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HA! Where did you get that picture of me? That 1016 mk2 was something I whipped up for a member next door. raffles case with acrylic crystal swap ruby mk2 dial ruby hands - aged lume to match dial Ruby bracelet asian eta 2824 and a subtle amount of aging to the case desk diver safe queen . On my last order I thought I would try out one of his new tropical brown dials. was not disappointed. (stay tuned for the sub build ) New raffles case with acrylic (apparently they are glued it - caution advised) enlarged lugs. soften case with some ageing raffles dial and aged the lume with some brown air brush paint to break up the evenness of the lume tone. raffles gilt hands -- aged asian 2824 with date wheel removed and setting lever modded to 2 settings. Silix rivet bracelet under bright direct light the dials pop and have a bit of an rootbeer colour leaning towards orange. under overcast skies in natural light it does take on a chocolate tone. the finish does have a bit of a metallic effect to it , but subtle , I want to give it more age and depth but deciding which way to go as they are a semi gloss finish and I think dulling down the dial will reduce the metallic effect which I dont want . open to suggestions. I must say that Raffles has really upped his game the cases he offers are very good quality great machining and quality. the dials are miles ahead of what they used to offer. crisp text and the details are way more accurate than they used to be , now he offers albino and tropical options also. the quality and durabiilty of the finish is top notch. I have worked with Vietnam dials from ruby , mochacha and mq and honestly they dont compare as far as finish . I've had lume fall off a mq dial , paint chip off really easily on mochacha dials . ruby is good but they are getting slow on the communications I hope they are not going under cause they are the best value for a Vietnam parts. But Raffles is really coming in strong and for a 10the the price!!+ I hope they continue to expand their offerings.

The first one was completed quite a while back and I had enough parts for another one so here is where it stands. Here is the first one with a cal 1560 and Yuki dial... Basic 1570 non hack from the mid 1960s for the second one shown below. It came out of an old DJ that got water in it and was put away wet. The stem was rusted solid in the main plate and a lot of screws etc. were rusty, plus it needed a balance staff, set bridge, rotor axle, mainspring etc. It had been c/o a while back as it was in my 'shortcut 1655'...so it runs just fine, exactly the same movement minus the 24 hour parts. Had to put a new minute wheel post in it though because the minute wheel from the aftmkt 24 hour conversion had an arbor on it that turned in the movement where the minute wheel post used to be...long story. Quite a bit of the plating was damaged by water but it does not make one bit of difference in the way it runs. The case is from early 1964 and is in very good condition with just a tiny bit of corrosion on the gasket area of the case. Put a new case tube in it today and it turned out to be a real hassle...not the first case tube hassle btw. It was an old style nickel silver tube that had been cemented and tightened to the max. It's a wonder it did not break off when it was installed...so it waited until I was removing it. Broached most of the remaining tube down to the case threads and of course it cut a lot more on one side and not much on the other side of the remaining tube. Had to file what I could away, being careful not to damage the threads, but it still left about half of the threads in the tube but there was enough of the threaded hole toward the outside of the case to start a case tube tap so I finally got it cleaned up and a new case tube back in the case. That is where it stands today, next will be to put the crystal on the case, dial/hands on the movement, and a few other parts plus the auto wind assembly to finish it. The bezel on the case is from a 34mm Raffles 'toot' case and hopefully it will work on a 25-12 size crystal. I may end up making one but would rather not. I'll post again when I get more done. Damaged plating on the brass main plate... Might replace the detent screw (top outer screw on right side pic) it works Ok but it looks bad. Funny how the plating was damaged on the main plate, but the plated bridges were all Ok.

"$1,300 for a few vintage Rolex parts. Crazy -- but this time next year, crazy will have been a bargain." Yeah. If you can find one at all a year from now. I bought two sets 1575 GMT center wheel with cp and hour wheel, without any GMT calendar wheels (pn 8034) a few years back and they were somewhere around $200 for two sets. The 8034 GMT calendar wheel is hard to find today. The $1300 kit is basically enough for a conversion plus you may need to space the calendar ring up a little bit. Why? Because the GMT calendar ring is about .10mm thicker than a regular 1575 date ring to make space between the 24 hour wheel and dial. A friend cut some 4 mil (very close to .10mm) circles out of Mylar on a decal plotter that sticks to the ring to raise it up. Works fine and saves $$. I did not use an 8021 GMT calendar wheel on the 'shortcut 1655'. The GMT kit for $1300 on eBay has the 8021 calendar wheel but does not have a GMT calendar ring (pn 8037). Sometimes they work Ok without the thicker calendar ring and sometimes not. After proof reading all this mumbo-jumbo a couple times, it sounds like 18 month old kid gibberish. An 18 month old kid that's been hittin' the prescription cough syrup. Typos are free.

