Gold Starmus Award Speedmaster

Archer

The complaint I see most often is the logo on the crown. Not sure why people obsess about these things, but on a screw down crown to get this lined up (and more importantly keep it lined up) would be a huge technical challenge. To ensure that something lines up you would have to control the exact length of the threads, and there starting positions relative to the case and each other. In a screw down crown, there are typically 4 threads you would have to control - the case is internally threaded to attach the case tube. That case tube is externally threaded where it screws into the case, and also threaded where the crown screws on. The crown is also threaded where it screws to the case tube.

Now you would have to make every single case, case tube, and crown with tolerances close enough to ensure that when any of these three parts are changed, they would all line up. Not easy, and then as soon as you start to use the crown and gaskets start to compress, the positions can all change - not to mention if the stem is cut too long by a watchmaker and that restricts the depth that the crown can screw down to. It all seems very simple on the surface - if we can pout a man on the moon after all - but in practice would be a nightmare. This is why the Naiad case back is what I would refer to as a "bayonet" style attachment.

For the Speedy Tuesday I suspect they are doing what you suggested. Since these are LE's, so a small number of watches made, they can take each case set, install the case back, torque to a specific value, then locate it for the engraving. As long as they don't mix a case frame and case back in the process, the gasket is new, and the case back torque spec is met each time, then it should line up close. Of course if someone torques the case too little or too much, the position will change, but since most people don't mess with their case backs, once it's on and lined up, it should stay that way (more or less) at least until the first service.

So again nothing special here in terms of technology, just able to pay a bit more attention since it's small production for the LE. Until proven otherwise, that would be my SWAG.

Cheers, Al

Df13

FWIW, Rolex patented a way to align the crown, and they've implemented it in the Sky Dweller.

http://atgvintagewatches.com/atg-vi...05-wondered-rolex-crown-sky-dweller-line.html

billyblue

Thanks, but to be honest I'm not really able to figure out how it works.

So you don't have a screw down crown anymore? You have to manually check that the crown is perpendicular to the case when you press it in? That would be not very clever...

Df13

I believe it operates more less like any other Rolex crown. There are just some indexing teeth that somehow line things up.

Meme-Dweller

I could've sworn I heard that 2 years ago.