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Messing with the Big Gonzo while the rest of the plane slept.

Sigh. So here's how the rest of this thread is going to go: 1. Someone takes the bait and responds with the opposing view. 2. OP and others double down on their stance. 3. Back and forth gets harsher (to put it mildly) 4. Someone says "Hey, let's talk about watches guys hahaha." 5. MOAB locks thread. Can we just skip to the end, please?

Laser welded/case taken down/ redrilled and tapped/ Mq dial/ 3sets hands/ yuki insert/ yuki pearl / myoung plexi/ 2846 serviced / Hr flat caseback no gen parts .

Hi everyone! I'm quite new to the forums and I wasn't sure if this was the correct place to post this. Anyway, I'm looking for some help from some reputable members on here who can guide me in the correct direction. I'm looking for a replica Rolex Submariner. So far I've narrowed it down to these three: http://www.intime.co/rollie/2725-submariner-116610-lv-black-ceramic-v2s-1-1-jf-best-edition.html http://www.intime.co/rollie/2637-2016-submariner-116610-ln-black-ceramic-v6s-sa3135-1-1-noob-best-edition-.html http://www.intime.co/rollie/2640-2016-submariner-116610-ln-black-ceramic-v6s-a2836-1-1-noob-best-edition-.html Not sure which is better though. They obviously have slight differences but I would like to ask someone who has experience with some of these particular models. Also if there is better websites out there that offer a better price. Thanks everyone and have a good day!

It seems fake to me... But I need some experts advise.

Kime is right. I learned the hard way to sometimes back down from 'grail watches' when putting Frankensteins together. Two favorites I have shied away from are 6542 and 1675...6542 because it would cost way too much and the 1675 because a genuine 1675GMT movement would also cost too much. I flew into one grail watch project a few years back with eyes wide open and it bogged down after a while, a 1655 with Phong case/dial and 1570/75 converted to GMT with genuine parts except for a few I gave up on. GMT parts are too hard to find and too expensive so I shelved the project. Maybe for now, maybe for now on. What did I learn? It is much easier and cheaper to go with 5512/13/1680 with the 5512/13 being the easiest because of no date. A 6538 is Ok but you have the high $$ case, dial, and brass bezel to deal with. A rolex 1680 using genuine movement and slow set date = trouble sooner or later. The upside is if you buy a good case and have a good movement to start with, the watch should last 20 or 25 years with a few c/o along the way. The next step down (or up depending on how you look at it) for a 5512/13 is to go with a high quality case/dial and an Eta 2846 etc movement. Same results as above for much less $$. An Eta 1680 project is Ok too and you will have a qs date but this calls for a dw overlay and any problems they might have. "One thing Joey B talked about was taking a Perfect Clones 1655 case and taking off the crown guards- file them off and repolish that side of the case." I had good luck removing crown guards on a 1680 type case but this was after I screwed up a couple junk cases getting the hang of it. I used a $99 five (5) inch Harbor Freight disc sander with 320 grit to grind the cg down most of the way and finished with 800 and 1200. It did not take long and be warned...the 320 cuts FAST. Very fast, and it can get you past the point of no return in no time at all. It will make needles out of FAT lugs in about 20 seconds. Set the platform at 90 degrees from the disc and run the case against the disc lightly to see how it cuts, then grind a little at a time. The 320 leaves a rough finish so stop cutting while there is still enough metal left to finish grinding the case into shape with 800, then 1200 and finish with polishing compound. http://www.harborfreight.com/1-in-x-5-in-Combination-Belt-and-Disc-Sander-69033.html You can catch them on sale for $20 or $25 less. The sandpaper came from eBay. You can get six (6) inch sandpaper (sometimes cheaper) and trim it down with an Exacto knife after sticking it on the disc.