Was going to buy another Air King 'explorer' dial from Yuki. Have one but have two projects going. Bought 12 or 15 dials with free delivery including hands in the past. Picked one out for $106 (no hands) and went to the order section. Shipping is $48 USD!! No more Yuki Dials For Me! Ever. 1-25-23 Proof I have purchased Yuki dials before. Most are Yuki along with IG44, MBK etc: About half the compartments have two dials in them. Two 'Red' 1680 IG44 dials, '1016' dials from unknown supplier in 2008 etc. + one Yuki '1016' dial not shown. Toot dial is genuine but don't know what model it fits...25.5mm in diameter for ETA 28xx. Yuki '5513' center, J$Wcom '1655' dial on right for never ending project. Two Yuki '1680' dials top left, the printing looks like ////////////////////////////// when highly magnified, not solid lines, only two dials were like this from 5 or 6 years ago. Only the two '1680' dials were not up to par, all the other Yuki dials are very good. IG44 'Red' dials top right...best of all.

I do not follow reddit for anything, so I cannot comment directly. What I do know is that rwg.cc, like many of the gen watch sites, is like a ghost town today, which I think is due to a combination of watch burnout & poor management/misdirection of the sites/forums. Like some of the other mods, I lost interest in rwg after the site steered away from the more technical aspects of watches/collecting & into games/contests. There were other issues that some of us Mods took exception with, but that is not relevant here. Not looking to start a debate with anyone (that is for another thread), just expressing why some of us old-timers lost interest. Today, for better or worse, the games appear to have gone away, but, as was predicted, so has the membership. On the other hand, RWI (forum.replica-watch.info/ -- which is where I 1st learned about the amazing 4130-based Daytona clones), is like Grand Central Station. RWI today is what rwg.cc was up to a dozen years ago -- active & breaking new ground with many knowledgeable members leading/running a very busy forum. Although I hate to add to the member leakage here, I would recommend checking RWI out if you have not yet done so. I think you will find it quite educational. As to TDs, I think the concept of verifying rep sellers & applying clear rules for them to market to a large pool of eager buyers was more or less pioneered by us in the early 2000s. Others (like RWI) then copied our success because it was so effective for both buyers & sellers. Unfortunately, as the membership here dwindled, so did the TDs, as I see that some no longer list current/working contact & site addresses. I am guessing rwg.cc's mods are no longer actively overseeing or maintaining these TD relationships. However, based on what I am seeing, it looks like RWI is. Not sure why rwg.cc is not referenced on reddit, but I suspect it has to do with simple lack of traffic draw. Rwg.cc just does not draw much traffic now, so reddit does not view us as a major player in the rep field. Not sure how or what rwg.cc can do to regain its prominence without restructuring in a way that provides something for watch collectors that cannot be found elsewhere, as was the case back in rwg.cc's early days. & lacking both Ziggy & Bob, I think it will be difficult (but not impossible) to attract the kind of talent required to achieve that. That is my 2 cents.

The Big Kahuna's time was last set (to our company's email server, which is linked to an atomic clock) a little more than 1 month ago. I just checked it for the 1st time since then -- it lost 5 seconds! That is less than 2 secs/week! Of the 4 quartz watches I have, only 1 maintains more accurate time than that! Although The Kahuna does contain some gen (movement) parts, it is technically a fake Rolex, whose total financial outlay was less than $3,500 -- & without the games, waiting lists & various other issues that are part of today's 'gen buying experience'. The Golden Cuckoo, fitted with the same contingent of gen parts (&, likewise, w/o any timing adjustments!), continues to run within gen specs, +/- 2secs/day. I will say it again -- these 1165xx clones are 1 of the best buys in rep watch history. As further evidence of their accuracy, I just returned the gen gold 23-704 crown/tube I had purchased for The Cuckoo back into storage because they are nearly indistinguishable from the clone parts these 2 watches came with from the factory. Yes, these fake Rolexes are so good that it is not worth my time to swap gen parts for these fakes.

