When you see it...

[CHIP]

I watched it on a big TV and I still didn’t see it until he pointed it out!

[priamo]

Quite amazing. It could be not a mistake at all. But a planned anomaly by Rolex for fan speculation. They'll keep it a secret I'd guess. I'm sure they would exchange it. But would you?

[Baco Noir]

The video had the right dial in the video until the 3:20 mark in the video, so that was kind of deceptive.

[CHIP]

Heck no. I’d keep as I’d, that’s worth a pretty penny.

My Rolex AD had a sub once that was printed “ubmariner” on the dial, and he sent it back. He regrets the decision.

The downside is that you couldn’t take that to RSC, they would force you to swap the dial.

[priamo]

Would Rolex go a step further and certify the defect as authentic once it was found and presented to them? I asked GO about the GO simplified caliber 10-30 (one of 1,264 produced) in my 1993 Gub and they replied that it was interesting but they have no idea of how or why that movement, meant for higher end models, was installed. 
Did your AD, Chip, take a picture of it before returning it?
$126k double stamped penny

Brings to mind that vintage Tudor "Red" Ranger thing I've read about. Fact or fiction? Tudor never comments about it. Mystery.

[CHIP]

Apr 16, 2019 13:45:01 GMT -6 Baco Noir said:

The video had the right dial in the video until the 3:20 mark in the video, so that was kind of deceptive.

You’re right, I didn’t notice that.

Maybe it wasn’t meant to be deceptive, as he was talking about how much care it goes into QC, so it makes sense to show a normal one during the overview.

(Don’t talk bad about my favourite watch channel LOL )

I was going to go there when I was in London, as they are at Burlington arcade right next to my favourite pastry shop. I always stop there.

They had a lot of people inside and I didn’t feel like bugging them.

[carl]

I kind of had a "hint" - from a couple of years ago - before I saw the defective watch. A couple of years ago, I was checking out a 36mm Oyster Perpetual at the AD. It was just after they introduced the new dial, where there are now double markers at 3, 6 and 9 positions. The watch I was looking at had only a single marker at the 9 position, where the ones at 3 and 6 were correct. It was the only time he had ever seen such a defect. Soon as I saw this watch, I wondered if it could be a marker thing. Often wonder how it would have worked out if I had purchased the 36mm OP. Never would have happened anyway, as I don't like those double markers.

[Pete]

I don’t believe that one left Rolex and their AD in that condition.

[CHIP]

Apr 18, 2019 5:44:42 GMT -6 Pete said:

I don’t believe that one left Rolex and their AD in that condition.

My AD received a brand new 116610 that said Ubmariner on the dial. I guess it can happen!

[aquajoe]

Apr 18, 2019 9:01:41 GMT -6 CHIP said:

Apr 18, 2019 5:44:42 GMT -6 Pete said:

I don’t believe that one left Rolex and their AD in that condition.

My AD received a brand new 116610 that said Ubmariner on the dial. I guess it can happen!

At least they capitalized it

[CHIP]

Apr 18, 2019 9:07:53 GMT -6 aquajoe said:

Apr 18, 2019 9:01:41 GMT -6 CHIP said:

My AD received a brand new 116610 that said Ubmariner on the dial. I guess it can happen!

At least they capitalized it

Nope. He sent it back to Rolex.

[Pete]

Apr 18, 2019 9:01:41 GMT -6 CHIP said:

Apr 18, 2019 5:44:42 GMT -6 Pete said:

I don’t believe that one left Rolex and their AD in that condition.

My AD received a brand new 116610 that said Ubmariner on the dial. I guess it can happen!

WTF??
Are you serious?
Yikes!

[Archer]

The idea that any brand is "perfect" with watches leaving the factory is mostly due to their marketing. And we all know who spends more on marketing than anyone else...

I have no doubt that this watch left the factory the way it's shown - as Chip has noted there have been other defects on dials as well, from spacing issues, centering issues, and marker issues. Unfortunately the human brain is pretty bad at spotting mistakes, in particular if you are an inspector assigned to spot mistakes for a full day in a production environment. So even with 100% inspection of every single watch, that doesn't mean 100% of defects will be caught.

In my former life as an engineer in a manufacturing plant I used to come across this all the time with visual inspection - sometimes the company would have a batch of parts inspected for visual defects 3 times, and defects would still get through. And we are talking about gross defects, similar to the markers on this dial. It was hard to believe that such defects would get through with multiple people looking at the parts, but they did. In some cases I developed machinery to find the defects, and in others took steps earlier in the process to eliminate them...

I know people don't want to believe it - someone on another forum claimed that Rolex did this intentionally to "spark interest" in their products and get a buzz on social media.

[aerome]

Apr 16, 2019 13:45:01 GMT -6 Baco Noir said:

The video had the right dial in the video until the 3:20 mark in the video, so that was kind of deceptive.

Glad you pointed it out, saved me the trouble of going back through.  I was able to catch it just before he spilled the beans and like Chip, that would be a keeper.  A future grail for a collector, indeed.

[Jamie]

I'd have definitely kept ahold of that one... Never mind the DRSD or Red Subs...