Lots of fantastic and well thought-through answers in this thread. Let´s try a pragmatic approach:) Simply being realistic a good/upperscale vintage build with gen parts in 2016 will always be in the $1500 range and easily place You somewhere between $2000 and $3000 (if not higher). Talking of Europe AD´s any new or vintage 9k or 10k watch will be between $2000 and $3000 more expensive than in the US (the weak Euro against the USD or CHF since one and a half Years is somewhat deceiving when making comparisons, that doesn´t help us over here or change the fact). Buying a 9k or 10k watch new at the AD and walking out of the store will also set You back between $2000 and $3000 (exceptions granted if it´s a Rolex, the right model and/or You put a lot of time, effort, marketing and risk into re-sellling it). Given both latter scenarios, those would leave You with nothing to show for, while an individualized grail-build in the same range is justifiable in my opinion and may very well be worth it. There´s a fascination and thrill when wearing a beauty like the pcg in the post above and while it´s not "the real thing" the lines between rep and gen get somewhat dissipated along the lines (specially if the vintage gen would cost 8k, 17k, 35k, 60k and other crazy prices that are demanded nowadays and simply make it unaffordable for the common mortal).

Gross... And what a clown.

So much beauties in this thread ! Here is my humble 5513. Cartel case with drilled lugs holes and cg's worked a little. Clark's plexi. Cheap cousins insert. True gilt glossy dial. [emoji632]

My vote goes to@droptopman's gen 5513. But here's one of mine: And another:

Without a doubt the Noob V6s.

Hi everyone, I just went through tapping a Silix 6538 case to accept Athaya's 8mm Brevet crown. The cases needed to be drilled first and then needed to be tapped to accept the crown. Hope some of you find this useful Tools & Parts: - Silix 5510/6538 case - Rat tail file - Table Vise - Cordless Drill (>7.8volt) - Lubricant for metal cutting - Tap Wrench - 3.5mm Cobalt Drill Bit - M4x0.35mm Tap First step is to remove the existing tube (look how tiny that Silix tube looks!). I used a rat tail file to grip the inner tube. Once you've got a good grip, simply unscrew counter-clockwise. Voila! Next, you secure the case in the table vise. Lube the hole where the tube was and use the 3.5mm Cobalt drill bit with your cordless drill. I used my 7.8v first, but wasn't as effective so I used my 20v. Had to be patient but wasn't difficult at all. Drill all the way through. Be sure to clean off any burrs. You can use that same rat tail file from earlier. Now you need to put that M4 tap onto the tap wrench. Make sure you get the 0.35mm pitch! 0.7mm are more common, but they won't work! I've purchased mine from Merlintools on Ebay for $12 per. Get a couple while you're at it. I couldn't photograph since both my hands were occupied, but once the tap bites onto the case you do a 1 turn clock-wise and then 1/2 turn counter clock-wise. By going counter clock-wise you're removing the excess steel. Athaya tubes are pretty long so I went all the way through the case. Now you should be able to hand screw that new tube in most of the way. Towards the end I used that rat tail file again to tighten all the way down. NOTE: if you have a choice, use the triangular file. Cone shaped are very difficult to remove from the tube because it bites more area on the tube. And there we go BONUS: So we know 3.5mm Cobalt and an M4x0.35mm tap is needed for the 8mm Brevet Athaya crown and tube. For Rolex Explorer 1016s to accept the 6mm gen crown and tube, you'll need to drill out the case using 0.110" or #35 first and use the M3x0.35mm tap. If you aren't up for it, jmb is your go to TC 16610 to gen tube seems to have the same diameter so drilling doesn't seem necessary. It would use the same tap as the 1016, M3x0.35mm. See here: https://www.replica-watch.info/vb/sh...ll-this-myself Hope this was useful! Good luck!

1665 Cartel case Phong bezel assembly Singer dial ETA 2846 Gen 703 crown Polexpete DWO Yuki insert & pearl David Young T39 crystal 5513 PCG 1680 case, lug engravings removed Reshaped CGs Yuki dial, insert, pearl ETA 2846 Gen T19 service crystal Athaya 700 crown & tube 5513 meters first Cartel case, reshaped CGs Drilled lug holes Yuki dial and pearl Bezel assembly and insert off the bay ETA 2846 Athaya 702 crown & tube Michael Young T19 crystal 5513 Cartel case, reshaped CGs Drilled lug holes Singer serif dial Yuki insert & pearl ETA 2836 Michael Young T19 crystal Athaya 702 crown & tube 5517 PT case Ingod dial ETA 2846 WSO insert Yuki pearl Gen 703 crown Gen T19 service crystal