The best way I found to naturally patina a tropical dial is to add a tiny bit of black shoe polish to some of the brown/blank areas & then bake it -- carefully -- until the desired effect is achieved! Done properly, you should not see where the polish was applied & some of the shininess will be reduced. You did great work on the Explorer & I look forward to seeing the outcome of your tropical Sub. In the meantime, here is some inspiration --

To those have posted on these here fora I would like to extend my thanks, for I have been quietly gleaning information from your posts over the past months that I might build a watch for work. I like the simplicity of the oyster case and the explorer dial so decided to go that way...sans branding as I just wanted watch that would stand up to daily use of shovels, chainsaws, and every other unsavoury job the council can throw at me. I stripped an old Ollech und Wajs that had seen better days and salvaged a couple of other bits and pieces from a couple of other watches, these parts I put together in an unbranded Raffles case with dial and hands from same vendor. Raffles 16200 case Raffles dial Raffles hand set Eta 2824-2 Elabore unmarked jubilee bracelet from ebay. Shitload of patience, tweezers, and large magnifying glass...and very sore knees from crawling about on the wood floor looking for all those damnably horrible wee screws I dropped. Please note that I was not trying to emulate a Rolex so didn't give a toss if the whole thing isn't correct...it works and suits me, twenty one seconds slow in the past seven days is good enough. Regards. Ps, yes that big scarred mitt with the calluses all over it did actually manage the task. Had not done this before, it was interesting.

I have been watching your builds and like the profile the T21 gives. Unfortunately I work on the local shire and an acrylic crystal would be destroyed almost immediately. ...and wild horses couldn't drag that watch away from my Daughter.

Nice job on the builds. you seem to have been bitten by the bug haha careful or you will end up with a watch box full of them I hope your daughter loves her new Tudor! I recently just bought the tropical dial as well but went with a bit more of a safe queen look before I decide which direction I want to age it further. I did age the lume on the dial and hands lightly with a brown air brush paint . I like how your dial turned out with your aging technique. it gives it a well worn look.

I am still trying to find a set of '1655' hands to fit a rlx 1575 mvt with 24 hour GMT hand for my 'shortcut 1655' project watch. I need oem spec hands and have one pretty good aftmkt set on the shortcut watch but want to use them on another project. As I posted before, I got a figure of $380 delivered from MQ for his aftmkt '1655' hands and that was too much $$ for me so I bought a set from WSO to see how they 'stack up'. I had already bought a set from WSO for an ETA 28xx GMT but they are the wrong color and the hole sizes are off too much for the 'sc 1655' They are good quality. WSO hands for rlx 1575/GMT info: 1...They are the wrong color...oem are black/white and the WSO rlx cal 15xx hands are black/silvertone. 2...The WSO rlx '1655' hands were a little bit better than the ETA 28xx hands because the lume slots were not quite as long but the colors are still a problem, they are also good quality. The lume slots are a bit too wide but there is no fix for that. The best part is they cost $38.36 delivered...10% of the MQ price. What's next? They will have to be stripped, re-painted, and re-lumed. I'll post pics if and when they are re-finished but it may be a while because I have not stopped looking for reasonably priced aftmkt '1655' hands that are closer to oem. WSO hands for rlx 15xx (pictured in plastic bags)... The 24H hand is Ok and only needs the lume aged or changed. The H and M hands appear to be all black, but from the beginning of the lume slots to the tips, they are silvertone. No pic of the SS hand but it is a 'dot' hand and I'll use a 'no dot' hand. The 'shortcut' 1655 as it is now... To be honest...I am on the verge of giving up on another '1655' project. Q...Why? A...Because a correct rlx 1575 GMT mvt with genuine GMT parts alone is worth about as much as the same movement in a J&Wcom case/dial. Q...Why? A...The 'shortcut 1655' watch is worth maybe $2500/$2700 and a 'correct' rlx GMT 1575 movement in a J&Wcom case is not worth much more. Q...Why? A1...Because a replica is a replica no matter what mvt is in it. The 'value' is killed by it being a replica. A2...No matter how good it looks, that one word kills it (unless you are a crook). A3...Truth is, the 'shortcut 1655' is good enough for me. After all, I'm wearing a quartz '5513'. Ha!

