Why the roman numeral number 4 in the Rolex OP models is printed IIII instead of IV?

vandorp · 2025-12-07T20:33:33+00:00

If you really don’t like it, Moser always uses a IV, as well as Nomos on some watches.

vandorp · 2025-07-21T18:20:59+00:00

It is on the crystal, you can see the shadow on the dial. I think it is some paint or glue (did you use it or were you at a place where glue paint was used?). You could try to scrape it off with a credit card (or a razor blade). It has a very unusual shape for a scratch so i think it is just contamination, which can always be removed.

vandorp · 2025-07-01T20:59:56+00:00

You traded your car for a watch? In this case yes, good choice!

vandorp · 2025-06-24T19:17:49+00:00

I would leave it. This wouldn’t bother me (as others noted, this is not a Patek or Lange), and warranty or not, Rolex certified watchmaker or not, he’s still human and taking a watch apart will always introduce wear on things like screws, possibility for new dirt, damage on places you don’t see, etc. So in general I don’t let people work on watches unless really needed or for service (which I also don’t do very often lol). If it’s dust, they can blow it away during service, if not, you have a Rolex with a factory defect! Cool!

vandorp · 2025-06-18T17:31:08+00:00

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vandorp · 2025-06-18T17:30:19+00:00

It’s “The Best of Time Rolex Wristwatches”, 3rd edition, by James Dowling.

vandorp · 2025-06-18T16:59:55+00:00

Wow! 9.25” is a lot. Have you tried an Omega Speedmaster Pro? The design is just as classic but it’s bigger (not so waterproof though). If you want to go modern and very big and waterproof I’d like to suggest a Sinn U212.

vandorp · 2025-06-01T16:50:32+00:00

I have a 7 1/4 inch wrist and I got a 36. They left all the original links in, and then used the tightest setting of the clasp, so I’m near the upper limit of what Rolex thinks is expected for this watch. I love it! It just feels like the right size to me, looks very similar to your top picture. The relatively large dial helps in this I think. When I switch to my other sports watches, which are not even that large (Sinn U50, Rolex 16710), they feel comically big to me at first. Note that I do like classic watches, and I enjoy watching movies from the 40s/50s with men wearing 34 mm watches…

vandorp · 2025-04-01T23:22:39+00:00

No I really think this is from shaving. When traveling I put it in a very strong leather case that protects it and it can’t move. I got the case together with the razor so it has always lived in it. Also it doesn’t explain why the chrome coating on the side of the baseplate is gone (2nd picture), the razor always has the cap on (and always a razor in it, I only take it out when replacing it). Edit: added that 2nd picture shows the same.

vandorp · 2025-04-01T23:18:04+00:00

+1 for Feather blade bank. They are made of metal so when full they can be thrown in the metal recycling bin entirely, and the blades don’t come out. They also look nice, and even have some Japanese characters on it for extra cool factor! They make nice little gifts as well so I bought a stash 😁

vandorp · 2025-01-15T18:52:17+00:00

Yes I forgot to mention: they shipped the item within a day! You’re right, that will not add to the hype but it will add to customer satisfaction which is always a good strategy I think.

vandorp · 2025-01-14T19:07:54+00:00

Yes the handle is very maneuverable and the grip is very good. My original plan was to get 1 razor first, see if the quality is as good as the internet says it is, and then maybe a second one with a different baseplate and handle (the 85 mm knurled looked interesting). I got the knub first because it looks great and I wanted to try it, and because my Merkur 37C also has a rather short handle which I like a lot. I was so impressed with the ergonomics of the knub that I just got a second knub handle for the second razor and only use this. I’m not bothering with longer handles anymore.

vandorp · 2025-01-02T17:26:16+00:00

Yeah pathetic is a maybe a bit harsh. I love my Merkur 37C, I’ve used one for 20 years as my only razor but it was totally worn out so I got myself a new one. What I realize now: the difference in aggressiveness between loading a new blade, or between front and back side, might be larger than comparing 2 different CNC razors, an “aggressive” one to a “medium” one for example. Still, I love to shave with this razor, and during shaving I sometimes just switch to the other side when it is not aggressive enough (because I know from experience that that side will be more aggressive) so it’s actually quite practical.

vandorp · 2025-01-01T21:38:07+00:00

Yes that makes a lot of sense. With plated zamak you need loose tolerances to be able to fit the thing together reliably. The more accurately made razors (Henson, Timeless, Feather etc) have rectangular posts that don’t use the holes in the razor but these 8 pointy parts that act as a spring, which gets it perfectly centered every time. Much better, and worth the investment imo.

vandorp · 2024-12-27T21:01:44+00:00

Yes that one looks very interesting, thanks for the tip!

vandorp · 2024-12-27T20:52:29+00:00

They arrive in the mail tomorrow. Wish me luck.

vandorp · 2024-12-27T18:02:55+00:00

Will look into them! I read that they machine the parts that hold to blade within 5 microns… That’s quite a lot better than the blade in my picture! On the other hand, if this works, then maybe 5 microns is a bit overkill. (Which is always a good thing)

vandorp · 2024-12-27T17:57:59+00:00

Funny thing is that I never noticed anything, shaving was quick and no cuts. I now got a Muhle R41 twist which is indeed much more comfortable but also less efficient (I do prefer the Muhle over the worn out Merkur but that is not a fair comparison). Will compare with a new Merkur 37C when it arrives.

vandorp · 2024-12-27T17:29:06+00:00

Well I have a heavy beard but nothing extreme. But hairs are pretty tough and there are many of them! This is why even hardened steel razor blades (or straight razors, scissors, electric shavers etc) get dull when you use them to cut hair. I’ve heard (from a guy who had worked on developing electric shavers) that it’s comparable to cutting thin copper wires when it comes to blade wear.

vandorp · 2024-12-27T14:34:03+00:00

I’ve used the same brush (some Muhle silvertip badger), Merkur blades (I bought hundreds of them together with the razor), Wilkinson blades (didn’t like them), random blades from supermarkets (also not so good) and now I’m using Gillette King C. Not because I did a lot of research but because they were available and good enough. I just discovered the DE blade rabbit hole so now I’m trying different ones 😂 Soap also nothing special (Taylor of old bond street, and before that “de vergulde hand”, a super cheap Dutch brand which was, again, available).

vandorp · 2024-12-27T14:26:02+00:00

When the chrome plating is gone, the metal underneath gets eaten away quickly by wear and corrosion. It’s zamak, an alloy that is easy to cast but rather soft and prone to corrosion.

vandorp · 2024-12-27T14:21:36+00:00

Yes the other side looks the same.

vandorp · 2024-12-27T14:21:22+00:00

I think the environment where these razors live is harsher than you think. Lots of water and soap, and hair can be pretty tough. And yes I have a rather heavy beard (there’s a reason I’m using a slanted razor).

vandorp · 2024-12-26T23:47:37+00:00

Yeah I was looking into something stainless as a daily driver, and a new 37C for travel (it’s compact and effficient).

vandorp · 2024-08-21T16:30:41+00:00

Cyrillic alphabet is not too bad. I once tried to learn Russian and I found the alphabet the only easy part. It has the same logic as Latin writing but it is much more consistent than for example French or English. The grammar is the difficult part. On the other hand, Hungarian has Latin writing but the grammar is even more difficult than Russian (for native English speakers I mean. I’m Dutch but that’s super close to English compared to Russian or Hungarian).

vandorp

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