asymetrical pusher? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiker01 Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 :thumbsupsmileyanim: Great JOB! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 Thanks for a great write up/ photo comparison M. Thanks great comparo shots..... if use 234 movement how have asymetrical pusher? thanks The valjoux 234 is a later model of the V23 and the v23 is the little brother of the v72, so they all have the same assymetrical pushers, and many of the same movement parts- heck, they look the same when you open the caseback- 23/234 is bi-compax, 72 is tri-compax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 M just does these things to torment me and cause me to spend money... Great comparo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormTooper4 Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 That Blue is awesome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimster Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 M, Thanks for the "teasing". Now I need to find a black bezel for my extra 7032. I love those colored bezels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ephry73 Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Very, very nice LHOOQ. How was the weight of the two in comparison? E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted August 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Very, very nice LHOOQ. How was the weight of the two in comparison? Whether in my hand or on my wrist, I couldn't detect any difference between the two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ephry73 Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Thats very good to know. I quite like this watch and may build something "like" it with a case I have. E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosnik Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 LHOOQ, Thank you for this helpful comparison, ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamestan119 Posted July 12, 2018 Report Share Posted July 12, 2018 where are those picture?> cant see Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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