"I like how it's coming together." Thanks! "...you may need to enlarge the ID of the bezel slightly." I have a few generic T-11 (GS PA459-37) with rounded outer edges and that is what I am going with. Seems like the Raff bezel will fit. Later T-12 crystals have sharp outer edges. "I would go with the gilt gloss yuki dial AFAIK all matte dial 5500's are rep..." I have not decided for sure which dial will be used but the dials with goldtone letters have better detail. Otoh, I am not a big fan of steel watches with goldtone markers...but I see quite a few steel 16xx, 160xx DJ, 6694, manual wind no dates etc. with goldtone markers on the 'net. I have also seen a few 5500 AK/1002 'explorers' on eBay with goldtone markers and most of them had gold bezels and crowns. The 1002 also came in a tutone version so an 'explorer' dial with goldtone letters would be quasi-legal along with gold bezel/crown. Sorta. The jury is still out. I need to save the best goldtone letter dial for a 5501 AK and the gloss and matte dials are about the same in detail. I read that almost all of the 5500 AK with explorer dials were sold in the UK. True or not? Probably true. I do not remember seeing them at watch shows when I attended shows in the 1990s, mostly in the southern and eastern USA. Burley Bullock (rip) and a few others changed the wristwatch landscape during this time with radio ads, formation of the IWJG etc. Then the internet, eBay etc. changed it again. "Did you do the movement service?" Yes, c/o, mainspring, rotor axle etc. and a friend put a new balance staff in it. It took 2 or 3 weeks soaking the main plate in white vinegar to melt all the rust away so the stem would come out of the plate. I painted over any critical steel parts pressed in the plate with nail polish every few days. The main plate screws that hold the various bridges to the main plate were rusty and I replaced them with near identical stainless steel screws from an assortment of stainless case back screws. A few others were also replaced. I have original screws but did not want to use them on a 'battleground movement'. The three blued screws that hold the autowind assembly to the movement were still Ok. All in all, it is a pretty good movement, it just looks bad, and it runs much better than it looks. It is a lot like the movement in my '1016 explorer' project with a movement made out of a combination of well used ETA 2824/36 and 2846 parts. It is one of the best running ETAs I've owned. One other ETA that runs like the 'explorer' is in a 1990s/early 2000s Marathon CCG SAR. Marathon Coast Guard (broadarrow.net)

"Have you considered using another dial? The print of the Yuki dial pictured is pretty poor. I think even most standard rep dials today might be a better option, let alone 1 from 1 of the better franken parts sellers." Yeah, it is not too hot. The one for my AK 5501with yellow letters is a little bit better. "Also, will you be removing the corrosion on the metal before finishing? It looks like mostly surface rust that could easily be removed." The corrosion/rust is gone. What you see is the brass base metal of the main plate showing through heavily damaged rhodium plating. The rust was removed by soaking in white vinegar plus two trips through an ultrasonic cleaning machine. This is about as good as it going to get. Polishing the damaged areas with Simichrome polish etc. would make it look better but I skipped it because it would remove more plating. Here is the other 5500 'explorer' dial, it might be a little bit better: Close up, it is really no better: These AK 'explorer' dials were $110 each with hands including shipping in 2014/15. The other dial with goldtone letters is a little bit better, but it looks a lot better at a distance of 12 to 18 inches: Since these are project watches made out of miscellaneous parts, I guess I'll go with these dials and not spend any more $$ on them. The original dial on the 5501 AK has been badly refinished and dented so the Yuki dial will be an improvement. The rough original dial/hands will be included when it sells to help the deal a little bit. These '90% genuine rolex 'lost cause' projects are now numbering over 100 with 10 or more 'originals' left to finish so I am slacking off on project watches a bit. Hopefully these projects will be Ok along with 'full disclosure' as long as no one is too picky. Q...What is left? A...Two 16xx DJ, one (? ref number) manual wind with date, one 1675 GMT, two 5500 AK, one 5501 AK, one 1500 OPD with a 'blistered' movement, two 6422 (iirc ref number) manual wind no dates plus a few others. 'Blistered' = movement discolored by harsh cleaning solvents. I am beginning to see piles of shucked oysters in my sleep. Ha! Update later in the day: I found another yellow letter Yuki 'explorer' dial with a matte finish in my box of dials. The one above has a glossy finish. The matte dial with yellow letters is about the same quality as any matte dial with white letters in this thread. All are from 2014/15.

The clones have gotten so good and at our age and station in life, no one would second guess it. I would only swap outward facing parts that clearly have a tell. I say let it ride.

Update -- The Golden Cuckoo is now fitted with gen hands, balance/bridge, reversers & various screws to replace those that were either damaged or of poor quality. Although I had planned to swap the coronet for a gen, once I had the dial off & compared the clone to the gen -- & you are not going to believe this -- but the coronet on the clone dial is a clone of the gen 116508-0009 in the 2020-2021 Rolex catalog, page 141 if you have 1. Had I swapped the coronet, it would not match the catalog, so it had to stay. Some of the details, like the coronet on this particular model, seem to be unique to the 116508-0009. Another of these unique attributes are the 3 subdial hands, which are not only GLOSS black, but the paint is applied to the entire hand & is so THICK that it forms a cone around the center rivet. It is quite a distinctive look & something I have never seen before on a Rolex, especially when the light is reflected on an angle from the center of the hands. This is the only Daytona model I have seen that is painted this way (the subdial hands on all other Daytonas are painted with flat paint &/or have bare center rivet sections). Really, the only remaining tell -- & you have to know about it in the 1st place -- is the lack of an 'intense black' dial color. The 'intense black' of the gen is achieved much like many high-end black car finishes, which are often composed of a combination of deep purple & blue applied as a fine mist so it appears nearly matte from a distance. The clone is more of a semi-flat black, which, from an arm's length, looks like the gen. But this is the only detail that is missing as you view the dial close-up or through a loupe. If the case was solid 18kt or steel, I would probably finish her off with a gen dial. But because gold plating is never permanent, I decided to draw the line there. Unfortunately, once again, because the clone's original parts are so good, the external gen parts swaps are subtle, so it may be difficult to see the improvements. But, like the gen, the macro viewer is well rewarded for their close attention with a stunningly beautiful handset. Also, because the watch sits about 3/4 mm lower on the wrist with the solid caseback, I may not fit this 1 with a display caseback. 3/4 mm may seem like a tiny difference, but it is quite noticeable when the watch is on the wrist. Still deciding -- gen auto-wind bridge & crown. The clone parts are so good (greatly exceeding Trustytime's pics of those parts on his website) that I am still ambivalent as to whether they are needed. So these are to be determined. This watch is incredibly beautiful. The more I look at her (yes, she's so striking that she's a she -- &, yes, I know what a she is when I see 1), the more I fall under her spell. How John Mayer could make a fuss over a mundane gold & green Daytona & miss this 1 entirely is beyond me. They are not even in the same galaxy & I say that as someone who -- up until now -- thought (most) yellow gold watches look needlessly ostentatious & silly.

1-21-23 The notes below in italics were taken from a note I sent to a fellow RWG member concerning the 'shortcut 1655' project. I took the movement out of the cartel '1655' case a while back and took it apart to install a minute wheel post aka 'stud' to turn it back into a regular 1575 date movement. The original minute wheel post had to be removed during the 24 hour conversion because the conversion has a slightly smaller outside diameter minute wheel post with the minute wheel and 24 hour drive wheel mounted on top and it all turns in the main plate as one piece. The OD of the conversion min wheel post is slightly smaller than the oem (pressed in) post to allow it to turn in the main plate. This particular movement (mid 1960s non hack) came with a brass bushing inside the minute wheel post hole in the main plate. Q... Why is there a bushing in the main plate? A...No idea but most 15xx movements do not have the bushing. I had to press another minute wheel post in the main plate so I could use a regular oem minute wheel made to turn on the pressed in post when going back to a 12 hour date movement. "I had to put another minute wheel post in the seemingly never ending 1575 project from the shortcut '1655'. The first post I machined turned out to be too loose in the main plate so I had to cut another one and press it in. The loose post was .49mm in diameter and the new one was .52mm and it is tight. I used a piece of a drill bit for the new one by cutting a section off below the flutes, slightly tapering the end where it starts into the main plate. I used the minute wheel for a guide to keep the post 90 degrees to the main plate and pressed the post into the plate with the lever on an 'Inverto' staking tool. This movement has a tiny brass bushing (noted above) making the job a bit touchy. If the post is too small, it will be loose, if it is too big, it can push the bushing out when pressing the post in. Luckily the new post went in with no trouble. The first minute wheel post turned out to be loose because I was being careful not to push the bushing out. It was stainless steel (relatively soft), the second one is harder tool steel. 'Inverto' staking tool = the staking tool punches will also mount in the base of the tool, not just in the top where they can be tapped or pushed with a lever. This in effect allows the punches to do double duty as 'stumps' or 'punches'. 'Stumps = cups, stands, sharp cones etc. that are mounted in the tool base. The base has a turntable that can be locked in place for precision work. Staking tool set like mine except this one has the push lever on top removed: What I can't figure out is why some of the 15xx main plates have brass bushings because all the movements I've seen have the same size post pressed in the plate and all the minute wheels are hollow and run on the post. Some of my 15xx movements do not have a bushing but they have the same 7888-1 minute wheel post. Besides that, there is only one minute wheel part number (7888) and one minute wheel post aka 'stud' (P/N 7888-1) in the 'official' rlx parts list. I ordered a genuine post (7888-1) for this project but it was a lot bigger about half-way down and the plate would have to be drilled out to use it. Maybe it was the wrong part? Who knows?" I am going to get some date wheel spacer 'shims' made out of Mylar decal material to space the original DW 'calendar ring' up about .1mm to move the date wheel away from the 24 hour wheel on my next 'shortcut' GMT project. 'Date wheel spacer' = generic term for 15xx metal calendar rings that come in thick (GMT), regular (12 hour), or with sides that drop off for 'pie pan' dials on 16xx DJ. Submariners, OPD use the regular calendar rings. GMT rings are about .1mm thicker, now hard to find and high $$. Q...Why is a thicker spacer needed for a GMT? A1...Because the 24 H wheel makes the movement slightly taller and the hour and minute wheels can be too close to the dial. A2...GMT canon pinion and hour wheels are also slightly taller than DJ/OPD parts. I will post a note on how it turns out but it may be a month or longer. This whole story pertaining to the 'shortcut 1655' project was posted as a guide (or warning) to anyone who wants to install one of these 'shortcut' 24 hour kits in a rolex 15xx movement. If you do decide to install one, try to find a kit with the 24 hour drive gear mounted to the minute wheel and uses the original minute wheel post that comes in the movement. I have seen a few in pictures so they are available but I could never locate a supplier.

Mine was the 5514 that I sold to Nanuq not long before he passed. A bit bittersweet now, but I knew it was going to a good home.

"The years have taken their toll." You got that right! Ha! Maybe leave the Ha! out. Ha!

Mine would be my 6542 and my 6204, both with the ETA2846 movements, and both with the 13mm minute hand that goes to the edge of the chapter ring. That hand completes the look. The 6542 was inspired by Freddy's build, and took me to make the insert and bezel per spec, and talk Rafflestime to make the 4th hand and brevet crown. Those were the days.

RWG was the place to be during the early 2000s. Market shape, services and internal dynamics changed a lot since then. some of the old timers are gone (ones for better reasons than others) and the constant are the so called TDs, most of them still around because more or less crowded business is still business. I come every once in a while to find the forum as a deserted warehouse, an echo of what it used to be. I hope that it may change but I really doubt it; as an informative and technical platform it assisted the pioneering efforts in builds and mods when the info sources were scarce and part supplying centered in a couple of sources. Today, one can find almost anything available so building became an IKEA like thing and modding less and less valued for three reasons: - base material / parts have better quality and easy acessibility; anyone can assemble a watch. - information became available but knowledge irrelevant so people still use pictures as reference and build according to what they see in a picture and not over what they feel / experience with a genuine. Like a beauty contest… - Modding takes time and demanding (time, tools, finance and the capacity of accepting unsuccessful attempts and the fact that in trial and error, error usually takes advantage. best M.

Depending on the year, I have to wonder if this was an inspiration for Frank Mueller Crazy Hours.

Hello Mate... I am a fan of 1655. I'll put you a link where maybe you can find the solution. I hope. http://www.jewelryandwatch.com/contents/en-us/d223_Explorer_II.html I made two pieces without taking into account the OEM specifications. But certainly the hands like the dial have a very important aspect for the success of the build. Here are my two.

https://www.pfc8388.com/ My fav dealer all time Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Amazing combo, had a cheap rep of this new style rubber strap however I couldn't get the bugger to sit flush on the same watch I had, did you mod the end pieces or this is a top rep strap for the SMP? OR a gen strap?

"Anyone ever service a Gen cal 3000 no date here?" I've done a few 3035 and they are no trouble and a 3000 would be easier because of no date works. They are a lot like an ETA 2824. Just be careful with the balance/hairspring as they are high $$ now. The 3035 has a Breguet HS and the 3000 has a flat HS. Rolex Caliber 3000 Watch Movement | Caliber Corner 【Assembling Watch Movement#24】ROLEX Cal.3000 Assembly｜Watch Repair & Overhaul - YouTube

As long as your chrono hand has a good rivet, you should be able to tighten it with your staking tool. After centering the staking table with the centering stake, place the hand -- tube up -- into a stump that allows the face of the rivet to sit inside it. You want the face of the hand wand sitting flat against the stump. Install a convex stake that allows the tube to fit into the hole at the end of the stake with as little play as possible, but so that it slides in easily. You want the round face of the stake to fit around the tube & sit against the back side of the rivet. 1 or 2 LIGHT taps with a brass hammer should tighten the rivet joint. DO NOT BANG ON THE STAKE OR YOU WILL DAMAGE/DEFORM/DESTROY THE HAND! Remove & check for tightness. If still loose, repeat. Once you try it, you will be surprised at how simple the process is (& why you did not do it sooner). Good luck.

Bracelet is gen.

Wow! Did you swap out the balance & bridge - straight swap? Forget that, obviously both as the gen has no regulator arm.

I believe it is a Heuer Carrera.

Beautiful!

Looks great Freddy! TRL is “thin red line” in honor of our dear departed friend Bob 🙂.

David.. this might seem a bit strange, but I’m in the process of kicking the bucket myself. Selling off watches, collectibles,audiophile parts etc. I know that my parents have No clue what is what. What I want to say is..(I don’t know the degree of nerdyness you got in this hobby). If the inheritancea are unclear What is genuine, what is ”aftermarket” and help with valuation I’ll gladly help. Who knows, those funds could help a local charity or something.. I’m just expressing my thoughts, that swirl around. P.S. Don’t wait to long with help, at least from my part as I might have started the real journey by then.

I have been thinking exactly the same thing. But I am not so much worried about what the Chinese government may do. I think this new 'clone' 4130 is putting Rolex in a very difficult spot, which, for the 1st time, is forcing even their established customers to have to redefine what the definition of 'the real thing' is. & I do not see how Rolex can remain profitable (or passive) in such an environment. I would expect to see a SERIOUS crackdown on the entire rep supply chain soon. For that reason, I would recommend that anyone considering 1 of these not delay too long. Is it smart to be forced to wait years & play games to buy 'gens' at crazy prices or is the smart 1 the person who buys a (clone-powered) fake for a fraction of the cost & without any of the wait/games? I think the Asian factories are just a step away from producing entire clones that are the equal of gens. As it is, I consider my franken the 1st diy 'gen' in my collection. In fact, based on look/feel/function, it seems the equal of any of my actual gens. Even my all-gen 6542 (sans insert), fells less genuine 'Swiss' than this Daytona. I could never say that before. These 4130 clones are incredibly good & lack nearly all of the traditional shortcomings & tells of previous generations of movements found in even high-priced fake Rolexes (eg, MBK/MBW, etc). Bottom line -- this watch, as received, is a $5,000 watch that I paid less than $1,000 for. These things are a STEAL. p.s. My little contribution to the Daytona story has been delayed due to fitment issues with the final part. Hopefully, the maker will be able to address their mistake & I will be able to reveal The freddy333 Daytona soon. I think it will be worth the wait. Stay tuned --

Wiser words were never spoken! There has been a feeling of hollowness to all of my post-Bob posts here. 1 of my prime motivations has always been to gage Bob's reaction -- good, bad or instructive -- to my findings & discoveries. I never realized how much of a motivator he (along with Ziggy & a few of the other early members) was.

Good news as my lass will be home later this week and can pick up the watch...I really am looking forward to seeing her. On the watch front, it has been just over five days nine hours and the watch has gained just under 7 1/2 seconds so I am guessing that it has settled to a gain of under 2 seconds per day. Yes I am pleased.

I set this yesterday at 1 second fast, shews less than 1 second (faster) variation in 24 hours. Not real scientific but I am pleased as punch.

She is down in Ballarat at Uni so has only seen pics, I finished it last night and shall send it down during the week. She does like the pictures.

That is the old O&W case. I have since picked up all I require for a watch for my daughter. A 34mm Raffles Tudor case, Tudor dial and hands, and a Eta 2824-2 top grade. Just waiting for a 5.3mm Rolex crown and a leather Tudor case to turn up before I start. I have already installed Rolex pendant tubes and chased out the threads in both cases.

Just trying to keep the budget under control